It almost worked ✸ Apollo ¹

XLVI. Summoned by the fates (again)

The rest of the council wasn't all that either, but Lydia had a feeling this quest could go on without her. Like Artemis said, the great prophecy about the big three wasn't meant to have her in it. Lydia wasn't supposed to play a part at all, but that was because she had her own prophecy to deal with.

Yet she felt horrible about leaving her friends alone. They were strong and smart enough on their own, but Lydia felt too happy with them. She couldn't imagine it. What that too weird?

Before she could do anything else, she decided to head to her cabin. She would've gone to the woods but obviously it was too cold for that. So maybe the grape vine covered cabin wouldn't be so bad now. Yet something else had to happen when she walked in.

The cabin was a lot brighter than usual, and the lights were on. Lydia knew she never turned those lights on. So she turned around to see Apollo.

"You're getting better at this." He laughed "You knew I was here?"

The sun god looked the same as always, but Lydia noticed his hair was a lot more messier. And he wore a lot more darker colors than he usually did. She honestly liked that look on him.

"Well, I definitely didn't turn those lights on." Lydia's lips curled into a smile "And it's been at least twenty four hours."

Apollo checked a watch on his wrist "Right, that too. But that's not what I'm here about."

Other than Annabeth being missing, the one thing Lydia has been worrying about was the continuation of this stupid prophecy. And by the look on Apollo's face, that time was here. The room suddenly got colder. The lights started to dim back to how they always were.

Lydia froze "What about Percy? What about all of them?"

Little memories flashed through her mind. The first time she met Annabeth, laughing with Annabeth and Grover, throwing cheese fish crackers at Percy, listening to Green Day with Thalia. She didn't want to let this go.

"Something tells me they'll do alright." Apollo told her, his tone was gentle and promising.

Ever since the fates told her the prophecy, she wanted to run away from everything. But now after being through much more, she felt okay with trying to figure it out. Lydia told herself thousands of times she could do this.

Because running away from a prophecy, it wouldn't help things. Because the fates would always find a way. So she took a deep breath before holding onto Apollo's hand. "I'm ready."

"Just be careful, okay?" Apollo said.

"I will." Lydia nodded, before everything went dark again.

The usual sensation of blinking went through her. Yet this time it seemed different. Last time she was in the fates's room, it was like a dark Victorian throne room. Old paintings filled the walls, and the fires that burned were green instead of red. And the three thrones were occupied by three women in dark hooded robes.

But this time, everything was blue. It was like the inside of an ancient Greek temple. Yet blue glowing strings were all around the inside of it. Lydia paused. Were these..people's life threads? She didn't want to think about it, but the three women in robes started walking to her.

Lydia was prepared to be sent into another vision. But instead, all three of them took their hoods off. She was looking at the faces of the fates. They all looked different from one another. Their beauty represented each aspect of life. She didn't know how, but that's what it was like to see them.

"Hello?" Lydia was hesitant to speak.

"Greetings, Lydia Winslow." The first one said.

"Daughter of Dionysus." The second said.

"Hero of the golden ages."

She wasn't sure why she'd never heard of the fates speaking and showing their faces, but it seemed so normal. Maybe they were just like all the other mythical beings around here? Yet so different.

Lydia carefully stepped forward. Her eyes tried to get a good look at all the threads in every direction.

"Yes, these are the life threads of all beings and how they connect to one another."

"So, is that why you called me here?" Lydia asked, her eyes couldn't pull away from the three sisters "To talk about my life thread?"

Before anyone could answer, Lydia felt herself being tugged through the void. She found herself staring at camp half blood. But it was on the day she met Percy Jackson. She stared at herself walking down the hill with Annabeth.

Past Lydia walked towards the big house, where her father and Chiron were playing their favorite game of all time. It was honestly really terrifying.

"Oh, what's the problem now?" Dionysus rolled his eyes at the younger Lydia "You're always whiny about something, Little Lydia."

The twelve year old tried to control her temper the best she could "I'm not little anymore. You don't need to call me that."

"Teenagers." He mumbled before returning to his game with Chiron.

But out of the corner of Lydia's eye, she noticed two figures walking towards them. A satyr and a kid who she'd never seen before. Percy Jackson. He had messy jet black hair, sea green eyes, and a confused look on his face.

The kid looked at the table, his eyes went wide. He started to walk faster "Mr. Brunner!".

"Why are you showing me this?" Lydia asked the fates in the present time.

"Because, my young one. This is the moment when you met Percy Jackson. And when your prophecy threads started pulling together."

"And why is that important?" Lydia was starting to get confused.

The gates just laughed "Do you know what happens when prophecy fates pull on each other? When they pull and pull so much? One of them snaps."

Lydia's eyes went wide when she realized what they were talking about. She wasn't supposed to be involved with the great prophecy. So by becoming friends with Percy, her prophecy started tying with the great one. And the more she interacted with Percy..

"That's why I can't help them anymore?" Lydia's heart started pounding.

"In fact, Lydia Winslow. You being there for Percy Jackson and your friends was unnecessary. They would've found out about Kronos and Luke regardless of you being there. You're simply an extra thread that doesn't need to be there."

"Wait- what?"

"You have your own path to take, and being friends with Percy. It will only make the threads snap in half. Do you want to risk the lives of your friends of something that doesn't need you? You're killing them, child."