Rise of the Sun ( a Will Solace fanfic)

Chapter 3: Lost Love

The tension in the air grew heavier as Will thought about what had partly driven Michael's uncharacteristic vulnerability. Among the demigods who had sided with Luke Castellan in his rebellion against the gods were a few from Cabin 7 and even Aria from the Hermes cabin.

Will only knew Aria in passing, but he was aware-thanks to Lee-just how deeply Michael had been affected by her betrayal. Michael, the confident and brash leader, was reduced to a stammering mess in her presence, his crush on her so intense that it left him completely tongue-tied. Her turning against the camp had hit him hard, leaving him more short-tempered than ever, using anger as a way to mask his hurt.

Will decided to take a chance, even if it meant risking another one of Michael's scolding. "Are you thinking about this because... of the possibility of fighting against some of our siblings and... Aria?"

Silence filled the cabin, stretching uncomfortably. Then, Will felt a sharp bonk on his head, making him yelp in surprise. Michael scowled down at him, though his cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment. "Lee told you too much, didn't he?" he grumbled. "Being too mature for your age isn't always a good thing, Will."

Will stammered out a rushed apology, but Michael just sighed, sinking back onto his bed. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "I've been thinking about it a lot. Does being the ideal demigod really mean we have to fight, even kill, those we once considered friends or even family, just because they angered the gods? The gods sure aren't ideal parents to us either to expect thus. I've only met Apollo twice in my life."

Will glanced down at the rising sun tattoo etched onto his left pectoral. It was a mark of his devotion to Apollo, a symbol his mother-Naomi Solace, a cross-country singer-had encouraged him to revere. But every time he looked at it, he felt a gnawing sense of shame and inadequacy rather than pride or connection. He hadn't inherited the flashier powers associated with Apollo's children, the kind that made others look up to them. Maybe that was why he had never met his father, even though others claimed that Apollo was one of the better Olympian parents. Will couldn't shake the feeling that he just wasn't worthy enough.

Michael gave a tired sigh, his expression softening a little as he definitely caught Will struggle to hold back his emotions. "Probably a good idea to stop here," he muttered, brushing a hand over his face as if wiping away the remnants of whatever had nearly pushed him to tears earlier. "We're no use to anyone if we're sleep-deprived."

He reached over and adjusted the blankets around Will, who had tucked himself back in after their conversation. Michael tried to appear nonchalant, but the gesture was more careful than his usual brusque demeanor. He then settled back onto his own bed, facing away to give Will a bit of privacy, but his voice carried softly through the dim room.

"Just... don't worry too much, alright Will? We've got each other's backs. No matter what happens I will protect you and my other siblings till the end. It was the promise I made to Lee and I will keep it."

Will nodded, though Michael couldn't see it. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and closed his eyes, the heaviness of their conversation still lingering. He knew things were only going to get harder, with the looming threat of war and the uncertainty of what would come. But for tonight, it was enough that they weren't facing those thoughts alone. The room fell into a quiet that was almost peaceful, interrupted only by the gentle hum of the cooler and the soft breathing of the two demigods as they tried to find some rest before the dawn.

-----

Will surprisingly had a dreamless sleep. Definitely due to Morpheus finding another suitable host to give nightmares to.

He was woken by the sound of someone pushing him.

"Micheal," he groaned groggily. "5 more minutes."

Then he heard a familiar peppy voice.

"Wake up Will. Damn he actually sleeps like a log Austin. Should I bring in cold water?"

"HOLD IT Kayla. Don't jump to decisions so randomly!!" cried another male voice.

Will groggily opened his eyes. Standing over him were two of his siblings: Kayla Knowles and Austin Lake. Depsite both of them being 13, a year younger than Will and having come to camp together last summer, they couldn't be more different.

Kayla was on the short side with gremlin like features, freckled face, ginger hair tied into pigtails and blue eyes radiating mischief. She clearly seemed a personal who thought less and acted first.

Austin on the other hand was more reserved and soft spoken. He was ebony complexioned and had his dark hair fashioned into cornrows.

Ever since they had come Kayla and Austin had both taken an inadvertent interest and kept tagging along with him at their free time. Connor had noted that Will kinda seemed like a mama duck with 2 chicks following him around. Will personally had mixed feelings at this attetion. He didn't feel like he was someone worthy to looked up to. Kayla was skilled at archery while Austin was the best sax player on camp while he was just a camp medic

"What gives....you two?" Will said sitting up and rubbing his temples. Judging from the light in the room it was shortly after sunrise.

He looked up to find Austin staring at him with eyes of a fanboy having met a celebrity.

"What?" asked Will.

"With the sunlight in the background you look just like how dad is described with with that complexion and those golden curls." said Austin.

Kayla grimaced, "I don't know about the complexion but I don't see anything godly in that terrible bedhead."

Will let out a tired laugh, still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he glanced between his two younger siblings. "Thanks, Kayla. Real confidence booster," he muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Austin's expression softened, and he gently pushed Kayla's shoulder. "Come on, Kayla, he literally just woke up. Give him a break."

Kayla crossed her arms, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. But seriously, Will, you do look kinda like Dad when the light hits you like that. Not that it means you can go all flashy on us, though." She grinned cheekily, then reached out to playfully ruffle Will's messy curls, making them even more unruly.

Will swatted her hand away, chuckling despite himself. "Yeah, right. Like I could pull off Apollo's whole golden aura thing," he said, trying to brush his hair back into some semblance of order. But a part of him couldn't deny that hearing even a passing resemblance to his father was... nice. For someone who had always felt distant from Apollo's legacy, it made him feel a little more connected, even if it was just through Austin's awe-struck words.