ᡣ ۪ ⁝ (sanu.) ༦ ࣪

Maybe it was the hesitance, maybe it was the lack of acknowledgement. Either way, Luke wasn't sure if this was fair. Sure, of course it wasn't fair.

Kronos was the Lord of the Titans, a deity far bigger than the Olympians. if the Gods didn't play fair, why would he? Well, the damage was already done. Now, all he could remember was being adrift in an ocean.

He presumed it must've been the Sea of Monsters, meaning he could hear the Sirens behind him. Where was he exactly though? If the Sirens were behind him then... it was either the Scylla or the Charybdis were in front.

Neither sounded as heroic when you're afloat in the sea, with no life vest or boat.

Just your body and these monsters.

Really fascinated.

Hermes knew he could do nothing with Kronos if the Oracle predicted it. He couldn't. He was a God, for Hestia's sake.

He couldn't single-handedly alter his best mistake's life. Though, he can bring about a change. Luke wakes up, coughing. His face was pressed into the sand while his legs were covered in kelp and seaweed.

"Fuck..." He groans, getting up. He didn't find the strength to stand but sat up against his elbows. In front of his eyes was the horizon, the sun raising just barely.

One hand instinctively went to shield his eyes, which was where he saw the change. He wasn't wearing the same outfit nor jacket he was. Hell, how many days had it been since Kronos threw him out?

His eyes trailed downwards, and widened. Gods, he was back in his old t-shirt. the bright orange and Pegasus symbol shook him. His fingers raked over his collarbone, below it he found the necklace. all seven beads on it.

Yanking it forward, he saw the scythe was missing from it. And the seventh bead was on it as replacement.

He scrambled up, tripping over his feet. His hair was wet, stuck to his forehead and back of his neck. He raised his vision while running his hand through his hair.

There it was. The same thing he ruined the last time he was here; Thalia's tree.

"Fucking Hades. What kind of sick joke is this?"

He coughs again. How much seawater did he inhale? At last, he found himself patting his belt to see if he had everything. His dagger, his Celestial Bronze sword, and... a picture.

He doesn't remember that.

It comes out following his suspicion. It was him, Thalia and Annabeth; just before they reached camp. He remembered that day so much better than anything else. He stole a camera to capture moments from camp of his family. Annabeth's precious smile, Thalia's signature wink an smirk, him looking like-

Thump, thump thump.

Above him, near the tree, comes the noises of someone's boots stomping around. He pockets the photo for now, planning to dry it later on.

His eyes rake up the hill, seeing a feminine-ish shadow. Hairs peeking out from either shoulder which were immensely curled and a larger spear in hand.

He doesn't remember seeing anyone with a spear almost the size of their body. Though, their footsteps are proper and intentional; they know what they're doing. Patrol runs must be in run before... Well, him.

Luke squints his eyes, trying to really see who it is. Just then, the spear is pointed into the ground; held wrong as if on guard at all times. That's when it clicked.

"Lukas."

He remembers hearing this voice, how it echoed on patrol.

"Clarisse?"

He began to move towards her, near the tree before she picked up her spear and pointed at him. Behind her, Chris appeared, also on patrol. He had his sword, which he draws, seeing Luke.

"What is he doing here?" The other Hermes' son whispered to the daughter of Ares. "How would I know?" She whispers back. On the other hand, Luke looks cheerful as he walks up to them, just maintaining a good distance so Clarisse doesn't touch him.

"It's weird seeing you two again, especially like this. Didn't think you'd be the first vision I'd get at Asphodel." They both looked at each other before at him again, again not lowering their weapons.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?"

It takes a minute to either to response. "Chris, get my cabin on the borders and... Jackson with Chase." Nodding, the man walks off as Clarisse walks closer yet slowly to Luke.

Her spear was in her hand. Being as unpredictable as she was. Maybe she could head on take him. IF he was caught off guard, which he seems to be.

"What does Kronos want now?" As far as he could remember, Clarisse's words never had real bark. This, however, was sour to hear - Imagine how sour it must have been to say it.

"He threw me out. Ended back here," She gives out a laugh, scoffing at him. Her eyes raked over him up and down twice before pressing her lips in a line.

"I call that bullshit." Suddenly, she lowers her voice, leaning in to appear menacing (which she could've succeeded if Luke didn't think if it was a dream) "Cut that crap, what does that bastard want?"

Luke raises his hands, smiling. "Come on! You can't kill me twice! I'm already in Asphodel, what else?" He knew he couldn't trust this reality. Kronos was the god of time after all.

Clarisse leans back, her expression the same. Just her left eyebrow raises slightly, "Asphodel? This is Camp, Castellan." He shrugged, still lost in his head.

"Asphodel's making me remember that I regret betraying camp." Luke said as he was looking around.

He could see Thalia's tree faintly swaying in the wind. Clarisse didn't buy that that not one bit. Her eyes never left him. She did make sure that her spear was lowered just enough so he could feel safe, but not enough to know that the trap wasn't there.

"Well, I don't know what I can do to make you believe that this is CAMP, not Asphodel." She sighs. "Seriously, do you really think this is Asphodel? This is, what part of the six do you think this is Asphodel?" She gives him a minute. He doesn't respond, but then looks at her with expecting eyes.

"I don't really expect you to forgive me and the way you're acting. Plus, Kronos threw me off." Clarisse stopped him in the middle. "Okay, I'm going to hold you off there. Stop lying, okay? First of all, Kronos did not throw you out of the army. You're his lieutenant and you're the vessel needed. How do you think I would believe that Kronos purposely threw you out?"

The boy had no response. It was obvious, like how could he turn out allegations that were. Might probably be obvious for people like Clarice. They didn't know what was happening back at the Princess Andromeda. He opened his mouth, but closed it back when he heard footsteps.

Clarisse didn't have to look around, neither did Luke have to peek behind her. They could tell he was approaching. Faint copper blonde, and black hair approached the scene. The orange shirts were very much lightening and the few sun rays that were reaching.

Thalia, she seemed to be interacting.

That was new. She was interacting. She would wave and sway.

Neither of the two people spoke. Luke exchanged glances with them. Neither of them backed down until Luke looked at the floor, shamefully.

"I'm sorry. I really am sorry." He muttered. Neither of the three campers responded to him sadly. They kept on observing him. Then, the boy spoke up from the other side of the border.

"You do know what you're doing right." Percy looked at him with a questioning look. Annabeth still had not spoken a word, and was quietly analyzing him.

Honestly? That was worse than her being angry at him.

The brown eyes could not meet with the blue or brown ones.

Luke knew what he had done. He knew what step he took, and he really can't back down from it. Clarisse steps out of the border, and towards Luke.

Surprising since she was the one evaluating him right now. But maybe since Percy joined the scene, she decided to softened her cynical self up.

She carefully puts a hand on Luke's shoulder and goes, "Luke, I don't know what plan you have, but we're not letting you in camp. So, whatever it is that you have... Tell us right now, or we could literally cause war right now. Kronos might be in there. We could take a Titan. It's 70 of us, and it's one Titan. And in a mortal body, too. So I don't think it's much of a challenge."

Asphodel, Asphodel, was it really Asphodel if it wasn't this real? He felt the weight of her hand on his shoulder. He felt the ice pouring into his soul.

Was it really Asphodel if it felt this real? His swords. The swords, he remembered. He patted his shoulders.

He looked at Percy, his sword-holder, nothing. But the corner of his pocket peeked out a pen. Riptide, he remembered.

Annabeth had slowly put on her blue cap and had most likely exited the scene, since she was nowhere to be found, or rather she was just standing there, invisible.

Just like the time she caught Luke trying to recruit Percy.

Now Clarisse just leaves the scene. Luke can see Chris standing at the edge of the forest, waiting for her then they both go back inside the campgrounds.

Percy doesn't dare step ahead or step back. "Do you really mean that Kronos kicked you out?" His face sounded a little more soft, as if knowing no one else was there with him.

Luke took up a good minute to respond. "Yeah. The last thing I remember is being in the Sea of Monsters. I have my swords and really don't know what the hell happened so-"

Percy sighed, which cut off Luke's ramble. "Sorry, it was going wrong, wasn't I?" He apologized immediately. Percy just shook his head. He looked around for a moment, then gestured for Luke to peer closer.

He does go forward. Then, at the edge of the border, Luke stands there. Perceiving the border closer, not letting Luke move away. He gestured towards the tree.

"This tree, do you remember poisoning her? We healed her. She was your friend. I just... What gave you the thought of poisoning your friend in the first place? If it was me in the first place, I would have thought twice, more than twice actually, to do this."

Luke looked up in his head, but didn't put it into words "It wasn't me, it was Kronos. I really don't know how to ride any pegasus." He points out. Percy, for a minute, thinks of buying that but protests.

He couldn't trust him, not after the Great Prophecy. Of course, he has no idea what it actually says, but you know, precautions.

"Well, if you say it like that, then sure. But, like, are you genuinely not here to attack camp like you were last time? Because, all the times you ever come here, you cause destruction. And then fled. Like you were some sort of prisoner here."

Luke steps back and puts his weapons out; willingly, instead of being asked. Puts them all down and in front of Percy. This sudden movement and decision makes the blonde stares at him.

What is this even supposed to mean?

"I can't approve your entry still." Percy points out, looking down at the same blade he remembered from his first fight with Luke. Is this another scheme? Or does this actually mean that Luke surrendering to camp?

"Look, I gave you all my weapons. Now will you believe me? I am really not a member of Kronos' army, let alone his lieutenant or a vessel anymore." His words, hung in silence. Of course they did.

Like, what do you expect? He just suddenly came out to camp, says he was in the Sea of Monsters, and now he's not a member of Kronos' army. Why would Percy buy that? Why should he buy that?

This could still be genuine, you know? It is still possible that he's not lying. Though that depended on Percy's call.

"With the breath of winds, the trickery returns; Time bearing today, it will not stop before it burns. Warriors of eternity, forged in wood, will now bend To the sounds of power, beheading the past. The choice of one will waver them all, And uplifted shall be none."

Chiron nodded at the Oracle, allowing her to rest on the steps of the Big House. "I understand your concern but we cannot let this air so urgently."

His words meant to consolidate her but maybe it did the opposite. "What if it's with Percy again? I don't like how no one will be uplifted and again one person's choice.." Rachel presses, looking at the camp.

The summer had barely begun and campers were only coming in now. A prophecy was never any good.

"I understand, Miss Dare, yet, it may not be helped."

The redhead looked around. There was more than the usual twelve cabins. There were twenty now, all dedicated to each God and Goddess. Hell, most of the endangered demigods hadn't even arrived to camp yet.

"You know, you can't really avoid this one." Dionysus commented, coming around from the corner with his Diet Coke can. "What?" He stared back at the two faces gawking him, as a sip was taken from the can by him too.

"What does that mean?" Rachel stood up and approached the god. "What do you mean by 'it can't be avoided'?" In response, he only raised his hands.

"No prophecy can be. What're you trying to get out of me, kid?" Chiron sighs, gesturing for her to step back. "Nothing, Lord Dionysus. Is there anything we should look out for in this prophecy?"

And, as if trying to make them mad on purpose, the god only shrugs. "Just don't cry over it." Rachel groaned, rubbing a hand over her face, 'Real helpful', she muttered under her breath as she looked back to the main camp grounds.

"Has Percy come yet?" Chiron steps ahead of where she's looking, gazing out at the minimum amount of campers, as a few enter the boundary.

"Not quite." The sight was quite happy too. William, or Will, had just passed the border and fell into a strong hug with the Hades child, Nico. Dionysus followed his eyes and cackled quietly before moving ahead and going to his designated spot.

Probably to sit and sleep, or drink more Coke; really, his choice. "I really don't like where this is going," Rachel added, fiddling with her sleeve. Just then, a sound of panting erputed from behind them.

"GUYS! GUYS!"

Tripping over his feet, Grover stopped before he faceplanted into the grass. "Grover?" Chiron looked at the satyr who was panting and pointing at the back end of camp, a place mainly set for training drills. He kept trying to mutter something, but it ended up as gibberish.

"Camp.. hehh.. Doolo-" His chest was swelling as he sat on the floor. "Cabins- inlamed... He- Coming!" Rachel and Chiron, without turning their heads, gave a look to each other before Chiron leaned down to Grover.

"Catch your breath and slowly explain." Though, by the time Grover could, a horn blared and a familiar voice invited every resident of camp to gather by the Chariot Field.

"Is that.." Grover's eyes widened as the satyr hurriedly got up and made a run for the spot. "PERCY?!" His voice screeched throughout as the centaur sighed.

"I believe that is our queue as well." Rachel, however, didn't seem convinced. He began to walk without her, but she stopped him, "Who is it?"

"Hermes."

Again, the half-man continued his tredding. The redhead grumbled yet, trailed behind him.

Upon arriving, there were many recognizable faces like Silena, her boyfriend, Charlie, and so on... Hermes was high up on the spectator platform, near the horn.

"MEMBERS OF CAMP!" His voice was intentional, but too loud because of the horn. He clears his throat, stepping back a bit.

"I apologize, but I have some news! Terrible to some, rejoicing for others. I can't care less for either." The crowd was being pushed from between itself as Hermes started a small lecture on how Gods, or at least some of them, were presiding over a thought and had finally made a decision to do a 'small experiment' on camp.

Percy was rushing to find Chiron or Annabeth, whichever one was closer. "What's happening?" Chiron turned to the hero.

"You're being assigned to new cabins by Dolos." Behind him, Grover ran up and put his mortal hands on him. "He's got permission from the Gods! How- you guys are going to be in another person's custody!"

The messenger of the gods sees the commotion occurring between everyone as he announces the news. "Now, now! I will call names. Go and sit in the designated seats when your name is called. Cheating will get you a summer's worth of punishments."

Everyone, as if scared (which they mostly were), quietened down. "Now, only specific names are given, so be relieved." That did not ease the nerves of Percy and his friends. They knew that their names would be there - Come on, what are the chances there wouldn't? Like zero?

Then Hermes began again, "Starting with those now in Dionysus' cabin!" The wine god, right behind him, let out a mixture of a groan and a chuckle; both mildly annoyed and amused.

"We have...Clarisse La Rue!"

Multiple gasps erupted from the crowd as Clarisse stepped out, her spear in hand. "What? Under what was this chosen?" Being the daughter of War, her anger was quite expected.

"The gods' favor, of course. Right, Brother?" Hermes looked back at Dionysus, who just shrugged, "Sure, I can be responsible for her, somewhat." he took a sip again, looking away.

The rest of the Ares cabin was asked to move out as Hermes looked way too cheerful and smug now. "My cabin. We have.... Annabeth Chase! Annabeth Chase?" As prompted, the girl stepped out of the crowd and took her spot without a word.

Percy, on the other hand, was looking more confused than a rat in a trap. His head was spinning constantly between Clarisse, Annabeth, and the two Gods up top. Hermes' face was scrunchized, but he continued.

"All Athena's cabin out! Our next cabin is Aphrodite's, where we have two condenters." There was an evident pause as Hermes and Dionysus were laughing amongst themselves. This both scared and even more puzzled the campers who were still awaiting their names. Chiron had even sat down, waiting for it.

"Nico di Angelo and... Perseus Jackson himself."

Silence etched through the field. These two were basically the only kids of their parents who were at camp. So, no one really left, but, wow, did the camp shake at this.

Nico just looked up and down, then up again as if cursing his father and the Olympians. Percy's voice was stuck in his throat.

"No, no, no more raising the dead or water mermaid business. You all will act like as if that God or Goddess were your parent!" Hermes clarified, seeing the hero's face and knowing what was on his mind.

"You- you can't do that!" Percy snaps back, hand already holding Riptide in his pocket. The God of grapevines and the God of lies stare at each other blankly.

Really, neither of them was in the mood for dueling a kid. They presumed Dolos wouldn't be either, so they turned back to him. "No fighting. Just accept it."

Meanwhile, Nico was trying to quietly shadow-travel out of the situation, but... Yeah, it wasn't working.

"Oh, yeah. For safer measures, your parents have disowned you this summer. Very me, if I say so myself."

Luke emerged from the shocked faces. His only reason to come back from Kronos' influence was that his father wouldn't abandon him and his mother again.

"Family, you promised." He said, looking up at his godly parent, who placed his gaze downwards. "Look, Luke-" but the Camp's Golden Boy wasn't going to have it.

"You seriously think you can just toss us in different cabins like that?! Why did you even AGREE in the first place?"

Chiron got up and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let him finish first, Luke." Being a bit older than the usual campers, he backed off. However, another child chose defiance today.

"I'm not going to Aphrodite's cabin." Nico's voice echoed through the field as he made his way out of the place through the bleachers.

"Hades will not accept you in his cabin, nor will Apollo. Be wise." That stopped him in his steps.

"I am NOT going to be sleeping in the same place as the girls who tried to set me up with Will."

Dionysus chuckled. "Boy, you think you have a choice? You can see you can't shadow-travel. What point do you want to make?"

Before Nico could speak again, Percy cut him off, "Why do the gods always try to intervene in our lives? Just because they're our parents, too, doesn't mean they can change everything about us to match them. We don't have to be their splitting image."

"There is nothing on that topic. I think you remember that you've already spoken on that after the War of Manhattan. This is a mutual agreement, but this time neither will Poseidon save you, nor will Zeus spare you. Better if you get accustomed to having cabinmates."

Percy didn't reply; instead just snatched out Riptide. If he had to fight Hermes and Dionysus just to get his way, he would. maybe it it wasn't for Annabeth.

"Percy, don't!"

For once, Percy didn't look at her. His eyes scanned for any trace of water. A puddle or anything. When he found his target, he tried his luck. Did nothing in the first attempt, but he tried again.

"I told you, nothing will happen. Accept your fate." Riptide slipped out of his hand. His eyes were still boring in that minimized spot.

Was he really anything other than Poseidon's son? He wanted to snap back, but all his mind was doing was reeling. To how he was no longer Sally Jackson's son, he was Poseidon's.

He survived the Styx because he was built for it-- fate, destiny. If that identity was to be taken now, was he really that same dyslexic kid from five years ago? Or had he become the person he feared, the same image of his father?

"You're going to lose your identity this way, Parker Jameson." Then it hit him harder than losing his powers. He didn't think about his friends, his girlfriend first, or the person who had raised him.

He tried to see if he was still his father's child.

His most prized possession.

Is he really losing himself, who he used to be?

"I'm Sally Jackson's son." He proclaimed, or at least he believed himself to be. "Are you, or are you just another one of Poseidon's sons?" Dionysus was stinging much harder than Hermes did.

He never expected himself to doubt that he was his mother's son, but maybe, he wasn't anymore. Maybe the Prophecies had altered him into his new self, the Demigod of Water; not a son of woman.

And no way in Hell, the Underworld or Tartarus would Percy accept that willingly.

The kid's chest was heaving, and he was holding his head up high. There wasn't much to account for but the falter in his stance. His hands trembled, and his locked gaze suddenly fell on Riptide, which was lying by his feet.

Love was like an Autumn leaf. Some crumble fast while others last for a little before withering. They were walking quietly down the same sidewalk. The ground crackled with each step. Leaves smudged in their path.

Peter shifted his weight from foot to foot. His hand went deeper into his pockets, not daring to meet their eyes. "If you think we could..." He left his words open-ended as [name] looked up from their coffee.

One hand reached to his which he purposely let tangle. They pulled it back before impulses took control. Peter opened his mouth to speak but stopped, respecting the idea.

"I don't think so."

That stung. Maybe not as hard as death but close to it.

It had been three years of keeping it under wraps. Yet, it led to no avail. "We could continue as we were. It might-" The rambling was about to begin but he quietened down.

His head fell again, brown locks falling above his glasses. [name]'s lip parted, hoping to comfort him but they didn't. They rasied the cup to it instead, shifting their focus.

"I know we could but, what if they find out?" This added onto the issue. they might as well go back to being that undercover couple but now their parents know.

God forbid they ever find out about this outing. who knows what will fall into their hands after that? The wind blew harder, blowing the hair over the face. Leaves followed along the breeze. Some even got stuck in the unkept parts of Peter's hair, some unpressed areas of [name]'s coat.

Strict parents always raise the best liars though, don't they? There again fell that awkward silence.

"You.. You know people in Queens, right?" Now, this made the boy raise a brow, "I mean.. I live there. I just come by to this part of the area." He admits, looking up. For you, he doesn't add and would never have the guts to add. "Why?" There was a little pause before words erupted like a volcano.

"Take me with you." He stopped walking. Following him, [name] also stops. "What- What did you say?" He moved in front of them, puting his hand son their shoulders. "Are you like- sure??" He blinks but not a change of mind reruns over them. "You live on the other side of Queens!"

[name] let's out a small chuckle. "We're going on that field trip to Europe soon, hmm? You can just take me from there. I'll just.. manage." Peter sighed, pushing his glasses back.

"You... Are insane," He stated shamelessly but a small grin was making its way onto his lips. "But, I love you for it." Another laugh from them and his smile only grows.

The dangling hands return but now, they were interwined with each other. They continued their walk along the windy afternoon. Not a word, not a sound.

Yeah, that was the last time he could remember seeing [name] or even being able to tell them who he was. After the disaster and stuff, all that was left of him was a carcass; pretending he was still alive but he knows he wasn't.

Scrolling through Pinterest had become a hobby. Each pin was more vibrant than the other. Avery was lounging on her couch, nothing left to do.

Recently, she had been noticing how her feed kept refreshing to old stories and legends she knew she had read back in '19 and '20. Of course, people could post what they want.

Not like she can stop them, nor would she. This was entertaining for her, to say the least. Though the amount was still liable to questioning. They felt like it was a small dot of something bigger. Avery always shook it off.

The app would always have things that would be extremely relatable; nothing new from it. She shifted herself, sitting up from her position, when her eyes caught the view of a Creepypasta-related whisper. It was mundane, if seen without caution, but there was a small detail that caught her eye.

Why did it resemble her life?

It was talking about something, but it had mentioned how they used to stay up till midnight to read stories of their favorite pastas. Specifically, the originals.

As much as it sounds casual, it was uncanny since she'd mostly save the fan-favorites to read in the dead of the night. The rest she would adjust in the day, but the thrill of reading about Eyeless Jack past the day, in her sheets, in the same place as Mitch was... It brought another joy back in the day.

Then she continued scrolling to find a pin saying 'You loved Eyeless Jack the most. Period.' It was as if it read her thoughts. She pressed her phone to turn it off and slide it across her couch. There was no way that it was not a coincidence.

Leaning back, she rubbed a hand over her face. "Wait.." She quickly sat up and unlocked her phone to recheck the pin. The background was the current view she was getting from HER window. The exact sunset during the autumnal season and the window frame.

"The fu-" She almost dropped her phone from her hand. She tossed it away on the table in front of her and turned her back to it, looking over the couch to the window behind her. The way that everything matched from the text was a coincidence, sure, but this can't be.

Her window... Why would anyone else have lace stickers around their pane and Dandelions taped to it? Her breathing quickened as she looked between her phone and the window. She didn't want to pick it back up.

Taking up some courage, she unlocked it once more and called her brother. "Adrian?" She mumbled, hoping he had answered. A long hum returned from the other side, signalling he was listening. "I need you to come pick me up from my... house."

She didn't even consider this as her house now. She wanted to get away and go to her real home. Away, real far away from here. "Right now? I got some work, I'll be there by... two hours?"

A groan escapes her lips. "Can't you come here first? You guys swear to like... Help the needy, don't you?" A chuckle followed Adrian's lips. "Ain't how the service works. Call the number and I'll reconsider. Until then, wait for me, will ya?" He said, clearly slowing down, his attention shifting from her to external issues.

"Why... Ugh, be quick!" She urged, tapping her right hand's fingers against her thigh. Another hum followed with silence on the line. Great, she had been there until sunset. Isn't that when they strike the most? Her tapping echoed in the quiet room as the sunlight peeked through her curtains.

She sighed, pulling her hand back as she curled up against the armrest. Being a medical student hours away from her family sucked, but her hospital was here. Maybe it wasn't the worst, if recalling past situations. Hopefully, life could be better now. After all, her parents didn't live there anymore, and it was only her brother and his fiancée.

It brought a tiny smile to her face to be away from the hellhole, but she still had to sit for him to come after sunset. She decided to get up and go back to her room. Opening the door, she scanned it for a minute. She noticed nothing out of place. The sheets were as messy as they used to be, and her books were tucked away on her desk with notes and pens.

She approached them, running her hand over them, and took a closer look. Peeking out from her first volume of Human Anatomy was a scalpel and a matching blade. "Huh, I don't remember..." She picked both of them up gently and examined them. There was a dried stain that matched. The blade had more than the scalpel but the scent was sickening. She threw them back onto her desk the second it entered her nose.

The stains were red.

A sharp pain enters her throat as she steps back. Her head turns before she even wants it too. Without a thought, she makes a dash to her bathroom. Her hands tightened around her sink, the sourness clinging to her mouth.

She gasped to breath but her head dipped down again. Her stomached crawled, trying to gain some strength. The sink water started running and Avery washed her face. Upon looking into the mirror, there was a change she hadn't noticed.

Though the reflection didn't linger, she swore she saw red eyes and blond hair behind her. Hastily, she spun on her heels, still gripping the sink with her hands. "Leave me alone!" were the words that erupted from her mouth as she frightenedly looked around the liminal space. There was not much space and if someone was to overpower her... Well, it might just so work.

She takes a deep breath and walks out of her bathroom. She waited for a sense of relief but instead, she felt more dread creeping up her spine with every step she took. She kept turning and looking around. Like someone would run at her, come out of the shadows. In all, she forgot why she came upstairs in the first place.

She made her way back to her room. Thankfully the blades were thrown somewhere behind her desk,out of her view. She turned to her bookshelf. Maybe she could find something nice to read? More than an hour must have surely past. Adrian should be on his way by now... Right?

She runs her hand over the hardcovers. Gulliver's Travels, Pride and Prejudice, The Book Thief, The Room on the Roof, random sketch book... "Wait, a sketch book?"

She paused, pulling the blue folder out. Its contents were marvelous. Beautiful sketches and paintings down by pen, pencil and what she hoped was red water color. After a sigh, she brought it up to smell. Maybe it was red color, it had no scent of blood from it. She continued flipping through it, hoping to find a name.

Did she accidentally take this from a friend? No one she knew sketched or drew. The last few pages were empty, one having an incomplete sketch of a woman staring off into the sea on a cliff.

Then at the hard last paper was a small, unrecognizable signature.

'Helen Otis'.

"I know a Helen, maybe this was hers?" Avery mumbled, closing it and putting it back on her shelf. Just then, a rustle comes from behind her. She swirled around, keeping her throat still tight. The aftershock of her little incident hadn't faded and what she saw tainted her memory for a good term.

On her her bed was a man. Taller than her surely, blue coat and black hair. His side profile was barely there. A small hint of skin under a white mask.

"It's rude to look into others' things without permission." His voice was curt, polite yet unnerving. Avery took a step back, her back hitting her bookshelf. She was never quite aware how small this room was until now.

No words formed at her mouth and her neck still ached. His hand was gloved completely but a small paintbrush was in it. The tip was pointed, as if just dipped in water to clean it off. He dusted himself off and closely approached Avery.

Her hands went to the shelf behind her and she tossed a heavy book at him. Poor Mathematics, being used for other purposes rather than studying.

To not much of her surprise, he caught it and tossed it on her bed. The unwavering smile of his mask glistered in the dim nightlight that glowed. Her chest rose and fell quietly, reaching out to grab another, enough to distract him.

His hand held her wrist before she could and pulled her forward. She screamed and what followed was silence...

Atlantica was a place of many, even though they hated the after-summer sessions. Half of the school arrived beyond the usual time. Five minutes, ten minutes, even a whole hour late.

All of their hair looked barely... managed, and the outfits were just on the brink of being presentable. If the headmistress saw, she'd be enraged. That was why Percy dragged his siblings in early. As the school president, he had duties and images to maintain. Levi was still trying to fix his hair. Thanks to Mr I-Cannot-Be-Late, all of his clothes were ironed to a crisp.

Maya, on the other hand, looked like a zombie from her face and a normal student from anything else. Aurora was clipping her hair together. Although being the vice-president, at least she wasn't hauling her cousins, or rather, non-existent siblings.

Karina walked in next, fumbling with her bag. It was unevenly weighing and hurting her shoulders. The doorman was not quite surprised to see them. Knowing Percy, he'd pull them up to school at five in the morning if the mistress asked.

"Can we for once be normal?" Steven mused, not even bothering to pull on his jacket. It was tied around his waist. Haven and Josephine walked in together, holding hands. The sisters had matching hairstyles. Josephine kept her coat in her hand while Haven had it on, but not buttoned.

Aurora, like Steven, did not wear her jacket either. "I let you come in like this," Percy snapped back, not even sparing a glance. Levi sighed, already frowning.

"When's home time?" He mumbled to himself, making sure his elder brother didn't hear. "Class is in... ten minutes. Get yourself together before then." Percy announced before treading into the building. Aurora sighed and followed after him, "We're in the Council room." She said, turning backwards before walking behind him.

The bell took its ring and the students who arrived on time dispersed into their classrooms. Levi and Karina took their third floor, Maya and Steven on the second, while the other two, Haven and Josephine, were on the ground floor.

The day wasn't a whirlpool that sped up. It continued every minute and dreadfully wasted itself. Every second was worse than the last. The clock seemed to have a vendetta against them.

Last few classes of the day, and the younger children were ready to leave. Percy and Aurora, on the other hand, had gotten roped into dealing with a new event at the school and had to leave between their classes. Chances of staying back was prominent.

"So Percy, when are you going to bring a girl home?" Aurora brought this up randomly as Percy was flipping through the school's agenda. "I don't have time for that," He gave his cousin one glance that just meant stay quiet.

"Aren't you sweet? You'll need to bring one soon, either way." Aurora pressed her arms on the table as she stared at him. The captain of Elytra, Gracie, changed her posture as she remained seated. James, the captain of Phoenix, ran a hand through his hair.

"Can we, er, focus on business?" Aria broke the silence. Being the Cupid house captain, she was a little too firm on her feet, but she learnt from the best - Aurora. "For once, I agree with Aria," Orion muttered. Being the Aether house captain, there would always be playful disagreements between the houses. Nothing serious, of course.

"We have a debate this month, and we haven't talked about the topics handed down yet." Fiona brought up a small sheet that had a few words written with a signature at the bottom. "Headmistress's given choices. Here they are." The captain of the house, Eclipse, was never the one to speak out of her turn or more than required.

"Thank you, Fiona." Percy nodded in acknowledgment to her as he took the paper. They began to go over the three topics they could choose to do.

"May I come in, darlings?" A smooth, low-pitched echo sounded through the room. Silence was etched as the chairs stopped scraping. All of the students stood up, lowering their gazes.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," Percy said, raising his eyes and smoothing his tie. She gave him a smile, nodding to his greeting. "Percy, Aurora. I believe you can call your siblings this instant here?" She asked, dismissing the house captains with one flick of her hand. The two looked at each other then back at the headmistress.

"I would assume so," Percy replied as Aurora nodded. She smiled at the two youngsters. "Good, use my announcement microphone and call them here." The two rush out to do just that, not providing their cousins a strong reason to come.

The two make their way back in the Council Room to await their arrival. The headmistress had already occupied Percy's seat so he remained standing. A few sounds came from outside of the door.

Levi stepped in first, fixing his loosened tie. Karina followed suit, clipping her hair back. "Where are the rest?" Percy asked, looking at his brother intently. He looked at Karina then back at Percy. "They're coming."

Steven was holding his brother, Anthony, in his arms as if he was carrying his bride away. Haven and Josephine came in together and burst out laughing at he sight. They stopped when their eyes fell on their headmistress.

"Where's.." Levi was about to call out until Maya stepped in. In comparison to how she looked earlier, she was better. Her eyes were the usual sunshine and she looked at everyone with a bright smile. "Here I am!" She beamed, bouncing slightly.

The principal couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Certainly a delicate choice of family, isn't it, Percy?"

Percy groaned, his head falling against the couch's cushions. "Stop telling this story, Aurora. I'm sick of it." He shot her a glare, rubbing a hand over his face. Levi couldn't help but laugh at how miserable his elder brother could be when Aurora got down to teasing him.

"Brighten up kiddo, it's one of our best college days." Karina shook her head at that, "It was exhausting. I didn't sleep all night." She muttered, looking away. May shrugged, looking at Steven.

"I guess the first half was pretty horrible." Julian walked in and sat by where Percy had his head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think my man was into her." The other man's head snapped up to look at him as a red blush showered over his cheeks.

"I was not!" He quickly said, trying to cover up how he would listen to the orders without a question. "That would be so weird if he was," Hayden mumbled, taking a sip of his can. Percy gave a glare to the kid. "Those days were terrible and not to be brought up again." He muttered, looking down. Haven and Josephine laughed at this.

“We're going on the tea-cups first!” Maya squealed as she tugged her eldest brother's hand towards the ride. He retracted it as another voice bloomed, “If anyone, I mean ANYONE, throws up, we're abandoning them.” Aurora waved her hand to emphasize her point.

She had worn a cute fall-themed outfit. There was no way that it should go to waste under her watch. “Maya, let go,” Percy groaned, taking his hand away from his little sister. “Where's Levi?” A hand raised behind him. “Still right where you left me, big man.” He muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Taking care of these two was like managing a ferret and a mouse, annoying as it could be. “Are we going or just going to stare? We're already late.” Karina huffed, awaiting her cousins to move forward onto the carnival rides and games. The neon lights were blinding if you looked at them. Yet, they dragged themselves ahead to the tea-cup ride.

Julian took the initiative to buy tickets after a head count. “Five... six... That seems to be all, yeah?” He muttered as he pulled out a wallet from his back pocket. After a brief calculation, he handed the exact change to the counter and gestured to his cousins. “Come on, they don't have all day.” He teased, exaggerating by extending his hand.

Steven rolled his eyes but walked up first. They rushed to pick their little cups. Unluckily, Haven was the last to get up, and the ride had begun.

“What the fu-!” She screamed, her hair coming undone. She ended up landing in front of three random boys who were also on the ride. The rest, especially Josephine, Karina, Levi, and Steven, started to laugh. Her arms were caging one of the three boys inside. Awkwardly, they shifted over to a corner so she could sit. She did and apologized to them. “I am so sorry,” She mumbled, rubbing a hand over her face as her cousins yelled from the other spinning cups.

“Look at Haven getting all the boooys!” Steven yelled, sitting at the edge of his seat so she'd hear him. Anthony was practically jumping off his seat from laughing. If the elder ones weren't laughing before, they sure were now.

“Shut up, Walmart Captain America!” She yelled back, running a hand through her hair. It was a mess now with the wind and her tripping. Meanwhile, Julian, Levi, and Percy found a way to make their cup gain speed. All three of them were spinning it extra. Since Aurora, Maya, and Josephine had theirs attached as a pair to theirs, their cup also picked up momentum.

“HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!” Aurora squealed, trying to keep her face free from her flying hair. More screaming is followed as the girls hold on for their dear lives. Karina, Steven and Anthony were staring at them all. Sometimes, it was hard to believe these idiots were older than Anthony.

After a dreadful ten minutes, everyone was out of the ride and back on the path. All of the girls but Karina's hair was ruined. The boys, on the other hand, looked like they survived a tornado. “Okay maybe the mirror maze next.” Percy stifled a laugh, staring at Aurora. His shoulders were shaking as he pressed a hand to his mouth.

“Great idea, come on kids.” Julian smiled, looking both sides before moving forward. Maya and Anthony groaned in unison, forcing them to follow their cousin. Karina had begun to walk while trying to untangle Josephine's hair. Haven had given up, just holding her brother; Hayden's hand and walking ahead. The rest strolled behind, talking amongst them.

They stood in front of a giant structure labelled ‘House of Reflective’. Not really original, Karina rolled her eyes. There was one issue they faced when they entered. They could not retrace each other.

After entering, the house was divided into three mirroring paths and the group split faster than light. The bottom of the glass was carefully placed so it wasn't possible to cheat either. “Maya? Maya, Levi, for goodness' sake-” Percy turned around and only had Karina holding onto the back of his jacket. “They went with Rory,” She muttered, letting go when he turned back. He groaned, rubbing his forehead with his fore and thumb fingers.

Steven was carrying his brother on his back, walking ahead with Haven, Josephine and Hayden. They have no idea that they left the rest behind. “Wasn't that funny, Haven?” He was cackling, panting to breathe. Haven rolled her eyes, holding her brother and guiding him around.

“Well, if that's the case then let's talk about your 'girl' issue...” Josephine, who was holding it in, burst out laughing. She grabbed Haven's arm for support, wiping tears from her eyes as Steven stood stunned. “Oh… She got you good!” She chuckled as he bit his lip, “You knew...” The elder girl nodded, smiling, “Of course I do.”

Done with her antics, Julian had thrown Maya over his shoulder while Aurora walked with Levi. The poor boy was shaking under her strong gaze. “Can I get down now?” The girl asked the adults who shared a glance and said in unison, “No.”

Levi also paused in his journey, seeing they paused. After all, they did not want to get extra lost. Julian continued to hold Maya down as Aurora figured out how to get out of the nightmare of them repeating a circle.

“I see a light?” Karina pointed out, stopping her cousin from taking another turn. “I think that's it.” Her face turned to him, a gentle glow of happiness illuminated on it. “Really?” She really tried to stop herself from smiling as he moved on. He only hummed in response. As suspected, the light led to the exit of the maze. “Wait, did we get out first?” Karina spun her head, looking around to see none of their family outside yet. “Maybe.”

Then fell everyone. No, seriously, everyone. Levi stepped out first, smiling that he was able to escape but then tripped Josephine and fell right onto him. Followed behind her was Steven who had Anthony, thus; both of them dropped onto the pile.

Haven and Hayden weren’t looking, talking to Julian who was behind them. Again, there was a new set in the pit. Julian went down as well when Aurora started rushing them. Due to that, she also fell on top of him.

“Well, that’s a new meaning of ‘into the pit’, eh?” Karina muttered to herself, containing a chuckle. It took all of them a hot second to get up and dust off before they either complained about how complicated the maze was or sighed and was ready to go home.

“Can we go home now? This really put me under the bar,” Aurora ushered, dusting her orange skirt. Her blonde hair was highlighted in the yellow light that fell from the Ferris wheel.

“You don’t want to see the Rollercoaster?” Percy raised a brow, a little surprised. Normally, Aurora wasn’t the kind to leave out any of the thrill-seeking rides at any fest.

“My clothes are done, can we move?” A collective sense of agreement and everyone walked out. Of course, before they did, there were some purchases of a few foods. Aurora specifically was the epicenter of the tiredness and annoyance. She was fixed onto her phone, not even talking to Percy.

“Y’all want ice-cream?” Julian asked, wiping his hands clean with his handkerchief. Once again, the group erupted into whispers and there was Steven. “Yeah, but for the whole group. Not just me.” He smiled sheepishly, hoping he’d be believed. “Heh, sure, Steven.” Julian shot him a quick smirk as he led them down to any nearby ice-cream parlor.

As anyone could expect, it was empty as it could be. Down the path was a coffee shop that was a bit busier. It was a cold day of September after all. No wonder it was working late.

“I want vanilla cookie dough!” Maya exclaimed, pointing at the glass. Percy had to pull her back before she continued to tap at it. Levi ran a hand through his hair and muttered quietly, “Mint chocolate.” Aurora didn’t even look down to at the options, “Strawberry cone.”

Similarly, everyone was stepping up and placing orders. Julian did another head count and found one missing, "Ay, Haven?" He called out to the black-haired female. She was trying to get Hayden to sit quietly, not mix with Steven. "Yeah, what's up?" She asked, not removing her eyes from her brother.

"Where's Josie?" After being so calculated and calm throughout everything, his voice cracked. He looked around, immediately rushing out of the shop. "What do you mean?" She took a breath, trying not to freak out. "Wasn't she with you?" Haven muttered, rushing after him.

Speaking of the Devil, Josephine walks down the lane back to the parlor. Her hand had... a cup of coffee. Seriously? Julian got down from the steps and held her shoulders. "Couldn't you tell me before running off?!" She bit her tongue, not wanting to laugh at how worried he was. "Were you scared?" He blinked, as if she asked something insane.

"Of course I was! You even brought coffee with my card, you traitor." He huffed, letting her go. She chuckled as she sees everyone one of her cousins eating and talking side. The two siblings walked inside and she sat down while Julian went to get his order.

"It's Autumn and this is how you betray us, Josie." Levi pipes, putting his phone down and looking at her. "I say, we exile her." Karina joins in, clicking her pen as she stops writing on a tissue paper. "Guys, it's just cold." She tries to defend herself.

"It's still the season where we can eat ice-cream." Aurora finally stops her snark and sits with the younger ones. "Yet, you decided to betray us." She said, putting her hands on the table. "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Josephine muttered, looking away. Julian laughed quietly sitting by her side.