It was a week later, and the storm was coming.
Annabeth had sensed it long before the sky turned gray, long before the first rumblings of thunder cracked through the air. They had gotten word from Chiron that an army of monsters was on the way—one that would test every defense Camp Half-Blood had put in place. The demigods were gearing up for battle, readying themselves for another fight. But for Annabeth, the looming battle was almost secondary.
There was something else on her mind—something she couldn't ignore any longer.
She had seen the way Percy had been looking at her lately. It wasn't angry or accusatory, but there was a kind of sadness in his eyes, as if he knew something had shifted between them and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. Annabeth had tried to avoid confronting it, tried to distract herself with plans for the upcoming battle, but it was getting harder to pretend everything was fine.
Piper had noticed, too.
That afternoon, as Annabeth walked across the camp, lost in thought, Piper caught up with her, her hand gently resting on her shoulder. "Hey," Piper said softly, "you've been distant. Want to talk about it?"
Annabeth sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's Percy."
Piper nodded, her expression knowing but empathetic. "You don't have to explain, Annabeth. I can tell."
"I don't want to hurt him," Annabeth confessed, her voice shaky. "But I don't know what to do. I don't think I'm in love with him anymore. Not in the way I used to be."
Piper's heart sank, but she didn't show it. "Do you still care about him?"
Annabeth hesitated before nodding. "Of course. But it's different now. I don't know how to fix it."
Piper stepped closer, her presence calming. "You don't have to fix it. Sometimes things change, and we have to let them. It's not your fault."
Annabeth's eyes met hers, a silent thank-you in them. She hadn't realized how much she needed to hear those words from someone who understood. Someone who wasn't just her friend or her teammate, but someone who saw her—really saw her—for who she was, beyond the warrior or the daughter of Athena.
"I think I need to talk to him," Annabeth said, her voice firm now. "I owe him that much. I just don't know how."
Piper smiled softly, her eyes gentle. "You'll figure it out. You always do."
