A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

XXI| another prophecy

"Ready to go home?" Asked Ellis, crossing his arms whilst leaning on a random wall.

Valentina and Oliver stood on his right, the pair of them looking more in love then ever. In some strange way, perhaps even twisted, the war had brought them all closer together. But there was one person missing, Daphne.

Theo took a deep breath, the pain and grief that had been slowly consuming him for the past 24 hours still lingered like a dark cloud over him. His eyes flickered to the spot where he had last seen Daphne's lifeless body.

"Yeah," he managed to reply, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess." 

As the group of four, not five, began walking away Theo watched as Valentina froze in her tracks. The girl quickly rushed towards a girl that Theo instantly recognised as Toni. Theo, Ellis and Oliver looked at each other before joining her.

Smiling, Valentina held her hand out for Toni - a sign of peace. "You wanna come to Camp with us?"

Toni watched as Valentina approached her, her eyes widening as she extended a hand. Though somewhat shocked, her expression softened as a sense of relief washed over her.

"I..." The girl trailed off, her voice catching in her throat. She looked at the three people behind the daughter of Aphrodite, recognition flashing across her face as she saw them. Finally, she looked back at Valentina and slowly nodded. "Yeah... yeah, I'd like that."

"You'll love it," Ellis reassured her, smiling politely. Theo was just glad that demigods weren't going to hold grudges against one another for choices made in the midst of a war.

Toni smiled weakly, a flicker of hope dancing behind her tired eyes. "I bet. I've heard a lot about Camp." She shifted her gaze to Theo, her smile faltering slightly. She gave him a silent look of understanding and sympathy as if silently acknowledging the tragic loss he had suffered.

Without thinking, Valentina looped her arm around Toni and the two girls began to walk away - talking about everything they could possibly think about. Oliver and Ellis followed suite but Theo couldn't bring himself to move. His eyes were frozen on Valentina and Toni. He could not help himself.

He saw Valentina and Daphne.

The sight of Toni and Valentina walking and chatting side by side stirred something within Theo. The memory of Daphne was still fresh in his mind, and seeing the two girls together resembled a strange yet painfully bittersweet picture of what could have been - should have been.

His heart ached, the wound still raw and open. He stood there, frozen, the stark reminder of Daphne's absence overwhelming him.

His eyes watched as they walked away, soon out of his sight. Still, Theo couldn't move. 

With Valentina and Toni gradually disappearing from sight, Theo was left alone with his thoughts. The image of them together, a painful memory of Daphne, continued to haunt his mind.

He stood there, unmoving, the silence around him suddenly deafening. The absence of her presence, her laughter, her touch, was unbearable. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he desperately tried to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overpower him.

Theodore Collins was haunted by the memories of Daphne Evans.

***

By the time Theo finally forced his legs to work, his friends were nowhere to be found. Instead Theo found his sister in the elevator.

"Your friends have just left with that other girl, Toni I think?" Annabeth said, shrugging as she looked at Theo.

The son of Athena hummed, nodding slightly. "Yeah Toni. She is going to go to Camp."