[Third Person Pov]
"Is there any specific museum you'd want to go to?" Lucian asked casually, his fingers laced with Annabeth's as they walked. At their feet, the shadows seemed restless, stretching and curling unnaturally around them.
"All of them," Annabeth replied without hesitation, her answer completely earnest.
Lucian stopped walking and turned his head to stare at her, his expression utterly flat.
Annabeth burst into a soft giggle at his reaction, clearly amused. "Okay, okay," she said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "For our date, I'll settle for the British Museum. It's kind of like exploring another country's history all in one place."
Lucian hummed in agreement and gave a short nod. The shadows beneath them thickened, spreading outward like ink dropped into water. Slowly, the world around them dimmed as the darkness rose to swallow their feet, their legs, and then everything else. Within seconds, they vanished completely, slipping into the shadows as if they had never been there at all.
As they traveled through the dark, Lucian instinctively kept Annabeth close, one arm secure around her. "This might take a while," he warned quietly. "We're crossing into another country altogether."
Annabeth nodded, unfazed. She leaned into him, adjusting until she found a comfortable position against his chest. "That's fine," she said easily.
With precise control over his power, he ensured their presence remained concealed—no ripples, no disturbances, no trace that could be detected. As they moved, he found his thoughts drifting, his perception of the shadows subtly altered since his conversation with Circe.
'So… we're really traveling through Erebus's body,' Lucian thought, keeping the realization firmly to himself. Even he wasn't reckless—or foolish—enough to speak that name aloud.
After a moment, Lucian extended his power further and summoned a figure from the shadows below. The darkness condensed and rose, forming into a massive, serpentine shape with glimmering shadow-scales and blade-like spikes along its body.
Annabeth's eyes widened slightly. "Whoa—new shadow?" she asked, curiosity immediately taking over as she studied the creature. She cautiously reached out, her fingers hovering near its shifting scales.
"Yeah," Lucian said, unable to hide the pride in his voice. "I just made him recently. His name's Ophis."
He grabbed onto one of the serpent's shadowy blade-spikes and climbed up smoothly, then reached down to pull Annabeth up after him.
Annabeth secured her grip before glancing back over her shoulder. "Why didn't you summon Sebastian?" she asked.
Lucian didn't answer. He simply smiled and tightened his hold around her waist as Ophis surged forward through the shadows.
Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him for a moment—then her expression softened into a knowing grin. "He got upgraded, didn't he?" she said smugly. "And you don't want to bring him out yet because you're waiting for the perfect dramatic moment to show him off."
Lucian pressed his lips together and deliberately looked away. "…No," he muttered.
Annabeth laughed, leaning back into him. She gently pulled his arm more securely around her waist, resting her head against his shoulder as she patted the back of his hand. "You're so predictable."
Lucian responded with nothing but a quiet, continuous grumble for the rest of the journey.
…
Location: United Kingdom – London
Ophis emerged silently from the shadows across the street from the British Museum. A thin veil of mist cloaked the area, subtly warping perception. To any onlookers, the massive shadow serpent appeared no different than a vehicle pulling into place—unremarkable, ordinary, and quickly ignored.
Lucian slid down first, landing lightly. Annabeth jumped after him, briefly landing in his arms before he set her back on her feet. Behind them, Ophis dissolved into smoke-like darkness, slithering back into Lucian's shadow as though it had never existed at all.
"Woah," Annabeth breathed, staring up at the towering structure in front of them. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she immediately pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
"You really love taking photos, don't you?" Lucian said, watching her with a tired but fond grin.
"Yep!" Annabeth replied brightly. "I love looking back at them later. They're like my own personal record—kind of like a diary, but visual."
Once she finished taking a few shots, she suddenly grabbed Lucian by the arm and pulled him closer. "Now one with both of us," she declared.
After indulging Annabeth's enthusiasm for pictures, she slipped her hand into his again and eagerly led him toward the museum's main entrance, tucked behind a grand row of towering pillars and columns.
"Ooh," Annabeth murmured softly, her voice filled with quiet awe as she slowed her steps. She ran her hands along the cool stone of one of the massive columns, her fingers tracing the carved ridges as if she were reading a story etched into the surface itself.
"Annabeth…" Lucian called out, barely holding back a snicker. "I'm pretty sure the interesting parts are inside. That's literally just a really tall rock."
"Oh, shush," Annabeth replied, rolling her eyes without looking back at him. "I'm not admiring the material. I'm admiring the architectural structure. The proportions, the craftsmanship—this was beautifully designed." She gave the column an affectionate pat, as though it were a living thing deserving praise.
"Right…" Lucian nodded solemnly before his composure cracked. "It's not just a boulder," he said, struggling to keep a straight face. "It's a rock."
"What?" Annabeth asked, turning around to look at him with open confusion.
"Nothing, nothing," Lucian waved it off quickly, shaking his head while smiling to himself. "Just… calling a tall rock reminded me of something. You wouldn't get it."
Annabeth narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "One of your references that no one ever understands?"
"Exactly," Lucian replied, entirely unashamed.
She sighed dramatically and turned away from the column, having clearly finished her inspection. "I swear, one day you're going to have to explain all of those."
"I will," Lucian said lightly as he followed her toward the entrance. "Later."
Inside, they approached the front desk, where a woman greeted them with a polite, professional smile.
"Tickets?" the receptionist asked pleasantly.
Annabeth paused. "Oh—shoot. This was kind of spontaneous—"
"We're VIPs," Lucian interrupted smoothly, turning his attention to the receptionist. "Isn't that right, ma'am?"
His voice dipped just slightly, carrying a subtle weight behind it. Annabeth immediately felt it—Charmspeak. She shot him a sharp look as the receptionist's eyes dulled for a fraction of a second, her smile remaining perfectly in place.
"Of course," the woman replied in a refined British accent. "How could I not recognize our most anticipated guests? Oh dear… it seems you're missing your VIP tags."
She reached behind the desk and produced two lanyards, stepping forward to place them around his necks.
Annabeth stared at Lucian flatly as he accepted his tag with a gracious nod. He then turned and carefully slipped the other over Annabeth's head as well.
"That's abuse of power," Annabeth said, one brow arching sharply.
Lucian blinked at her. "Your point?"
"Aren't you rich?" she asked, lifting the tag to examine it with mild disbelief. "Was that really necessary? I'm pretty sure you could've just paid."
Lucian shrugged, a grin slowly curling at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, but haven't you heard the saying?"
"What saying?"
"Everything's better when it's free," Lucian declared proudly. "So to make this the best date imaginable for you, it'll be completely free."
Annabeth snickered, shaking her head as she grabbed his hand. "You're unbelievable."
She tugged him along into the heart of the museum, where the space opened up into a vast, grand hall. High ceilings loomed above them, light filtering down onto polished floors as families, couples, and tourists wandered through the exhibits together. The quiet hum of voices and footsteps filled the air.
Annabeth grabbed a guide pamphlet from a nearby stand and immediately began scanning it, pulling Lucian closer so they could look together.
"So," she said thoughtfully, eyes darting across the page, "what should we check out first?" She tilted the guide slightly toward him. "They've got exhibits from Greece, Rome, Egypt, Hindu cultures… there's so much here."
Lucian hummed, studying the map for a moment. "Well," he said slowly, "since we're both Greek, I think it's only fair we pay homage first before exploring everything else. What do you say?"
Annabeth nodded, lips curving into a small smile. "I suppose that is only fair."
Lucian glanced at her sideways. "You want to see the Athens display, don't you?"
"Eh?" Annabeth blinked, then looked at him with a lopsided grin. "Why do you think that?"
"Because it's connected to your mom," Lucian replied lightly, tapping her on the head with a knuckle.
She laughed softly, rubbing the spot. "Okay, yeah… maybe a little. I just thought it'd be cool to see."
Lucian didn't tease her further. Instead, he interlocked their fingers and gently tugged her forward. "Then let's go. This date's for you, remember?"
Annabeth smiled to herself, letting him lead the way as they disappeared deeper into the museum together.
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