Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For Dahyun, thunderstorms had always been comforting. The sound of the rain falling on pavement, the rumble of thunder. There was no better feeling. 

Unfortunately, thunderstorms were significantly less relaxing when she didn’t have a roof over her head. She fought off a chill, pulling her jacket tighter around her in a fruitless attempt to protect herself from the rain. 

Dahyun had been on her own for a few weeks now, and it hadn’t been as horrible as she thought it would be. It wasn’t pleasant, by any means, sure, but it wasn’t insufferable. 

At least, it was better than the alternative, she knew. 

However, staying on the streets this long had never been the plan. She was meant to have enough money for shelter by the time she finally left, but…

Plans change. 

So here she was, stuck on the streets. Soaking wet and hungry, but free of the prison her home had been. 

So at least it wasn’t all bad.

Swinging a left at one of the traffic lights, she reached a hand up to move the wet hair from her forehead. However, her hand stopped in place when she noticed the menacing figure standing a few feet in front of her. 

This time, Dahyun was unable to prevent a chill from running down the back of her spine. 

Something about this figure, the way it was standing…

Dahyun turned around and walked the other direction, unconsciously tugging at the sleeves of her jacket. 

A particularly loud clap of thunder sounded, and Dahyun couldn’t stop herself from jumping a little, blinking at the flash of light that almost immediately preceded it.

She continued on her way, shaking off her unease. 

However, that same sense of dread returned full-force as she turned another corner, only to find the same figure standing ahead of her, unmoving. 

Dahyun swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. 

She couldn’t bring herself to move, frozen in place as she and the mysterious figure simply stared at each other. It remained motionless, as if waiting for something. 

Dahyun felt her stomach drop suddenly, unable to control the overwhelming anxiety forming in the pit of her stomach. However, it wasn’t just anxiety. She felt a familiar pull in her gut, something she knew wasn’t a good sign. 

She took a deep breath, struggling to control herself. 

She didn’t want another…accident. 

Except, trying to calm down was significantly harder when the figure finally moved. Without warning, the thing shot towards her, armed with almost inhuman speed. 

Dahyun nearly slipped on the wet concrete in her hurry to turn and run. Quickly regaining her footing, though, she ran as fast as she could, hyper aware of the heavy footsteps behind her. 

Still, she was confident she could outrun this person, whoever they were. She’d always been quick, and running from her problems was something Dahyun particularly excelled in. 

Except, as she whipped around another corner, she knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun this particular issue. 

The same figure was inexplicably waiting a few feet in front of her. Dahyun did slip on the wet concrete this time, unable to stop her forward momentum in time. 

She plummeted towards the ground, grunting as she landed particularly hard on her elbow. Blood mixed with the rainwater on the sidewalk, and Dahyun groaned, planting her hands on the ground and pushing herself off the sidewalk as fast as she could. It wouldn’t be long before…

“Kim Dahyun.”

Dahyun froze in place, too scared to look. Her heart hammered in her chest, and that pull in her gut became more and more intense. At this point, though, she almost didn’t want to calm down, to prevent any accidents. That voice…that figure…

It didn’t mean anything good.

Her suspicions were confirmed when a bony hand wrapped its fingers around her throat, lifting her off the ground. Its grip was like steel, even as Dahyun struggled as hard as she could, her own hands reaching up to her throat in a desperate attempt to escape. 

She finally looked at the figure, forced to meet its gaze as it lifted her to its eye-level. Dahyun’s stomach dropped as she finally took in the thing in front of her. 

While it had resembled a human man from far away, there was no denying that this thing was no human. Instead of a head, the creature seemed to only have a bare skull, complete with empty black pits rather than eyes. Its mouth was stuck in a horrible grin, and Dahyun could have sworn it was giving her a sick smile as she gazed upon the thing in horror.

“Your father awaits.” the creature spoke again, and this time, Dahyun was sure the thing was smiling at her. Its voice was grating, and it sent a brand new set of chills running down her spine. 

“F-father?” Dahyun spat, barely able to breathe, and it wasn’t just because of the bony hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing tight enough to cut off her airway. 

And then the creature waved its other hand nonchalantly, and Dahyun nearly screamed  as a portal ripped itself out of thin air. The edges were covered with flames, but within the inside of the portal, there was only darkness. Nothing. 

And then the thing was moving towards the portal, carrying a helpless Dahyun with it, ignoring her vehement struggles. 

The tug in her gut was violent now, and Dahyun did nothing to stop it. It might be her  only chance at this point. 

Just as the creature stepped a foot into the portal, Dahyun snapped. 

With a hoarse scream, her power exploded. 

Shadows exploded from within her, and the creature was thrown into the portal from the force of the explosion. Dahyun flew back, finally free from the grip of the creature. The same shadows that had pushed her away now flew below her, barely cushioning her fall before she broke a few bones on the hard sidewalk. 

Dahyun groaned, looking up and meeting the creature’s eyes one last time before the  portal closed, trapping it inside. 

And then, Dahyun was alone once again, only the sound of pouring rain and her own heavy breathing as company. 

Except, the shadows were still there. And they weren’t going anywhere. Dahyun felt a familiar bolt of panic run through her as the shadows grew, emerging from her palms and wrapping themselves around her. Her heart pounded, and Dahyun knew there was no chance she could calm down enough to stop. 

She could only attempt to lessen the damage. 

Fighting off her panic, she shot up from the ground, stumbling a bit on her feet as she ran towards the nearest alley. 

She had barely passed the entrance of the alley before the ground began rumbling, and Dahyun felt tears prick her eyes at the familiar tremble. 

She threw herself into the corner, shadows wrapping their way around her small form as the ground continued to shake. She could feel the power, the panic, as large cracks began to form in the concrete. The alleyway became darker and darker as Dahyun felt her panic grow. 

Would she be able to stop herself? Would she accidentally hurt someone?

The cracks became larger and larger, and Dahyun could have sworn she heard voices from across the alley, but she could barely hear it through the roaring in her ears. 

“Dahyun, calm down!” the voice screamed, but Dahyun shook her head.

She couldn’t calm down, she couldn’t stop. The shadows were going to overwhelm her, just as they had last time. She was going to hurt someone again, she couldn’t control her own emotions. 

The shadows seemed to respond, becoming thicker and thicker. They formed a shield around her as the ground collapsed around the alley, forming large, dark ravines. 

“She’s not gonna stop!” Dahyun heard a voice call from very far away. “We have to do something!” 

“No, just give me a bit more time!” Came the response. 

The panic in her gut seemed to reach a plateau as the shadows began to fully encase her, muffling the outside world. Now, she could only hear her own heavy breathing. Not even the pouring rain reached her ears inside her little bubble. 

She had to calm down. 

Deep breath. 

She was going to hurt someone.

Another breath. 

“Dahyun.” a soft voice broke through her barrier. 

Deep breath. 

“This is your power.” the girl said, and Dahyun could have sworn she was right next to her for how clear her voice sounded in her head. “Don’t let it control you.” 

Deep breath. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes and Dahyun felt a pain in her chest at the words. 

“I know it’s scary.” she said. “But you have to calm down. It’ll be okay.” 

Another deep breath. 

It was going to be okay. She hadn’t hurt anyone yet. There was still time to stop this. 

The shadows thinned. 

“There you go.” the voice said, and Dahyun could hear the smile in her words. “You're doing great.”

The panic in her gut lessened as the voice spoke, and Dahyun was distantly aware of the shadows around her slowly fading. 

The ground had stopped shaking, but Dahyun knew the cracks, the ravines, were still there. Whatever she had done would not soon be fixed. 

“You’re almost there.” the voice spoke again, and Dahyun took yet another breath. 

Finally, the shadows dissipated, and the painful, intense pull in her gut disappeared. 

“You did it!” the voice said, and Dahyun fought through her exhaustion, forcing herself to look up. 

Dark eyes met her own, and Dahyun speechless as she gazed at the beautiful girl in front of her. 

“My name is Mina,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. “This is Jihyo.” 

Behind Mina, a shorter girl with blonde hair gave her an awkward smile and half wave. “Nice to meet you.” 

Dahyun blinked and nodded, shaking her head before moving to get up. 

“Hold on,” Jihyo said, moving towards her before Dahyun could stand. Dahyun stiffened as she reached into her bag, prepared for the worst. Except, Jihyo just brought out a small container full of yellowish squares. 

“Ambrosia,” Mina explained, noticing the confused look on Dahyun’s face. “It’ll help you regain your energy.” 

Hesitantly, Dahyun took one of the cubes Jihyo held out to her, glancing at the two of them before popping it into her mouth. 

Dahyun almost immediately felt a comforting warmth spread through her chest as she chewed. Dumplings. The squares tasted nearly exactly like the homemade dumplings her mom used to make for her when she was younger. 

Dahyun swallowed her emotions as she finished chewing. She wanted more, but didn’t want to push her luck. “Thank you,” she said quietly, giving the two of them a nod. 

“Of course,” Jihyo nodded.

“Do you feel better?” Mina asked.

“Much.” Dahyun nodded, finally forcing herself to stand. 

And then she looked down and noticed the large bronze sword hanging from Jihyo’s waist. 

Because why not, right? 

“So, uh,” Dahyun said, fighting to keep her composure. She could scarcely take her eyes off the huge blade. “Could someone explain what’s going on?” 

Jihyo narrowed her eyes, and it was only then that Dahyun noticed the huge ravines she’d left across the alleyway. That was surely a safety hazard. 

“You don’t know anything, do you?” Mina asked, not unkindly. 

Dahyun felt a blush color her cheeks under the heat of her stare. “Um. No.” 

“How old are you?” Jihyo asked, brows furrowed. 

“I’m about to turn seventeen next month.” Dahyun answered. “Why?” 

The pair’s eyes widened dramatically. 

“What?” Dahyun asked nervously. “Is that the wrong answer?” 

“No, it’s just…” Jihyo answered, shaking her head. 

“It’s difficult for us to go…unnoticed for so long.” Mina filled in. “Almost unheard of to make it to your age.” 

“Make it?” Dahyun questioned, eyes wide. “Noticed by what? Who’s us?”

Jihyo and Mina exchanged a look. “Look, we’ll explain later,” Jihyo said after the two of them had finished their silent conversation. “Right now, we have to get out of here.” 

“Woah, woah,” Dahyun said, gesturing for them to slow down. “Where are we going? Why would I even go with you guys?”

Jihyo frowned, and Mina’s eyes softened. 

“Listen, I get that you don’t trust us completely, and I understand,” she told her. “But more of those monsters will be coming, no doubt.” 

“ More?” Dahyun questioned. “There’s more?!” 

“Yeah, lots more.” Jihyo confirmed. “And they’ll definitely know we’re here after…” 

Dahyun swallowed. So her little tantrums were dangerous for a couple reasons, not just the obvious.

“As for where we’re going…” Mina said, glancing out of the alley and reaching down to grasp the hilt of her sword. “It’s somewhere safe. That’s all you need to know.” 

Dahyun, even with everything the two girls had already done for her, still hesitated. 

Mina sighed, letting go of her sword and leaning a bit closer. Her eyes seemed to see right through Dahyun, see exactly what she was thinking. 

“Where else are you going to go?”

And there it was. The real question. 

Even if she didn’t trust these random people, where else was she going to go? Where else could she find shelter from whatever creatures may come prowling? 

Who else could help her control this…power?

Dahyun sighed, nodding her head. “Okay.” 

Jihyo laughed a little as Dahyun waved for the two of them to lead the way. “That was easier than I thought it’d be.” 

After retrieving what little belongings she’d stored at her makeshift home, Dahyun joined the two of them in the nondescript car they’d taken to the city. 

“Did you just get that stuff from under a bridge?” Jihyo asked, nodding at the backpack Dahyun was now carrying as she sat down in the backseat of the car. 

Dahyun swallowed, nodding her head. “Yep.”

Jihyo opened her mouth to speak, but after a quick look towards Mina, she apparently thought better. She turned away from Dahyun and faced the road ahead. 

“So, where are we going?” Dahyun asked, eager to change the subject. She looked out the window as the scenery passed, noticing that Mina seemed to be driving out of the city. 

“There’s a safe place for us, on the northern shore of Long Island.” Mina explained, keeping her eyes trained on the road ahead. “There’s a barrier there that keeps out any monsters.” 

Monsters. 

Monsters.

Jihyo seemed to pick up on Dahyun’s alarm, because she turned back and gave her an understanding smile. “Yeah, it’s a lot to take in. Everyone struggles at first.” she told her. “But you’ll be safe at Camp Half-Blood.” 

Dahyun’s brows furrowed. “Half-blood?” she asked. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

The two girls exchanged a look, communicating silently once more. 

“Please,” Dahyun pleaded, noticing their reluctance. “It’s not like I’m gonna run away now. I don’t have anywhere else to go.” 

Mina sighed, nodding her head at Jihyo. 

“Half-blood…it refers to us. All the campers there.” Jihyo said. “We’re half-human, half-god.” 

“Also known as demigod.” Mina chimed in.

Dahyun blinked. “ God?”

“God.” Jihyo nodded. 

“But…” 

“You’ve heard of the Greek gods?” Mina asked, glancing back at Dahyun through the rearview mirror. “Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite?” 

Dahyun swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, but I thought -” 

“It’s all real.” Jihyo interrupted, sensing what Dahyun was going to say. “All those gods, those creatures? They’re real.” 

“But…a god?” Dahyun said, shaking her head in disbelief. “My dad?”

“Probably,” Mina nodded. “Was your mom around?” 

“Yeah.” Dahyun said simply, deciding not to include all the details. “She was always around when I was a kid.” 

“Then yeah,” Jihyo agreed. “Your dad is the godly parent.” 

“Gods almost never return to visit their children after they’re born,” Mina explained. 

“But.. that means my mom..?” Dahyun questioned, almost to herself. “How did she get involved with a god? She was a pastry chef!” 

Jihyo snorted. “The gods get bored, and they often come to visit earth as ‘mortals,’” she explained. “Having relationships with humans isn’t out of the ordinary, even if nothing ever comes out of it.” 

“Except a whole bunch of demigod children, of course.” Mina added. 

“Of course.” 

Dahyun shook her head. “This is crazy.” she whispered. “You mean to tell me I’ve been a demigod all this time, and I didn’t know?” 

“Yep.” Jihyo nodded. “That’s usually how it goes.” 

“Do you have dyslexia by chance?” Mina asked, not unkindly. “ADHD?” 

Dahyun paused. She didn’t know how to answer, she’d never been very open about talking about those particular weaknesses. 

“Us too.” Jihyo asked, seeming to pick up on Dahyun’s unease. “It’s something a lot of demigods have.” 

“The dyslexia is because your brain is naturally hard-wired to read ancient Greek,” Mina explained. “And ADHD helps us in battle. Your reaction time and impulsivity can be the difference between life and death.” 

Dahyun swallowed. So there was a reason she was like this. It wasn’t random, she wasn’t a freak.

If only her stepfather could see her now, the bastard. 

“Dahyun?” Jihyo asked, brows furrowed in concern. “You alright? You look like you went somewhere dark there for a second.” 

Dahyun shook her head, forcing a smile on her face. “Just a lot to take in, is all.” she said. “Are we almost there?” 

Jihyo didn’t look sure, but she didn’t prompt Dahyun further. “Almost.” she said, turning back to the road. “Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes away.” 

Dahyun hummed, turning her attention to the passing scenery outside the car. A demigod. Of all the things…Dahyun never would’ve guessed this. She was willing to believe super powers and aliens before the existence of Greek gods and goddesses. 

But, as hard as it was to admit, it explained a lot. The ADHD and dyslexia, for one. And her freakish powers. 

Those shadows…which God had gifted her these horrible abilities? Why did that creature come after her? It had claimed that her father was waiting, but why? From what Jihyo and Mina had told her, it sounded as though Gods were relatively absent throughout the lives of their children. She wouldn’t be surprised if either of them had never met their godly parent, just based on the way they spoke about them.

“Dahyun, if you don’t mind me asking…” Mina asked carefully, tearing Dahyun from her train of thought. “Where is your mom?” 

Dahyun’s eyes drifted downward and her mouth suddenly became dry. She swallowed, collecting herself as best she could. “She’s dead.” she said simply, fighting to keep her face neutral. Even though it had been almost three years since her passing, Dahyun still had trouble even thinking about it. 

Silence consumed the car. “I’m so sorry,” Jihyo said, breaking the silence. “My father passed away a couple years ago too. It’s a horrible loss.”

Dahyun ignored the burning in her throat. “Yeah, but it’s okay,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m fine.” 

Mina hummed a little, as if she didn’t agree, but she remained silent. “So who have you been staying with?” 

“My stepfather,” Dahyun replied, fighting to keep both her expression and voice neutral. 

Jihyo and Mina said nothing, as if waiting for more, but Dahyun remained quiet. 

These two already knew way too much about her. No need to freely share more personal information. 

“Okay,” Mina said, nodding her head. She paused, as if carefully deciding her next words. Dahyun was already dreading where the conversation was going. “Is he - “ 

Except, the conversation never got to continue. Instead, a huge crash interrupted Mina, and the car dangerously shuddered under the weight of whatever had just landed on the roof. 

Dahyun bit back a scream as Mina swerved to keep the car from tipping over entirely, her hands gripping the wheel with a white-knuckle grasp. Jihyo didn’t hesitate to draw a bronze dagger from the waistband of her pants as a roar sounded from above them. 

Scratches sounded from above them, and Dahyun couldn’t withhold her scream this time as a huge talon tore through the roof of the car, narrowly missing her face. 

Mina fought to keep the car under control as the monster atop them furiously roared and shook the car once again. 

Dahyun just barely caught a glimpse of the creature as if it finally tore the roof of the car off completely, and she paled as she met the yellow eyes of a fanged, angry harpy. 

The harpy reached towards her, but Jihyo swiftly turned in her seat, swiping her dagger at the creature’s leathery arm. 

It hissed, retracting its limb and roaring with rage. It was only then that Dahyun noticed the huge, leathery wings attached to its arms. 

“Oh shit.” Jihyo muttered as it spread its wings, seeming to flash them all a twisted grin. It latched its legs around the frame of the car, and before Jihyo could reach back to cut the legs away, the harpy flapped its huge wings, shifting its weight and flipping the car off the road. 

Screams filled the car as it crashed off the road, rolling and careening towards the side of the highway. Dahyun reached up to cover her head, but she was aware of glass crashing and cutting her arms and face. Her head slammed into the headrest of the seat in front of her during a particularly intense flip of the car, and her vision tilted as the car finally rolled to a stop, thankfully rightside up. 

Barely aware of her surroundings, Dahyun gasped and shuddered, blinking in a useless attempt to regain her composure. 

In the front seat, Jihyo and Mina were already moving, having somehow escaped much of the damage Dahyun had received. Distantly, Dahyun was aware of voices, screaming. 

“Is she okay?!” someone was shouting. 

“I don’t know, look at her head!” 

A huge roar. 

“Fuck!” 

“I got it, see if you can get her up and running.” 

“Jihyo!”

“Go!” 

Hands were suddenly on her cheeks, roughly shaking her. “Dahyun!” Mina was saying. “Dahyun, come on!” 

Dahyun blinked a few more times, forcing back her sudden nausea. As she gained awareness once more, she was startled by the splitting pain in her head. 

“Ah,” she winced, reaching up to cup her forehead, where blood was dripping from a gash. 

Must have been where she hit the headrest.

“Dahyun!” Mina exclaimed, raising her voice. “We have to go!” 

Another shriek from the harpy punctuated her sentence, and Dahyun blearily nodded, shaking off the pain and forcing herself to focus. 

“Where’s Jihyo?” she asked, struggling to undo her seatbelt.

Mina cut the strap of the seatbelt entirely, practically dragging Dahyun out from inside the car. “She’s buying us time,” she said, already sprinting towards the nearby hill, not far from where the car had crashed off the road. 

Dahyun, shaking her head, glanced back behind them. Jihyo was ducking and dodging around the harpy’s strikes, doing her best to distract the creature. “Mina, we can’t just leave -” 

Mina kept pulling her along. “Jihyo knows what she’s doing,” She insisted, running even faster. “Besides, the harpy isn’t even after her -” 

As if punctuating her point, the harpy finally had enough, and both Mina and Dahyun turned to see the creature shooting into the air. It flew towards them with inhuman speed just as they reached the edge of the hill, leaving Jihyo standing in shock. 

Mina didn’t hesitate before drawing her own sword, shoving Dahyun forward. “Go!” she yelled, turning towards the harpy as it careened towards her. 

Dahyun hesitated for only a moment before turning tail and hauling ass up the hill. Mina looked like she knew what she was doing. At least, a hell of a lot more than Dahyun knew what to do. She didn’t want to get in the way, especially not where a harpy was involved. 

“Jihyo!” Mina called as she fought back the harpy, grunting as she dodged the swipe of talons and dealt blows of her own. “Cover her!”

“Got it!” Jihyo said, and Dahyun glanced back, breathing heavily from sprinting up the hill. Jihyo shot past the battle between Mina and the harpy, meeting Dahyun’s eyes. 

She desperately waved for Dahyun to keep running, eyes wide. 

Dahyun swallowed and kept running up the hill, even though she didn’t know where the hell she was running to. At the top of the hill, all she could see was trees, and she didn’t know how a damn forest was going to protect her from a winged demon. 

“It’s coming!” Dahyun distantly heard Mina yell, but she didn’t dare slow down. 

But just as she reached the cusp of the hill, Jihyo screamed. “Dahyun, duck!” 

Dahyun just barely threw herself to the ground in time to dodge the creature as it swooped above her, but it didn’t stop the sharp ends of the creature’s talons from scraping against her back. 

Dahyun screamed at the ripping sensation and the sudden, blinding pain. 

She was distantly aware of the other two’s screams, but all she could focus on was the intense pain from her back. The harpy flew above her, cackling its evil laugh. 

Dahyun struggled to lift herself from the ground, desperate to escape as it began to swoop down towards her once again. 

“Dahyun!” Mina cried, and she could just barely make out the two of them running towards her in her periphery.

Still, they didn’t make it in time. At least, they didn’t make it before the harpy swooped down and unceremoniously snatched Dahyun by the ankle. Without warning, Dahyun’s vision tilted, and she screamed as she began to fly through the air, yanked upside down and the harpy’s claws wrapped tightly around her ankle.

Unparalleled fear seized Dahyun, and her chest tightened as the harpy flew her higher and higher. 

She had never been the biggest fan of heights. 

And this sort of fear was never a good thing, at least not for Dahyun. 

Still, it might be her only chance.

Before she could get too far from ground, Dahyun searched and found that ever-present pull within her gut, the thing she always tried to ignore and avoid. 

For the second time today, she would be forced to use her powers. 

But she was too high, and she was too afraid to do anything but panic. 

And so she pulled. 

Shadows exploded from within her once again, and the Harpy shrieked in pain as it was suddenly blasted away from her. The talons released Dahyun, and she was suddenly falling.

The roaring wind stole Dahyun’s scream as she careened towards the ground, and her stomach dropped with the sick sensation of falling through the air. 

She was distantly aware of the shadows still present, still wrapping themselves around her, but she could scarcely focus on anything but the rapidly approaching ground. 

Just as she was about to hit the grass, her vision went black. 

Chapter Text

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Yes, she should be fine. She healed fast, even for a demigod.”

“That was quite an entrance.”

“From what I’ve heard, she’s quite a special girl.” 

“You’re right…I’ve never seen powers like hers.” 

“She’ll be awake soon. Make sure someone is here when she wakes up, we don’t want her to panic.”

“Got it.”

Dahyun groaned, finally coming back to consciousness. She had a splitting headache, and her back was incredibly sore. 

She forced her eyes open, noticing the unfamiliar bed she had been sleeping in. Biting back another pained groan, she forced herself to sit up, noting the bandages now wrapped around her shoulders and presumably covering the injuries on her back. 

On the wooden bedside table, a glass of water waited, accompanied by a small plate with two ambrosia squares. Dahyun narrowed her eyes at the glass and the familiar yellow squares, hesitant to take either item. 

Where was she, anyway? It seemed to be a medbay of some sorts, but not a single person was there, and the empty beds around her made her nervous. Maybe she was at the camp Mina and Jihyo had talked about. 

Or maybe the harpy had gotten her after all, and she was simply having some sort of crazed hallucination. 

Her stomach dropped at the thought.

She had just swung her legs over the side of the bed when someone’s voice stopped her in her tracks. 

“The ambrosia is there for you, you know.” She said, and Dahyun stiffened, turning towards the voice. 

Mina gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry,” she reassured her, noting just how tense she was. “You’re safe. We made it to camp.”

Dahyun swallowed, letting some of the tension leave her frame. Mina approached and sat on the side of the infirmary bed, handing her the plate of ambrosia herself. “Eat.” she said, giving her a nod. “It’ll make you feel a whole lot better, I swear. I know that concussion can’t feel very good right now.” 

She was right. The headache had been bad when she’d awoken, and it had only gotten worse every second. 

Dahyun sighed, taking a square of ambrosia and popping it into her mouth. Once again, an overwhelming feeling of warmth and comfort ran through her, and she couldn’t help but smile at the familiar taste of her mom’s dumplings once again. 

“What do you taste?” Mina asked, tilting her head. 

Dahyun's smile faded and she shook her head. “Why?”

“Everyone tastes something different.” Mina explained, unbothered by how cagey Dahyun was being. “For me, I taste the oranges I used to have nearly everyday back at home. There was a tree outside our house where I picked them.”

Dahyun frowned. “So…”

“You taste something that reminds you of home, usually,” Mina filled in. “It’s supposed to be comforting.” 

Dahyun nodded, glancing down at the last square of ambrosia. “I taste my mother’s dumplings, the ones she used to make from scratch when I was young.” 

Mina smiled softly. “That sounds wonderful.” she said. “I’m surprised you haven’t already eaten the other one. Most new kids want to eat about thirty in a row when they first arrive.”

Dahyun shook her head. “I want to savor it, I guess.” she shrugged.

“Good instinct,” Mina said, standing from the bed. “Even though it heals us, if we eat too many, it can burn us up from the inside. A couple people have even died from eating too much.” 

Dahyun blanched. “Well, now I don’t want to eat the second one at all.”

Mina chuckled. “Don’t worry. With how injured you were, you probably need it, to be honest.” 

Dahyun simply shrugged, quickly eating the other square and washing it down with a swig of water, trying to not think too hard about the whole ‘burning up inside’ thing.

“See?” Mina asked. “Now, don’t you feel better?”

Dahyun hummed an acknowledgement, looking around the room once again. “So what happened after I passed out?” she asked, turning back towards Mina. “Is Jihyo okay?”

“Jihyo is fine,” Mina assured her. “We thought you were a goner for sure when we saw you falling, but those handy shadows of yours cushioned your fall.”

Handy. That was one word for it.

“One of our archers passed through the barrier and shot down the harpy from there, and Jihyo was able to kill it completely.” Mina finished.

Dahyun nodded. “So now we’re at whatever camp you guys were talking about?” 

“Yep.” Mina confirmed. “Camp Half-Blood. You ready for the tour?”

“And this is the climbing wall,” Mina was saying, motioning towards the right of the path, where campers in bright orange shirts attempted to scale up the side of the rock wall. 

“Is that lava?!” Dahyun asked, eyes wide as a camper fell off the rock wall with a small scream. 

“Yep.” Mina said nonchalantly, continuing through the tour. “Up ahead, these are the cabins.”

Dahyun tore her attention from the rock wall to gaze upon the cabins. From the vantage point atop a hill, they had a great view of each cabin, as well at the U-shape they formed. At the very top of the U, three cabins were very obviously bigger than the rest, giving an air of superiority over the others. 

Mina noticed her eyes lingering on the cabins and she followed her gaze. “Those are the Big Three cabins.” she said, glancing back at Dahyun.

Dahyun didn’t look away from the cabins, furrowing her brows. “Big Three?”

“Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.” Mina filled in, pointing at each cabin respectively. “They’re the most powerful gods, so they have the biggest cabins at camp.” 

“They’re the most powerful?” Dahyun asked. “I would’ve thought all the gods were equal in power.”

Mina shook her head. “The gods are all powerful in their own ways, but Zeus is ruler of Olympus, Poseidon reigns over the sea, and Hades is king of the Underworld.” she explained. “Each of them are in charge of their own realm and therefore have more power than the other gods.”

Dahyun hummed and nodded. “So the other cabins?”

Mina offered her a half smile, motioning for her to follow. “Let me show you.”

They made their way down the hill, and Mina pointed out each cabin as they walked. 

“That one right there? That’s Ares,” she said, pointing towards one of the cabins on the left. “The Ares kids are mostly warriors, a lot of them naturally gifted in combat.”

The cabin was colored an ugly red, clearly painted by the campers themselves. Random doodles and words were written along the red wood or even carved into the wood itself.

Mina kept walking, gesturing towards the next cabin. “Right there is the Athena cabin.” she said. “The campers there are strategically gifted, and they’ll be among the smartest people you’ll meet. That’s exactly why Jihyo is an Athena kid.”

As if on cue, a familiar girl with short hair made her way over to them, separating from the group that had been standing in front of the cabin. “Dahyun!” she said, a big smile covering her face. 

Dahyun returned it, happy to see that Jihyo was uninjured from their spat with the harpy. “Jihyo.” she replied with a nod as Jihyo came to a stop next to them. “Happy to see you’re okay.”

“That I’m okay?” she asked incredulously. “You nearly died about 4 times during the trip over here. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Dahyun gave her a sheepish smile, reaching up to scratch the back of her neck. “Yeah, I got pretty lucky I guess.”

Jihyo looked doubtful, but before she could respond, Mina interrupted. “I was just in the middle of giving Dahyun a tour of camp,” she said. “Would you like to join us?”

“Sure.” Jihyo agreed easily. “The rest of these Athena kids are boring, anyway.” 

“We heard that, Jihyo!” one of the Athena kids called out, and Dahyun fought off a laugh as Jihyo forced a smile, pointedly ignoring the yells of her cabinmates.

“So, the tour?” 

Mina shook her head and laughed. “Right.” she agreed, walking along the sides of the cabins. “Next to Athena, here is my cabin, Aphrodite. She’s the goddess of beauty and love.” 

Oh. That explained a lot. 

Jihyo snorted at the look of realization on Dahyun’s face. 

“What?” Mina asked, brows furrowed. 

“Nothing,” Jihyo said in a singsong voice. “Dahyun just -”

“ Anyway. ” Dahyun interrupted, already steering the group onwards. “Let’s keep going.” 

“What’s this cabin?” Jihyo asked Mina, playing along with Dahyun.

Mina narrowed her eyes, but she acquiesced, nodding towards the chosen cabin. “That’s Hephaestus, god of the forge and blacksmithing.” she answered.

Dahyun turned her attention towards the chosen cabin, finding that it resembled an armory more than anything. Further adding to that image, smoke was puffing out of the chimney in an irregular rhythm. 

“Next to them, we have the Demeter cabin, goddess of the harvest and agriculture.”

That made sense. In a huge juxtaposition against the Hephaestus cabin, the  Demeter cabin resembled a cozy cottage, complete with a porch covered with plants and a garden covering the entire front lawn outside the cabin. 

“They’re plant freaks,” Jihyo whispered as they continued walking. “One time, I accidentally stepped on the flowers in their garden, and they’ve never forgiven me.”

As if responding to Jihyo’s whispers, one of the campers tending to the Demeter garden noticed them walking by, flashing Mina a quick smile before immediately glaring at Jihyo. 

“Damn.” Dahyun agreed with a nod. “Tough crowd.” 

“And now we have the Big Three cabins.” Mina said. “Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon.” She pointed to each one respectively. 

“Hades used to not have a cabin at all, but one was built a few years back because Chiron was worried he may feel disrespected.” Jihyo offered. 

Dahyun stared at the Hades cabin, noticing the grand architecture and dark colors. Atop the entrance, a huge skull had been placed against the wall. Ominous torches were propped against either side of the door, and they burned a bright green. “Why didn’t he get a cabin in the first place?” she asked.

“Hades is different from the other gods,” Mina explained. “He isolates himself in the underworld, and often feuds with the others, especially his brothers. Our original cabin lineup reflects that.” 

Dahyun hummed an acknowledgement, sparing a glance at the other two cabins. Zeus’ was the definition of grand, with huge columns and marble accents. A lightning bolt was etched into the space above the doorway. 

Poseidon’s was similar, but not grand in the same way. The columns and marble were still there, but more understated than Zeus’ cabin. Sea waters were etched into the architecture, and a big wave had been carved into the space above the doorway. 

“Let’s move on.” Mina waved for the two of them to follow.

“Where are the campers in the Big Three cabins?” Dahyun asked, noticing just how empty each cabin looked. All of the other cabins had seemed lived in and full of people. 

“Many years ago, the Big Three made a pact to no longer have any demigod children.” Jihyo replied.

“Why?” Dahyun asked, eyes wide.

“The kids were too powerful.” Mina said simply. “Not only were they always in extreme danger from monsters and other threats, but the gods were afraid that one day, one of them might strike against Olympus itself.”

“So there are no kids from the Big Three?” Dahyun asked. 

“Not exactly,” Jihyo replied with a knowing smile. “Gods are still…bored, regardless of the pact. That still applies to the Big Three.”

“There have been Demigod children of the Big Three.” Mina offered. “It’s been a while since it happened, but there have been. Problem is, they don’t last too long.”

“Demigods that powerful?” Jihyo explained. “They’re basically a spotlight for every monster out there.”

Dahyun suppressed a shudder, nodding her understanding.

“Over here, this is the Apollo cabin.” Mina continued once they had passed the Big Three cabins. “God of archery, healing, and music.” 

“A man of many talents.” Dahyun replied jokingly.

“That’s right!” A girl replied from outside the cabin, overhearing Dahyun’s words. Dahyun followed the voice, only to find a short girl with dark hair cropped just above her shoulders. She gave them all a smile, and Dahyun noticed the bow she was holding, as well as the quiver of arrows slung around her back.

“Chaeyoung!” Mina called, a big smile on her face. “Come say hi to our newest camper.”

Chaeyoung made her way over, slinging the bow around her back so she didn’t have to hold it. Her eyes met Dahyun’s, and Dahyun noted the small beauty mark just under her bottom lip. “Hello,” Chaeyoung offered her hand. “Son Chaeyoung, daughter of Apollo.” 

Dahyun smiled back at her, shaking the girl’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Chaeyoung,” she replied. “I’m Kim Dahyun, daughter of…someone, I guess.”

Chaeyoung laughed a little. “Don’t worry, you’ll find your parent soon enough.” she said. “It takes a while for everyone.”

Jihyo nodded. “Took my mom about a year at camp until she claimed me.” she said. 

“Took mine a little under a year.” Mina agreed.

“Two years for me,” Chaeyoung said. “Dear old dad gets a little distracted sometimes, he has trouble acknowledging his children.” 

Dahyun’s brows furrowed. “I’m sorry.” she offered sincerely. “That sounds rough.”

Chaeyoung shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. “It’s something all demigods go through.” she told her. “Part of the job, I guess. Some kids don’t get claimed at all.”

It still didn’t sit right with Dahyun, but before she could say any more, Chaeyoung was waving goodbye. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your tour,” she said, turning her attention towards Dahyun. “It was great to meet you, Dahyun.”

“She was nice.” Dahyun said, waving her goodbye. 

“Yeah, Chaeyoung is great.” Mina agreed, already moving on. Dahyun noticed a small  smile lingering on her face, though.

“And finally, we have Artemis and Hermes.” Mina said, gesturing towards the last two cabins.

The Artemis cabin was a beautiful silver building, with flowing curtains and etched with designs of animals and nature. “Artemis doesn’t have any children, but when her hunters come to visit, they stay here.” 

Dahyun had many questions about that, but she decided to save them for another day. 

“And Hermes is just the best cabin at this camp, no big deal.” came an unfamiliar voice.

Dahyun turned to find a taller girl making her way over. She had mid-length blonde hair and a mischievous smile on her face. “Hello there,” she said, looking at Dahyun. “I’m Yoo Jeongyeon, nice to meet you.” 

“Hello.” Dahyun offered, returning the smile. “I’m Kim Dahyun.” 

“Jeongyeon is the counselor of the Hermes dorm, so she’s in charge of the rest of the Hermes kids.” Jihyo explained. 

“Which means you too,” she told Dahyun, giving her a playful warning look.

“New campers who haven’t been claimed typically stay at the Hermes cabin,” Mina explained. “It’s usually full, but I’m sure there’s room.” 

“Plenty of room!” Jeongyeon proclaimed enthusiastically. “There’s always space for a new Hermes kid, don’t worry.” 

Dahyun felt a smile creep onto her face at how friendly everyone was being. It looked like she was going to like this new home.

“Alright, we’ll leave you with Jeongyeon, and she can show you where exactly you’ll be staying.” Mina said, giving Dahyun a friendly pat on the back. “We’ll see you guys at dinner.” 

And then Mina and Jihyo were walking away, leaving Dahyun at the front of the Hermes cabin with Jeongyeon. 

“You ready to see your bunk?” 

Dinner was a very public affair. Dahyun was rather looking forward to slinking off to some corner to quietly eat her food and get some alone time, but apparently, Camp Half-Blood required campers to sit with their cabinmates.

And unfortunately for Dahyun, the Hermes cabin was the most packed cabin in the whole camp. Enough that the campers filled up two of the stone picnic tables themselves.

The table was loud and cheerful, the opposite of what Dahyun was feeling, but she did her best to blend into the crowd, laughing when everyone else laughed, talking to the people around her, and even cracking a few jokes herself. 

Being personable had never been an issue for Dahyun. It was easy to charm people, to tell jokes and pretend to be completely unbothered. People liked her, and she had always been a popular kid at her high school. 

Yet, despite all that popularity, no one really knew her all that well. 

She liked it that way, though. Less questions, less worrying. Separation was best, and it was best for the type of life Dahyun had always lived. She was constantly moving, never in one place. It was better to maintain that separation. Don’t get too close, don’t get hurt when you eventually have to leave. 

And she always had to leave. 

“Dahyun, where are you from?” one of the louder Hermes kids asked, a big smile on her face. Shuhua, if Dahyun was remembering correctly.

“I’ve lived in New York for almost three years now, so it's basically home,” she said, giving the girl a warm smile. “What about you?” 

Shuhua practically lit up, excited to talk about how her life had been in China before she’d moved to America. Dahyun listened, nodding her head at all the right times, occasionally commenting and asking questions. 

She continued this strategy for many of the other kids in her cabin, and before she knew it, she knew nearly all their names and some basic facts about all of them. It was the best way to make friends, Dahyun found. Give them the opportunity to talk about themselves, and the conversation basically carried itself. 

Before she knew it, dinner had ended, and Dahyun was making her way back to the Hermes cabin, a crowd of her cabinmates surrounding her and talking animatedly to each other. 

As they reached the cabin and Dahyun laid down on her new bed, her mind swimming with everything she’d learned today, a small crept on her face. 

It could definitely be worse, she decided. The Hermes cabin was fun, cheerful, and welcoming. 

Who knows? Maybe she could actually become friends with some of these people. 

Jihyo caught up with her at breakfast the next morning. 

“Hey, Dahyun!” she said, walking over to the Hermes table with a friendly smile on her face. “How are you doing?” 

Dahyun returned the smile, scooting over to make room for Jihyo to sit. 

Jihyo waved her hand dismissively. “Can’t stay, I’m afraid.” she told her. “I’m on my way to training with the rest of the Athena cabin.” 

“Training?” Dahyun questioned, brows raised. 

“Yep,” Jihyo replied cheerfully. “That’s what you’ll be doing for most of today too. Chiron asked Chaeyoung and Tzuyu to help you train.” 

Dahyun nodded slowly. “And what does training entail, exactly?” 

Jihyo shrugged mischievously. “That’s for you to find out, I guess.”

Dahyun narrowed her eyes. “Okay…” she said, taking one more bite of her breakfast before standing from the Hermes table. “That sounds a bit ominous.” 

As Jihyo began to walk away from the table, she smiled warningly at Dahyun. “Let’s just say that those two aren’t exactly the most…gentle.” 

Jihyo was right. 

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were anything but gentle. 

“You have an opening on your right.” Tzuyu called from outside the ring.

Almost immediately, Dahyun lost her balance as Chaeyoung slammed her staff into her right side, which was apparently left vulnerable while Dahyun was fighting for her life. She fell to the ground, slamming into the sand of the fighting pit with a grunt. 

Chaeyoung laughed a little, holding her hand out to help Dahyun up. “That time was better, I think.” 

Dahyun grumbled but took her hand. “You don’t have to lie,” she said with a glare, wiping the sand off her shirt. 

They had been fighting for hours now, trying to find a weapon that Dahyun could use relatively well. Unfortunately, she wasn’t all that good at any of the weapons Chaeyoung and Tzuyu had offered. 

Most recently, a spear. 

“Crossing spear off the list.” Tzuyu said, looking down at the notepad she was holding. 

“Have you guys considered that I might just not be very good at fighting?” Dahyun questioned, brows raised and breathing heavy with exhaustion. “I feel like we’ve tried every weapon known to man at this point.”

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu exchanged a look. 

“Not even close.” Tzuyu replied solemnly. 

Dahyun’s face crumpled. 

“You want to try a bow and arrow?” Chaeyoung asked, moving to the edge of the ring to grab her own. “That one isn’t that hard to grasp, I think.” 

Except, apparently it was. That was evident through the sheer amount of campers she nearly hit while trying to hit the target only 15 feet away. 

“Guys, this is useless,” Dahyun groaned, dropping the bow at her feet after nearly impaling a passing nymph. “I’m no good at any of these. We’ve tried swords, spears, maces, bows! Hell, we even tried a whip!”

Chaeyoung hummed. “It is looking pretty bleak, I have to say.” she agreed. “At least you weren’t half bad at a sword?”

Tzuyu shook her head. “Let’s try just a few more.” she said. “You’ll find something, I swear.” 

Dahyun gave Tzuyu a doubtful look. It was hard to be skeptical, though, especially when the girl looked so confident. She had been very quiet throughout their time together, even when they first met and she introduced herself as a daughter of Apollo. Still, even though she was quiet, she didn’t seem shy. Rather, she had this sense of confidence about her, always self-assured. 

It was a comforting presence to be around, and Dahyun wasn’t surprised that the girl had so many friends, even though she didn’t speak all that much. 

“What makes you so sure?” Dahyun asked helplessly, shaking her head. 

Tzuyu gave her a half-smile. “Everyone here is good at something ,” she assured her.  “And based on what I’ve heard, you’re a pretty powerful demigod. There’s no way you don’t have any sort of natural talent for fighting. We just haven’t found the right outlet for that talent.” 

Dahyun was still doubtful, but after a few moments, she nodded. “Fine.” she agreed. “A few more tries.” 

Chaeyoung broke the silence with a small cheer, drawing a laugh from both girls. 

“Okay, back to the armory, then.” Tzuyu said, a bright smile on her face. 

Dahyun fought back a groan, trudging after the cheerful daughters of Apollo.

“Throwing knives, huh?” Chaeyoung asked, brows raised. 

Dahyun shot her a tired look, shaking her head and grabbing the knives from where  she’d found them on the weapons rack. “Can’t get any worse than the spear.” 

Tzuyu snorted. “You’d be surprised.” 

“Is there a story there?” Dahyun asked as they made their way back to the fighting pit. 

“Tzuyu here isn’t very gifted with throwing knives.” Chaeyoung said, fighting back a laugh. 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Tzuyu insisted, shaking her head. 

“You almost killed another camper, Tzu!” 

“I didn’t kill her, though,” Tzuyu insisted. “Just some slight maiming.”

Dahyun laughed. “Sounds like me with a bow.” she said, turning the hilt of the knives in her hands as they arrived at the fighting ring. Across the pit, practice dummies had been set up for target practice, targets drawn on the head and chest. 

So far, Dahyun had hit exactly zero targets. 

“Alright Dahyun,” Tzuyu said, flashing her a quick smile. “Nice and calm, aim for the center of the chest.” 

Dahyun nodded, taking a deep breath. She focused on the dummy in the center, her eyes focusing on the target drawn on its chest. Her hand tightened around the hilt of the knife, and she raised the knife. Her feet moved on their own accord, it seemed, shifting into the proper stance as she turned to throw the knife. 

And as soon as the knife left her fingers, she knew she’d found her weapon. 

A rush of satisfaction ran through her as the knife landed square in the center of the target, a direct bullseye. 

Chaeyoung whistled, impressed. Tzuyu let out a small cheer for Dahyun as she straightened, staring at the target with wide eyes. 

“Looks like we found the right weapon,” Chaeyoung said, clapping her hands together. 

“Try the left hand,” Tzuyu encouraged. 

Dahyun shook off her surprise, attempting to recreate her posture and raising the knife. This throw was less accurate, but no less steady, landing solidly in the second ring of the target. 

“Damn, Dahyun,” Caheyoung said, approaching and clapping her on the shoulder. “That’s pretty good for a first try.” 

“Thanks.” Dahyun said, unable to tear her eyes from the knives embedded in the target. “How am I supposed to get the knives back once I use them, though?” 

Tzuyu and Chaeyoung shrugged. “How are we supposed to know?” Chaeyoung asked, a shit-eating grin on her face. “We don’t use throwing knives.”

Dahyun glared at them, approaching the dummy and grabbing the knives. 

“Most fighters will just carry lots of knives with them,” Tzuyu finally answered, a rueful smile on her face. “Unfortunately, that’s one of the drawbacks with knives.” 

“Still!” Chaeyoung exclaimed. “This is great! We found your main weapon!” 

Dahyun smiled at them, nodding her head. “It is pretty exciting,” she agreed. “Who knew I’d be good at throwing knives, out of all things?” 

“Yeah, that’s pretty rare,” Tzuyu commented. “It’s not even a traditional greek weapon. Not many people here at camp are very skilled with throwing knives.”

“There’s Nayeon,” Chaeyoung pointed out. “She’s good at everything. She’ll definitely be able to help you out, Dahyun.” 

Dahyun nodded, looking down at the knives in her palms. Throwing knives. 

What a weird couple of days this had been. 

“We should go ahead and call it,” Tzuyu said, looking up at the sky. Dahyun followed her gaze, noticing that it was beginning to get dark outside. “We don’t want to miss dinner.” 

Dahyun nodded, pocketing the throwing knives for the time being and following the two of them as they all made their way to the pavilion. 

Chapter Text

Life at Camp Half-Blood was odd.

After a few weeks, though, Dahyun began to adjust. Following her one-on-one introductory training with Nayeon, a scarily gifted daughter of Ares, she joined the rest of her cabin in their regular training schedules. 

It was strange at first, like being the new kid at school all over again, but she adjusted. She made friends, threw herself into training, and committed to this new role. 

If this was going to be her life now, she was going to make the most of it.

And overall, she didn’t hate it.

She was making friends, which was nice. Chaeoyoung and Tzuyu always made time to at least stop by and say hi at some point in the day, and Dahyun frequently waved at Mina and Jihyo whenever she passed them around camp. Even Nayeon, who she had been petrified of, was beginning to feel more like a friend than most, especially after she had spent almost a week with the daughter of Ares, learning the proper technique for using throwing knives.

She learned more about the gods and Greek mythology in general. It was interesting to learn in the first place, even more so when she knew that the myths were real, that they had real impacts on the world. She was fascinated with the gods and their stories, and even more interested in the stories of demigods before her, those who had slain great monsters and journeyed across the world. 

Their adventures were the stuff of fantasy novels, and Dahyun was one of them. 

Who knows? Maybe she was even a half-sister to some of those heroic demigods from ancient legends. 

Yet, there was no progress on that front. Her father had yet to claim her or reach out in any way, and neither Jihyo or Mina seemed certain of what godly parent could’ve gifted her those abilities. Abilities which she had refused to show to anyone following her arrival at camp. She told no one, and no one seemed intent on asking, something which Dahyun was immensely grateful for. 

It didn’t take long for Dahyun to realize that those gifts weren’t exactly…normal, even amongst the children of gods. For many of the demigods, their gifts manifested in smaller ways. Tzuyu was a gifted archer, and Nayeon was skilled with various weapons. The strongest gift she had seen so far had been Mina’s. 

Apparently, the daughter of Aphrodite wielded a rare gift known as charmspeak. She was able to use it to influence and persuade those around her, which explained how she was able to calm Dahyun down when they had first met, even when she seemed unreachable. 

Yet, even though charmspeak was rare and powerful, it had its limits. Mina couldn’t persuade anyone to do anything , and many of the other campers were immune to it, as the ability was reliant on attraction. 

Although, and Jihyo had told a blushing and embarrassed Dahyun, it was very normal for new campers to harbor a small crush on Mina, especially when they first arrived. 

Still, Dahyun was keenly aware that no one at Camp Half-Blood seemed to have the same level of power she did. 

Yet, she could do nothing but continue her training. She learned about various weapons and combat strategies, she sparred against the other kids in her cabin, and occasionally against campers from different cabins. Soon, she began to rise in the ranks, faster than many of the other newer campers. She caught on to things fast, and it didn’t take long for her to learn the best ways to fight different campers. In no time at all, she was nearly at the level of some of the higher-level campers, fighting against people who had been at camp for years. 

After a month and a half, Dahyun was one of the best fighters in the Hermes cabin, and the rest of the campers could only attribute it to natural talent. Dahyun was a great learner, and Nayeon constantly boasted about how her training was a catalyst for Dahyun to succeed.

And finally, around two months after Dahyun had been at camp, it was time for a real test of her abilities. 

Capture the Flag was a very important event for every cabin, as people had been preparing for nearly the whole month. Last month, Dahyun had to sit out after a particularly intense training session with Nayeon ended up spraining her ankle. 

But now? Now she was ready. 

The cabins split into two teams, and thankfully, Hermes and Athena were on the same team. Dahyun was just glad that they had probably the most competitive person in the entire camp on their team: Jihyo. 

The daughter of Athena had been planning their strategy for weeks now, still smarting from their defeat last month. And now, with the combined powers of the Hermes, Athena, and Apollo, Jihyo was determined to win. 

In the hours before the battle began, the three cabins met up to discuss strategy. Hermes and Apollo collectively decided to submit to whatever Athena’s strategy would be, and it wasn’t just because Jihyo would’ve lost her shit if they hadn’t. Athena was objectively the best strategizing cabin in the whole camp, and their team had the best shot if they listened to them. 

And so, as Jihyo laid out their plan, unanimously chosen as the spokesperson for Athena, Dahyun listened closely, a serious look on her face. Beside her, Jeongyeon did the same. Even the Hermes cabin, which had an affinity for pranks and lack of focus, was taking this seriously. 

“Hermes will circle around here and guard the flag from all sides, splitting up into groups of three. Apollo will be stationed throughout the trees, ready to hit anyone approaching the flag. Chaeyoung has organized the layout, so if any Apollo kids don’t know where to go, ask her.” 

Chaeyoung gave a small nod. 

“Athena will be on offense.” Jihyo said, looking up at the other campers to see if

everyone was listening. “We’ll engage with the other team at their camp, and make sure they don’t get any closer. We’ll need to be prepared for surprises, as I’m sure Hephaestus will come prepared to give us a fight. Momo especially.”

Dahyun shuddered a little. She had heard of Momo’s talent for crafting weapons and defenses during these games, and she wasn’t looking forward to encountering anything of the sort.

“Finally, a chosen group of fighters will approach the enemy camp along with Athena, but their objective is to find the flag. While Athena engages, this group will attempt to find the location of the flag and retrieve it. Be prepared for a fight.” 

Dahyun nodded, instinctively reaching for the row of throwing knives she’d lined across her chest. She would run out fast, but she’d been practicing with her sword. Hopefully, it would be enough. 

Besides, she would only be defending the flag with the rest of Hermes, so as long as everything went well, she wouldn’t even have to fight at all.

“...for that group, the counselors have discussed and we’ve all decided on these people:” Jihyo was saying, and Dahyun shook her head, focusing back on Jihyo. “Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, myself, Dahyun, and Jeongyeon.” 

Dahyun blinked. 

What.

She whipped her head towards Jeongyeon, who was already grinning at her. “Nice, we’re partners!” Jeongyeon said, holding her hand up for a high five.

Dahyun blinked again. “Why am I in this group?” she asked, eyes wide. 

“C’mon, don’t leave me hanging!” Jeongyeon insisted, her hand still in the air. 

Dahyun looked at her.

Jeongyeon groaned, finally dropping her hand. “You’re in this group because I recommended you for the position.” she replied, as if it was obvious. 

Dahyun shook her head, expression incredulous. “ What?!” she asked. “Why would you do that? I’ve been here for two months.”

“Yeah, and you’re a great fighter already,” Jeongyeon replied. “You’ll do great, don’t worry.” 

“ Don’t worry?!”

“ Yeah.” Jeongyeon said, already walking towards where the rest of the group was gathered. 

Dahyun was left standing there, speechless. 

Don’t worry? Dahyun thought, already full of dread. I barely know how to use a sword.

“Dahyun, come on!” Jeongyeon called back. 

And Dahyun was forced to follow, now much more concerned about the possibility of running out of her throwing knives. 

She glanced up at the sky. 

Dad, if you’re watching…

She looked at the group, her eyes focusing on Jihyo and the passion burning behind her eyes. Dahyun’s gaze lingered at the sharp sword strapped to the girl’s hip.

Please don’t let me fuck this up.

It started out okay. 

At least, as okay as a game of Capture the Flag can be when it's with nearly a hundred demigods wielding deadly weapons and way too much energy. 

Apollo kids and forest nymphs were stationed all around the site of the battle, prepared and equipped to deal with any injury, large or small, but it didn’t exactly assuage Dahyun’s fears. 

“Duck!” Jihyo yelled from up ahead, and Dahyun barely had time to throw herself to the forest floor with the others before a giant net sailed over their heads. 

“Momo’s up to her tricks,” Jeongyeon laughed, brushing herself off and standing from the ground. She gestured back towards a tripwire someone had accidentally triggered. “Should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy.”

The Athena kids were slightly further ahead, traversing the familiar forest layout in their best attempt to find the enemy camp. 

“I think we’re getting closer,” Jihyo commented, holding a hand out to help Tzuyu up. “The traps are getting more and more frequent.”

Case in point, an Athena camper from up ahead let out a shrill scream as her foot got caught in one of the traps and she was hoisted suddenly into the air, a thick rope now tight around one of her ankles. 

“Right.” Chaeyoung commented. “I think you’re right.”

Except, there was no time to even help the Athena girl down, because, at that moment, everything descended into chaos. 

Yells and jeers sounded from the top of the hill as a flood of Ares and Hephaestus kids came charging out from their camp.

Dahyun fought off a sudden, primal fear as she met eyes with Nayeon, wielding her trademark spear and smiling at Dahyun with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

“Time to go!” Dahyun cried, already pushing Chaeyoung and Tzuyu to move, following close behind the other two, who had already reacted to the swarm of campers descending. 

As the Athena kids engaged, the five of them sprinted away from the chaos, making their way towards the enemy camp. 

Thankfully, Nayeon was lost in the chaos of the ensuing battle, so Dahyun could breathe a sigh of relief. 

Yet, not for very long, it seemed.

As they reached the cusp of the hill, there was no way to avoid the huge trap set for anyone approaching from their direction. 

Jihyo and Jeongyeon, who had been ahead of the other three, yelled for them to stop  as their feet began to sink into some sort of quicksand substance. In no time at all, they had been submerged all the way to the waist, and Dahyun could only watch in horror as the two became trapped indefinitely. 

Thankfully, they stopped sinking before they could drop any lower, but they were now entirely out of commission. 

“Damn it, Momo!” Jihyo cursed, struggling fruitlessly against the substance. It didn’t  give at all.

Jeongyeon sighed. “Looks like we’re out of the game,” she shrugged. “You guys go ahead.” 

Dahyun blanched, now faced with the reality that the two oldest and strongest members were now down for the count. 

Jihyo faced the three of them. “You guys got this,” she said, forcing an encouraging smile. “You remember the plan, right?” 

They nodded, and Jihyo waved for them to continue. “Okay, go!” she ordered. “Find that flag and win this game!” 

“Got it!” Chaeyoung answered for the three of them, grabbing Dahyun’s hand and dragging her along after her and Tzuyu. 

Dahyun swallowed, struggling to gather her composure. She could do this. She had been training hard, and like Jeongyeon said, she was now a pretty competent fighter. 

If anything, she could hold her own. 

They trekked along the outskirts of the enemy camp, staying low to the ground and watching for any enemy campers. 

“If we see anyone going the opposite direction of the fight, that’s where we’ll wanna go,” Tzuyu whispered. “They’ll most likely be going back to the flag to check on it.”

As if on cue, a girl carefully made her way outside the camp, glancing behind her every so often to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Dahyun watched as she drew her small dagger, cradling it to her chest as she started into the forest. 

“Momo,” Tzuyu said, pointing at the girl. Dahyun glanced back, taking note of her black hair cropped just above her chest. “She has to be going to the flag.” 

So that was Momo, Dahyun thought as they followed after her, careful not to make too much noise. She was pretty and a little scary looking, but the way she had cradled her dagger made it clear she wasn’t keen on fighting, and from everything Dahyun had heard about her, that sounded about right. According to Nayeon, the daughter of Hephaestus was much more interested in blacksmithing and building traps than typical fighting.

The crunch of leaves beneath them was quiet enough to not be heard, and Dahyun took care to make her steps extra light as Momo began to slow down, reaching the edge of the tree line and approaching a small clearing. 

The three of them stayed hiding in the treeline while Momo entered the clearing, stepping across a small creak and joining another girl behind a large boulder. Presumably, that’s where the flag was, though none of them could see it from their vantage point. 

Dahyun motioned for the other two to fan out, surrounding the clearing. If they all attacked from different angles, it would be harder for them to stop all of them from getting their hands on the flag.

Only two people were allowed to guard the flag directly, so there were likely other campers scattered throughout the woods around them, but too far to stop them from taking the flag and running. 

So now, the only people in their way were these two girls. 

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu nodded their understanding of Dahyun’s plan, already moving around either side of the clearing. 

Dahyun waited in anticipation, eyes focused intently on the two girls standing beside the flag. Momo appeared nervous, glancing all around them and shifting on her two feet. 

The other girl, however, appeared relaxed, if not bored. She was gorgeous, clearly a daughter of Aphrodite, with beautiful brown hair and big doe eyes. However, the sharp sword at her side indicated that she wasn’t to be messed with. 

And if she was chosen to guard the enemy flag, she would definitely be a challenge to fight. 

Looking past the clearing, Dahyun noticed the other two already in position, clearly waiting for her signal. Dahyun, still fighting back her nerves, took a deep breath and raised her fingers to her lips. Imitating a sharp, loud bird call, Dahyun watched as Chaeyoung and Tzuyu launched into action sprinting into the clearing, weapons raised. 

Chaeyoung went for Momo, reaching the center of the clearing in only a few moments. She disarmed Momo in seconds, but clearly hadn’t expected Momo’s next trick. Because, as Momo took a step back to retreat, Chaeyoung yelped when she tripped a nearly invisible trip wire, activating yet another net. It flew towards the daughter of Apollo, hitting her squarely in the chest and knocking her back against the edge of the boulder. 

Dahyun approached from the other side, eyes watching the altercation. Momo had been disarmed, and she spared a glance at the flag before nodding at her partner and sprinting towards the treeline, no doubt on her way to call for backup. 

They were running out of time. 

Tzuyu engaged with the Aphrodite girl, and the clang of swords echoed through the clearing as the two began fighting. 

Tzuyu was no beginner with a sword, though she did prefer her bow, but this Aphrodite girl was clearly more skilled than she’d anticipated. 

Dahyun made her way behind the boulder as quietly as she could, hoping to grab the flag and run for the border while Tzuyu distracted the guard. 

Alas, almost as soon as Dahyun made a dash for the flag, Tzuyu grunted as the Aphrodite girl disarmed her sword and kicked her to the ground. Tzuyu groaned, cradling her midsection. 

Dahyun froze as she locked eyes with the beautiful girl, her hand still outstretched, reaching for the flag. The stranger gave her a small smirk, as if noticing the sudden apprehension in Dahyun’s eyes, and she wasted no time before raising her sword and approaching Dahyun.

Dahyun paused momentarily. There was no time to grab the flag and run, the girl would catch up with her in seconds, and throwing knives would be no help in this close distance. 

She had to use her sword. 

With no small amount of dread, Dahyun drew her sword just in time to meet the girl,  and the clash of their swords sent shockwaves down Dahyun’s arms. 

Damn, this girl was stronger than she looked.  

“You’re the new girl, right?” the stranger asked, almost completely unbothered by their current circumstances. 

Dahyun gave her a confused look, retracting her sword and stepping back. The two of them circled each other, eyes locked.

Gods, she was pretty. 

She struck suddenly, leaving Dahyun to scramble and raise her sword just in time to block it, knocking her blade away. Dahyun desperately went for another blow, launching her blade towards the girl’s open side. Still, she was blocked as the Aphrodite girl moved with incredible speed, moving backwards and meeting Dahyun’s blade with her own. 

Dahyun stepped back, just barely dodging the swipe of the girl’s blade, and the girl gave her a smile, as if impressed by her speed. 

“You’re pretty good for a newbie,” she commented casually, raising her sword to go for another strike. “Very quick.”

The girl was right, though. One of the only reasons she could hold her own in this fight was because of her speed. She was skilled at dodging blows, at being quick enough to anticipate the other person’s next move. 

She could take a hit and get back up.

It was the only reason she managed to live with her stepfather for so long.

Dahyun huffed, parrying her blow and striking back with one of her own, jabbing at the girl’s center in hopes she would be caught off guard. But of course she wasn't, quickly jumping back and knocking away Dahyun’s blade with the casual swipe of her sword. 

“Are you gonna talk to me?” the girl asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. Dahyun grit her teeth. The girl was just mocking her at this point. She would fight her for however long it took Momo to get backup, and then whatever chance they had at the flag would be gone. 

It was now or never. 

This girl wanted her to talk? Fine. Dahyun could talk. 

As Dahyun lept back from another strike of the girl’s sword, she forced a smile on her face, trying her best to wipe off any hint of her previous apprehension. 

“Yeah, I’m the new girl,” she said breathlessly, meeting the other girl's eyes. “Name’s Dahyun.” 

The girl seemed pleasantly surprised, and there was a new glint in her eyes when she smiled at Dahyun. “Pretty name for a pretty girl,” she replied, launching forward to meet blades with Dahyun once again. 

This time, instead of stepping back, Dahyun met her blade with force, pushing against the girl with all her might. 

It achieved its goal, surprising the girl enough for her to stumble back. 

Dahyun didn’t waste this golden opportunity, continuing to push forward and launching another strike at the girl. The girl just managed to block it, sloppily batting away Dahyun’s blow with not much force. 

“What’s your name, then?” Dahyun asked, still moving forward. As she approached, the other girl was still trying to gain her balance back, and she was distracted enough to not notice as Dahyun subtlety grabbed one of her throwing knives from its sheath, hiding it in her left hand as she continued to rain down blows with her sword in the other hand. 

The other girl laughed a little, blocking all of Dahyun’s strikes, but still unable to gain back her footing completely, leaning back and stumbling as Dahyun plowed forward. “Sana,” she said with a grunt as she just managed to block Dahyun’s blow. 

Dahyun smiled, continuing her assault. “Pretty name,” she echoed, finally cornering Sana against the edge of the boulder. 

With nowhere to keep retreating, Sana gave Dahyun a small smile, as if inviting her to try her best. 

Dahyun returned the grin, raising her blade and launching it towards Sana’s chest. 

Yet, it seemed the girl had one more trick up her sleeve, moving her own sword with near inhuman speed and disarming Dahyun with a complex maneuver that Dahyun had never seen before. Yet, Sana’s own blade fell to the ground along with Dahyun's, leaving them both weaponless. 

“Now what, Dahyun?” Sana asked breathlessly, meeting her eyes. Dahyun tried not to focus on how nice her name sounded coming from Sana. 

“Now I win,” Dahyun answered coolly, ignoring the way her heart raced. 

Sana opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get anything out, her voice caught as she noticed the cool knife now pressed against her throat.

Dahyun smiled at her, the throwing knife cradled tightly in her left hand as she pressed it against Sana’s neck, not hard enough to break skin, but just enough to be threatening.

Sana, rather than appearing upset, simply grinned. “Clever, new girl,” she said, glancing down at the knife. “But how are you going to get the flag when you’re stuck here?” 

Dahyun returned the smile. “Don’t need to,” she said. “We’ve already won.” 

Sana’s smile became confused, and she turned her head towards where the flag was just in time to notice Tzuyu, now fully recovered from their altercation, running from the clearing with the flag held in her hands. She would reach the border in seconds, and there was nothing Sana could do to stop her. 

Sana’s smile fell for only a moment as she realized, and she turned back to face Dahyun. 

“You were distracting me.” she said. It wasn’t a question, merely an acknowledgement. 

Still, Dahyun nodded. “A small kick isn’t enough to drop Tzuyu,” she said. “I knew she would be okay in just a few minutes.”

She glanced down at their fallen swords before looking up at Sana once again. 

“I just needed to keep you busy long enough for her to grab the flag.” 

Sana locked eyes with her, and Dahyun’s mouth became dry as she noticed Sana’s eyes briefly dropping to her lips. “And now…”

“Now we win.” Dahyun said, a grin spreading across her face. 

She stepped back right as a loud horn echoed through the forest, and she relished in the rueful smile on Sana’s face. 

Sana turned back towards her, leaning down and picking up both their swords. She handed Dahyun her’s, but as she opened her mouth to speak, an unreadable expression on her face, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted the moment. 

Dahyun turned to find Chaeyoung giving them both an awkward smile, still completely trapped against the rock by Momo’s net. “Hate to interrupt,” she said, laughing a little at the clear blush on Dahyun’s cheeks. “But could one of you please help me?”

As if one cue, Momo came sprinting back into the clearing, breathing heavily and a desperate expression on her face. “I got backup -”

“Don’t worry about it, Mo,” Sana interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. “We already lost.” 

Momo frowned, glancing at Dahyun and Chaeyoung. “We lost?” 

Dahyun chuckled, shaking her head and making her way over to Chaeyoung to help her out of the net. 

For her first game of Capture the Flag, it didn’t disappoint. 

She glanced back at Sana, who was explaining to Momo exactly how they had lost, and hid a small smile as she cut Chaeyoung out of the net. 

Yeah, it definitely could have been worse.

The dinner afterwards was one of the best Dahyun could remember. 

Everyone was congratulating her, patting her on the back and giving her passing waves. The entire Hermes table was in an uproar the entire meal, unable to control their excitement from winning the match. 

The Apollo and Athena table were similar, and Dahyun was sure she could see Jihyo’s proud smile from all the way across the pavilion. 

Tzuyu, who had actually carried the flag across the border, was the person of honor at the Apollo table, and Dahyun couldn’t help but laugh as Chaeyoung began an especially obnoxious cheer of her name, the volume of it echoing all across the pavilion. 

Dahyun herself was the happiest she could remember in a while, and all the worries that had been plaguing her mind for so long disappeared for a little while. 

It was freeing, to simply celebrate with her cabin, with her friends. It had been a long time since she could remember being so openly happy. 

Jeongyeon was especially loud, and she sat next to Dahyun for the whole meal, congratulating her and raising Dahyun’s hand in the air, making the whole cabin clap for her. 

After the meal, when Dahyun couldn’t manage to wipe the smile off her face, both Nayeon and Momo came over to give their congratulations on the win. 

“Nice job, new kid,” Nayeon said, a rueful smile on her face. “I’m so proud of my student.” 

Dahyun laughed as Nayeon wiped fake tears from her eyes, an exaggerated frown covering her face. 

Momo nodded, giving Dahyun a pat on the back. “Yeah, good job,” she said, a big smile on her face. “You definitely caught us off guard.” 

Dahyun gave them both a polite smile, extending her thanks and excusing herself. This was one of the greatest days of her life, sure, but she was exhausted. The adrenaline had finally worn off, and now she just wanted to sleep. 

She passed by the Aphrodite table as she made her way back to her cabin, and Mina gave her a proud smile as she passed, nodding at Dahyun. Dahyun returned the gesture, a sheepish smile on her face as she walked by. Her eyes lingered on the Aphrodite table, and she noticed that a particular member of the Aphrodite cabin seemed to be missing. 

Dahyun ignored the slight disappointment she felt, shaking her head and continuing on her way. 

She had left dinner early, so the camp was nearly dead as she made her way back to the Hermes cabin. Smiling, she enjoyed the quiet night air, humming to herself as she followed the gravel path. It was illuminated by torches, and the flickering fire cast shadows all across the ground. 

However, her quiet walk was interrupted as she passed by the Aphrodite cabin, noting the person sitting quietly on the steps in front of the building. 

Sana. 

Without thinking, she made her way over, making sure her steps were loud enough to not startle the girl. 

Sana looked up at the noisy footsteps, a small smile making its way onto her face when she noticed who approached. “Dahyun.” she said softly. It sounded so different this time, away from the battle and when they weren’t exchanging blows. 

“Sana.” Dahyun replied, giving the girl a nod. “I didn’t see you at dinner.” She casually leaned against the railing in front of the cabin. 

Sana shook her head with a sigh. “Yeah, I wasn’t too hungry,” she admitted. “Long day.” 

Dahyun snorted, nodding her head. “You’re telling me,” she agreed. “I haven’t exercised that much in years.”

Sana chuckled a little. “Yeah, Capture the Flag is intense when you’ve never done it before,” she acknowledged. “I remember the first time I played, I was sore for almost a week afterwards.” 

Dahyun’s eyes widened. “Damn, are you saying I’m gonna be sore for that long?”

Sana laughed, “Maybe,” she said with a warning tone. “With all that fighting we did, I’m just saying it’s a possibility.”

Dahyun shuddered. “I’m not looking forward to tomorrow then,” she said, shaking her head. 

A brief silence took over the space between them. 

“I heard your arrival at camp was pretty dramatic,” Sana said, quirking her head at Dahyun. 

Dahyun’s face darkened the slightest bit, but she quickly covered it with a smile. “Yeah…” she agreed, tailing off slightly. “It was…a lot. But I’m all healed now.” 

She met Sana’s eyes, and the Aphrodite girl flashed her a sincere smile. “I’m glad.” she said. “You’re very skilled, especially for a new kid.” 

Dahyun coughed a little, her face becoming flushed. “I don’t know about that -” 

“Take the compliment,” Sana said, flashing her a knowing smile. “You won the Capture the Flag game, didn’t you?” 

Dahyun swallowed. “I guess,” she said with a shrug. “I got pretty lucky.” 

Sana chuckled, shaking her head and standing from the porch steps. She rested a hand on Dahyun’s shoulder, and Dahyun stiffened under the contact. “I’m glad you’re here Dahyun,” she said sweetly. “I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends.” 

Dahyun was left standing, shell-shocked, in front of the cabin as Sana walked inside. She could hear the girl laughing to herself all the way to the door. 

And when Dahyun went to bed that night, lulled to sleep by the familiar, chaotic sounds of everyone sleeping in the Hermes cabin, it was with a smile on her face. 

Great friends. 

Sana wanted to be her friend.

Yeah, she could get used to this whole demi-god thing. 

The next day, she was claimed. 

And everything changed. 

Chapter Text

It had been a regular practice, around noon, when it happened. 

“On your right, Dahyun!” Nayeon coached from outside the ring. Dahyun grunted, leaping out of the way of Chaeyoung’s sword.

“Yeah, on your right,” Chaeyoung mocked, a teasing smile on her face.

Dahyun grinned, shaking her head and withdrawing one of her knives from its sheath. “On your right, Chaeng,”

She launched herself forward, feinting right before slamming her elbow into Chaeyoung’s side. As the girl stumbled back, Dahyun kept her forward momentum, twirling her knife and sending it flying towards Chaeyoung. 

Chaeyoung barely managed to throw herself to the ground to avoid the blade, landing on the sand with a groan. 

And before she could even think of picking herself back up, Dahyun was crouched next to her, one knife held against Chaeyoung’s throat and another pressed against her side. 

“And Dahyun wins!” Nayeon announced to the ring. Mild claps punctuated her victory, but Dahyun didn’t let the underwhelming response bother her. With a smile, she sheathed her knives and held out a hand for Chaeyoung. 

Chaeyoung knocked her hand away playfully, hitting her on the arm. “Man, those  knives shouldn’t be allowed,” she complained, dusting the sand off her armor. “Feels like cheating.”

Dahyun snorted. “You’re just saying that cuz you just got destroyed,” she teased. “Maybe next time.” 

As they left the ring, Nayeon called for the next fighters. 

It was a group practice, meaning multiple cabins were practicing sparring in the ring for a couple hours. Right now, Hermes was training with Apollo and Aphrodite, under the watchful eye of the Ares counselor, Nayeon. 

“Mina and Sana!” Nayeon called out. “You two are up next.” 

Dahyun tried not to turn her head too fast when she heard the pairing, but Chaeyoung still audibly snickered at the speed in which Dahyun whipped her head around. “Whipped,” she muttered, and Dahyun just slapped her shoulder, her eyes still intently focused on the ring. 

Sana made her way onto the sand, a big smile on her face as she came to a stop in front of Mina. She twirled her sword, giving Mina a small nod. The counselor returned it, raising her own sword, a longer, two-handed blade. Heavier than she would’ve expected for how gentle Mina seemed, but she was skilled with the blade. 

“Begin!” Nayeon yelled, waving for the two campers to start.

The two launched into action immediately, and Dahyun was fascinated by the clash of swords, the blur of movement. The two of them were the most skilled in the Aphrodite cabin, and it was obvious to anyone with eyes. 

While their sparring was intense, and the two traded blows with ferocity and determination, there was an air of familiarity in the way they fought, as though they’d known each other for years. 

Mina stumbled on her feet, taken off guard by a particularly strong blow from Sana. Sana pushed forward, not letting up. Their battle was pushed towards the edge of the ring, where Mina was now trapped between the boundary and the sharp end of Sana’s sword. 

It was a freak accident, something no one saw coming. 

Because, as Mina desperately pushed back against Sana’s blade, fighting to eke out a victory, both of them were too distracted to see the stray arrow headed right for the pair of them. It came from the shooting range, probably just a shot gone wrong, a mistake.

A mistake on track to strike Sana directly in the neck. 

By the time the alarmed screams of the campers around them finally caught their attention, it was too late for either of them to do anything but watch. 

Sana’s eyes widened, and Dahyun felt her heart stop as the arrow approached. 

Time seemed to move in slow motion, and Dahyun was scarcely aware of anyone but Sana. Before she could even think, she was already stepping into the fighting pit, her hand stretched in a useless attempt to save Sana, to stop the arrow somehow.

This time, instead of a subtle tug in her gut, Dahyun was startled by the sudden yank of her abilities. 

And there was nothing she could do to stop it as her powers manifested, driven by the pure terror she felt. The shadows shot from her hand, and her yell of alarm echoed across the ring. 

The shadows shot forward, reaching Sana and Mina just in time to form a thick wall, a shield to stop the arrow. 

It did the trick. The arrow collided with a solid mass of shadows instead of Sana’s throat, and when the shaft of the arrow snapped in two, the shadows seemed to fade from existence, as if they’d never been there at all. 

Except, they had. 

And everyone had seen. 

Dahyun, heart still racing, wanted to shrivel under the shocked and scared looks everyone gave her. She dared to look up, her hands trembling, and she felt tears prick her eyes as people visibly took a step back from her, as if afraid. 

“Dahyun…” Sana said, her words barely above a whisper. 

Dahyun swallowed, gathering her courage and looking up at Sana, prepared for the worst. Except, instead of staring at her with disgust and fear, Sana’s eyes held only awe. Dahyun furrowed her brows, noting that Sana wasn’t actually looking at her, rather, she stared intensely at the space above Dahyun’s head.

And when Dahyun followed her gaze, daring to look up, her heart dropped. 

“All hail Kim Dahyun,” 

No . 

“Daughter of Hades, God of the Underworld.”

No.

Above her, shimmering in the light and glowing brightly for everyone to see, was the symbol of Hades. The death god, the outcast. 

The freak. 

Dahyun’s eyes widened as all the campers began to kneel, surprised and afraid murmurs spreading around the fighting pit. 

She turned towards her friends, only to find them staring resolutely at the ground, as if unwilling to meet her eyes. 

And when Dahyun met eyes with Sana, her heart nearly broke in two as the girl looked away. 

Dahyun stepped back, nearly stumbling on her own feet. It was too overwhelming, this was too much. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, she was supposed to have a home here.

A home . 

Dahyun, shaking her head and holding back tears, turned from the fighting pit and ran. 

She was in the Hades cabin by nightfall. 

Jeongyeon had been nice enough to move her few belongings from her bunk in the Hermes cabin, leaving them in a nice pile within the entrance to the Hades cabin. 

Nayen managed to find Dahyun a few hours after the incident at the fighting pits, a sad look on her face when she finally found the girl huddled into a ball on the beach, staring out at the water. 

“Dahyun, come on,” she said, startling Dahyun out of whatever trance she’d been in. “It’s been hours, and it's going to get dark soon.” 

Dahyun swallowed, giving Nayeon a despondent nod. As she pushed herself off the ground, Nayeon gave her a comforting pat on the back, as if trying to reassure her. 

“It’s freezing out here, let’s get you inside.” Nayeon told her, offering her a small smile. 

Dahyun tried not to think about where inside.

The Hades cabin was painfully empty, and she had to repress a shiver when Nayeon walked her into the entrance of the cabin, a concerned look on her face. 

“It’s almost as cold in here as it is outside,” Nayeon commented with a frown. “Make sure you start a fire in the hearth before you sleep, Dahyun. We don’t want you freezing to death tonight.” 

Dahyun gave her a half-hearted smile. “Got it,” she said weakly, looking around the cabin. 

It was depressing, with dark walls and big shadows that seemed to stretch across all the corners. Green fire lit the few torches that lined the walls, casting dancing shadows all along the marble floors. 

“Cozy,” she joked halfheartedly, turning towards Nayeon with a forced smile. It probably resembled a grimace more than anything. 

Nayeon gave her a sympathetic look. “You’ll get used to it,” she reassured her. “It took me forever to adjust to the Ares cabin after I was claimed.”

Dahyun nodded, running a hand through her hair. 

The silence between them was uncomfortable. 

“Good luck, Dahyun,” Nayeon said, giving her a small wave. “I promise this isn’t as bad as it seems right now.” 

Dahyun withheld a scoff. 

“You’ll be fine.” 

And with that, Nayeon turned away and left. The sounds of the heavy wooden doors closing behind her echoed across the empty cabin.

Sleep was hard to find that night. Dahyun kept tossing and turning, unused to the sheer silence of an empty cabin. She’d adjusted too well to the white noise of other Hermes kids shifting and snoring. 

The silence in the room was deafening. 

It was isolating. 

Dahyun groaned, finally giving up on getting any sleep that night. 

She opened her eyes, staring up at the dark ceiling above her. She’d listened to Nayeon, lighting a fire in the hearth before going to sleep, but an unnatural chill still remained. Dahyun suppressed a shudder, swinging her legs off the bed and taking a look around the cabin once more.

Gods, it was depressing. She should try decorating the walls with posters or drawings or something. Anything to make it less dreary. 

It was too similar to her house, the dark walls, the isolation. The only escape there had been her room, which she’d made sure to cover with decorations. Her walls had been chaotic, loud. Too many colors and too many designs. 

It had been perfect. 

But the Hades cabin was bare, empty.

Dahyun stood, walking over to the hearth. Taking a seat on the couch placed in front of the fire, she sighed. 

Camp Half-Blood had become her home during these past few months, but now?

She didn’t know what to think.

Everything changed after Dahyun was claimed. 

People avoided her in training, campers went out of their way to not make eye contact with her.

Even her friends seemed to distance themselves. Nayeon didn’t train with her anymore, and Chaeyoung and Tzuyu never bothered to come say hi at dinner. 

Dahyun didn’t blame them for that, though. The Hades table was dreadfully dull, with only Dahyun there to fill the emptiness. It was lonely; isolating. 

Even her previous cabinmates barely interacted with her. Jeongyeon tried her best, but even then, the conversation was stilted and awkward where it had once been easygoing. She hadn’t seen Mina or Jihyo at all since her claiming, only in passing, and even then, there wasn’t even a wave exchanged between them. 

The only one who didn’t intentionally distance themselves was Sana. 

Sana went out of her way to offer to spar with Dahyun when no one else wanted to. She visited her dinner table when the Aphrodite table left the pavilion. Hell, she even tried joining her during her ancient Greek tutoring sessions. 

Yet, Dahyun could see that it was creating a rift with her other friends. Despite how easygoing Sana was, the other Aphrodite kids weren’t nearly as kind. 

And when Sana went out of her way to talk to Dahyun, to pay attention to her and spend time with her, they weren’t happy. 

Even when Sana pretended nothing was wrong, Dahyun noticed the strain in her eyes, the tension in her posture. When they sparred, she was distracted, unfocused. During Greek, she had to ask Dahyun for help nearly 3 times, despite her being much more adept at the language than Dahyun was. 

So, Dahyun made a decision. 

She was not going to let Sana become a social outcast for her. She couldn’t let this girl, this sunshine of a person, sacrifice that for someone she barely knew. 

So Dahyun did what she had to do. 

She withdrew from Sana herself. 

She skipped their sparring sessions, choosing to spar with the camp trainer instead. She left the pavilion before Sana could get a chance to say hi. She even went out of her way to reschedule her Ancient Greek classes to a different time, just to avoid seeing Sana. 

And it hurt. It really did. 

It hurt especially badly when Sana finally got the hint, when she stopped trying. She didn’t stop by her table after dinner, she barely even looked at Dahyun anymore. 

So, yeah. Dahyun got what she wanted. Sana was no longer friends with her. 

And it hurt like hell. 

But it did the trick. Dahyun saw Sana interacting with her other friends much more often. Every so often, Dahyun could hear her high-pitched laugh across the courtyard, and she would have to hide her smile. 

She was better off, Dahyun told herself. As long as she was happy, Dahyun would be fine. Dahyun was used to feeling like this, after all. 

She’d been arrogant to assume that Camp Half-Blood would be different. 

It all came to a head about three weeks after Dahyun was claimed. It was a random night, a boring Tuesday. Dahyun had passed out almost as soon as dinner was over, exhausted from her sparring lessons with the camp trainer. She was getting better with her sword, but that didn’t stop her getting her ass handed to her every time she sparred with the trainer. 

She hadn’t been sleeping well lately, her nights haunted by nightmares and strange dreams. It wasn’t uncommon for her to wake up in the middle of the night, but this was different.

It was nearly midnight when a pounding knock came from the huge wooden doors of  the Hades cabin. Dahyun nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound, eyes wide as she shot up from her bed. 

It was pouring outside. Who in their right mind would be knocking right now?

Hesitantly, Dahyun swung her legs off the bed, repressing a shiver as her bare feet touched the cold marble. Gods, this cabin was always so cold. 

As if sensing her hesitation, the person knocking became more frantic, knocking harder and faster.

“I’m coming.” Dahyun said, but it was more to herself than anyone, because it definitely wasn’t loud enough for the person outside to hear. 

Calming her nerves, Dahyun reached out and opened the door, unsure what would be waiting.

Whatever she expected, a soaking wet Sana, shivering and staring at her with anguished eyes wasn’t it.

“Sana?” Dahyun asked, blinking. 

“I had a dream.” Sana murmured, letting herself into the cabin. Water dripped off her clothes and hair, forming small puddles on the marble floor. 

“Are you okay?” Dahyun asked, unable to keep the concern from her voice. “You must be freezing, hold on.” 

Dahyun rushed over to the hearth, her nerves nearly fried. Her hand shook as she lit the fireplace, keenly aware of Sana still standing in the entranceway. The girl’s eyes followed her as she moved, but she still said nothing.

“Come on,” Dahyun murmured, making her way to Sana and ushering her over to where a large fire was now burning in the hearth. 

Sana allowed herself to be led, the same glassy-eyed expression still on her face. 

Dahyun swallowed as they both sat in front of the fire. It was a small couch, barely big enough to fit two people. Which meant that Dahyun and Sana were barely inches apart, meeting eyes for the first time in weeks. 

Dahyun’s heart began to race. 

“I had a dream.” Sana repeated suddenly. She shook her head, as if trying to regain her composure. Running a hand through her hair, her brown eyes met Dahyun’s.

“What dream?” Dahyun asked, doing her best to keep her voice steady and calm. 

“I - it was - you -” Sana stuttered, shaking her head. Startlingly, tears began to fill her eyes, and Dahyun’s own eyes widened in alarm. 

“It’s okay,” she tried to reassure the girl, reaching out to rub her back. “You don’t have to tell me.” 

Sana swallowed, collecting herself. “I had a dream.” she repeated once more. “You - you died.” 

What.

“What?” Dahyun asked, eyes widening. 

“You were - well, it was dark wherever you were.” Sana replied. “And you looked…lonely. Sad.”

A sudden longing pierced Dahyun’s heart when she noticed the concern in Sana’s eyes. 

“I wanted to get to you, to hug you, to tell you I was there, to do something .” Sana rushed, chewing on her bottom lip. “But before I could even get close…you disappeared.” 

Dahyun’s brows furrowed, and she opened her mouth to respond, but Sana beat her to it. 

“You just…weren’t there anymore.” Sana shook her head. Then she looked down. “I looked around, trying to find where you’d gone, and…”

She trailed off.

Dahyun nudged her slightly, meeting her eyes and nodding for her to continue. 

“You were dead,” Sana finished, her voice cracking the slightest bit. “Laying on the ground and not moving. And then…those - those shadows - they swallowed your body and you were gone again.” 

Dahyun’s mouth suddenly became dry. “Shadows.” she said, looking to the ground. 

“Shadows.” Sana confirmed, looking up at her. She reached out and grabbed Dahyun’s hand. 

Dahyun’s heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. 

“It - it was just a dream, Sana,” Dahyun murmured, shaking her head. “I’ve been having weird dreams too, and it's storming -”

“No, you don’t understand, Dahyun,” Sana interrupted. “Dreams…they might not mean anything for regular people. But for demigods…”

Dahyun’s heart raced even faster, but now for a different reason. 

“Our dreams are warnings, prophecies, messages,” Sana said. “They mean something. All of them.” 

Silence blanketed the cabin. 

“So…” Dahyun whispered. “I’m gonna die?” 

Sana hesitated, but she shook her head. “No.” she replied. “ No. I’m not letting that happen.” 

“But, the dream -” 

“I don’t care what the dream said, Dahyun,” Sana interrupted, her face steely. “Besides, it might have just been a metaphor or something. They don’t always have to be literal.” 

Both of them decided not to mention the fact that Sana had clearly been very concerned, enough to run over to Dahyun’s cabin in the middle of the night in the pouring rain. 

The silence between them was tense. 

“Sana -” 

A loud crash from outside interrupted whatever Dahyun was going to say. 

And then the alarms sounded.

Someone - or something - was attacking the camp.

Chapter Text

“How is this even possible?” Dahyun exclaimed, scrambling to her closet and grabbing her shoes - a pair of worn vans she’d gotten when she was fourteen. She was thankful her feet hadn’t grown any more in the past three years. “I thought nothing could get past the barrier?”

“Nothing can.” Sana replied severely.

Dahyun swallowed, and before they could speak more on it, Sana was grabbing Dahyun by the wrist. “We’ve got to get some weapons.”

Dahyun fought back a gasp as they sprinted into the rain, stunned by the shock of the freezing downpour. All around them, campers yelled and sprinted past, organizing cabin defenses and grabbing all the weapons they needed from the armory and training pits. 

Dahyun had yet to see what was attacking, but the desperation with which everyone was running was enough to get her to panic. 

Sana was still dragging her through the camp, wearing the most serious look Dahyun had seen on her face.

“Come on,” Sana called back, and Dahyun could scarcely hear her over the pouring rain. “Our weapons should still be in the armory.”

They pushed past the flood of other campers swamping the armory, making it to the weapons rack and grabbing their supplies. 

While Sana grabbed her trusty sword, grabbing a small dagger for safe measure, Dahyun picked up her throwing knives holster, running it diagonally along her chest and tying the clasp in the back. She added an additional thigh holster that held a few more knives, just in case. Lastly, she sheathed her own sword, a bronze shortsword. 

Dahyun didn’t have to wait long to find what exactly was attacking the camp. Almost as soon as she and Sana left the armory, screams echoed across the courtyard. 

Dahyun nearly fell to the ground as a frighteningly large hellhound lept from the  tree line with a snarl. Behind it, two more of the things burst forward, equal in size. 

“Holy shit.” she couldn’t help but mutter under her breath as the first hellhound let out a huge roar. 

And then reared its head directly towards her. 

“Attack!” came a loud call from her left, and Dahyun immediately recognized Jihyo’s voice. 

Arrows rained down on the hellhounds, and a swarm of campers approached the beasts.

Chiron galloped into the courtyard, a bow gripped in his hands. He shot his own arrows at the hellhounds, yelling orders to the other campers. 

Dahyun swallowed, a sudden, paralyzing fear gripping her chest as she stared down the huge monsters. They swatted at the campers as though they were nothing, sending them flying across the courtyard. 

Sana was still to her right, talking to her, yelling words over the pouring rain, but Dahyun couldn’t hear. Her breath caught as she saw Mina approaching the front beast, her figure dwarfed by the size of the thing. She raised her greatsword, and Dahyun snapped out of her trance. 

The throwing knife left her fingers in seconds, sailing through the air and easily cutting through the downpour of rain. 

The front beast was sufficiently distracted from Mina as a knife sunk itself into its eye. It roared, and Mina took the opening, launching herself forward and plunging the blade of her sword into its maw. The roar was abruptly cut off as the blade emerged from the top of its head. 

The thing suddenly dissolved, disintegrating into a cloud of golden dust. 

One down. Two to go. 

“Dahyun!” Sana screamed, and this time, Dahyun definitely heard.

That was Dahyun’s only warning before one of the beasts lept towards her, teeth bared. She threw herself to the side, just barely dodging the swipe of claws and teeth. Her shirt tore as one of its claws latched onto the cloth, and Dahyun grunted as she hit the ground. 

“Hey!” she distantly heard Sana yell at the hound, and Dahyun scrambled off the ground as fast as she could. 

She barely had time to duck before the hound struck again, completely ignoring Sana’s attempted distraction. 

There was no time to panic now. She had to focus, she couldn’t just dodge every swipe of the beasts’ claws and teeth. 

She rolled to the side, unsheathing a knife and launching it at the creature. It didn’t hit the thing’s eye like she’d planned, but it did some damage. 

The beast roared in anger and pain as her knife sunk itself into its cheek. Shaking its head and sending the knife flying from its fur, it turned towards her. Dahyun swallowed, positive she could see the rage shining in its eyes.

Before it could launch itself towards her yet again, though, Sana was rushing forward, slashing her sword at its side. A huge gash formed on the beasts’ torso as Sana shot past, rolling back to avoid the swipe of the beasts’ claws.

The hellhound roared at Sana, obviously angry, but it still turned to face Dahyun. 

“Hey!” Sana yelled again, and Dahyun could hear the desperation creeping into her voice at this point. 

The beast paid no mind, already propelling itself over to Dahyun once again. Dahyun threw herself to the side, groaning as she hit the dirt once again. The beast ran by, but it took no time at all for it to skid to a stop and turn around once again to face her. 

And that wasn’t all. 

Because as the first hellhound was lining up to launch itself towards Dahyun again, the other let out a huge roar before racing over to her. 

Now Dahyun was faced with two hellhounds growling at her, and she had no clue what to do. 

“Dahyun!” she heard some of the other campers call, but she had no time to focus. 

Before both of the beasts could strike, she propelled herself over to the first, trying to catch it off guard. The second hound was distracted as the Apollo campers began to focus their arrow fire on it. 

Dahyun ducked, avoiding a huge paw and sliding against the ground. The dirt was slick, almost muddy because of the rain, so it was easy for Dahyun to get closer towards the beast. 

Before it could make another strike, Dahyun rolled to the side, pushing herself back onto her feet and running towards the thing as fast as she could. 

She unsheathed her sword, and before the hellhound could react, she was rolling underneath it, raising her sword so that it sunk into the creature’s underbelly. 

It roared and writhed in pain, and Dahyun had no time to react before it jumped around to face her with a growl. This time, she couldn’t dodge the swipe of its claw. 

The huge paw of the beast sent her flying as though she weighed less than nothing. She sailed through the air, hitting the mud nearly fifteen feet away with a groan of pain. 

Barely able to gather her bearings, she glanced down to find a rather large bloodstain now soaking the pale shirt she’d been wearing. 

Checking her holster, she noticed she still had about four knives left. 

Even if she couldn’t move that well, she could still do some damage. 

Case in point, as the first beast began racing towards her, she stumbled off the ground, a little clumsy on her feet. Forcing herself to ignore the pain in her abdomen, she unsheathed a knife and lined up her shot.

Before the creature could get any closer, she let the bronze knife sail through the air, and thankfully, this one hit its target.

The hellhound slammed into the ground as a knife sunk itself into its left eye, and its whine of pain was loud enough to shake the camp. Dahyun barely even registered as the thing disintegrated into dust.

“Dahyun!” someone called from her right, and Dahyun blinked as she tried to make out who it was through the rain. “Dahyun, oh my gods!”

Jihyo ran towards her, a concerned look on her face. “You’re injured!” she cried, already next to Dahyun and helping her to stand. Dahyun swallowed and nodded, glancing down at the growing bloodstain. 

“Looks like it.” Dahyun agreed with a nod, stumbling on her feet. When had everything gotten so blurry?

“Hey, stay with me,” Jihyo said, moving in front of her to grab her shoulders. “We need to get you some first aid.” 

Jihyo was too distracted to notice the huge shadow moving closer towards them. 

And Dahyun noticed too late. 

The hellhound roared, and that was their only warning.

Jihyo was swatted aside like a fly, yelling out in surprise and pain as she flew through the air. 

Dahyun had no time to react before the hellhound reached her, knocking her to the ground and pinning her with its giant paws. She cried out in pain as the pressure of its weight threatened to crush her entirely. She looked up to meet its gaze, startled to find that it was already staring into her own eyes. 

Distantly, she was aware of the other campers yelling, of people rushing forward to fight the beast, but all she could see were its teeth. 

Why wasn’t she dead yet?

And then Dahyun noticed the portal. 

That same fiery portal that the other monster had opened. It seemed as though it had been years since then, but she wouldn’t forget it any time soon. Dahyun couldn’t see it that well, her vision clouded by the rain, blood loss, and dizziness. 

But she was sure. 

“Dahyun!” one voice caught her attention from far away. 

With great effort, Dahyun turned her head, craning her neck to see. Sana was running towards her, soaking wet and eyes shining with fear. Her sword was still held tightly in her right hand, but she didn’t look close enough to fight the hellhound, much less to stop it from taking her through the portal. 

Which is exactly what it was trying to do. 

Dahyun felt herself moving, felt the huge paw of the hellhound slowly pushing her towards the fire, but everything was a bit murky. 

“Dahyun!” Sana was still calling, but everything was so far away now. 

The heat of the fire tickled her cheeks, and Dahyun’s eyes rolled back as she fell into unconsciousness. 

Dahyun woke to voices all around her. 

“She’s injured!” someone was arguing. 

“And she’ll heal, Sana,” the other one replied calmly. “But you know what this means.”

“She’s right,” another voice chimed in. “This isn’t the first time this has happened and it won't be the last.”

“She needs to see the Oracle.”

Dahyun groaned, finally starting to feel the aching pain in her abdomen. 

“She’s awake!” someone exclaimed, and Dahyun felt a weight press on the bed next to her. “Dahyun?”

Dahyun swallowed, keenly aware of how dry her mouth was. With effort, she forced her eyes to open, blinking away her exhaustion. 

Sana was leaning above her, her brows furrowed in concern. 

“Sana?” Dahyun asked, her voice raspy. 

“Here, have some water,” someone else said, and Dahyun turned her head to find Jihyo holding out a glass of water. Her brows furrowed as she noticed the bandages wrapped around Jihyo’s shoulder. Jihyo noticed her gaze. “Hellhounds hit hard,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m sure you know that.” 

Dahyun narrowed her eyes, and Jihyo motioned towards Dahyun’s torso, brows raised. 

Suddenly, Dahyun became keenly aware of the pain radiating from her torso, which had been wrapped tightly in a layer of bandages, similar to Jihyo. 

It didn’t take long for the memories of the previous night to come back to her. The hellhounds, the storm, Sana…

“You’re in the infirmary,” Mina’s voice chimed from a few feet away, just behind Jihyo and Sana. “Once the Apollo kids took care of the last hellhound, we were able to patch up your wounds before they got too serious.”

“And the hellhounds?” Dahyun managed, reaching up to rub her eyes. “How did they even get in in the first place?”

Silence filled the air, and the others exchanged looks. 

“We don’t know.” Sana finally admitted after a tense moment. “It should’ve been impossible.”

“It means that something or someone extremely powerful wanted to get into Camp Half-Blood.” Jihyo said. And then she turned to face Dahyun. “And it seems like they really wanted to get to you.”

Dahyun’s heart seemed to drop. 

“Big Three kids are always targets,” Mina said, shaking her head. “But never to this degree. Those hellhounds wouldn’t let you out of their sight.”

Dahyun wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t bring herself to get the words out. Because they were right. Someone, or something, was after her. She knew as soon as she’d locked eyes with the hellhound. 

And she had a feeling who it was. 

“It has to be Hades.” Sana spoke, breaking the tense silence by putting a voice to Dahyun’s exact thoughts. 

Every creature that attacked, that had tried to get to Dahyun, had been of underworld origin. The skeleton, the harpy. 

The hellhounds.

“But why?” Mina questioned. “He’s Dahyun’s father, why is he trying to kill her?”

“I’m not sure.” Dahyun admitted. “But I don’t think he’s trying to kill me.”

Sana gave a solemn nod, having seen the fiery portal firsthand. “She’s right.” she agreed. “He’s trying to get her to the underworld, to him.”

Dahyun shuddered, remembering the skeletal figure from the city. His bony hands, the empty eyes…

“That still doesn’t answer why.” Jihyo replied, shaking her head. 

“What does it matter?” Sana asked incredulously. “We should worry about protecting Dahyun. She’s been seriously injured every time he attacks, so Hades doesn’t seem to particularly care about protecting his daughter.”

Dahyun shrunk, uncomfortable with being the topic of discussion.

Sana was right, though. Dahyun wasn’t sure how many more attacks she'd be able to make it through unscathed. 

She glanced down at the bandages encircling her torso. Well, mostly unscathed.

“And he won’t stop any time soon,” came a heavy, low voice from across the infirmary. Dahyun looked up, meeting Chiron’s eyes across the room. He looked at her with gentle eyes, though Dahyun could see the sympathy hiding in his gaze. 

How many heroes had he trained just like her? How many had he lost?

“You must see the Oracle,” he said solemnly. 

Dahyun swallowed nervously as the room became silent. 

“Um,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “What…is that, exactly?”

“Before heroes go on quests,” Chiron explained. “They must first see the Oracle.”

Sana rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and Dahyun could see her apprehension. “She’ll give you a prophecy.”

A prophecy.

How was this her life now?

Dahyun chewed at her bottom lip, sighing before nodding her head. What other choice did she have? These attacks weren’t going to stop or slow down, and if the Oracle could give them a reason as to why this was happening…

She had to at least try.

“Where?” she asked, locking eyes with Chiron once again. 

He gave her a solemn nod, motioning for her to follow. With some difficulty, Dahyun managed to stumble off the bed, brushing off the pain in her head. Sana gave her a concerned look, offering her hand, but Dahyun waved it off. 

After following Chiron for a few moments, leaving the others behind, the two of them exited the infirmary, instead heading for the big house at the front of the camp, just inside the border. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Chiron asked suddenly, glancing over at Dahyun. 

Dahyun nodded, not meeting his eyes. In truth, she did feel fine now. The aching in her  torso had dulled, and the piercing headache behind her eyes had faded. 

Still, she couldn’t seem to quiet her racing thoughts.

“So I’m supposed to go on a quest?” she asked, chewing at her bottom lip. 

Chiron sighed. “Most likely.”

She couldn’t recall any quests happening in the past two months she’d been here, and  people rarely talked about them. 

Dahyun frowned. “I’m guessing quests aren’t exactly common?”

Chiron chuckled, but it was humorless. “Not exactly.” 

Finally, after entering the cabin and climbing the stairs to the second floor, Chiron came to a stop in front of the attic door. He ducked down uncomfortably as he motioned to the string to pull the door down, his height causing his head to brush against the ceiling. “The Oracle will be awaiting you in the attic,” he said, meeting her eyes and giving her a reassuring nod. “Good luck, Dahyun.”

And with that, he made his way back down the stairs somewhat awkwardly, his hoofbeats echoing down the hallway.

Leaving Dahyun alone in the dark hallway, staring apprehensively up at the string dangling from the ceiling. “Right.” she whispered, forcing herself to wrap her hand around the string. “Just have to go in, and listen to whatever prophecy the Oracle gives me.”

The creak of the attic door was deafening, and it slammed to the ground with an ominous thump. 

Dahyun gulped. “Easy enough.”

Shaking off her dread as best she could, she steeled herself before making her way up to the attic, careful not to trip on the narrow steps of the ladder. 

The attic was dusty and dark, and it was clear that no one had been up there in years, at the very least. Dahyun swore she could hear her own heartbeat as she made her way across the attic, headed towards where a small window was visible on the other side of the room. Sidestepping boxes and various weapons and artifacts, she froze in place when she finally came face to face with the Oracle. 

At least, she was pretty sure it was the Oracle. 

It was definitely the scariest thing here. 

Rather than a person, the thing resembled a corpse , likely centuries old and essentially mummified. Its body was limp in the old rocking chair on which it sat, mouth hanging open and eyes thankfully closed. 

Swallowing, Dahyun hesitantly took another step forward, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do in this situation. 

She didn’t have to wonder long however, and she bit back a yelp when a green glow overtook the Oracle’s body and its eyes suddenly shot open. 

“ Kim Dahyun. ” it spoke, its voice raspy and light, as though it had been years since it had spoken. 

Dahyun, ignoring the way her hands shook, straightened and dared to take a step forward. “I’ve come for a prophecy.” she said, trying her best to keep her voice steady. 

The green glow seemed to shine brighter for a moment, and Dahyun couldn’t suppress a shudder when the thing met her eyes, appearing to give her a horrifying smile. 

“ 9 half-bloods shall journey west

And find the sword of the God of Death.

Friend will turn against friend

And no Olympian will win this war in the end.”

As quickly as the Oracle opened its mouth, the green glow faded, and it suddenly fell back in its chair, limp as a corpse once again.

Silence blanketed the dark attic, interrupted only by Dahyun’s own heavy breathing. 

Well.

It certainly was a prophecy.

Chapter Text

“What exactly did she say?” Jihyo asked, leaning forward in her chair. 

The four of them were now crowded around the dining room table in the big house, Dahyun cradling a glass of water as though it was a lifeline. Her hands still trembled slightly, but she had calmed since retreating from the attic. Sana reached over and rested her hand on Dahyun’s, giving her a reassuring nod. 

“Um,” Dahyun said, struggling to recall the exact phrasing. “She said ‘friend will turn against friend’...” 

“And?” Mina asked quietly, brows furrowed in concern.

“And…’no Olympian will win this war in the end.’” Dahyun finished, looking up to meet their eyes. 

There was a tense silence.

“What war is she referencing?” Jihyo asked, shaking her head. “It’s been years since the Gods fought…”

“That’s…not exactly true.” Chiron interrupted suddenly from across the room, having finally ceased pacing across the wooden floors. “They’ve just gotten more subtle about it.”

“But how?” Mina asked, sitting up. “If gods were fighting, humanity would feel the effects of their battles all across the world.” 

“This is true.” Chiron agreed. “In fact, the last time the gods fought in a real war, it became known as World War II.”

“So, why is this different?” Mina replied.

“The gods aren’t at war yet, per se.” he explained. “Tensions have been brewing for years now, and Hades is…angry.” He looked up at them, his face grim. “A war between the Olympians, even if it hasn’t officially started, is inevitable.”

“Hades’ sword.” Sana breathed, leaning back in her chair. “The Oracle said we’re supposed to find his sword, which means…”

“Yes.” Chiron agreed. “His sacred weapon has been stolen, and he no doubt blames his fellow Olympians. If it is not returned to him, and if this war is not stopped in its tracks, it’s only a matter of time before a true war begins. And that will be deadly for all of humanity.”

A grim silence settled across the room. 

“But…” Jihyo broke the silence. “That still doesn’t explain why Hades is after Dahyun. If this is about a war brewing between Olympians, what role does she play in all of this?”

Chiron gave them a rueful smile. “It involves the real reason behind the pact of the big three.” he explained. “Long ago, following the events of the second World War, the Oracle recited a different prophecy, one that foretold a new war between the gods. According to the Oracle, brother would turn against brother, and only a half-blood child of the big three would have the power to end the war completely. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all made a pact to have no more children with mortal women, but clearly, Hades did not stay true to his word.”

Dahyun swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Hades wants to get to Dahyun because he believes that she is the key to winning the battle against his brothers.” Chiron said, turning towards Dahyun. “The most likely reason you’ve survived this long outside of Camp Half-Blood is Hades defending you from monsters until he was ready to strike.”

“Which explains why he sent his skeleton friend to bring her to the underworld a couple months back,” Jihyo filled in, nodding her head. “Right before we were meant to bring her back to Camp.”

A heavy silence settled across the table.

“Okay, so…” Dahyun said, trailing off slightly. 

“Now…now we go on a quest.” Sana answered Dahyun’s silent question, sounding unsure of herself. 

“The quest called for 9 half-bloods,” Chiron remarked. “As this is Dahyun’s quest, it is her responsibility to decide which campers will accompany her.”

All eyes turned towards Dahyun, and she swallowed at the sudden attention. “Nine?” she said, laughing nervously. “That’s a lot, isn’t it?”

Chiron nodded, but he didn’t say anything more.

“Right.” Dahyun muttered. “I want you three to come for sure.” She motioned towards the three demigods sitting at the table with her. “If you guys are okay with it, that is.”

The three nodded enthusiastically. “Of course we’ll come with you, Dahyun.” Mina said kindly. 

Dahyun tried to ignore the small bitter voice in her head, the one that was asking Mina where she'd been in the weeks after Dahyun was claimed. Those weeks where people ignored her like the plague, shooting her nasty looks and calling her names.

“Who else do you want to come?” Sana asked, interrupting Dahyun’s thoughts. “You can choose anyone at Camp Half-Blood.” 

Dahyun shook her head, overwhelmed at this responsibility. This was all moving too fast for her to keep up. She’d barely been here for a few months, and now she was going on a quest with people who had ignored her for weeks. 

“Dahyun?” Jihyo asked, brows furrowed. “You okay?” 

“Yeah.” Dahyun replied, swallowing her nerves. “Who do you guys recommend? I…I don’t know too many people.”

The three of them exchanged looks. “Momo for sure,”  Mina commented. “She’s really clever.”

“Nayeon would be good.” Jihyo said. “She’s one of the best fighters here.”

“Chaeyoung and Tzuyu are a dangerous pair.” Sana added, nodding her head. “And it couldn’t hurt to have some archers.”

“Jeongyeon, too.” Mina finished. “She’ll definitely be helpful in navigating and decision-making.” 

“Not to mention she’s pretty deadly with a spear.” Jihyo said with a snort.

Dahyun paused, thinking it over. She knew all those girls, and she was sure that the other three knew better than her. “Sounds good to me.” she agreed weakly.

Sana shot her a sympathetic look, clearly picking up on how overwhelmed Dahyun really was with all this.

“Good.” Chiron said, meeting eyes with all four of them. “I’ll inform those campers that they’ve been called on a quest. In the meantime, make whatever preparations you have to. The nine of you will depart at dawn tomorrow. Time is of the essence.” 

Sleep did not come easily that night. 

After gathering necessary supplies with Jihyo and bidding good night to the others, Dahyun returned to the empty Hades cabin once again. It was always quiet and isolated, but it felt even more oppressive that night. The shadows stretching across the floor seemed longer, and it was even colder than usual. 

Dahyun gave up on getting any sleep after a couple hours of tossing and turning. It was no use, she decided. Her mind was racing, unable to slow down. 

How was she supposed to do this? She’d barely even known about any of this stuff only two months ago, and she was a mess. Leading a quest? She had absolutely no idea what she was doing. 

Sitting up, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. They were supposed to meet at the big cabin in only four hours. 

It was simultaneously too much time and not enough.

A hesitant knock at the heavy wooden doors interrupted her thoughts. 

Dahyun padded over to the door, wincing at the cold temperature of the tile. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to get used to the chill in this cabin. 

With a deep breath, she opened the door, fully prepared for Chiron or Jihyo or someone to ask her about the quest, or to argue about where to go or what to do on said quest. 

Instead, Sana stood outside the door, her eyes trained downward as she wrung her hands. Her gaze shot up to meet Dahyun’s as soon as the door creaked open, and time seemed to still as they met eyes. 

“Um,” Sana said quietly, seemingly unsure of what she would say. 

“Come on in.” Dahyun said once she recovered from her surprise. “Don’t want the night patrols spotting you.”

Sana nodded and hummed her acknowledgement, passing Dahyun as she held the door and entered the cabin. Almost immediately, Dahyun noticed her shudder. 

“Gods, it’s cold in here.” Sana commented, glancing around the cabin. She turned to look at Dahyun, brows furrowed. “Is it always like this?”

Dahyun shrugged. “Pretty much.” she replied, walking over to light the hearth. “I’m still not that used to it, to be honest.”

Sana’s eyes turned sympathetic, but Dahyun pointedly turned away before her sympathy morphed into pity. 

She needed no one’s pity, especially not now. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Dahyun asked, eager to change the subject. She took a seat on one end of the couch while Sana sat on the other. 

Sana shook her head. 

“Any more dreams?”

“No,” Sana replied, sighing. “Just…couldn’t sleep, I guess. Worried about the quest.”

Dahyun swallowed. “Me too,” she admitted quietly. “When’s the last time someone from camp went on a quest?”

Sana’s eyes turned distant as she tried to recall. “It’s been years,” she replied after a few moments. “But…”

“But what?” Dahyun asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I know it didn’t…end well.” Sana confessed. “That’s why there haven’t been any quests recently. People are scared.”

That made sense. After all, Dahyun was scared shitless.

Silence blanketed the room, and only the crackling from the hearth broke the quiet. 

“Why did you come here, Sana?” Dahyun finally asked, looking up to meet her eyes. 

Sana remained quiet for a few beats, opening her mouth to say something but evidently thinking better of it. Finally, “I wanted to see you.” she admitted quietly. “You seemed…really overwhelmed back there and…I don’t know. I guess I was worried.”

Dahyun didn’t even know what to say, but Sana continued.

“And you were so injured last night, I just wanted to give you some time to heal, but there just isn’t any time, and you had to see the Oracle almost right after waking up, and even without being injured, that’s terrifying, and --”

“ Sana. ” Dahyun interrupted, moving over to sit beside her and grabbing her hand. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

Sana looked up to meet her gaze, brows furrowed. It looked like she didn’t believe it. 

Which was fair. Dahyun barely believed it herself. 

That didn’t mean she was going to put her own issues onto Sana. Especially not when they were supposed to leave on a potentially deadly quest in only a few hours. 

“I’ll be fine, I swear. Besides, you don’t have to worry about me,” she said jokingly, nudging Sana’s shoulder. “I can take a hit.”

Sana smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “But you shouldn’t have to, Dahyun.”

Dahyun’s playful smile faded. She swallowed, her gaze turning downwards, and the room somehow seemed to become even colder. 

“We should get some rest.” She said quietly, avoiding Sana’s eyes. “Big day tomorrow.”

“Dahyun, wait -”

“I’m really tired, Sana,” Dahyun interrupted, abruptly standing from the couch. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” 

Sana sighed. “Okay.” she surrendered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dahyun.”

Dahyun refused to look as she left the cabin, the creak of the heavy oak doors echoing through the empty room before the doors slammed shut once again, leaving Dahyun alone.

With a heavy sigh, Dahyun made her way across the room and crawled into bed once again, ignoring the sudden burn in her throat. 

She was exhausted. Truly and utterly exhausted. 

Dahyun didn’t want Sana’s pity, and she sure as hell didn’t need anybody to suddenly start caring about her now . She could take care of herself. 

Shifting in her bed, Dahyun ignored the way she seemed to be trying to convince herself more than anything.

After a few more minutes of overthinking and tossing and turning, Dahyun finally fell into a restless slumber, her thoughts lingering on Sana’s hurt expression and the echo of the door slamming behind her. 

Dahyun was simultaneously exhausted and jittery the next morning, crawling out of bed bright and early. Quietly, her heart racing in her chest, she packed what little she had. Shoving a few changes of clothes, some toiletries, and her makeshift first-aid kit into a ratty duffel bag, she took a deep breath. Fighting to calm her nerves, she took one last look at the Hades cabin, at the huge empty foyer and bare walls, and pushed open the doors and left the cabin.

She ran into Jihyo at the armory. The girl greeted her with a bright smile, one that juxtaposed the overcast, gloomy weather. 

As Jihyo sheathed her bronze shortsword, Dahyun quietly holstered a half-dozen throwing knives across her chest. For good measure, she also sheathed one on her thigh and waist. 

Just in case. 

Finally, she grabbed her trusty shortsword, a bronze blade she’d chosen her first week. It wasn’t perfect, but it hadn’t let her down yet. 

“C’mon,” Jihyo called from behind her. “We’ll meet everyone at the big house.”

Dahyun silently nodded, shaking off her nerves and falling into step behind the girl. Paranoid, she made sure that she’d gotten all her things, double and triple checking to see that she wasn’t forgetting something important. 

Next to her, Jihyo seemed calm, almost too relaxed given the circumstances. 

Then again, she was much more accustomed to this stuff than Dahyun was. 

It didn’t take long for them to reach the front of camp, where Chiron was waiting in front of the big house, a soft smile on his face. 

Dahyun took a seat on the porch next to Jihyo, and it didn’t take all that long for others to join them. Soon, the only person they were waiting on was Sana. 

“Ugh, that girl,” Mina muttered. “She’s chronically late, I swear.”

In only a few more minutes, Sana came jogging up the hill, disheveled and breathing heavily. “Sorry guys!” she exclaimed. “The stop by the armory took longer than I thought it would.”

Dahyun laughed, a fond smile making its way onto her face before she could stop herself. The others stood from the porch as Sana walked up to join them, and Dahyun followed suit. 

It was all a blur from there. Chiron herded them over to the van the camp provided for them, wishing them luck on their journey. Giving Dahyun a warm look as the rest of them filed into the van, he handed her a small container of ambrosia squares. “Be careful, Dahyun,” he said.

Dahyun nodded her thanks, unable to conjure the right words. 

She tucked the container into her duffel bag, cramming the bag on top of the others thrown into the trunk, and then she filed into the van herself. The only seat left was the very back row, the space between Sana and Momo. 

She sighed. It was going to be a tight fit. 

And a long ride. 

In the front seat, Jihyo fumbled with the old radio while Jeongyeon poured over a comically large map of the United States. 

“Okay everyone,” Jeongyeon spoke loudly, interrupting the quiet chatter of everyone in the car. “We have a very long trip ahead of us. According to Chiron, Hades was last seen searching for his sword in the Los Angeles area, so that’s our best bet for now. Los Angeles is about a two to three day trip by car, and as long as we switch drivers every once in a while, it shouldn’t be too hard.” 

“We’ll stop at a motel at some point, though, right?” Chaeyoung asked, brows furrowed in concern. “...right?”

Jeongyeon hummed a bit and nodded. “Yeah, we’ll have to.” she replied. “I don’t like wasting that much time, but we probably shouldn’t travel after dark, and we need proper rest for whatever this trip is gonna throw at us.” 

Dahyun swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. 

“Okay!” Jihyo said, clapping her hands together with a big smile. “Let’s get this show on the road!”

And with that, they were off. 

Momo dozed off almost as soon as they left camp, leaning against the window and snoring softly next to Dahyun. 

Sana chuckled a little, and when Dahyun turned to look at her, the girl’s eyes were trained on Momo, a fond smile on her face. She glanced at Dahyun, and her smile softened into something more…unreadable. 

“This is gonna be boring,” Sana whispered, shaking her head. “Wish we could take a plane or something. I’m really not excited to be in a car this long.” 

Dahyun nodded her agreement. “Why can’t we just take a plane again?”

“Well,” Sana said with a sigh. “Zeus can be a little…unpredictable sometimes. It’s usually best if demigods just avoid traveling by sky at all, but for you especially.”

Dahyun furrowed her brows in a silent question. 

“Dahyun, you’re Hades’ daughter.” Sana said, releasing a huff of laughter. “You’d be target number 1 if we were to fly right now.”

Oh. Of course.

“Right.” Dahyun said, shaking her head. “Probably should’ve figured that one out for myself. Sometimes I just…forget, you know?”

“Forget what?” Sana asked, leaning towards her. 

“That Hades is my dad, I guess.” Dahyun admitted quietly. “It’s just…weird to think about.” 

Sana nodded. “Yeah, it’s weird.” she agreed. “It’s always going to be weird, though. I mean, my mom is Aphrodite. That feels unreal.” 

Dahyun pointedly ignored the voice in the back of her head that said, no, it makes perfect sense that Sana would be the daughter of the goddess of beauty and love.

Shaking away those thoughts, she nodded her agreement, forcing a smile. She knew it was a weak one, but Sana seemed to accept it, turning away to look out the window. 

Gradually, the nervous energy that had plagued Dahyun since the moment she awoke faded, and her eyelids began to droop. About an hour into the car ride, the soft voices of quiet conversation and Sana’s soft humming along to the radio lulled her to sleep.

Chapter Text

“Dahyun, hey.” 

Dahyun groaned, vaguely aware of someone shaking her shoulder. 

“Hey!” came a louder voice from up front. “We can only afford to stop for about fifteen or twenty minutes, so get her up and awake. Momo, too.”

Internally, Dahyun sighed. She wrenched her eyes open, forcing herself to sit up. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced over at Sana, whose hand was still resting on her shoulder. A fond smile covered her face as she met Dahyun’s eyes. Thankfully, through her sleepy haze, Dahyun barely registered it enough to blush like she normally might’ve. “What time is it?” she asked, trying once again to rub the sleep from her eyes. 

“About noon,” Sana answered. “We stopped for some gas and everyone’s getting out to stretch their legs.”

Dahyun blinked, reaching over to unbuckle her seatbelt. She’d been sleeping for almost four hours. 

“Hey, Momo!” Sana called across her. “Momo, wake up!” 

Momo shifted in her seat with a groan, blinking a few times. 

“Do you want to stretch your legs?” Sana asked patiently. “We’re stopped, but I don’t know when we’ll get another chance.”

Momo provided a loud grumble as a response, promptly turning away from them and leaning her head back on the window. 

Dahyun suppressed a laugh. 

“Ok, let’s just leave her,” Sana said with a sigh. “I don’t think she wants to move.” 

Dahyun pushed herself off the back row of the van, squeezing through the seats and almost falling flat on her face as she stumbled out of the van doors. 

Outside, Jihyo was filling up the tank and the others were slowly making their way towards the gas station building. “Nice of you two to join us,” Jihyo said teasingly, giving the two of them a smile. “I’m surprised you even managed to get up, Dahyun, you were sleeping like the dead.”

Dahyun breathed a laugh, stretching her stiff arms. “Yeah, didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, I guess.” 

She pointedly did not look at Sana when she said this, but she was hyper aware of how she stiffened slightly at the mention of last night.

“Well, we’ll be back on the road in just a bit, so go grab some snacks or something,” Jihyo said, turning back to the screen to finish filling up the tank. “Try not to take too long, though.” 

“Got it,” Sana replied, already beginning to walk towards the building. Dahyun followed, glancing around at their surroundings. 

It was a secluded area just off the highway, with only a few restaurants and businesses surrounding the gas station. Only one other car was in the parking lot, a small toyota parked near the back of the building, presumably belonging to an employee. 

“Wait,” Dahyun asked suddenly as they reached the door, eyes wide. “Won’t people see your sword? And my knives?” 

Sana looked back at her, shaking her head. “No, they shouldn’t.” she answered, holding the door open for Dahyun to walk in. It was a small area, and the others in their group were the only other people filling the aisles. Dahyun stared nervously at the weapons hanging from their waists and on their backs. “There’s this thing called the mist. It keeps regular mortals from learning about things like monsters and demigods.”

“But -” 

“When they see your daggers,” Sana continued, gesturing to the line of daggers holstered across Dahyun’s torso. “The mist makes them think it's something else, like maybe a strange sash or a fanny pack or something.” 

Dahyun blinked at the idea that her knives may be misconstrued as a fanny pack of all things, but she nodded her understanding. 

“I’m gonna head to the restroom, but will you grab me some chips or something?” Sana asked, already walking towards the back of the building where the restrooms were. As she walked away, her hand brushed Dahyun’s shoulder, and Dahyun repressed a shiver. 

“Hey,” Chaeyoung’s voice tore her out of her trance. “You gonna get her some chips or are you gonna stand there like a weirdo?” 

Dahyun blinked, ignoring the flush that covered her face in favor or scanning the aisle for a bag of chips. “Shut up,” she muttered when she felt Chaeyoung’s smile from across the aisle. 

“I didn’t say anything,” Chaeyoung said teasingly.

“What do you think she’d want?” Dahyun muttered under her breath, more to herself than anything. 

She was so focused on choosing the right bag that she failed to notice that the others had gone quiet, that Chaeyoung had left her side to approach the window. 

“Dahyun,” someone called, likely Tzuyu or Mina based on how quietly they spoke. 

“Gimme a second.” Dahyun replied, waving her hand at them. “I’m trying to find -”

“What the fuck is that -” 

Dahyun turned just in time to witness a huge object fly through the gas station window, crashing through the glass and shattering pieces of the window all across the building. She jumped back, just barely escaping the blast radius of the glass, but some shards still managed to scrape her face and arms. 

However, whatever pain she felt from the scrapes quickly faded when she realized what exactly had flown in through the window. 

Her duffle bag. 

“Guys!” Dahyun heard Tzuyu yell from across the room. The archer reached back to grab her bow, exiting the building. Dahyun quickly followed, ignoring the scared whimpers of the gas station attendant. 

When she reached the parking lot, however, she almost wished she had a counter to hide behind.

“What the hell is that thing?” she asked, her voice catching in her throat. 

Rifling through the back of the van, a huge monster stood at almost nine feet. It was vaguely humanoid, with muscular arms and legs. Yet, the human aspect of the creature ended when Dahyun looked up at its head and neck. 

“Is that a bull?” she muttered to herself, eyes wide and disbelieving. 

“Mina, go get Momo out of there!” Jihyo yelled, drawing her sword. “We’ll try and distract it!” 

“Got it!”

Tzuyu wasted no time before notching an arrow and letting it fly towards the thing’s head, Chaeyoung following suit and sending one soaring towards its heart.

The thing swatted away Tzuyu’s arrow as though it was nothing but a minor inconvenience, and the second arrow bounced harmlessly off the beast’s thick coat. However, it was enough to get the creature’s attention, and it whipped its head around towards them, a huge huff of air escaping its nostrils as it faced their group. 

“Is that the gods damned Minotaur?” Jeongyeon exclaimed, brandishing her spear and shifting into a battle stance. 

“Looks like it.” Jihyo responded grimly. 

As if the Minotaur heard them speak, it let out a huge roar, its eyes fixating directly on Dahyun.

Dahyun barely had time to register its eyes meeting hers before the thing huffed once again and grabbed either side of the van, lifting in the air as if it weighed nothing. 

“Oh fuck.” she muttered, eyes wide.

The van was flying towards them in seconds, and Dahyun was frozen, unable to move despite the yells of warning around her. 

Just as the vehicle was about to smash into her, surely to be a fatal hit, a huge weight slammed into Dahyun’s side. She was tackled to the concrete, missing the van flying overhead by just a couple feet. 

“C’mon, c’mon!” Sana’s voice echoed in her ears, and Dahyun shook herself out of her shocked state, managing to grab her hand and lift herself off the concrete. Sana grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close and meeting her gaze with a severe look in her eyes. “Dahyun, I know this is scary, but I need you to focus. That thing is after you , and you need to do everything in your power to win this fight. ”

Dahyun nodded, reaching up to unsheath a pair of throwing knives. She took a breath as Sana turned away and drew her sword, shifting into a fighting stance as the powerful stomps of the Minotaur came ever closer. 

Dahyun grit her teeth and steeled herself, turning to face the beast. With steady hands, she launched a throwing knife at the thing’s eye, rolling to the side as it ripped a stop sign from the ground and launched it at her. 

She grunted, sitting up and watching as the knife was swatted away, just like Chaeyoung’s arrow. 

“Nayeon, Jeongyeon, with me!” called Jihyo. “We need to distract it!” 

The girls easily followed Jihyo’s commands, falling in line behind her as they sprinted towards the Minotaur. As the three of them engaged, playing a dangerous game of dodging its powerful blows and attempting to land blows of their own, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu stood near the gas pumps, attempting to line up a shot. 

“What do we do?” Dahyun asked Sana helplessly. 

“We find an opening.” Mina answered instead, approaching from where the van had been, a shocked and wide-eyed Momo behind her. 

Dahyun breathed a sigh of relief at seeing both girls alive and okay.

“We need either a direct, close range strike to its heart,” Mina exclaimed, hefting her greatsword up. “Or we need to get its head while it's distracted.”

As if on cue, a yell from across the parking lot grabbed their attention, and Dahyun watched in horror as Nayeon soared through the air like a ragdoll, hitting the concrete and rolling a few feet before settling on the ground, motionless. 

This was enough to distract Jihyo and Jeongyeon, both of them calling out for their friend and momentarily forgetting their position. Before they were swatted away like flies, though, a barrage of arrows distracted the beast long enough for the other two to run towards Nayeon, who was still motionless. 

While the Minotaur was distracted by Chaeyoung and Tzuyu’s attack, Mina and Sana took it upon themselves to charge towards the beast, swords raised. 

Dahyun armed herself with more throwing knives, doing her best to find an opening long enough to aim for the thing’s head. 

As Mina and Sana approached, they naturally fell into a fighting harmony together, having trained as a team for years. Mina immediately went on the offense while Sana hung slightly behind, ready to cover her. 

Mina’s first strike to the beast’s left side was enough to finally cut through its thick skin, and the thing roared in pain. 

It swatted angrily at Mina, but she rolled out of the way, and Sana moved in to take the opening. She jabbed her blade at the Minotaur’s arm as it reached towards Mina, and the strike was enough to cause the beast to stumble back, clutching its arm in pain. 

It roared at the pair of them, and they could only roll out of the way as the Minotaur thundered towards them, wildly attempting to tackle them to the ground. While Mina’s dodge was successful, Sana wasn’t as lucky, unprepared for the thing to be so quick. 

She released a strangled gasp as the Minotaur’s gigantic hand grabbed at her, managing to grasp the fabric of her shirt and drag her towards it. Without hesitation, it wrapped its hand around her throat and lifted her into the air as if she weighed less than nothing. 

Sana struggled in its grasp, wildly scratching at the hand around her neck, but it didn’t budge. 

Dahyun felt a fiery pit of rage form in her gut at the sight, and she struggled to keep her hand steady as she let her dagger fly, her eyes trained solely on the Minotaur’s empty brown eye. 

She felt a deep satisfaction as the blade struck true, sinking itself deeply into the Minotaur’s right eye and causing it to roar in pain, dropping Sana and flailing around in agony. 

Unfortunately, as soon as it dropped Sana, its attention was focused solely on her, and Dahyun was sure she wasn’t imagining the rage in its one good eye. 

She barely had time to draw her sword before the thing was charging straight towards her, moving faster than Dahyun would’ve thought possible. She searched desperately for any kind of pull in her gut, any hint of her abilities, but there was nothing. 

Nothing at all, not even as the Minotaur drew closer and closer. Dahyun dove to the side as the Minotaur finally reached her, cornered against the wall of the gas station. However, her attempt to dodge wasn’t enough, and just like Sana, the Minotaur managed to wrap its huge hand around her ankle. 

Dahyun couldn’t ignore the sudden, primal fear that gripped her as she was lifted into the air, the situation a little too similar to her experience with the furies. She lost her grip on her sword, watching helplessly as the bronze blade clattered to the ground.

She could barely hear the panicked screams of her companions as the Minotaur lifted her to eye level, meeting her eyes. 

She couldn’t seem to summon any trace of her abilities, however, and she struggled wildly against the Minotaur’s grasp as a familiar portal began to form only a few feet away from them. 

“Get away from her!” Sana’s voice called from behind, and the Minotaur barely even paid her a glance before swiping out at the girl with its free hand and sending her flying across the parking lot. 

It was the sight of Sana’s form rolling across the hard concrete that finally set Dahyun off. 

She didn’t need her powers to end this.

She unsheathed one of her knives, pulling herself up and plunging the blade into the Minotaur’s hand. It let out a loud roar, dropping her unceremoniously to the ground. 

She scrambled to her feet, grabbing yet another knife and charging at the beast while it was sufficiently distracted by the knife buried in its hand. She shoved her blade into the Mintoaur’s chest with as much force as she could muster, pushing it back and knocking its huge frame to the concrete. 

“Dahyun!” She heard Momo’s voice from a few feet away and jerked her head towards the girl. 

Momo threw a sword, Dahyun’s sword, towards her, and as it soared through the air, Dahyun reached forward to grasp the handle. 

Before the Minotaur could sufficiently recover from both stab wounds Dahyun had inflicted, she landed another. 

With a cry of rage, Dahyun plunged the bronze blade of her shortsword directly into the Minotaur’s head, right between its black eyes. 

Almost unceremoniously, the Mintoaur died, its giant form disintegrating into a cloud of golden dust that covered the concrete. 

An unnatural silence seemed to blanket the parking lot for just a moment. 

Dahyun was torn from her adrenaline-infused trance when Sana nearly tackled her to the ground with a hug, wrapping her arms around Dahyun’s torso and shoving her face into the crook of her neck. “That was too close,” she whispered, and Dahyun couldn’t help but agree, returning the hug as she recalled the Mintoaur’s hand wrapped around Sana’s throat, the way it lifted her into the air like she was nothing.

The moment was broken when she heard the others’ conversation, and Dahyun pulled away from Sana to find the other girls walking towards them. Nayeon looked a little worse for wear, covered in scratches and bruises and favoring her left side, but it was nothing that ambrosia couldn’t fix. Otherwise, everyone seemed to be relatively okay, just shocked. 

“Well,” Jeongyeon said with a sigh, her eyes trained on the ruins of their van. “Looks like we’re gonna have to find a new way to get to Los Angeles.”

Chapter Text

“What do you think the gas station attendant saw?” Dahyun wondered aloud as they made their way to the only motel in town, a worn-down, dirty looking building about a mile down the road from the gas station. They’d managed to purchase bus tickets to Chicago, but the bus wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow morning. 

“Probably an insane fistfight,” Chaeyoung replied with a snort. 

“A fistfight where someone threw a van across the parking lot?” Jihyo asked skeptically. 

“Maybe he thought it was a fistfight between two superheroes?” Momo offered. 

“It doesn’t matter what he saw,” Mina said, shaking her head. “It just matters that we get out of here as soon as possible. It won’t take long for Hades to find some new creature to send after Dahyun.” 

A tense silence fell over the group. 

“Maybe he thought it was a gang war?” Sana broke the silence with a shrug.

Mina groaned as the rest of them enthusiastically traded theories back and forth about how the mist may have twisted their battle. 

It was going to be a long night. 

They only had enough money for two rooms, each with two beds, so everyone had to share a bed, and one bed had to be filled with three people. 

It didn’t take long for the girls to partner up, calling dibs on each other before Dahyun even registered the fact that she’d have to share a bed with someone else. 

And Dahyun nearly fainted when she realized the only one left without a partner as they began towards their rooms. 

“So,” Sana asked, giving her a playful nudge. “Do you prefer the left or the right side?” 

Dahyun might combust before she made it through the night.

Later that night, as Dahyun lay motionless next to a sleeping Sana, she was barely able to even shut her eyes, her mind still racing from the events of the day. Next to them, Momo’s snores filtered through her ears, a white noise that filled the empty hotel room. On the same bed, Nayeon shifted for what felt like the hundredth time, though she knew no one else was counting. The others fell asleep in minutes, exhausted from the long drive and the events at the gas station. 

Still, despite how tired Dahyun also was, she couldn’t bring herself to fall asleep. 

She mulled over the prophecy in her head, repeating the words over and over. Each time, she tried to find some new meaning, a different end, but it always stayed the same. 

Friend will turn against friend. 

What did it mean? It seemed clear enough, but Dahyun couldn’t fathom the idea of any of these girls betraying them. And how? Why? 

It just didn’t make sense, but she knew the Oracle was never wrong about these things. After all, her other prophecies had been nothing but accurate, seeing how she was the only known child of the Big Three in decades. How was she supposed to put a stop to this war? She could barely even hold a sword most days, and she knew practically nothing about any of this stuff. 

Dahyun glanced over at Sana, sighing to herself before carefully easing herself out from under the covers. As quietly as she could, she made her way towards the door and entered the motel hallway, closing the door and releasing a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

Lingering in the hallway for only a few beats, she ran a hand through her hair before making her way out of the building and towards the back of the motel. 

She’d only been sitting by the poolside for about fifteen minutes when the silence was interrupted by the screeching of the pool gates. Gods, someone needed to oil those hinges.

Dahyun whipped her head around, heart racing. Instead of some terrifying monster or something similar, she only found Sana standing by the gate, giving her a small, sheepish wave. 

“Gods, you scared me.” Dahyun breathed, resting a hand on her chest. 

“Sorry,” Sana said, taking a few hesitant steps towards her. “Mind if I join?” 

“No, go ahead,” Dahyun quickly agreed, waving her over. “I thought you were asleep, though?”

Sana shook her head as she took a seat next to her, mirroring her position by resting both her feet in the cold water of the pool. “I woke up almost as soon as you left.”

“Sorry,” Dahyun replied, shaking her head. “I tried to shut the door quietly, but --” 

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t think that’s why I woke up anyway,” Sana interrupted. “I think I just noticed you were gone.” 

“Oh,” Dahyun replied softly. 

“Why’d you leave?” Sana asked, leaning into her slightly. She kicked her legs in the pool, creating ripples all across the water. “Couldn’t sleep?” 

“No,” Dahyun answered, shaking her head. “Couldn’t stop thinking, I guess.” 

“Anything in particular?” Sana questioned, brows raised. 

Dahyun stayed silent for a few beats, chewing at her bottom lip. “What the Oracle said…about a friend betraying a friend…” 

She trailed off, but Sana nodded her head in understanding, looking away from Dahyun and turning her attention back towards the water. “It’s been bothering all of us, don’t worry.” 

Dahyun glanced over at her. “Really?” she asked. “No one else seems as…”

“Worried? Stressed? Panicked?” Sana filled in helpfully, laughing a little. 

“Yes.” Dahyun replied, shaking her head. 

“Then we’re all better liars than I thought.” 

Silence blanketed the space between them. 

“You did well today.” Sana broke the silence. Dahyun turned her head to face her, but Sana kept her eyes trained forward. “With the Minotaur, I mean.” 

Dahyun snorted softly. “I don’t know about that,” she replied, kicking her feet in the water. “I just kind of stood in the background until the thing was literally running towards me. And then I couldn’t even use my stupid… powers or whatever.” 

Sana glanced over at her as Dahyun’s tone became bitter. “I don’t remember it like that.” she said after a few beats. “I remember you throwing a tiny little knife at the gods-damned Minotaur when it was about to kill me.”

Dahyun swallowed, remembering the creature’s hand wrapped around Sana’s throat. 

“And then I remember you killing the thing.” Sana laughed. “I think you did a lot more than just stand in the background, Dahyun.”

Dahyun hummed a little, but she couldn’t find it in herself to agree with Sana’s sentiment. She’d let them get hurt, all of them , because she couldn’t get a grasp on her abilities enough to even save her friends when monsters attacked.

“I know you’re worried about your powers,” Sana said quietly. “But it takes time. It took time for all of us to get used to this. And I know that your case is… different , but we’ve all been there.” 

Dahyun shook her head. “My case is really different.” she replied. “I could hurt someone…I have hurt someone.”

Sana didn’t say anything, reaching out to grasp Dahyun’s hand. Dahyun stiffened for only a moment before she relaxed. It wasn’t a huge gesture, and Sana clearly had no response for what Dahyun had shared, but…it was enough. It was enough to know that someone was there, that she didn’t hate or reject her for what she’d done in her past.

Dahyun ignored the burning in her throat, the tremble of her hands. “When did you start coming to Camp?” 

Sana hummed, glancing upwards as she tried to recall. “I was probably about…eleven?” she replied after a few beats. “I was living with my dad when the first monster attacked.”

“That’s a long time.” 

“Yeah,” Sana agreed, and her smile suddenly became rueful. “When he learned the truth about… all this? I was at camp in a matter of days, and he hasn’t tried to reach out since.”

Dahyun frowned, her eyes becoming sympathetic as Sana spoke. 

“But it’s been long enough that I’ve gotten over it.” she said, not looking at Dahyun. “I found a family at Camp Half-Blood, and I love them.”

“For what it’s worth,” Dahyun said after a few moments of silence. “Your dad sounds like a real asshole.” 

Sana laughed, and the melodic sound echoed throughout the entire courtyard. “I agree.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, and Dahyun was hyper aware of how close they were to each other, how their shoulders pressed together. 

“We should head back, I guess,” Dahyun sighed, lifting her feet out of the water and cringing at the sudden chill. 

Sana didn’t say anything, simply mirroring Dahyun and pushing herself from the ground. 

Dahyun reached up to run a hand through her hair, pushing a few strands from her face as she made to walk towards the pool gate. 

“What’s that?” Sana asked, her voice quiet. 

Dahyun furrowed her brows, turning towards the girl with a questioning look. 

Her heart stopped at Sana’s grim face, at her gaze trained solely on Dahyun’s side, where her shirt had ridden up as she pushed back her hair. 

Shaking her head, she yanked the edge of her shirt back down, abruptly turning away and making her way towards the gate. “Nothing.” 

“Dahyun, that’s not nothing!” Sana protested, reaching out to grab her arm. 

On instinct, Dahyun cringed, jerking her arm away. 

There was a brief moment of tension as the two of them locked eyes. 

“There was a scar, Dahyun.” Sana broke the silence. “There were a lot of scars. Burns, scratches…” 

Dahyun swallowed, her heart dropping. She shook her head. She didn’t ask for, or want, anyone’s pity, especially not Sana. “You’re not the only one with an asshole dad, okay?” she finally answered. “Just drop it.” 

“But Dahyun -” 

“ Drop it!” Dahyun snapped. 

And with that, she stormed away, ignoring the burn in her throat as she made her way towards the gate. After a few beats, Sana’s quiet footsteps followed behind her.

Chapter Text

Dahyun avoided Sana like the plague the next morning. 

Sana kept trying to catch her eye, but her efforts were only met with sideway glances and inconspicuous frowns. Dahyun was the first one out of the motel room, grabbing her duffel bag and hastily making her way towards the lobby, leaving Sana, Nayeon, and Momo to stare after her. The other two were confused about Dahyun’s sudden distance, but Sana didn’t have any doubt that her behavior was because of last night. 

She swallowed, recalling the spread of scars she’d seen on the other girl's abdomen. It had only been for a moment, but it was unmistakable. Burns, gashes, the like. 

You’re not the only one with an asshole dad, okay?

Sana shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. The other two were already clearing out of the room, making quiet conversation as they grabbed their belongings. Sana didn’t know why they didn’t try to speak to her, but she would guess the tension and anxiety she’d been feeling since last night was probably visible to her friends. 

Releasing a frustrated sigh, she pushed her hair back and shoved the rest of her belongings into the backpack she’d brought. Shouldering the bag, she followed the others outside the room as they all made their way to the lobby. 

The bus station was only about a mile walk from where they were staying, and, thankfully, the bus was on time. 

It wasn’t a crowded ride, but everyone immediately made their way towards the back of the bus and took up the last couple rows of seats. 

Sana sighed as she took a seat next to Mina on the very last row, about two rows back from where Dahyun sat alone, the only member of their group without a partner. She didn’t seem unhappy about that, though, and everyone else could clearly see that the girl was in a foul mood. She’d barely spoken a word to anyone this morning, and her face seemed to be stuck in a permanent scowl. 

The bus left the station after a few minutes, and everyone settled in for a long ride. It was nearly nine hours from where they were to Chicago, not including stops for gas. 

Sana suppressed a groan as she leaned back in her seat. She hated long car rides, always had. When she was little, she used to have to ride with her stepmom to work conferences when she couldn’t get a babysitter on short notice. Her dad was always too busy with his own work to watch after her. Those trips had been the worst; full of quiet, boring hours on the highway while her stepmom took what felt like millions of phone calls.

“Already uncomfortable?” Mina asked, a teasing lilt to her voice. 

Sana sighed, and Mina laughed at her unspoken answer. 

“Don’t worry, it’ll go faster than you think.” Mina ensured her, and even though she didn’t really believe her, Sana was appreciative.

“I hope so,” she replied, unable to keep her eyes from drifting towards Dahyun once again. It felt as though she couldn’t take her eyes off the other girl, not since last night. Not since she’d seen a whole different side of her. 

“Is Dahyun okay?” Mina asked quietly, noticing Sana’s focus drifting. “She seems…upset.” 

Sana swallowed. Of course she was upset. How could she not be upset?

“It was just a long night, I think,” Sana finally replied. “She didn’t get a lot of sleep.” 

Mina hummed an acknowledgement, and Sana was thankful she didn’t question any further. 

“Where did you guys say you picked her up again?” Sana asked, glancing towards Mina. “You and Jihyo, I mean.” 

Mina’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit, but her expression remained neutral. “Why do you ask?” 

Sana didn’t answer. 

Mina sighed. “We caught up to her in an alleyway after she’d barely escaped an attack,” she answered after a few beats. “When we finally convinced her to come with us…she grabbed her stuff from under a bridge.” 

Sana’s mouth became dry. 

“She was cagey about it, obviously, but it wasn’t hard to tell that she’d been living there for at least a couple weeks.” Mina continued. “We asked about her mom and dad, and she said she’d been living with her stepdad following the death of her mom.” 

Mina’s expression remained blank as she spoke, but Sana could see the worry hiding behind her eyes. She shook her head. “There was more to it than that, I could tell,” she said. “But the harpy attacked before I could get any more out of her.” 

Sana hummed, nodding her head as she turned her attention back towards Dahyun a few rows in front of them. She was leaning against the window, her dark hair falling in waves across her neck and back. Even from her distance, she could see the tension in the girl’s posture, the anxiety. 

“Sana, what happened last night?” Mina finally asked. “You two have been avoiding each other like the plague, and I’ve never seen Dahyun this quiet and tense in all the time she’s been at camp. Not even when she first arrived, and that was after a near-death harpy attack.” 

Sana shook her head. “It’s not my place to share,” she replied after a few beats of silence. “She’ll barely even talk to me, I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate me sharing her business with anyone else.” 

Mina sighed, but she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “But if this gets serious enough to affect our mission…” 

“I know.” 

Sana ran a hand through her hair, shifting in the cramped bus seat once again. “Gods, why do they make these seats so damn small?” she asked, a scowl covering her face. 

Mina laughed a little, shrugging her shoulders as the tension between them faded. “I don’t know, but you should probably get used to it.” she teased. “Only eight and a half more hours to go!” 

In front of them, Nayeon and Jihyo were already threatening violence because of the game they’d started only a few minutes ago. Next to them, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu argued about the merits of using a lute in battle, while Jeongyeon and Momo were locked in an intense arm wrestle, nearly falling out of their seats in their efforts to win. 

Gods help her. 

This was going to be a long ride. 

Arriving in Chicago was almost anticlimactic, considering everything that had already happened on their travels so far. The nine-hour bus ride seemed to last an eternity for Sana, and by the time the passengers were crowding out of the bus onto the busy Chicago streets, she was full of pent-up energy. 

It was approaching sunset, so the streets and sidewalks were bustling with activity, and, needless to say, it was a bit disorienting for everyone coming off the bus. 

“Okay,” Mina said, talking over the noise. Everyone shifted their attention towards her after grabbing their things. Sana adjusted the strap of her back on her shoulder, turning towards Mina. “First things first, we need to see about getting to LA as fast as possible.” 

“I doubt there will be a bus trip all the way to LA,” Jihyo pointed out. 

“That’s okay, we’ll find the closest stop and take whatever we can get.” Mina replied. 

“Can we take a quick break?” Momo asked, dramatically stretching her back. “We’ve been sitting for almost ten hours now.”

“Agreed.” Sana spoke up. “It couldn't hurt to take an hour or two to walk around and sightsee a little, right?”

There were some murmurs of agreement around the group, but Mina looked skeptical. 

“Okay, who wants to go sightseeing?” she questioned, peering around. 

Sana, Momo, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Tzuyu all raised their hands, looking eager to do anything but sit down after such a long trip. Sana bit back her disappointment when she noticed Dahyun keeping her hand down, her expression withdrawn and unreadable. 

“Okay, how about this?” Mina proposed. “You five can go explore Chicago for a couple hours while the rest of us work out tickets and everything. You guys just have to make it back here in, at most , two hours.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Jihyo nodded, a smile creeping onto her face. “We’ll meet you guys back here in a couple hours and then we’ll be on our way.” 

Mina nodded, but Sana could still see the hesitation on her face. “We promise we’ll be careful, Mina,” Sana told her. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Jeongyeon agreed, raising her hand into a mock salute. “We will be causing exactly zero trouble, don’t you worry.”

Chaeyoung snorted behind them. “Convincing.” 

“Shut up,” Momo hissed, elbowing the girl in the side. 

Mina sighed, waving them away. “Go, go,” she said. “Just be careful, okay. Chicago is a big place, and there’s bound to be monsters lurking.” 

On that note, Sana waved goodbye to the others, ignoring the pain in her chest when Dahyun once again avoided her eye. 

“Okay, what can we do to fill two hours?” Jihyo asked, clapping her hands together as they began walking down the sidewalk. 

“I dunno,” Jeongyeon responded. “What sort of landmarks are in Chicago?” 

There was silence as the five of them made their way towards the courtyard area in front of them. Sana herself was clueless about this city. 

“Um, there’s Wrigley Field?” Tzuyu proposed with a shrug. “That’s a big thing here, right?” 

“What’s that?” Momo asked, brows furrowed. 

“It’s a huge baseball stadium,” Jihyo answered. “But I don’t think there will be a game going on right now. It’s off-season, I think.” 

“Well, we shouldn’t let that stop us,” Jeongyeon replied with a mischievous smile on her face. “Who says there needs to be a game going on for us to go?” 

“Um, the law?” Tzuyu replied weakly. 

“Pft,” Jeongyeon said, waving her hand dismissively. “Just follow my lead and we’ll be fine.” 

She turned away from the group, glancing around at the towering skyscrapers and chaotic traffic. 

“Which way is Wrigley Field again?” 

“Why are we even doing this?” Tzuu asked, glancing nervously behind them. 

The five of them were grouped next to a side entrance of the stadium, and Jeongyeon was going at the lock with her trusty lock-picking set, something Sana didn’t even know she had.  

Leave it to a child of Hermes, she guessed. 

“I told you, we’re having fun, whether you want to or not.” Jeongyeon responded, cursing under her breath as she fumbled her pins once again. 

“I’m not sure if I’d count this as fun, ” Sana said quietly, glancing around for what felt like the hundredth time. 

“To be fair, we’ll be out of the city in about an hour, so…” Momo murmured, staring at the lock. “We don’t have to worry about getting in trouble for anything.” 

“Unless they catch us in the act.” Jihyo pointed out, looking very stressed. “So hurry up!” 

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Jeongyeon hissed. “Can you just be quiet?” 

“I’ll be quiet when we’re not actively breaking into a giant baseball stadium before the sun is even all the way down -” 

“Got it!” Jeongyeon interrupted, a grin covering her face. 

She put away her supplies and smugly turned the handle, her grin broadening as the door swung open with no resistance. 

“After you?” she said, standing up and brushing off her pants before gesturing for everyone to go inside. 

Jihyo still looked unsure, but after a few beats of silence, she sighed and walked into the stadium, followed closely by the others.

Sana shook her head at Jeongyeon’s shit-eating grin as she walked through the doorway. It took a few minutes to make their way through the maze of back hallways and find the actual field.

“This is so stupid.” she muttered, but even she couldn’t deny the slight awe she felt when faced with the huge, empty arena. 

“I never knew baseball fields were this big.” Tzuyu said, and her voice sounded distant as they began to walk across the grass of the field. The seats of the stadium towered above them, and Sana couldn’t help but feel miniscule as she made her way to home base. 

Jeongyeon let out a loud whoop as she sprinted across the grass, a big smile on her face. Sana couldn’t quell her own smile when Momo nearly tripped over her own feet while staring up at the high ceiling.

Jihyo laughed a little to herself as she stood at home plate, miming holding a bat. Giving Sana a small wink, she swung her invisible bat and peered off into the distance, as if watching the ball fly into the audience. 

“Yeah, as if you’d hit a home run,” Tzuyu snorted to herself, and Sana roared with laughter at the sudden, indignant expression Jihyo wore. 

“I totally would!” Jihyo insisted. “I’m actually very strong and coordinated -“

Jeongyeon’s loud snort interrupted her, and Jihyo’s frown deepened. “Please,” Jeongyeon said, turning to look at them from the pitcher's mound. “Have you seen yourself play volleyball?”  

“She’s right,” Sana was forced to agree. “You may be competitive, Jihyo, but sports are not your forte.” 

“You guys are so wrong -” 

“Guys.” Momo’s voice barely registered in Sana’s brain as the fierce discussion continued. Jeongyeon was already walking towards them, a teasing grin on her face as she spoke.

“Are you kidding? I saw you accidentally run straight into the net during sand volleyball last week!” she said, barely holding back a laugh.

“Guys.” Momo’s voice was louder, but Sana was still focused on the conversation, her back towards the pitcher’s mound.

“Okay, that was not what happened -” 

“ Guys!”  

Sana finally turned as Momo’s voice became louder, more fearful. 

All conversation stopped as they all turned towards the pitcher’s mound. 

Standing in the outfield, far behind second base, a growling monster stood before them. From what Sana could see, six necks emerged from the reptilian body of the beast, the heads of which almost resembled a dragon, complete with bright green eyes and razor-sharp teeth lining the inside of the mouths. 

And it was absolutely humongous, towering far above them and easily surpassing the outer walls of the field. 

“Hydra.” Jihyo breathed, her voice coated in fear. 

Sana barely had time to draw her sword before the monster began thundering towards them.

Chapter Text

“ Where are they?” Dahyun murmured, glancing nervously at the clock for probably the hundredth time thus far. “They said two hours, right?” 

“Yes.” Mina confirmed, her frown deepening as she too stole a look at the huge clock that hung from the far wall of the bus station. It’d been almost three hours since the others had left, and their bus was set to leave in nearly fifteen minutes. It’d been the only ticket they could find on such short notice, and the closest destination they found had been Denver. They’d hurriedly bought the tickets, using most of what was left of their funds to do so, but another bus to Denver wouldn’t come until tomorrow morning at the very earliest, and they simply didn’t have that time to waste. 

“Maybe they lost track of time?” Chaeyoung suggested weakly, wringing her hands. 

“Our bus leaves in fifteen minutes! ” Nayeon protested. “They need to be here!” 

“Is there any way to contact them?” Dahyun asked desperately. She knew cell phones weren’t an option, not when technology drew monsters, but there had to be some way to get in contact with the others. 

Mina shook her head. “We could try to send an iris message?” she suggested, but she didn’t sound confident. 

“What is that?” Dahyun asked, brows furrowed. 

“Yes!” Nayeon responded, ignoring Dahyun’s question. “There’s a car wash next door!” 

Before Dahyun could even comprehend what that could possibly mean, Nayeon was already grabbing her arm and pulling her out the doors, nearly dragging her to the car wash just up the street. The others followed closely behind, and unlike Dahyun, they didn’t seem to be completely lost as to what was going on. 

The car wash was separated into stalls equipped with hoses, vacuums, and various tools to wash whatever car was parked inside a given stall. Dahyun watched with wide eyes as Nayeon searched desperately in her pockets, letting loose a small cheer when she managed to scrounge up some loose change, just enough to get the hose of the empty stall to work.

The others crowded into the stall as Nayeon began to spray the hose, positioning her thumb in front of the opening in order to create a spray of water. Dahyun looked on as a rainbow began to form before their eyes, just barely visible in the mist of water.

Mina didn’t waste a moment before reaching into her pocket to fetch a large, thick gold coin. A Greek drachma.

“What is that going to…” 

Dahyun trailed off when Mina threw the coin into the mist of water and the it promptly vanished, as if consumed by the rainbow itself. 

“Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering.” 

Dahyun had about a million questions at this point, but she stayed silent when she noticed the intense focus clear on Mina’s face. 

Dahyun’s eyes widened in shock as a screen of sorts, about the size of a square foot, suddenly appeared within the rainbow, revealing…

“Is that a baseball field?” Chaeyoung asked, brows furrowed.

“Sana?” Mina called into the screen. “Sana, can you hear me?” 

“Mina?” A voice came from inside. 

Suddenly, a face appeared in front of them, but it wasn’t Sana. “Mina, is that you?” Tzuyu asked, looking winded and disoriented as she stared at the screen with narrowed eyes. Dahyun’s stomach dropped as soon as she noticed the line of blood trailing down the side of Tzuyu’s face.  

“Yes, it’s me,” Mina replied. “Where are you guys -” 

“Tzuyu!” came a distant voice from inside the screen. Dahyun stiffened when she recognized Sana’s desperate call. “Could use some help over here!” 

Tzuyu wasted no time before turning around, bow raised and an arrow notched at lightning speed. She hesitated for only a moment before letting it fly, and the resounding screech of a monster made it clear that her shot had struck true. 

Dahyun could barely control her nausea when she heard the creature scream. It was loud. Which meant that whatever they were fighting, it was big.

“Guys, listen,” Tzuyu said, turning back towards them. “We’re really busy right now-” 

“The bus!” Nayeon interrupted. “It’s leaving in ten minutes, you guys have to -” 

“We're not going to make it.” Tzuyu said plainly, her face dark and serious. “You guys will have to go without us.” 

“But we have to stay together -” Dahyun tried. 

“It’s more important that you make it there, Dahyun. This is your quest,” Tzuyu interrupted. “You guys need to get on that bus whenever it gets here, okay? We’ll catch up.” 

“The nozzle only has 30 seconds left.” Nayeon warned, looking rather distressed. 

“Okay, okay!” Mina finally agreed. “Please be careful!” 

Tzuyu had already notched another arrow, and she didn’t spare a glance before letting it fly. This time, the deafening screech of the monster sounded much closer, and Tzuyu seemed to visibly pale, staring at something offscreen. 

“Denver!” Dahyun told her. “We’ll meet you guys in Denver, okay?” 

Tuzyu turned back towards them, a grim look on her face. “We’ll try our best.” 

Before they could say any more, the timer on the nozzle ran out, and the screen abruptly cut out as the rainbow faded. 

The bus ride was tense. 

There was a noticeable silence across the group as the bus left the station. It was set to be a long trip, almost twenty-two hours. Thankfully, they’d gotten tickets for an overnight bus, so they wouldn’t have to make any unnecessary stops.

Yet, it was a full day of travel, and they were missing five members of their party. “How are they even going to get there?” Nayeon asked, finally breaking the silence. “We used the last of our money on these tickets, and there’s no way they’ll be able to catch up to us in time, even if they are able to find transportation.” 

Dahyun scowled as Nayeon spoke, unable to control her annoyance. She was right, of course, and she’d said what everyone was thinking. 

But still.

“We know, Nayeon,” Chaeyoung replied, exasperated. It seemed she shared Dahyun’s sentiment. “There’s not much we can do about it now. We just have to hope they’ll figure it out.” 

Silence blanketed the space between the four of them, and Dahyun chewed at her bottom lip, glancing out the bus window. They’d once again chosen the very back seats so as to avoid attention, but now they only took up two rows of seats. 

They were just now exiting the city, having been driving for nearly fifteen or twenty minutes already. Still, it felt like an eternity. 

Gods, this was about to be a long ride. 

She could scarcely tear her thoughts away from Sana. The sound of her desperate call for help echoed in her ears endlessly, and she could only imagine whatever beast they were fighting. It had sounded ginormous, and based on how winded Tzuyu had seemed, the fight hadn’t been going well. 

More than being able to reunite in Denver, Dahyun was concerned that they wouldn’t even make it out of Chicago in one piece. 

She would tell similar thoughts were weighing on the others, deep frowns visible on all their faces. Even Mina, who’d tried her best to keep their spirits high, seemed at a loss for what to do or how to feel. 

Dahyun shifted in her seat, reaching a hand around her torso absentmindedly. Beneath her shirt, she knew a spread of scars littered her skin, trophies from her three years of living with her stepfather. 

And Sana had seen. 

Dahyun hadn’t meant to react like that. She had never wanted Sana to think she was angry at her, but even mentioning her stepfather was something of a trigger for Dahyun. It brought her back to horrible memories of living with him after her mother’s death. Hiding in the safety of her room, bruises on her wrist, barely covered by the long sleeves of her shirt. Multiple times she’d had to hide her pain behind a smile whenever she went to school. 

He held Dahyun responsible for her mother’s death, and made it very clear to her that it was all her fault. She almost couldn’t blame him, though. It was her fault. 

Her and her stupid powers.

It hadn’t been a bright spot in her life, and she thought she’d left it all behind. 

But then Sana had seen, and it all came rushing back. 

She just hoped that she and Sana would be able to see each other again. If only to apologize for how she reacted. 

But, she thought, a bittersweet smile making its way onto her face, she wouldn’t mind having the girl by her side once again. 

Soon, she told herself, trying to stay optimistic. Soon, they would see each other, and Sana would be fine. She’d smile that bright smile of hers and laugh as if they’d never been in any danger at all. 

And then she’d give Dahyun that look. That fond, unreadable look she always gave her. The one that caused a stir of butterflies in Dahyun’s stomach and a blush to form across her cheeks. The look that made her stutter over her words and lose her train of thought completely. 

She had to believe that she would see Sana again. 

Chapter Text

“Watch out!” Jihyo screamed, and Sana was forced to throw herself to the left to avoid the flying venom from the hydra soaring towards her. Grunting, she rolled along the grass before stumbling onto her feet and clumsily raising her sword towards the beast once again.

They’d been fighting for nearly twenty minutes at this point, and no progress had been made towards killing the monster. Tzuyu was still raining arrows across the thing to distract it as best she could, but her quiver was almost empty, and she looked exhausted. 

“What do we do?” Jeongyeon called, just barely managing to dodge one of the heads flying towards her, teeth bared. She jabbed at it with her spear, but it just left a narrow gash in its scales as the hydra jerked its head back once again. “We can’t keep going like this!”

“The body!” Jihyo called from far to the left. She was locked in a battle with one of the heads herself, and she grunted as she rolled away from a spray of venom. “We can’t target the head, but what about the body?” 

“Why not the head?” Tzuyu questioned incredulously, sinking an arrow into one of the creature's eyes as if to prove a point. It roared in pain, the sound of it echoing loudly throughout the stadium. 

Sana leapt to the side as one of the heads jutted out towards her, teeth bared and eyes narrowed in a feral rage. The serpentine head shot past her, and on instinct alone, Sana struck with her sword, raising it high above her head and slashing downward. 

The head of the hydra flopped to the ground and its neck recoiled back towards the body. The rest of the hydra roared in agony, and Sana allowed herself a moment of reprieve as she stared at the serpent head lying motionless on the grass. 

Then she heard Jihyo. 

“... That’s why we don’t target the head.” 

Sana almost didn’t want to look, but when she finally gathered the courage to face the creature once again, her heart dropped. 

Right where Sana had sliced the head off, the creature’s skin was shifting and reforming. She watched as the neck seemed to extend outward, and her eyes widened as two serpentine heads eventually took form, swiftly replacing the one she’d cut off. 

“IT REGROWS TWO HEADS?” Tzuyu screamed, and Sana didn’t even have to look at her to know that she was also staring at the beast in horror.

“YES!” Jihyo called back, just barely batting away the strike of another head by hitting it with the flat of her sword. “So we have to go for the body!” 

“Got it!” Jeongyeon replied immediately, and she made a running start towards the creature, her eyes narrowed. 

“Jeongyeon!” Tzuyu called after her, notching her last few arrows in an attempt to cover Jeongyeon as she sprinted towards the Hydra’s body. 

For a moment, Sana almost thought she’d make it. She was about 5 feet away from stabbing her spear into its heart before the hydra finally struck. 

One of the closer heads, the one that wasn’t distracted by everyone else, shot towards Jeongyeon as she approached, and it was only Jihyo’s scream of warning that prevented her from meeting a grisly end. 

Just in time, she raised her spear towards the approaching teeth, managing to wedge the wooden staff in between its teeth. 

There was a beat of tension as Jeongyeon grunted against the force of the head. However, the moment was shattered when Tzuyu sank her last arrow into the eye of the head that was attacking Jeongyeon. 

Jeongyeon stumbled back as hydra roared in anger and pain, retreating away from them. 

As the hydra moved towards the back wall of the field to deal with the arrow now lodged in one of its eyes, everyone gathered at home plate, winded and afraid. 

“Okay, we don’t have a lot of time,” Jihyo breathed, wiping the sweat from her brow. “We’ve got to down this thing, and fast.” 

“The heart, we need to hit its heart,” Sana said, her eyes trained on the hydra only about a hundred yards away.

“Okay, so we need a distraction,” Tzuyu said, switching out her bow in favor of her bronze shortsword. “Something that will occupy all of the heads while one of us goes in and lands the killing blow.” 

“I have something.” Momo said, breathing heavily as she ran up to them from the sidelines, where she’d evidently gone to get something from her bag. 

Sana opened her mouth to question Momo, but the words caught in her throat when the girl held out her hands, revealing about ten small, brown bags. 

“What is that?” Jihyo asked, glancing between Momo and the monster. 

“They’re full of extremely volatile powder, and if they come in contact with heat or flame, they will -”

“Grenades!” Jeongyeon interrupted, a new sort of excitement shining in her eyes.

With a nod, Momo began to distribute the bags, each of them taking three or four of the things. 

“The friction of the impact should be enough to detonate the powder,” Momo explained. “So just throw far and hard.”

“Okay,” Jihyo nodded, and Sana tried not to focus on the heavy footsteps of the hydra as it finally made its way back towards them. She turned towards Sana, giving her a nod. “Sana, you go for the chest, and we’ll try and cover you as best we can.” 

Sana swallowed, but she couldn’t find it in herself to protest. Instead, she just nodded at Jihyo, gripping her sword a little tighter and glancing at the bombs locked in her own grasp. 

“Alright, let’s go!” Jeongyeon yelled, already turning around and flinging one of the bags at the hydra. 

Sana could only stare as the bag soared through the air towards one of the monster’s heads. 

The impact was enough to shake the stadium. The hydra recoiled with a huge roar, and as the smoke cleared, Sana didn’t hesitate to sprint towards the beast. 

The others waited no longer to spread out and throw their own makeshift grenades, and Sana’s ears rang as the explosions roared across the field, one after the other. 

Through the haze of smoke as Sana approached, she met eyes with one of the heads, the one that was perched directly in front of the hydra’s chest, as if guarding it. 

Instead of slowing down or stopping, Sana simply grit her teeth and chucked one of the bags towards the thing as hard as she could. She didn’t have the best throwing arm, but the resulting explosion was enough to clear the way for her to land the final blow. 

The screams of the others echoed around her, but through the smoke and debris, Sana could see her opening. The chest of the beast was exposed, the heads occupied with various explosions coming from four different angles. 

Clenching her jaw, Sana raised her sword, aiming her balde directly in front of her as she finally reached the monster’s chest. 

The blade sliced through the scales surprisingly easily, and the hydra’s screech of pain was almost satisfying. Sana didn’t hesitate before twisting the blade with a grunt, resulting in another screech. 

However, she wasn’t positive her blow would be enough to fully take down the beast. So, before the creature could recoil and retreat, Sana withdrew her blade and shoved one of the bags into the gash, pushing it as deep as she could. She cringed at the black blood that spurted from the wound and coated her hand and arm.

Yet, she couldn’t focus on it for very long, not when the hydra responded by promptly slapping her across the baseball field, sending her flying towards home plate. She rolled painfully across the grass, groaning when she finally rolled to a stop, lying motionless on her back. 

“Sana!” she heard someone scream, she wasn’t completely sure who. She didn’t focus on it, instead forcing herself off the ground, ignoring the screaming pain in her ribs. Spots dotted her vision and she stumbled, dangerously dizzy.

“It’s chest,” she managed, lifting a shaking finger and pointing towards where the hydra had retreated towards the back wall. “There’s - I put one of the bags in its chest -”

She finally became aware of the other four crowding around her, of Jihyo’s fingers around her arms as the girl struggled to pull her back towards the ground. 

“What?” Jihyo asked, her brows furrowed, and Sana coughed, unable to summon the words to respond. 

But Tzuyu knew what she meant, and Sana watched as a wicked grin formed on the girl’s face. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to use this arrow.” she said, reaching behind her and retrieving a new arrow from a side pocket on her quiver. As she notched the arrow, raising the bow to her face and narrowing her eyes as she aimed towards the beast, Sana nearly yelped when the arrow suddenly lit up, flames running along the length of the shaft until they reached the very end. 

A fire arrow.

And before they could dwell anymore on it, Tzuyu let the arrow fly. 

Time seemed to slow as it shot towards the hydra, the fire along the arrow shaft flickering wildly in the wind. 

And then it landed. 

As the head of the arrow slotted itself directly into the beast’s chest, right where Sana had shoved the grenade, the hydra exploded. 

The shockwave threw everyone back, and Sana cried out as she was thrown across the field once again, her ribs screaming in protest. 

The last thing she was aware of was the arena shuddering dangerously from the explosion and fire beginning to spread across the grass. 

And then her temple slammed into the ground, and she knew no more. 

Sana awoke to the brush of raindrops falling against her cheeks. 

Scrunching her face and trying uselessly to escape the drizzle, she finally forced her eyes open. Above her, dark gray clouds filled the sky and raindrops could be seen falling from above. 

“Is she awake?” she heard someone ask from behind her, and she could just barely distinguish the voice as Jihyo’s. 

“Sana?” Tzuyu asked, and a flash of brown hair passed in front of her eyes as Tzuyu knelt beside her. “Are you okay?” 

Was she okay? She paused, as if considering the question. 

And then the aching pain in her abdomen suddenly became more of a stabbing pain, and Sana’s groan was Tzuyu’s only answer. 

“Right,” Tzuyu replied, wincing a little. “Momo, pass me those ambrosia squares, the ones in my bag.”

Thank god Tzuyu is always so prepared, Sana thought absentmindedly through her haze of pain. Yep, one of her ribs was definitely broken. 

“Where are we?” she managed to ask, withholding another groan as she tried to push herself off the ground. 

Tzuyu simply pushed her back down, shaking her head and handing her one of the yellow squares Momo had passed to her. “We’re at a bus stop, a couple blocks from Wrigley Field.”

“That was as far as we could make it with you unconscious and the police rushing towards the field.” Jihyo added with a snort. “One hour in Chicago and we almost burn down Wrigley Field. Figures.” 

Sana had to agree. It was just their luck. 

Still, as she plucked the square from Tzuyu’s hand and greedily ate it, she couldn’t help but feel relieved at the comforting taste. Yogurt smoothies. They survived. They made it out. 

And now, all that was left to do was to find Dahyun and the others. 

As if she’d read her mind, Momo asked, “So, how’re we going to catch up with the others?” 

Silence filled the air around the four of them. 

“Well, we won’t be doing anything tonight, that’s for sure,” Jihyo replied, not really answering Momo’s question. “Almost everything is closed, and we’re worn out.” 

“But we don’t have any money for a hotel,” Tzuyu said quietly. “Where are we supposed to stay tonight?” 

Jihyo opened her mouth to answer, but whatever she was going to say was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice to their right. “Looks like you kids could use some help?” 

Sana cringed, finally managing to sit up and take a look at the man approaching them. He was tall, about 6 feet, if Sana had to guess. His hair was spiked with gel, and he wore a dark denim jacket paired with black cargo pants. Just a regular guy, it seemed. 

And yet…

The man approached, and as he got closer and closer, Sana could just make out a golden aura surrounding him. It made him seem the opposite of regular…almost otherworldly. 

She glanced around at the other girls, and, based on their expressions, it seemed they also noticed his unusual presence. 

“Who are you?” Jihyo asked warily, her hand drifting towards the hilt of her sword. 

The man raised his hands in a calming gesture, a smirk on his face. “Hey, easy there, I’m a friend.” 

Sana narrowed her eyes. 

The man sighed, taking off the pair of sunglasses he wore to reveal eyes that glowed an unnatural red. “You might know me better as Ares?” 

The world seemed to still for a moment. 

Ares?

Jihyo seemed at a loss for words, so Tzuyu stepped forward. “What do you want?” she asked firmly, and Sana could respect how her voice didn’t tremble at all, even when faced with a god.

Ares chuckled, replacing his sunglasses over his eyes and resting his hands in his pockets. “I just want to help, all right?” he said with a shrug. “Why so hostile?”

“Because gods don’t typically interfere with mortal matters, even if such matters involve their own children.” Momo replied steadily, her eyes never leaving the man in front of them. 

Ares frowned. “Listen kid, I don’t want to fight, okay?” he said finally. “I can get you safe travel to Denver. That’s where your little friends are going right now, right?” 

Sana clenched her jaw, and no one said anything.

Ares laughed a little. “Fine, you don’t have to accept my generosity, I guess,” he said. “But your friends are getting further and further away every minute you sit at this bus stop, and you are no closer to catching up with them without my help.” 

He was right. Of course he was right, but…

“Why should we trust you?” Jihyo asked, finally finding her voice. 

Ares just smiled. “Because I can tell you exactly where Hades’ sword is.”

They decided to accept his help in the end. 

What other choice did they have, really? They were stuck, alone in a city with no money and no roof over their heads. Ares had shown up when they were desperate, and he knew it. 

But, his transportation was valuable, and so was his information. 

So, as they made their way to the Chicago airport, where Ares promised them a private plane would be waiting (protected from the eyes of Zeus, of course), they stewed over the information he’d provided.

“Alcatraz?” Momo asked, shaking her head. “Why would it even be there?” 

“More importantly, how does Ares know it’s there at all?” Jihyo said, shaking her head with furrowed brows. “It just doesn’t make sense.” 

The taxi was silent as they all considered. 

“Either way, now we know where to go,” Tzuyu broke the silence with a sigh. “ And, now we can make it to Denver in one piece.”

“Yeah,” Jihyo agreed, a small smile on her face. “We’ll probably make it way before the others, too. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when we’re waiting for them.” 

Sana couldn’t suppress her smile at the thought, at the idea of Dahyun’s shocked expression when she saw them. 

Soon. They would reunite with the others soon, and this whole miserable quest would soon be over. 

They just had to make it to Denver first.

And then, Alcatraz.

Chapter Text

To say that Dahyun was anxious throughout the entire bus ride wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Through the night, trying to catch a few hours of sleep, the unease churning in her gut wouldn’t fade. Even her brief moments of sleep were plagued with unsettling dreams and unpleasant memories. 

At one point, after Dahyun had startled awake, eyes wild and heart racing, Mina rested a hand on her arm, whispering, “Dahyun, hey, it’s okay.” 

Dahyun had swallowed her fear, fighting to not flinch away from Mina’s gentle touch. Forcing herself to nod and shooting her friend a tense smile, she’d turned away to face the window. 

She’d dreamt of Sana, of Momo and Tzuyu and Jihyo and Jeongyeon. They’d been fighting for their lives, weary and injured.

And then, an explosion. 

Dahyun’s heart wouldn’t stop racing. 

The rest of the ride passed without incident, but Dahyun was exhausted by the time they arrived in Denver. She’d had barely any sleep in the past three days, and the nightmares that had been haunting her didn’t help. 

Stumbling off the bus with the others following close behind, she could barely find the energy to stay standing. 

The bus station was crowded, despite the late hour. The sun had set only a few hours ago, and Dahyun squinted at the harsh street lights that illuminated the sidewalk they walked on. 

The four of them soundlessly made their way to the nearest bench, taking a seat with a collective sigh.

“What do we do now?” Nayeon asked quietly, running a hand through her hair. 

No one answered for a beat. 

“Let’s Iris message the others,” Mina said finally, sounding as exhausted as Dahyun felt. “We’ll decide what to do once we’ve spoken with them.” 

Finding a car wash or something similar was harder this time. It was dark, and the streets were empty and creepy. Almost everyone had a hand on the hilt of their weapon as they walked along the Denver streets.

Eventually, though, they got lucky, spotting a relatively large fountain across the street, located at the center of a courtyard. A large sign told them they were entering a neighborhood park, but Dahyun paid it little mind as they made their way to the fountain. 

Luckily, the spout was still spraying a consistent stream of water, and the light breeze made it so that a mist blew from the fountain. The light from the nearby streetlamp was enough to create a meager rainbow, just barely visible among the mist of water. 

“It’ll have to do, I guess,” Nayeon sighed, fishing into her pockets to retrieve another golden drachma. “This is my last one so we better make it count.” 

Without another word, she tossed the coin into the faint rainbow, glancing at the others before turning to face the fountain once again. 

“Oh, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering.” 

Silence consumed the empty space, and everyone watched with bated breath as the coin promptly faded out of existence and the rainbow flickered. 

Almost anticlimactically, Sana’s face took form in the mist, and Dahyun ignored the way her heart stuttered as Sana’s eyes turned towards them. She couldn’t withhold a relieved sigh, however, not as Sana’s lips quirked upward into a familiar smile and the others rushed over to stand beside her. 

“Guys!” Jihyo cried, eyes wide. “Where are you, where should we meet?” 

“We’re in Denver,” Mina began, exhaustion creeping into her voice. “How soon do you guys think -” 

“Finally!” Jeongyeon snorted. “We’ve been waiting for hours now!” 

“Wait, what?” Nayeon replied, brows raised. “But, how -” 

“Don’t worry, we’ll explain later,” Tzuyu interrupted. “We need to decide somewhere to meet.” 

The Denver Arch wasn’t the most subtle meeting place, but it was easy. After a rather long and exhausting trek across the city, the girls finally arrived at the arch, the towering structure rising far from the ground and reaching up towards the clouds. Dahyun craned her neck to look towards the top of the arch, her mouth becoming dry when she noticed just how tall the thing was. 

“There they are!” Nayeon called, effectively drawing Dahyun’s attention from the arch. She whipped her head around, following Nayeon’s gaze and pointed finger to the other side of the arch, where five girls were already walking towards them. 

At the sight of them, Dahyun's breath stuttered and her heart ached with a staggering sense of relief. 

They were okay.

She could feel the emotions threatening to overwhelm her, but couldn’t bring herself to care. As the others ran towards them, Dahyun unconsciously joined them, her eyes locked on to the blonde standing only a few meters in front of her.

Dahyun slammed into Sana only a few beats later, wrapping her arms around the girl as though she might disappear at any moment. Distantly, she knew the others were hugging and exchanging greetings, but she could only focus on Sana. 

Sana returned the hug, pulling Dahyun closer. “Dahyun…?” she asked hesitantly, and Dahyun knew why she sounded so confused. It wasn’t often that Dahyun showed affection openly like this. Gods, this might have been the very first hug they’d shared. 

“Never do that again.” Dahyun said simply, pulling away from the hug to finally take a look at the girl in front of her. Scratches and bruises were scattered across her face and arms, and Dahyun’s chest ached when she saw the dried blood staining her shirt.

“Are you -” she asked, the words escaping her mouth before she could even register them. 

“I’m fine, Dahyun,” Sana reassured her, resting her hand on Dahyun’s shoulder. “It’s fine.” 

“Dahyun?” came a voice from her right, and Dahyun finally tore her gaze away from Sana long enough to take in the others. She scanned their faces, looking them up and down for injuries. Too focused on seeing if they were okay, it took her far too long to notice the look on their faces. 

Following Momo’s fearful gaze, Dahyun looked down at herself, her heart stuttering when she finally registered the shadows clinging to her form and wrapping themselves around her. From her fingers, more of the swirling shadows emerged, filling the air around them. “Shit,” Dahyun muttered, and suddenly the mild tug in her gut became much more pronounced. 

The shadows seemed to solidify in response.

Shit, shit, shit! 

Dahyun couldn’t let this happen, she couldn’t afford to hurt anyone, not when they were finally reunited. Panic stirred within her, and she barely registered the others exchanging glances with each other, too focused on the darkness swirling around her.

“So, where are we staying tonight?” Sana said, interrupting the tense moment. She reached over to rest a hand on Dahyun’s back, seemingly unafraid. 

“Um,” Jihyo replied, almost unable to tear her eyes from Dahyun. 

“We used most of our money last night on the bus tickets,” Mina said quickly, turning away from Dahyun to face the others. “Does anyone have any ideas?” 

As the others discussed the plan, Dahyun was trying as hard as she could to not completely explode. As subtle as the shadows had taken form, it was now the only thing Dahyun could notice. The dark clouds swirled around her, as if mirroring the mess of emotions she felt. Her chest ached with the effort of holding her powers back, and it was only Sana’s grounding hand that kept her from exploding. 

“Hey,” Sana whispered, moving closer to her, stubbornly unafraid of the shadows clinging to Dahyun’s form. Dahyun wanted to scream at her, to push her away and run as far as she could before she exploded completely. 

Before she ended up hurting someone. 

“ Hey.” Sana said more forcefully, as if she knew exactly where Dahyun’s mind had been going. “It’s going to be fine. You’re not going to hurt us.”

“How can you know-” 

“I just know, Dahyun,” Sana said, turning to face her. “I’m not scared of you, I promise.” 

Dahyun swallowed, looking up to meet her eyes. 

“I could never be scared of you.” Sana whispered. “I trust you.” 

And just like that, the hurricane of emotions stirring in her gut weakened, sputtering out when Sana spoke. 

“That’s it.” Sana whispered, and distantly, Dahyun was aware that the shadows were fading, becoming mere wisps of darkness, barely visible. 

And just like that, it was over. The shadows disappeared and the pull in Dahyun’s gut loosened. She let out a sigh of relief, her body slumping, and she couldn’t help but lean against Sana as the exhaustion of the last 24 hours hit her all at once.

“I have somewhere we can go,” Chaeyoung finally spoke up. “I have family here, but they should be out of town right now.” 

“Perfect,” Jihyo replied, glancing back at Dahyun and Sana. “We can avoid any questions.” 

“Alright, Chae,” Tzuyu said, gesturing towards the blonde. “Lead the way.” 

And thankfully, no one mentioned Dahyun’s… meltdown.

Dahyun was moments from collapsing by the time they arrived at the Chaeyoung’s family’s house. It was moderately-sized, made of light-red brick and tucked into the back part of a neighborhood only a few minutes outside downtown Chicago. 

She barely registered as Chaeyoung muttered to herself, searching around the porch for the spare key she insisted was there. 

“When’s the last time you were here, Chae?” Jeongyeon asked, brows raised as Chaeyoung hunted for the key. 

“Um,” Chaeyoung said, pausing in her movements. “I was 10? I think?”

Tzuyu sighed, closing her eyes. “Thank god they’re out of town.” 

“Enough,” Nayeon said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s just -” 

Without another word, Nayeon approached the door, wrapping her fingers around the locked handle and turning the knob. A loud clack echoed across the porch, and the door swung open. 

“Did you just break the lock?” Jeongyeon asked, staring at her in shock. “But, how-” 

“A proficiency in weapons isn’t the only gift dear old Dad gave me,” Nayeon said, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m pretty strong, too.” 

Jihyo snorted, following behind the others as they all began filing into the house. “‘Pretty strong’ she says,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s an understatement.” 

Suddenly all of those times Nayeon had kicked her ass while training started to make sense. Every time she’d been struck by Nayeon, it felt as though she’d been hit by a truck. 

“That feels like cheating,” she muttered, blearily rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

Sana chuckled next to her, probably assuming what Dahyun had been thinking about. “Tell me about it,” she said, her voice low in the empty house. “I haven’t beat Nayeon in sparring since I was fourteen .”

Dahyun shook her head with a groan. “Speak for yourself,” she said. “I haven’t beat her at all. ” 

“Alright, spread out, ladies,” Jihyo said before Sana could respond. “There won’t be enough beds for all of us, so a few people will have to take the couch or the floor.” 

And just like that, everyone scattered, searching desperately for any bedrooms they could find. 

Dahyun simply groaned and flopped back onto the living room couch. Honestly, she didn’t care where she slept tonight. As long as she could finally rest, she was okay with anything. 

And as she drifted off, asleep in only moments, she wasn’t aware of the tender smile Sana flashed her as she settled onto the couch across the room.

Chapter Text

Sana woke with the sun the next morning. 

She narrowed her eyes at the beams of sunlight streaming through the open windows in the living room. Last night, it had been easy to ignore the open curtains because of their collective exhaustion, but now, it was impossible to not notice. 

With a small groan, Sana forced herself to sit up, her face twisting into a frown when she looked down at herself, noticing the old, dirty clothes she still wore. There were all manner of stains on the fabric, including a suspicious splotch of what must have been blood. Tears and holes littered her shirt and pants, and Sana cringed at the thought of wearing it any longer. 

She glanced around the room before grabbing her bag from the end of the couch, searching for a change of clothes. 

As quietly as she could, she made her way across the room and into the hallway bathroom, careful to not wake Dahyun as she walked. 

The shower was one of the most refreshing Sana could remember. The events of the last 24 hours washed away, along with the leftover grime and sweat, and by the time she emerged from the restroom only about fifteen minutes later, she felt like a new woman. 

Dahyun still hadn’t stirred from her position on the couch, though Sana could hear activity from other parts of the house. It was only a matter of time before the other members of their party began thundering through the house. 

Sana sucked in a deep breath, treasuring the small moments of peace. 

She made her way to the kitchen, wincing a little as she rummaged through the fridge and pantry. Internally, she apologized to Chaeyoung’s family, but still. Desperate times. 

After finding a loaf of bread in the pantry and a small container of butter in the fridge, she started on getting the toaster working. 

In only a few minutes, Sana was munching on a piece of toast, perched at the marble island in the kitchen. She heard the other members begin to stir from across the house, and she spared a glance at Dahyun, who was still sleeping peacefully on the living room couch. 

Sana sighed. She felt bad disturbing the girl’s sleep, but she was sure she’d prefer being woken up by Sana rather than the chaotic yells and commotion by the rest of the group when they inevitably came looking for breakfast.

“Hey, Dahyun,” she said softly, reaching over to gently shake the girl’s shoulder.

Dahyun simply groaned in response. 

Sana laughed to herself, nudging Dahyun’s shoulder a little harder this time. “You’ve gotta get up, we’re probably gonna head out soon, and I know you want to eat beforehand.”

Dahyun stilled, her brows furrowing as she let out a deep breath. “Okay,” she said finally, her voice raspy from disuse. Sana ignored the way her heart fluttered just the slightest at the sound of her voice. “I’m awake.”

Sana couldn’t withhold a small laugh as Dahyun opened her eyes dramatically at the end of her sentence. 

Sana left her to wake up completely, heading back to the kitchen to make another slice of toast for her to have after she got ready. 

It didn’t take long for everyone to begin flooding the kitchen, and soon the house was loud with the sound of conversation and commotion as everyone grabbed what they could to eat for breakfast and packed their things. 

Dahyun munched on a piece of toast, propping her elbows at the end of the kitchen island and listening quietly as the other girls discussed the plan.

“So, Ares helped you guys get to Denver?” Nayeon asked, her voice uncharacteristically serious.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Jihyo sighed, shaking her head. “He just showed up out of nowhere and offered us help with catching up to you.”

“He didn’t say why,” Tzuyu offered, already sensing what Nayeon would ask next. “He didn’t seem very open to offering any more information, but…”

“We really needed his help,” Sana admitted. 

“Sana was recovering, and --”

“You were injured?” Dahyun interrupted, whipping her head towards Sana. 

Sana blinked, unprepared for the sheer concern shining in the other girl’s eyes. She opened her mouth to answer, but the words caught in her throat. 

“Her ribs,” Momo cut in, glancing between the two of them. “One of them was broken when the hydra hit her.”

There was a moment of silence, and Dahyun looked away, biting her lip and giving Momo a tense nod. Sana swallowed, turning to face the others once again.

“Right…” Mina broke the silence. “So Ares just…showed up?”

“Pretty much,” Tzuyu nodded. “Introduced himself, told us he’d give us safe transport to Denver, and he told us where Hades’ sword was hidden - Alcatraz.”

“ What?” at least three voices chorused around the room. 

“He just… told you where the sword was?” Nayeon exclaimed, staring at the five of them with wide eyes. 

“I know.” Jihyo nodded. “It was weird.” 

“Well now we know he can’t be trusted.” Mina sighed. 

“Still…” Jeongyeon said, speaking for the first time in a while. “We don’t have anything else to go on…and he did help us out when we needed it.”

Nayeon shook her head. “I don’t care if he helped,” she said, and suddenly, her harsh tone seemed to sound a bit more personal. “Gods are only in it for themselves. If he helped us, it’s definitely not out of the goodness of his heart.”

Silence consumed the kitchen. 

She was right, of course. It was one thing they all knew for sure. The gods, their parents? They didn’t care about them. 

Sana glanced over at Dahyun, noticing the abandoned piece of toast laying on the counter in front of her. Apparently, Sana wasn’t the only one who’d lost her appetite.

“We have to go.” Dahyun finally said. It was the first time she’d spoken at all this morning. “Even if he’s lying, it’s still in the area, and we have to find Hades’ sword. That’s the point of all this, right?”

“Right.” Jihyo said, nodding her head. She looked around at everyone, meeting eyes. “Alright guys, everyone get their stuff together. We’re gonna leave for the train station in fifteen minutes. Sounds good?”

Murmurs of agreement sounded around the table, and soon everyone had left the kitchen and scattered around the house, straightening up whatever mess they’d left and making sure they had all necessary supplies. Chaeyoung went ahead and searched the medicine cabinet to see about restocking any first aid supplies, and Momo did her best to raid the pantry for rations. 

Sana sighed, glancing over at where Dahyun was already packed and waiting by the door. She was tense, even more tense than before. It seemed that a good night’s sleep hadn’t helped as much as she’d hoped. 

Nightmares, probably. Gods’ know Sana had a few herself. 

Taking a last bite of her toast, Sana got around to packing her own stuff. 

It was going to be a long day.

“So, this is great and all, but how are we going to afford overnight train tickets to San Francisco when we have roughly fifteen dollars total?” 

“Enough of this negativity, Mina,” Jeongyeon shushed her. “I’m scheming.”

“That’s ominous.” Tzuyu said, a blank expression on her face as she examined her nails. 

“It’s Jeong,” Chaeyoung snorted, nudging Tzuyu with her elbow. “What were you expecting?” 

“Why is that girl looking at us?” Momo muttered, her eyes focused on the girl standing past them next to the ticket booth. She stared at the nine of them with a blank expression, though, and when Sana met her eyes, she felt a shiver go up her spine. 

“Ignore her.” Jihyo said. “We’ve just gotta -”

“I’ve got it!” Jeongyeon interrupted her. She turned towards Dahyun with a serious expression on her face. “How much do you trust me?”

Dahyun’s expression remained even, but Sana could see the trepidation in her eyes.

“...what do you mean?”

An hour later, the nine of them had split between two overnight carriages, on their way to San Francisco at last. 

Sana rubbed Dahyun’s shoulder, the latter still slightly trembling from Jeongyeon’s ‘scheme.’

“I can’t believe that actually worked.” Tzuyu said, voicing Sana’s thoughts to the group.

Jeongyeon gave them a smug smile. “Told you,” she said. “Easy peasy. Crack the sidewalk tile with a sword, push Dahyun onto the tracks, barely save her from an oncoming train, and throw a fit about the ‘horrible safety measures in this station, my friend could have died, ’ and bam! Nine free train tickets on the promise that we won’t pursue any future lawsuits.”

“I didn’t think you would cut it that close,” Dahyun pointed out, eyes still wide and traumatized.

“Pft, it’s okay.” Jeongyeon waved her off. “We got you out, just like I said we would.”

“Besides, it was safer for you to do it than anyone else,” Jihyo pointed out, poking around the carriage. “You’ve got those powers of yours to protect you.”

“Yeah,” Dahyun muttered, eyes nearing the floor, the same way they did everytime her powers were mentioned. “I’m gonna go see if I can find the dining car.”

She was gone before any of them could offer to accompany her.

Shockingly, the train ride went smoothly. 

After Mina went to fetch Dahyun and some food for everyone, the rest of the ride was spent talking, catching up on rest and food, and playing all sorts of games. 

Dahyun’s mood improved across the hours, and Sana couldn’t be happier. It was like she was seeing a different side of her, one that she’d only revealed back at camp - before she’d been claimed, before this had all happened. It was refreshing to see. She was cracking jokes, laughing as hard as all of them, and even leaning a little into Sana’s side. 

And when they all spread out across the two carriages, vowing to get some rest, Sana treasured the warmth from Dahyun’s hand in her own. 

Sleep was difficult to come by, especially considering everything that was going on, but it eventually came to Sana after an hour or two of tossing and turning.

Her dreams were filled with visions of the quest so far, her friends, and the battles to come. 

In one particularly haunting image, Dahyun stared at her with dead eyes, eyes that were empty and cold, and launched herself at Sana, sword raised. 

Sana woke up in a cold sweat at this point, breathing as hard as she could without waking everyone else in the carriage.

She didn’t get much sleep the rest of the night

In the morning, the group shared a pleasant breakfast, and treasured the few hours of peace that remained before the train would arrive in San Francisco. 

However, while munching on a biscuit, Sana couldn’t help but notice the pretty girl in

the corner staring at the nine of them. Specifically, her eyes honed in on Dahyun, who was laughing at something funny Chaeyoung had said. 

It was the same girl they had seen watching them on the train station platform.

Sana narrowed her eyes, noting the flirtatious grin covering the girl’s face.

Still, she tried to shake it off, pointedly reaching out to grab Dahyun’s hand when they left the dining car to head back to their carriages for the last leg of the journey. She took pleasure in the fact that Dahyun didn’t flinch at all when Sana knit their fingers together, instead comfortably leaning into Sana as they walked back. 

The next few hours were peaceful, for the most part. 

Honestly, Sana was surprised at how smoothly the ride was going, especially considering the chaos of the trip so far. 

However, within a few minutes of pulling into the San Francisco train station, Sana was cursing herself for even thinking that they’d make it that far. 

As the train conductor announced that the train would be arriving in about fifteen minutes, Jihyo ushered them all to the dining car once again, telling them all to fill up on food while they still could. 

Sana grabbed a couple cookies and wrapped them in a napkin, shoving them in her bag, while Dahyun, only a few feet away from her, was grabbing a tray of fruit to snack on before they left the train. 

And then, suddenly, that girl returned. 

Before Sana could even register what was happening, the girl had entered the car and fluidly weaved through the car over to Dahyun. And gods, was this girl gorgeous , with beautiful green eyes and long dark hair cropped just above her torso. Sana stared at her, food forgotten, as she leaned close to Dahyun and ran a flirty finger up the girl’s shoulder. 

“Hey there,” Sana heard the girl whisper, her voice sultry. “What’s your name?”

To her credit, Dahyun looked extremely uncomfortable, immediately looking around for the others. However, they were all spread out amongst the car, talking amongst themselves. Sana was apparently the only one who noticed this random girl. Dahyun just barely caught Sana’s eyes before the girl grabbed onto her shoulder and met Dahyun’s eyes once again. She leaned forward and whispered something into her ear, getting as close as possible. 

Sana felt like she was about to explode.

Just as she was about to go over there and give this girl a piece of her mind, the two of them were already moving towards the other end of the dining car, towards the exit. Sana stared, trying to catch Dahyun’s eyes as she passed, but Dahyun only had eyes for the girl beside her, seemingly transfixed.

“Dahyun -” Sana just barely called, but the two of them were already exiting the car. 

The whole thing had happened so fast, it was like they hadn’t even been there in the first place.

Okay, that wasn’t just jealousy talking. That was weird.

“Alright, is everyone ready?” Jeongyeon asked, mouth full of food. 

Sana shook her head, tearing her eyes away from where Dahyun and the girl had just exited. Barely registering the voice over the intercom telling everyone that the train had arrived, she whipped around to the others. 

“Did no one just see that?” she asked incredulously. 

“What?” Mina asked, brows furrowed as she glanced up from her conversation with Tzuyu and Chaeyoung. 

“There was this girl, and she was gorgeous, and she walked in out of nowhere and was getting all… touchy and stuff with Dahyun -”

“Where is Dahyun now?” Jihyo asked immediately, looking around and noting their friend’s absence.

“She whispered something in Dahyun’s ear and they both left!” Sana practically yelled, her face probably bright red at this point.

Jeongyeon narrowed her eyes. “Doesn’t seem like Dahyun to hook up with a stranger in the middle of a quest.”

“And right when we have to get off, too.” Momo pointed out. 

“Something’s wrong.” Mina said, already moving towards the exit. “We have to follow.” 

The nine of them filed through the exit onto the next car as fast as possible, Sana already fiddling with the hilt of her sword. 

Unfortunately, the car was packed with people, all of them filing out of the car and towards the exit. 

“I see her!” Tzuyu called, pointing across the crowd towards the other end of the car. 

Sana followed her gaze, eyes landing on Dahyun and the girl. Both of them were weaving through the crowd of people like it was nothing, the girl seemingly dragging Dahyun behind her. 

“They’re headed for the exit!” Sana told the others, eyes narrowed. “I’m gonna try and catch up!” 

“Sana, wait,” Jihyo tried, but Sana was already bullying her way through the crowd.

She managed to make her way to the next car, squeezing her way through the throngs of people attempting to unboard the train. She wildly looked around the car, trying to find the two girls, and she just managed to catch them as they got off the train entirely, having reached an unboarding location. 

Sana tried to bully her way through, but the crowd pushed her back. By the time she finally got to the exit, it had been far too long since the two girls had gotten off the train. 

Still, she looked around the crowded train station, struggling to find the stranger and her friend. Desperation clawed at her throat as she saw no sign of them. 

“Dahyun!” she called, wildly scanning the crowd for any sign of her friend. 

Suddenly, there was a slight pause in the crowd, and Sana whipped her head towards where people had slowed down. She ran over, pushing past people and scanning the area. 

Just when she had about given up, she just caught a curtain of black hair disappearing behind a wall at the far end of the station. 

Not even sure if it was Dahyun, Sana still sprinted towards the end of the station, eyes wild and desperate. It took her longer than she would’ve liked to navigate the crowd, but as she got closer and closer to the end of the station, the crowd thinned out. 

Sana didn’t waste any time, whipping around the corner where she’d seen Dahyun and drawing her sword.

And when she saw what was happening, she was glad she’d chased the two of them down. 

Dahyun was pressed against the wall of the train, eyes glazed over and empty. She’d been charmed, somehow. The stranger was leaning into her, her hands pinning Dahyun against the brick and her sharp teeth hovering over Dahyun’s pale neck.

“Hey!” Sana said, vision red with rage. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

The girl turned to her, her green eyes twinkling with sick amusement. “ Feasting .” she replied, leaning into Dahyun once more and smelling her neck. “I do love the powerful ones.”

“What are you?” Sana asked, her knuckles white around the hilt of her sword.

She blinked, and suddenly, rather than the gorgeous woman Sana had seen before, a monster stood before. 

Her hair was a wreath of fire, her legs no longer human. One resembled a donkey leg, hairy and hooved, while the other was completely bronze. The worst part was her eyes. Instead of the beautiful green they’d been before, they were now a deep, glowing red.

So not just any monster. An empousa .

A seductress, one that charmed and feasted on demigod men. 

Apparently, not just men. 

At least Sana knew Dahyun wasn’t completely straight now. 

“This one smelled so delicious, ” the empousa said, breathing in Dahyun’s scent once more. “I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Get away from her!” Sana yelled, finally having had enough. She ran towards the creature, sword raised. 

“ Stop .” the empousa spoke, a power in her words that Sana hadn’t heard before. 

It was like her body wasn’t her own. Unable to control herself, Sana skidded to a halt, her sword still raised. “What are you doing to me?” Sana hissed, trying as hard as she could to move.

“My charmspeak works on anyone who is attracted to me,” the empousa whispered, teasingly approaching Sana. “Even if you see my true form, I still have power.”

Before her eyes, the empousa shifted back into her human form, her green eyes meeting Sana’s own. She reached out, cupping Sana’s chin and smiling. “You do think I’m pretty, don’t you?”

Yes, Sana thought, blinking. Of course she was pretty.  

Unconsciously, Sana’s sword was lowered as she stared into the eyes of the empousa. Everything else seemed to fade, and the girl stood on her tiptoes to whisper in her ear. “I want you to watch while I feast on the girl you love,” she hissed, the same weight of charmspeak layering her words. “And then I will drink your blood as well, little demigod.”

Sana was powerless to stop it as the empousa stepped back, a twisted smile covering her face. She made her way back to Dahyun, who was still pressed up against the wall, eyes glazed over and unseeing. 

“Dahyun!” Sana yelled, but neither her nor the empousa reacted. “Dahyun, please!”

Sana watched as the empousa leaned in, teeth hovering just over Dahyun’s neck. 

“ Dahyun! ” 

Suddenly, just before the empousa’s teeth could latch onto the pale girl’s throat, a golden-tipped arrow lodged itself directly through the empousa’s temple, flying from behind where Sana was standing. 

All at once, the power of the charmspeak ceased, and Sana slumped, finally able to move. Glancing back, she saw Chaeyoung standing at the end of the wall, eyes hard as she lowered her bow. 

She’d arrived just in time.

Sana turned back towards where the empousa, now just a pile of golden dust, had been, and met eyes with Dahyun. Dahyun’s eyes were shocked and confused, a far-cry from the trance-like state she’d been in just a few seconds ago. 

“What happened?” she stammered, glancing between the dust, Sana, and Chaeyoung. “I just remember getting some fruit.”

Chapter Text

Dahyun was still shaken, even a few hours after the events of the station. The memories were slowly coming back to her, though it was still fuzzy. 

Sana had been quietly fuming since they’d left the station, though Dahyun couldn’t exactly tell why. Maybe she was angry that she’d been unable to stop the creature by herself, but, for some reason, Dahyun didn’t think that was it. 

Still, Dahyun kept her distance, unsure if Sana was mad at her or not. 

She wouldn’t blame her. Dahyun was a little mad at herself, if she was being honest. She’d managed to almost get herself killed in a matter of ten minutes while surrounded by people in a crowded train station. It was almost impressive. 

Still, the quest had to continue. 

They had a sword to find. 

The nine of them walked through the streets of San Francisco, taking directions from random people in order to find their way to the coast. It was approaching sunset, and they didn’t want to be in the city after dark. 

Mina walked next to Dahyun, and her quiet presence was comforting, especially after what had happened. Every so often, as if sensing Dahyun’s unease, she’d look over and give her a reassuring smile. It was a small gesture, but one that Dahyun greatly appreciated. 

Once again, her eyes drifted over to Sana, who walked in front of everyone, eyes down and footsteps angry and loud. 

Dahyun frowned, and Mina seemed to pick up on it, glancing between her and Sana. 

“She’s not mad at you, you know.” Mina said quietly, as if reading Dahyun’s thoughts.

Dahyun sighed, glancing down. “I…I don’t know.”

“I promise, she’s not,” Mina replied. “I’ve known Sana for years. She’s my best friend, and I know she would never get mad at you for something like this.”

“Then what is she so mad at?” Dahyun asked, shaking her head. “I mean, it all turned out okay in the end. I didn’t get eaten, the empousa got killed…”

Mina hesitated. “I think…she’s probably upset that she wasn’t able to protect you.” she said. “It was too close of a call for all of us.” she glanced up at her friend. “She almost watched you die, and she couldn’t do anything about it. I might be upset too.”

Dahyun swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Before she could respond, Sana’s voice called from the front. “There it is.”

Dahyun hadn’t even realized, too consumed in her thoughts, but they’d already arrived at the coast. Across the water, Dahyun could make out the silhouette of Alcatraz, slowly becoming less and less visible as the sun fell below the horizon. 

“How…”

She trailed off, but the question was left unspoken in the air. 

How the hell were they supposed to get there? They couldn’t exactly just buy tickets for the next tour, and it was likely closed until morning anyway. 

Mina reached over to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she said, a smile creeping up on her face. “I got this.”

The others watched as Mina separated from the group and approached a man at the pier. As he was in the middle of docking his boat, Mina paced over to him, her smile becoming flirty. She ran a finger up his arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear. The man was transfixed, rapidly nodding his head before moving back towards the boat to untie the ropes he’d been in the middle of tying.

Damn, charmspeak was effective.

Mina ran back over to them. “This nice man would love to give us a ride,” she said, giving them all a mischievous smile. 

“Gods, I love Mina,” Jeongyeon muttered under her breath, and without waiting any further, the nine of them made their way over to where the man was now waiting for them to come aboard.

The ride, all things considered, went very smoothly. 

There wasn’t much conversation amongst everyone, likely due to a combination of exhaustion and nerves. After all, they were approaching the object of their quest, the whole reason they’d left camp in the first place. The reason they’d all nearly died six times over, at least.

So yeah, they were nervous. 

At least, Dahyun was. 

She could feel the power in her gut churning, as if responding to the nerves she felt as they approached the island. She fought to control herself, to keep any wisps of shadow from escaping her fingertips. 

She didn’t want the others to get scared of her again, and she definitely didn’t want to hurt one of her friends.

Breathing in a shaky breath, she barely noticed the concerned look Sana gave her from a few feet away. 

The boat ride was almost too short.

As they filed off the boat and the man anchored it by the pier, Dahyun’s nerves became more akin to sheer dread. The abandoned prison loomed above them, its silhouette only visible in the moonlight. 

“Why aren’t there any guards?” Momo voiced. “Even if it’s closed, there should be security, right?”

Only silence answered her question.

Still, it was better that there weren’t any guards to deal with. It would needlessly complicate things.

“It’ll probably be hidden in the main prison section,” Jihyo said, and Dahyun couldn’t help but notice the hesitation in her voice. “We’ll have to head up the hill and move towards that building.”

Wordlessly, the nine of them followed behind.

Their quest was about to come to an end, the sword found, the war ended before it truly  could start. 

So, why did the whole thing feel so… unnerving?

“Dahyun,” Sana muttered behind her. Dahyun turned to glance at the girl, and her eyes widened when she noticed the wisps of shadow emerging from her fingers. 

Thankfully, the two of them were bringing up the rear, so none of the others had noticed the shadows just yet. 

“What’s wrong?” Sana asked, more worried than scared. 

“I don’t know,” Dahyun replied truthfully. “It’s been getting worse the closer we’ve gotten to the prison. I don’t think I can stop it.”

“Guys,” came a call from up ahead, and the two of them whipped their heads around to find that they’d reached the top of the hill and now faced the abandoned ruins of Alcatraz in its full glory. 

Dahyun couldn’t tear her eyes from the structure, suddenly aware of the tight pull in her gut. It was similar to the feeling of her powers, but…different. As if something in the prison was pulling her towards it, drawing her in. 

“We’ll probably have to split up to cover some ground, since the prison is just so big -”

“You want to split up?!” Nayeon squeaked incredulously. “Do you see this place? That’s how everyone ends up dying in a horror movie!”

Jihyo rolled her eyes. “This isn’t a horror movie, and splitting up will be a good strategy to find the sword faster -”

“No need,” Dahyun murmured. She was quiet, but it was enough to draw the attention of the others. She still hadn’t taken her eyes off the prison. “I know where it is.”

And without a word, she began making her way towards the open doors of the crumbling structure. 

“This is so creepy,” Nayeon sighed before reluctantly following the others through the doors of the prison. 

It didn’t take long to find the sword at all. 

Rather, it was actually getting the sword that ended up being the hard part. 

Dahyun’s powers went haywire as soon as they entered the prison, and she couldn’t have hidden it from the others if she tried. “Sorry,” she said, fighting to control the shadows as they streamed from her fingertips and surrounded not only her, but also the surrounding area. They swept around the room, tendrils of darkness that reached up and wrapped around the ankles of the nine of them. Thankfully, the darkness was thin and wispy, not solid. “I think it’s because we’re getting closer to the sword. I can’t control it as well.”

She ignored the unsettled facial expressions of her companions as they made their way through the dark, creepy prison. The creak of metal and the smell of rust were all Dahyun registered as she wove through the twisting hallways and passed lines of abandoned cells. She was too focused on that pull in her gut, the one practically dragging her through the prison. 

They arrived far sooner than she would’ve expected. 

Rather than being hidden in a wide open space like Dhayun might have expected, the sword was lying in wait in one of the cells. Thankfully, the cell was big enough to fit the nine of them, albeit rather uncomfortably, but she was glad she didn’t have to approach the blade by herself. 

Dahyun heard a sharp inhale from behind her. “So it’s really here.” she distantly registered Sana’s voice. “Ares wasn’t lying.”

“Doesn’t this feel too…I don’t know… easy?” Mina asked, unease clear in her voice.

All Dahyun could focus on was the blade. It was beautiful, a longsword with an intricately carved silver hilt and a blade made of pure midnight. Stygian iron, her mind provided, though she couldn’t recall where she’d learned the term. The sword, innocuously lying across the metal bed of the cell, seemed to be calling out to her, drawing her closer.

She couldn’t help but listen. 

As she approached, the voices of the others faded into nothing, and all she could see was the sword. The detailing on the hilt was spell-binding, carved with images of souls in the underworld and skeleton-like creatures reaching out towards her. 

Before she could think better of it, she reached out to grab the handle, unable to stop herself. 

“Dahyun!” she just barely heard a voice call before she had wrapped her fingers around the hilt. 

Immediately, it was as though the world went silent. The churning of power in her gut lessened to a faint ebb, and she felt complete control over her powers, a security she hadn’t ever felt. Lifting the blade from the bench, she felt the weight of it was perfect, as if it adjusted to her size and strength upon her picking it up. 

“Dahyun…?” she heard someone hesitantly call from behind her. 

She turned, shaking herself out of her stupor. Facing her friends, she frowned when she noticed the fear in their eyes. 

“Are you okay?” Sana asked, hesitantly taking a step forward.

“Yes,” Dahyun answered. She had never felt better. Never before had her mind been this quiet, or her powers so…manageable. “Why? What’s wrong?” 

“It’s just,” Mina answered after a moment’s silence. “You went into some sort of…trance or something. It was like you couldn’t hear us at all.”

“And you just grabbed the sword of a god without checking to see if it was safe or not,” Jeongyeon pointed out more bluntly.

Dahyun clenched her jaw, glancing at the sword in her hand. 

It may have been her dad’s sword, but it felt right when she held it. 

She swallowed. “I’m fine.” she replied, shaking her head. “Let’s just get this thing out of here.” 

Unwilling to wait for her friends’ responses, she pushed past them back into the open space between the cells. 

Unfortunately for them, that was when it all went to shit. 

They’d barely made it a few feet out of the cell before a shockwave rocked the building as a cloud of dark smoke appeared in front of them. 

Dahyun stumbled back a few steps, but managed to keep her feet beneath her as the smoke solidified and took shape. Immediately, she raised the sword in front of her and took a battle stance, and from what she heard behind her, she knew the others were doing the same. 

Sana stepped up beside her, sparing a glance at Dahyun before unsheathing her own sword and brandishing it at the dark cloud. 

The smoke was solidifying, slowly taking the shape of a humanoid figure. 

“Who…?” she muttered under her breath, her grip on the sword tightening.

It didn’t take long for her question to be answered.

“ Daughter. ” came a powerful voice from beyond the smoke, and Dahyun’s breath caught as the smoke finally faded and left a man standing before them. 

Not just any man, though.

“Hades.” Sana breathed, taking a step back. 

He was tall and lean, easily towering over the nine of them. The dark toga he wore seemed to trail wisps of shadow, not unlike Dahyun’s own powers, and the helm upon his head gave him an air of authority and power. He stared at the nine of them, his expression blank and unreadable.

“I’ve come for my blade.” he spoke, his voice echoing through the empty prison.

“Of course,” Jihyo finally spoke up after a few beats of silence. Dahyun admired how even her voice sounded. “We would be honored to return this weapon to its rightful owner -”

“I’ve come for my blade,” he repeated, and he turned towards Dahyun with a dark expression, and her heart skipped a beat as she met his gaze. “And to take my daughter home.”

Without a word, he waved his hand at Dahyun, and before she could even react, the sword had fallen from her hands, and everything went black.

Chapter Text

Sana could only watch in horror as a cloud of smoke consumed the girl beside her. 

She rushed forward, if only to try and help , but before she could get within a foot of where Dahyun had been, the smoke had faded and Dahyun was gone. 

Hades’ sword clattered to the ground, the only indication that she’d been there at all.

There was a beat of paralyzing silence.

“What have you done?” Jihyo asked breathlessly, and Sana distantly registered the rage simmering beneath her voice. 

Sana could only stare at the area where Dahyun had been standing beside her only  moments ago.  

“She belongs with her father.” Hades said simply, his deep voice thrumming with indifference towards them. Sana whipped her head around to face him, a sudden primal rage gripping her heart. 

These gods, they were all the same. The thoughts and feelings of mortals meant nothing to them; they were less than bugs to this man. This man, who saw Dahyun as nothing but means to an end, as a way to stop a war that shouldn’t have been waged to begin with. 

Hades may have been Dahyun’s father, but he did not love her as a father might. He did not see her as a person, only a weapon.

“Bring her back.” Sana spat, uncaring that she faced such a powerful being. “Bring her back right now.”

Hades simply stared at her, his face unchanging.

“Sana…” came Mina's hesitant voice from behind her. 

Perhaps she could see the anger brewing beneath Sana’s surface. Sana barely cared. The grip on her sword became tight enough to make her knuckles turn white. 

As Sana glared at the man before her, his eyes suddenly softened, glinting with something like sympathy. “Let her go, child.” he said, his voice softer. “She was never yours to begin with.” 

Though these words may have been an attempt at comfort, Sana’s rage only grew. 

She raised her sword and charged. “She doesn’t belong to anyone!” she cried, wildly swinging her sword at the god who stood before them. 

But Sana’s sword only cut through a cloud of black smoke.

As soon as he’d appeared, Hades had vanished, and he’d taken the sword with him.

Sana fell to her knees, her sword falling limp in her hand. He was gone.

And so was Dahyun.

“ We need to get back to New York. ”

They’d never rushed to the airport faster. 

It didn’t matter - the risk of flying, the possibility of Zeus striking them down - none of it. All that mattered was getting back to New York as fast as possible. 

Hades meant to strike against Olympus, and it was only a matter of time before his forces were completely assembled. 

They needed to warn everyone. 

While they waited on Mina to finesse them the best tickets they could find on short notice (once again, they were all thankful for her charmspeaking abilities), Nayeon and Jihyo worked on trying to contact camp through Iris Message. 

Sana and the others waited anxiously in the lobby of the airport, glancing between Mina at the front desk and the bathroom where they knew Nayeon and Jihyo were struggling to create a rainbow strong enough to establish a stable connection. 

It was fortunate that Tzuyu had been able to fish a drachma out of her bag at the last moment, since Nayeon had run out back in Denver. 

Sana paced around the lobby, nearly running a hole through the carpeted floors. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu sat on a bench next to her, looking as anxious as she felt. Jeongyeon and Momo, meanwhile, were making sure everyone had the proper supplies for the journey ahead. Thankfully, the mist would disguise their weapons from TSA well enough.

It was a five and a half hour flight to New York, and they weren’t sure they’d make it in time to even help defend Olympus. 

Still, they had to try. 

Mina finished with the tickets at the same time Jihyo and Nayeon emerged from the bathroom, looking a bit less anxious than they’d been before. 

“Eight tickets for a flight leaving in half an hour,” Mina said, already picking up her stuff and handing out the tickets. “We’ve got to make it through security fast, everyone.”

Everyone grabbed their stuff as Nayeon and Jihyo explained the situation. “Chiron is organizing the camp as fast as possible.” Nayeon explained. “By the time we get there, a full defense should be set up around the Empire State Building.”

“He said to hurry,” Jihyo added. “They need all the fighters they can get.”

Sana sighed, shouldering her back and quickly following the others towards security. 

This was going to be the longest flight of her life.

By the time the flight was over, Sana was an anxious mess, and she was sure the others felt the same. 

Every bout of turbulence, every announcement from the pilot had set her on edge, afraid that Zeus would strike them down before they even made it halfway there. 

Still, they managed to make it there in one piece, and Sana sighed with relief as they pulled into the New York airport.

It took them nearly an hour to get out of the airport and make their way towards downtown, where Chiron was sure to be setting up the proper defenses. 

It took them around seven hours total to make it home, and they could only hope they were able to get there before the battle began. 

As they approached the Empire State building, the streets seemed to clear of people, as if they knew what was coming.

“Chiron must have manipulated the mist or something,” Jihyo said, glancing around the empty streets. “Warned the mortals to leave while they still could.”

“It’s better that way,” Tzuyu replied grimly. “We don’t need any mortals dying in this battle.”

Sana’s heart stuttered a little at her words. The whole time they’d been on the plane, she’d been so worried about getting back home in time, she hadn’t considered the real implications of this battle. 

Demigods were going to die. Her friends, her family. 

This wasn’t just a training exercise, or some stupid game of capture the flag.

No, this was war.

And there would be casualties, no doubt.

“There!” Jihyo’s voice interrupted her grim thoughts.

She looked up as they rounded the corner, and Sana was satisfied to see the layers of defense the camp had been able to prepare in the time it took for them to arrive. Across nearly four city blocks, campers were spread out, setting up traps and landmines, stacking up sandbags to create cover, and setting up areas in the buildings nearby for the archers. 

Sana was particularly satisfied to note the three massive catapults the Haephestus kids were working on setting up closer towards the end of the street. 

“Hades hasn’t attacked yet.” Mina sighed, and Sana couldn’t help but share her relief. They got lucky, finally. 

Still, Sana couldn’t shake the fact that something was off. Why had it taken so long for Hades to strike? Why did he wait for them to collect his sword if he seemingly knew where it was the whole time?

And, most importantly, why did he take Dahyun?

She knew the prophecy said that Dahyun was the key to winning the war, but since they’d returned his sword, the war should be stopped in its tracks. Wasn’t that the reason the war was happening to begin with? As far as they knew, Hades was angry with his fellow Olympians because they stole his weapon of power. 

But clearly, he’d known where it was the whole time.

So how did Dahyun play into all of this?

She wouldn’t fight for her father, that’s for sure. She was too stubborn for that. 

Sana smiled a little at the thought.

“Girls!” Chiron called for them from the front of the building, waving them over. “I’m glad you made it. We’ll need all the help we can get.”

Only a few minutes later, the girls were helping prepare defenses around the main city block, the one closest to the Empire State Building. 

Sana knew the building was somehow the entrance to Olympus, but she couldn’t conceptualize exactly how it could lead to the domain of gods. It likely had to do with magic, but she didn’t know for sure. 

Next to her, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were furiously making arrows, filling both their quivers and stashing the leftovers in buckets next to them. Jeongyeon and Momo practiced sparring, and Momo looked absolutely terrified holding her sword. 

Sana looked on with sympathy, noting the girl’s weak grip on the weapon and her unfamiliar swings as Jeongyeon gave her pointers. Momo wasn’t a fighter.

But today, she had to be. 

Nayeon and Jihyo walked up and down the streets, helping to further organize the other campers and making sure everyone in their respective cabins were prepared. 

While Mina walked around and checked in with everyone in the Aphrodite cabin, making sure everyone was accounted for, Sana simply sharpened her sword, staring ahead at the street before her. 

Whatever was coming, she’d be ready. 

And as soon as this tedious battle was finished, she would bring Dahyun back. She would journey to the Underworld if that’s what it took. She would face any obstacle, any beast or monster that waited for her, that dared stand between her and Dahyun. 

Even if it took swimming across the River Styx, she would bring Dahyun back to her.

“Are you ready?” Mina’s soft voice grabbed her attention, and she sighed, finally tearing her eyes away from the end of the street. “It shouldn’t be long now.”

She was right. It had already been longer than they’d expected, and it was approaching sunset. Sana hoped Hades wouldn’t wait until night to attack, but it was foolish of her to wish otherwise. Of course he would wait until after sunset. 

They would battle under the cover of night, acting as the final line of defense between Hades and Mount Olympus.

“Sana?” Mina asked, taking a seat next to her on the sidewalk. She laid her sword across her lap, mirroring Sana’s posture.

“Sorry,” she replied, shaking her head. “I’m just a bit…distracted.”

“Worried about Dahyun?” Mina asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sana was surprised, but she shouldn’t have been. Mina had always been more observant than most, and Sana hadn’t done a very good job of hiding her feelings for the daughter of Hades. 

Sana didn’t respond, but it was answer enough for Mina.

 “Me too,” Mina admitted.

Sana sighed. They were all worried about Dahyun. She was their friend after all, and whatever Hades was planning, it wasn’t with good intentions. “I just don’t understand.” she finally spoke up. “We did what we were supposed to. We returned the sword, the war should be over.”

Mina nodded. “I know, that's all I can think about.” she agreed. “Hades knew exactly where his sword was hidden. He was just waiting for us to show up.”

“He was waiting for Dahyun,” Sana finished.

“The sword was always a trap,” Mina said, coming to a similar realization. “This whole quest…he just wanted Dahyun the entire time. I’ll bet Ares is involved too. I mean, he led us right to the sword.”

“But there’s something I don’t understand…” Sana said, shaking her head and turning towards Mina. “I get that Dahyun is supposed to be the key to winning the war - but how? She would never fight for Hades.”

“No,” Mina agreed. “She wouldn’t. Not willingly.”

Silence followed her words.

Not willingly.

As Sana opened her mouth to respond, alarm bells interrupted whatever she would’ve said. 

Both Mina and Sana shot up, gripping their swords a little tighter as a flurry of activity began around them. Campers ran to their stations, people yelled for weapons and supplies, archers took their positions. 

And when the two of them looked down the street in front of the Empire State Building, the alarm bells suddenly made sense.

“Ahead!” a camper screamed from the side of the building, pointing further down the street. “Enemies approaching from the west!”

Hades was indeed approaching, slowly making his way down the street in a large chariot pulled by two skeletons that resembled horses. Around him, an army of the undead marched forward, staring straight ahead with empty pits for eyes. They held all manner of weapons - swords, spears, maces. 

And they were headed right towards them. 

Sana raised her sword, and as did Mina. 

They were ready. This is what they’d been preparing for. 

Although, as they moved to charge forward, they weren’t expecting another call from the other end of the street, from the second lookout stationed at the opposite side of the building. 

“More enemies approaching from the East!” He cried, ringing another alarm bell. 

Sana turned, expecting to see more undead soldiers approaching. 

And she was right, there were even more of them, swarming the narrow street and running towards the campers.

What she didn’t expect was another chariot leading this army, a mirror to Hades.

“Is that…” Mina breathed.

Sana’s sword went limp in her hand as the chariot approached and she met eyes with the rider.

Dahyun rode towards them, eyes empty and cold. Dressed in a traditional black toga and wielding the Sword of Hades, she’d never looked more like a descendant of death himself. Dark shadows curled around her figure and trailed behind her chariot, a clear reminder of the power she controlled. A crown of red-tinted laurels adorned her head - a symbol of honor, no doubt gifted to her by her father. 

“She’s been charmed.” Mina said, her face twisted in horror. 

And as Dahyun approached, the Sword of Hades held high as she led the army of undead soldiers directly towards them, Sana knew Mina was right. 

After all, Dahyun would never help Hades. 

Not willingly.

Chapter Text

The haze of battle had long since consumed her. 

She barely felt the sword in her hand as she tore through the undead, uncaring of the dirt, grime, and blood that began to coat her face and clothes. 

Distantly, she was aware that Mina was near her, also holding the line as best she could. Behind them lay the last few defenses put in place to guard the entrance to Olympus. 

The trenches and traps laid all down the street helped to thin the sheer number of undead, but many still slipped across the defense lines and thundered towards the buildings, lashing out at any who got in their way. 

Sana was momentarily distracted from her battle at the call behind her. 

“Launch!” screamed one of the Hephaestus campers, and Sana watched in awe as a heavy, burning boulder was launched from one of the catapults, landing with a huge crash only meters in front of her. It crushed a number of the monsters, but most simply continued towards them, moving around the new obstacle. 

“Sana!” she heard from beside her, and she jolted back to reality just in time to dodge the swing of a mace. As the sharp head missed her face by only inches, she brought up her sword and stabbed the undead creature straight through the skull. Unable to dwell on it for longer than a few beats, she kicked the thing off her blade and continued fighting against the seemingly endless flood.

The battle continued for what felt like hours, and soon, all Sana was aware of was the hiss of the creatures, the swing of her sword, and the blood that coated her blade. 

However, a break in the onslaught brought her back to reality.

“It’s slowing down,” Mina said, sounding as breathless as Sana felt. 

Sana ripped her sword out of the chest of a body before her, turning to face the end of the street. “No it’s not,” she said grimly, raising her sword once again and ignoring the ache in her arms. “We’ve just reached the eye of the storm.”

Ahead of them, Dahyun approached, still riding the black chariot, and when she met Sana and Mina’s eyes, there was no recognition.

Whoever this was, it wasn’t Dahyun. 

“Hold the line!” Mina cried, raising her own blade as Dahyun approached. 

Behind them, she heard more demigods assembling, lining up to further defend the building from the undead who continued to slip past. 

Eventually, her chariot came to a halt and Dahyun stepped onto the ground. She fixed Sana with a cold gaze, and, with no small amount of dread, Sana noticed that her eyes were not the dark brown she’d known. Instead, they shone a deep red, only clear when the bright street light shined directly on her.

She raised her midnight sword, the Sword of Hades , and with that, the real battle began. 

They’d been backed to the very last of their defenses, and when Sana spared a glance at the other side of the street, where Nayeon, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon fought, she saw they were faring similarly. They faced Hades himself as he approached the building from the opposite side of his daughter. 

Around them, the other campers were occupied with the army of undead, still fighting to keep them back from the entrance. Chaeyoung and Momo were in there somewhere, fighting against the brainless, violent creatures.

Sana dodged a flying dagger once again, running forward to strike with her sword. She parried Dahyun’s own sword and swung at the girl’s side with all her strength. A black shadow formed at the last minute, acting as a shield. Sana’s blade simply bounced harmlessly off the thing. 

Sana grit her teeth, kicking out at Dahyun and making contact with her abdomen, causing her to stumble back. 

Attempting to push Dahyun further while she was unbalanced, she launched herself forward, sword swinging overhead, but it was quickly blocked by Dahyun’s blade. She’d found her balance in only seconds, and she swung her sword back towards Sana, jabbing directly towards her chest. 

Sana barely dodged what would’ve been a killing blow, leaping backwards with a desperate cry. 

Dahyun was indifferent to her struggles, pushing further forward. 

Mina approached and interrupted the swing of Dahyun’s sword with her own massive blade, pushing the girl back from Sana with all her strength. 

As Sana regained her balance, she and Mina attempted to face Dahyun together, but it was a struggle. Dahyun, charmed as she was, was ruthless in her fighting, and she seemed to have complete control over her powers. 

Whatever strike they made was blocked either by the powerful black sword she wielded or the dark shadows she could control at will. 

However, Dahyun was caught off guard for a moment, too concentrated on Sana and  Mina to notice Tzuyu’s sudden attack from the side. Dahyun just barely managed to throw herself from the path of the arrow, leaving the bronze tip to skim her side, tearing into the dark toga she wore and leaving a deep gash in her side. 

Clenching her jaw, she stumbled to her knees, just barely managing to block another swing of Sana’s sword before lashing out at Tzuyu. She stood, throwing a dagger made of pure shadows directly towards the archer before launching another only seconds later. 

She didn’t even look to see if the dagger landed before throwing herself at Sana and Mina once again. If possible, she seemed to fight with even more ferocity, the red of her eyes flashing even brighter. 

Reaching out her hand, she wrapped Mina in a cloak of shadows before launching her across the street with the jerk of her hand. As Mina went flying, Dahyun barely managed to dodge the jab of Sana’s sword swinging towards her side.

Sana pressed forward, fighting as furiously as she ever had, driven by her rage. Rage at Dahyun for hurting Mina and Tzuyu, rage at Hades for doing this to the girl she loved, rage at herself for being unable to save Dahyun in the first place. 

She released an unhinged cry, kicking Dahyun back before jabbing her sword at Dahyun’s chest. 

Once again, her sword was easily blocked by a solid shadow. 

Sana paused for only a moment as she unintentionally met Dahyun’s eyes, the grip on her sword faltering. She could’ve sworn they flickered back to their familiar brown, only for a second. 

Was Dahyun still in there somewhere?

“Dahyun?” Sana asked, her voice raspy with exhaustion. 

Apparently, Dahyun took this as her opening, because Sana quickly found herself enveloped in a cloud of shadows. Before she could react, Dahyun was already jerking her hand forward, and suddenly, Sana was weightless, flying through the air. 

She landed with a grunt nearly twenty feet back, rolling across the concrete of the sidewalk. 

She’d been pushed back to the entrance of the Empire State Building. 

Sana groaned, her body aching from the rough landing. Distantly, she was aware she was injured, a trickle of blood leaking from the cut on her temple. Her arms were terribly scraped from her impact with the sidewalk, and the blood stained her shirt. 

She forced herself to her feet, ignoring the screaming pain. 

“Hold!” She heard Jihyo’s desperate voice from behind her, and she turned to find the other demigods attempting to hold back Hades himself. 

It was a lost cause, if Hades’ expression of slight annoyance was anything to go by. He blocked arrows as if they were nothing but toothpicks, and the attempts made by Jihyo and Jeongyeon to push him back with their sword and spear were useless. They were easily knocked back. 

The only one who seemed to be standing a chance was Nayeon, who wielded her sword as though it were an extension of her very being. She and Hades battled for a few minutes before it was clear Hades had had enough, using his immortal strength to launch her across the street, where she landed with a heavy impact on the sidewalk. 

In front of Sana, Mina and Tzuyu faced a similar battle with Dahyun. Emotionlessly, the girl approached, battling through the demigod’s defenses. Chaeyoung joined shortly, emerging from the crowd of undead and launching a barrage of arrows at Dahyun before collapsing with a cry of pain as a dagger of shadows suddenly embedded itself in her thigh. 

“Chaeyoung!” Mina screamed, and her distraction was enough for Dahyun to knock the girl back with her powers, sending Mina flying towards where Sana was standing in front of the entrance. 

That left only Tzuyu to defend against Dahyun, and, to her credit, she was holding her own, even with her injuries. 

But it was a losing battle. 

Soon enough, Tzuyu was also thrown back, and Sana soon found herself facing both Hades and his daughter as they approached. 

Beside her, still standing in front of the entrance, were her friends. 

Mina forced herself to her feet, leaning heavily on her left side as she raised her sword  once again. Nayeon leveled her own sword at Hades with a hard stare while Jeongyeon and Jihyo did the same with their respective weapons. Tzuyu notched an arrow, one of her last. Her eyes were filled with rage, likely thinking about Chaeyoung’s injury. The girl still lay across the street, clutching her thigh and writhing in pain. 

“Stand aside,” Hades spoke, his voice just as thunderous as Sana remembered. 

Nobody moved. 

If they were going to die, this was the way Sana would prefer to go. Defending Olympus alongside all her friends. 

She glanced at Dahyun. 

Well, almost all her friends.

The only one unaccounted for was…

“Enough of this!” Hades said, his patience wearing thin. “Dahyun.” He gestured for her to attack.

Dahyun moved forward, hand raised in a threatening gesture. Her eyes gleamed a bright red, and Sana was so transfixed by the sight she didn’t even see the figure moving behind her. 

“Momo!” Jihyo screamed, just as the daughter of Hephaestus lept towards Dahyun, sword raised. 

The blade tore clean through the girl’s shoulder, not a lethal blow, but enough to knock the girl to the ground. For a brief moment, once again , Sana was sure she saw a hint of the real Dahyun in her eyes as the sword landed. Dahyun dropped with a groan as Momo withdrew her blade, making a wild swing at Hades. 

Hades knocked her back as though she weighed less than nothing, and Sana watched in horror as she landed across the street, rolling across the concrete like a ragdoll. 

She didn’t get up. 

Sana saw red. 

Her and her friends charged towards Hades and Dahyun, determined to make one final stand.

It was over quickly. 

Soon enough, Sana was the only one left standing, her sword raised shakily in front of her. Around her, her friends scattered the ground in various states of injury. Mina and Nayeon had both been knocked unconscious, and Tzuyu had been grounded by a brutal blow to the leg. Jihyo had put up a tough fight, but she was effectively out of the battle after Dahyun had launched her through the window of a nearby building. Jeongyeon had been downed by a blow to the side, leaking blood at a dangerously fast rate. 

Which left Sana, who was dead on her feet and barely able to hold her sword. 

Still, she was the last person standing between Hades and Olympus. 

As the two of them approached, Sana could scarcely tear her eyes away from Dahyun. Even charmed and covered in blood, the girl was beautiful. She was pale and injured, and her shoulder was still pouring blood from Momo’s attack, but she continued to move forward as if nothing was wrong, her expression cold and robotic. 

“Stand aside. You’ve lost.” Hades said, and Sana could hear a hint of weariness in his voice. At least they’d given him a challenge. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

She turned towards Hades, tearing her eyes from Dahyun. “Why her?” she asked, her voice quiet and cold. “Why did you have to do this to her?” 

Hades clenched his jaw. “That is none of your concern,” he said. “Now, stand aside.”

“ She’s your daughter! ” Sana yelled at him, voice shaking with rage. “Does that mean nothing to you?”

“Enough!” Hades thundered. “I will kill you myself, girl!”

He approached, and Sana sighed, accepting her fate. 

She looked at Dahyun as Hades drew his sword one last time. 

“I love you.” Sana said, meeting Dahyun’s red eyes. She could have sworn she saw a flash of pain in those red irises. “I hope you can hear me somewhere in there.”

Hades scoffed, but Sana paid no mind. All she could see was Dahyun. 

As the sword came down, time seemed to slow. 

“ I love you .”

Sana closed her eyes, preparing for the painful impact of the blade. 

But it never came. 

She dared to open an eye, only to find Dahyun standing in front of her, blocking Hades' sword with her own. Shadows curled around her, thick -- as if responding to her rage. 

She glanced briefly back at Sana, as if to make sure she was okay, that she was still there and real, and Sana nearly cried when she saw the familiar dark brown of the girl’s eyes. 

Dahyun was free.

And Dahyun was angry.

Chapter Text

Dahyun released an unhinged cry of rage as she launched herself at her father,  uncaring of the injuries she still possessed. They were less than bee stings when compared to the pure anger she felt as she attacked. Her shadows moved like an extension of her being, ebbing and flowing as she charged and swung her sword. 

Hades grunted in surprise as she pushed him back, just barely bringing his own sword up in time to block. Dahyun met his gaze, and, for a brief moment, she saw something that looked like fear - or remorse - reflected in his dark eyes. 

Dahyun paid it no mind. 

She’d never fought so ferociously, swinging her sword with strength she didn’t know she possessed. Her shadows responded to her emotions and thoughts, curling around her sword and making each strike that much more powerful. 

As Hades stumbled back once again, still off-balance, Dahyun conjured a dagger of pure shadow, flinging it at her father before striking with her blade once again. 

Hades just barely twisted in time to dodge the dagger, and it sliced the skin of his bicep. He recovered just in time to bat Dahyun’s blade away with his own, standing straight up and finally regaining his balance. 

Dahyun clenched her jaw, stepping back to meet her father’s eyes. 

“Dahyun,” Hades spoke, and Dahyun cringed when she heard the power in his voice. It was the same tone that had been filling her head for the past eight hours, controlling her every thought and action. She’d been powerless to stop herself as she hurt her friends, attacked her fellow campers, and nearly killed the girl she loved. 

Sana.

One glance back at the girl watching the battle unfold, still wearily standing guard at the entrance to Olympus, was enough for Dahyun to withstand the power in Hades’ words. 

No longer would she be his puppet. 

“Dahyun, stop, ” Hades said, forcing every ounce of power into his tone, trying as hard as he could to restore the charm he’d placed on his daughter.

Dahyun simply stared at him, raising her sword once again. “Why don’t we just finish this?” she snarled, and she knew the shadows became thicker, more pronounced as she spoke. 

Hades loosed a breath, leveling an even gaze at his daughter. “I don’t wish to fight you, Dahyun.” he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. “But if you stand between me and Olympus…”

“This isn’t about Olympus anymore.” Dahyun replied, a dangerous lilt to her tone. “It stopped being about Olympus and this stupid war the moment you tried to lay a hand on Sana and my friends.” 

The shadows expanded, curling around her legs and arms as she spoke.

“You charmed me, took away my free will, forced me to hurt my family.” Dahyun said, eyes glowing with power. She took a step forward, satisfied to see a hint of fear shining in her father’s eyes. “I’m prophesied to bring an end to this war? Fine.”

Her grip tightened around her sword, and she extended her arm, grabbing complete control over the powers that had scared her for so long. The powers she’d let control her life and hurt those she loved. 

No longer.

“ Let’s end it. ”

The battle was long and hard-fought, and by the end, both parties were injured and weary. 

Dahyun ignored her aching body, forcing herself to continue. 

Only a little longer, she told herself. You can do this.

With a cry of rage, she jerked her hand forward, pushing forth a wave of shadows to knock Hades to the ground. 

He cut through the black cloud with his sword, taking a swing at Dahyun’s exposed side. 

Just in time, she leapt back, dodging the swing before spinning around and launching her own blade at Hades. 

It just skimmed his side, but it was enough to cause him to stumble back. 

Dahyun pressed onward, flinging herself towards her father and kicking him back. He stumbled once again, and Dahyun took advantage of his unbalanced state, conjuring a dagger of shadows and bluntly stabbing it into his gut. 

He groaned, falling to his knees and staring down at where the dagger had entered his side.

Dahyun didn’t let up. 

She took hold of what was left of her power, conjuring shadows to wrap around Hades, trapping his arms against his side and forcing him to stay kneeled against the concrete. 

He grunted, trying to escape, but Dahyun grit her teeth, steeling herself against his best efforts. He was weakening, and Dahyun just had to hold out long enough to end this fight. 

“Enough!” Hades cried, staring at his daughter in outrage. “Release me!”

Dahyun approached, still focusing much of her energy on keeping Hades contained. While one hand controlled the shadows, her other hand tightened around the grip of her sword as she walked towards her father. 

It was time to end this. 

She leveled a steely glare at her father, letting him see the reality of the situation, the rage in her eyes, the helplessness of his position.

His expression swiftly became less angry and more apprehensive. 

Still, Dahyun was no godkiller. 

“This is over.” Dahyun said, leaning closer. “You have been beaten, and I am choosing to show you mercy in allowing you to surrender.”

Hades grit his teeth. “‘Allowing me?’”

Dahyun pointedly leveled her sword, his sword , as Hades’ neck. The blade hovered only centimeters from his flesh. “I could end this in seconds,” Dahyun hissed, tightening her grip on the shadows. Her father groaned in response as his bonds tightened. 

“Enough.” Hades said, jaw clenched. “I understand.”

“Not good enough,” Dahyun said. “This battle, this war? It’s finished.”

“I surrender.” Hades replied. “I will cease my attacks.”

“Swear it.” Dahyun pressed, pushing her blade closer to the skin of his neck. “On the River Styx.”

Hades swallowed, face drawn into a scowl. “I swear on the River Styx, I will cease my attacks, and this war will come to an end.”

Dahyun stared at him for only a moment longer before dropping the sword to her side and releasing her grip on her powers. 

Hades fell back at the same time Dahyun dropped to her knees, suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion and pain. The sword clattered to the ground beside her. 

Both the sword and Hades disappeared in an instant, dissolving into a cloud of black shadows as he presumably fled to the Underworld once again.

“Dahyun!” Sana’s voice echoed across the street, but Dahyun heard it only distantly. Her shoulder was screaming in pain from where Momo had stabbed her, and her abdomen was a mess of gashes and bruises. Her legs and arms trembled from exhaustion, and Dahyun was only just becoming aware of the headache pounding beneath her skull.

“Dahyun!” Sana reached her just as Dahyun collapsed completely, catching her before she hit the concrete. “I got you, it’s okay.”

Dahyun sighed, blinking slowly. When had everything gotten so blurry?

“Oh gods, you’ve lost way too much blood,” Sana said, scrambling to search her pockets and bag.

“M’fine,” Dahyun murmured, staring up at Sana. “You’re so beautiful, Sana.” 

“It’s gonna be okay, you’re gonna be fine.” Sana’s voice cracked as she spoke.

“I love you too, by the way.” Dahyun said, her voice low and raspy. “Dunno if I’ll get another chance to tell you.”

“I need help over here!” Sana screamed to their friends. “Please!”

Dahyun was losing energy fast. She’d pushed herself too far, but she didn’t regret it. After all, it was what she was meant to do, right? She put an end to the war, just as the prophecy said. 

Through a haze of pain and exhaustion, she thought back to the prophecy she’d been given before this quest. 

Friend will turn against friend.

Dahyun screwed her eyes shut, a deep feeling of guilt churning in her gut. She’d been the one to betray her friends. 

Perhaps she deserved to die after all that.

“How is she?” she distantly registered another voice, maybe Tzuyu?

“ Not good!” Sana answered in a shrill cry. “She’s lost too much blood, do you have ambrosia, anything --”

And with that, Dahyun finally fell unconscious, unable to stay awake any longer.

Almost a week later, Dahyun was still asleep. 

Sana stayed by her bedside day and night, waiting for the moment the girl would wake up. Every so often, the others would stop by and visit, dropping off food or flowers. They would keep her company for a bit before leaving, almost always giving Sana a reassuring nod on their way out.

Most everyone’s injuries had been dealt with, taken care of with a heavy dose of ambrosia and a few days of bed-rest. 

Momo had been injured the worst out of all of them, but she’d recovered eventually. Her broken bones healed relatively quickly, and the scrapes and bruises easily faded after she ate a few squares of ambrosia. 

Still, Sana was extremely aware of the fact that they would all be dead without Momo. She’d saved all their lives, risking her own in the process. 

She would always be grateful for that. 

She still couldn’t shake the events of the Battle of New York. So many of her fellow campers had fallen during the battle. Nearly 15 of the original 50 campers.

Hell, she’d almost lost Dahyun.

But the most shocking turn of events happened after Dahyun had fallen unconscious. 

Sana could still remember every detail.

“Who is that?”

Sana heard the others speaking, but she was scarcely aware of anything but the girl lying motionless in her arms. Her pulse was slow, her breaths shallow.

“Is that…”

Finally, Sana forced herself to look up from Dahyun, following Tzuyu’s gaze down the street. 

A figure was approaching, and unfortunately for everyone, he was a little too familiar. 

“Ares?”

Fuck.

They’d barely survived a battle with one god, and they were in such bad shape, no one stood a chance. 

Sana had pretty much accepted their fate, when the impossible happened. 

Surprising everyone , the gods finally arrived at their own war. They appeared in beacons of light, surrounding the injured demigods in a protective circle. 

“Ares.” Zeus thundered. “Your betrayal is unacceptable. Working with Hades to overthrow Olympus? I expected better.”

Sana, still cradling Dahyun in her arms, could barely tear her eyes away from the gods that surrounded them. Hell, her mom was even there, staring Ares down with a hard stare and wielding a gorgeous sword fit only for the Goddess of love and beauty.

Ares had surrendered in only moments, unprepared to face the full might of Olympus by himself. 

Afterwards, Apollo helped them greatly, taking care of most everyone’s serious wounds and healing those he could. He couldn’t heal Dahyun completely, however. Just her surface-level wounds. She’d exerted herself too much, using too much of her power to defeat her father in the final battle. 

Which led to now. Dahyun was still bedridden, but everything was mostly back to normal. They’d made pyres for the demigods they’d lost, honoring them in a traditional camp half blood ceremony. The training regimen had been reinstated, and the campers fought with a new vigor, with more awareness. They’d all seen real battle now. They knew what it was like and how to really prepare. Chiron commended every camper for their bravery, honoring their sacrifice towards Olympus.

Still, Sana was left with a bad taste in her mouth. 

They’d risked everything, put everything on the line to defend their parents, and yet it still seemed as though they didn’t care. Campers were still left unclaimed, the Hermes cabin still overcrowded. Hell, they’d barely even acknowledged their children when they’d finally shown up in person after the battle. 

Sana wouldn’t soon forget the indifferent look her mother  had given her  after Ares had been taken captive.

Yet, in the end, all she could do was wait for Dahyun to awaken. 

Grabbing Dahyun’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze, Sana sighed. 

She just had to be patient, and everything would work out.

On the eighth day following the Battle of New York, Dahyun awoke. 

It was an emotional affair, overwhelmed with hugs, tears, and apologies. 

Dahyun was guilt-stricken, acutely aware of how much she’d hurt her friends. Though they all assured her that it was fine, that she wasn’t to blame for her actions, Sana knew the guilt would remain. It would be a long time before Dahyun fully learned to forgive herself, but that was okay. 

Sana would be with her every step of the way. 

Slowly, things returned back to normal. Dahyun was completely healed after a few more days, moving back into her cabin and enjoying the feeling of a real bed.

Most nights, Sana and her would spend the night together in the Hades cabin. Without Sana, Dahyun was typically haunted by nightmares and unable to sleep, and without Dahyun, Sana slept restlessly, too anxious to relax even the slightest. 

Sana treasured their nights together. They were intimate and quiet, something they both needed after such a trying and chaotic quest. 

They returned to training, though they both took it slow at first. Sparring together was more for fun rather than real training, and Dahyun avoided using her abilities like the plague. 

Sana knew she was paranoid about losing control once again, and the last time she’d used them, she’d overexerted herself to the point of sleeping for eight days. 

Still, it was more than that. 

The guilt affected Dahyun more than she let on, Sana knew that for sure. Hurting her friends had taken a toll on her, especially since she’d used her powers to do so. 

It would take a while for those wounds to heal. 

Sana still treasured the normalcy. Sparring with Dahyun, accompanying her friends to dinner, going to Ancient Greek lessons -- it was all a breath of fresh air. 

Of course, every good thing must come to an end. 

Dahyun was summoned to Olympus a week after she’d awoken. 

And that’s when everything changed.

Chapter Text

Olympus was…about what Dahyun expected.

Giant pillars and massive temples littered everywhere, beautiful marble architecture, and an overwhelming air of superiority. After the mundane elevator ride up from the bottom of the Empire State Building, it took some adjustment. 

Walking down the huge path towards the throne room of Mount Olympus, where Zeus and the other Olympians awaited, Dahyun fought to control her nerves. She’d been summoned, but she had no clue as to why. 

She was mostly concerned that it had to do with her role during the Battle of New York. After all, no matter how the conflict had ended, Dahyun had still inadvertently helped her father in attempting to invade Olympus and seize power.

While it wasn’t really her decision, she doubted the Olympians would see it that way. 

Still, she took a deep breath and steeled herself for whatever awaited. 

Truly, her thoughts were focused mainly on Sana. She would accept whatever punishment she was given, but she was still worried. 

What if she never saw Sana again? She wasn’t sure she’d be able to bear it. 

Her pessimistic thoughts were interrupted as she finally reached the entrance to the throne room. The doorway was as grand as everything else in Olympus, surrounded on either side by massive marble columns and adorned with magical torches that burned a beautiful golden light. It resembled a giant version of the Zeus cabin back at Camp Half Blood.

Taking another deep breath, she banished whatever fear was on her face before marching into the massive chamber. 

She would not let them know she was afraid.

“Kim Dahyun,” came a booming voice from the front of the room. Dahyun looked up to find Zeus staring down at her, his face twisted into a stone-cold scowl. 

Sana had warned her of the sheer power she’d felt radiating from the man, but Dahyun hadn’t been truly prepared. She felt like withering under his imposing gaze.

She forced herself to maintain an even expression, bowing respectfully while giving the man a slight nod. She glanced around, noting the other Olympians surrounding her. The throne room was arranged in the same layout as the cabins back at camp, resembling a U-shape. Each throne was massive, easily ten feet taller than Dahyun, and the gods towered over her small form. Their gazes were so intense, it was as if they could see right through her.

Notably, both Hades and Ares were absent. Hades was likely still hiding in the Underworld after his attack, regaining his strength and smarting from his defeat. 

Ares, though…

Dahyun had no doubt that the gods had creative punishments for those who betrayed them. 

“We have called you here today to discuss your actions in the Battle of New York.” Zeus’ voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned to face the man once again. 

She fought to keep her face neutral. “What would you like to discuss?” she asked, clenching her jaw. 

Dahyun wouldn’t be surprised if the gods blamed her, punished her for her actions, but she could still feel the effects of the charm as though it was yesterday. She could almost hear that horrible voice echoing in her head. It overwhelmed her consciousness, creeping its way into every corner of her brain. As soon as that charm had been weaved into her mind, she was a slave to Hades’ every whim. There was no resisting, no fighting against it. 

It was unbearable. 

But Sana had been able to break through. Perhaps it was a combination of her injuries, Hades’ distraction, and everything going on, but Dahyun had managed to break free because of Sana. 

She would forever be grateful. 

“You fought for Hades.” Zeus said simply. “Why?”

“I was… charmed,” she answered. “Controlled by my father and forced to fight by his side.” 

She shivered, suddenly remembering how it felt. The complete lack of control, the agony of resisting. 

It would be a long time before she was able to forget the extent to which her mind had been violated.

“And yet you broke free,” Zeus stated, his voice echoing through the silent throne room. “The Battle ended with you fighting against my brother.”

“Yes.” Dahyun replied. 

“How?” 

Dahyun swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

“Please, Zeus,” a feminine voice piped up suddenly from beside her, a hint of amusement clear in her tone. “Let’s not embarrass the girl any more than necessary. We all know how she broke free.”

Zeus turned to the woman with a raised brow. “Oh?” he asked forcefully. “Care to enlighten me?” 

The woman was unphased by Zeus’ words. She turned towards Dahyun, meeting her eyes with a slight knowing smile. Her eyes were a gorgeous shade of green… no, brown. Or were they blue? Regardless, they were beautiful, framed perfectly by her flowing blonde hair. Or maybe it was darker, more brown? Flowers decorated locks of her hair, and Dahyun felt her breath catch as she noted the sheer grace with which the woman carried herself. 

Dahyun blanched as she realized who exactly she was looking at.

“ Love,” Aphrodite replied, smiling at the king of the gods. “You know as well as I that it’s the only thing strong enough to break those nasty curses.”

What a strange way to meet Sana’s mother for the first time. 

Dahyun’s cheeks heated at Aphrodite’s words, and she fought to remain straight-faced.

“Well,” Zeus said, his expression still as stone-cold as it always was. “I suppose that clears you of any guilt, as your actions were not your own.”

Dahyun was shocked. Out of everything she expected, Zeus showing mercy was not one of her more likely predictions. She didn’t dare speak, afraid of changing the man’s mind in any way.

Poseidon (presumably, if his large trident was anything to go by), cleared his throat, as if urging Zeus to continue.

Zeus released a heavy sigh. “Kim Dahyun, you’ve done us all a great service in preventing my brother’s invasion.” he said, leveling Dahyun with an even gaze. “We would like to offer you a reward. Anything you want… within reason, of course.”

His stare became more intimidating, if that was even possible. 

Dahyun paused, considering his words. 

Anything she wanted. Her wish would be granted by the gods themselves. She could ask for riches, for greater prowess in battle. Hell, she could even ask for a house, a real home away from her stepfather and the monsters that plagued her. 

Still, deep down, she knew there was only one thing she could truly request.

After all, they were gods, but more than that, they were their parents.

“There’s only one thing I would request of the Olympians,” Dahyun spoke after a few beats. “Claim your children. Be in their lives. If you expect us to fight your battles and go on your quests, the least you could do is acknowledge that we’re your blood. That includes children of minor gods, not just the Olympians.”

Only silence followed her words. 

For a brief moment, Dahyun worried she’d crossed a line, that Zeus would strike her down where she stood for her insolence. The clench of his jaw, his deep breath…Dahyun was prepared to face certain death. 

Well, if she was going to die, she might as well go down with a bang.

“I want you all to swear on the River Styx.” she continued, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “The gods will claim their children at least by the time they turn thirteen, and the minor gods will have cabins built at Camp Half Blood alongside your own.”

While Zeus’ face revealed nothing but annoyance, Dahyun didn’t back down. A small glance at Aphrodite revealed a quiet respect in the woman’s eyes, and that only made Dahyun want to stand her ground even more.

“Zeus.” Hermes’ voice broke the tense silence. “She’s the only reason Hades hasn’t invaded Olympus, and because of her, now he never will.”

“Brother,” Poseidon agreed. “You know this is what’s right.”

Silence consumed the room once again. Maybe Dahyun had no survival instincts, but she refused to wither under Zeus’ heated gaze.

“Very well.” Zeus finally agreed, his jaw still clenched just as tight. “We swear it. On the River Styx.”

A power seemed to echo through his words and expand throughout the room, and Dahyun released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. 

“Thank you.” she murmured, inclining her head as a sign of respect.

Briefly, she turned towards who she knew to be Apollo, his skin golden like the sun and his bow propped up against the side of his massive throne. “And thank you,” she offered, nodding her head towards him as well. “My friends have told me that you’re the only reason I’m alive.”

Apollo inclined his head in return, offering her a small smile. “You’re welcome,” he said, his voice light and soothing. “Take care of my daughters, will you? They are two of my favorites.”

Dahyun blinked. “Of course.”

“If that is all you request…” Zeus said pointedly, trailing off slightly. The implication was clear enough. 

It was time to go. 

Leaving Olympus was much less nerve-wracking than arriving. 

As she made her way back to the elevator, taking in the beauty and glory of the domain of gods one last time, she smiled. 

She hadn’t felt this light in years.

Even with all the surprises she’d had that day, she still wasn’t ready for who awaited her back at Camp Half Blood.

Sitting by the beach, staring off at the sunset and running her fingers through the sand, Dahyun was wholly unprepared for the cloud of shadows that suddenly appeared to her left.

For a moment, she thought the shadows were hers. She hadn’t dared mess with her powers since the battle, and she could feel them fighting beneath her skin, struggling to be free. She was terrified of it . The shadows had always been hard to control, they’d always felt separate from her, but after the charm? Being unable to control her own body while she used her powers to hurt her friends was an experience she wouldn’t soon forget.

But this wasn’t her. 

That became clear when a familiar face emerged from the shadows, stepping onto the beach sand and meeting Dahyun’s eyes with a soft gaze. 

“Hades,” Dahyun breathed, stumbling to her feet in record time. 

He carried his sword, the Sword of Hades, and Dahyun’s heart pounded in her chest. She wasn’t prepared for a battle. She was unarmed, unable to control her abilities. Did she have time to call for backup? Would anyone hear them from camp?

“Dahyun.” Hades said, inclining his head. “I’m not here to fight, don’t worry.”

Dahyun swallowed, but her fear did not ease. Hades sighed, noticing the tension in her stance. 

“I came to…explain,” he said. His eyes were dark, a rich brown that almost resembled black. They were her eyes, she realized with a start. “I lost sight of who I was, too focused on the anger I felt towards my brothers. I apologize that you were caught in the middle of it.”

Dahyun remained silent, her jaw clenched.

“Ares…he is as persuasive as they come. He was the one who stole my sword originally, but when I found it, he offered something greater.” he explained, taking a step towards her and turning his eyes towards the water.

Dahyun took a step back.

“He knew about my… problems with Olympus and Zeus, and he offered a solution.” Hades said, his voice as soft as she’d heard it. If she didn’t know better, it was almost as though he was ashamed. “I could use the sword to lure my daughter to me, and together, we’d be able to take Olympus once and for all. I’d kept you safe from monsters all throughout your childhood, but once I decided I would wage war on Olympus, I knew I needed you to truly win the battle. After all, the prophecy foretold that you were the only one who had the power to bring the war to an end.” He breathed a chuckle. “And I guess that’s exactly what you did.”

Silence consumed the area between them. 

Hades turned his gaze back towards Dahyun. “I know this is no…excuse for my actions,” he muttered. “But I thought I at least owed you an explanation. After all, you’re my daughter.”

He swallowed. “I’m sorry I lost sight of that somewhere along the way.”

Dahyun didn’t know what to say. She opened her mouth to reply, but the words caught in her throat. She…she could still feel what it was like. The complete lack of choice, the pain shattering her skull when she tried to resist. Foreign magic invading every corner of her mind, consuming her thoughts, tainting her memories. 

She couldn’t forgive him. Not now, maybe not ever. 

Tears pricked her eyes, but she still couldn’t find the words.

“You should have this.” Hades broke the silence, likely sensing that Dahyun wasn’t going to reply. Dahyun looked up at him, struggling to keep her expression neutral. In front of him, he held out the Sword of Hades.

It was as beautiful as she remembered. She could almost feel the phantom weight of the blade in her hands.

“W-what?” she stuttered, staring at him in disbelief.

“Take it,” Hades said, nodding. “You...you deserve it more than I ever did.”

A few beats passed, and Dahyun was sure she wasn’t breathing. Finally, she managed to grab onto the sword, wrapping her hands around the hilt and taking it from Hades’ hands. 

It felt as right as the first time she picked it up. Perfectly balanced and weighted, as if crafted exclusively for her hand. Once again, the world seemed to go quiet. The power churning in her gut ceased fighting against her, and she closed her eyes, breathing in a deep breath. It felt like she once again had complete control over herself.

It was incredible.

“It should help with managing your powers,” Hades commented, and Dahyun opened her eyes to find him staring at her with a small smile. “The sword was designed to be used only by my descendants, so it immediately connects with you and your abilities.”

Dahyun nodded her understanding, glancing once again at the beautiful silver hilt and the midnight blade. 

“I should be going now,” Hades said. “I hope the sword serves you well.”

He paused, as if considering his next words carefully. 

“You’re…always welcome. In the Underworld, I mean.” he finally spoke. “If you ever have questions, or just wish to know more about your abilities and how to control them…”

Dahyun hesitated, glancing down at the sword once again before nodding. 

She wasn’t sure if she’d ever take him up on that offer.

“Farewell, Dahyun.” Hades said, black shadows creeping up his legs as he prepared to leave. “I hope everything works out for you.”

Dahyun watched as her father disappeared into a cloud of shadows, fading away as if he hadn’t been there at all. She might’ve thought she’d imagined the entire thing if not for the sword she still clutched in her hand.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there by the time Sana found her. 

“Dahyun?” she called, her voice echoing from beyond the treeline. 

Dahyun couldn’t bring herself to respond, her throat suddenly burning.

“Dahyun, hey,” Sana said, closer now. Dahyun could hear the alarm in her voice. She reached out and grabbed Dahyun’s arm, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Are you okay? Is that the Sword of Hades? Was he here?”

Dahyun simply shook her head, suddenly overwhelmed with it all. 

Dropping to her knees, Dahyun let the sword clatter to the sand. 

Sana dropped with her, grabbing both her shoulders before wrapping her in a fierce hug as Dahyun began to cry.

Construction on the new cabins began a few days later. There had been an overwhelming amount of new claims, many of them being children of minor gods, and the Hermes cabin couldn’t house all of them any more. 

The camp was abuzz with activity, and Dahyun watched with a smile as Jihyo ran around the construction site, directing various campers and overseeing the whole operation. Momo worked happily on the foundation for one of the cabins (Hecate, if she wasn’t mistaken) and she gave Dahyun a happy wave as she walked by.

“Hey, love the sword, Dahyunnie,” Mina called over to her as she walked past, on her way to join the construction crew.

Dahyun paused, glancing down at the stygian iron sword swinging at her hip. Most days, she forgot she had it, the weight so natural it was almost like a phantom limb. “Thanks, Minari,” she called back, giving her a small smile. “Good luck on the cabins!”

Dahyun was currently on her way to the Hades cabin, eager to sneak in a quick nap before it was time for dinner. 

“Miss it!” she cried just as she passed Chaeyoung and Tzuyu in the archery range. 

On cue, Chaeyoung jerked her arm in surprise and the arrow went flying, meters away from the intended target. Tzuyu didn’t react, and, as expected, landed a perfect bullseye.

Chaeyoung promptly flipped her off as Dahyun cackled, and Tzuyu just gave her a small nod of acknowledgement.

Walking a little ways down the main path, she noticed the training area in the distance.

“I’m going to kill you, Im,” she heard Jeongyeon’s voice echo from the fighting ring as she walked by, the Hades cabin now in sight. 

“Not if I kill you first, Yoo,” Nayeon bit back, launching herself forward and dodging the spearhead of Jeongyeon’s weapon.

Dahyun could only shake her head at their antics. Those two would always fight, no matter the setting. It seemed only appropriate that they were constantly going at it in the sparring ring.

Finally, she reached the Hades cabin, and she could only sigh in relief as she shut the door behind her, back facing the room.

“Um…”

The unexpected voice had Dahyun whipping her head around, a shrill scream already leaving her lips before she could stop herself.

“Sorry!” Sana said sheepishly. “I just wanted to surprise you?”

Dahyun fought to catch her breath as she comprehended Sana’s words. Surprise her?

And then she finally looked around the cabin.

Where the walls had once been bare and dark, they were now covered in all manner of posters and pictures, colors decorating the walls in all shapes and sizes. It was chaotic, it was messy, it had no real pattern.

It was perfect.

Dahyun breathed in awe as she stared around the room, taking in all the new decorations. Even the fireplace mantle was decorated with little knick knacks and framed pictures. Dahyun’s eyes caught a picture of all nine of them, hands intertwined and smiling as big as ever. When had they even taken that picture?

Next to it, Sana had placed a framed picture of Dahyun and her. Dahyun remembered exactly when it was taken. Only a few weeks ago, after the battle, they’d been hanging out at the Hades cabin and Sana had insisted on taking a picture with her. Dahyun had conceded, if only to humor Sana, but the picture had turned out beautifully. 

Dahyun was giving the camera a gentle smile, hand interlocked with Sana’s as they laid on the couch. Sana, however, was staring at her, her eyes crinkled into crescents and her smile soft and hidden. As if reserved only for her.

“I hope you’re not creeped out,” Sana said, interrupting her train of thought with an embarrassed smile. “I just - earlier you were telling me about your old room, and how you hated how empty this cabin was - I thought maybe you’d want some help decorating? If you don’t like it, I can take it down, I just -”

“Sana,” Dahyun gently interrupted her, walking over and taking her hand. “I love it. Thank you.”

A beat passed between them, and for a moment, all Dahyun was aware of was the girl in front of her. The girl who’d risked her life for hers countless times, who’d shown her kindness when no one else had, who’d saved Dahyun from herself.

Who’d decorated her dark, scary cabin all by herself because she thought it might make Dahyun a little happier.

“I love you.” Dahyun whispered, and she’d never been so sure of something in her whole life.

Sana smiled, leaning forward. “I love you too, Dahyun.”

Their lips met, and Dahyun had never felt more free.

Sana pulled back suddenly, raising her brows. “You do have to tell me the truth, though,” she said. “I kind of picked out a bunch of random posters, but if it's something you don’t like, then we can -”

“It’s perfect.” Dahyun assured her. “You’re perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it, then.”

“Okay, can we please take a nap, though?” Dahyun asked. “I’m running on about three hours of sleep and I don’t want to pass out at dinner. That would be embarrassing.”

Sana laughed, the melodic sound echoing through the cabin. It made Dahyun feel even warmer. “Of course, Dahyunnie. Get some rest.”

Cuddled up to her girlfriend and surrounded by her brand new posters and decorations, Dahyun had never slept more soundly. 

Maybe being a demigod wasn’t too bad.