PHILOXENIA ➸ Percy Jackson¹

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TWO—A Boy on the Other Side

─── ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽☼☾.* :☆ﾟ｡ ───

Lux's first reaction was to wonder which god couldn't keep it in their pants this time.

Her second reaction was one of sheer disbelief and horror—not directed at her brother, but at what lies ahead for him at this revelation.

"No...not my son." Their mother clutched onto their father, tears staining his shirt as sobs wracked her entire body. He in turn was also holding her tightly, trying to calm her down by rubbing her arms and offering quiet words of reassurance. But even as he took on the role of support, it was clear to see that he too was heavily affected.

And how could he not be? In the past year, not only did he and his wife find out that their daughter is a child of a god, but now their son is one as well.

(He idly wondered if he should contact the home and find out what the hell happened.)

For Ciaran's part, he couldn't quite comprehend the significance of his previous action. How could a single step change everything? It wasn't like he was the first person to step on the moon. He was just some kid from New York.

He looked at his sister, the fear etched clearly on his face. As soon as she saw that look in his eyes, the one that told her all he wanted was to run away, Lux knew she had to step up and swallow the lump in her throat.

"Mom, Dad." She turned to her stricken parents, making an effort to keep her voice as levelled as possible. "I'm going to take Ciaran to Chiron, okay? Just stay in the car, and I promise I'll be right back." 

For a second, she wondered if they were so deep in disbelief that they didn't hear her, her face only managing to relax for a bit when they nodded tersely.

She took a deep breath and crossed the threshold, the air leaving her lungs in the brief moment it took for her body to be caught in the boundary separating her two worlds. She gently held Ciaran's hand, resisting the urge to shiver when she felt the cold sweat seeping into her palm in favor of giving him a smile that hopefully would convince him (and her) that everything will be all right.

"Come on, CC. We'll figure this out, okay? I'm right here with you."

His hand squeezed hers tightly as Lux led him down Half-Blood Hill, further and further away from their parents' gaze. There was only a scattering of campers around, some of whom waved at her when she passed by them. She waved back but didn't stop to chat, not when her brother was clinging onto her like he wanted to disappear into her shadow.

They broke out into a light jog, sparing no glance to the dryads peeking from behind the trees or the sound of beating wings above them. Soon enough, the sight of the Big House came into closer view, and as they approached the deck that wrapped around the entire perimeter, Lux stomped down the feeling of dread bubbling like acid inside her stomach.

The first thing her eyes landed on was Chiron in his wheelchair. For a moment, she wondered what he was doing in the disguise he would only reserve for the mortal eye, but when Lux saw a boy with dark, mussed-up hair standing next to him—more than likely a new camper—she could more or less guess why.

"Chiron!" The name tumbled out of her mouth in a hurry. "We need you!"

He turned to her, his warm brown eyes crinkling with worry at her urgent tone. "Lux, I didn't expect to see you this early." It was barely noticeable, but she believed he gave a light jolt when he saw the person standing behind her. "And who is this with you?"

Lux's thumb began to trace circles onto the back of Ciaran's hand when she felt him shiver, hoping that it would help calm his nerves down somewhat. He wasn't the best at meeting new people, and she was sure the situation also didn't help in the slightest.