"Let's move on," Hecate said, not giving anyone a chance to complain as she made the screen play again.

Kiara stepped out of the Big House and started walking around camp aimlessly, lost in her thoughts, until some yelling caught her attention.

"The next time you try to steal Clarisse's spear, I'm not backing you up, idiots," Luke scolded seriously, glaring at his two brothers.

"Did they steal your spear?" Ares asked Clarisse, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... well..." the demigoddess stammered, searching for the right words, but not knowing what to say.

"She caught us before we could do anything," Connor said, acting all sad.

Ares shot a hard look at the demigod before turning to Hermes, glaring at him while Hermes grinned back, pretending to be innocent.

"Keep your kids away from mine," the god of war growled, crossing his arms with a threatening look.

"Sure, Ares," Hermes said nonchalantly, winking at Travis and Connor.

"Oh, come on, Luke. It was fun," Travis complained, kicking the ground like a little kid.

"His angry face is pure inspiration for my soul," Connor added, looking all dreamy.

"And Clarisse will eat your soul if you keep bothering her," Luke joked, turning around when he noticed Kiara walking up. "Hey, Kie."

"I wish I could actually eat them," Clarisse muttered with a grunt. "I'd be doing the world a favor."

Travis and Connor dramatically put their hands on their chests, gasping loudly.

"If you were to do that, the world would lose its color," Travis said, all theatrical.

"The roses would wither," Connor added, following his brother's lead. "And you'd lose your punching bags."

Clarisse gave them a death stare, clearly pissed, while Silena tried and failed to hold in a laugh.

"Knock it off with the teasing, will you?" the daughter of Aphrodite said, grinning wickedly as she watched Clarisse blush.

"Whatever you say, Lena," Connor replied, looking at her with stars in his eyes.

Allison, who had been watching this whole thing, gave him a nudge, shooting him a glare. Connor turned to her, looking all offended, but when he saw the jealous look on her face, his expression softened.

"Don't worry, Ali, you're still my only girl," Connor said quietly, leaning in just enough for her to hear.

Allison turned bright red but kept her cool, whispering back:

"Focus." She pointed at the screen, trying to ignore the blush creeping up on her face.

"Hey, Luke," Kiara said, stopping beside her boyfriend while giving Travis and Connor a playful look.

"Kiara!" Connor shouted excitedly, jumping at her before she could even react and pulling her into a quick hug. Travis didn't waste a second and joined in, wrapping his arms around both of them.

"Luke didn't even tell us you were back!" Travis whined, throwing his brother an accusing look.

"You didn't ask," Luke replied, shrugging it off as he roughly pulled them away from his girlfriend.

"Chill out, bro," Henrik teased, watching the whole thing with a smirk. His comment was met with an icy stare from his brother-in-law, which only made Henrik grin wider.

"Now I get why you separated us so fast," Connor said, crossing his arms with a smug look. "You, my dear older brother, were jealous."

Everyone's eyes turned to Luke, who just stared back, serious as ever.

"I don't know what are you talking about," Luke said, his tone firm.

Travis looked between his brother and Luke, a sly grin spreading across his face as he figured out what Connor was trying to stir up.

"So, why did you push us away from Kie, huh?" Travis asked, dragging out Kiara's nickname with a teasing smile as he saw the tiny twitch in Luke's eye.

"Leave him alone," Kiara said finally, looking at the Hermes kids with a dead-serious face, though her struggle to keep from laughing was obvious.

"Wait, how did you guys not know they were together?" Alicia asked, raising an eyebrow at Kiara.

"Because we decided to keep it on the down low. Everyone here's a bunch of gossipers, and we didn't want to deal with it," Kiara answered, shrugging like it was no big deal.

A chorus of indignant gasps filled the room almost instantly.

"We're not gossips!" Drew protested, shooting Kiara a glare.

"It's funny you say that when you're the biggest gossip around," Luke teased, quickly dodging the pillow the demigoddess threw at him in retaliation.

"Shut up, asshole."

"Don't be mean," Kiara scolded, turning to the Stoll brothers with a mischievous smile.

"What? Did you see her?" Connor asked, clearly excited.

Kiara nodded several times, pulling out a suitcase from nowhere. Luke looked between her and his brothers in confusion, and his bewilderment grew when he heard Travis scream like a girl.

"Give me that!" Travis demanded, snatching the suitcase from Kiara without thinking, earning a playful smile from her.

"What was that?" Chris asked, looking curiously at his brothers.

"A gift," Connor replied, his tone filled with mystery.

"Hmm."

"Let's go, Connor," Travis called, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Luke stopped them by grabbing their shirts.

"You say 'thank you, Kiara' you rude little punks."

"Thanks, Kitty," they both said at the same time, hugging her one last time before running off.

"Keep a low profile, I didn't bring anything for anyone else!" Kiara shouted, smiling as she heard their excited laughter fading away.

"Actually, I did bring more gifts, but they were for my siblings," Kiara commented, frowning as she tried to remember.

"Don't forget Rory," Luke mentioned, grinning teasingly when he saw Kiara stiffen.

"Right, Rory."

"Aren't there any gifts for me?" Luke asked, pretending to be sad.

"Actually, yes, but I can only give it to you in my room," Kiara replied, giving him a sly smile.

Luke raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Are you talking about..?" he started to ask, but his voice was cut off when Kiara kissed him out of nowhere.

"You're always horny," Henrik complained, watching the scene with a grimace.

"Give me a break, I was a growing teenager," Kiara defended herself.

"It's fucking annoying."

Luke chuckled, quickly covering it with a fake cough when he felt his brother-in-law's death glare.

"Maybe we should lock her in the Sun Palace," Apollo suggested to Klaus, who nodded repeatedly.

"Oh, come on. I'm not a little girl anymore," the tribrid grumbled. "Besides, you're crazy if you think you can lock me up."

Apollo looked at her indifferently.

"Are you sure?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Actually, he would," Artemis teased, joining the conversation between father and daughter.

"I can escape," Kiara responded with a defiant smile.

"Not if they lock you in the cave," Hecate commented, casually inspecting her nails.

Kiara shuddered at that, while the Originals and demigods watched in confusion.

"The cave?" Annabeth asked, but her question was ignored by everyone, including Kiara and the gods.

"Would you lock me in... there just because I want to have sex with my boyfriend... of four years?" Kiara asked, looking at her parents with indignation.

Luke turned to her quickly, surprised by her lack of... tact.

"Language! There are kids here!" Hayley scolded her niece, pointing to Nico and the younger demigods.

Kiara quickly turned to Nico, who was watching her with amusement.

"You need to watch your words, Kie," the demigod teased, smiling softly at the blush creeping up Kiara's cheeks.

"Okay, okay," Kiara said, turning back to her parents, who were glaring at her. "And you guys need to get a bigger problem because in the last five years, l've done a lot with Luke, and I'm not talking about playing chess."

"Kie!" Luke exclaimed, looking at her in surprise.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You're not helping me," Luke complained in a whiny tone, pointing to Kiara's parents and brother, who were staring at him like he was a piece of meat and they were wolves.

"Fine, I'll zip it," Kiara said.

"Thanks."

Luke groaned mid-kiss, making Kiara smile, satisfied. However, she quickly pulled away when she heard footsteps approaching. A group of demigods passed by the Hermes cabin, not even glancing in their direction.

"So... are you going to show Percy around the camp?" Kiara asked out of nowhere, making Luke frown.

"Uh... yeah, sure," he replied, still dazed from the kiss.

"Liar," Kiara accused.

"Guilty," Luke admitted with a playful grin.

"Alright, thanks. I'll owe you one."

"Kiara?" called a sweet voice. "Kiara! You're back!"

Kiara turned quickly towards the voice, her face lighting up as she recognized it.

"Rory!" she exclaimed, smiling as she ran toward her.

"Aurora, right?" Thanatos asked Kiara, who nodded.

"Eros' daughter."

Apollo raised an eyebrow, glancing between the god and his daughter with a curious expression.

"She's the only one I have at that camp," Eros commented, shifting uncomfortably under the intense gaze of the Sun God.

"Rory is so cute," Silena said to the god. "Whenever she visits mom's cabin, she lets us do her hair."

Eros's face lit up as he heard his half-sister speak about his daughter, a proud gleam in his eyes.

"Her name is Aurora," Kol whispered to Davina, who nodded in confusion. "Like Nik's ex."

Klaus, across the room, shot his brother a deadly glare at the mention of the vampire's name. His expression hardened, turning cold.

"I missed you so much," Aurora said, smiling when Kiara kissed her cheek.

"I missed you too, Rory," Kiara replied, stroking the demigoddess's hair.

"Rory has the best hair at camp," Drew said, smiling as he watched the girl.

Piper nodded, staring at the curls of Eros's daughter on the screen.

"It was the best," Kiara whispered to herself with a nostalgic smile.

"You missed my birthday," Aurora said, looking up at Luke.

"Hey, Lukey," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Rorey," Luke said, smiling kindly. Then he leaned toward Kiara. "'ll leave you two alone, call me if you need me."

The demigod left through the door, but not before planting a kiss on Kiara's cheek.

Aurora raised an eyebrow several times, looking at Kiara with excitement.

"She's just like you," Nemesis said, looking between the demigoddess on the screen and her friend.

"Thanks, I guess," Eros said with amusement.

"I'm being serious, idiot. She's just like you, just like Kiara is like Apollo," Nemesis said, drawing the attention of both the god and his daughter.

"What do you mean by that?" they both asked at the same time, making Nemesis smile with amusement.

"Nothing."

"You're dating Luke!" Aurora exclaimed, nearly jumping with excitement.

Kiara blushed, giving the girl a playful look.

"We are, but you have to keep it a secret," Kiara said with a smile.

Aurora quickly nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I promise, Mom. I won't tell anyone."

Everyone's eyes went wide when they heard the girl call Kiara that.

"Oh, shit," Luke whispered, glancing between his girlfriend and the god of love.

"What did she call you?" Apollo asked Kiara, his tone deceptively calm.

"I'm not her mom, if that's what you're thinking," Kiara quickly clarified. "That would be impossible."

"Then... would you care to explain, Eros?" Klaus asked, getting straight to the point.

"Why are you asking me?" the god complained.

Klaus shot him a glare, but before he could say anything, someone else jumped in.

"Kiara spends most of her time with Aurora and has been taking care of her since she arrived at the camp," Luke explained to his in-laws before they could 'kill' the winged god. "It's not unusual for Rory to call her mom. She's a lonely girl in a camp full of kids. She sees Kiara as a mother figure because she's the closest thing to a responsible adult she has."

A brief silence filled the room as everyone processed Luke's short explanation.

"Shall we continue, or are you two going to keep interrupting?" Hecate asked, her eyes locking on the couple of the sun god and the original hybrid.

When no one replied, the goddess nodded, satisfied, and started the chapter again.

Kiara quickly glanced at her, half-smiling as she saw the girl hadn't even noticed how she had just called her.

"Sorry I missed your birthday," Kiara murmured, drawing Aurora's attention.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Aunt Lena and Drew made me a cake," Aurora said with a soft smile.

"That's so sweet," Aphrodite said, smiling proudly at her two daughters.

"It is," Eros whispered, his eyes sparkling as he watched the screen.

Hypnos and Thanatos exchanged a look before glancing back at Eros, shaking their heads as they smiled. Their poor friend had only days, or minutes, left.

"Anyway, I have two gifts for you," Kiara said, smiling when Aurora's big green eyes widened with excitement.

"What is it?" the girl asked, almost jumping in impatience.

"First of all, you should know that one is from me, and the other..." Kiara began, waiting for a reaction from the demigoddess.

Aurora looked at her, her eyes shining with excitement.

"And the other one is from... Dad?" she asked, her voice full of hope.

Kiara smiled gently, casting a subtle glance at Eros, only to find the god watching the screen with a sweet smile on his lips.

"It actually is!" Kiara replied, pulling out a small velvet box. Aurora's eyes filled with tears before she threw herself into Kiara's arms.

"I thought Dad had forgotten about me," the girl mumbled, burying her face in Kiara's neck as her voice faded.

Eros didn't take his eyes off the screen, though he made a grimace when he heard the pain in his daughter's words.

"Hey, it's fine. I made sure to remind her how much you love her," Kiara said with a warm smile, looking at the god with tenderness.

Eros held her gaze for a moment before silently nodding.

"No, Rory. Your father loves you, too much, I'd say. He's always talking about how proud he is to have you as his daughter," Kiara assured, gently stroking the girl's hair.

"When did you tell her that, Kiara?" Apollo interjected, casting a serious look at Eros.

"Dad, stop interrupting," Kiara scolded him, though she was completely ignored.

"Eros?" Apollo called, this time in a more demanding tone.

"You heard your daughter, Phoebus. Stop interrupting," Eros replied calmly, though the growing heat in his body betrayed his discomfort.

"During the next break, I believe Kiara and Eros would love to answer all your questions, dear cousin," Hecate intervened, smiling with a mischievous gleam when both the mentioned individuals turned to her in disbelief, as if she were crazy.

"Fine," Apollo agreed, though clearly begrudgingly.

"But he doesn't visit me," Aurora whispered, pulling away slightly from the embrace.

"It's complicated," Kiara murmured, wiping the small tears from Aurora's cheeks with her thumbs. "But I promise I'll try to arrange something so you can see him."

"Really?" asked Eros's daughter, her smile returning as her teary eyes seemed to forget their sorrow.

"Yup, but don't tell anyone. We could get into serious trouble if someone finds out," Kiara warned, giving her a mischievous smile.

The laughter of Thanatos and Hypnos echoed, impossible to ignore. Everyone in the room turned their eyes toward them, but the two gods didn't seem to care, far too entertained by Eros.

"So, that's your damn secret, huh?" Thanatos teased, slapping Eros on the back with a mocking smile.

"Good job, mate, with the daughter of your greatest enemy," Hypnos added in his carefree tone, completely ignoring the gasps of astonishment that filled the air.

Kiara felt like the ground had vanished beneath her feet. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, unable to meet anyone's gaze.

The silence was broken by Apollo's voice, deep and dangerous, like thunder about to strike.

"What did you say?"

The tension in the room became suffocating. Hypnos and Thanatos exchanged quick glances, as if they'd realized they'd said too much.

"Nothing, Apollo. We were just joking," Hypnos quickly said, though the smile he tried to hide betrayed him.

Apollo didn't pay them any attention. His gaze locked directly on Kiara, who still didn't dare lift her head.

"Kiara," he called, his voice low but laden with contained fury. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing, Daddy..." Kiara murmured with a nervous smile, trying to lighten the moment.

The tension in the room didn't ease. In fact, Kiara's words seemed to fuel Apollo's fury even more.

"Nothing, huh?" Apollo repeated, his tone full of sarcasm and danger as he took a step toward her. "Then why are they laughing at something that clearly isn't nothing?"

"And what do you think, Apollo?" Thanatos intervened, crossing his arms with a malicious grin. "Your daughter knows how to pick her friends."

"Right, friends..." Hypnos added, suppressing a laugh, which made Apollo clench his fists tightly.

"Silence," Apollo commanded, his gaze burning so fiercely that even Hypnos and Thanatos fell silent. Despite their forced quiet, their smirks didn't fade entirely.

His attention snapped back to Kiara, who avoided meeting his eyes, as if that could lessen the weight of his fury.

"What did you do, Kiara?" he demanded, his deep voice thick with tension, each word carrying a heavy charge.

"Well, uh..." Kiara began, trying to buy time, but the words choked in her throat under the intensity of his stare.

"Ugh, so much drama," Artemis interrupted, rolling her eyes with clear annoyance. She rose from her seat with graceful calm and walked toward her brother, as if dealing with a petulant child.

"Your daughter and Eros have been secret friends for years," Artemis said indifferently, as if it were a minor detail. But her words struck the room like thunder, plunging the space into a heavy silence.

Apollo stood frozen for a moment, as if processing what he had just heard took longer than usual. His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, his hands clenching at his sides.

Klaus stepped forward, looking to Kiara as if he needed confirmation.

"Is it true?" he asked, a mix of confusion and alarm in his voice.

Kiara bit her lip, feeling the pressure building around her. Finally, she took a deep breath and responded, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, it's true," she admitted, her tone firmer than she felt. She met Apollo's gaze, bracing herself for the fury that awaited her. "But we're just friends. That's all."

Apollo let out a low, cold laugh, void of humor. The sound, short and sharp, froze the room. The atmosphere became suffocating, and the demigods, along with the Originals and the Mystic Falls gang, tensed instantly. Apollo's laughter seemed to reverberate in their bones, like a harbinger of what was to come.

"Friends?" he repeated, his voice low, each word a dagger. "With Eros? The same Eros I warned you about? The one I told you to stay away from for your own good?"

A murmur ran through the room. Some gods watched the scene with evident interest, exchanging looks between Kiara and Apollo. Others, like Hypnos and Thanatos, barely contained their barely-suppressed laughter.

Eros, standing by both gods, remained silent, his face serious and completely unfazed. However, the pressure in the air thickened as Apollo's gaze turned to him.

"Nothing to say?" Apollo asked, his golden eyes blazing as he stared at the god of love with deep loathing.

Eros remained silent, unable to find the right words. He knew anything he said could make things worse. But his silence only deepened Apollo's fury.

With his eyes burning with rage, Apollo began to advance toward Eros. The murmur among the gods grew louder, and the demigods nearest to the two gods stepped back, alerted by the looming confrontation.

"Phoebus, calm down..." Eros said, his voice tense, but before he could finish the sentence, Apollo's fist struck him.

The blow was so fast and precise that Eros barely had time to react. The impact sent him crashing backward, and a deep gash appearing on his cheek, releasing a drop of ichor. The golden glow of his blood alarmed all the gods in the room.

Leto watched her daughter and Klaus, clearly worried, signaling them to do something and stop Apollo. However, both stood still, watching with strange indifference as Apollo continued to strike Eros again and again.

"Fuck this," Kiara muttered, standing from her seat and ignoring Luke's pleas for her to sit. Without hesitation, she began to move toward her father and Eros, but Klaus reached her in the blink of an eye, firmly grabbing her arm.

"What do you think you're doing?" Klaus asked, his gaze hard as he fixed his eyes on her.

"What do you think? Saving a friend," Kiara replied with a smirk, pulling herself free from his grip and heading straight for the two gods. Apollo, noticing his daughter approaching, halted his strikes.

Eros' face smeared with ichor from the blows, he looked up at her. In that moment, his head fell forward as he gasped in relief.

"Come to help your dear friend?" Apollo sneered with a cruel smile. "I'm not done with him, sweetheart. Come back later."

His smile faded instantly as Kiara, with incredible strength, shoved him off Eros. In seconds, the god fell into Klaus's arms, without any effort from his daughter.

Apollo, still burning with rage, turned to face his daughter, his expression dark.

"You dare to defy me?" he asked, his voice low but filled with threat.

Kiara didn't answer immediately. She stood in silence, her eyes locked on his, but the intensity in them was something Apollo couldn't ignore. It was a wordless response, but it was clear.

With a small, almost imperceptible smile, the sun god nodded slightly, understanding. Then, without saying another word, he turned and returned to his seat, ignoring everyone else in the room.

The tension hung in the air for a moment, until, almost simultaneously, Hermes and Dionysus broke the silence.

"That was quite the show," they said together, amusement in their voices.

Kiara focused all her attention on Eros, gently cupping his face. Her hands briefly glowed, and the god's wound healed instantly.

"You didn't have to do that..." Eros said, his voice soft.

Kiara smiled, but her expression remained serious.

"I wasn't going to leave you like that."

She sat beside him, both of them silent as Eros wiped the ichor from his face. They murmured something between themselves, inaudible to the others.

The gods around them watched, surprised by the closeness between them. Some exchanged glances, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"And that's why it was better to have this conversation in private," Hecate commented, making a mock offended face when her son shot her a glare.

"What? I was just saying," she replied, shrugging.

"You're not helping, Mother," Klaus scolded her, looking at Apollo, who remained silent beside him.

"Alright, let's continue," Hecate said, replaying the same chapter on the screen for the thousandth time.

Annabeth watched Luke, who couldn't tear his eyes away from Eros and Kiara. His expression was indescribable, a mixture of something she couldn't even identify.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Annabeth asked cautiously.

Luke, without breaking his gaze from them, murmured quietly so he wouldn't interrupt the others:

"We can't avoid the inevitable, Beth."

Finally, Luke turned his attention away from Eros and Kiara. He offered Annabeth a weak smile, as if that was all he could give her, and focused on the screen, although his mind seemed far away.

"Are you finally going to show me my gift?" Aurora asked, unable to wait any longer.

Kiara smiled and opened the small box, revealing a golden necklace with a striking design. The pendant was made of intertwining vines with tiny stars, but what truly caught the eye was the heart-shaped ruby with a crossed arrow.

"It's not that impressive," Apollo murmured disdainfully, crossing his arms.

Eros and Kiara exchanged a look and rolled their eyes, ignoring the god who was acting like a child.

Aurora, her eyes sparkling, took the necklace between her fingers, frowning when she noticed something. Her gaze quickly moved to Kiara's necklace, and her eyes widened at the resemblance.

"It's just like yours!" she exclaimed, hurrying to touch Kiara's necklace, who smiled and nodded in response.

"That's right," the tribrid confirmed. "But the most important part is here."

Kiara pressed the heart of Aurora's necklace, and with a puff, the necklace transformed into a bow.

Apollo raised an eyebrow, glancing from the screen to his daughter and Eros, opening and closing his mouth as he struggled to find words.

"So, Lord Eros was the one who gave you the bow," Kayla commented, wincing at the sound of her father's growl.

"How come we never saw you with that necklace before?" Klaus asked, looking at the god of the sun. Apollo looked at him, his eyes flashing as if he'd read his mind.

"A hiding spell," Kiara answered, shrugging.

Kol seemed like he wanted to say something, but Davina gently tapped him, shaking her head. She didn't want to lose her husband because of his big mouth.

"How long ago did you give her that necklace?" Hermes asked Eros, clearly curious.

"Kiara was about six years old, I think," Eros replied, causing several gasps. The god looked around, confused, until he felt the burn in his body again.

"Seriously, Apollo? Are you still going to make my blood boil?" Eros complained, quickly removing his jacket from the heat.

"What the hell were you doing near my daughter when she was only six years old? Son of a bitch!" Apollo growled, trying to stand, but Leto and Henrik stopped him.

"If you hadn't ignored her while you were busy with Henrik, we wouldn't be here," Eros retorted, shutting up when Kiara elbowed him.

Apollo softened his expression, though the anger was still clear in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Henrik asked this time, looking between his sister and Eros.

"Eros is hallucinating, H. Just ignore him," Kiara replied, ending the conversation. "Grandmother, please, let's keep going."

"As you wish, dear," Hecate responded, following her cue.

"It's just like yours!" Aurora repeated with a big smile, quickly grabbing the bow.

Kiara made a face, barely nodding. Clearly, hers was much more lethal, but it wasn't something Aurora needed to know.

"Thank you, thank you," Eros's daughter said over and over, hugging Kiara for the third time.

"I'm starting to think she loves you more than she loves me," Eros whispered to Kiara, looking at her with feigned disdain.

Kiara smiled faintly.

"You'll have to learn to get over it, darling."

Sooo... Kiara and Eros are friends, hehe.

Honestly, I don't think I was very subtle with them, and it was killing me to keep them a secret... so I figured it was better to reveal it all at once.

I wasn't entirely sure how to handle Apollo's reaction, but I wanted to show that he felt betrayed and furious. After all, out of all the gods, his daughter chose Eros. However, I think when he finds out the real reason behind it all, he'll probably hate him about 13% less.

And I know some of you suspected that Eros was the one who gave Kiara the bow... well you were right!

I hope you liked the chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment on what you thought. <3