[sic infit / so it begins]

There was a stitch in Tessa's plan as soon as she reached Cabin Ten. She needed to get Kaden on board with her plan, but it was the middle of the night. Who was to say that her boyfriend wasn't asleep, or even worse, that she'd wake up one of his siblings?

As the Fates would have it, she didn't need to worry about either possibility.

"Tessa?"

She turned, and sure enough, there was Kaden, walking towards her. His hair was ruffled, like he'd just gotten out of bed, but his green eyes were sharp and clear.

"Hey," Tessa said after a pause, confusion laced into her voice.

"What're you doing up this late?" He asked, climbing up the steps to stand before her. "It's, like, midnight."

"I could ask you the same question." Tessa acknowledged. Where had he been, and why did it look like he'd been gone for a while?

Kaden exhaled, his breath fogging in the chilly air. "Couldn't sleep," He looked to his feet before glancing back up at Tessa, who squinted at him slightly before sighing.

"Likewise," She admitted.

Kaden arched a brow at her, but she told him what she had seen. Tessa purposely left out the bit about the Roman boy in the blood red robe, but seeing his reactions at the other parts of her dream, it didn't matter regardless.

"So, yeah," Tessa exhaled raggedly, a shiver down her spine. "I need your help."

Kaden nodded, fidgeting with his golden ring. "Well, given the fact that it's a dream, there's probably not much we can do about it now." He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Except..."

"Except what?" Tessa asked.

Kaden looked up, a mischievous shimmer in his emerald eyes. "We've gotta go see Amelie."

~~

Suffice to say that Amelie, Tessa's Hecate friend, was not expecting visitors at midnight. The bright-eyed girl had opened the door with exactly that and an orb of magic ready to be blasted in her open palm. Upon seeing it was Tessa and Kaden, however, the energy faded.

"So let me get this straight," Amelie recounted softly. They'd stepped a few paces from the Hecate cabin as to not disturb her siblings—or get themselves busted. "You want me to help you decipher your dream?"

"In a way, yes," Tessa confirmed. "But more so...we need you to help us see if Mark is still alive."

Amelie pressed her lips into a thin line, glancing down as she thought. As she did, Tessa couldn't help but notice how much her friend had changed in the months since the quest. Before, Amelie had been extremely shy and unable to control her powers. After, with help from her siblings, Tessa, and Flynn, she'd grown as a person and as a daughter of Hecate; her own powers were contributed to the barrier protecting camp.

"I think I have an idea," Amelie said at last, determination in her dark brown eyes. "Just let me grab a coat."

Moments later, the three demigods were marching down the trails from the cabins to the Big House.

"So what's the plan?" Kaden whispered as they walked.

Amelie tied her hair up as they walked. "There's a shrine for Mark up there, right? I can channel the energy that's linked to him up there to track him. If he's alive, I'll get a reading. If not...then, we'll know for sure."

Tessa met Kaden's gaze, and she could tell he was apprehensive about it. "We have to," She said softly.

Kaden nodded. "Then, let's go."

The demigods reached the Big House, and with stealth on their side, entered. They tip-toed their way down the halls and past Chiron's room, making sure to be extra silent as they did. Eventually, they flew up the stairs, wincing at each creak. They reached the attic, and Tessa couldn't shake the feeling that whatever she was getting herself into, there would be no going back after this.

Amelie paced over to Mark's shrine in the corner, where his laurel wreath hung beneath the plaque. As the daughter of Hecate inspected it, Tessa glanced over to where the photograph she'd given Dale was settled.

"That's odd," She said, knitting her eyebrows together as she walked over to the stack of boxes.

The picture frame was face down, and Tessa clearly remembered setting it right-side up when she'd left it here to begin with. She picked it up, and her suspicion escalated at seeing the crack that had spider-webbed across the glass.

"What's that?" Kaden asked, walking over to join her. "Oh." His voice softened in realization.

Tessa took a deep breath as she set the frame back down. "Dale and I left it up here as a tribute," She said simply. She turned to Amelie, who was looking around the attic with a careful look in her eyes. "Amelie?"

The daughter of Hecate arched an eyebrow and glanced back to Tessa. "Yeah, hey, sorry. I just sensed something."

Never good words to hear. Tessa rested a hand on Tempest's hilt, eyeing the attic. "Is something wrong?"

Amelie shook her head after a slight pause. "No, we should be fine."

"Then what did you sense?" Kaden asked.

Amelie looked back to them, and her vision seemed to settle on Kaden for a bit too long. "I contributed to the strengthening to the barrier, so anytime there's an energy ripple or disturbance, I can feel it. Not to worry. It was probably just an animal, or something."

Tessa and Kaden met each other's gaze quickly. They both seemed to be thinking the same thing, that it most likely was not an animal, but in fact, a Roman cavalry. Tessa thought back to the boy she had seen in Central Park, and while it felt like Mark, maybe it was a spy.

She shook her head, clearing her mind. "Let's get this over with," She exhaled. "Amelie, if you will."

The daughter of Hecate cracked her knuckles and stepped a few feet away from Mark's shrine. She lifted her hands and closed her eyes, and a hazy mist of violet magic spread from her palms. The mist encroached upon the wreath, and encased it, glowing brighter as Amelie added more force to her power.

Tessa held her breath; the last time one of her friends had touched an odd object, it had led to a quest. She half-expected some angry god to leap out of the wreath, but after a few moments, the light faded and Amelie opened her eyes.

"Anything?" Kaden asked, his green eyes flickering in the dim light of the attic.

Amelie shook her head. "No," She murmured. "But something's off. The best way I can describe it is like wavelengths. One wavelength is hitting something and telling me he's alive, but the other one is hitting nothing, which would indicate that he's in the Underworld. I'm not sure what's going on, but that's as much as I can do for now. I'm sorry."

Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line. "Thanks anyway, Amelie."

The trio made their way back to camp, but the whole time, Tessa couldn't ease her overactive mind. Was Mark truly alive then? Had he survived the cave-in? If that was the case, then why hadn't he come back to camp?

~~

For the most part, the days in between Christmas and New Years were free-for-alls at camp. Most people went on with their typical camp schedules, but there was no penalty for just hanging around and doing whatever. Unfortunately for Tessa, she was a head councilor, which meant that she had to be around to lead classes for the good kids that actually followed schedules.

Now New Year's Eve, Tessa made her way to the archery range to help lead Reese with some last-minute classes. It was a fairly nice day out, with the sun shining and making the weather somewhat tolerable. However, despite the serene mood spread through camp, Tessa couldn't shake her wariness.

Firstly, there was Mark to worry about, and whether or not he was still alive. Secondly, Kaden's Roman dilemma, and what he had been up to on Christmas. It had been five days, and maybe it was Tessa's imagination, but he was becoming more...detached.

Tessa didn't realize she'd reached the archery range until Reese's voice brought her out of her reverie.

"You alright there, Tessa?" He spoke, lowering his bow. The son of Apollo gazed at her quizzically, his blue eyes filled with puzzlement.

Tessa blinked. "Yeah, I'm fine," She answered, flashing a quick smile.

Reese watched her warily, but gave up trying to push the subject. "Alright," He sighed, dragging his hand through his blond hair. "You excited for tonight?"

You mean celebrating another party in the midst of multiple issues I've been dealing with? Totally, Tessa thought bitterly but forced the thought away. "I guess," She shrugged. She took off her hoodie, tapping the silver armlet that Artemis had blessed her with that summer. In a quick flash of silver light, there was a silver bow in her hand with a matching quiver strapped across her back.

Reese nocked an arrow, and Tessa watched as he fired it with exact precision. As oblivious as the kid could be at times, he'd fallen back into his standard role as one of camp's golden boys. The thought brought a sad smile to Tessa's lips.

Before embarking on the quest to defeat Deimos, she and her friends had roles to play at camp. Tessa was the brave daughter of Poseidon, Kaden and Reese were two of the most popular guys at camp, and Dale and Mark were the jokesters, the ones who would follow Tessa into any battle. As soon as they were on their way west, their facades had crumbled. Tessa revealed her shut-away weaker side; there was more to Kaden than met the eye; Reese was possibly the most awkward yet lovable kid Tessa had ever met; and Dale and Mark were friends with hearts of gold. Now back at camp, they'd fallen back into their parts, but they each knew the reality of who they each were.

Tessa continued to watch Reese shoot, and strung her own arrow after a few minutes. "How about you?" She asked him. "Are you finally going to make a move with Dale?"

The question startled the son of Apollo enough to make his arrow fly way past the target, landing in one of the bushes nearby. He looked at Tessa sheepishly, and she had to stifle a laugh.

"Well, are you?" She asked, amusement in her voice.

Reese chewed on his lip. "I don't know," he mumbled.

Tessa shook her head, laughing under her breath. Reese and Dale have been kinda-sorta-dating since they'd gotten back from the quest. Neither of them would admit it out loud, but Tessa knew how much they cared for one another. And maybe tonight of all nights, they'd finally make a move.

The thought reminded Tessa of Kaden, and before she could let the feelings get the best of her, she fired her arrows, imagining that its tip would fly straight through the heart of all her worries.

~~

Despite the randomness of it all, New Year's Eve was one of Tessa's favorite holidays. She loved the glitz and glamour of confetti and sparkling drinks and music and dancing and it all just sent a buzz of excitement through her veins.

As soon as she and Reese had finished teaching archery for that day, she'd been whisked back to her cabin by Madi to get ready. Apparently, the Aphrodite kids—and Madi, whom they had seemingly adopted—decided to make that night's party a semi-formal one. They'd gotten to work quickly, and by the time the party was starting, both Tessa and the arena were decked out in décor.

"I can't wait," Madi said for the umpteenth time as the daughters of Poseidon made their way to the arena. Even from across camp, the music blaring from within it could be heard as they walked.

Tessa fiddled with the ends of her hair, which had been softly curled by Madi and partly pinned up with Tempest. While she had fashion sense of her own, Madi had done an exceptional job. Her sister had put Tessa in a black and gold dress that reminded her of constellations, while wearing a silver one to complement it.

"You've said that at least twelve times in the past ten minutes," Tessa noted with a laugh as they neared the arena.

"So what?" Madi responded. "I'm excited, leave me be."

The girls reached the arena, and before Tessa could so much as bid her sister goodbye, McKinley had spotted Ben, the son of Athena, and took off. Tessa laughed under her breath, looking around for her own group of friends. She spotted them at last—Dale, Reese, Flynn, Amelie, Calum, and Nova---laughing at something that Kaden was saying.

Tessa smiled, despite her own confusion towards her boyfriend, and walked towards them. "Telling stories without me, Gray?" She chided.

Kaden lit up at hearing Tessa's voice, and with a quick onceover, he brightened even more. "You decided to be fashionably late as always, Brennan, what was I supposed to do?" He pulled her in for a quick kiss, and in that split second, Tessa forgot about every question and worry that was circulating around him.

"Gross," Nova noted, scrunching up her nose. She took a sip from her drink, glancing around their group. "Well, I'm gonna go dance. Who's with me?" Surprisingly, everyone followed, hopping their way onto the bustling dance floor.

They all stood in a circle, laughing and leaping to the beat of the music pulsating through the air. It became a dance ring, and at one point or another, each of them were shoved into the center to execute some sort of dance move. Within the moment, it was easy to forget about all of the worries that had been clouding Tessa's head for the past few days. Tonight was about her and her friends dancing the night away to end one chapter of their lives and to initiate a new beginning. Worries could wait.

After a while, the ring broke, and Kaden whisked Tessa to him as the both of them started dancing. Some sort of upbeat jazzy song played through the speakers, and Kaden knew just the moves to keep them moving. He twirled her away and together, they quickstepped their way through the song.

When the song was over and they both needed a refreshment, Kaden and Tessa locked hands and walked over to one of the tables nearby.

"Since when do you know how to dance like that?" Tessa remarked, looking up at her boyfriend in amusement.

Kaden grinned mischievously. "I have my secrets," He said airily as he poured them both a glass of diluted nectar.

You sure do, Tessa wanted to say but ignored the thought.

Kaden handed her a glass, a twinkle in his eye. "To what awaits us in the new year," He smiled. "And to us."

Tessa matched his smile, clinking her glass with his. "To us."

They both took a sip of their drinks, smiling at one another all the while.

And in one quick flash, the immaculate joy of the party ended as the disco ball fell to the ground, and the campers beneath it scattered as it shattered into a thousand shimmering pieces.

Tessa and Kaden reacted quickly, drawing their weapons. They made their way to the center of the dance floor, where the disco ball had fallen.

"What happened?" Tessa asked in astonishment, looking up at the sky where the disco ball had been levitating.

Kaden crouched down to dig through the shards of the ball, and dug out an arrow from the debris. A chill filled the air as they did, and only one thought filled Tessa's mind as she noticed the gleam of its golden tip.

Not now. Not today. Please, dear gods, not now of all times.

"Imperial gold," Kaden confirmed, sending a ripple of confusion through the campers nearby. His green eyes scanned the horizon, and he must have spotted something, because the color drained from his face. "Oh, no."

"Kaden, what—" Tessa started, but her boyfriend was shouldering his way through the crowd, back towards the entrance of the arena. She cursed under her breath before taking off after him.

Thankfully, she didn't have far to go. Kaden had stopped in his tracks near the entrance of the arena, and the sight that had stopped him was enough to make Tessa freeze as well.

A squadron of teenagers, about five in total, stood in the entranceway. They wore pristine golden armor, and two were armed with matching swords like Kaden's, with the other two drawing arrows. They were led by a girl with tanned skin who looked to be around their age, with dark eyes and long dark hair. Her breastplate was decorated with military medals, and a billowing purple cloak hung from it as well.

"Kaden Gray," The girl with the cloak said, her voice smooth yet strong. "We find you at last."

Tessa narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on Tempest's hilt. "Who are you?" She demanded, fury biting her words.

The girl's dark irises flicked to Tessa calculatingly. A thin smile stretched across her lips. "My name is Kaya Blackwood, praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, and I'm here to take back one of my own."