Life at Camp Half-Blood moved fast, and days blurred into weeks.
Theo found himself constantly busy, his days filled entirely with taking care of Nathaniel.
It was exhausting work. Keeping a magical spirit baby happy, fed, and hidden was a full-time job.
Percy tried his best to help, though honestly, he usually ended up causing more chaos than actual assistance.
There was the time at the stream when Percy got too excited with his water powers, creating waves that soaked them both while Nathaniel shrieked in delight, trying to copy the movements with his own tiny hands.
Then there was dinner, where they had to sneak food under the table while trying not to laugh as Nathaniel played invisible pranks, while Percy encouraged him, nearly getting them caught by the other campers.
Every moment was filled with noise, laughter, and warmth. They talked, they joked, they argued over silly things like what Nathaniel liked to eat.
He an Percy had become friends. Real friends.
But as Theo watched them, a heavy feeling settled deep in his stomach.
It was late afternoon. Theo was sitting on a bench near the canoe lake, just observing.
Percy was ten feet away, sitting on the grass. Nathaniel was solid right now, sitting in Percy's lap, absolutely mesmerized by how Percy could make the water rise and fall like a living ribbon.
"Look, Nate! See that?" Percy was saying, grinning widely. "Water! Cool, right? Wanna try?"
Nathaniel gurgled happily, waving his tiny hands, his honey-colored eyes shining with pure adoration. He looked at Percy like he was the most amazing thing in the world.
And Percy... Percy looked back at him with so much affection and joy. It was natural. It was easy.
It all happened so smoothly, so effortlessly, as if they had always been meant to be there together.
But Theo felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
'This isn't right.' The thought popped into his head, uninvited and sharp. 'This wasn't supposed to happen.'
The feeling of dread never truly left Theo. It lingered in the back of his mind like a dark cloud, watching, waiting.
As he sat on the grass, watching Percy and Nathaniel laughing together, the warmth of the scene only made the coldness in his chest grow stronger.
Everything is happening too naturally, Theo thought, his hands clenched into fists. We laugh, we talk, we act like family... but we shouldn't be.
It felt wrong. It felt like they were stealing moments that weren't meant for them. Like they were playing a dangerous game with destiny.
"Why does it feel so easy?" Theo whispered to himself, his hands tightening on his knees. "Why does it feel so right... when it's clearly wrong?"
He looked at them one last time, his heart twisting painfully.
'Should I bring Nathaniel to run?'
Time moved forward, relentless as always. October faded, and November rolled in, bringing cooler air and shorter days.
And then, the date arrived. November 8th.
It felt almost like a coincidence, like fate was handing him an excuse on a silver platter. A way out of this... tangled mess he had created.
Today was Theo's thirteenth birthday. And according to the flow of things, today was also the day he would finally be claimed.
The dining pavilion was loud and crowded as usual.
Theo sat at his table, holding an invisible Nathaniel in his lap, keeping his head down, trying not to attract attention.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him.
"Happy Birthday, Theo!"
Percy plopped down beside him, grinning widely, holding a neatly wrapped blue box.
Theo blinked, surprised. "Thanks... but how did you know?"
Percy just wiggled his eyebrows mysteriously. "I have my sources."
In reality, Percy had simply 'heard' the thought echoing in Theo's mind the night before: 'Tomorrow is my birthday... and the day I find out who my parent is.' But he wasn't about to admit that.
Theo looked at the box suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Open it! Open it!" Percy bounced in his seat, vibrating with excitement like an overgrown puppy.
Theo sighed and untied the ribbon. He lifted the lid.
Inside, resting on soft paper, were several perfectly shaped cookies. All blue.
"Really?" Theo deadpanned. "Blue cookies? That's your big gift?"
"Hey! These aren't just any cookies!" Percy insisted, leaning in eagerly. "They are amazing! Come on, try one! Just taste it!"
Rolling his eyes, Theo picked one up and took a bite.
He chewed. And then he stopped.
His eyes widened slightly. The usual sweetness was there, but underneath it was a rich, warm, golden flavor that spread across his tongue.
"This..." Theo whispered, looking at the cookie in awe. "This is... honey flavored?"
"Mhm!" Percy beamed proudly. "I especially requested it! I told my mom, she knew exactly what you'd like. Happy Birthday, Theo!"
Theo took another bite, and suddenly, he felt his eyes getting wet. Before he could stop it, a single tear rolled down his cheek, then another.
"Whoa! Hey! Hey!" Percy panicked instantly, waving his hands. "Did I do something wrong?! Is it bad?! Is it too sweet?! I knew I shouldn't have asked for extra honey-"
"No!" Theo quickly wiped his face, laughing shakily. "No, it's not bad. It's... it's super good. Really. Tell Miss Jackson thank you for me, okay?"
Percy exhaled loudly, clutching his chest. "Oh gods! You scared me to death! I thought I ruined your birthday!"
Just then, Nathaniel, who had been invisible, materialized on Theo's lap. He smelled the sweetness and immediately reached out his tiny hands, grabbing at the air.
"Ah! Ah!" He demanded, eyes fixed on the cookie.
"Nuh-uh," Theo said firmly, pulling the box away and shielding it. "This is mine. You are still a baby, you can't have sweets yet. No cookies for you."
"Yeah, Little Nate," Percy agreed, grinning and poking the baby's chubby cheek. "You gotta grow up big and strong first! Then you can have all the blue cookies you want."
Nathaniel didn't understand the refusal, but he was easily distracted. He giggled, grabbing Percy's finger instead and shaking it wildly, drooling happily.
Theo looked at the cookie in his hand, then at Percy's relieved face, and at the squirming baby in his lap.
For a moment, the worry about running away, about fate, about everything... it all melted away in the sweet taste of honey.
As the meal continued, the atmosphere in the pavilion suddenly shifted. The air grew lighter, softer, and a strange, calming warmth spread through the room, silencing the usual noise.
Everyone stopped eating and looked up.
Hovering above Theo's head, glowing with a gentle, radiant light, was a symbol. It wasn't a weapon, or an animal, or a storm.
It was an Olive Wreath, intertwined with a golden dove.
A murmur rippled through the camp.
"The Goddess of Peace..." someone whispered. "Eirene."
The symbol pulsed softly, and just like that, the connection was made. Theo was no longer an unclaimed child. He was recognized.
Immediately, campers stood up, cheering and clapping.
"Whoa! Theo!" Percy whooped loudly, grinning from ear to ear. "Dude! That's awesome!"
Campers from all around started approaching him, patting his back and offering congratulations.
Theo sat there, stunned, holding Nathaniel close as the baby cooed, seemingly fascinated by the glowing light above his daddy's head.
He looked at the symbol, then at the crowd of smiling faces, and finally at Percy, who looked prouder than if he had been claimed himself.
He was part of them now. He belonged.
And yet, as the cheers washed over him, that tiny voice in the back of his head whispered again.
'Is this the path I'm supposed to take?'
That night.
The noise of the camp faded away, replaced by the deep silence of midnight.
Theo fell asleep quickly, exhausted but feeling lighter than he had in weeks.
But his sleep was not empty.
He found himself standing in a vast, white space. There was no ground, no sky, just endless soft light that felt warm and safe, like being wrapped in a blanket.
Standing before him was a woman.
She was tall and graceful, wearing robes that looked like they were woven from moonlight and silk.
Her face was serene, beautiful beyond words, and her eyes held the infinite calm of a still lake. There was no anger in her gaze, only a profound, overwhelming sadness and love.
Theo knew who she was instantly.
"Mother?" he whispered.
The Goddess of Peace, Eirene, smiled gently, though her expression was filled with sorrow.
She reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. Her touch was cool and soothing, chasing away every ache and worry in his body.
"My dear child," her voice was like music, soft and echoing all around him. "You have grown well. I am proud of you."
Theo looked up at her, his heart beating fast. "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"
Eirene's expression hardened slightly. She sighed, a sad, soft sound.
"Look at this world you live in. It is beautiful, yes. But it is stained. War is coming. Titans are rising. The earth will soon shake and wake from its slumber. Chaos is inevitable."
Theo's heart sank. He knew it. He knew it better than anyone.
She took his hands in hers, holding them tightly.
"I cannot bear it," Eirene said, her eyes filling with light. "As the Goddess of Peace, I cannot let my only son be swallowed by this darkness. I have made a decision. I want to take you away."
She looked deep into his eyes.
"Away?" Theo blinked, his breath catching in his throat. "Where?"
"To a place of eternal rest," Eirene replied softly. "A quiet world where there is no fighting, no prophecies, no pain. You will be safe. You will be happy. You will live a long, peaceful life. That is all I have ever wanted for you."
Theo stood frozen. A peaceful life... No danger... No monsters... No need to worry about the plot...
It sounded like heaven. It sounded like exactly what he had always wanted.
But then, suddenly, a face flashed in his mind. Black hair. Honey eyes. A gummy smile.
And then another face. Sea-green eyes. A messy grin. A hand reaching out to pull him up.
Theo looked up at his mother, his voice trembling slightly.
"Wait... then... what about Nathaniel?"
Eirene nodded slightly. "He will come with you, of course. He is part of you."
"Then..." Theo swallowed hard, the question burning on his tongue. "Why? Why does he look like that? Why does he look like Percy?"
The question hung in the air.
Eirene looked at him with that same gentle, knowing expression. She sighed softly, the sound carrying a hint of wonder.
"That..." she said quietly, "was not supposed to happen."
She paused, her gaze softening even further.
"But I did not expect it. I did not expect that his care for you... his bond with you... runs as deep as the ocean. So deep that it affected the Embryo before it even hatched."
Theo's knees almost gave out.
His care runs deeper than the ocean...
"Don't say that," Theo choked out, turning his face away, his eyes stinging. "Please don't say things like that... You're making it impossible for me to decide."
If it was just him, it would be easy. But knowing that Percy cared that much... knowing that Nate was literally made from that connection... leaving felt like tearing his own heart out.
"I don't want to force you, Theo," Eirene said kindly, reading his turmoil. "I am not here to command you. I am giving you an option. A chance to be free."
The Goddess stepped back, giving him space as she held out her hand.
Theo looked at that hand. He thought about Percy and Nathaniel laughing by the lake.
He thought about the blue cookies. He thought about the danger coming.
He thought about how wrong it felt to change the original story.
He knew it was time.
He took a deep, shuddering breath.
And he nodded.
"Okay," Theo said, his voice quiet but final, broken and resigned. "I'll go. I want to go."
Eirene's face lit up with relief and love.
"But..." Theo added, looking down at his hands, unable to meet her eyes. "I need time. I need to say goodbye."
Eirene nodded. "Because you have formed bonds here, I will grant you one final day. Twenty-four hours. Use it to say goodbye to whoever you wish. Prepare your heart. Tomorrow, when the sun sets… we leave."
The white light began to dim, swirling around him like fading smoke.
"Until tomorrow, my son."
Theo woke up with a violent start, bolting upright in bed.
His chest heaved, his lungs burning as if he had been holding his breath underwater for minutes. His entire body was trembling uncontrollably, shaking the bed frame.
His pillow was soaked.
Tears were streaming down his face, real and warm, dripping from his chin onto his sheets. He had been crying in his sleep.
He wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand, but they wouldn't stop.
The dream... it felt so real. The touch of his mother's hand. The offer. The truth about Nathaniel.
It wasn't just a dream.
He looked around the dark Hermes cabin and other sleeping campers, the shadows seeming long and menacing now.
One day.
He had one day left to live in this messy, chaotic, beautiful story.
Twenty-four hours to pretend.
And then... he had to let go.
He had to say goodbye.