Love Against All Odds

Zoe - Back to Me

It had been a couple of weeks since we'd last talked. I say talked, but it wasn't a conversation—it was a complete waste. Oskar wouldn't listen, wouldn't open up. He was impossible. No matter how hard I tried to get through to him, to reach him, he shut me out every time. But now? I was done. If he wanted to be difficult, then he could be. I wouldn't keep bending backwards, waiting for him to come to me. I was tired of waiting.

I had already waited for weeks for him to come back to me—praying, hoping, watching him lie there motionless. And now? He was awake but ignored me as if I didn't matter. At first, it hurt. It felt like a knife to the heart each time he turned away from me, each time he withdrew further into himself. But now, I was just angry. Angry that I'd been the one fighting to keep us together, the one trying to reach out, and he couldn't even be bothered to meet me halfway.

And I wasn't one to keep chasing. I had more pride than that, especially not after a boy. Yes, he was my boyfriend. Yes, I adored him, missed him, needed him. But I was done trying to be the adult in this relationship. If he wanted to act like a child, then fine. He could sulk, brood, and push everyone away. I wouldn't hold my hand for him to slap it away.

Maybe this was my fault, though. Oskar was only eighteen. This was all new to him—the intensity of our relationship, the depth of our feelings. Maybe we had rushed into this too quickly, letting everything between us get too serious. It had been like a whirlwind, and now it felt like it was crashing down around us.

But no. That wasn't it. We belonged together. I knew we did. We were fated to be with each other, and the universe had brought us together for a reason. Something deeper tied us together in a way I couldn't explain. And I wouldn't be surprised if the Fates had a hand in it. They were cruel like that. They'd bring us together, only to throw every obstacle they could at us, testing us, seeing how far they could push before we broke.

That's just how it was for demigods. Nothing ever stayed steady. But Oskar and I? We were meant to survive it.

***

 I sat with Annabeth by the lake,

"I don't know what to do anymore," I admitted, my voice strained. "Oskar's still distant. It's been weeks, and he won't open up to me. He won't even try. It's like I don't exist."

Annabeth looked thoughtful, her brow furrowed as it did when piecing something together. 

"He's not himself," she agreed. "He's always fought for you. I mean, he cares about you so much. This doesn't add up."

"I know," I sighed, "That's what makes it harder. He's so far away, no matter how much I try to reach him. He's shutting me out completely."

Annabeth's eyes darkened as something clicked. "Zoe... this isn't just Oskar shutting you out. Think about it. He wasn't like this before Khione. Since he woke up... he's different."

It hit me like a slap in the face. Of course. It wasn't just Oskar. Khione was still in his head, twisting him, making him doubt everything. The realization burned through me with a sickening clarity. Khione had done this before—whispered in Zeus's ear, fed on his fears, and used his insecurities to manipulate him. She'd done the same to Oskar. Only this time, she wasn't just playing with power; she was playing with his deepest fear of losing me.

She had twisted that fear and turned it into a weapon. Every doubt, every insecurity Oskar had ever felt was now magnified, making him question everything—his feelings for me, my feelings for him, even our entire relationship. Khione had gotten into his mind, poisoned it, and I hadn't seen it until now.

She was feeding off that fear, letting it grow inside him like an icy grip around his heart.

"You think she's still... inside his head?" I asked, the realization dawning.