IT WAS a calm night in Camp Jupiter when Magdalena was packing her things to leave.

The sun was setting, and the air was dry below the valley, giving a cool breeze to contrast with the summer temperatures. Camp Jupiter had been experiencing an odd summer— one that had involved hardly any sporadic attacks from Saturn's army. The camp held its breath each night they passed without assault, because they were so used to the constant penetration of monsters. But within the past month, it'd been calm. Too calm.

Melè was sleeping soundly on Lena's bunkbed as she collected her things, storing them away into her duffel to keep everything in one place. The rest of second cohort was all at the mess hall eating dinner while she did this. Nobody questioned her absence, which was about the only perk Magdalena and Magnus had when being Head Centurion's of the Second Cohort. They both were allowed to skip assemblies if they pleased, since nobody except Jason or Reyna could tell them otherwise. And they never would.

"You have everything you need?" Magnus asked as he stood in the doorway of their cohort's barrack. Since last summer, both Magnus and Magdalena had spent most of their time training with the Romans on their father's request. They'd been going back and forth from there and Camp Half-Blood since the spring, but in these last couple weeks, they'd strictly been preparing Camp Jupiter for the final battle.

But it was only last week when Astraeus had visited his children. And it was in that singular conversation that he informed them that one of them wouldn't be returning to Camp Half-Blood for the war.

Magdalena nodded, her eyes staying glued to her bag as she grabbed her toiletries from her nightstand, shoving them into a pocket.

"Yeah," she said. Her tone was bitter. "Yeah, I've got everything."

  Magnus sighed, catching onto her tone. He walked into the room and sat down beside Melè, running his hand through the wolf's soft fur. Melè had reached his full size now, which meant his body took up the entirety of the bed as he laid on it. His head was double the size of Lena's, and his paws were almost bigger than her hands. But that didn't make him any less of a big softie. He mulled quietly when Magnus scratched behind his ears.

  "Look, I'm not happy about it either," Magnus said quietly, noticing how rigid Lena was as she aggressively through her things in her bag. Her jaw was tight and her eyes were hard as she scrambled for everything. "I— I don't want to stay behind either."

  Magdalena threw down the sweatshirt she was holding, snapping her head toward her brother. "I know, Magnus," she said tightly. "And that's the problem. Our dad doesn't care about what we want. But he expects us to do it anyway. It's not fair."

  Magnus simply nodded. He'd grown a few more inches in height since last summer, and his muscles had thickened. His dark hair was trimmed but still messy, and his skin was a mix sunburnt and tan from the hours of training and work they did in the sun. His demeanor had changed too. Both him and his sister had both become more reserved. They were less carefree at Camp Jupiter— adapting to the Roman tendencies surrounding them. And after being there for so long, they'd left behind some of the Greek qualities they used to adorn.

  "It isn't fair," he agreed. "But . . . If it's what the prophecy entails, then— "

  "Fuck the prophecy!" Lena bursted out. "Fuck our fates! Fuck all of it! None of this matters when we don't even know why we're doing it!" Lena took a few deep breaths, before plopping herself down beside Magnus, wiping away the spare tears that had escaped her. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I— I just . . . I don't want to leave you."

  Magnus visibly deflated. He didn't want Lena to leave either. After everything they'd been doing these past few months, surrounding both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood . . . All the siblings really had was each other. Magdalena and Annabeth were still the same, but Magnus and Annabeth skirted around each other like they both carried the plague. And while Magnus and Percy still confided in each other while at Camp Half-Blood, Lena avoided him just the same. It was tiring and dreadful. But, both of the siblings always managed to find solstice in each other when they had no one else.

  And now they were being forced to separate.

  "You're needed at Camp Half-Blood," Magnus said slowly. Carefully. "And I'm needed here. I . . . I don't know why. I can't explain it. But our paths are meant to be torn. We have different responsibilities to uphold. And . . . We have to oblige to them."

  Lena sniffled, staring down at her feet grimly. She knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked it. She'd already lost her brother once in the Labyrinth, and that had been bad enough. Now, she was being forced to leave him behind in the middle of a raging war, where she had no idea what would happen to either of them. It terrified. The unknowing of it all . . . It made her feel like she was saying a final goodbye.

  "It's going to be fine," Magnus reassured when she didn't respond. He nudged her shoulder. "We both know what we're doing, okay? You'll be with Percy and Annabeth, and I'll have Jason and Reyna. We'll make it through this."

  Magdalena nodded, but she still wasn't reassured. She hated every part of this.

  A soft knock on the door interrupted the siblings, and Jason Grace was standing in the doorway, Reyna by his side. They both look grim as they saw Magdalena's bag packed up beside her, Melè's head resting on top of it.

  "Time?" Magnus asked them.

  Jason nodded. "We came to say . . . Say goodbye."

  His voice was a little strangled, struggling to get the words out. He didn't want Lena to leave just as much as Magnus didn't. To him, it also felt like a final farewell. It felt like they were never going to see each other again.

  Lena nodded, standing up from the bed with Melè following suit. She grabbed her small bag and shouldered it. Nobody looked happy. All of the life seemed to have been sucked out of the room.

The four them walked alongside each other toward the Garden of Bacchus, which is where Magnus and Magdalena usually came and went. Their father knew it was the quietest place within camp, and figured that would be the best place to send his children off. That the least he could do considering all the things he's made them endure.

Nobody talked much. There wasn't much to say. Well, there were hundreds of things to say, but nobody wanted to speak them aloud. They didn't want to test the universe with anything. It was too risky with the times they were living in.

When they reached the center of the gardens, Magdalena sighed, and dropped her bag. Melè ate a couple of grapes from the nearest vine, and then started to try and catch a butterfly.

Magdalena turned to the three people behind her. She tried not to cry. She didn't want to make it seem like this was the last time they'd be seeing each other. It just couldn't help but feel that way.

Reyna nor Jason had any clue where Lena was headed to. All they knew was that her father had a mind of his own when it came to his children. He sent them off whenever he pleased— off on personal quests, as they were told. This one in particular was concealed as a private matter involving the Titan Army, and that Magdalena wouldn't be returning until the matter was resolved. None of them knew how long that meant. Or if she was going to return at all.

Reyna took a deep breath. "Be safe, Maggie," she said hardly. She was trying to mask the fear in her voice, but Lena saw straight through it. She put a hand on the girl's shoulder, staring at her for a moment, before ultimately pulling the girl into a hug.

Maggie was Reyna's closest friend at camp. She was close with Magnus and Jason, but with Maggie it was different. With the two of them both being girls, that made a difference. But ultimately, Reyna confided everything into Maggie. She was someone she trusted with her life, which didn't come easy to her. So, having to send the girl off into possible death wasn't easy.

Maggie hugged the girl back tightly. "I'll be back soon," she whispered. "I promise."

Reyna squeezed her tight. "Please," she whispered. "Don't break that promise."

Maggie nodded, and Reyna pulled away with a clenched jaw. She turned away and walked back down the hill, leaving before anybody was able to see her cry. Maggie didn't question it. She knew that Reyna never let anyone see her cry. Not even Jason or Magnus.

Magnus went next, pulling his sister into his arms. Very softly, quiet enough so that Jason didn't hear him, he whispered, "Look after everyone, okay? If . . . If I'm not able to see them before this war ends, please, let Annabeth know . . . Let her know I'm sorry. For everything."

Maggie felt a lump form in her throat. "You tell her that yourself," she whispered back, holding him tighter. "After the war's done."

"Just promise me," Magnus replied hardly. "Please, Le— Maggie."

Maggie's breath shuddered, but she nodded. "O—okay. I promise."

Magnus sighed as he pulled away from her, holding back tears. He yearned to be going back to Camp Half-Blood. He wanted nothing more than to be with his true friends; his family. With Percy, with the Stolls, with Annabeth . . . He had so much he wanted to say to her, but now, he wondered if he'd ever get the chance.

"I love you, Magnus," Lena said, her voice trembling.

Magnus squeezed her arm. "I love you too."

And then, with one last fretting look at his sister, he turned and retreated back down the hill, leaving before he got the urge to follow his sister right back to Camp Half-Blood. He knew if he stayed any longer, he'd disobey his father's word. His own fate. He couldn't risk the consequences of that, no matter how badly he wanted to.

And that just left Jason and Maggie alone on the hill. The look the son of Jupiter was giving the girl was what made her heart clench.

He'd grown a lot since they'd first met. She'd watched him go from a lanky little lightning boy to a strong, confident, powerful, son of Jupiter. His blonde hair was trimmed and he had defined muscles that stretched the sleeves of his shirt. His tanned skin complimented his bright blue eyes that reminded Maggie so much of Thalia's, it made her feel ill. They were so alike, yet so different.

"This is it, then," Jason said, his eyes flitting down onto the ground. His voice was grave.

"No," Maggie replied quietly, walking closer to him. She put a hand on his arm. "I'm coming back, and so are you. This war isn't the end, okay?"

Jason's electric eyes stared deeply into her matching ones. A clash of lightning within the deep ocean. She could feel his muscles tense beneath her hold on them.

"It feel like it is," he replied quietly. "I hate it. I . . . I hate the unknowing of it all."

Maggie nodded. "So do I," she admitted. "But . . . We've been training for this for a year now. No matter what comes at us, we'll be ready. And before you know it, I'll be back. And war will be over."

She wished she could listen to her own words, but what she was saying was the complete opposite of how she felt.

Jason just continued to stare at her. "Maggie," he said. He sounded nervous. "Look, I know this is really bad timing, and I shouldn't say this, but . . . " his jaw clenched as he shook his head miserably. "I— I just can't stand the fact that I may not ever see you again."

"Jason, what are you saying?" Maggie asked. She tightened her hold on his arm. "You know I'll come back. I always do."

Jason swallowed. "This . . . This time feels different," he said. "It is different. And, if you don't come back, I'd never be able to live with myself if I didn't tell you how I feel."

Maggie's heart started to race. "Feel about what?"

Jason Grace looked torn. He struggled to get any words out, because he really didn't know how to voice it. It was scary and bold of him all at once to do what he was about to do.

But, the world was ending. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

So he kissed her.

Jason Grace held Maggie's face softly within his hands as he did it. It was a little rough, but passionate. He didn't have any time to think about it. It was either he did it or didn't. No other option.

Maggie wished she had time to comprehend what was happening before he pulled away. Her body had goosebumps as she stared at the face of the son of Jupiter. She hadn't kissed him back, mostly because she didn't have time to realize what was happening before it was already over. But she wondered if she really would've returned the action, even if she was aware of it happening.

"Be safe, Maggie," Jason whispered, his lips brushing against her's. And then, like a flash of lightning, Jason Grace's hands slipped from her face, and he turned and walked back down the hill, as if he was never even there to begin with.

She didn't know it yet, but that would be the last time Magdalena Caelestis saw Jason Grace for a long time. A very long time.

FUN FACT: If you're trying to be popular at Camp Half-Blood, don't show up with bad news after a quest.

Everyone knew Percy Jackson had come back from his mission as soon as stepped out of the ocean. Their private beach ran along the North Shore of Long Island, hidden from the mortal's eyes. And usually, people don't just magically appear from the water u less their demigods, gods, or a very lost pizza delivery guy. (Long story, but it's happened before).

Connor Stoll was on afternoon lookout duty when he saw Percy, and he got so shaken up from his appearance he fell out of his tree. He sounded the conch horn to alert camp as he raced to meet him.

Percy had previously had past difficulties with the guy, but after last summer when he saved Lena's life, the two had sort of come to an understanding. He always had a devious glint in his eyes that made Percy wonder if he'd seen his wallet recently. Him and brother were practically identical, the only difference between them being Travis having an inch of height over Connor. Percy always found it crazy to believe they were Luke's brothers. They were so different.

"Percy!" He cried. "You're back! Did you guys do it? Where's Beckendorf?"

But that's when he saw Percy's expression, and his face slowly fell. "Oh, gods . . . Poor Silena. She's going to be beside herself when . . . " he shook his head, running a hand through his brown curls.

They walked up toward camp together, watching as a large crowd of people were making their way toward them, all with happy smiles and excitement. Percy's here! They were all probably thinking. He's our hero once again! Did he bring any souvenirs?

Percy and Connor waited for them by the dining pavilion. There was no need to rush. He wasn't exactly anxious to explain how much of a loser he was.

As Percy gazed out at the approaching campers, he realized how many they'd lost since he'd first arrived at camp. Much of the camp itself hadn't changed since then, regarding the fields, cabins, Big House, Thalia's tree . . . But war didn't show itself in the walls and structures of camp. It showed its toll in the faces of the demigods and nature spirits all trekking towards him.

The campers who were still there (most of them had either died, left and never returned, or had turned to the enemy) they were all worn down and battle-hardened. Nobody smiled much anymore. Even Connor and Travis had stopped pulling pranks around camp. Nobody questioned it. Nothing really seemed funny anymore when your entire life felt like a joke.

Chiron swept into the pavilion before the others, which wasn't surprising, considering he galloped ahead of everyone else. He looked more aged as the war continued— his beard grown and messy, his wrinkles thick along his forehead. But he never let his confidence falter for the sake of camp.

"Percy!" He said. "Bless the gods. But where . . . "

Annabeth and Magdalena rushed in just after Chiron, and Percy felt his stomach drop when he saw the latter of the two.

Even after what had happened between them last September, Percy still felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of her. It wasn't like she tried to look good, it just sort of . . . Happened. He hadn't known she was back at camp until just now, her having been gone for the past few weeks. Seeing her right in front of him felt like a blast of fresh air being blown onto him.

With the amount of combat missions and training they'd been going on lately, Magdalena barely managed to keep her ponytail straight, and she didn't really think about what she was wearing. Currently she had on a pair of faded jeans and a black top tank, her hair pulled back in a braid. Her bright blue eyes stared at him curiously, with a hint of relief. Lately, Percy and her hardly talked. And even though just looking at her made his heart hurt at the reminder of the things she'd said to him that night at her penthouse, his head still felt dizzy every time he saw her. It still hurt, though. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore it.

"Percy," Lena breathed out. "You're okay."

"You're back," Percy said dumbly.

Lena nodded awkwardly. "I . . . Yeah. I got here this morning."

She looked more toned than ever, her tanned skin glowing in the sun as she stood before him. Gods, he wished he could get over her. He wished it were that easy. But he still felt his heart ache for her. She was like a drug that he couldn't reach.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked. "Is Luke— "

"His ship exploded," Percy said. "But he's not dead. I don't know where— "

Silena Beauregard shoved her way through the campers. Her hair was a mess and there wasn't an ounce of makeup on her face, which wasn't unusual for her.

"Where's Charlie?" She demanded, glancing around the pavilion.

Percy turned to Chiron miserably. He couldn't do it. He couldn't break it to her.

Chiron's head fell. "Silena, it would be best for us to discuss this in a more private— "

Silena's face fell. "No . . . Oh, no. No."

Tears began to pour down her face, and everyone just stood around her helplessly, all in a state of shock. They'd had so many losses already, but this one seemed to cut deep into everyone. Hearing that Beckendorf was gone . . . It felt like the camp had lost all of its stability. Their anchor had disappeared.

Then Clarisse came up to the group, putting her arm around Silena. It was probably the weirdest friendship the camp had ever seen— a daughter of Ares and Aphrodite— but Clarisse had taken up the roll of being Silena's personal bodyguard ever since Silena had given her dating advice with Chris Rodriguez.

Clarisse was in red battle gear, her hair pulled into a matching red bandana. Her thick, muscular build and scowl went against her soft-spoken words toward Silena.

"Let's get you into the Big House," she said gently. "I'll make you some hot chocolate."

After they left, everyone began to trickle away in pairs, all wearing heavy hearts at the loss. Nobody cared about Percy now. No one wanted to hear about their mission anymore.

It was only Lena, Annabeth, and Chiron who'd stayed behind. Connor had trailed off after giving Lena a hug, telling her to meet him later. Percy watched their interaction with envy.

Magdalena sniffled as she wiped away her tears. She held Annabeth's hand as she wiped tears of her own.

"At least you're okay, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said weakly.

Percy nodded. "Yeah . . . At least."

Chiron squeezed Percy's shoulder. "You did everything you could, dear boy. Now, are you okay to explain what happened?"

Percy didn't want to, but he knew he had to tell them everything. He even mentioned his dream about the Titans. He didn't mention what he'd seen of Nico, the boy having made him swear to say nothing about it until Percy had made his decision. The plan was so terrifying that he had no problems not sharing it.

Chiron's eyes glazed over as he looked around camp. "There will be a war council at once. We must discuss this spy, among other things."

"My father said that there's another threat," Percy said. "Something immediate, and even bigger than Luke's ship. I guessed that it must be the challenge Krios was talking about."

Chiron, Annabeth, and Lena all exchanged looks, which Percy saw as they knew something he didn't. He hated when they did that.

"That will be addressed," Chiron assured.

"My dad . . . " Percy took a heavy breath. "He also mentioned that it's time. He said to tell you that. I'm ready to hear the full prophecy."

Chiron visibly deflated, like he knew this was coming. "I've dreaded this day. But, you're right. Annabeth, Magdalena, it is time to show Percy his prophecy."

  THE ATTIC seemed more intimidating than as ever as Lena, Annabeth, and Percy approached the ladder leading to it.

  Magdalena stopped at the bottom of the ladder as Annabeth began to climb it, Percy already at the top. The daughter of Athena turned around when she noticed the girl hadn't followed.

  "Are you coming?" She asked.

  Magdalena shook her head. "I'll wait down here," she said. "You guys go."

  Percy stared down at her with a sad gleam in his eyes. Over the last year, he really had missed her. Her absence had taken a bigger toll on him than he'd thought it would. And being around her just seemed to make it even worse.

  Annabeth frowned. "You sure?"

  Lena gave her a reassuring smile, but it was fake. "I'm sure. I'll be here when you're done."

  Annabeth looked down at her for another second, then reluctantly nodded, turning to climb the rest of the ladder.

  Magdalena let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, pressing her back against the wall. She didn't know why she didn't want to go up there with them. Maybe it was because the Oracle naturally made her nervous. Or maybe it was because she really didn't want to know the lines of the prophecy quite yet. She didn't want to hear Percy's fate.

  But as she stood there, waiting for Percy and Annabeth to return, she felt her head start to grow foggy, and suddenly, her vision morphed.

  "How are you feeling, Maggie?"

  Magdalena's head lifted from where she was sitting, her body curled into the corner of the bed they'd put her on. Her neck seared with pain as dried blood cracked and peeled away from the branding. It still felt fresh. It had been two days, but the pain had hardly subsided. It was like a constant reminder of who she'd been captured by. Who she should be forced to submit to.

  Lena's eyes landed on Luke's, and her stomach twisted in anger.

  "Peachy," she said flatly.

  Luke smirked. He shook his head as he laughed softly. "Even when you're kidnapped, you still have that attitude of yours."

  "If you let me go, you won't have to listen to it."

  Luke shrugged. "I never said it bothered me," he said, walking over to sit on the side of her bed. "I grew up with you Maggie. I know how you are."

  "Do you want a cookie?" Lena asked, her eyes glaring at him venomously.

  Luke didn't find that one as funny as he did the first time. His stare hardened. "Have to made up your mind yet?" He asked.

  Lena just looked at him, noticing the way his face twitched every once in a while, like he was fighting off some sort of alter ego he had. She found that odd.

  "I'm not doing what he wants," Lena responded, crossing her arms.

  Luke heaved a great sigh. "I assumed that much," he said. "But did you forget what happened the last time you refused to comply?" He tapped his finger against the side of his neck. "It's pretty easy to remember, I'd say. Probably still stings."

  "I hardly feel it," Lena replied. Totally a lie, but she'd never let Luke have the satisfaction of knowing he hurt her.

  Luke smiled at her. "As stubborn as always," he mused. "I used to find it endearing, you know? You were so young, yet so headstrong. It was admirable. But now it's old, Maggie. You won't win this battle by being obstinate."

  "It's not obstinance," Lena said hardly. "It's common sense. I'm not going to do anything for that Titan just because you put a branding on my neck. You're going to have to do better than that if you want me to comply."

  Luke raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge, little sis?"

  Little sis. How dare he call her that.

  Magdalena's lips trembled in fury. "You can strip my soul away, piece by piece. Feed it to your little monster pets. I don't care. But you'll never get me to join your side. I'll sooner die at your own hands than submit to Kronos."

  Luke Castellan only stared at her, taking in her malnourished, frail, beaten down body. He knew he was right when he told Kronos Magdalena wouldn't be an easy capture. Not like all the other ones. He knew it'd take a lot more than torture to get the girl to submit to him. But the Titan wanted her. And he knew Luke could wedge his way into Magdalena's heart. It would just take time.

  Luke sighed softly, standing up from the bed. "Try and sleep, Maggie," he advised, sending her a knowing look that she didn't like. "You're going to need it."

  Lena's eyes flashed. "Why?" She asked. "Am I scheduled for another branding tomorrow? Maybe on my forehead this time?"

  Luke just smiled at her, almost apologetically. "You're going to wish it was," was all he said, before he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the door wide open, almost like he was tempting her to escape.

  "Lena!"

  Magdalena flinched as her eyes cleared, seeing Percy and Annabeth standing in front of her, both their faces plastered with worry. She blinked a couple times, her hand unconsciously moving over the scar on her neck. Her heart was racing, but she took slow breaths to try and calm it.

  Her visions had been getting worse since the winter. They were more frequent then they used to be. They happened almost daily now, if not more. She didn't want to admit it, but she wondered if it had to do with her distancing herself from Percy. But, even if that were true, she couldn't accept it, having gotten the idea that he was better off without her stuck in her head like glue.

  "Are you okay?" Annabeth asked as she held Lena's arm. Her gray eyes were staring into her's, dark and stormy like they always were.

  Lena swallowed. "I— yeah," she said. "Sorry. I, uh, just zoned out."

  "You were pretty out of it," Percy said, sounding concerned. In his hand, there was a tiny scroll. The Great Prophecy. "You sure you're okay?"

  Magdalena nodded her head, clearing her throat. "I'm fine," she said, as strongly as she could muster. "Come on. We need to get to the council."

  And then she walked away without another word, leaving Percy and Annabeth to both look at each other in concern, before following the girl.

  ALL OF the senior counselors were sat around the Ping-Pong table in the rec room, which had become Camp Half-Blood's unofficial war council room. But, when Chiron, along with Lena, Annabeth, and Percy entered, it looked less like a discussion and more like a who-can-scream-the-loudest competition.

Clarisse hadn't bothered to change out of her blood-red armor, and had her electric spear Maimer lodged on her back. (Percy had broken her first one, and so now she was on her second, which she called Maimer. But everybody called it "Lamer" behind her back).

Currently, spit was flying from her mouth as she screamed at Micheal Yew, who'd been elected as the new senior counselor for the Apollo cabin, after the loss of Lee Fletcher. Most times, the boy was hardly noticed due to being a whopping four foot six in height, with another two feet of attitude on top of that. He had rodent like features, sort of like a ferret, with a pointy nose and permanent scowl scrunched on his face.

"It's our loot, fair and square!" Michael yelled, standing on his chair so that he could lean across the table and get in Clarisse's face. "If you have a problem with that, you can kiss my— "

His voice got drowned out by the stifled giggles of everyone else around the table— the Stolls, Pollux, Karie Gardener. Even Jake Mason from the Hephaestus cabin had a timid smile on his face. He had been elected just that morning after the loss of Beckendorf. Silena was the only one who didn't budge. She stared down at the table beside Clarisse, her untouched cup hot cocoa sitting on the table. She didn't deserve to be here after what had just happened to her. And it stunned Lena that Clarisse and Micheal had the nerve to be arguing like this in front of her.

"STOP IT!" Percy yelled. His eyes were angry. "What is wrong with you guys?"

Clarisse whipped her head toward Percy, her eyes flashing murderously. "Tell Micheal to take the stick out of his ass."

"That's rich, coming for you," Micheal retorted.

"I'm only here for Silena," Clarisse growled. "I'd rather be anywhere but here, with all you selfish jerks."

"What's going on?" Percy demanded.

Pollux sighed. "Clarisse has taken a vow of silence until her little, uh, problem is resolved. It's been three days."

"Three days of bliss," Travis Stoll agreed.

"What problem?" Percy asked.

  Clarisse looked at Chiron. "You're our leader. Shouldn't my cabin get what's rightfully ours?"

  Chiron skittered uncomfortably. "Clarisse, as I've previously said, Micheal is right. Apollo has the rightful claim. Regardless of this, there are other matters to be addressed— "

  "Of course," Clarisse snapped. "There's always something else. Always something more important than Ares. You just expect us to run around like headless chickens and fight when you need, and not complain?"

  "I'd like that," Connor Stoll grumbled.

  "Shut up!" Clarisse snapped. "Don't even try— "

  "Clarisse," Lena interrupted. She had a warning look on her face, which wasn't taken lightly. Lena had been high strung for months, and everyone else knew it too. Even Clarisse knew better than to test it.

  Clarisse huffed. "You know what? Why don't I just ask Mr. D— "

  "That won't be possible," Chiron cut off, now sounding a little irritated, "as our director is too preoccupied with the war to be riddled with this."

  "Right," Clarisse grumbled. "Anyone here? Are any of you going to take my side?"

  There was no more laughter. Everyone avoided Clarisse's stare.

  Clarisse's jaw shook, and she looked at Silena. "I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to start this fight when you've just lost . . . I apologize. Only to you."

  Silena looked like she hadn't even heard her.

  Clarisse noticed this, and stabbed her knife into the table. "All of you are going to regret this. Ares cabin isn't going to help any of you in this war until we get what we want. Have fun dying."

  Nobody said anything as Clarisse barged out of the room, everyone in a state of shock.

  Then, Micheal Yew scoffed. "Good riddance."

  "Seriously?" Katie Gardener yelled. "Good riddance? What is wrong with you?"

  "She isn't serious about that," Travis said. "Is she?"

  Chiron sighed. "She has suffered a great blow to her pride. Give her time."

  Percy didn't know why Clarisse was so mad, but then he glanced over at Annabeth and Lena, and they both gave him a look that said, tell you later.

  "Now," Chiron proceeded, "if we'll all come back to the matter at hand. Percy has brought something from our Oracle— the Great Prophecy."

  Percy pulled the small scroll from his pocket. It felt ancient and brittle as he fumbled with the string. But his hands were so shaking. He couldn't get the string uncoiled.

  He felt embarrassment start to creep onto his face as he stood in front of everyone, fumbling with the stupid old string that held a prophecy that would determine his entire fate. And he couldn't even open it because of how scared he was.

  Then he felt a hand close over his trembling ones, and Magdalena quietly took the scroll from him, unraveling the string from the scroll with steady fingers.

  She handed Percy the scroll, tossing the string onto the table. "Thanks," he whispered, sparing a glance at Lena, but she was already staring down at the table.

  Percy began to open up the paper, trying to steady his hands, and read aloud:

  "A half-blood of the eldest dogs . . . "

  "Gods," Lena whispered. "Not dogs."

  Percy blinked. "Y—yeah. Right." He always forgot that when he was nervous, the worse his dyslexia got. And right now, he was practically having a nervous breakdown. "A half-blood of the eldest gods . . . Shall reach sixteen against all odds . . . "

  Percy faltered when he saw the next lines. The parchment started to feel cold beneath his fingers.

  "And see the world in endless sleep,
  The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

  Riptide seemed to grow in weight as it sat in his pocket. Chiron had told Percy once how his sword had brought misery to the lives of many people in the past. Could his sword be the cursed blade? Could it be Riptide that got him killed? And what else would endless sleep mean except . . . Death.

  "Please, my boy," Chiron said. "Continue."

  Though it was difficult, Percy complied.

  "A single choice shall . . . Shall end his days.
  Olympus to per— persue— "

"Preserve," Annabeth corrected. "Which means to save."

  "Yeah, I know," Percy grumbled. "Olympus to preserve or raze."

  "Well . . . Raise is a good thing, right?" Connor Stoll asked, breaking the silence in the room.

  "No," Silena said. She sounded horrible, her voice empty and crackly. "R-a-z-e means destroy."

  "Crush," Annabeth added helpfully. "Annihilate. Turn to ashes."

  "Understood." Percy's stomach felt like a blender. "Thanks."

All the pitiful looks the room was sending him made Percy feel like he was planning his own funeral.

Chiron bowed his eyes, as if saying a prayer. "Now you understand, Percy, why we delayed revealing the entire prophecy to you. There was enough riding on your shoulders already— "

"Without knowing I was going to die in the end anyway?" Percy said. "Yeah, I get it."

Magdalena flinched, her hands holding the end of the table with white knuckles.

Chiron had a sad look on his face. He'd seen thousands of heroes die in his three thousand years of immortality. He didn't like it, but none of this was new to him. And he knew reassuring Percy simply wasn't worth it.

"Percy," Annabeth said slowly. "Prophecies always have double meanings. I— I mean, I thought I was going to die last summer with our prophecy. 'A child of Athena's final stand.' Remember?" She shook her head. "This doesn't mean you are going to die, Percy."

Percy had a bitter look on his face. "There's not many other meanings for 'A single choice shall end his days.'"

"There could be a way to stop it," Jake Mason supplemented. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. If we can find this blade, we could destroy it. Could it be Kronos's scythe?"

It was a good assumption, but Percy doubted that whether it was Riptide or the Scythe, destroying it wouldn't change anything. A blade was intended to reap his soul. And quite frankly, Percy didn't really want his soul to be reaped.

"We shall let Percy take in these lines and absorb them," Chiron said. "He needs time— "

"No." Percy shoved the paper into his pocket. He felt rageful and defiant, though he wasn't sure at who. "There's no more time. If I die, I die. Nothing I can do to change that."

Magdalena looked paler than usual. She refused to meet his eyes. As did Annabeth.

"We have more things to talk about," Percy said. "Something more pressing than my fate. We've got a spy."

Micheal Yew scowled. "A spy?"

Percy explained what had happened aboard Luke's ship, and how Kronos had already been expecting them. How the Titan shwoed them the silver pendant he'd used to communicate with the spy.

Silena started to cry again, and Lena put her hands on her shoulders, squeezing them comfortingly.

"I mean," Connor said awkwardly. "We've always had suspicions of a spy in camp. Somebody was always passing along information to Luke, even before Kronos took over his body. He knew where the Golden Fleece was, for example. And that was two years ago. It could be anyone."

Micheal Yew sat up in his seat. "Or somebody who was close to him."

His eyes stared directly at Magdalena, who had her hands on Silena's arms. When Lena finally realized what Micheal was implying, her expression fell.

"You think it's me?" Lena asked. She sounded betrayed.

"What?" Connor Stoll immediately protested.

"I mean, come on," Micheal argued. He gestured a hand toward the girl. "We've all seen it. The Scythe of Kronos is on her neck. And she was practically Luke's sister."

Everybody in the room started to shift anxiously. It wasn't like he didn't have a fair point. By this time, everybody had seen the branding on Lena's neck. They all knew that she'd been taken by Luke in the maze. But that was it. They didn't know what he'd done to her during that time. They had no idea about the truth. They all had their own speculations on what had happened, because Lena never talked about it. Anytime it was brought up, she squashed the conversation. And that didn't help the accusation either.

"How can you say that?" Annabeth said. "Lena was taken as prisoner to Kronos's army. They— they tortured her!"

"So she says," Micheal Yew countered. "None of us really know what happened. She could've willingly gone to them, for all we know. That branding could've been some sort of, I don't know, initiation."

"Initiation?" Percy said coldly. He already felt angry from the Great Prophecy. And now, that anger was making its way toward Micheal Yew. His stare was dangerous. "Really?"

"Micheal, you're being ridiculous," Katie Gardner said. "Lena, she . . . She'd never spy on camp. She's one of the most loyal campers we have."

"Has anyone wondered why she leaves for weeks at a time?" Micheal asked, glancing around the room. Then his stare landed back on Lena. "No warning. No explanation. Where do you go, Lena? Enlighten us on that."

Magdalena's entire body was shaking. Whether it was from anger, or nerves, or both, she didn't know. But she looked like she was about to throttle the son of Apollo with her bare hands.

"You don't know anything," Lena said. Her voice was shaking in rage. She took her hands off Silena in order to not hurt her. She shook her head. "None of you do. You're making blind accusations off of something you have no knowledge about."

"You make it hard not to," Micheal Yew said. "With everything going on, you disappear for weeks at a time, and walk around with the mark of Kronos burned in your neck. How can you expect us to not single you out as the spy?"

"Micheal," Chiron said coldly. "You're being rash."

"All signs point to her!" He exclaimed, standing up from his chair.

At this point, Magdalena looked like she was about to take out of her sword and send straight into Micheal's chest. But, instead of turning to violence, tears started to prick in her eyes. Her jaw shook as she stood before the council

"I'm not a fucking traitor," Lena whispered thickly. "All I've done in these past four years is fight to save this camp. All I ever do is risk my life for the sake of everyone else's." She shook her head. "And if any of you want to know how I got this scar on my neck, then you can go and ask Kronos yourself."

And everyone watched in silence as Lena stormed out of the rec room, slamming the door behind her.

Immediately, chaos broke out in the council meeting.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Percy spit at Micheal.

"I was being realistic!" Micheal Yew argued. "I'm not the only one who thinks it either!"

"You're a sick son of a bitch," Connor Stoll growled as he rose from his seat.

"How could you ever think Lena would spy on camp?" Annabeth asked angrily. "After everything she's done for us?"

"Luke was her brother!" He yelled. "She loved him! Everyone knew that! And as a matter of fact, so did you Annabeth!"

Annabeth's eyes flashed murderously. "Excuse me?"

"Micheal," Percy said. His voice was dangerously low. The look on his face made everybody a little nervous. "Get out."

"No," Micheal Yew replied. "I made a fair point. And I'll stand with it."

"You'll stand against your own camp?" Connor asked. "Against Lena?"

"She could be our spy," the son of Apollo protested.

"Get the fuck out," Percy snapped. His fists were clenched tight, fighting the urge to take out Riptide. "Or you're going to wish you'd never said that."

"Stop!" Silena slammed her hands down on the table so hard her hot chocolate spilled. "Charlie's gone and . . . And all of you are arguing like children!" She put her head in her hands and started to cry.

Micheal finally seemed to realize that his accusation was out voted in the room. He saw it in the eyes of Connor, Annabeth, and especially Percy Jackson, who was staring at him with a look in his eyes that resembled something close to how Poseidon looked when he was about to smite a Titan into the ground.

  And honestly, with everything going on, everyone knew better than to test Percy Jackson.

  "Micheal, sit down," Chiron ordered. He looked like he was trying to control his anger just as much as everyone else. But, he had to stay level for the sake of his stance as leader. "Let's all give Magdalena some grace. She has had a rough year— Rougher than the rest of ours. We must do well to remember that, and not give false accusations to something as blasphemous as being a traitor."

  His eyes landed on Micheal Yew when he said that. The rodent-featured boy scowled, but he sat himself back down in his chair, crossing his arms.

"I should go check on her," Connor said, moving to sit up.

Chiron put his hand up. "Give her space, dear boy. She will come around when she's ready."

Connor looked like he wanted to protest, but he sat back down his chair, sending a fretting glare toward Micheal Yew.

  "Speaking of . . . " Jake Mason said hesitantly. "Shouldn't Magnus be here too?"

  Everyone glanced around the table, like they were just now noticing the son of Astraeus's absence. Percy realized he hadn't seen Magnus at all today. He figured the boy would've come and seen him with his sister when he'd come back from his mission.

  Chiron's tail swished. He looked a little uncomfortable, but he did well to mask it. "Magnus is away, for the time being."

  "Away?" Percy asked. "Is he okay?"

Micheal Yew scoffed quietly. "Go figure."

"Excuse me?" Percy said harshly, directing his stare back toward Micheal.

  "He's fine," Chiron affirmed, though he sounded little uncertain. He put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "But, we have other matters that must be addressed besides Magnus's whereabouts. This spy must be found before Kronos's next assault, which is already in progress."

Percy scowled. "Are you talking about the 'bigger threat' Poseidon told me about?"

Chiron took a deep breath. "Percy, please understand that we wanted to wait until you came to camp to tell you. You needed some time away from this, with your . . . Mortal friends."

Annabeth scowled at the table. Percy suddenly realized that she knew that he'd been with Rachel all year. And that meant that Magdalena knew too. He felt guilty. Then, he felt angry that he felt guilty. He shouldn't be after Lena had made it pretty clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. He was allowed to have other friends outside of the godly world.

"What's going on?" Percy demanded.

  Chiron poured some water on to the hot plate in the center of the table, creating a rainbow mist. The century tossed a golden drachma into the iris-image, muttering, "O, Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show us the assault."

  The all too familiar image of Mount St. Helens appeared. As they watched, the left side of the mountain exploded, a collision of magma and lava pouring out of it. From the news channel, a reporter said, "— even more destructive than the previous years eruption, and geologists fear that this is only the beginning."

  Last year's eruption was fresh in Percy's mind, since he was the one that caused it. But this one was a lot worse. The entire mountain was caving in on itself as a humongous figure appeared out of the smoke and ash. Percy could only pray the Mist didn't reveal the truth of what was happening, because this would send the entire country into a state of chaos.

  He was bigger than any other Titan Percy had seen. Not even a demigod could make out its true form, but his vague humanoid figure created a shadow around the smoke and ashes around it. He was so big he could've used the Empire State Building as a toothpick.

  "It's him," Percy said. "Typhon."

  Percy was hoping Chiron would just laugh in his face and tell him he was wrong, but he nodded gravely. "The most horrible of them all. The largest threat to the gods and humanity as we know it. From his imprisonment, he his been freed. But this was a few days ago. This is what's happening now."

  The image shimmered into a view of storm clouds rumbling across the Midwest plains. It was the worst storm Percy had ever seen— with lightning striking, tornadoes destroying farmland, houses . . .

  "Record breaking floods," a reporter was saying. "Six states have officially declared a state of emergency as this storm continues eastbound, destroying everything in its path." The image zeroed in on one stretch of the storm flying over a town. The giant was slightly visible within the storm clouds— a vapory arm, and a hand with claws the size of a building. His bellows rippled across the land like sonic wave. Around him, smaller shapes zipped around, and the giant attempted to swat them away as they blasted him. A flash of golden light swept across the screen, and then a giant owl swooped down to attack.

  "The Olympians," Percy realized.

  "Indeed," Chiron said. "It's been days now. They've been trying to slow his progress, but it's hopeless. Typhon will continue east until he reaches Olympus."

  Percy took that in. "How long do we have?"

  "Five days, at best. Almost all the gods are trying to fight him, excluding your father. He is too busy handling his own war under the sea."

  "That means Olympus is completely undefended," Percy said.

  Connor clenched his jaw. "It won't matter if Typhon makes it to New York. He'll destroy Olympus."

  Percy remembered what Kronos had said to him on the Princess Andromeda: I cannot wait to see the fear in your eyes when you understand how I shall destroy Olympus.

He wondered if this was what he meant: an assault from Typhon? It definitely scared him. But then again, Kronos was always deceiving them, leading them away from what the real threat was. Typhon's attack was too bold. And within his dream, Kronos had mentioned many other attacks coming, talking as if Typhon was just the warm up.

"This is a trick," Percy said. "The gods need to know that something else is coming."

Chiron stared at the image. "Something more destructive than Typhon? We must pray not."

"Olympus must be protected," Percy demanded. "We need to guard it from whatever else Kronos has planned."

"He already had another attack planned," Travis mentioned. "And you sunk it."

All eyes were on Percy Jackson. They wanted him to give them hope. They wanted something to believe in.

Percy spared a glance at Annabeth, knowing she was thinking the same thing as him. What if Kronos's ship was a distraction? Did Kronos let Percy explode his ship so that they'd lower their guard?

He didn't dare voice that thought when Silena was in the room. He didn't want her to think Charlie's death was for nothing.

"You could be right," Percy said, but his tone was doubtful.

Percy tried to think of how much worse things could get, more than they already were. Typhon was raging toward Olympus, with all the gods absent trying to stop him. Poseidon was losing his own war under the sea against Oceanus. Kronos was plotting new attacks somewhere. And Camp Half-Blood currently had a spy within their own ranks.

And, the best part was, Percy was expected to die when he turned sixteen. That was in five days, which was also the day Typhon was planned to reach Olympus. Almost forgot about that.

"Alas," Chiron said, "I believe that is enough for tonight."

The image within the Iris-message dissolved, and Typhon's figure disappeared.

"That's an understatement," Percy mumbled.

Then the war council was adjourned.

ANNA'S NOTES!
I feel like some of you saw this coming tbh but our siblings are separated🥲

Micheal Yew when I catch you. 

Also um... hi Jason... heh 😅