Born To Die

The new kid blows up the bathroom

Luke and I circled each other, swords clashing in a rhythmic dance as we sparred in the training arena. The sounds of metal meeting Metal echoed around us, but the smirks on our faces betrayed the serious nature of our "fight." There was always a little extra thrill when it was just the two of us, a playful edge that none of the others seemed to pick up on.

"You sure you're not getting slow, Holden?" Luke teased, twirling his sword before lunging toward me. I blocked his strike easily, our eyes locking for a moment.

"Slow? Please, Castellan, you're barely keeping up!" I taunted back, landing a playful jab to his ribs before stepping back with a grin.

He laughed, his brown eyes flashing mischievously as he came at me again, this time faster, forcing me to dodge and block with more effort. We went back and forth like that for a while, each attack becoming less about practice and more about seeing how far we could push each other. The banter, the teasing—it was our way of staying connected in the midst of everything else.

Suddenly, Luke twisted his wrist, disarming me with a quick flick of his sword. Before I could react, he had me pinned against the side of Ares cabin, his hands on either side of my head as he leaned in close, the heat between us impossible to ignore.

"Looks like I win," he murmured, his breath warm against my cheek.

I raised an eyebrow, refusing to back down. "Only because I let you."

We stared at each other for a moment, the air between us crackling with tension. And then, without warning, he closed the gap, his lips crashing against mine. It was like all the teasing, the fighting, the plotting—it all melted away in that moment. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, forgetting about everything else as the world around us seemed to disappear.

But it didn't last.

"Ugh, seriously, you two?" Alison's voice cut through the haze, pulling us apart. She stood there with her arms crossed, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Can't you keep your hands off each other for five seconds?"

I pulled away from Luke, trying to catch my breath, and shot Alison a playful glare. "You really know how to kill a mood, don't you?"

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "You'll thank me later. Anyway, I've been hearing things... about the new kid. Percy Jackson? Supposedly he killed a Minotaur."

Luke's expression shifted, all playful teasing gone as he straightened up, crossing his arms. "Killed a Minotaur, huh? Sounds like another overblown camp rumor."

Alison shrugged. "Maybe. But everyone's talking about him. He's supposed to arrive at camp any day now. Thought you two would want to know."

I exchanged a glance with Luke, who looked thoughtful. We'd heard about newcomers before, but something about this Percy kid felt... different. If the rumors were true, he could be a threat—or an opportunity.

Luke smirked, leaning back against the cabin with a casual air, but I could see the gears turning in his mind. "Guess we'll have to keep an eye on this Jackson kid," he said, looking at me. "See if he's worth the hype."

I nodded, knowing that whatever happened next, it would only be another piece of the plan we'd been carefully putting together. But a part of me couldn't shake the feeling that Percy Jackson was going to complicate everything.

The next day, the camp was abuzz with the arrival of the newest camper. Percy Jackson, fresh from fighting a Minotaur and barely escaping with his life, was now the center of attention. Even though the campers were keeping their distance, their whispers carried through the air like wildfire. I could sense the tension growing, especially among the demigods who were already established.