A Hero's Resolve.

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EVERY NIGHT AFTER THAT WAS THE SAME.

Night after night, the same endless torment.

She was falling. Deeper and deeper, into the gaping abyss where her screams seemed to dissolve into the blackness. As she plunged into the void, each descent felt like an endless journey. The dark engulfed her, pulling her deeper into a realm where the agony was palpable, each ounce of pressure crushing her. It was as though the abyss itself was alive, squeezing the very life out of her. No matter how much she tried to claw her way back to the surface, the darkness was relentless, pushing her down.

The falling never ended. Rory could feel the despair settling into her bones, each moment in that chasm stretching into an eternity. The oppressive weight of her torment grew heavier with each descent until she could no longer contain her anguish. The echoes of her screams reverberated through the endless pit. But when she finally woke, with her body drenched in sweat and her heart racing, the tears had already begun to flow. It was always the same—waking in the dead of night, the darkness outside the window mirroring the void she had just escaped, her sobs stifled by the oppressive silence of the night.

Kronos seemed to take delight in her suffering, watching her struggle against the inevitable. Rory could have tried to escape, to find some way to break free from his grasp, but deep down, she knew it was futile. This dream world was his dominion, a realm where his power was absolute. She was merely a pawn in his cruel game, her fate sealed from the moment she closed her eyes.

Despite the hopelessness, she never even attempted to fight back, never tried to run or change the course of her nightmares. She might as well have been jumping into the pit herself, willingly leaping into the chasm. With each plunge into the abyss, she became more resigned to her suffering, more accustomed to the crushing embrace of darkness. The dreamworld became her prison, the night her captor, and each fall into the void another link in the chain that bound her to Kronos's twisted will.

Grover and Annabeth had returned to camp, both looking a little worse for wear, but very much alive, the day after Rory's initial nightmare. The whole camp was abuzz with rumors, the air thick with whispers and speculation about what might have happened during their quest. When pressed for details, Grover and Annabeth revealed that they had found the bolt, that Ares had also stolen Hades's helm of darkness to try and start a war with him as well but that Ares wasn't working alone—Kronos was rising.

It was too much information, far more than they were meant to have. It changed everything. How long would it take for them to realize that Clarisse hadn't been the one to steal the bolt? That Ares was merely a pawn in a larger scheme orchestrated to completely annihilate the gods themselves? Annabeth was smart. They had to keep up their roles, lest she see through them.

Despite the gravity of their news, Grover and Annabeth couldn't help but bask in the spotlight. Campers gathered around them, patting them on the back, hooting and hollering in approval. Not only had they been the first ones since Luke to go on a quest, but they had also come back successful. Annabeth's smile was radiant; this had been her dream, her moment to shine, and she had worked tirelessly for it. The other campers were eager to hear their stories, hanging on every word as Grover animatedly recounted their adventures, complete with dramatic gestures and embellishments that had everyone in stitches.

And Grover had been hoping for his searcher's license, so that he could officially embark on his own quest to find Pan. The success of this quest could be his ticket to that dream. Annabeth and Grover soaked in the admiration, enjoying the attention from their friends and peers. It was a moment of triumph after so much struggle and uncertainty.

But Rory wasn't in the mood to celebrate. The constant nightmares, the restless nights, and the anxiety that had built up since Grover and Annabeth left on their quest had drained her of any enthusiasm. While everyone else cheered, Rory felt a pang of resentment mixed with her exhaustion. The energy and noise of the celebration grated on her already frayed nerves, and she knew she couldn't stay much longer. She knew she should at the very least pretend to be happy for them but the sleepless nights and the haunting dreams had left her too drained to even fake a smile.

Finally jolting from her sense of accomplishment, Annabeth noticed Clarisse, who stood alongside her siblings. A fleeting moment of surprise crossed Annabeth's face—an expression that she quickly stifled, replacing it with a carefully controlled look of indifference. She forced herself to focus on the other faces in the crowd, pretending to casually take in the scene, but her mind was racing with questions. Why was Clarisse still here? Her eyes found Rory before they found Luke, who was absent from the crowd of demigods celebrating. Rory gave a slight nudge of the head towards Cabin Eleven. Annabeth nodded slightly in response before quickly looking away, a smile, albeit forced, appearing on her face. Grover didn't seem to have even noticed anything was awry, excitedly talking with a couple of fellow satyrs.

Rory escaped to the Hermes cabin, waiting for Annabeth. The cabin was bustling as usual, with Hermes kids darting around. Rory moved toward a quieter corner, away from the noise and chaos, her eyes scanning the cabin's lively occupants. She was anxious, but she needed to keep her cool.

Annabeth didn't keep her waiting long. She entered the cabin with a sense of urgency, her expression set in a determined frown. Rory knew the look well—it was Annabeth's "no-nonsense" face, the one she wore when she was about to get to the bottom of something. Before Annabeth could launch into her barrage of questions, Rory took a deep breath and started to explain their conversation with Chiron.

As Rory spoke, she noticed the slight relaxation in Annabeth's posture. Chiron's words had reassured her, aligning with her logical approach to problem-solving. But Rory could see that Annabeth wasn't entirely convinced—there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes, a curiosity that was itching to unravel the mystery.

Rory finished her explanation, then leaned forward, lowering her voice. "How sure are you that Clarisse is the one who stole it?" she asked, watching Annabeth closely for a reaction.

Annabeth paused, her brow furrowing as she considered the question. She had jumped to conclusions when she had seen Clarisse, assuming the worst about Luke and Rory. But there was no need for that. There had been a reasonable explanation. She shook her head, her expression softening slightly. "It was an Ares kid, someone who was also at the winter solstice..."

"What if it was someone else? Someone who knew we'd be at Olympus and took advantage of that to frame Clarisse."

That seemed to throw Annabeth into even more doubt. They had assumed it was Clarisse, but there were so many other people it could be.

"Look, Annie... If you really think it's Clarisse then I'm with you, but you have to be sure," Rory advised, her words carrying a sense of caution. The uncertainty in Annabeth's expression prompted Rory to offer another, more discreet solution. "We don't have to say anything."

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't we say something?" Annabeth asked, perplexed.

Rory sighed. "The bolt is back in Olympus right? Zeus knows that it was Ares and Kronos, Chiron knows too—maybe we just leave it to them..."

Annabeth thought about it for a moment. It made sense after all, the fight was out of their hands now, they had done what they had been asked to do. They had recovered the bolt. Their quest was over now. "But that means we have a traitor in camp..." Annabeth started slowly. "Someone who's working with Kronos..."

"Yeah," Rory admitted. "But Chiron knows that, and we do too. We won't be caught off guard."

The younger girl still seemed unsure at the prospect of keeping this a secret, at simply moving past the fact that there was someone working with Kronos actually in camp, roaming free. The thought made her stomach churn, the idea that a traitor could be lurking around every corner, blending in with the other demigods. Yet, she also knew that they couldn't be sure that Clarisse had actually stolen the bolt; it could easily have been any one of the Ares kids, or someone else entirely. Creating unnecessary panic by broadcasting their suspicions across the camp wouldn't help. It might even make things worse, causing even more division and mistrust among the campers.

Annabeth took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She had always trusted Rory, trusted her instincts and advice. Rory had been there for her for years. She would never be Thalia, that was certain, but over time, Annabeth had associated Rory with her anyways, and she had grown to rely on her as a kind of older sister, someone who looked out for her when she needed it most. They were family.

If Rory thought it was best to keep the whole ordeal a secret, then that had to be the right choice. Right? Rory was putting her own trust in Annabeth, letting her make the decision, showing her that she was capable of handling the responsibility. Annabeth felt a mixture of pride and pressure—finally, someone was treating her like a hero, like her opinion mattered. She didn't want to disappoint Rory, but more than that, she didn't want to disappoint herself.

Annabeth felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her shoulders. She had been so eager to prove herself, to show everyone that she was more than just a kid. Her successful quest had given her a taste of that recognition, and she wasn't ready for it to end. She wanted to continue being respected, to have her voice heard among the older demigods. But the risk was real, and the consequences of making a wrong move could be catastrophic. If she made the wrong choice, it could put everyone in danger.

Annabeth's mind raced with questions—what if they kept quiet and the traitor struck again? What if they were already planning their next move? And what if by staying silent, they allowed Kronos to gain even more ground? It was a heavy burden to carry, but she knew that Rory wouldn't lead her astray.

Finally, Annabeth nodded, though the uncertainty hadn't entirely left her eyes. She would keep the secret, at least for now. "You're right," she said, her voice steadying as she spoke. "We shouldn't say anything to the others. But I won't give up on this—I’ll try to find proof. That way we can actually expose her."

Rory had to keep herself from wincing. It was wonderful that she had convinced Annabeth not to say anything, but the more she would look for evidence against the Lightning Thief, the closer she'd get to finding out that it wasn't actually Clarisse.

Annabeth seemed satisfied with herself and the conclusion she had reached. She took a deep breath and looked around the cabin, her eyes scanning the cluttered space as if expecting to find answers amid the mess of sleeping bags and scattered belongings. But as she did, her expression shifted from relief to confusion. A frown creased her forehead, her gaze narrowing slightly. "Where's Luke?" she asked, her voice edged with curiosity and a hint of concern.

Rory found herself caught off guard by the question, realizing that she didn't have an answer. Where was Luke? "I'm not—I'm not sure..." she answered honestly.

At the slight shift in Annabeth's expression, she wondered if she should have lied instead.

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We're coming up on the betrayal.... Y'all might be disappointed since Rory isn't actually there. She still does betray someone though 👀👀

Update : I'm gonna switch to posting once a week on Sundays. Lightning Thief had 3 more chapters to post. Once I've finished posting those, I'm going to be taking a 2 week break since I have mock exams... Hope y'all understand

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