𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧

The morning had arrived, and all the campers were finally having their last breakfast together.

They fondly recalled anecdotes from the summer, some laughing while others shed tears at the sadness of leaving the camp to face the school year.

"Going back to Boston sucks," complained Melissa, sitting next to Keira as she stirred her eggs on her plate, a look of disgust on her face. "Everyone at that special school is just so fucking weird."

Keira nodded in silence, unsure of her sister's feelings. For her part, she would be returning to the California Military School, where she had attended all her life. There, classes were unique, and her ADHD and dyslexia didn't seem to be much of an issue. Those classes included combat, flight, military strategies, and although nowadays she was the only demigod attending, over the nearly 100 years of the school's existence, a significant number of children of gods had passed through its halls. It was a common place for the children of Ares and Athena, who felt at home.

Logically, no one knew that Keira was a demigod at school. Not even Mrs. Henderson, the school's director, who had been a close friend of her father in his lifetime. Once he passed away, she decided to admit Keira to the school, knowing that the girl had no other family. From that moment, Keira moved from New York, where she lived with her father, to California to spend the school year there. This way, Keira ensured she had a relatively normal life.

Monsters frequently targeted her at the school, but given its history with demigods, the institution was well-equipped to provide defense. At the age of eight, Keira stumbled upon a small room containing a box of celestial bronze weapons. Among them was her sword, Shadowedge, which wasn't a typical blade. It was a really small lantern seemingly ordinary for camping or hiking. However, depending on the number of times one pressed the button to ignite it, it could transform into a sword, a bow, a dagger, or a spear. She had also discovered celestial bronze pistols, an uncommon sight even for demigods and some shields back at school.

"Ever thought of ditching school and joining the camp year-round?" the blonde asked her sister, stealing a grape from Melissa's plate and popping it into her mouth.

"Dad would flip," she replied with a smirk, "Thinks I'll turn into a delinquent without a proper education."

Keira chuckled almost automatically as she saw Jon entering the Dining Pavilion, remembering that the night before she had been thinking of having a private conversation with him before heading to California.

Jon, as always, would be staying at the camp for the entire year, so Keira wouldn't see him again until next summer, or at the very least until Christmas if she decided to make a quick visit to the Camp, something she did regularly.

The truth was that Keira had been contemplating the idea of informing Jon about the words she had exchanged with Ligia before her birthday. Since Jon would be staying at the camp throughout the year, it seemed like a good idea to let him know that during the summer, a demigod who was supposed to betray them had lived among them. This way, he could be open to any signs and stay alert.

So, quickly, upon spotting Jon, she got up from her table, muttering that she'd be right back, and headed towards the Hermes table. There were about ten campers having breakfast, including Luke, who, upon seeing her approach, became very interested in the sausages on his plate, not lifting his gaze from them.

"Jon, got a sec for some parting words before I leave Camp, ruining your life?" she greeted him, with a sideways smile. Her friend nodded, understanding that she wanted to talk privately, and followed her outside the Dining Pavilion, onto the green grass a few yards away.

"Got something important to tell you," she confessed, looking her friend in the eyes with an uncommon seriousness. He responded with a warm smile, a characteristic gesture of his.