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𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓼
₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊
"You're gonna love this. Camp-wide mock warfare, all glory to the victors," Luke announced with a grin, gesturing towards Annabeth. "Annabeth's the head counselor of the Athena cabin. She's led our team to three straight wins. Been a long time since anyone's won a fourth."
Meanwhile, Delilah was busy fixing Inez's hair, her hands deftly weaving strands into a neat braid.
"Omg Nez, you have to use your charmspeak!" Delilah urged, her voice laced with excitement.
Inez groaned, "Why is it always me? Why not you or Romano, or someone else?"
"Because you mastered it, Nezzy," Delilah teased, her tone playful. Inez just rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.
Delilah, never one to miss a chance to flirt, waved at Luke and blew him a flirtatious kiss.
Inez, not to be outdone, caught Percy's gaze and flashed him a teasing smile.
Percy's face instantly flushed, the playful banter clearly catching him off guard.
Still flustered, Percy turned back to Annabeth and confessed, "She was there in the bathroom. She said she'd been waiting for it to happen."
Luke cut in, offering an explanation. "Annabeth sees the world differently. She's always six steps ahead of everyone else. You should cut her some slack."
Percy, a bit defensive, asked, "Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Oh, hers, always. She's my little sister," Luke replied, his voice softening with a hint of affection. "Before camp, I was on the road. Me and a forbidden kid I met along the way. Her name was Thalia."
Percy, curious, furrowed his brow. "Forbidden?"
"A long time ago, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades made a pact not to father any more children. Their kids were becoming too powerful. It held for a long time, until Zeus broke the pact. Thalia was the result. A forbidden kid attracts trouble—monsters, danger, you name it. It's a constant fight to stay alive," Luke explained, his tone darkening. "One day, we found this little girl hiding in an alley—Annabeth. We weren't sure about bringing her with us, exposing her to all that danger. Then we saw her fight." Luke chuckled softly. "Thalia didn't make it. But Annabeth and I did. We've been family ever since."
Luke added, "but Inez and Ophelia, they were the youngest campers ever at Half-Blood. Found each other when they were just kids. Inez was five when she ran from an attack. Met Ophelia, and together, they made it here. But that's Inez's story to tell."
Percy's eyes flicked back to Annabeth, confusion etched into his face. "She's been watching me since I got here. Why?"
"Annabeth is the strongest warrior in camp," Luke explained. "The only thing left for her to prove is going on a quest. Chiron's promised her for years that one day, a demigod would show up, fated to go on a quest even he couldn't stop. When that happened, she could join it. Every time someone new shows up, Annabeth watches, hoping they're the one. Usually, she gives up after a day or two. But she's still watching you."
