Chapter 1- Apathy

She strolled through the woods, bow and arrow notched, ready to strike. Her prey was a couple of yards away. Lady Artemis would be very pleased that she killed the monster while on watch.

She heard it step on a branch, and she took the shot. She heard a yelp and ran in that direction. But when she arrived, she didn't find a monster. She found a wounded demigod. Before she could ask him any questions, he started to speak.

"Oh, so you're gonna kill me right? Who cares? My friends don't, my so-called family doesn't, and don't even get me started on the gods. My mother, the so-called goddess of love, wouldn't even shed a tear if I fell and broke my neck. But I guess that's life for you. But you wouldn't know anything about that, being a hunter. You probably think everyone in your little cult is perfect and you're just a happy loving family, right?"

She withdrew her bow and arrow, and as quick as lightning, she drew her knife and held it as his neck. And then she started to speak, her wild blue eyes flashing with anger, "You don't know what you're talking about, you little whelp. You don't even know what I've been through. You haven't seen your friends die around you on the battlefield. You are just a sad, pathetic excuse for a human being, that always gets what they want. I know you ran away from camp after attacking some campers. Why do you think I was patrolling the woods? And all hunters that find the demigod are either on orders to return him or kill him on sight. What do you want me to do?"

And with that little tirade over, the demigod boy started to think that this hunter has locked out love from her heart. That she couldn't trust anyone. And all she felt was apathy towards anyone else.

Her friends had grown old and died, and she was all alone, again. Just like when she first ran away. Then she met Luke, and her life changed. They became very close, almost in love. And then they met Annabeth, and they became like a small, happy family. Then they fell apart, and Luke betrayed her. It broke her heart more than any thing to fight Luke at Mount Orthrys. That broken heart is what allowed her to join the hunters. The years of being with the hunters had healed her heart, but it coated her heart in ice. She no longer felt sympathy for anyone or anything.

The son of Aphrodite then decided that he was going to make a difference in her life, even if it cost him his. And as swift as a bullet, he kissed her on the lips, short and sweet. Her response was almost as fast. She swept her knife right through his abdomen. She cleaned her knife on the dirt, and left the body there to report to Lady Artemis.

For she felt no sympathy, only apathy. But for the first time in along time, she felt some emotions seep through her guarded heart. Maybe, she could learn to love again. But first, she would have to save that demigod.