𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓾𝓼
ᴾᵉʳᶜʸ ᴶᵃᶜᵏˢᵒⁿ !

Aurelie stepped onto the bustling set, her heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and nerves. The studio smelled faintly of fresh paint and coffee, and scattered voices blended into the hum of last-minute preparations. It was her first day back for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of Monsters, and she couldn't wait to dive back into her role as Inez Anderson, daughter of Aphrodite.

"Okay, Aurelie," she whispered to herself as she adjusted the strap of her bag. "You've got this."

Her pep talk was interrupted by a familiar voice calling her name. "Aurelie!"

She turned to see Leah, who played Annabeth Chase, hurrying toward her, her signature blonde curls tied back. Leah enveloped her in a warm hug. "You're here! Finally!"

Aurelie laughed, hugging her back. "Leah, it's so good to see you again! How've you been?"

"Busy. Exhausted. But ready to get back into it," Leah said, pulling back with a grin. "Come on, everyone's in the conference room for the read-through. It's like a mini reunion."

As they walked, Aurelie heard another voice behind her. "No way! Is that Inez Anderson herself?"

She turned to see Aryan, dressed casually but already radiating Grover's playful energy. He gave her a quick hug. "It's been forever. How was the break?"

"Good," Aurelie said. "Though I've been counting down the days to get back here. How about you?"

"Same," Aryan said, motioning toward the hall. "Come on, Walker's already in there, looking all broody and mysterious like usual."

"Oh, great," Aurelie muttered, earning a laugh from Leah and Aryan as they walked together.

The conference room was buzzing with energy when they entered. Walker sat near the end of the long table, flipping through the thick script binder in front of him. He looked up when she walked in, his brown eyes lighting up immediately.

"Aurelie," he said simply, standing as she approached.

"Walker," she replied, her tone softening. For a brief moment, they just stood there, the energy between them unmistakable.

Without another word, she closed the distance and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. His arms slid naturally around her neck, pulling her close.

"I missed you," Aurelie murmured, her voice quiet enough that only he could hear.

"I missed you too," Walker said, his voice low and steady. He didn't let go right away, and neither did she, the hug lasting just a moment longer than it might have for anyone else.

When they finally pulled back, Walker smiled at her, the corners of his mouth tugging up in a way that made her heart skip.

"Back to being Inez, huh?" he said lightly.

"And you, Percy," she teased.

"Wouldn't want to be anyone else," he replied, though there was something in his tone that felt more personal than playful.

The moment broke when Aryan clapped his hands. "Alright, lovebirds, save it for the cameras!"

Aurelie felt her cheeks warm as she turned back to Leah and Aryan, who were both grinning like they knew something she wasn't ready to admit.

The assistant director entered, calling everyone to their seats. "Welcome back, everyone! Today we're focusing on the script read-through and costumes. Dior's plane was delayed, so she'll join us tomorrow with our new Thalia."

At the mention of Thalia, the room seemed to perk up with curiosity.

"Wait, we still don't know who's playing Thalia?" Aryan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope," Leah said, leaning back in her chair. "They've kept it completely under wraps. Dior said the two of them were on the same flight, but she wasn't given a name."

Walker smirked. "Probably someone huge, and they're building suspense."

"Or a total wildcard," Aurelie added with a grin. "Guess we'll find out tomorrow."

For now, the group turned their attention back to the script. The first read-through was full of laughter, with Aryan cracking jokes as Grover and Walker delivering Percy's sarcastic lines with perfect timing. When Aurelie jumped into Inez's sassy, sharp tone, the energy clicked immediately.

Later, during costume fittings, Aurelie slid into Inez's armor and strapped her celestial bronze dagger to her hip. In the mirror, she caught Walker walking by, already in Percy's gear, with the iconic riptide sword in his hand.

He glanced at her through the mirror. "Looks like we're ready to take on some monsters again."

"Always," she replied with a playful smirk.

As the day wrapped up, Aurelie couldn't help but feel the excitement building for what lay ahead. Tomorrow, Dior would arrive as Clarisse, and the mysterious actress playing Thalia would finally make her debut. Camp Half-Blood was coming back to life, and Aurelie was ready for the adventure ahead.

— THE SECRET OF US —