𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 || 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣¹

041

(chapter xli - hey, i think i might be falling in love with you)

SELENE HAD A love-hate relationship with death.

Death had always been viewed as a looming threat — all of her demigod life. She's seen people die before — campers — kids — who didn't deserve the cruel fate they were met with. She's seen people get driven insane, driven hysterical — at the sight of their dead friend or lover, on the ground. Never to be heard from again.

She hated it. She hated seeing people mourn — seeing people cry, as the light of their life got taken away — just like that, the string cut. She felt it was unfair. She felt it unfair — because most of them were just kids, trying to live and grow up normally. They were just kids, forced into quests, prophecies, and fucking death sentences sometimes, to do stuff they didn't even sign up for.

Seeing shrouds getting burned this time around hit the hardest for her. In her opinion, there was too many goodbyes.

Among the dead was Lee Fletcher — head counselor for the Apollo cabin. As his shroud got burned into the sky, Selene hugged Thema even tighter — whispering comforting words in her ear as the girl kept sobbing, claiming it was her fault.

"It's not," Selene pressed her lips against Thema's cheek — a sisterly, comforting kiss, as tears started to roll down her own face. "It will never be your fault, Thema."

Thema just pulled her closer in reply.

Another lost camper — a son of Dionysus, Castor — his shroud was burned right after Lee's. It was purple, embroidered in golden grapevines. His brother, Pollux, tried to say a few words, but in the end he was unable to continue and just burned the shroud instead. It was the first time in a long time that the amphitheater was completely silent.

Percy, who was next to her, intertwined their fingers. She noticed he had been doing that a lot lately, and when she turned to face him, he just glanced down — avoiding her gaze. She could see a hint of guilt and frustration in his eyes — like he was mad and blaming himself for anyone he couldn't save. Without thinking too much of it — she threw an arm around his middle, bringing him closer — before resting her head on his shoulder, trying to offer as much comfort as she possibly could. Percy sighed softly at this — tension leaving his shoulders almost immediately, like she was the oxygen he finally got ahold of after drowning in his own thoughts.

All the faces of the dead she saw — all the shrouds that were burned — she silently swore to herself to never forget them. Never forget what they sacrificed for their parents — who didn't even seem to care. Never forget that they were people — most kids, who got thrown into a war that wasn't even their fault.

'Never forget,' Her mind whispered to her.

Never forget.

—

SOON AFTER THE shroud ceremonies were over, her friends instantly cornered her.

(Well, at least that's what it felt like.)

Percy, Annabeth and Thema practically backed her into the corner of Cabin Eight — her cabin. Which, normally, Percy would stay at least fifteen feet away from at all times — in case Artemis decided fuck it and launched a volley of arrows at him. So the fact that he was willingly standing near her cabin — she knew something was up.