A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

prologue

*•*

One thing you should know about Daphne Evans?

She despises the concept of death and all that surrounds it.

The first time she witnessed death was at the age of five when her first pet dog died, it was still a puppy but Daphne had grown so attached to it.

After years of begging for a pet of her own, her mother finally gave in to her begging and purchased an Australian shepherd.

Her mother was like that, her first response to everything was a simple and stern 'no' but Daphne was a persistent child and almost always managed to persuade Lexie Evans.

Daphne quickly named her, Daisy, and took an immediate liking to her. The pair were inseparable and it was clear to her mother she had made a good decision.

One day, on July 7th, she took Daisy outside for a walk under the supervision of her mother.

Despite her young age, Daphne had quickly bonded with her new pet, and cared for her the same way her mother cared for her.

However, in the midst of the walk, Daisy got distracted and wandered off too far away from her and stepped onto the road.

Lexie Evans was busy helping a stranger with a task, and without her attention on her pet it became a prime target for tragedy.

The car sped by quickly and did not see little Daisy until it was too late.

Her death was instant, and Daphne watched as her loyal companion was struck down before her very eyes.

Her mother rushed her away, but the image was forever seared into her memories.

Daphne couldn't recall what happened next and she never dared ask her mother, the little girl was heartbroken.

The young daughter grieved over the loss like it was a human and a dear friend of hers, which of course she was.

She experienced death a second time as a child, this time at the age of nine. It was the most heart breaking one of all.

Her own mother.

Daphne was never a naive kid growing up; she knew her mother was slowly dying even if Lexie tried to mask it up.

Even still, it broke the child's heart to watch her mother's breathing slowly stop.

For the next few years, Lexie Evans would remain by Daphne's side, but she was slowly fading away.

Daphne would watch her mother and her condition deteriorate. Despite her best wishes, no one was able to recover her.

"Mom..." She'd whisper, her cheeks stained with her cheers.

Lexie turned to her and held a feeble hand to her daughter's cheek, caressing it in hopes it gave her cherished daughter some comfort. "I love you, Daph."

"Don't leave me." Daphene begged, her throat closing up on its self as she swallowed the lump. "Please, I need you."

"Daphne, no matter what, promise me this - that you'll love no matter what."

"Mom, I-" Daphne choked, she couldn't believe her mother was going to leave her.

She had nobody else except her mother.

Her father, whoever it was, wasn't in the picture and mother refused to speak about him. Daphne figured it was too heart breaking for her.

"Promise me," Lexie insisted, "because this world is cruel and you'll do spectacular things but you can't forget who you are Daphne Evans."

Daphne wiped her tears and closed her eyes. "I promise."

On her deathbed, Daphne held her mother's hand tightly and begged for her to not let go one last time.

However, it was too late, and Lexie Evans finally took her last breath in front of her daughter.
Daphne experienced her second heartbreak at the age of nine before any boy could.

As she sat in the hospital room, she only had one thought rushing through her mind:

How would she get through life without a mother to hold her hand every step off the way?

*•*

Despite witnessing her mother's death at a very young age, life did get better for the young demigod.

One of the reasons why was because of Luke Castellan, who didn't hesitate to take Daphne under his wings.

When she first arrived at camp, still crestfallen from her mother's death, Luke was the one who helped her get back up on her feet.

With his kind yet stern and confident manner, Daphne couldn't have asked for a better big brother.

His teachings showed her that although the loss she went through was devastating, she should never give into the anger and sadness that might consume her.

As she stayed at camp and learned new skills and abilities, she began to understand why Luke was such a respected member of the camp.

Though her scars from the past remained, she always remembered to give back and help anyone else in her situation. And it was all thanks to Luke.

He was the one light in her darkness.

As time went on, and Daphne spent more and more time at Camp Halfblood she soon formed a friend group, who were just the same as her.

Ellis Coleman, Theodore Collins, Oliver Steel and Valentina Diaz.

The group of five were inseparable and often got themselves into trouble around camp, Daphne liked to say that Chiron would develop grey hairs from them.

Daphne loved her friends and valued them more than anything, each of them taught her something new and a different way of looking at the world before her.

Despite their constant mishaps and pranks, Daphne and her friends were the most loyal of friends.

Even when their pranks inevitably ended up causing them trouble, they would stand by one another and find solutions to fix the problems they caused.

Despite their youthful antics, they would always try to make sure no harm came to the others.

This bond between them all made them a trusted and familiar face around camp and made them into a group that could be counted on no matter what the situation, even if they were some of the youngest there.

Another thing you should know about Daphne?

She wouldn't change anything for the world, not even her own mother's death.

Deep inside, the girl knew that what she went through throughout her childhood shaped her into who she was.

It made her stronger and unkowningly to her, prepared her for what lays ahead. Despite the trauma of her past, Daphne had found the ability to look at the positives.

Though she had suffered through her childhood, she realized that those hardships shaped her into the person she was today.

She was ready to take on the challenges she would face, no matter how difficult they might be.

This knowledge of her inner strength gave her a sense of positivity and hope for the future.

For Daphne Evans was no normal demigod, she was the one who would change everything. It was only a matter of time.