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Bianca fell flat on her face. She was wandering around the forest to help some nymphs when she stepped in the wrong place and fell down a couple feet. She groaned in pain as she fell on her wrist. All that she hoped was that she didn’t come across any creatures of the forest as she was sure they wouldn’t appreciate her crushing its habitat.
She managed to get up despite her wrist. No creatures so far. Soon, she realised that there wasn’t a cliff or the gap she had fallen from, which was extremely odd even for Camp Half-Blood. Someone tapped on her shoulder. Bianca’s first instinct was to clench her dagger in her hand.
“You aren’t supposed to be down here.” A young girl noted.
“Gee, I didn’t know. Thanks for the memo.” Bianca replied. “I was helping Willow the Nymph and I kind of fell down.” She explained.
“I came here to help you. I know my way around here.” The girl told her.
Bianca was so confused. She was sure that the girl wasn’t a camper as she could recognise everyone in Camp. “Who are you?”
“I am let’s say a spirit. I am between death and rebirth. I like hanging out in Camp. Nobody is bothering me here.”
Should Bianca trust her? She wouldn’t be the first creature that had lied to a demigod to eat. But there was something very familiar in her eyes. Something that made it easier for her to trust her. “Alright, let’s find the way out of here.” She kept her dagger close. They were walking around for over 15, but it seemed like they were getting further away from Camp. “How do you know Camp so well? Did you- you know, die over here?” The girl didn’t seem older than 13, but things are not as they may first appear.
“No, my death is a whole different story. It will be my third life.” She said and twisted her ring, a habit Bianca had as well. Then they continued walking.
“Were they nice? Your lives I mean.”
“Short. Both of them. And ended tragically.” She mentioned. Bianca felt sorry for her. “Lethe doesn’t affect me that bad. I have memories from both lives. Even though I don’t remember a lot from the first life. Just the important stuff.”
“You were a hero.” Bianca realised. “You get reborn to get to the isles of the blessed.”
“My mother from my first life is doing the same. She is starting her third life tomorrow. She was an amazing woman. You would have loved her. If only you had met her.” The girl paused like she had revealed too much information. She cleared her throat. “We wish that we’re going to get reborn together. I didn’t have enough time with her.”
“She could see through the mist?” Her helper seemed like a very interesting individual.
“I’ve told you already, she was an amazing woman. She was a descendant from the Goddess of Lethe and attracted a god twice. She was the successor of a rich family. She was writing books about feminism, but never published them. I wish my brother will publish her work in the future.”
“He is still alive?” Bianca asked her confused. It seemed weird that mother and daughter were about to start the third life and the brother was still on his first.
“Still alive. Still in his first life.” She smiled, but she seemed sad. “There are so many things I regret. If I could have gone back in time, I would have done it. Change some stuff. There’s so much that I didn’t manage to do.” The girl said. “I abandoned my little brother and then I did a stupid thing that cost me my life. And I left him alone with some much trauma and burden. I wish I could have helped him. Even a tiny little bit.”
Bianca could feel how much pain her companion was in. Having regrets about things was her fatal flaw. “How old were you when you died?”
“I was 12. It was not even a week after I discovered that I was a demigod. What a great way to get welcomed to the godly family.” She laughed at the tragedy of the situation. “I saw an opportunity and I took it. I needed an out.”
“Everyone deserves an out every once in a while.” Bianca wanted to hug her, but she didn’t want to take her chances.
“It was 30 years ago. And I have visited him sometimes in his dreams. But I’m careful, I don’t want to confuse him. He’s doing great. I’m proud of him.” Bianca could feel like she knew that girl. Like there was a connection between the two of them.
“BIANCA!” Both girls stood up. Charlie came running towards them. “Where have you been? We have been searching for you for hours. Willow told us that you just disappeared. He fixed his eyes to the girl standing behind Bianca. “We- I- My name is Charlie.” Her face reminded Charlie of a person he had seen in a picture in a house, but he couldn’t remember whose.
“I’m Bianca.” The girl said. Then she turned to Bianca. “I see my brother is doing fine. And he has definitely not forgotten about me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were my dad’s sister?” Bianca asked shocked.
“You didn’t ask.” She said. “I was trying to get you closer to the Camp. I knew that someone would come searching for you.” She glanced over to Charlie.
“You were watching after us all this time. Jasmine was right.” Bianca gulped. Jasmine felt like they were watched by someone, but nobody had ever read too much into it. But her little sister was right.
“Jasmine is smart. And she knew better than the rest of you. I wish I was still a hunter and could pop by every once in a while.” Bianca di Angelo confessed.
“A great life is waiting for you. Don’t regret anything.”
“It’s not regretting. It’s a what-if. What would have been ideal for me.” She said. “Our time is running out.”
“You’re leaving,” Bianca stated.
“I am. Take care of my brother, will you?” The girl disappeared. Bianca had gotten to meet her other aunt, the one she was named after.