Chapter 4

I came close to skipping the game. After Thalia left, I was ready to head back to my cabin and give up on the night. As I passed the Big House, I saw the silhouettes of campers moving inside and heard excited chatter. I stopped, torn between going to my cabin or joining them. Just as I decided to leave, laughter erupted from inside, and the thought of beating the Hunters sounded really good. I needed a win after all the losses I'd faced recently.

I shook my head in disbelief and walked towards the sound of laughter. I waited outside the door for a moment before slowly opening it and quietly walking in.

The rec room was packed with campers, but no Hunters. They wore sporting gear and face paint, and some were already in armor. At the center, two ping pong tables had been pushed together to create a makeshift battle map. A yardstick represented the creek boundary, a red plastic cup stood in for Zeus's fist, and chess pieces marked the positions—black on one side, white on the other.

Campers circled the table, focused as Malcom and Clarisse presented their strategy. Despite their usual ADHD, everyone's attention was locked in, no distractions.

When they discovered I was in the rec room, I was greeted with the same enthusiasm as when I had just defeated the titan lord a few months ago. And I'm not overexaggerating.

Someone off to my right shouted, "Hey! He's here!"

About twenty pairs of eyes turned towards me in unison. Malcom who was explaining the strategy in the center of the room looked relieved to see me. Clarisse, on the other hand, who was in the middle of explaining how we were going to defend the northern border, glared at me for stealing her show.

"Percy!" They all greeted me, giving me slaps on the back as they urged me towards the center. Phrases like, now for sure we're going to win, and they won't know what hit them echoed throughout the demigod platoon. Before I knew it I found myself at the center of the room next to the two other captains. I was so focused on the ping pong table that I failed to realize it was Malcom who was explaining the camp's battle strategy for tonight's game.

"We were starting to worry you wouldn't make it." Malcom said.

"Yeah, it's about time you showed up." Clarisse added.

"We were just finishing up our defensive strategy and were moving on to our offensive approach." He looked around the room before asking, "Everyone on the same page?" Aphrodite cabin?"

They all nodded. One of them said confidentially, "draw them away from the southern border."

I knew if I didn't open my mouth soon I would miss the opportunity. "Wait." I said. Once again all eyes turned towards me. "I know how to win."

Clarisse scoffed. "We've been perfecting this since the Hunter's got here. You think you have something better, Jackson?"

"What if I told you this plan has been in the making for years."

It got so quiet a pin drop could be heard. I felt like a silent census was being taken as each camper weighed their options of either following the current plan or switching things up and following my plan. I looked around and saw a few faces peppered with doubt, but we all wanted to beat them so badly that most of them immediately got on board.

"Alright, Percy." Malcom said. "Take it away." The two captains joined the ranks of the other campers.

I wasn't prepared to give a full briefing, especially with Thalia being the one who really knew the plan. I didn't think it was a good idea to reveal she was behind it: it would look bad for both of us. I directed the campers, trying to downplay the plan's weaknesses, but a few flaws couldn't be fixed without knowing Thalia's positioning of her Hunters. When I finished, I was met with mixed reactions.

Malcom was the first to raise his concerns. "I think the offensive rush is really genius. They definitely won't see it coming. I'm just worried about our flanks being too exposed. What if they were to make a push from our sides? We wouldn't have nearly enough campers defending the border or our flag. They'd be able to walk right in." A couple of heads bobbed amongst the campers.

I nodded. "That's the risk, but if they focus where we attack, we'll catch them off guard. Once we charge for the flag, their Hunters will be forced to retreat, leaving the southern border open for us."

"Yes, I see that." Malcom admitted after running some simulations in his head. "But that's a big 'if.' Even if just a handful of them start out positioned by the southern border, that puts this entire plan in jeopardy. I think I speak for us all when I say we trust you. But are you sure it's worth the risk?"

"Absolutely." I replied confidently. I looked towards the Hermes camper tasked with being one of the flag runners, Finn. He was tall and slim, with the body of a track star. "Just make sure you run like Hades is chasing you. And we'll win."

As the Hunters headed into the woods, I caught a glimpse of Thalia leading them. I hoped she'd stick to the plan. If she didn't, we'd lose fast, and I'd let my team down for the third time. But she told me the exact spots where she would place her runners while the rest of them would stay back and wait to be overwhelmed by the army of vengeful campers.

Thalia also planned on having just two runners, her and another hunter. That would make it harder for them to come in and take our flag.

We had two runners as well, Finn and me. I showed Finn the quickest route to the flag, avoiding defenders. Thalia had already told me where her Hunters would be, and I passed that info to Finn. The plan was solid.

After clarifying positions, we marched out to the forest. Chiron and the Hunters were already waiting. As we suited up, there was no banter, just focus.

Chiron positioned himself so that everyone could hear him. "You all know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Camp Half-Blood shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis – the east woods. I will be the battlefield medica and referee. No intentional maiming! All magic items are permitted. To your positions!"

As the Hunters headed into the woods, I caught a glimpse of Thalia leading them. I hoped she'd stick to the plan. If she didn't, we'd lose fast, and I'd let my team down for the third time.

Once I knew for sure the Hunters were out of earshot I turned to our large attack group and shouted, "Alright! Let's get our flag as far north as possible! As soon as the horn sounds, get ready to push into their territory. We need to be fast if this is going to work."

I turned towards our few defenders, "Stay your ground, play smart. We'll be back before you know it.

I looked at Malcom, "You're over the attack group. Just stick with the plan and everything will work out."

"You seem so confident." He smiled.

"Let's just say I have a special feeling about this one." I smirked before I started running towards the south to get in position to book it towards the Hunter's flag.

The loud war horn echoed throughout the dense forest before I could make it where I needed to be at. I could only hope that the Finn was able to get into his position. The sound of distant war cries entered my ears. It was time to win.

Knowing that the route I was taking would be far away from any hunter, I began booking right towards where Thalia had told me where their flag would be. I jumped over the creek, weaving my way through tree trunks and other vegetation. My heart pounded. My feet continuously collided with the ground, kicking up dirt and small rocks in their stead. Despite the cold, beads of sweat began trickling down my face. Not a single arrow was fired at me. Not a single warning voice was raised in an attempt to draw additional defenders towards me. I was alone.

At least, that's what I thought. I was in my own little world. The excitement of the moment caused my mind to move as fast as my body. I was taken completely by surprise when my body forcefully collided with something that sent me crashing down hard. I tumbled across the ground and landed on my back. I thought I was seeing stars when multiple faces of Thalia hovered above me. I groaned as my eyes came back into focus. Thalia's face was still there. In fact, all of her was still there. She was lying right on top of me, just as dazed as I was.

"Perseus Jackson." She managed to get out as she rubbed her temples. Her eyes were closed as if the light from the moon was blinding her. "You're the only person in the world who could have an entire forest to themselves and still run into someone."

"But. . . " I tried thinking. "You were supposed to be more to the south."

"No Seaweed Brain, you were supposed to be more to south."

"Ugh." I moaned. "Are we going to lose now?" I asked as I covered my eyes with my hands.

"Probably."

"Ugh." I moaned again. "Are you going to try killing me again like last time?"

"Probably."

She forced her body to roll off to my side as if we were stargazing. I didn't get a chance to move my arm before she did, so it was wrapped around her. We laid there in silence. The sound of swords clashing and clanging against one another and battle commands being issued could be heard way far off in the distance.

"Should we go to the infirmary?" I asked.

Her reply was brushed with a hint of her usual defiance, but it faded at the edges. "I won't be running for a while, but I'll be okay."

"I think I will too."

"Everyone's on the other side of the forest."

"Was this part of your plan all along?" I joked, thinking back to our intimate moment under the pine tree.

"You running into me going a hundred miles per hour? You caught me." She said sarcastically with a slight smile on her face.

The chuckle we shared was brief. We looked over at each other. Her blue eyes briefly sparkled as we made eye contact. Our faces were once again close to one another's. As we looked up towards the night sky, I noticed dark storm clouds that were gathering over the forest. The bright stars gradually began disappearing as the dark clouds moved in and blocked their light. I had to rub my eyes because I thought I was still seeing things after my impact with Thalia. Storm clouds only get into camp if they are allowed. And it wouldn't make sense to let a storm in during the middle of a capture the flag game.

My train of thought about the clouds was interrupted when Thalia said, "Maybe it's fate that you ran into me."

"Wouldn't be the first time fate hurt me." I said.

She sat up, any playfulness that had accompanied our banter was completely gone now and had been replaced with a vulnerability in her posture that commanded a seriousness I hadn't been ready for. I sat up, and the distant sounds of the capture the flag game were drowned out by the gravity of her next words.

"No really. Percy, I. . . about what I was saying earlier. About what I was going to do with the Hunters. I want you to listen. I've been having some doubts about being with the Hunters for some time now. I was thinking about leaving after we defeated Kronos. But Hera sent me a message. . . advising me that I shouldn't leave. The statute falling on me on Olympus? That was always meant for me. She knew what I would eventually do if I left the Hunt. And that was the last thing she'd want."

"Why would Hera not want you to leave the Hunters? What would you eventually do that's so important to her?"

"I . . . It's complicated. Like I said. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up again. I keep on doing it, but I need to stop." She broke our eye contact and looked off in the forest. She looked frustrated at herself.

"Well you can't just not tell me." I protested after some silence between us.

"I can. It's better for both our sakes."

"I don't get it."

"It's stupid. I shouldn't have said anything. You can forget about it. I should get going." A hint of defensiveness was mixed into her words.

"That's not fair!" I pleaded.

"Percy, please. I need to stop talking."

"Thalia!"

"Fine! It's you, Percy!" She said, defeatedly, but at the same time triumphantly. "It's always been you. Joining the Hunters. Wanting to leave the Hunters. It all revolves around you. And it's been driving me crazy for so long and I can't keep it in any longer. The last thing Zeus or Hera would want is a daughter of Zeus to be with a son of Poseidon."

"You mean, you . . ."

"Yes. Pretty much since the moment I first saw you. But it didn't take long for me to see that you loved Annabeth. And I couldn't betray her like that. So. . . here we are."

She looked so vulnerable sitting there next to me in the middle of the forest all by ourselves, like she had just told me where her Achilles heel was located. I had never thought about Thalia having any romantic feelings towards anyone, let alone romantic feelings towards me. A hundred emotions were going off all at the same time. I tried to reign in everything that was happening inside my head to try and respond to the girl who had just told me her biggest secret.

"I – "

Just then thunder as loud as a massive explosion shook the entire forest, causing Thalia and I to jump. Shortly after, rain began to pour hard and heavy. I felt uncomfortable as the cold rain quickly soaked through my clothes. Chills ran down my spine.

Thalia got up and hastily walked towards a small clearing in the forest. She looked up towards the sky. She no longer appeared vulnerable, but rather powerful and full of anger. Even though I was still trying to puzzle everything together, Thalia knew exactly what was happening, "Really dad!?" she yelled as she continued to look upwards, "I do this one thing, and you make a giant storm?!"

I didn't think it was possible, but it began raining even harder. The tall pines began swaying and bending as powerful gusts of wind blew through the forest. Small rocks and debris were being kicked up. It felt like we were inside a mini hurricane.

She let out an exasperated cry of frustration.

I stood there, watching Thalia's silhouette in the pouring rain. The anger that had flared moments ago was gone, replaced by a hollow look I recognized all too well. She stared at the ground, rain cascading over her like she didn't even feel it. She seemed so small, so vulnerable—so unlike the fearless warrior I knew.

"Thalia!" I called out, my voice barely cutting through the storm's roar. She didn't respond. The rain hammered down, cold and relentless, but neither of us moved to find shelter.

"Thalia!" I shouted again, taking a step closer. This time she looked up, eyes meeting mine. They were filled with a mix of hurt and confusion that mirrored the turmoil inside me.

"What?" she yelled back, her voice strained. We began to move toward each other, cautiously navigating the slick ground as the wind threatened to knock us off balance.

When we were within reach, I hesitated before wrapping my arms around her in a tentative hug. She stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed, her arms encircling me with equal uncertainty. The contact was both comforting and unsettling.

I didn't know what to say. What could I say when someone who'd always been a friend revealed feelings I wasn't sure I could reciprocate? The storm raged around us, but in that moment, it felt distant—secondary to the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me.

We pulled back slightly, our faces inches apart. Her eyes searched mine, questioning, hopeful, afraid. Time seemed to slow, the world narrowing to just the two of us amidst the downpour. Without fully realizing what I was doing, driven by a mix of confusion and impulse, I leaned in.

Our lips met hesitantly, a fleeting touch that was more a question than an answer. The kiss was uncertain, tinged with all the hurt and longing we'd both been suppressing. It wasn't perfect or planned; it was raw and real, a moment suspended between what was and what could be.

When we parted, both of us were breathless, water streaming down our faces. Thalia looked at me with a vulnerability I'd never seen before. I felt a knot tighten in my chest—part fear, part something else I couldn't yet define.

Thalia's brief smile flickered across her face like a fragile flame, quickly snuffed out by the confusion and fear that followed. For a moment, I saw something in her eyes—something warm, maybe even hopeful—but it disappeared just as fast, replaced by the same uncertainty I felt swirling inside me.

"Percy..." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rain.

"I—" I started, then stopped, not knowing how to finish. I was confused, conflicted. But beneath all that, there was a spark—an inkling that maybe this was the start of something neither of us fully understood.

She took a small step back, her arms dropping to her sides. Her gaze fell to the ground, the rain running down her cheeks like tears. I didn't know what to do. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, heavy and unfamiliar.

Her eyes flickered to mine for just a second, then darted away, like she couldn't decide whether to face me or run. "This... this wasn't supposed to happen," she murmured, her voice barely carrying over the sound of the rain. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

I swallowed hard, my heart twisting in my chest. "Thalia... I'm sorry," I said, the words tumbling out. I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for—kissing her, confusing everything between us—but I knew I had started something I didn't fully understand. "I shouldn't have... I didn't mean to push you like that. I don't even know what I was thinking."

Thalia's head snapped up, her eyes wide and full of conflicting emotions. "No, don't... don't be sorry," she stammered, her voice breaking slightly. "I didn't mean it like that." Her brow furrowed, and she took a shaky breath. "I mean, this... it's not about you."

Her eyes softened, the vulnerability creeping back in, and she shook her head slightly, almost like she was scolding herself. "I'm just... I don't know what I'm doing," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But don't be sorry, Percy. It's not like that." There was something else in her tone, something she wasn't saying. Maybe something she was still trying to hide.

I let out a breath, my gaze dropping for a second. "Okay… I just… I'm just sorry if it hurt you. If it made things... more confusing."

As the words left my mouth, the full weight of what I had just done hit me. I had kissed Thalia.

The guilt lingered, twisting in my chest like a knot I couldn't untangle. Part of me felt like I had betrayed Annabeth, like kissing Thalia somehow meant I was moving on too quickly. But the kiss—Thalia—it wasn't a mistake. As much as I was confused, conflicted, it had felt right in that fleeting moment. Like maybe, after everything, I wasn't just lost in my own sadness anymore. I was finding something new, something I hadn't realized I needed. But that realization came with fear too—fear of what it all meant, and what it could change.

I caught her eyes again, and there it was—a storm, not unlike the one swirling around us. Confusion, fear, something deeper I couldn't quite place. It mirrored everything inside me—the mess of emotions, the uncertainty of what had just happened and what it meant. It felt like we were standing at the edge of something neither of us knew how to navigate.

"We should... probably get back," I said, my voice barely cutting through the rain, gesturing toward the staging area of the capture the flag game.

Thalia blinked, her gaze dropping to the ground for a moment before she gave a small, almost resigned nod. "Right," she muttered, her voice low and strained. Without another word, we turned and started walking back through the heavy storm, the silence between us filled with the sound of pounding rain and the rumble of thunder.

It didn't take long before we saw bright, white lights flashing up ahead. As we got closer, we realized it was the campers with flashlights. We heard a lot of yelling. Campers were scrambling around. It looked like groups were struggling to get organized and do headcounts. Everyone's arms were raised to protect them from the storm. Those who were lucky enough to have brought a shield for the capture the flag game were using them as makeshift umbrellas. Chiron was in his horse form circling around trying to keep the situation under control. His mighty hooves thundered across the edge of the forest where the Hunters and campers had originally met.

"Please stand with your siblings!" He shouted. "Once you have verified all members are present and accounted for you may quickly return to your cabin!"

Groups of campers were already making the exodus to the safety and warmth of their respective cabins. The ones who were running around were the captains trying to make sure no one got left behind. Campers were calling off when the captains shouted their names. There was a mix of urgency and impatience bellowing between the campers.

Chiron trotted over to Thalia and me when he saw us emerge from the forest. "Percy! Thalia! We were beginning to worry. Did you see anyone else out there?"

"No!" I shouted. "Are we missing anyone?"

"I believe you two were the last ones. We are ready to leave. It's time we escape this maelstrom." He looked distraught. He knew better than anyone that it's never a good sign when inclement weather, especially as bad as this, enters camp.

Without saying anything, Thalia joined the group of Hunters who were standing off to the side. She probably didn't want to draw any more attention than what we were already giving off: a Huntress alone with a boy in the woods for a prolonged amount of time. They gave me suspicious and disapproving looks before they all walked away together, as if they knew what we had just done. But that was impossible, right?

I watched Thalia and her hunters fade into the darkness of the stormy night. The last group of campers just started the trek to their cabin.

"Percy!" Chiron said when he saw me standing in the storm by myself. "It's time to leave."

"Right." I said. As I began my walk away from the forest and towards what I thought would be my shelter, the storm's rage was just a whisper compared to the storm that was raging inside me – and I knew at that moment, my hardest battles still laid ahead.