[Third Person POV]

Lucian walked out of his basement slowly, the wooden steps creaking under his boots. His red hood still shadowed his face, casting a faint darkness over his glowing eyes. In his hand he carried a glass jar filled with a strange brown dust. He pushed open the door to the upper floor and stepped into the room, only to find Percy standing there waiting for him.

But Percy wasn’t alone. Thalia leaned against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. Beside her stood Clarisse, arms crossed and jaw set, giving off her own brand of impatience.

Percy raised a rolled parchment and waved it like a victory flag. “I got a map from Chiron,” he said proudly, a grin tugging at his lips. “Now what?”

Lucian’s crimson gaze flicked from Thalia to Clarisse, scanning them both as though silently questioning why they were even here. Both girls, unfazed, deadpanned in unison, “We were bored.”

The flat delivery made Lucian’s brow twitch slightly. “Noted…” he muttered, turning away and gesturing for them to follow. “Here—set it up on the table.”

He led the three of them into the dining room, where the wide wooden table sat cluttered with decorative fruit and mismatched cups. Percy eagerly spread the map across the surface, flattening the edges with his hands.

Thalia tilted her head, her expression softening just a little as she studied Lucian. “What’s with the hood?” she asked, genuine curious.

Lucian didn’t even look up from helping Percy arrange the parchment. “I thought it looked cool,” he said flatly. To keep the corners of the map from curling, he picked up the fake plastic fruit and set them down like makeshift paperweights.

Percy straightened, his sea-green eyes burning with determination. “Alright. Now what?” His fists clenched at his sides as if ready to leap into action.

Lucian gave him a confused look, one brow raised beneath the hood. “…Now you sit there and watch while I do the spell? Like I already told you—it’s a really simple spell.”

“Oh…” Percy deflated a little, scratching awkwardly at his cheek. “Right. I see.”

Ignoring him, Lucian twisted the lid off the jar. He scooped the fine brown powder into his palm. Closing his fist over it, he began to shake his hand gently, the motion ritualistic.

Clarisse leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Seriously? That’s it? This feels kinda underwhelming for something you made sound important.”

Lucian’s eye twitched, irritation flashing across his face. With his free hand he gestured at the fake fruit. In an instant, they melted and reformed into glowing candles, flames sparking to life at their wicks. The sudden light threw long shadows across the table, giving the room a far more ominous feel.

“There,” Lucian muttered sharply. “Happy? Now let me do my thing.”

As he finished shaking his fist, he held his hand over the map. His crimson eyes glowed more brightly from beneath the hood, and his voice dropped to a commanding murmur.

“Lead us the way to Grover.”

Slowly, like sand spilling through an hourglass, glowing golden-red dust rained from his palm. The grains landed on the parchment, spreading across it in fine glittering streams. The map began to pulse faintly, its surface alive with energy. The dust shifted, gathering into four small dots, each one labeled with glowing script—Lucian. Thalia. Perseus. Clarisse.

The golden sand tracing a path across the land. The trail snaked its way forward, crossed the shoreline, and plunged straight into the open ocean. It kept going, deeper and deeper, until finally stopping in the middle of the Atlantic. A blazing red X pulsed there.

Clarisse scowled. “What the hell? He’s in the middle of the ocean? How did Grover manage that?”

Lucian studied the mark with a thoughtful frown. “Not exactly in the middle. If I had to guess—it’s an island, one that hasn’t been charted or marked on any modern maps.”

Percy’s face lit up, a grin spreading wide. “Perfect. A place surrounded by water? That’s basically my forte.”

Lucian’s tone cut flat through the brief optimism. “It’s in the Bermuda Triangle.”

Percy blinked. “What?” He leaned in closer to the map as if that would change it. “Wait—isn’t that the place where things mysteriously disappear? Ships, planes, all that stuff?” His eyes widened with realization. “Hold on—does that have anything to do with our side of things? The supernatural side?”

But when he looked up, he froze. Clarisse and Thalia both wore grim, hardened expressions, the kind that suggested they knew more than they liked.

“What?” Percy asked, unsettled by their silence. “What’s with the look? What’s going on with that place?”

“The Sea of Monsters,” the two girls said simultaneously.

Lucian blinked at them, momentarily distracted. “Okay, seriously—what is with you two being so in sync today?”

“Not important,” Thalia shot back.

Percy frowned, his worry etched deep into his features. “The Sea of Monsters? What is that? Is Grover in more danger than we realized?”

Clarisse glanced at Thalia, silently asking who should be the one to answer. Thalia gave her a small nod, basically telling her to go ahead.

Taking a breath, Clarisse began. “All we know is what Chiron’s taught us. The Sea of Monsters… it’s exactly what the name implies. A cursed part of the ocean where horrors roam freely, the kind of things mortals believe are just myths. Charybdis and Scylla are prime example—two of the most ancient and dangerous creatures of the sea. The place stretches wide, too big for the Mist to completely conceal, so mortals notice the disappearances. Planes, ships—everything lost there becomes part of the legend they call the Bermuda Triangle. It’s one of the most dangerous places on Earth.”

“Just fantastic,” Percy muttered, dragging his hand down his face in pure exasperation. His fingers ruffled through his messy black hair, scratching at his scalp as he groaned. “Of course this couldn’t be easy. Because why would it? And on top of that—where am I supposed to find a boat big enough to cross all that?”

“Maybe ask Chiron,” Thalia said with a shrug, her voice flat, like it was the most obvious solution in the world.

Percy let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping. “Yeah… maybe. I’ll see what I can do.” He turned to Lucian, forcing a small, grateful smile. “Thanks for the help, man. Mind if I take the map?”

Lucian gave a casual wave of his hand. The candle-like paperweights flickered out of existence, leaving the parchment free. “Go right on ahead. It’s yours.”

“Thanks.” Percy quickly snatched the map, rolling it tight with practiced hands before tucking it under his arm.

Without another word, Percy motioned for Clarisse, and the two of them left together, their footsteps fading down the hall. That left Lucian and Thalia alone in the quiet room.

Thalia was the first to break the silence. Her voice was steady, but her sharp blue eyes lingered on him with a piercing curiosity. “Now that Percy knows where he’s going… What about you? You still haven’t told us what exactly you’re chasing after. You keep acting like you’ve got some grand plan, but you’ve been pretty vague about it.”

Lucian lowered his hood, finally letting his pale face and red eyes show. “The Golden Fleece,” he said simply. “That’s what we’re searching for.”

Thalia blinked, caught off guard. “The Golden Fleece? As in the one no one’s been able to track down in centuries?” She tilted her head skeptically. “No one even knows where it is. How in the world do you expect to find it?”

Lucian smirked, leaning back slightly as if amused by her doubt. “I already know where it is.”

Thalia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you? Because it’s you, and apparently you’re allergic to not having answers.” Her lips curved into a thin, sarcastic smile. “So? Where is it? Or are you planning on keeping that little detail secret too?”

“No,” Lucian replied smoothly, his smirk widening. “I don’t mind telling you. It’s in the Sea of Monsters too.”

For a second, Thalia froze—then unexpectedly burst out laughing. “Wow. And here I thought you couldn’t surprise me anymore.” She shook her head, still chuckling. “Should I go ahead and start preparing for our death trip?”

“Yeah,” Lucian sighed, though there was the faintest hint of amusement beneath his tone. “We’ll leave once I’ve finished sorting everything out.”

“Alright then,” Thalia said, stepping closer. She leaned in, fully intending to kiss him goodbye, but at the last second Lucian shifted away, dodging her.

Thalia froze mid-step, blinking before grimacing in irritation. “Oh. Right. I forgot.” She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Well, that’s going to get really annoying.”

“Sorry…” Lucian muttered, his tone apologetic but cautious.

“Don’t be,” Thalia said quickly, shaking her head. “It’s not your fault.”

Before she could turn away, she noticed him extend his armored pinky toward her. She raised an eyebrow, staring at it like it was the strangest thing she’d ever seen.

“What are you—?” She scoffed but hooked her pinky with his anyway, giving him a bemused look.

Lucian kissed his own thumb. “There. I’m transferring a kiss over to you, you can receive it from your end whenever you like.”

Thalia’s cheeks instantly flushed red, though she tried to hide it with a snicker. “Gods, you are so corny. How do you even say and do that with a straight face?” she teased, shoving him lightly before walking toward the door.

Once she was outside by the front steps, she paused. Her eyes dropped to her thumb. She stared at it for a moment, lips twitching, before glancing around as though making sure no one was watching.

Finally, with a tiny roll of her eyes, she pressed her thumb against her lips, just for a second. A quiet laugh slipped out of her as she shook her head.

“How stupid,” she muttered under her breath, but there was the faintest smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she walked off.

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