Annabeth sat beside Y/n, her grey eyes fixed on the window, scanning the horizon like she expected Percy to step out from behind a cactus. She hadn't stopped moving since they left Camp Half-Blood. Not that Y/n could blame her.

Annabeth's hand found Y/n's arm, squeezing once. A silent thank you for coming. For breaking the promise Y/n had made to never return to this world.

The bus hissed to a stop. The doors opened, releasing a wave of dry heat and the sound of shouting teenagers. A lanky teacher with a sunburned face waved them toward a sprawling adobe building.

Y/n stepped off the bus and into the dust, and for the first time in three years, the demigod world pulled them back in.