𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

Luke never thought he would live long enough to see Keira Blackwell desperate and out of control over her actions.

At least, not until that moment in the cave. When Jon uttered his last words and closed his eyes forever, a cascade of angry curses filled the cave, with Keira's deep and enraged voice.

Luke couldn't help but feel horrible. Jon had died right in front of them, while the two of them were lying on the side of the cave, unable to help or defend him when Nik stabbed him. Even in his worst nightmares, this couldn't be real. 

He kept staring at his brother's lifeless body, unable to believe that he was gone. It seemed terrible that Jon had died fighting alone, a bitter irony for his end, someone who had always been there to support others with an empathetic smile and words of encouragement. Luke had a strong desire to cry, but he couldn't find the strength to shed tears. A deep sadness overwhelmed him, almost as profound as when Thalia died.

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he almost wasn't aware of how Keira stood up abruptly and began to strike the stone where Nik had been seconds before with Shadowedge, transformed into a spear, while continuing to curse. Keira knew she was only tiring herself more and that Nik wouldn't reappear in that spot she was attacking, but it helped to alleviate the tension and suffering.

Shouting, cursing, and hitting things had often been her way of relieving tension. Disappointment in herself wasn't something she was accustomed to, but in that moment, it was all she felt—disappointment and anger. As a true daughter of Athena, she couldn't stand when things took an unexpected turn they hadn't foreseen and went wrong. This time was no exception, and she didn't know how long she had been hitting the rocky wall of the damp cave.

In fact, time seemed to have stopped at that final blow Nik dealt to Jon. From there, everything had been fast, and her actions almost automatic. The way she had risen, approached Nik, and struck him until he was disarmed and on the brink of death. The way the son of Hephaestus had managed to shadow-travel, even though it was very difficult to use the ability in the state he was in at that moment. After hitting the stone for almost an hour—although having no idea of the actual time—Keira approached Jon's lifeless body.

Luke continued to observe the scene with his face buried in his hands, sitting on a rock a few yards from where the death had occurred. Keira approached more calmly than before and took out her lighter from her cargo pocket.

Is she really smoking now?, Luke wondered, surprised by her attitude. He was too sad to articulate words aloud, so he stayed silent and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. Actually, he couldn't blame Keira if she wanted to smoke, or even if she wanted to jump into the waterfall and disappear under the water, never to resurface again. If he felt shattered, he couldn't fathom the depth of pain Keira must be enduring—losing her lifelong best friend and grappling with the betrayal of another close friend on the same day.

To his surprise, Keira didn't light a cigarette. Instead, she crouched down, took Jon's lifeless head, and slowly removed the necklace from his neck, placing it over his chest. Then, she went to the bow and arrow lying next to him, visibly damaged after Nik had thrown them, and placed them beside Jon's body as well. She did the same with his backpack, after retrieving the ambrosia and nectar that were left of it and stored them in her own backpack.

Finally, she lit the lighter, and as she watched the flame spread in her hand intensely, she murmured some words in Ancient Greek. As she spoke, her voice gradually rose in volume, her eyes focused on the flame reflecting the dim light around as she uttered words rapidly and low.

Luke was stunned and moved by the scene. He didn't fully understand, but evidently, it was a farewell ritual for heroes, and Keira was honoring her friend. The blonde continued murmuring words as she crouched down and set Jon's shirt on fire. Quickly, the fire spread to the rest of his body as she continued praying for his soul, flames reflecting in her gray eyes.