The silver moon bathed the forest in a soft glow as Cyrus crouched on a branch, scanning the clearing below with practiced eyes. At twelve years old, he'd grown lean and wiry—still small for his age, but with the presence of someone twice his size wearing black star wars T-shirt and Silver Jacket with Black pants and silver boots. His red hair glinted in the moonlight like fire caught in silk, and his eyes—clear, sky blue with flecks of gold—watched everything with sharp, calculating intelligence.
At his side, Zoe Nightshade waited silently, her bow drawn.
"Three drachmae say I down the manticore before you," Cyrus whispered with a grin.
Zoe didn't even glance at him. "Thy confidence is amusing."
With a shared breath, the two leapt from their perch, arrows and daggers flying. The manticore barely had time to roar before Cyrus's arrow pinned its paw and Zoe's struck its eye. A final note from Cyrus's flute caused it to stagger, and with a clean sweep of Zoe's celestial bronze blade, it dissolved into golden dust.
"That makes five monsters this week," Sita muttered as she and Lyla emerged from the brush.
"Six," Cyrus corrected cheerfully. "you didn't Count the hellhound from Tuesday."
"it doesn't count" Phoebe said, raising a brow as she slung her bow across her shoulder. "T'was the size of a poodle."
"A very angry poodle!" Cyrus grinned.
They chuckled, and even Zoe couldn't hide the smallest quirk at the corner of her mouth.
The Hunters made camp beneath the tall redwoods. Cyrus cooked—venison stew with wild roots—and the girls circled the fire, tired but content. It was moments like these when they almost forgot he wasn't truly one of them.
"Still say we ought to give him some credit cause he didn't trip on his own feet today while running," Sita joked, polishing her daggers.
"And boost his ego?" Rebecka snorted. "Art thou mad?"
"I'll accept a pat on my head" Cyrus offered helpfully.
The others laughed.
"He's our little devil," Lyla said. "The annoying little brother none of us asked for, but now getting used to it"
"Aye, our little Sunspot, who always howls like wolves " Phoebe added. "sometimes even wolves gets confused with his cries as howls and joins him"
"Am not" Cyrus protested raising his fists in air
"Troublemaker who always skips classes to play with wolves" Rebecka teases and pinches his nose with a smirk.
"At least he makes a good meat stew, now - Sita pausing after licking her spoon and said "for a boy"
Zoe rolled her eyes. "Don't praise him, look how big his head already was"
"Aye, it has blown quite big " Rebecka teased holding him in headlock and rubs his hair, making him laugh hard.
Cyrus struggled to get released from her hold and said between gasps "No, its not"
Just then, the sound of frantic footsteps reached their ears. Everyone snapped into alertness. Zoe rose first, bow notched.
Three figures burst from the undergrowth. A girl with dark spiky hair and a cracked shield. A younger girl with blond princess curls clutching a knife. And a blond boy, bit older than the dark-haired girl, panting with a sword drawn.
They looked like they'd been through Tartarus.
Zoe's eyes narrowed. "Demigods. Unmarked."
"Runaways," Phoebe muttered.
"Wait," Cyrus said, stepping forward. "Hold your fire."
But before they could say more, five hellhounds and two empousai barreled into the clearing behind the trio. Instantly, arrows whistled and silver flashed. Cyrus played a shrill, commanding tune on his flute. The monsters stumbled, dazed, giving the hunters time to dispatch them with precise, practiced blows. Phoebe's arrows struck two in the heart. Lyla summoned a wave to crush another. The remaining fell to Sita and Rebecka's blades and turned into dust.
The clearing went still.
The trio collapsed to the ground, panting. The older girl stared in disbelief. "What… what was that?"
"Music," Cyrus said with a wink.
Zoe stepped forward, eyes cold but curious. "Who art thee?"
"I'm Luke," the boy said warily. "This is Thalia. And that's Annabeth."
Zoe ignored Luke and gave a short nod to Thalia and Annabeth and said "We are Hunters of Artemis. We were in the midst of our hunt when thee crossed our path."
Cyrus offered a hand to Luke. "You look like you need healing. Come."
As they walked toward the tents, Luke leaned close to Cyrus. "Who are you? Are they always… that intense?"
"Call me Cyrus...Oh, very. They hate males. Their favorite hobby is turning them into jackalopes and hunting them," Cyrus replied with a grin.
Luke blinked. "Then why are you still human?"
"I'm the exception," Cyrus said, shrugging. "Been here since I can remember."
Once at the camp, Cyrus treated Luke's injuries while the girls were given blankets and water. Zoe eyed Thalia and Annabeth with interest.
"Thy strength is impressive," she said to Thalia. "Thou wouldst make a fine Huntress. As would the younger one."
"I think you need to come inside our tent to know more" She finished and take her and Annabeth into the tent.
Luke frowned. "What about me?"
Cyrus smiled and said, "it seems you stuck with me for now, Do you have any fresh clothes with you, or do you need mine?"
Luke thanked him and got changed into fresh clothes given and got healed by Cyrus and they went out just in time to hear a loud shouting between Zoe and Thalia .
Thalia stepped forward, eyes sparking. "Why? He is not a bad person and a good fighter"
Zoe eyes went hard as she icily said,
"He is a boy, and Boys are not welcome to join"
Thalia argued her hair raising and wind picking up speed, "why not? If Cyrus can stay—"
"He is here temporarily," Zoe snapped. "He shall be left behind soon enough."
Everything stopped.
Cyrus who walked toward Zoe stopped with hurt dawning on his face. "What…?"
Zoe faltered, then regained her composure and said to him, "Thou will never be part of us, since thou art a boy."
The words echoed across the camp like thunder. Even some of the other Hunters looked away.
Thalia clenched her fists. "You're horrible and insane! Come on, Luke. Annabeth. We're leaving."
Luke turned to Cyrus, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Since, it seems You don't belong here. Come with us."
Cyrus looked at them—his sisters, his wolves, his home. But none met his gaze. In that moment, his world cracked. They had always felt like family. Every laugh, every shared hunt, every teasing jibe around the fire—he thought it meant something. But now... now he realized maybe he had been the only one who believed that.
His heart ached as he murmured with his voice cracking, "I thought… I thought you guys were my family.. but it seems that only I thought that"
No one spoke. Even the crackling of the fire seemed to still.
Phoebe looked away. Sita bit her lip and others stayed silent with their heads bowed down as if the moments they had before the arrival of the trio never happened and all of those memories were entirely made up in his head.
He nodded slowly and looked at Luke and said "Alright."
He stood, and without another word or glance toward the Hunters, he walked away.
Just then, Artemis herself appeared in the clearing, silver light trailing behind her.
"Thalia," she said softly. "A storm cometh. Consider my offer well."
When Thalia snorted, Artemis sighed and then turned to Cyrus. "Come, little sunfire. Walk with me."
Cyrus walked with her for a while neither saying anything then, Artemis knelt before him and said,
"Though thou wert not meant to remain among my Hunt, thou art no less than my daughters to me and they did care for you. Go now, my child and find thy place. Make new memories."
From her cloak, she drew a golden ring. "A gift from thy father. This shall fit thee always, never be lost, and become any weapon thy heart desireth."
Then she placed a silver arrow pendant around his neck. "Pull this, and thy flute shall appear. Call me, and I shall answer."
Tears brimmed in Cyrus's eyes. "I'll miss you."
Artemis smiled. "I shall miss thee more."
As they watched, Cyrus leaving with the trio with his backpack not turning back even once till his silhouette disappears.
She turned back toward the camp, pausing as her gaze fell upon Zoe and said "I understand why thou didst what thou didst. But know this—every action beareth a consequence. Think well on whether this one be worth the pain, my friend". She vanished into her tent.
Just then, Zoe heard Rebecka whispered, "She could have said it in a less harsh tone… at least by that way, he would have smiled at us. But now… it feels like we've broken something forever."
Zoe stood frozen. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, full of pain and regret. Around her, silence reigned.
And so, Cyrus Ceallaigh stepped away from the only home he'd ever known—heartbroken, but no longer alone.