After arriving, the first thing Theo noticed was that the Wolf House looked considerably less welcoming up close.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel floated happily a little above his shoulder, remaining invisible to the naked eye as he hummed something that sounded suspiciously like a sea shanty.
Where he had heard it, Theo had no idea.
He looked left and right, observing the ruined place. Not that he had expected much. Although it was a ruin, it still had a certain beauty to it.
Judging by the scattered stones, broken pillars, and weathered walls, however, time hadn't exactly been kind to the place.
Still, he had hoped the entrance would be a little more obvious. Instead, he stood before what appeared to be an opening between two damaged sections of the building, wondering whether he had arrived at the right place or simply found another way to get lost.
'Well, isn't this lovely? What a wonderful change of scenery.'
A quiet giggle came from somewhere beside him. Theo didn't need to glance over to know it was Nathaniel floating near his shoulder.
Nathaniel was still invisible, just as Theo had instructed, but that didn't stop his curiosity from getting the better of him. His wide, honey-colored eyes wandered around their surroundings, taking in every little detail.
He seemed far more interested in their new surroundings than Theo was, occasionally drifting a little higher before returning to his father's side.
"Papa, is this our new home?" Nathaniel asked, looking around.
Theo studied the place for another moment before answering. "Well, this place is livable."
Nathaniel tilted his head. "But is it our home?"
"That's what we're going to find out, sweetheart." Theo adjusted his clothes and took a breath.
He really hoped the answer would be no, but considering that his mother had specifically sent him here to train, he wasn't particularly optimistic.
He had been told that Lupa would take care of him, although the word 'training' still bothered him.
Theo preferred activities that didn't involve physical exhaustion, dangerous creatures, or the possibility of getting injured. Reading a book, enjoying a nice meal, and minding his own business were perfectly acceptable alternatives.
Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly the definition of training.
And to make matters worse, there was a newly awakened son of Poseidon waiting in ambush somewhere.
Theo let out a defeated sigh and stepped forward, with the still-invisible Nathaniel following close behind.
But before he could take another step, a massive chocolate-red she-wolf appeared near the entrance.
Her silver eyes settled on him, observing him with a calm but imposing gaze.
Theo immediately recognized her from the description Eirene had given him and from what he remembered in the books.
Lupa, the wolf goddess and trainer of Roman demigods.
He straightened his posture and offered her a stiff but polite smile, silently reminding himself that making a good first impression was probably important.
"You must be the Child of Peace," Lupa said.
Theo resisted the urge to sigh at the familiar title. He didn't have a death wish, unlike a certain someone.
'Please, enough with the Child of Peace. I don't want that title.'
He knew that, technically and biologically, he was the child of Peace. And he was proud of being her son.
But hearing it spoken aloud like some grand title was just embarrassing. Add what had happened earlier, and the whole thing was enough to give him goosebumps.
"Yes. That's me," he replied stiffly, although his expression came out closer to a grimace.
Lupa merely raised an eyebrow.
'How does she do that? Do wolves even have eyebrows!?'
For a brief moment, her silver eyes shifted toward his left shoulder, where Nathaniel was floating.
Theo's smile stiffened.
Oh.
Oh, no.
Was she looking at Nathaniel?
He resisted the urge to turn his head and check. That would only make things more suspicious. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the enormous wolf in front of him, hoping that his expression looked perfectly normal.
All while a bead of sweat slowly trickled down his temple.
'Please don't tell me she can see him.'
He had specifically told Nathaniel to remain invisible, and the little boy had promised to behave. Surely, would listen.
Right?
Thankfully, Lupa quickly returned her attention to Theo without making any comment.
"You arrived later than expected," she stated plainly.
"Ah, yes. There was a slight problem with the transportation," he answered nonchalantly, as though he wasn't sweating bullets over the possibility that the she-wolf had noticed his son.
Lupa's ears shifted slightly. "A problem?"
Theo mentally patted himself on the back for successfully diverting her attention.
He considered how to explain it without making the situation sound even more ridiculous than it already was.
How was he supposed to put it?
He had been expecting a safe journey arranged by his mother, but something had interfered with the transportation and sent them somewhere entirely different. He had ended up beside a creek with a little boy in his arms and a rather unpleasant monster nearby.
Furthermore, explaining all of that sounded troublesome, especially when he was already tired from walking.
So, he settled for, "Let's just say the journey wasn't as smooth as advertised."
The goddess regarded him for a moment, apparently deciding whether she wanted to ask more.
Thankfully, she didn't.
Instead, she turned toward the entrance. "Follow me, young demigod."
There went his last chance of pretending he had arrived at the wrong place.
But Theo was more than happy to follow.
They had already spent enough time outside, and standing in front of a pile of ruined stone wasn't going to make the place look any better.
Theo followed Lupa inside, with Nathaniel quietly floating at his side.
They passed through the broken archway and entered the courtyard. The goddess led him through the ruins, past crumbling walls and weathered stone pillars.
As they walked, Theo couldn't help looking around. The interior was just as worn as the outside, although some parts of the building appeared to have been repaired.
A few walls remained intact, and scattered furnishings suggested that the place had once been far more impressive.
He was so occupied with observing his surroundings that he barely noticed when Lupa turned a corner.
As a result, Theo nearly walked straight into someone coming from the opposite direction.
It was a teenage boy, perhaps three years older than him, with messy jet-black hair and eyes that reminded Theo of the sea on a bright, sunny day.
For half a heartbeat, he forgot how to breathe.
Oh.
Oh, no.
'Of all the people I could have encountered here, why did it have to be him?'
Percy Jackson.
Theo stared at the teenager for a moment, doing his best to keep his expression neutral. Inside, however, his thoughts were anything but calm.
'Why Percy Jackson of all people? Hadn't the universe given him enough trouble already? Did it really have to throw this particular headache of a main character right in front of him?'
Looking at Percy now, Theo noticed that he had grown taller than he remembered. His black hair was even messier, sticking out in several directions as though he hadn't bothered combing it in days.
There was also something different about the way he carried himself. Perhaps it was because he had been staying in wolf territory, but he seemed to have developed a rather wild, untamed air about him.
Almost like a wolf.
Theo couldn't help feeling a little guilty as he looked at him. Perhaps it was because he had left without properly saying goodbye, the way friends were supposed to.
'But he was supposed to be ignoring the main characters!'
He had expected to meet the amnesiac Percy eventually, considering they were both supposed to be staying at the Wolf House.
However, he hadn't expected their first encounter to happen quite so soon, much less so suddenly.
Percy, meanwhile, had stopped walking. His brows drew together as he studied the unfamiliar boy standing in front of him.
Something about the younger teenager caught his attention, although he couldn't quite figure out what it was.
The boy had sun-kissed blonde hair, slightly curly and looked ridiculously soft.
Percy briefly wondered whether it would be rude to ruffle it. It looked fluffy enough to make the temptation difficult to ignore.
Then there was the voice.
He had been hearing it ever since he caught sight of the boy, and it sounded familiar.
"Did you say something?" Percy asked.
Theo blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing." Percy tilted his head and scratched the back of his neck. "You just seem familiar."
'Well, of course I do. I'm the person you've been pestering for several days a few months ago. Honestly, how does someone manage to be that persistent?'
Theo kept the thought to himself.
There was no way he was going to tell the son of Poseidon that they knew each other.
He wasn't particularly interested in testing how much trouble that revelation might bring him.
So, maintaining a polite expression, he calmly suggested, "Perhaps we've crossed paths before?"
Percy's eyes narrowed slightly. 'This little sunshine knows me? Maybe we're friends?'
He tried to remember, but his memories refused to cooperate. It was like reaching for something just beyond his grasp.
He knew there was something there, something important, but whenever he tried to catch it, his mind came up empty.
Still, the younger boy's familiar presence made it difficult to simply walk away.
After a moment's hesitation, Percy seemed to make up his mind.
'He said I was persistent, didn't he? So I must have known him before.'
A grin spread across his face. He mentally patted himself on the back for coming to such a brilliant conclusion.
"Maybe." He decided to humor him.
Percy held out a hand while grinning, looking into the most dazzling honey-colored eyes he had ever seen, although he didn't remember if he had seen one before.
"I'm Percy," he introduced himself.
'Though you seem to know that already,' he added silently.
Theo looked at the offered hand.
For a moment, he considered whether accepting it was a good idea. On one hand, refusing would be unnecessarily rude.
On the other, he wasn't sure how much interaction with Percy Jackson he could tolerate before something went wrong.
It was only a handshake, though. Surely, accepting it wouldn't hurt.
With that thought, Theo slowly reached out.
"Tim," he introduced himself, giving the offered hand a brief shake.
The handshake was supposed to be simple. A greeting, a polite exchange, and then they could both go about their day.
Unfortunately, Percy seemed to have other ideas.
Theo had already begun withdrawing his hand when he realized the older boy hadn't let go.
He paused and looked down at their joined hands before slowly raising his gaze to Percy.
The other teenager was still staring at him, his expression growing increasingly bewildered.
'...Why is he still holding my hand?' Theo gave his hand a small tug.
Nothing.
His polite smile stiffened. 'Please let go.'
Percy didn't.
Instead, his grip tightening slightly, making it clear that he didn't want the younger boy to pull away.
Theo stared at him, his expression slowly shifting into an annoyed frown. Internally, however, he was beginning to panic.
'What is this? A handshake or some kind of interrogation? Have I unknowingly offended him, or does he remember me?'
And more importantly, why was Percy looking at him as though he had personally stolen something from him?
"Percy," the teenager said, repeating his name as though expecting something.
Theo stared at him blankly. "...Yes?"
"Percy Jackson."
There was a strange emphasis on his name, as though he were giving Theo another opportunity to correct himself.
Theo's expression remained unchanged as he introduced himself again. "Tim."
Percy's brows drew closer together.
Something wasn't right. He couldn't explain it, but the name didn't feel right. The moment the younger boy introduced himself, an uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest.
It was as though he was being lied to, even though he had no proof of it.
He tried to search his memories again, but all he found was that same frustrating emptiness.
For a moment, he wondered whether the boy was someone important to him. A friend, perhaps? Someone he had met before his memories disappeared?
The thought only made him more confused.
Then, without intending to, a low growl escaped his throat.
Theo froze. '...Did he just growl?'
He stared at the older boy in horror, momentarily forgetting about their awkward handshake.
'Did Percy Jackson just growl at me? Did he get beaten by wolf and become one!?'
It wasn't particularly loud, but it was unmistakable. The sound came from deep in Percy's throat, carrying a warning that made Theo's thoughts come to an abrupt halt.
Percy's gaze remained fixed on him. Somewhere beneath his confusion, a stubborn certainty had begun to take shape.
That wasn't his name.
"That's not your name," he blurted out.
Theo blinked.
What?
He looked at Percy, then briefly at their still-joined hands. He tried pulling away again, but the older boy's grip remained annoyingly firm.
'Damn it, why is Percy so strong?'
"And why would you think that isn't my name?" Theo asked through gritted teeth.
"Feeling," Percy answered simply.
Theo stared at him.
'That was it? Feeling? What kind of ridiculous explanation was that?'
He almost laughed, but quickly decided against it. Percy looked far too serious for that, and Theo had no desire to make their first meeting any more troublesome than it already was.
'Well, if you're going to be stubborn, then I can be stubborn too.'
He had spent enough time dealing with troublesome people to know that backing down wasn't always necessary.
Besides, he wasn't about to reveal his identity just because Percy had decided to interrogate him over a handshake.
"Well, I'm afraid your feeling is mistaken," Theo replied pleasantly, doing his best to keep his smile in place. "My name is Tim."
Percy's expression grew even more confused.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
Theo Replied without missing a beat.
The two stared at each other.
Theo maintained his polite smile, while Percy looked increasingly bewildered by the conversation.
Neither seemed particularly interested in giving in, although Theo was perfectly content to continue the little contest for as long as he won.
Percy, on the other hand, was beginning to question whether he had been mistaken.
He knew the boy was hiding something. He just couldn't understand how he knew.
And that was irritating.
"Are you two planning to stand there all day?" Lupa's sudden voice cut through the silence.
Both teenagers turned toward her.
The wolf goddess had been watching their little exchange with an unreadable expression.
Her silver eyes shifted from Percy to Theo, then down to their still-connected hands.
A moment passed.
"Perhaps you should let go of the young demigod, Percy."
Percy glanced down as though he had only just remembered that he was still holding someone's hand.
"Oh."
He finally released it while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
Theo immediately pulled his hand back, resisting the urge to rub his palm. He had never thought a simple handshake could become such an exhausting experience.
Lupa gave Percy a brief look before turning her attention to Theo. Her expression remained as composed as ever, although the slight movement of her ears suggested she had noticed more than she was saying.
Percy, meanwhile, gave the younger boy one last look.
"Nice to meet you, Tim." The way he said his supposed name made it sound less like a greeting and more like a warning of impending doom.
"I'll see you around," he added, flashing him a dazzling smile.
Theo's smile returned, though it took a considerable amount of effort to maintain it.
"Likewise, Percy."
'I'm not!' He practically roared the words inside his head.
Why did this feel like déjà vu?
He had only just arrived, and Percy was already proving to be exactly the kind of trouble he had hoped to avoid.
If this was how their first meeting went, Theo dreaded to think what the rest of their stay would be like.
As Percy walked away, Theo watched him for a moment before quietly letting out a breath.
He then glanced toward Lupa, who had been patiently waiting for their little exchange to end.
"Shall we continue?" she asked.
Theo offered her another stiff smile.
"Please."
He had a feeling this was going to be a very long tiring stay.