MARTYR | A Luke Castellan Love Story

5 - Extinguished

The next day, things were strange.

You'd think that the camp would be bustling with the news - another child of Poseidon? Wow!
But it wasn't.
Instead, there was tension, and Jay didn't know why.
She felt in the spotlight of negativity, it seemed like everyone else knew something she didn't.

She was fed up with it, so she seeked answers. Answers from a demigod of wisdom.

Jay rapped on the cabin door, trying to ignore the feeling of the campers' eyes on her. Finally, the blonde she was seeking for answered.

"Hey..Jay. What's up?" She asked.

"I um..I need to talk to you.." She looked back at some campers who were whispering to each other before turning back.

"Inside."

Annabeth nodded and let her into the large cabin, which was dotted with books and maps.

Jay smoothed the top of her head and sighed.

"Annabeth, Why is everyone acting so weird?? What's wrong?" She asked, desperate for answers.

"What do you mean?" Asked Annabeth.

"You know what I mean, ever since I was claimed, everyone's been acting strange."

Annabeth pursed her lips before answering.

"Well...a while ago..The big three gods, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, agreed to not have children. Well, of course, they broke those rules. But..another child of Poseidon? I hate to be so blunt, but you're in trouble."
Annabeth explained.

Jay stepped back, surprised by the new information.

She then looked down, coming to a realization which brought a pain to her chest.

I'm not supposed to be here. I'm a mistake.

"Thanks Annabeth, I understand it now." she said, walking out, not letting the blonde start her question of concern.

Jay walked to the Poseidon cabin, but it felt so wrong. Her godly parent took the lazy way in bringing her here, just to have her find out that she wasn't supposed to have been born.

The worst part of it was, that she had felt so accepted here, just to be cast out again.

A tear rolled down her cheek, but she hastily wiped it away with her arm.

She felt sad to put it plainly. She was scared too, Annabeth said that she was in trouble, so she was going to be punished for being born??

Only with my luck.

She looked down and wiped away another tear before losing it. She hid her face in her arms and curled up on her bed in the cabin. Her shoulders shook as she cried, not caring if anyone walked in.

She soon fell asleep, her eyes slightly red from crying.

----------

Luke rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. Today was his birthday.
He never told anyone except Annabeth and Thalia, because he knew if the whole camp knew, they'd make a big deal out of it. Sure, that sounds nice and all for being the hotshot of the camp, but he preferred his birthday to be celebrated in quiet, so he barely told anyone.

One of the real reasons he even looked forward to the day was...his father.

It was a special day for Luke, he turns a year older. But really, every year he hopes for some kind of sign from his father, a package, a card, something.

He just wanted to be acknowledged, to be known. To be loved.

Over the last few years, his hope faded away. And every year that he got older, he slowly came to a realization. His dad wasn't going to do anything for him.

Luke looked over at the cupcake Annabeth gave him. Chocolate with vanilla frosting, a candle on top shaped like an 18.

As he stared at the miniscule flame, his lonesomeness turned to anger.

"Dad..this was your last chance. And you blew it. I hope you're happy."

He grabbed his sword, Backbiter, and held it in his hands, studying his faint reflection in the blade.

"I, Luke Castellan, pledge my allegiance to Kronos. I will honorably fight alongside him for the goal of overthrowing Olympus."

He then grabbed the cupcake and blew out the candle, engulfing the dark room in blackness, the flame extinguished like the young man's hope.

Little did Luke know, that darkness would overcome him like that small room he was in