Through the Eye of the Storm.

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    After that, the plan would be simple enough. The trio—Rory, Luke, and Chris—would shadow Percy and the others as they ventured into the Sea of Monsters. Their strategy was straightforward: trail Percy’s group just long enough to ensure they were on the right path, then withdraw and wait for them to retrieve the Golden Fleece, allowing the unsuspecting heroes to do all the hard work for them. Once Percy and his friends secured the fleece, Rory’s team would swoop in and claim it for themselves.

    Rory found the waiting excruciatingly tedious. Day after day, she felt as if she were merely existing, biding her time until the moment they could execute their plan. She was a tightly wound spring, coiled and ready to explode into action at the slightest provocation. Each passing hour tested her patience, but she understood the critical importance of timing. She had come this far, and a bit more waiting wouldn’t break her resolve. The success of their mission was dependent on this final stretch of patience.

    The three of them were the only demigods involved in the first phase of the plan. They embarked on a sleek, swift vessel, much smaller than the Princess Andromeda but designed for speed and agility. They were accompanied by a handpicked contingent of monsters from Kronos’s army, a ragtag crew assembled for their unique skills and ferocity. These monsters were not just there to man the ship; they were a strategic asset, serving as bait for the numerous creatures lurking within the Sea of Monsters.

    As they sailed on, Rory found herself alone with her thoughts. The gentle sway of the ship and the ceaseless lapping of waves against its hull did little to calm her restless mind. She replayed their last encounter with Percy’s group over and over in her mind, fully aware that another confrontation was inevitable. The memory of Maddie haunted her. Maddie hadn’t even tried to reason with her, to persuade her to abandon this path. Had Maddie given up on her so quickly? Had she already accepted Rory’s betrayal so readily? The questions gnawed at her, but she pushed them aside. It was too late for second thoughts or regrets. Rory had made her choice, and there was no turning back.

    Even if Maddie had tried to convince her to reconsider, it would have been futile. Rory had made up her mind long ago. She was convinced that she was doing the right thing, that she was doing what was necessary. In her mind, she was delivering a much-needed lesson to the gods, finally giving them back a taste of their own medicine. This rebellion was the only way for demigods to finally be acknowledged, to be seen. She believed that only something as drastic as starting a war, as bringing back the Lord of the Titans, would be enough to finally get their parents' attention. Rory had grown tired of the endless cycle of neglect and danger that defined the lives of demigods. Year after year, demigods were thrown into perilous quests, fighting battles that were not their own, all while their divine parents remained distant and indifferent.

    Rory’s resentment had festered, transforming into a burning desire for change. She had seen too many friends hurt, too many lives lost, all for the whims of the gods. She had had enough of it all. Something drastic had to be done. She was prepared to pay any price, sacrifice any friendship, to achieve their goal. The thought of Maddie’s hurt and betrayal pained her, but she steeled herself against it. In the end, they would understand. They would see her as a hero, the one who had dared to challenge the order of things and who had fought for their freedom. She was on the brink of something monumental, and she was ready to seize it, no matter the cost.

    The kids wouldn't be heading straight for Charybdis and Scylla as they didn't have a good enough ship, still lagging behind in a lifeboat. They'd need to find a better boat first so as to survive either the monstrous whirlpool or the deadly cliffs. That disadvantage, however, provided Rory and her team with a strategic edge. It gave them a head start and the perfect opportunity to position themselves for an ambush. They’d push their limits, stalling Percy and his friends for as long as they could. The looming threat of Thalia's dying tree and the potential for Camp Half-Blood to be overrun by monsters intensified the stakes. The heroes were under immense pressure, racing against time, and the countdown had already begun.

    The trio found themselves seated in the dimly lit confines of the ship's bottom deck. The vessel steadily approached the treacherous entrance to the Sea of Monsters, each wave intensifying as they neared the looming Charybdis. The rhythmic rise and fall of the boat mirrored the cyclical inhalations and exhalations of the sea monster, inducing an uneasy rocking motion. The wooden beams groaned under the strain, creating an ominous symphony of creaks and rattles that echoed through the dim space.

    Rory sat on one of the cold, damp benches, her back resting against a support beam that creaked with each roll of the ship. She tried to steady her thoughts, focusing on the mission ahead. The dim lantern hanging from the ceiling cast flickering shadows on the walls, making the confined space feel even more claustrophobic. The air was thick with the scent of saltwater, mildew, and the faint, acrid smell of tar. The rhythmic creaking of the ship’s timbers was accompanied by the distant, almost inaudible mutterings of the crew above deck.

    Luke was across from her, his eyes closed, breathing steadily as if meditating. He looked almost serene, as though the upcoming danger was a mere formality, a stepping stone to their ultimate goal. Chris, seated beside Rory, was less composed. He shifted restlessly, his leg bouncing with nervous energy, his hands tapping out an anxious rhythm on the bench.

    They wouldn't be heading for Charybdis, the monstrous whirlpool that could swallow ships whole. They didn't have the firepower and strength to challenge such a force of nature directly. No, they would be aiming straight for Scylla, the six-headed beast that devoured sailors from high above. The plan was to navigate through quickly, avoiding confrontation as much as possible, and to get out with as little damage to the ship as possible. In and out. A swift, surgical strike.

    They didn't need to deal with Polyphemus, that was Percy's problem, that was Annabeth's problem, that was Maddie's problem. It wasn't her problem. She didn't care if they lived or died, all she did care about was the fleece. The fleece was the key to resurrecting Kronos, reviving Thalia, and completely disrupting the established order. They would lay all their cards on the table and challenge the gods directly. This was the only way.

    Another wave crashed into the ship, causing the trio to instinctively cling to their seats. The vessel shuddered violently, and the lantern swung wildly, casting disorienting shadows that danced across their faces. Rory wasn't usually one to get seasick. Growing up in Florida, not too far from the Sea of Monsters itself, she was accustomed to the open sea. But this sea was different—this was the Devil's Triangle, a place where the boundaries between reality and myth blurred dangerously. The roiling waters here seemed alive with malice, each wave crashing against the ship with a palpable, almost sentient force. To make matters worse, there wasn't a single crack of sunlight in sight to help Rory push down her queasiness. They were in complete darkness apart from the tiny lantern, which barely provided enough light to see each other’s faces.

    Amidst the tense anticipation, an eerie silence enveloped them as they sailed onwards. Then, a prolonged scratching noise echoed along the ship's hull, seemingly at their very level. Rory's breath hitched. The sound was unnerving, like nails on a chalkboard, but deeper, more resonant. It reverberated through the confined space, sending shivers down her spine. She could've sworn that the scratching was only inches away, a single flimsy sheet of metal keeping them from being ripped to shreds.

    Luke’s eyes snapped open, his body tensing. Chris's restless movements stilled, his eyes wide with fear. The scratching continued, a slow, deliberate drag that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Rory's heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears. It didn't sound like the monster was trying to get in. It was more like a sinister tease, a predator playing with its prey as it ran a claw along the ship's side. The noise seemed to come from all directions at once, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact source. Each of them strained to listen, their breaths shallow and controlled, trying to detect any sign that might give away the monster's current position.

    Abruptly, the scratching stopped. The silence that followed was deafening, a void filled with their collective breaths and racing hearts. Rory strained her ears, listening for any sign of movement, any indication that the monster was still out there. The seconds stretched into minutes, each one feeling like an eternity.

    Their eyes turned towards where the sound had been coming from, deadly silent in fear that the monster would realize that there were mortals on board. The quietude was shattered as chaos erupted on the deck above. Roars, hisses, and the wretched symphony of desperate screams echoed through the air. The sounds of battle—clashing metal, the tearing of flesh, and the cries of pain—filtered down to them. There was so much screaming... The terrifying sounds painted a vivid picture of the carnage taking place above them. Rory's stomach churned at the thought of the crew being torn apart, their lives extinguished in mere moments.

    They didn’t have to win, they just had to make it through, to get past her, and distance themselves enough for the monstrous cliffside dweller to lose interest. But the boat had stopped moving, and whoever was piloting the thing was probably gone in a golden dust. The realization hit Rory like a punch to the gut. This was bad. Very bad. If they couldn’t even handle Scylla, there was no way they’d survive Charybdis. The monstrous whirlpool would consume them whole, their ship splintered into a thousand pieces in its maw.

    Instead of advancing, they found themselves being inexorably drawn sideways, back towards Charybdis. The looming threat of the whirlpool grew with each passing second. Rory's heart raced as the ship creaked and groaned under the strain. The skirmish on deck had devolved into pandemonium; Scylla's relentless assault continued, and the upper deck resounded with screeches. The availability of monsters for her to ravage was finite. Rory could almost hear the moments ticking away, the inevitability of their fates closing in.

    Rory's mind raced as she tried to think of a way out. They knew well that once Scylla grew hungry for a juicy mortal meal, their boat would be shredded just like all of the others. So much for a simple plan.

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I promise that things make more sense later lol. I just really wanted them to do something so they're doing a quick trip into the sea of monsters...

This chapter isn't early btw, I'm just posting 2 this week! I'm really struggling to get through Titan's Curse but I'm slowly getting there... I'm hoping there won't be too much of a delay between me posting both books but we'll see!

I also can't believe Rick copied my book with the whole Alison thing 🙄🙄
My theory is that since this is Disney, she's 100% going to be Luke's love interest. Which, ngl, I'm a bit bummed about, because he doesn't need one, but whatever!

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