Betrayed But Never Forgotten

The sweat sound of fighting

The new name for the daughter of Chaos (used to be claire) is Ophelia

Third person pov

      It was 8:00 on what should have been an ordinary summer morning. Golden sunlight streamed through the open sides of the dining pavilion, casting long shadows across the marble floors as campers and hunters filed in, their voices creating a cacophony of laughter and conversation that echoed off the columns. At the Chaos table, set apart from the others, the warriors sat in tense silence, their hooded figures a stark contrast to the carefree atmosphere surrounding them.

Percy, Luke, and Ophelia occupied one side of the table, their backs to the wall, while Annabeth, Piper, Charles, and Selina faced them across the polished obsidian surface. The space between them felt charged with unspoken tension, like the air before a thunderstorm. Zoe and Bianca were absent, having disappeared at dawn to hunt in the dense forest beyond the camp's borders.

Percy and Annabeth studiously avoided each other's gaze, the chasm between them growing deeper with each passing moment. Across the pavilion, Thalia, Nico, and Will sat at their respective tables, their eyes never leaving the shrouded figures, their food untouched as they watched with an intensity that didn't go unnoticed.

"Do you think they will tell anyone?" Luke's voice was barely audible over the din of the pavilion, his fingers nervously tracing the rim of his untouched goblet. "I can't believe we forgot to make them swear on the River Styx!" Anxiety laced his words, his eyes darting around the pavilion, searching for signs of betrayal.

Percy's jaw tightened beneath his hood, the shadows around him seeming to deepen. "Maybe if some people didn't reveal identities when some other people didn't want to reveal themselves," he said to no one in particular, his voice dripping with icy sarcasm. "Hmm, wonder who would do that?"

Annabeth's head snapped up, her stormy gray eyes flashing dangerously. "Are you blaming this on me?" She leaned forward, her palms flat against the table. "They haven't even told anyone that we know of about our identities!" Her voice rose slightly, drawing curious glances from nearby tables.

Sensing the building storm, Ophelia discreetly raised her hands, summoning a shimmering, translucent barrier around their table – a sound-proof wall that distorted the air like heat waves rising from hot pavement. The voices from the rest of the pavilion became muffled, as if coming from underwater.

"We were asked to ask questions, not throw an identity party!" Percy's control slipped, his voice rising as he slammed his fist on the table, causing their goblets to rattle ominously. The shadows at his feet writhed in response to his anger, twisting and curling like living things.

"I agree," Luke interjected, his scar livid against his suddenly pale face. "I didn't sign up for that. I mean, my identity almost got spoiled." His eyes darted nervously to the campers beyond their bubble, as if expecting accusatory fingers to point his way at any moment.

Piper's kaleidoscope eyes flashed with sudden malice, a expression so foreign on her usually compassionate face that it gave Luke pause. "Oh, cause your identity is so important?" she sneered, leaning forward. "Suck it up."

"Oh, and yours is?" Ophelia shot back, her deep blue eyes – so like Percy's – narrowing dangerously. The air around her seemed to crackle with tension, the soundproof barrier flickering slightly with her rising emotion.

"What did you say, anger issues?" Piper stood abruptly, her chair scraping harshly against the marble floor. "I couldn't hear you over you trying to steal my boyfriend." Her voice dripped with venom, her hand unconsciously moving toward the dagger at her belt. "I used to be a daughter of Aphrodite – I can sense emotions."