[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian turned to Annabeth and said, "Now that this is officially over and done with, let's go celebrate your birthday the right way."
"Ooh, what do you have planned?" Annabeth asked, curiosity lighting up her face.
"This is my cue to leave~" Percy said, standing up and flashing two peace signs just above his head, already anticipating what came next. "You guys go enjoy yourselves."
"Coward," both Thalia and Lucian retorted in unison.
"A coward who's probably going to live longer than any of you—guaranteed," Percy replied, backing away slowly with his hands still up.
Then he paused, pointing a finger at Lucian. "Uh, can... can you save me some leftovers?"
"Nope. Party guests only," Lucian said, turning his head away just slightly.
"I'll tell Grover you cooked and didn't save him anything," Percy grinned wickedly.
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "Are you seriously threatening me right now?"
"For free food? Absolutely," Percy said, snapping his fingers in Lucian's direction.
Lucian rolled his eyes, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Fine."
Percy pumped his fist in victory, opened the door, and called back, "Oh, and happy birthday, Annabeth!"
"Thank you!" she called out graciously as Percy shut the door behind him, leaving the three of them alone.
Annabeth turned to Lucian with a curious smile. "What was that about?" Then her eyes sparkled. "Wait… Did you cook something for me?"
"Yeah. A small feast. My dad invited us to the Underworld earlier when I saw him—he wants to celebrate your birthday."
"Aww~" Annabeth said, walking over and wrapping her arms around him. "Thanks, Lucy."
"Yeah, yeah," Lucian muttered, waving her off, though he smiled faintly. From beneath the door, shadows slithered through the room, merging with Lucian's own.
"Shall we get going?" he asked.
"Are you kidding me? No! I need to get ready. I'm literally covered in blood after creating Lucerna. I can't show up looking like a crime scene. Give me a sec." She motioned to the dark stains on her shirt.
"Nox, take me to my cabin," Annabeth commanded.
Nox nodded, and swirling shadows enveloped her, consuming her completely.
"She's really enjoying those new powers," Lucian said with a wry smile. He doubted she'd walk anywhere normally ever again.
"I would be too if I were in her position," Thalia replied. "Anyway, I'm gonna let Chiron know we're heading out. Unlike you, we don't have that luxury."
"Hey, just thought of something," Lucian said, tapping his chin. "Aren't you technically turning eighteen this December? Would you still need Chiron's permission then?"
"We don't talk about my age…" Thalia said solemnly. "I stopped counting after I got stuck being fifteen forever."
"Let's not phrase it like that and make it weird," Lucian said, raising his hands cautiously. "That's a whole rabbit hole of moral ambiguity I don't think we're ready to unpack."
"Lucian, our entire relationship can be described as moral ambiguity. I'm technically about to be eighteen, and you're thirteen… I'm pretty sure I'm committing a crime."
"Hey, I'll happily be the victim here," Lucian said, hands still raised in mock surrender.
Thalia rolled her eyes, amused, and shook her head. "Whatever, dork." Then she turned and headed out.
…
Annabeth sat in front of Sébastian, gripping the reins with a wide smile. Lucian sat behind her, one hand resting lightly at her waist, while Thalia held onto him from the back, her arms wrapped around his stomach.
"Hehehe, this is great…" Annabeth laughed gleefully. She puckered her lips and made playful kissing noises. "Hiyahhh!!" she shouted, flicking the reins.
Sébastian raised his two front hooves, neighing loudly before diving into the shadows.
"Haha! I'm so making my next Homunculus able to transform into animals. This is awesome!" Annabeth cheered as they glided through the shadow void.
Within seconds, they maneuvered through the dark realm and reappeared in the Underworld, thanks to Lucian. As the recognized Prince of the Underworld, he didn't need to use the standard entrances scattered around the world.
They landed at the castle entrance, where a gargantuan three-headed dog lay with its heads resting. Upon spotting Lucian, all three heads perked up and grinned, tails wagging excitedly.
After dismounting from Sébastian, they performed the usual ritual—playing with the big fluffy three-headed dog—before heading into the castle.
Lucian led the way to the lounge, where he sensed their presence. Inside, he found Medea sitting between Nico and Bianca.
"And this here is when Lucian fell asleep in the shower, and I had to go fetch him because he wasn't answering," Medea said, pointing to a holographic image.
Nico and Bianca erupted in laughter.
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SHOWING THEM THAT?!" Lucian shouted, flabbergasted.
"Oh, Lucian. Hello, honey. How are you?" Medea said sweetly, turning off the light projection and tucking the crystal away.
"Don't 'Hello, honey' me, woman. I have an image to maintain, and you're destroying it," Lucian grumbled.
"Sorry, my love. They were curious about what you were like as a kid, and you know I can't help myself with that topic—it's my most treasured memory," she replied proudly.
Nico and Bianca were still wiping away tears of laughter.
Hades lounged comfortably in a decorative chair, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
"I'm destroying that crystal the moment I get my hands on it," Lucian muttered under his breath.
Medea playfully narrowed her eyes. "I won't let you."
She stood and wrapped Annabeth in a warm hug. "Happy birthday, sweetie. I'm so glad you chose to celebrate it with us."
"Thank you, Mother-in-law. I'm honored Father-in-law invited me over," Annabeth replied graciously before turning to bow toward Hades, as Medea hugged both Lucian and Thalia.
Then Annabeth cleared her throat. "But first, Mother-in-law, Father-in-law, I want to introduce you to some new additions to our family."
"Oh my gods…" Lucian muttered, face-palming.
"Pftt!" Thalia covered her mouth, stifling her laughter. She already had a good idea where this was going.
Annabeth reached into both pockets and pulled out two chibi elemental spirits—one light, one dark.
"I'd like you to meet your grandchildren!" she declared, holding her palms up as the tiny spirits floated above them.
"Hewwo!!" the chibi elementals greeted in adorable, high-pitched voices.
"Kyaa!!" Medea squealed in delight.
Hades glanced at Lucian with a raised eyebrow. Lucian only shrugged in return as if to say, Don't ask me.
---
Meanwhile, in the Overworld…
Location: New York, Manhattan.
A tall boy wearing a large yellow hoodie crossed the street from Central Park and approached the towering structure of the American Museum of Natural History.
He climbed the steps, paid the entrance fee, and slipped into the bustling halls of the museum. People moved about in clusters, following guides or exploring exhibits.
The boy quietly joined a tour group of high school students, blending in effortlessly.
They passed the dinosaur exhibit, then the art section, before arriving at Ancient Civilizations.
The tour guide gestured toward a glass case surrounded by red ropes. Inside was a golden Corinthian helmet, polished to a fine shine with a proud crest on top.
"What you see here is the helm of King Leonidas, the legendary King of Sparta. He's most famous for leading 300 Spartans against the vast Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE—a powerful symbol of courage and resistance."
The guide went on, sharing trivia and insights before leading the group onward.
Everyone followed… except the boy in the yellow hoodie.
His face was hidden, but the wide grin stretching across it was unmistakable.
"So there it is... the last item I need. With this, I'll finally be able to finish the Gladiator Potion."
He raised his head slightly. Reflected in the glass was the face of Luke Castellan.
"An ancient armament worn by a legendary warrior. This is too perfect," he said with a grin. "How can they leave a treasure like this unguarded? Aren't they afraid someone might steal it?"
Luke sighed, shaking his head. "Great… now I'm talking to myself. That bastard's rubbing off on me."
He turned his back and walked away—but something was different.
The helmet inside the glass case was gone.
Tucked neatly under Luke's arm was the very same golden helmet. With his free hand, he tugged his hood lower and vanished in a blur, leaving only an afterimage in his place.
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