Chapter 43 – Walking Through the Streets of Rome
Annabeth looked down from the top of the Colosseum, the vast nighttime panorama of Rome stretching out below them under soft, golden lights that illuminated the ancient ruins and modern streets alike. The cool evening breeze carried distant sounds of laughter and music from the city below, and she said: "And now, how are we going to get down?"
Dante smiled confidently, scooped her up like a princess again—his arms strong and steady—and jumped softly, gliding down effortlessly through the shadows until they landed in a dark, empty alley where no one was passing. The descent felt like floating on air, safe and exhilarating. He then placed her delicately on the ground, as if she were something precious and fragile.
Annabeth looked at him, her cheeks slightly flushed from the thrill, smiled warmly, and said: "Thanks."
Dante took her hand gently, his fingers intertwining with hers, and said: "Well, then let's go on our date."
Annabeth squeezed his hand lightly and said: "Yes, I'd love to."
They then started walking through the city streets, hand in hand. The cool night air was refreshing, carrying the irresistible aroma of baking pizza from nearby trattorias, mixed with the subtle fragrance of blooming jasmine from garden balconies overhead. The ancient cobblestones echoed softly under their steps, worn smooth by centuries of footsteps, while strings of fairy lights draped across narrow alleys twinkled like stars brought down to earth.
Dante then spotted a colorful ice cream cart on the corner of a charming, lit-up square, its vendor calling out cheerfully to passersby. He looked at her and said: "Wait a moment here. I'll be right back."
Annabeth nodded and sat on a weathered wooden bench in the square, the fountain in the center bubbling softly as water danced in the lights. She watched local children playing around it, laughing joyfully as they chased pigeons across the piazza, their parents chatting on nearby benches. The scene was so peacefully ordinary—it made her think about how her own life had been before everything turned upside down: a normal existence, without monsters or gods interrupting, just school, books, and simple, everyday dreams.
She then felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Dante standing there with two cones in hand.
Dante smiled, handed her the chocolate ice cream—rich and creamy, topped with a sprinkle of cocoa—and said: "Well, they say Italian ice cream is the best in the world, but I don't know if it's true. So I brought some for us to try together and decide."
He then sat on the bench next to her, close enough that their shoulders brushed lightly.
Annabeth looked at the chocolate ice cream in her hand, the cool treat already starting to melt slightly in the warm air, smiled appreciatively, and started eating, savoring the deep, velvety flavor.
Dante then looked at her curiously and asked: "So, what did you think?"
Annabeth smiled, licking a drip from the side, and said: "It's really good—smooth and intense, just like they say."
Dante smiled, pleased, and said: "Seriously? Good to know. Mine's vanilla—classic for a reason."
He then started eating his vanilla ice cream, the simple sweetness contrasting perfectly with the rich chocolate.
Annabeth thought for a bit, watching a couple stroll by hand in hand, then looked at Dante earnestly and asked: "Dante, was there ever a moment in your life when you wished to be a normal person and just live a normal life, without worrying about gods, monsters, and just going to school like a normal person, traveling, having fun like a normal person?"
Dante fell silent for a moment, staring at the fountain as if weighing his words carefully, then said: "Well, I'm really going to ruin the mood with what I'm about to say, but you want me to be honest, right?"
Annabeth looked at him steadily and said: "Yes, be honest about what you think. Don't just say something to make me happy."
Dante looked at her directly and said: "Honestly, no. I didn't want a normal life. You know, my mom is a demigoddess, daughter of Poseidon, and even if I don't like him much, I don't deny his power. And since my mom, besides being a demigoddess, was a shapeshifter who could turn into a giant wolf, she's powerful. So I think she always took care of the monsters that got near our house. And after I awakened my teleportation power as a kid, I never really felt fear or anything like that. As I grew up and got stronger, the feeling of fear got weaker and weaker. Even when I discovered gods existed, I wasn't scared. On the contrary, I even got a little excited because there was someone I could actually fight."
Annabeth said softly: "Well, you're lucky then. You have a mom who protected you with all her strength until you were strong enough to protect yourself."
Dante noticed the sad expression on her face, the way her eyes distant slightly, and said: "And being a normal person isn't such a great thing. Sometimes it's even worse than the life many demigods had before reaching camp."
Annabeth looked at Dante in shock and said: "How is that possible? How could a normal human life be so bad?"
Dante sighed with a tired tone, leaning back against the bench as distant church bells tolled softly in the background, and said: "You know, no matter how bad the things that happen to demigods or supernatural beings are, they have power to fight back. And even if it's dangerous, they have at least a little chance of succeeding. Normal humans don't. You know, Annabeth, when you're a normal person and some rich guy's son ends up killing someone in your family by drunk driving, most of the time he just pays a fine—an insignificant amount of money for him—and gets released. And you, who lost someone you love, can only watch him walk free, because taking justice into your own hands is a crime. And even if you don't care about that and decide to go ahead, without power you won't get a few meters close to him before being thrown to the ground and beaten by his bodyguards. Being a normal person means, most of the time, being powerless to protect the ones you love. Even when you get a call from someone asking for help, the first thing you do is call the police, because you're powerless to help with anything. After all, when even a butter knife can kill you, what do you plan to do against armed criminals?"
Annabeth fell silent after hearing what Dante said, the cheerful sounds of the piazza suddenly feeling distant. Being a normal person didn't seem as good—or as safe—as she had always imagined.
Dante then looked at her with a gentle smile, trying to lighten the heavy air, and said: "So that's why I'm grateful for having this power. Because with it, I can protect the people I love from this cruel world and not feel powerless. When the person I love asks for help, I'll be able to stand up and help her. That's why, unless it's necessary, I don't want to fight Zeus and stain this power with innocent blood when our fight gets out of control and ends up hurting normal people."
Annabeth smiled softly, touched by his words, and said: "Well, it looks like someone really wants to be a superhero."
Dante finished eating his ice cream, tossing the cone into a nearby bin, and said: "Well, I don't have what it takes for that. I don't have all of Superman's kindness or Batman's self-control, who's able to hold back from killing trash like the Joker. I have too many flaws to be a superhero."
Annabeth said warmly: "Well, even with those flaws, you're still very interesting in my opinion."
Dante said: "Well, good to know. So let's check in at the hotel?"
Annabeth blinked in surprise. "Wait, hotel?" She looked at Dante suspiciously and said: "Thinking I'd go to a hotel with you on our first date... do you think I'm a daughter of Aphrodite?"
Dante, seeing her cute, defensive reaction—cheeks flushing again, eyes narrowing playfully—smiled wider and said: "Well, it's not for that we're going to the hotel."
Annabeth relaxed slightly but still asked: "Then why are we going?"
Dante explained patiently: "Well, you remember the places you said you wanted to visit in Italy? This date isn't just coming to Italy—it's visiting all the places you mentioned. We'll need a base to rest and plan the next spots."
Annabeth said thoughtfully: "But what about the quest we have to do to find the bolt?"
Dante reassured her: "Well, it's just two more days we'll stay. Percy can use that time to train and learn the basics, because if he goes out with us as he is now, he'll die. He needs to get stronger first."
Annabeth nodded slowly. "Well, true."
Dante then held her hand again, his touch warm and reassuring, and said: "So let's check in at the hotel."
Annabeth said firmly: "Alright, but I want separate rooms."
Dante then looked at her closely, leaned in gently, and kissed her lips softly—a brief, tender moment under the piazza lights—before pulling back and saying: "Alright. I won't do anything. I'll just wait until you're ready and want to call me, okay?"
Annabeth looked at him, her surprise melting into a soft smile, and said: "Well, okay."
They then started walking toward the hotel, hands linked, the romantic streets of Rome enveloping them in their timeless magic