Chapter 3

Jason's Dream

"Where in the world could she have gone?" I gritted my teeth. I swear, I was going to torture Piper when she came back. If she came back.

Reyna was crying her eyeballs out. Leo looked like an empty shell. And me? I was mad. I tell you, facing Hades on his bad hair day was better than facing me right now.

Lupa appeared in front of me. "Jason, Leo, and Reyna. Get some rest. You've tired yourselves out." She faced the other campers. "That applies to you all to. Sleep!" She roared, and everybody scurried off to their cabins.

"It's all my fault…" Reyna cried.

"I said get some sleep!" She yelled. Reyna sniffled, but obeyed Lupa. Sadly, Leo and I had no choice, too.

Kittens. Grass. White, fluffy clouds. Hey! No snooping! I have a thing called 'privacy', in case you didn't notice.

The scenery changed. I saw Piper, sitting on a beach. She made a campfire and took out a piece of bread. She tore some of it and threw it into the fire.

"To the gods." Her voice seemed so distant. 'Piper! Piper!' My voice wouldn't reach her. Of course. It was a dream, anyway.

After she ate the piece of bread, she stood up and walked towards the water. 'Stop! Look at me!' I shouted.

She mumbled some words, don't ask me what. I don't know what she said.

But I did know the last sentence. It was a sentence that could possibly haunt me forever. So horrible.

I woke up with a gasp after I heard it. It took some time to catch my breath. I looked at Leo, who had insisted sleeping with me. His face was perfectly happy. Well, good for him. I've got this weird sentence that's stuck in my head.

You wanna know the sentence? Really? Fine. I'll tell you.

The eternally damned sentence was, Bye, Jason.

I was hungry. I mean, you should be after walking for hours and hours. I took a piece of bread that I had packed. I honestly would've forgotten to make a sacrifice, looking at how hungry I was.

I tore a piece of bread and looked at it for a long time. It looked so delicious. But in the end, I knew I had to throw it in the fire.

"To the gods." I threw it. There. No turning back.

After looking at the bread disappear, I quickly munched on my left bread. It tasted delicious. Would you believe it if I said it was like angels started dancing in front of me?

After I ate what was left of the bread, I stood up. Gods, my feet hurt.

I wished I could go home. To Camp Half-Blood. To Dad. To the Aphrodite Cabin. But not to Jason. I suppose I didn't regret my choice, really.

"I've come a long way." I cleared my throat. "I'm definitely not going back. Not there." I thought for a moment. "Well, maybe… Maybe when I can face Jason without hurting myself." Yes. Jason was the reason that I ran out of that camp. It was heartbreaking to see him… with Reyna.

I know. I sound like the pathetic wimp. But seriously, to overcome that adoration I felt for him, to overcome the fact that Reyna was the one he loved, not me, it was too hard.

I made one last goodbye to Jason. A goodbye that could possibly last forever.