Whispering Shadows /pjo applyfic - DISCONTINUED

The road to nowhere

Chapter 3: The Road to Nowhere

Adrien had always thought his life was strange, but this was a whole new level of weird. Ever since the dream with the golden yarn and that strange voice, things had been off. The world felt... different. And today, that difference was closing in on him fast.

He walked the streets of Pinebrook aimlessly, trying to shake off the fog in his head. Sleep hadn't come easily the night before, and when it did, it was full of that same golden thread weaving through an impossible labyrinth. Adrien wasn't exactly a dream expert, but he knew enough to get creeped out when the same dream started replaying over and over.

"What does it even mean?" he muttered to himself, kicking a loose stone down the sidewalk. His mind drifted back to the weird encounter at the coffee shop with Irene. She had seemed normal at first—just another person in town—but the way she looked at him after their conversation was like she knew something he didn't.

Still, she was a stranger. And Adrien didn't care to know more.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking, wondering if he should head back to his apartment and just sleep the day away. But before he could turn the corner, a sharp chill shot down his spine. He froze, glancing over his shoulder. Nothing. But the feeling of being watched didn't leave him.

"Okay, Adrien, get it together," he whispered, picking up the pace.

He walked faster, his feet pounding against the cracked sidewalk. The streets were emptier than usual, and the sky was overcast, casting a gray haze over everything. As he neared the park, the eerie quiet began to suffocate him. The place was completely deserted. Not a single person in sight.

Then it happened.

Out of nowhere, a low growl rumbled from behind him. Adrien's pulse spiked as he turned around, expecting to see a stray dog or some alley cat. Instead, standing not more than fifty feet away, was something he couldn't quite make sense of. A creature—huge, with dark fur, claws, and glowing red eyes—emerged from the shadows. It was like something out of a nightmare, only more real than anything Adrien had ever seen.

"What the—" Adrien stumbled back, tripping over his feet. His mind screamed at him to run, but his body felt frozen in place.

The creature took a step toward him, its eyes narrowing like it had found its prey. Adrien's chest tightened. This couldn't be real. Monsters didn't exist. But as the creature growled again, louder this time, reality hit him hard. Real or not, this thing was coming for him.

Before Adrien could make a move, another voice cut through the air.

"Run!"

A figure dashed out from behind a tree, rushing toward Adrien with a speed that left him breathless. The person—a girl, around his age, with dark hair falling in messy waves—threw herself between Adrien and the monster, brandishing what looked like a bronze dagger.

"Move!" she shouted, sparing Adrien a quick glance. Her eyes were fierce and determined, like she was no stranger to danger.

Adrien, still stunned, hesitated for a second too long. The girl let out an annoyed grunt and grabbed him by the arm, yanking him out of the monster's path just as it lunged.

"Go! Now!" she barked, pulling him along as they ran through the park. Adrien's legs moved on instinct, his mind barely processing the fact that he had just been saved from being mauled by a creature straight out of a horror movie.

"What... what the hell was that?" Adrien gasped between breaths as they dashed through the trees.

"Not now!" the girl snapped, her grip on his arm tight as she led him toward the edge of the park. "Just keep running!"

They burst out of the park and into the street, where a black SUV was parked with the engine still running. The girl practically shoved Adrien toward the passenger door.

"In! Get in!" she ordered.

Adrien didn't argue. He scrambled into the SUV, and the girl jumped into the driver's seat, slamming the door behind her. She threw the car into gear and sped off down the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Adrien's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see the monster chasing after them, but it was nowhere in sight.

The girl let out a long breath, relaxing slightly as the danger seemed to pass. "Okay... that was close."

Adrien stared at her, his mind still racing. "Who... who are you?"

The girl shot him a quick glance before returning her focus to the road. "I'm Mari. Marianne Rhea Grace, actually. You can call me Mari. I'm from Camp Half-Blood."

Adrien blinked. "Camp Half... what?"

Mari sighed, as if she had expected that reaction. "Camp Half-Blood. It's a camp for people like us—demigods."

"Demigods?" Adrien repeated, his brain struggling to keep up. "Like... half-god, half-human?"

"Exactly," Mari confirmed, her eyes focused on the road. "One of your parents is a god. That's why that thing was after you—it could sense what you are."

Adrien shook his head, the words not quite sinking in. "No... no way. This is insane. I'm just a normal guy. I don't even know who my dad is."

"That's because your parent isn't human," Mari explained, her voice calm but firm. "You're a demigod, Adrien. Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth. And you're in danger."

Adrien let out a nervous laugh, running a hand through his hair. "This can't be real. Monsters, gods, demigods... this isn't happening."

"I know it's a lot to take in," Mari said, glancing at him sympathetically. "But it's real. And you're not safe here. That thing back there was just the beginning. If you don't come with me to Camp Half-Blood, you won't last long out here."

Adrien sat back in his seat, his mind spinning. "Camp Half-Blood," he muttered to himself. "So what, it's some kind of training camp for half-gods?"

"Pretty much," Mari said with a slight smile. "You'll learn how to defend yourself, how to survive. And we'll figure out who your godly parent is."

Adrien stared out the window, watching the familiar streets of Pinebrook fade into the distance. Everything he thought he knew about the world was crumbling around him, and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Why now?" he asked after a long silence. "Why is all of this happening now?"

Mari's smile faded, and her expression grew serious. "Because you're part of a prophecy. There's something coming, something big. We need you, Adrien."

Adrien's stomach churned. He didn't know what to believe anymore, but he had the feeling that whatever this prophecy was, it was going to change his life forever.