A/N: Ahhh! I'm seeing Harry Potter and th Cursed Child today in NYC, both shows, third row from the stage. I'm so excited!

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Annabeth Chase had always been utterly and completely sure of three things in her life.

One- Her father's office, two doors down the hall and four doors away from her bedroom, was always, always locked. For as long as she could remember, she had never been permitted entrance. When Malcom and she was little, they would hide behind the potted tree in the hall and try to catch a glimpse of the mysterious room as their Father entered and departed in a hurry. He always managed to snap the door shut right before they could get a good, clear look. The only thing the two Chase children could see was a normal looking desk and swivel chair in the center of the room. What was so secretive about that?

Two- Her family was not picture perfect, despite her biological parents' close relationship. Seventeen years ago her Mother was unexplainably drawn away to business elsewhere, leaving behind two motherless children and a wifeless husband. But goodie for her, her Dad soon found another wife and two more children, twin boys, were added to the family. Annabeth harbored a strong sense of hatred towards the other woman (who hadn't done anything to be worthy of such resentment), for she was not and never would be Annabeth's Mom—the Mom that carelessly walked out on her family, as Helen frequently liked to remind her.

And Three- Annabeth did not have a soulmate. Everyone in the world had a Soulmate, everyone but Annabeth. The tales state that the ancient deities suffered along the mortals as they watched the silly creatures live loveless and miserable lives. The deities generously gave the mortals a possession only known to the highest—the gift of love—so that all the mortals of the future may one day live in happiness and prosperity with their Soulmate.

Every child was taught this story, their history, from the moment they are born. And Annabeth knew it by heart, word by word was burned into her brain from many nights of whispering by candle light in a rocking chair.

Everyone in the world was born with a tattoo inked somewhere on their skin; this was called a Soul Searching Mark. A small set of numbers were placed near their Mark; these numbers counted down the exact years, weeks, days, minutes and seconds to the finding of another with the same half. Then, the two identical Marks would merge; they would be completed as a whole and their numbers fade; a symbol for all the world to know that that person had found his or hers Soulmate.

Everyone in the world knew of Soulmates and Marks, for the moment they were born they were born out of love and their parents delightfully informed them of their sweet future. Everyone in the world awaited the day of finding their Soulmate with a fierce anticipation. They have heard the bewitching and enchanting stories of how their parents met and they cannot wait to experience the flying sparks themselves.

But not everyone in world was destined to find their Soulmate. Five percent of the people born with half a mark would die with half a mark. Not a soul could change this horrible fate from happening—it was just the way it was. Sometimes, one's Soulmate might die before meeting their destined love. Sometimes people did not care about the mark and simply regard it as a hoax, leaving their poor Soulmate mateless for life because of their selfish, naïve actions.

And others had more complicated reasons as to purposefully not attend their Soulmating. Twisted reasons. Wicked reasons. Reasons of such darkness that the people of the Soulmating world often pushed away and into the shadows, intending to keep them concealed forever.

The citizens of Othrys each had their own personal deadline to find their Soulmate. Some folks have decades of waiting, while others only a few short years. One pair of Soulmates found each other at only five years of age. A rare coincidence.

The most commonly known deadline was that of eighteen years.

"Trust the numbers. Trust the Marks. Trust your Mate. And trust the deities. You will find one another and you will be happy." These are the words the people lived by; the words that had been embedded into Annabeth's mind.

Soulmates almost always happen to live in the same city as each other; so finding one another should never be a difficulty distance wise.

And some folks were born with a dominate side that assisted them searching for their Soulmate. This wasn't completely rare. No. The true rarity was that of when one who had already found their Soulmate, their numbered return. A Multi-Mate. A very, very rare case indeed. Many did not wish to speak of it. Many attempted to conceal it. Many tried to do many things to ignore it—but Annabeth's Dad was not one of this many.

To Annabeth's knowledge, Frederick Chase had had two Soulmates in his life. There was her and Malcom's Mother, his first Soulmate and previous love. And then there was Helen. His second Soulmate, mom of Annabeth's stepbrothers Bobby and Mathew; the eldest Chase's stepmother and the blunt of Annabeth's ill will.

It was a sour, shocking day when Frederick announced his seeing of another woman, but it really shouldn't have been in the slightest. After all, it had been the two-year anniversary of his wife leaving and eighteen months since his numbers reappeared.

Annabeth was too young to understand who Helen was at first, but after following Malcom's lead Annabeth grew to be more than capable of despising Helen herself.

But despite the Chase's tense family dynamics, all thoughts and feelings of disagreement were far from their minds. For today was Annabeth's seventeenth birthday, and her numbers were coming to an end.

Her wrist sung her time of singleness was only a mere three hours and six seconds away. Less than a day, less than a week, less than a month or a year or two or three or—or—or—or. She took a breath. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Hold. Breathe.

The government kept record of every set of new numbers that occurred every year. When a person's time drew near to finding their Soulmate, they were asked to journey to the heart of the city. There, no one was really certain of the following events. Some said that one must go through a harsh trial of interrogation before meeting their Soulmate. Other claimed there ass a test that only the brave and painless could past, ensuring them a Mate. But everyone knew what happened at the very end of the mystery: those who were fortunate would find their Soulmate, and those who were unfortunate were never seen again.

"I am ninety-nine percent positive that you will find your Soulmate," Frederick Chase said. He watched Annabeth braid, unravel and re-braid her hair in the full length, hallway mirror. Nerves and ADHD did not mix well, she could detest to that.

"Only ninety-nine percent," Annabeth said dryly. "How flattering. What of the other?"

"Hmm?" Helen stepped into the small hall, planting a kiss on Frederick's check.

Annabeth contained her grunt and focused on plaiting again, imagining her fingers were Helen's neck as she wrapped her blonde hair around and pulled tightly, cutting off all circulation to the flesh. "What of the one percent?" Annabeth said.

Frederick shook his head and grinned warmly. "Don't worry. My dad only gave me a fifty percent chance, and look at me now!"

"Two wives and four children later." Annabeth smiled grimly. "Go you."

Frederick and Helen stiffened. Frederick looked lost as to how to handle his child. His thoughts were a conflicting consideration of Annabeth's Soul-Mating and that of her down right rudeness. Helen forced a fake, sugary smile upon her face. Smile after smile, that's all Annabeth had been greeted with this morning. She had never seen so many taunt, fake and masked emotions before.

"You must be excited," Helen said sweetly. Annabeth wanted to vomit. "I know I was."

"Yes, because you waited so very long," Annabeth muttered. She finished off her plait and inspected herself critically in the glass. Despite her best efforts to tame her hair, a few defiant curls refused to be pressed down into a braid. Stay locks of gold hair framed high cheek bones and gray eyes.

Her uncle claimed she looked just like her Mother. Many people did. But the women they had claimed she a splitting image of was that of seventeen years ago. Surly her Mother would have aged a bit. Would she even be recognizable seventeen years later?

Annabeth cleared her throat, straightening the white dress she was forced into wearing. "I'm ready. Where's Malcom?"

Malcom, a practical splitting image of Annabeth and her dad, cane rushing towards her (quite literally out of nowhere) and scooped her into a large hug. He had found his Soulmate six months ago, a peppy, annoying and pretty girl. She wasn't really who Annabeth had thought Malcom would end up with but the Marks had never been wrong before, and Malcom seemed genuinely happy with his Soulmate.

"Mal!" Annabeth gasped as she tried to take a breath. He let her go and grasped both of her hands in his.

"You'll do great," he promised. She had been cross with him due to his refusing of sharing about the Soul-Mating procedure. But Annabeth forgave him in the moment as gray met gray, their eyes betraying everything that their mouths made to hide, and she tugged him close for another hug.

"I'll be fine." They didn't dare mention the five percent. "Give K my love, yeah?"

Malcom pulled back and stared at her intensely. His blonde hair seemed to glow in the hallway light. Little particles and floating dust were golden specks to the ehe. "Yeah."

She squeezed him extra tight before releasing her older brother. Then Helen surprised everyone by swooping in for a quick embrace. Both women were as stiff as a medal rod twice over, but Annabeth hated to admit that she sensed Helen's intentions were only that of comfort and encouragement.

Annabeth slipped away quickly and turned to Frederick, car keys in hand. She checked her wrist.

0y.0m.0w.0d.3h.36m.6s.

She had three hours till she found her Soulmate, and the city's center—their location—was an hour away. Hopefully if everything went as accordingly, she would return home tonight with her Soulmate.

"Let's go."