ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ in which, he thinks she was made to light his life.
/ or - she's afraid she'll drown before she could shine for him. /
"you are our beacon of hope, you must believe that."
"and hope can't live without its light," he said, "that's you."
percy...
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━━ chapter iv, chariot chaos !
˗ˏˋ be as you wish you seem. 'ˎ˗
The morning sun beat down relentlessly on the racetrack, casting long shadows across the grassy field. The air was thick with anticipation as campers gathered to watch the chariot races unfold. Percy stood at the starting line, his hands gripping the reins of his chariot tightly. Beside him, Tyson stood tall, his one eye scanning the track ahead with determination.
"Dyana!" Percy called out, scanning the crowd for his friend. He spotted her atop the Hermes chariot, her expression a mix of excitement and nerves. Despite not being able to ride with him, she had been instrumental in designing their chariot, and Percy felt grateful for her help.
She looked down at him, offering a reassuring smile and a thumbs-up gesture. Percy returned the gesture with a grateful nod before turning his focus back to the task at hand.
"The track looks intense," Dyana shouted over from the Hermes' chariot so Percy could hear her, her eyes scanning the oval path carved out by the bronze bulls.
"Nah," Percy shouted back as he shook his head. He didn't know where this confidence came from, maybe it was for show but joking with Dyana felt nice, "For you maybe."
Dyana chuckled at Percy's response, the sound barely audible over the noise of the crowd. She raised an eyebrow playfully, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "You're just saying that because you're scared I'll leave you in the dust."
"Oh, you wish!" Percy grinned, a spark of competitive spirit igniting within him. "I'll have you eating my dust by the end of this race!"
Percy's grin faded as he watched Connor—or was it Travis?—interrupted their moment of celebration. His hand tightened around the reins as he tried to ignore the annoyance bubbling within him. Couldn't they have waited until after the race?
Connor (or Travis) turned around from the front of the chariot and knocked on Dyana's helmet.
"Oi," He said to Dyana, giving her a large pole, "remember, push the other chariots away if they get too close."
Dyana accepted the pole with a nod, her expression determined.
"Got it," she replied, her voice muffled by the helmet. She turned back to Percy, a hint of apology in her eyes. "Sorry, duty calls."
Percy forced a smile, though he couldn't shake the twinge of disappointment. Percy met the gaze of the Stoll boy, feeling a shiver run down his spine as memories of Luke flooded his mind. The older boy's cocked head and raised eyebrows were too reminiscent of Luke's smug gestures for Percy's liking.
