✓ | 𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, luke castellan

ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

Bonds Tested.

⚡

    THE CAMP GREW DARKER, more fractured with every passing day as the summer solstice drew near—bringing with it not only Percy’s looming deadline but also the heavy shadow of war. The tensions simmering beneath the surface finally boiled over, splitting the demigods into factions that eerily mirrored the ancient conflicts of myth. It was as if the echoes of the Trojan War had come alive once more, with Apollo, Aphrodite, and Ares rallying behind Poseidon, while Athena and Zeus commanded the opposing side. The remaining cabins, caught in this divine tug-of-war, found their loyalties stretched thin, their allegiance fragile and ever-shifting, waiting only for the slightest command from their immortal parents to choose sides.

    Rory couldn’t help but watch in disbelief as the camp transformed into a battlefield. The demigods had become pawns in an intricate, merciless game played by gods who treated their children’s lives as mere pieces on a celestial chessboard. Their desperate craving for approval had blinded them, eroding reason and pushing them toward blind, reckless loyalty. To Rory, it was more than tragic—it was pitiful.

    Luke handled the pressure by disappearing into the relentless grind of the fighting arena. He pushed himself mercilessly, wearing down his body and spirit alike. His exhaustion became so severe that he began neglecting his own responsibilities, leaving Chris to step up and effectively run the Cabin in his stead. Rory, meanwhile, took a different path. She clung tightly to her handful of friends, spending as much time as she could with them, testing their convictions, probing for cracks in their allegiance. She was desperate to sway their hearts before the war could fully consume them all.

    Since that fateful conversation with Maddie on the porch, Rory had felt incredibly guilty. She had apologized profusely, more than once, realizing that her frustration had spilled over into harsh words she hadn’t truly meant. Maddie had been hurt—deeply—for a day or two, the sting of Rory’s bluntness evident in her silence and distance. But time softened the wounds. After all, Rory was more than a friend to her; she was basically her sister. Maddie refused to let a moment’s anger ruin their relationship.

    In the end, even Maddie, who was usually slow to forgive, let the grudge go.

    Now, Rory spotted Maddie at the far end of the arena, moving with the grace and confidence of someone who had long ago made battle instinctive. Maddie didn’t just fight—she owned the space around her. With a fierce cry, she twisted her spear in a sharp arc and sent a training dummy hurtling backward, its straw limbs flailing as it toppled with a crash. As she turned, her eyes locked on Rory, and her brows arched in a flash of surprised amusement.

    “You don’t have practice today,” Maddie called out, planting the butt of her spear in the sand.

    Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm allowed to train too, you know. Shocking, I realize."

    Maddie tilted her head, clearly unimpressed. “Please. The only reason you ever show up to sword-fighting practice is because Luke’s there.”

    The teasing in her voice, light and familiar, warmed Rory in a way she hadn’t realized she’d needed. The words meant things were returning to normal. Or at least, something close to it.

    Rory chuckled softly and didn’t bother denying it. Maddie wasn’t wrong. Back in the early days—when her feelings for Luke were little more than a confusing tangle of admiration and curiosity—Rory had thrown herself into sword practice mostly to spend more time around him. She hadn’t cared much about technique or habit.

    The training session quickly morphed into more of a conversation than anything else. Rory was perfectly content to sit cross-legged on the bench at the edge of the arena, talking as Maddie occasionally broke away to stab another dummy dramatically.