HEARTS OF CELESTIAL BRONZE ― ( 𝐏𝐉𝐎 )¹

𝟷.𝟶 𝚃𝙻𝚃 ― 𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙤𝙙 𝘿𝙪𝙤

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3RD P.O.V.

Tessa Galinski was on the beach. 

It wasn't just any normal beach in any normal dream, it was the same strange, dark one she had found herself on a lot in her dreams lately. They were more nightmarish than dreamlike, really. Only this time felt more significant.

She spun around frantically, eyeing a black unknown city's skyline against the stormy sky, her heels kicking up wet sand.

"Mom?" she called out, her voice echoing and bouncing back at her.

Lightning crashed in the sky, illuminating the dark beach. The surf was pounding violently against the shore.

"Dad?" she tried again, the sound seemingly vanishing as soon as she called out.

A sharp cry pulled her attention further down the beach, she saw a stunning golden eagle dive for an equally beautiful white horse. The eagle nipped the horse's nose, making it rear up in anger. The horse kicked at the eagle's wings but missed as the eagle flew higher once again.

As the animals fought, Tessa thought she heard a whisper of a dark voice, seeming to coax the animals into fighting harder. She didn't know why, but she felt she had to stop them before one killed the other. So, she ran towards them; and when Tessa tried to use her extra speed, it failed her. Her power wasn't working, and it felt to her like the sand was pulling at her every step and even holding her back, making it harder and harder to reach the dueling animals.

"Hey! Stop!" she tried shouting over the thunder and rain. "Please stop it!"

The sand gripped her feet tighter, flowing over them and up to her knees, suddenly rooting her to her spot, a dark laugh rumbled around her and she knew then she'd never reach them in time.

She was stuck.

The eagle dived for the horse, its gleaming beak aimed for the horse's wide eyes and its talons aimed for the neck, then Tessa screamed. "No! Don't!"

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Tessa yelped as she sat up in bed, her sheets now damp from the sweat covering her body. She let out a shaky breath and ran her hands over her face, wiping her eyes. Her bedside clock read 8:30, an hour before she was supposed to leave with her mother to pick up her friend Bryce, then head to camp.

Camp Half-Blood.

A place where demigods like her could go to be safe (ideally) from the monsters and other dangers following them in the mortal world. She had been looking forward to going back all year. Don't get her wrong, she was fine with school and was happy to be home with her family, but she missed her friends and siblings at camp. Camp Half-Blood was also the only place she could really let go and embrace her abilities and her demigod side freely, without the worry that other mortals would see something they weren't supposed to.

Tessa's black cat, Cam, had startled when she jerked up in bed. He gave her an irritated look from his spot by her thigh, his green eyes narrowing. She smiled at him, scratching his head until he relaxed. "Sorry baby, bad dream again." Cam yawned and stretched, then adjusted his position and fell back asleep. Tessa would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of how easily he was consistently able to fall into a peaceful sleep.