𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 | 𝐏𝐉 𝟐

𝟎𝟎𝟑.𝟏

Daphne Alvarez was a traitor.

There was no way she could forget about her lapse of judgment, camp Jupiter wouldn't let her.

"Stay away from her!" She tried to turn a blind eye when mothers hurriedly pushed their kids away from her.

The whispers followed Daphne wherever she went, a constant reminder of her mistake. She had betrayed Camp Jupiter, and now she was paying the price in the form of distrust and disdain from her fellow campers.

Daphne felt the weight of their stares like a heavy burden on her shoulders. She could see the fear and suspicion in their eyes, hear the hushed conversations that stopped abruptly when she walked by. It hurt, knowing that she was viewed as a traitor, someone unworthy of trust or friendship. But deep down, Daphne knew she deserved it. She had made a grave error in judgment, and now she had to live with the consequences.

Despite the whispers and the cold shoulders, Daphne tried to hold her head high. She knew she couldn't change the past, but she was determined to prove herself worthy of forgiveness.

But no matter how hard she tried, the shadow of her betrayal loomed over her, a constant reminder of her mistake. And as much as she wished she could turn back time and undo what she had done, she knew that some actions could never be undone. All she could do now was try to make amends and earn back the trust of her fellow campers, one step at a time.

How was she suppose to know it wouldn't work out? Wouldn't be a peaceful exchange but rather one where people were killed? Luke had promised, he had promised her everything would be fine, she would meet her father and they would all live happily, with no gods misusing them. He had promised.

And then he had broken all his promises. He'd made her watch as her own friends died, as he tortured his campers, as he manipulated all of them.

She'd left, she'd left as soon as he had shown his true colours. But the mark of a traitor did not wash away. And now, the only person who had believed in her had gone missing.

Jason was gone.

He was gone, her only hope to survive in camp Jupiter was gone. Missing, they said, he'd gone missing. She still remembered how he'd brought her back to camp, stood infront of her when everyone had pelted insults at her, held her hand when nobody even wanted to glance at her.

"Please, please help me, I need to get away." She'd begged him, and it hadn't taken him a second to whisk her away, not even contemplating the consequences.

She'd hurt him, she'd turned her back to him when he had said not to follow the Titan army, he'd told her she would regret, but she had been too clouded by hate and anger to resist the offer Luke had made, and like a prophecy whatever Jason had said came true.

"Daphne," The purple eyed girl looked up from her position at her cohort table, pushing the food around, "A minute,"

Reyna stood infront of the daughter of Bacchus, giving her the same condescending look as always, it was no secret Reyna had hated Daphne before she joined the Titan army too, they didn't get along, and Daphne was embarrassed to say it was because of a boy, Jason to be more precise. Even before Jason and Daphne had got together Reyna and Daphne had been at odds.

"Yes," Daphne stood up from her seat, attracting the attention of everyone around them, as Reyna motioned for her to follow.

They walked past the gardens of Bacchus as Reyna walked forward authoritatively, her shoulders stiff as she didn't even glance back at Daphne, "I heard you asking Octavian to join the search party for praetor Jason,"

A lump formed in her throat, If Reyna had heard about it, there was a 99 percent chance Daphne would not be able to join the search party, "Yes, I want to help."

Reyna's scoff cut through the air like a blade, and Daphne felt the weight of her disapproval like a physical force. "Help? You've done a lot of help in the past."

I'm sorry. I'm sorry please!

Daphne wanted to get on her knees and beg, beg for forgiveness that she would never be granted.

"I know you have doubts about me," Daphne said, her voice steady despite the nerves that churned in her stomach. "But I'm willing to put everything on the line to find Jason. He's... he's important to me."

Reyna turned to face her, her expression unreadable. "Your past actions have made it apparent you don't hesitate in putting people that are important to you on the line. My answer to you is no and will remain no."

Daphne stared at Reyna, if the praetor expected her to fight and yell then she was wrong, Daphne simply nodded, "I understand,"

Reyna gave her one last assessing look before walking away, Daphne watched her figure in the distance steeling up her mind about sneaking away. She was willing to do anything for Jason.

With a sigh she trudged to the gardens, gazing around and finding her mother working on the vineyard as always. She rushed towards her mother, forcefully taking the basket full of grapes from her hand, her mother looked up at her in surprise before her eyes wrinkled in a sweet smile.

"What are you doing here?" Her mother signed to her, Ramona Alvarez, couldn't hear, she was Deaf from her very birth. Due to her inability to hear she hadn't been considered a vital part of camp Jupiter, even though she was a legacy Ceres, the camp didn't really want a liability.

Daphne took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside her. She knew she couldn't burden her mother with the weight of her troubles, not when she had already caused her so much pain.

"I just needed some fresh air," Daphne signed back, forcing a smile onto her face. "Thought I'd help you with the grapes."

Her mother studied her for a moment, her eyes filled with concern. She knew Daphne better than anyone else, could see through the facade of bravado that Daphne tried to maintain.

"Daphne," her mother signed gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I can see that something is bothering you. You can talk to me, you know that, right?"

Daphne's heart clenched at the sincerity in her mother's words. How she wished she could confide in her, tell her about the guilt and regret that weighed her down. But she couldn't burden her mother with the truth, couldn't bring herself to admit the extent of her mistakes. Ramona didn't know, didn't know that her daughter was traitor, Jason had hid the truth from her mother, he'd told her Daphne had been on a quest, nothing else.

"I'm okay, Mom," Daphne signed, forcing a reassuring smile. "Just... thinking about things. But I'll be fine."

Her mother's expression softened, and she pulled Daphne into a warm embrace. Despite everything, Daphne felt a sense of comfort in her mother's arms, a fleeting moment of solace in the midst of her turmoil.

"I love you, Daphne," her mother signed, her face filled with warmth and affection.

"I love you too, Mom," Daphne signed back, her eyes filling with tears. "More than you'll ever know."

She would find Jason Grace, and bring her boyfriend back. For herself, the camp and for her mother too, Jason needed to come back.