End of the Line

#2 - A Kidnapping

Chapter 2 - The Prophecy
published: Wednesday, 2 January 2019

[ 5 years later || May ]

Hazel Levesque paced her way along the border of Camp Half-Blood atop Arion, her cavalry sword at the ready.

Her eyes darted between the trees of the lush forest, watching, waiting for anything to appear.

To her left, her boyfriend Frank Zhang was seated on the rock next to her, a notebook and a pen on his lap.

He was filling in the empty boxes with numbers, and Hazel desperately wanted to ask him what he was doing, but she didn't know how to.

That problem had come up a lot lately. Hazel didn't know how to talk to Frank anymore, and it worried her. Frank had always been her best friend, the one person she was never afraid to confide in. Now, she never knew how to start conversations, and she always worried about what she said.

Fortunately, Frank glanced up and noticed her intent gaze on his activity book.

"It's Sudoku," Frank explained. "They're Chinese puzzles that my grandmother used to do with me when I was a kid. She gave me this book when I left for Camp Jupiter."

Hazel nodded in understanding.

She tried not to think about how awkward their relationship had become that they had to resort to the topic of puzzles.

A rustle in the trees drew her attention away from Frank's Sudoku.

A figure clad in black emerged, a wicked sword of midnight-black hanging from his belt.

In an instant, Hazel had her longsword in the air, Frank at her side with an arrow knocked and aimed at the intruder.

"Woah, guys!" A familiar voice of surprise echoed around the clearing. The intruder raised his hands in fake surrender.

A grin spread across Frank's face. He lowered his bow.

Hazel slid off Arion's back. "Nico!" She ran forward and leaped onto her brother.

Nico staggered back from the weight of the hug, laughing. "I missed you too, Hazel."

Hazel blushed as she retracted her arms. "Sorry." She punched him in the arm. "I haven't seen you in months! Where the hell have you been?"

Nico raised his eyebrows. "You kiss Frank with that mouth?"

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Where have you been, Nico?"

He shuffled his feet. "Around. The Underworld, checking Camp Jupiter again."

Hazel's face fell as the celebratory mood of her brother's arrival was replaced with dismay at his news. "No news, huh?"

Nico shook his head glumly. "If Percy had died, I would've felt it, I'm a hundred percent sure of that. But I haven't, so he's definitely alive somewhere."

"We just don't know where," Hazel finished.

She sighed. "We haven't had much luck over here either. We've had attacks nearly every day now. Chiron's implemented border patrol because the invicta's surprise attacks are starting to impact the camp."