The chilling wind of January swept through the massive ruins of a mansion and cabins, its structure made of red and gray stone and rough-hewn timber beams.
In the corner of the burned-out courtyard, a teenager lay sprawled across the dry grass, his jet-black hair plastered against his forehead.
He was fast asleep, yet his body was restless. His brows were furrowed, and his hands occasionally twitched as he struggled through whatever was happening in his dreams.
And in his dreams, Percy continued running through the narrow corridor, following the silhouette of a boy.
The dim lighting made it difficult for him to see who it was, and behind him, there was nothing but darkness.
As he followed the boy, a female voice called out his name from somewhere behind him.
Her voice felt intimately familiar, as though he had heard it countless times before.
But Percy ignored it in favor of catching up to the running boy. He was pretty sure she would understand.
Right?
Soon, her voice was swallowed by the darkness and disappeared into the back of his mind.
And so, he continued shouting for the boy to wait for him. He called out his name, willing his legs to run faster as he stretched out his hand, desperately trying to reach him.
Yet no matter how hard he tried, he always failed to catch up.
For every step Percy took, the boy took two.
'How is that even possible?! The boy is so tiny!' Percy grumbled internally, breathing heavily as he continued to run.
Slowly, no matter what he did, the distance between them widened.
His legs burned from running for so long, and his vision slowly faded into darkness until the only thing he could see was the boy's blurred silhouette.
His chest tightened, and his breathing became labored as he felt the corridor slowly narrowing around him.
'Will I be crushed?'
Percy didn't know.
All he knew was that he had to keep running toward the boy, although he didn't know why... and continue shouting his name.
'Wait... Whose name is it again?'
Ah! It was the boy's name, the one he was trying so desperately to catch. It was his name.
But why everytime he called his name, it hurt so much?
He felt betrayed, angry, and disappointed, though he couldn't understand why.
Percy didn't know when it happened, but eventually, he lost sight of the boy's silhouette.
And it scared him so much. The thought of losing whoever it was.
Because of that, he continued calling out his name.
Again, and again, and again.
He kept calling his name.
'What name?'
Percy didn't know.
'Why is he running after him?'
Percy didn't know.
Eventually, he stopped. He lowered his head and looked at his trembling hands. He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew one thing.
Something precious was slipping through his fingers. He was losing something important, something he couldn't afford to lose.
Something that shaped the very fiber of his existence.
He stood blankly in the darkness, unable to move, until a female voice called out to him.
"Percy!"
'Yeah, that must be my name,' he thought blankly. 'But whose voice is that?'
His mind slowly supplied the answer.
Annabeth.
It was Annabeth, his tether, his anchor, his... his loved one.
Before he could even take another breath, the already narrow corridor began to tremble.
The walls, the ceiling, and even the ground beneath him started closing in.
Percy felt suffocated as the tightness in his chest grew worse. The darkness around him seemed almost inviting, and he suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to sleep.
Just a little longer.
He would sleep just a little longer.
Slowly, the shadows crept around him, while the corridor continued closing in, trapping him within its narrowing walls.
And Percy would let them.
Suddenly, the fragrance of fresh flowers, mixed with a hint of honey and the sea, flooded his senses.
Then, through the suffocating darkness, a sweet and somewhat familiar voice of a child echoed through the corridor.
"Wake up, Percy!"
And like a switch being flipped, the world around him turned upside down.
Percy's eyes snapped open.
He looked around frantically, and for a moment, he couldn't understand where he was.
The darkness was gone, replaced by the pale gray sky above him, and the narrow corridor had disappeared, leaving only the unfamiliar sight of the ruined courtyard.
He blinked several times, trying to adjust his vision. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, and he could feel the uncomfortable tightness in his throat.
He took a deep breath, then another, slowly forcing himself to calm down.
"What was that? Where is he? What happened?"
Percy frowned as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. His mind was still muddled from the strange dream, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember what he had been chasing
Before he could dwell on it any further, he heard a rustling sound coming from somewhere behind him.
Instinctively, his hand slipped into his pocket and gripped the ballpoint pen he had found there.
He wasn't entirely sure why he had chosen a pen as his weapon of choice, especially considering the rather questionable circumstances he had found himself in, but he wasn't exactly in a position to complain about his available options.
Taking a cautious breath, Percy slowly turned around.
And promptly froze.
Standing a few feet away from him was a wolf.
Not just any wolf, either. This thing was enormous, with thick, chocolate-red fur.
And its sharp and unnervingly intelligent silver eyes were fixed directly on him, while its massive frame towered over him with an intimidating presence.
It was really super tall, taller than any human he had ever seen.
Well, it wasn't as though Percy had seen many wolves before, either.
"Demigod, you should not have awakened yet," the wolf spoke.
Percy stared. Is it normal for a wolf to know how to speak human language?
'Great. Just great. A talking wolf. Just what he needed. Because apparently, waking up in the middle of nowhere wasn't strange enough.'
He slowly tightened his grip around the pen before looking at the enormous creature.
"What?" he asked, his voice carrying a healthy amount of sarcasm. "You want me to lie back down and go to sleep? Sure. No problem. Just give me a second."
The wolf stepped forward, its massive paws pressing against the dry grass. Its silver eyes never left Percy, and the sheer size of the creature made him instinctively lean backward.
"I am Lupa, the wolf goddess and trainer of Roman demigods."
The wolf paused for a moment before her expression shifted. The corners of her mouth slowly pulled upward, revealing a row of long, pointed teeth.
It wasn't exactly the sort of smile that inspired confidence. If anything, it reminded Percy of the sort of expression a predator might wear after finding an especially unfortunate meal.
"And you, Percy Jackson, have awakened earlier than scheduled. Which means you will be spending more time here than originally intended."
Lupa's smile widened slightly, exposing even more of her sharp teeth. "I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay."
He wasn't entirely certain what frightened him more.
The fact that a wolf could talk, the fact that it was apparently a goddess, or the way she had said his name as though she had been expecting him.
Actually, all three were equally concerning.
"I don't know," Percy replied cautiously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. But not backing down. "Maybe I should just go back to sleep, and you can wake me up at the proper time? That sounds like a pretty reasonable arrangement, doesn't it?"
Lupa simply stared at him.
Then her lips pulled back again, revealing an impressive collection of teeth.
Percy decided that perhaps he should stop suggesting things.
"Follow me," the she-wolf ordered as she turned around and began walking where she came from. "We will talk there, and you will meet the pack."
Percy watched her retreating figure, his thoughts racing as he tried to make sense of his current predicament.
He was an amnesiac teenager in the middle of an unfamiliar forest, accompanied by an enormous wolf goddess whom he suspected was his kidnapper.
A talking wolf and, apparently, a trainer.
He couldn't even remember how he had ended up in this place, much less why someone like Lupa knew his name.
It was a strange feeling.
He felt as though he remembered everything, yet remembered nothing at all.
Whenever he tried to grasp those memories, his mind offered him nothing but empty spaces.
There was something important he was forgetting. Something he knew he should remember, something that seemed to linger just beyond his reach.
But for now, he had bigger problems.
Percy looked down at the pen in his hand, then glanced toward the direction Lupa had disappeared.
He released a long, exhausted sigh before reluctantly followed after her.
'How wonderful.'
.
.
.
The golden light surrounding them continued to swirl, its gentle radiance growing brighter with every passing second.
Suddenly, the space around them began twisting and shifting in ways Theo couldn't quite explain.
What had once been a smooth and almost effortless journey had turned into a rather unpleasant experience.
He tightened his arms around Nathaniel, keeping the little boy close to his chest as another violent tremor passed through the light.
"Papa?"
"I'm here, Nate," Theo assured him, trying his best to sound calm despite the growing unease in his stomach. "Just hold on a little longer."
Easier said than done.
The golden strands of light suddenly stretched in different directions, pulling at them as though something were trying to drag them away from their intended destination.
Theo frowned, instinctively shielding Nathaniel as the familiar warmth surrounding them began to fade.
'Something was wrong.'
He had experienced divine transportation before, but never quite like this.
Mother had assured him that the journey would be safe, and while Theo trusted his mother, the same couldn't be said for their enemies.
Especially when the universe apparently decided to make his life difficult.
"Papa, it's shaking," Nathaniel whispered into his ear, looking around with wide eyes.
"I noticed, sweetheart." Theo barely managed to finish his sentence before the light surrounding them gave one final, violent pulse.
And then...
They fell.
The sensation was brief, but unpleasant enough to make Theo instinctively close his eyes. A rush of cold air swept past them, followed by the unmistakable feeling of landing on solid ground.
Theo immediately opened his eyes and held Nathaniel close to his chest as he examined their surroundings.
'Whoever planned to interfere with our teleportation certainly didn't do their assignment properly.'
A small creek flowed beside them, its clear waters moving gently over the stones. Tall trees lined both banks, their branches casting long shadows across the ground.
The air smelled of damp earth and fresh vegetation, a welcome change from the golden space they had just left.
Then, beyond the trees, something caught his attention.
An old structure stood nearby, partially concealed by the woodland. Its walls were broken, and its former grandeur had been reduced to weathered stone and creeping vegetation.
The Wolf House.
Theo stared at the ruins for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
'Well, at least we arrived at the right place.'
He glanced down at Nathaniel, who seemed equally occupied with examining their surroundings.
The little boy tilted his head, his honey-colored eyes following the gentle movement of the creek.
"Well, Nathaniel," Theo murmured, adjusting his hold on him. "Looks like we'll have to walk."
'The mastermind behind our rather questionable landing at the Wolf House surely didn't intend for us just to take a walking exercise, did they?'
Nathaniel began shifting in his arms, clearly wanting to get down. He placed both hands against Theo's chest and looked up at him expectantly.
"Down, Papa."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "Not yet. I'll let you down later. It's still dangerous."
Nathaniel puffed out his cheeks, evidently dissatisfied with the answer. "Papa!"
"Yes, yes. Your complaints have been received and will be ignored accordingly." Theo sighed.
However, instead of continuing to argue, his small body suddenly turned intangible, slipping out of Theo's arms before landing lightly on the ground.
Theo stared at the empty space where his son had been. 'Well, that's one way to solve the problem. I wonder where he gets that defiance from.'
Nathaniel stood proudly in front of him, his little legs firmly planted against the ground. He looked up at Theo and declared, "I'll protect you papa!"
The boy puffed out his chest as he stubbornly held Theo's gaze.
Theo let out a defeated sigh before crouching slightly and ruffling his son's hair. "Sure, sure. I'll be expecting your protection, oh mighty knight."
Nathaniel responded with a wide smile, clearly pleased with the title. He reached for Theo's hand, and the older boy gladly accepted it before looking toward the ruins.
And together, they began walking toward the Wolf House.
However, they had barely taken a few steps when a strange sound came from somewhere behind them.
Theo immediately stopped.
His expression changed as he turned toward the noise, instinctively moving in front of Nathaniel.
One hand tightened around the little boy's while the other lifted slightly, keeping him behind his body.
"Stay close to me, Nate," he whispered.
Nathaniel obediently stepped behind him, peeking around his father's side with curious eyes.
A figure emerged from between the trees.
At first glance, it almost resembled a humanoid creature, though calling it human would have been a considerable stretch.
Its skin was charred, almost coal-black, resembling burned earth, while its body was covered in rough and uneven surfaces.
Thin, glowing fissures ran across its form, resembling cracks in cooling stone with a faint reddish light shining from within.
But its eyes were what caught Theo's attention the most.
They were deep red, glowing like molten magma beneath a layer of ash. There was something deeply unsettling about the way they remained fixed on him.
'Oh.'
Theo stared at the creature.
'Well, that's unfortunate.'
He had been hoping for a relatively peaceful arrival. Perhaps a welcoming committee, a comfortable place to rest, or at the very least, something that wouldn't immediately make him question the safety standards of the local wildlife.
Instead, he had encountered what appeared to be a walking lump of burned charcoal with glowing eyes.
Wonderful.
Just wonderful.
'Mother, I sincerely hope you had a good reason for sending us here.'
Theo tightened his grip on Nathaniel's hand and slowly stepped backward, keeping himself between his son and the approaching creature.
He wasn't particularly interested in fighting whatever that thing was. In fact, he'd be perfectly content if it simply turned around and found someone else to bother.
Preferably someone who deserved it.
He took a cautious step backward, gently guiding Nathaniel with him. The creature continued approaching, although its movements were noticeably uneven.
Theo soon noticed that its right leg was bent at an unnatural angle, causing it to drag the limb along the ground with every step.
'Wonderful. A walking pile of charcoal with anger issues. And naturally, it had decided that I was today's menu.'
"What is it?" Nathaniel asked, his little face wrinkling as he examined the creature.
Theo shook his head. "I'm not sure, baby."
The creature's deep red eyes remained fixed on him. Its head tilted slightly, and a low murmur escaped its mouth, enough for them to hear.
"Child of Peace..." Its voice sounded like stones grinding beneath the earth, rough and unpleasant to the ears.
Theo instinctively frowned, finding the sound almost as disturbing as the creature's appearance.
'Oh, wonderful. It knows me.'
He tightened his grip on Nathaniel's hand.
The creature took another step forward, its glowing eyes never leaving Theo.
There was no mistaking the hostility in its gaze, and although Theo had no intention of finding out what it wanted, he wasn't particularly interested in fighting it either.
'Perhaps I can calm it down long enough for us to get away.'
He slowly raised his free hand, preparing to use his blessing. If the creature was capable of understanding him, perhaps he could persuade it to stop approaching.
It was worth trying, especially when Nathaniel was standing right behind him.
However, before Theo could even speak, the creature suddenly lunged toward them.
"Nathaniel, get back!"
Theo instinctively moved to shield his son, but before the creature could reach them, a powerful jet of water burst from the nearby creek.
The stream struck the creature directly, sending it stumbling backward and interrupting its attack. For a brief moment, the monster seemed unable to understand what had happened. Then, a terrible screech escaped its mouth.
The sound resembled rocks grinding together, growing louder as its charred body began to crumble. Its rough surface broke apart, slowly dissolving into a cloud of black ashes that scattered across the ground.
And just like that, the creature was gone.
Theo stood completely still.
He stared at the empty space where the monster had been, then slowly glanced toward the creek.
The entire encounter had happened so quickly that he was still trying to process what he had just witnessed.
Something about the creature's disappearance bothered him, too.
Unlike the monsters he had encountered before, it hadn't dissolved into golden dust. Instead, its remains had turned into black ashes, leaving behind an unpleasant sight on the forest floor.
'That's... different.'
Before Theo could examine the matter any further, a cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.
"See? I protected you from the bad guy!"
Theo slowly looked down.
Nathaniel was standing beside him with an enormous smile on his face, looking rather pleased with himself. His little chest puffed out once again as he waited for his papa's reaction.
Theo blinked.
"Did you cause that water?"
"I did!" Nathaniel happily answered.
"What?" Theo stared blankly at him. "When? You can control water?"
"Yep! Percy taught me before. He said I'm too young to hold a sword, so water will do!"
Nathaniel explained everything with such enthusiasm that he failed to notice the increasingly complicated expression on Theo's face.
Theo, meanwhile, was beginning to question several things about his life.
'Controlling water can be learned?!'
He stared at the little boy in front of him, then glanced toward the creek.
'What are you, a water bender?'
He had expected Nathaniel to inherit some unusual abilities, considering the circumstances surrounding his birth. However, he hadn't exactly expected him to casually manipulate an entire stream of water.
Especially when Percy was apparently the one who taught him.
'Of course. Why am I even surprised?'
"Aren't I doing good, Papa?" Nathaniel asked, tugging lightly at his hand.
Theo's thoughts immediately returned to the little boy. He crouched down and gently embraced him, giving his small back a reassuring pat.
"Good job, Nate."
Nathaniel's smile widened.
However, before the little boy could celebrate any further, Theo pulled back slightly and looked directly into his son's honey-colored eyes, which resembled his own.
"But don't do that again when we're around other people, got it, Nathaniel?"
Nathaniel tilted his head, clearly confused by the sudden change in his father's tone. "But why?"
"Well..." Theo paused, trying to find a simple way to explain it. "Other people might misunderstand and think of something else."
The explanation didn't seem to satisfy Nathaniel entirely, but he eventually nodded.
"Okay, Papa."
Theo smiled and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair away from his son's forehead. "Good boy."
He then stood up and glanced toward the place where the creature had disappeared.
The black ashes were already beginning to scatter with the wind, leaving little evidence that anything had been there in the first place.
'It must be what Mother warned me about.' The thought lingered in his mind for a moment.
Whatever those creatures were, they had somehow managed to follow him even after his mother had sent them away from the sanctuary.
And judging by the way the creature had addressed him, it wasn't simply wandering through the forest.
It had been following him.
Theo looked toward the ruins of the Wolf House, then down at Nathaniel, who was still holding his hand.
'Well, standing here won't solve anything.'
"Let's go," he said as he smiled at his son.
"Um!"
Nathaniel happily followed as Theo resumed walking, his little hand securely held in his papa's.
And so, the two continued toward the Wolf House, unaware of what awaited them within its ruined walls.