Selina found herself standing alone in the darkness of the woods, the cool night air biting against her skin as she waited. She wasn't entirely sure how she had ended up here—well, that wasn't true. She knew exactly why she was here, but the realization twisted her stomach into knots. The quiet whispers of doubt that had plagued her since the beginning of this nightmare had finally solidified into a sickening truth, and it had brought her to this moment, to confront the person she had once called a friend.
A branch snapped nearby, and Selina's heart leapt into her throat. She spun around, fists clenched, her knuckles white with tension. A figure emerged from the shadows, moving with an easy, confident stride that only served to fuel her anger.
Luke Castellan, the once charming and admired son of Hermes, now nothing more than a traitor to everything they stood for. The sight of him made her blood boil, and for a brief second, she forgot about the fear that had gnawed at her since learning the truth.
"Selina," Luke greeted, his tone casual, as if they were meeting for a simple chat. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Selina felt a surge of fury at his nonchalance, at the way he acted as though nothing had changed, as though he hadn't betrayed them all. "Luke," she spat, the venom in her voice unmistakable. "How could you?"
Luke raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "How could I what?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Selina snapped, her hands trembling with the force of her anger. "You used me, Luke! You took everything I shared with you—everything I trusted you with—and you used it to betray us, to betray the camp!"
Luke's smirk widened, and the sight of it made Selina's stomach churn. "And what did you expect, Selina? That I was going to play the part of the hero forever? That I was going to keep smiling and pretending like everything was fine while the gods sat on their thrones, doing nothing to help us?"
"Don't you dare twist this around," Selina said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I trusted you, Luke. I thought you were my friend. I thought you cared about this camp, about the people in it."
Luke's expression darkened, the smirk fading into something cold and calculating. "That's your problem, Selina. You're too soft. Too trusting. If you were stupid enough to believe that I was on your side, that's on you. You were always so eager to please, so desperate to be liked. It made you easy to manipulate."
The words cut deeper than any blade, and Selina felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She blinked them back, refusing to let him see her cry. "How could you do this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "How could you betray us like this? You almost got Charles killed. You almost destroyed the camp."
Luke's eyes flickered with something—regret, maybe, or guilt—but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He laughed, a hollow sound that echoed through the trees. "It's all part of the plan, Selina. A necessary sacrifice. You wouldn't understand."
"A necessary sacrifice?" Selina repeated, her voice rising with incredulity. "Two of Ares' kids died because of you. Because of me." The guilt pressed down on her, nearly suffocating her. "You made me a spy without me even knowing it."
Luke shrugged, as if the lives he'd destroyed meant nothing. "If they died, it's because they were weak. The strong survive, Selina. The strong thrive."
Selina's hands balled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. "You're a monster, Luke," she said, her voice trembling with rage. "I don't know what happened to you, but you're not the person I thought you were. You're not even human anymore."
Luke's eyes narrowed, his smirk gone, replaced by something much darker. "You're wrong, Selina. I'm exactly what I've always been—a survivor. And you… you're just a pawn who couldn't even figure out the game until it was too late."
The words stung, but they also ignited something deep within Selina—a burning determination, a refusal to let him be right. She wasn't going to let him win, wasn't going to let him destroy everything she loved.
But before she could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled, and Selina felt a cold wave of dread wash over her. The air crackled with energy, and suddenly, the space around them shifted. They were no longer in the woods—they were standing in a rocky space, surrounded by ancient, crumbling ruins. Above them, the ceiling opened up to reveal a sky filled with swirling, dark clouds, and at the center of it all, a massive, stone pedestal stood, glowing with an eerie, otherworldly light.
Selina's breath caught in her throat as she realized where they were—on the edge of the world, at the site of one of the greatest burdens known to the Gods.
The burden of Atlas.
Luke's expression twisted into a grin, but it wasn't his usual smirk. There was something almost crazed in his eyes, a wildness that sent a shiver down Selina's spine. "You want to be strong, Selina? You want to make up for your mistakes? Then here's your chance."
Before she could react, Luke shoved her forward, and she stumbled toward the pedestal. She tried to resist, but it was as if an invisible force was pulling her in, dragging her toward the stone column. The weight of the sky itself seemed to press down on her, and she realized with growing horror what Luke intended to do.
"No!" Selina screamed, her voice raw with terror and defiance. But it was too late. She was already falling, her body collapsing onto the pedestal as the immense weight of the sky bore down on her.
It felt like a mountain had been dropped on her back, like every ounce of strength she had was being crushed beneath an unfathomable force. Her arms shook violently as she struggled to hold the burden, her knees buckling, but she couldn't let go. If she did, the world would fall. Everything would fall.
"Hold it, Selina," Luke taunted, his voice echoing in the rocky space. "Hold it like you held onto your pathetic trust in me. Hold it like the lives you put at risk with your weakness."
Selina's vision blurred with tears, the pain radiating through every nerve in her body, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to give in. The weight was unimaginable, crushing, suffocating, but she couldn't let go. She had to hold on.
This was her penance, her punishment for trusting Luke, for betraying her friends—even if it had been unintentional. She thought of Charles, of how close she had come to losing him. She thought of the Ares kids who had died because of her misplaced trust. She thought of the camp, the home she had nearly destroyed with her naivety.
"I won't let you win, Luke," Selina gasped, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I won't let you take everything away from me."
Luke's laugh echoed in the cavern, but it sounded hollow, as if even he didn't believe his own words anymore. "You can try, Selina, but you're just delaying the inevitable. You can't hold the world forever."
Selina gritted her teeth, her entire body trembling under the weight. The pain was excruciating, but it was nothing compared to the guilt that gnawed at her insides, the crushing realization that she had let everyone down. But she wouldn't give up. She wouldn't let Luke's betrayal be the end of her story.
"I don't have to hold it forever," Selina said through gritted teeth. "Just long enough."
"Long enough for what?" Luke sneered, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, a crack in his cold, confident façade.
"Long enough for them to find me," Selina replied, her voice filled with a resolve she hadn't known she possessed. "They'll come for me. Charles will come for me."
Luke's eyes darkened, his smirk fading as he realized she meant every word. But before he could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled again, this time with a different kind of energy—one that was filled with the power of the Gods themselves.
What happened next was nothing short of divine intervention. Just as the crushing weight of the sky threatened to grind Selina into the ground, a brilliant silver light pierced the darkness. The air around them shimmered with power, and from that light stepped Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, her expression fierce and unyielding.
"Enough," Artemis commanded, her voice cold and sharp like a blade. She moved with the grace of a predator, each step purposeful as she approached the pedestal where Selina was struggling. Without hesitation, Artemis reached out and took the burden from Selina, bearing the weight of the sky on her own shoulders. The transition was seamless, the sky shifting as if recognizing its true bearer.
Selina collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, her body trembling from the effort it had taken just to hold on. She looked up in awe and horror as Artemis, her silver eyes blazing with a cold fury, took her place. The Goddess stood tall and strong, the immense weight seemingly nothing to her—though Selina knew the truth. Even a Goddess wasn't immune to the burden of the world.
Luke's expression faltered, his usual smugness replaced with a flicker of surprise. He hadn't expected this—hadn't expected a goddess to intervene. But true to form, he quickly recovered, his lips curling into a sneer. "Look at that," he drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. "The mighty Artemis, sacrificing herself for a weak little girl. Why would she even sacrifice herself for a daughter of Aphrodite… unless, you remain a maiden?" Luke's laughter was cruel. "What's the matter, Selina? Still a virgin even though you've got a boyfriend? Guess being a daughter of Aphrodite isn't everything it's cracked up to be."
Selina's blood ran cold at Luke's words, but it wasn't the taunt that shook her—it was the realization of what she had caused. Artemis, a Goddess, was now trapped, bearing the burden that had nearly killed Selina. The guilt was suffocating, threatening to overwhelm her, but then something inside her snapped. Luke's mockery, his sheer arrogance, was too much. She pushed herself to her feet, trembling with a mix of fear, anger, and resolve.
"You're disgusting," Selina spat, her voice trembling but filled with conviction. "You think you're so clever, so untouchable, but you're nothing, Luke. You manipulate and destroy because it's all you know how to do. You'll never understand what it means to love someone, to actually care about something beyond your own twisted goals."
Luke's sneer only deepened, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something defensive, as if Selina had struck a nerve. "Love is for fools, Selina. It makes you weak, and you're proof of that."
Selina shook her head, her eyes blazing with a fire she hadn't known she possessed. "No, Luke. You're the weak one. And I pray to my mother that you never, ever find love in your life. That you never experience the one thing that makes life worth living. Because if you did, you'd realize just how empty you are."
For a moment, Luke looked like he might say something in return, but before he could, the world around them began to shift. The ruins, the pedestal, the sky—all of it faded, dissolving into darkness. Selina's last glimpse was of Artemis, still standing tall under the weight of the sky, before everything went black.
Nico awoke with a gasp, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest. He sat up in his bed, clutching his chest as he struggled to breathe, the remnants of the dream still clinging to his mind like a dark cloud. Swallowing hard, Nico forced himself to focus, trying to calm his racing heart. He began the grounding exercise Chiron had taught him—counting five things he could see, hear, and touch. The dim glow of the moonlight through the window, the soft rustling of leaves outside, the cool, smooth texture of the sheets beneath his fingers… It helped, but it didn't banish the dread that gnawed at him.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
It took him a moment to realize where he was—to recognize the familiar surroundings of the Hades Cabin at Camp Half-Blood. The dark, shadowy walls, the faint smell of earth and stone—it was all so reassuring, yet the dream had left him shaken.
His first instinct was to dismiss it, to tell himself it was just another nightmare, but deep down, he knew better. Nico had always had a connection to the darker things in life, to death and the underworld. He knew when a dream was more than just a dream.
Without another thought, Nico swung his legs out of bed and stood, his determination overriding his fear. He had to tell someone—Chiron, Mr. D—anyone who could do something about what he'd seen. He didn't care if it was the middle of the night, or if the harpies were patrolling, eager to snatch up any demigod who dared break curfew. This couldn't wait.
Nico slipped out of his cabin; the night air cool against his skin. The camp was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of the woods muted, as if the world itself was holding its breath. He moved quickly, his footsteps barely making a sound as he made his way toward the Big House. The harpies were out, their sharp eyes scanning for rule-breakers, but Nico paid them no mind. He was too focused, too driven by the urgency of his mission.
The Big House loomed ahead, its shadowy outline a beacon in the darkness. Nico didn't bother knocking—he burst through the door, startling Chiron, who had been dozing in his wheelchair, and Mr. D, who was lounging nearby, a can of coke in hand. Both of them looked up, alarmed by Nico's sudden entrance. Well, Chiron looked alarmed, Mr. D simply looked disgruntled that his me-time had gotten interrupted.
"Nico?" Chiron said, his voice filled with concern. "What's wrong?"
Nico was breathing heavily, trying to steady himself as he spoke. "I had a dream—a vision, maybe. Something's happening, and it's bad. Really bad."
Mr. D, who was usually the picture of indifference, set his glass down, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Tell us, boy. What did you see?"
Nico swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Selina… Luke… something about the weight of the sky. Lady Artemis was there—she took the burden from Selina, but now she's trapped. Luke was mocking Selina, saying horrible things. It felt so real, like it was happening right now."
Chiron's face paled, his eyes narrowing with worry. "Lady Artemis… taking the weight of the sky. That can only mean one thing. Atlas."
Mr. D's expression darkened, his usual disinterested demeanor completely gone. "This is not something we can ignore. If Atlas is involved, the situation is far more dire than we thought."
Nico nodded, feeling the weight of his words sinking in. "We have to do something. We can't just let this happen."
Mr. D stood up, his posture tense. "I'll need to return to Olympus immediately. This needs to be discussed with my father. If what you've seen is true, and I believe it is, as I can see my brother's blessing on you shinning bright, we may be facing a crisis of cosmic proportions."
Chiron nodded, his expression grave. "Go, we'll prepare here. Nico, you've done well to bring this to us. Now we must act quickly."
Nico watched as Mr. D vanished in a flash of light. As Chiron began to issue orders, rallying the camp for what was to come, Nico couldn't shake the image of Lady Artemis, standing tall under the weight of the sky, and Selina's tearful, determined face as she faced down Luke.
Nico really wished it had been a simple nightmare.