𝐒𝐊𝐘𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 ✧.* riordanverse applyfic

𝐨. prologue

RHIANNON PIERCE WASN'T A HERO.

She never had been, and she never would be. If anything, Rhiannon was the opposite of a hero—a troubled kid that couldn't even stay in the same school for more than a few months before getting expelled and shipped off to the next one.

Rein is 14 years old. And until a few months ago, she was a freshman at Goode High School. A boring, ordinary high school in Manhattan, New York.

She could start at any point in her short miserable life to prove how troubled she really was, but things really started going bad towards the end of her first semester in December, when Rein accidentally "cut the power" in her greek studies class.

Yikes, that didn't help with the witch allegations.

Anyways, they had a new teacher, Mrs. Meadows, who was taking over for their old teacher, who quit after he claimed he saw a skeleton come to life in the bio lab. Crazy, right?

Rein hoped that she could have a normal first ever semester of high school. A normal start to freshman year. At least, she hoped for once she wouldn't get into trouble.

Boy, was she wrong.

Mrs. Meadows, their temporary greek studies teacher, was the only one who seemed somewhat understanding towards Rein's struggles with ADHD and Dyslexia. Rein didn't know why Mrs. Meadows cared so much—or even at all, but Rein was grateful. So for the few months that Mrs. Meadows was subbing at Goode, Rein was determined to be good.

Rein sat slumped in her seat in the back corner of the classroom, eyes glued to her phone as she waited for the morning bell to ring. She used to hate this class—as it was assigned to her as punishment after she got her last elective taken away after she almost blew up the robotics lab—but Mrs. Meadows found a way to make it enjoyable, which was one of the reasons why Rein loved her so much.

The classroom was filled with a hushed anticipation as other students settled down into their seats. Mrs. Meadows stood at the front, her expression both gentle and inviting. She wrote "The Crown of Balance" on the whiteboard in elegant script.

Mrs. Meadows was a beautiful and graceful younger woman—maybe in her early 30s or so. She had long blonde hair, which currently was a bright golden shade as it caught the light just right. Her eyes were a light shade of green, reflecting a sense of wisdom. She had a pale complexion and a slender and elegant build. She stood at about 5'8", making her roughly 4 inches taller than Rein. Not in a weird way, but she totally looked like a Greek statue.

Her bright eyes scanned the classroom, and they landed on Rein, who was sitting in the back corner. Rein had the wavy dark hair of most kids from New York, but everything else about her was mostly different. Unlike the bright colored eyes that most of her peers had, Rein's eyes were dark, reflecting a sense of mystery that Rein didn't like. She had a lean build, a lot scrawnier than most of her classmates. Her skin was also a pale complexion, but that could easily be blamed on the December weather.

"Good morning, everyone," Mrs. Meadows began, her voice carrying a sense of importance. "Today, we're diving into the legend of the Crown of Balance, a critical artifact in Greek mythology."

Beside Rein, one of the popular girls, Evelyn Wood, snicked. She then turned to her group of dumb popular friends, making a comment about how dumb the class was. Rein rolled her eyes but shrugged it off. She was trying her best to pay attention, but her ADHD was in hyperdrive today. She felt that every noise, especially the hum of the air conditioner above her, seemed to grow louder.

She looked around, trying to find something to anchor her thoughts.

Rein turned off her phone as she leaned forward, captivated in the class. Mrs. Meadows continued, "The Crown of Balance is said to maintain harmony among the twelve Olympian gods. It ensures that no single deity gains too much power, keeping their divine influence in check."