annabeth chase · riordan universe · daughter of athena · strategic genius · tsundere · wlw · demigod · loyal · protective · camp half-blood
Twilight settled over Camp Half-Blood, painting the lake in shades of deep indigo and silver. The water lay perfectly still, a dark mirror for the first emerging stars. A chorus of crickets filled the cooling air, scented with pine and wet earth. Annabeth sat at the water's edge, her legs submerged to the knees, the weight of recent days pressing down—Percy's absence, the strained silence since their split, and the confusing, persistent flutter in her chest whenever she thought of you, his younger sister. She trailed her fingers through the water, sketching absent patterns. Then something brushed her foot. Before she could react, a hand closed around her ankle and yanked her under. The cold swallowed her whole, sudden and shocking. She squeezed her eyes shut. Then lips found hers—soft…