Seungwan has always known that she was a little different from others. Sure, she was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, but those were hardly what set her apart. Instead, it was the strange things which occasionally happened around her, not frequent enough to be life-threateningly alarming, but also just frequently enough to raise some suspicion.

Like in 4th grade, when her class trip had been cancelled due to “sudden bad weather” even though it was perfectly fine out, and then the next day the rumours of a terrorist attack having happened at that very same destination were floating around.

Or in 9th grade when a horde of metallic birds that only she had seemed to notice had perched on the woods beside her school, filling up every available branch. Thousands of red eyes had been staring intently at her as she had disconcertedly blown on her saxophone in music class. Her teacher, a sprightly old woman, had promptly drawn the curtains, citing the bright sun rays being terrible for her wrinkly skin even though it had been overcast at best. When she had gone onto the field 2 hours later for her physical education class, the trees were clear.

Either way, they seemed like multiple close shaves with her as the common denominator and coupled with the feeling that she was always being watched, whether they be by benign or malignant gazes, Seungwan came to the conclusion that she truly was - as a lot of her peers liked to call her - slightly strange.

But no matter, she had thought. She’d made it through her college finals and was going to enter the post-grad studies of her choice. Her life was going to change and she’d finally venture out of this little town.

In hindsight, she probably should have expected things to go awry. Then again, even her wildest dreams would never have prepared her for her current predicament, riding atop a frantic pegasus darting through the air haphazardly while being chased by a flock of bloodthirsty harpies, with her only safety measure being desperately clinging onto an equal parts beautiful and intimidating woman. Although said woman was currently agitatedly trying not to be her safety measure any longer.

“Will you stop being a wimp and let go of me?! Bessie won’t let you fall and I can’t do anything about those monsters with your death grip around my waist.”

And because Seungwan was, well, Seungwan, let slip the first thing on her tongue as her hold around the woman simultaneously loosened a tinge.

“You named your flying horse Bessie?!”

The woman rolled her (very attractive chocolate-coloured) eyes and angled towards the right, a metal ball in hand. She seemed to be calculating something for a split second before throwing the sphere in a fastball which would put most pitchers to shame. The ball went straight into the centre of the harpies before exploding in a burst of green and eliciting a cacophony of anguished, blood-curdling and very much nightmare-inducing screams. Seungwan thankfully didn’t have the opportunity to stare horrifically at the aftermath as Bessie suddenly sped up and she found herself whipping her head instinctively back to the front and once again wrapping her arms tightly around the other woman. The other even-more-intimidating-than-before woman.

“We better hope that was the last of them, I don’t have anymore Greek fire bombs on hand. I swear to the gods, if you had just listened and hadn’t forced us to split up with Seulgi and Kibum…”

Seungwan wasn’t sure where she found the courage from, but she felt a compelling need to justify herself.

“The three of you grabbed me from out of nowhere as I was making my merry way back from my morning tea run and dragged me into a back alley where a huge, terrifying dog suddenly and literally appeared from the shadows of a garbage bin. And then you told me to just hop on it for a joyride with no further context or explanation. How could anyone have agreed to that, it was looking at me like I was afternoon tea!”

“And perhaps Kibum should have let it go ahead. Would’ve at least saved me one of those precious bombs,” the woman shot back with an icy glare.

Something in Seungwan’s panicked countenance must’ve let slip the state of her high-strung emotions, because her angry companion’s eyes softened and she looked decidedly less angry.

“Sorry, I’m just a lot more used to handling kids on rescue missions, but I forgot that just like them, you’re not familiar with this world at all. I shouldn’t have been so harsh. We didn’t expect the monsters to have caught on so quickly as well,” the woman sighed. “Wendy Son Seungwan, right? I’m Bae Joohyun.”

Seungwan glanced at the the small hand offered towards her in peace and absently wondered how that could be the same hand which had held a deadly bomb just 5 minutes ago. It didn’t stop her from gripping it firmly and giving a resolute shake, though.

“Just Seungwan is fine. So uh, I have a lot of questions-” an involuntary small sigh was released from Joohyun “-but the top of my list would probably be, exactly where are we going to?”

And then perhaps it was the clouds parting just a tiny little more, or perhaps it was Bessie angling a little higher into the skies, or perhaps it was just a combination of everything, but the sun rays fluttered just onto Joohyun’s dark ash grey hair as she shot Seungwan a subconscious small, warm smile. Whatever it was, the sight struck deeply into Seungwan, eye contact holding her in place as her beautiful companion answered.

“Camp Half-Blood.”

The rest of the flight flew by as Joohyun answered all of Seungwan’s burning and never-ending questions as concisely as possible. Although much friendlier than before, the other demigod (“so that’s what I am too? A demigod?”) was definitely not much of a talker. Especially with her clipped answer when Seungwan had inevitably asked who her godly parent is.

“I’m a descendent of two goddesses - Athena and Aphrodite. Do you have an inkling on whose descendent you might be, something you’ve shown exceptional aptitude for?” Joohyun directed the flow of conversation back towards Seungwan, something the latter noticed as well but decided not to comment on.

She pondered for a moment, brain flitting through all the anecdotes she’d come across on Greek mythology and the Gods. Music was at the forefront of her passions - in fact, she’d mainly wanted to be out of her tiny village because it snuffed out any chances of her pursuing music. It was difficult to do anything when the best that could be offered was her high school choir, a motley crew of 12 students who couldn’t even participate in a formal competition as the nearest lay a whole 300 kilometres away.

“Well, I’ve always really liked music. There’s just something magical about it, the way it speaks volumes - pun very much intended - despite not carrying a single word sometimes. And when it does, in the form of lyrics, it carries a greater depth than when those words were to be stripped out. You can bare out your entire soul, or fill up someone’s being to the brim with just a song, and I’ve always thought it to be the greatest form of art, nothing short of a miracle.”

Joohyun angled an eyebrow at her dreamy monologue, though whether mildly impressed or amused, Seungwan couldn’t tell. Perhaps it was a mix of both.

“Interesting. Normally you’d seem like a shoo-in for a child of Apollo, especially with how you waxed poetic there, but considering your age…”

Seungwan didn’t know whether to be offended or not by that, but out of curiosity, she asked anyway.

“My age?”

“Most demigods get discovered when they’re in their early teens. Generally, the greater the influence of your godly lineage, the more conspicuous you are to monsters. Kibum’s hellhound would never harm anyone unless given permission by his owner, but you were right in that he was eyeing you for a snack. Demigods are a delicacy to monsters and the stronger the godly blood in you, the better you taste. Children of the more renowned gods, especially a god like Apollo, would normally have invited hordes of monsters by the time they reached 13. The camp would’ve sent for a mission much earlier if so. The fact that you’re only getting picked up now hence makes it harder to believe that you’re a child of Apollo. Or perhaps you’re just a little further down the family line,” Joohyun concluded logically and Seungwan could definitely see how she was a descendent of Athena.

“I… see. Is that a bad thing? Does being a descendent of a less prominent figure or being a far-removed one mean I’ll be treated as some sort of… lesser citizen?” Seungwan whispered the last two words, mind flitting back to the archaic ways of tiered communities and discrimination.

Not that the modern world had resolved that; it was just a lot better hidden now.

“No, not at all,” Joohyun reassured. “It was, in the past, but there was a huge war a few decades ago and many things have evolved since then. The camp now has a cabin for all gods, where their descendents can stay in, regardless of their distance in lineage to their godly ancestor. Some cabins don’t actually have lodgers most of the time, since not every demigod stays in or even is made aware that they’re a demigod, but regardless, they’re well-maintained out of respect. It’s not perfect, but we try our best to see everyone as an equal.”

And after close to 24 years of being treated differently, it sounded like music to Seungwan’s ears.

“We’re going to have to go through the last leg on foot - Bessie can only carry us so far. Seulgi and Kibum will meet us at the fringe of the woods. No matter what, stay close to us and keep moving forward.”

Joohyun’s eyes returned to that same hardened look they had before their peaceful conversation (or more like one-sided interview) and Seungwan felt the uneasiness creep back in. She gave the other demigod as firm a nod as she could muster up and Bessie started to descend. With each passing cloud, Seungwan felt the beads of cold sweat form exponentially and she couldn’t help but to start wringing her hands a little.

The fidgeting must have caught Joohyun’s attention as the other woman turned a little in place and rested a cold yet warm hand atop her cold and sweaty ones. She felt Joohyun’s gaze on her, prompting her to look up. So she did, and was met with a slightly softer gaze - nowhere as relaxed as a while ago but filled with much more. It was resolute, reassuring, reliable.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re under my charge, after all.”

Seungwan shakily released the breath of air she didn’t notice she’d been holding in. A crooked smile crept up on her face, shining with gratefulness.

“Thank you.”

The corners of Joohyun’s lips twitched slightly upwards before the little moment between them passed. She turned back towards the front, leaning forward.

“Brace yourself.”

If Joohyun was bothered by Seungwan’s tightened grip around her waist, she didn’t comment. Bessie hurtled further towards the ground, thick woods decorating a hill coming into view - Seungwan guessed that’s what they’d have to be running through and the sheer expanse of it made her gulp nervously. They made it to flat grass shortly after, Joohyun helping her dismount off the pegasus who then took to the skies, presumably to find a safer area to recharge. As if on cue, the shadows cast by the trees nearby shimmered and their remaining companions reunited with the duo, hellhound and all.

Seungwan almost felt embarrassed for the startled yelp she let out, but considering Joohyun had also flinched in surprise at both the hellhound’s entrance and her exclamation, she figured she wasn’t doing too terribly.

“We should get moving now. Comme Des smelled a horde of monsters coming and they’re not far away,” the man with skin so fair and eyes so dark Seungwan wondered if he were part of an old 30s film, cautioned.

Joohyun gave him a nod and beckoned her over, Seungwan taking it as her cue to follow the two figures who had gone ahead. Briefly, she wondered what it was with demigods and their strange names for mythical creatures. As she passed the demigod who was to take the rear, Joohyun addressed her quietly but firmly.

“Remember, stay close. Stick to Seulgi,” she pointed to the auburn-haired woman in a worn leather jacket and worker boots, “and keep moving. No matter what.”

Joohyun placed heavy emphasis on the last three words and Seungwan couldn’t help the sense of foreboding she felt. She tried to shake it off though and ventured forward, thanking all her physical education classes for inadvertently preparing her for the arduous hike.

Barely ten minutes had passed before the entourage came to an abrupt stop, Seungwan almost walking straight into Seulgi before Joohyun steadied her from behind. She signalled for the group to remain silent, tensely listening to their surroundings. Seungwan subconsciously held her breath, muscles wired and ready for her to break into a sprint at any moment’s notice.

Then-

“Run.”

The group dashed upwards as a shadow tore through the woods, just a few metres from where they had been. Seungwan barely made out the shape of a lion with a serpentine head before an arrow was shot dead centre between its eyes and it crumbled to dust. Joohyun, somehow still steadily running beside her while facing backwards, nocked another arrow into her bow, weapons seeming to have appeared from nowhere.

“Don’t look back - keep up with Seulgi and Kibum.”

The stern order assuaged a little of the fear Seungwan felt gripping her limbs and she surged forward, watching as Seulgi fired bullets from her dual pistols and Kibum befell trees and monsters with an onyx sword. She doesn’t know how long they carried on like this - running steadfastly as the trio shot down monster after monster, cutting through the woods. Her body felt like it was hours; her mind felt like it was seconds. Finally, they made it to a clearing where the last hundred metres or so of uphill slope lay ahead, the telltale lights of civilisation perched at the top.

But just as much as the clearing meant a lack of obstacles in the form of woods, it also meant the loss of their covers. A horde of monsters emerged from the woods just a few beats behind them, quickly gaining speed now that they, too, were unhindered by the terrain. Seungwan heard Joohyun curse under her breath in ancient Greek - somehow, she instinctively understood the language - before shouting to Kibum.

“We’ll have to fight our way through! Can you summon as many undead soldiers, just enough to not pass out?”

“I’ll try my best. Seulgi, cover me!”

The group slowed to a halt as Kibum crouched down and placed his palms on the ground, eyes closing in concentration. The earth rumbled as ghouls and undead of all forms and sizes burst through the cracks, scaring the wits out of Seungwan even as she expected something to appear. While she hadn’t thought it possible, the jet black haired man turned a sheet paler and stumbled a little while attempting to stand after the feat. Seungwan immediately rushed to his side to steady him, earning a muttered tired but grateful thanks.

Nevertheless, his efforts were not in vain as the tide of the battle seemed to turn, the group making steady progress up the hill as Joohyun and Seulgi continued to fire away at monsters. Things seemed to be going well until, from the corner of her eye, she saw a dark flash and the next moment she registered was being shoved onto the ground with Kibum.

“Joohyun!”

Said woman was lying with her back on the ground, both hands pushing against each end of her bow which was wedged between another chimera’s jaws. The lion head’s fangs were bared and liquid dripped down, corroding the grass wherever it landed, dangerously close to the demigod’s face. Seungwan barely caught her wits and made a move to push herself and Kibum upright before Joohyun’s strong voice rang out.

“Seulgi, take them and go! The undead will cover for us. I’ll join you in a bit,” she gritted out as she gave a heavy shove, overpowering the chimera just for a moment, but it was enough for her to ease out of the disadvantageous position.

Seungwan sensed the hesitation from Seulgi, mirroring her own, before Joohyun removed two hairpins from her somehow still immaculate hair. With a flick of her wrists, the pins snapped into twin daggers, gleaming wickedly in the faint moonlight. A firm glance and a tilt of Joohyun’s head was all that was needed for the hesitation to wash away from Seulgi. The lithe woman hoisted Kibum onto her back, surprising Seungwan with her strength as she beckoned for them to go.

“Let’s go. Trust in Joohyun,” caramel eyes urged her before fixing the woman in question with a warm gaze. “Stay alive.”

Joohyun smirked as she twirled a dagger in her hand.

“Of course.”

And as Seungwan sprinted ahead towards safety with Seulgi and Kibum, watching Joohyun’s determined and reliable back grow smaller as she hacked and slashed away with such grace and fervour, she knew that the woman would make it back safely.