~Yeah, I'd rather be a lover than a fighter. 'Cause all my life I've been fighting. Never felt a feeling of comfort and all this time, I've been hiding~

The battle was over. The main part of it anyway. It was true that there were still many monsters roaming and hiding in the shadows. Waiting for their chance to strike any unsuspecting victim. That was how it had always been though. Everything was back to normal now.

Except it wasn't. There was still that one simple thing that Venus had told her. That a demigod wouldn't heal her heart. Does that mean it would be a human? A god? Maybe? Reyna runs her hands through her hair, breathing out an exasperated sigh. Why couldn't the gods stay out of her personal life?

"Reyna!"

She pauses, lets her hands drop to her side, then sparing another second to gather her thoughts, she turns around to face the owner of the voice.

"Hey, Frank."

"Are you coming? The War Games are about to start."

Reyna hesitates, "I'm not feeling up to it."

Frank frowns, confusion written all across his face. "Why not?"

"I need to think some things over."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"I am. Trust me."

Frank nods, without another word, he jogs back down to where all of the other Cohorts are gathered. Reyna watches him go, and can't help but think she should have gone with him. She needed to act like a leader. She wasn't doing a very good job of that by watching from afar. Reyna's hands curl into fists, and her nails bite into her palms, but she doesn't take notice of it. She wasn't going to do herself any favors by standing and watching.

Without any hesitation, Reyna promptly turns around and walks away from the camp. She didn't even know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away. Away from all the responsibilities. Any place would be fine. Any place but here. With everyone looking to her for answers and guidance.

Reyna's brisk pace slows, until she stops walking altogether. Somehow she had managed to get herself to a clearing in the woods. It was actually quite peaceful. The soft rustling of leaves in the trees, the occasional bird song. Finally she was at a place where she could be alone.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

Reyna's hand is on her dagger in an instant, in the next second it is held directly at the speaker's throat. The girl's eyes widened briefly.

"Is that necessary?"

Reyna's hold on the dagger doesn't falter. "Who are you?"

The girl pauses, looking Reyna up and down. Her own eyes meet Reyna's harsh stare, but she says nothing. Reyna can feel her patience thinning and is about to demand the girl answer her, when she speaks again.

"Archer."

"What?"

The girl's silvery eyes sparkle, an amused smile plays across her lips. "That's my name."

Reyna's face flushes with color. Of course that was her name. Why else would she say that? Reyna steps back, lowering the dagger, but she doesn't sheathe it.

"What's your name?"

She's caught off guard and without thinking she blurts out her name. "Reyna."

Instinctively a hand flew up to cover her mouth, wishing she could take it back. For all she knew this strange girl could be working against her. What was she thinking?

"Relax. I'm not some bad guy if that's what you're thinking."

Reyna's hand falls back down to her side and she sends a sharp glare Archer's way. "I don't know that."

Archer shrugs, "Believe what you want."

Reyna hesitates, wondering if she can actually trust this girl. She hadn't been given any reason not to, but she didn't know anything about her. Reyna breathes out a sigh, but she can feel her resistance slipping. She closes her eyes, hoping to gather some composure before she addresses Archer again. Though when her eyes open again, there is no one else in the clearing with her.

"Archer?

Nobody answers her call. The only thing she receives is the deathly silence that envelops her.

"Archer!"

"Hmm?"

Reyna jumps, her dagger slipping from her fingers as she does so. Archer is standing behind her, watching with a bemused look on her face.

"Might I ask what that was for?" Reyna asked.

Archer bends down and picks the dagger up off the grass, "What?"

"You chose to disappear."

"I did no such thing," Archer said.

She seems to inspect the dagger for a moment, then holds it back out to Reyna. "I prefer silver."

"Odd choice." Reyna comments as she takes the dagger back.

"For some."

Reyna sheathes the dagger and fixes Archer with a questioning stare. "Might I ask what you're doing here?"

"No."

With that abrupt answer, Archer turns away and walks in the direction that is opposite from which Reyna came from. She pauses at the edge of the clearing, glancing back in Reyna's direction. "I hope to see you around sometime."

Before Reyna can question or say anything about that, Archer is running and before long, she is completely gone from view. It's so quiet now, Reyna finds herself backing away from the clearing and into the neighboring woods. When she finally reaches the camp again, she can't shake Archer from her thoughts, or the strange way she had appeared. She had never met anyone that could just appear inside the camp, except a god maybe. That wasn't normal. Reyna scowls, but when had her life ever been normal to begin with?

"You're back!"

"Yeah, I am."

"I was waiting until you got back."

"I can see that," Reyna says dryly.

Frank nudges her lightly. "Don't you want to hear about the War Games?"

"I was actually hoping I could go to sleep."

"What's going on?"

Reyna shoots a glare at Frank, and he actually steps away from her. "I don't have to explain why."

Not waiting to see what his reaction is, Reyna brushes past him without another word. She knows that Frank is watching her all the way, but she can't find it in herself to care. She's relieved when she doesn't hear the sound of his footsteps following after her. She wasn't sure how she would have reacted, but she knows she wouldn't have handled it well. Reyna sighs, she didn't know what was going on.


A/N: Yes, I'm alive. I'm changing how I write a bit. Music helps me focus, so I'll be putting lyrics of the song I was thinking of at the moment when I was writing the chapter. I will also put the song at the end of the chapter for those that might want to check it out.


Song: Silence - Marshmello ft. Khalid