𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 •| ⊱ Jason Grace¹

•| ⊱ FORTY

[ chapter forty: hermia ]

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Hermia didn't remember much about the rest of the night. They told their story and answered a million questions from the other campers, but finally Chiron saw how tired they were and ordered them to bed. Hermia didn't tell anyone about how she was planning to betray her friends. But she figured she'd at least tell Chiron in the morning.

The walk back to her cabin felt exhausting, but she was more than ready to take a relaxing shower. After her shower Mia walked over to her bed. She had left the lights on because she didn't like sleeping alone in the dark. The last couple nights had been bearable because she had her friends, but Mia didn't know how to feel about sleeping alone again. And yet Hermia still sighed in content, it felt so good to sleep on a real mattress, and Mia was so exhausted, she crashed immediately.

It wasn't until morning that Hermia realized she didn't have any dreams of her boys. Sadly she couldn't help but think back to what Khione had said. All of Hermia's dreams of her boys were fake, and now it looked like she wouldn't be getting any at all.

Hermia was feeling reinvigorated, but in the back of her mind she couldn't help but feel broken. Yet, Mia couldn't help but smile when she saw the sun coming through the windows along with a pleasant sea breeze. It might've been spring instead of winter. Birds sang. Monsters howled in the woods. Breakfast smells wafted from the dining pavilion-bacon, pancakes, and all sorts of wonderful things.

As her eyes scanned the cabin, she noticed her necklace was sitting on her drawer. The note her mother had left her was placed under it. Mia picked both items up and brought them closer to her chest. She read the note over and over again, trying to memorize the last words her mother wrote to her. While in her other hand she held the necklace tightly.

She didn't want to let the necklace go, but at the same time she was scared to put it on. What if she put it on and it didn't glow? If it didn't glow that only meant that what Khione said was true. Hermia already believed this, but she didn't want to give herself another reason to prove it.

A deep sigh escaped her lips as she placed the note and necklace down again. Tears stinged her eyes, but before she could break down crying, Mia heard a knock at the door.

As quickly as she could Mia took a deep breath and got out of bed. What she failed to notice was that she was wearing an oversized t-shirt with cotton shorts underneath.

Hermia hurried over to the cabin door, when she opened it she was surprised to see electric blue eyes staring back at her. "Uh, hi." Mia said as she opened the door wider.

Jason was standing on the other side with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. His hair for once was tamed on his head, he was wearing a new Camp Half-Blood t-shirt with blue jeans and running shoes.