𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐚; percy jackson

𝟎𝟓 | hearing her voice

Percy stood behind the brunette boy, Luke, who was deep in conversation with others in the cabin. He had overheard parts of the previous conversation with Meara, and one thing caught his attention.

"Is she really one of the best sword fighters at this camp?" Percy asked, curiosity clear in his tone.

Luke quickly turned around, an amused expression on his face. "Weren't you supposed to be unpacking your stuff?" he asked, his grin widening.

"Mhm," Percy nodded casually. "But this seemed a lot more interesting." He tilted his head, intrigued.

Luke chuckled, crossing his arms. "She really is. A really powerful friend to have by your side"

Percy had to take a moment to remember the question he had asked, feeling somewhat surprised by the response. "She definitely doesn't seem like it," he remarked, his brow furrowing slightly.

Luke's smile faded, his expression turning more serious. "You're underestimating her," he said calmly, shaking his head. "A lot of campers do."

Percy frowned slightly, still skeptical. "Well, she seems like she's all talk and no action, just saying."

Luke shook his head with a knowing look. "Wait 'till you see her fight," he said. "If you ever get the chance," he added as he began to walk away.

After a few steps, he glanced back at the blonde with a small grin. "Catch up with me later Percy."

Percy watched him leave, unsure how to feel.

That wasn't the worst first attempt at making friends in his opinion. After all, he wasn't great at making friends even under normal circumstances, let alone with these whole new surroundings.

Unpacking his bag didn't take long. There wasn't much to unpack, and soon he was ready to find Luke.

The only problem? He had no idea where to start.

"Luke?" Percy called out into the air, hoping for a response. Instead, all he got was a few sidelong looks from campers nearby. He winced, instantly feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him.

They whispered among themselves, and Percy heard one girl say from behind him, "Isn't that the kid who killed the Minotaur?"

Turning around, Percy faced a group of kids standing together, their gazes locked onto him. "Let's not make a big deal out of it," he laughed awkwardly, trying to brush off the attention.

The girl who had spoken stared at him coldly, her dark curls shifting as she lifted her chin slightly. "Not make a big deal out of it?" she repeated, her voice filled with disdain.

Percy's attention wavered. As she spoke, something strange happened.

A voice he recognized began playing in his head—a voice that belonged to none other than Meara.

"You know, Clarisse, she's only nice to her half-siblings... occasionally," Meara's voice echoed in his mind. "She makes it hard for anyone to actually like her. I think she just wants to be feared."

Percy took a step back, bewildered.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to show us your fighting skills?" The girl, who Percy realized was Clarisse, sneered.

Percy hesitated, the earlier voice still lingering in his mind, but he was too distracted to really process it. "I—uh—no," he said, fumbling for words. He pointed vaguely behind him. "I was just going that way. Didn't mean to, uh... bother anyone."

Clarisse didn't let up, though.

She advanced toward him, each step louder than the last. Percy instinctively took a step back, already bracing himself for whatever came next with eyes shut. He'd been picked on plenty in his life, he was used to it.

Yet, nothing happened.

He slowly opened his eyes, confused.

Clarisse had stopped. She wasn't looking at him anymore; her attention was focused on something behind him.

"Picking on the new kid?" a familiar voice mocked.

Percy's heart raced.

It was Meara, and this time she wasn't just in his head—she was standing right there.

Meara stepped closer to Clarisse, her voice sharp. "Look, I really held back in the forest."

The forest.

Percy's mind flashed back to what he'd heard from Meara before. He remembered her talking about being cornered, about her necklace being stolen by the Ares campers.

He squinted, trying to block out her voice that still echoed in his head.

Clarisse looked less than pleased, her mouth twisting in irritation. "Stay out of this, Meara."

Meara didn't flinch. "Or what? You're gonna steal my necklace again?" she snapped, her voice turning cold. "Let's not repeat that mistake."

Clarisse sneered. "No one's scared of you."

"Funny," Meara retorted with a sly smile. "You're the one backing off."

Clarisse glared at her for a moment longer, clearly seething, before motioning for her group to follow her. "You're not worth it," she spat, as they scrambled off.

Percy rounded on Meara, his frustration confusion transforming into fury. "What are you doing to my head?" he demanded angrily.

"What?" Meara looked confused, her brow furrowing.

"How are you doing that? I feel like I'm going crazy!" Percy's voice rose in accusation, his emotions getting the best of him.

Meara shook her head, clearly exasperated. "Oh boy, a thank you would be nice," she snapped. "I just saved you from getting your butt kicked."

Percy wasn't having it. "Don't act like you don't know what's happening here! I heard your voice in my head—it was weird. It felt weird!"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you crazy? Do you have to keep blaming me for everything?" She shot back, loud enough to draw the attention of nearby campers.

They both realized they had an audience now.

Percy took a deep breath, calming himself slightly. "Just... stop messing with my head," he said, quieter this time but still sharp.

Meara crossed her arms. "Huh. If you're seriously hearing voices, you should get back to the nursery, bimbo," she muttered before walking away.

Percy stood there, feeling more confused than ever.

Something was happening here—something he couldn't explain.

He didn't know what it was or why it was happening, but the voice in his head, Meara's voice, had definitely been real.

He had no idea why it was still echoing in his mind.

A/N
this might seem really confusing and complicated, but the short explanation is at the very start of chapter 10.
but if you don't understand—when meara had to look after percy in the infirmary, she talked to him a lot.
and because he wasn't fully unconscious, those words stayed with him and replayed in his head.

(i know that it's very unrealistic, but it is a fantasy book after all, right?)