[Third Person Pov]
Annabeth and Lucian footsteps echoing softly against the polished museum floor as they entered the Athens exhibit. Marble-white walls were lined with display cases and towering panels depicting temples, maps, and reconstructed cityscapes of ancient Greece.
"Do you think we'll be able to find real legit artifacts here?" Lucian questioned as they walked toward the first display relating to Athens, Greece.
"It should be possible," Annabeth said after a moment of careful consideration, her gray eyes already scanning the room with sharp interest. "I'll try to see if I can detect any magic on the artifacts on display here." She then turned toward him and fixed him with a warning look. "No stealing."
"I wasn't gonna," Lucian replied, rolling his eyes. "I abuse my powers once and now suddenly I'm a guy that can't keep his hands to himself and commits atrocities."
Annabeth planted a hand on her hip and shifted her weight. "Look me dead in the eyes and tell me that if you didn't see something you liked, you wouldn't one-thousand percent take it for yourself."
Lucian didn't even hesitate. "Look me dead in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't do the same."
She glared at him for a long second, lips pursed—then they slowly curled into a reluctant smile. "Touché."
"Plus," Lucian added calmly, "I wasn't planning on stealing anything. Just used a bit of tracing and projecting."
Annabeth rubbed her temple with a quiet groan. "I nearly forgot about that broken spell of yours. It would definitely be useful. I'll keep an eye out for you."
Lucian dipped his head theatrically, accepting the judgment just as their attention was drawn to a woman gathering a group near the entrance of the exhibit.
"This room is dedicated to the great city of Athens, the capital city of Greece…" the tour guide began. Her name tag gleamed under the lights: Sandra.
Annabeth's eyes lit up. "'Oooh, let's join in. I want to hear what they have to say," she whispered excitedly, already dragging Lucian along before he could protest.
They listened politely at first. Sandra gestured toward a large model of the Acropolis, explaining its importance as the religious heart of Athens and mentioning the Parthenon as a temple to Athena.
About halfway through her explanation, Annabeth's brow furrowed.
"Actually," Annabeth cut in, polite but firm, "the Parthenon wasn't just a temple—it also functioned as a treasury for the Delian League, which is why its design had to be both symbolic and secure."
Sandra blinked, clearly caught off guard, but nodded stiffly. "Yes… that's, uh, true. Moving on—"
They approached the next display, a timeline of Athenian democracy.
Sandra spoke confidently about voting rights and civic duty, until Annabeth raised a finger again. "You might also want to mention that only free-born male citizens could vote. Women, slaves, and foreigners—metics—were excluded, despite living and working in the city."
A few members of the tour murmured in interest. Sandra's smile tightened.
By the third display—statues depicting everyday Athenian life—Annabeth chimed in again, adding details about artisans, olive oil trade routes, and how pottery styles were used to date historical periods.
By the fourth, she casually corrected a date.
By the fifth, she expanded on the military significance of the Long Walls and how they connected Athens to Piraeus.
Sandra's eye twitched.
Lucian had turned slightly away from the group, one hand over his mouth as he quietly laughed to himself, shoulders shaking. He watched Annabeth out of the corner of his eye, thoroughly entertained.
At the sixth interruption—this time regarding the architectural refinements of Doric columns—Sandra finally snapped.
She turned fully toward Annabeth, forcing a smile that clearly hurt her face. "You seem to know quite a lot about this exhibit," she said, voice tight. "Would you perhaps like to lead the tour instead?"
There was a brief, awkward silence.
Annabeth blinked… then smiled brightly with a simple shrug. "Sure."
Just like that, she stepped forward, seamlessly taking position at the front of the group. Any trace of hesitation vanished, replaced by pure enthusiasm.
"Okay! So if you look closely here," Annabeth began, gesturing animatedly, "you'll notice the slight curvature in the columns—entasis. It's an optical correction to counteract visual distortion…"
The crowd leaned in, captivated.
Lucian hung back, hands in his pockets, watching her with a beautiful, unguarded smile. Annabeth moved from display to display like she belonged there, her voice clear and confident, weaving facts and stories together far better than any rehearsed script. People asked questions. She answered every single one without missing a beat.
Sandra stood off to the side, arms crossed, equal parts exasperated and defeated.
By the time they reached the final display, the group looked genuinely impressed—some even in awe.
Lucian chuckled under his breath, shaking his head fondly as Annabeth continued, having the time of her life, completely in her element.
By the time Annabeth finally wrapped up her impromptu lecture and Sandra hastily ushered the group toward a different exhibit—one that very pointedly wasn't related to Athens—Annabeth felt the lingering buzz of excitement slowly fade. She glanced around, half-expecting Lucian to be standing nearby with that amused, proud expression he wore whenever she got carried away.
But he wasn't there.
Her brows furrowed in mild confusion as she scanned the surrounding crowd, only for something cold to suddenly press against her cheek.
"Ah—!" Annabeth yelped in surprise, recoiling slightly before whipping her head around.
Lucian stood behind her, grinning like a menace, a bottle of icy lemonade in each hand as condensation dripped down the glass. He laughed openly at her reaction, clearly pleased with himself.
"Hahaha—here," he said, holding one out to her. "You must be parched after completely hijacking that tour. Great work out there, Tinkerbell."
Annabeth shot him a look but couldn't stop herself from smiling as she accepted the drink. "Thank you," she said genuinely, the cool glass a welcome relief in her hand. She took a long sip, savoring the citrus tang before glancing back up at him, her expression softening into something apologetic.
"Sorry… I know this was supposed to be a date—"
"The hell are you apologizing for?" Lucian interrupted immediately, rolling his eyes. He casually slung an arm over her shoulders, pulling her a little closer as if the thought offended him. "That was entertaining as hell. Did you see the look the tour guide was giving you? You were completely in your element, baby girl."
Annabeth let out a small laugh, cheeks warming slightly as she took another sip. "I suppose her reaction was pretty funny to watch."
"Exactly," Lucian replied smugly. He gestured ahead with his free hand. "Come on. While I was grabbing the drinks, I'm pretty sure I saw a display on Alexander the Great. Thought we might check it out and see if we find anything interesting."
His lips twitched. "And maybe see if there's anything worth taking— I mean, copying. Definitely copying."
"Sure," Annabeth replied dryly, nudging him in the side as they began walking together.
"Let's go window shopping!" Lucian announced dramatically, marching ahead like an overexcited tourist.
Annabeth laughed, shaking her head as she followed.
When they arrived, the first thing that caught their attention was a towering marble statue of Alexander the Great, carved with remarkable precision. Every detail—from the sharp set of his jaw to the proud tilt of his head—radiated authority. Surrounding the statue were several glass displays containing what appeared to be personal effects: fragments of armor, ceremonial pieces, and relics preserved with meticulous care.
Lucian whistled softly. "Alright," he said, glancing sideways at Annabeth. "Do your magic eyes detect anything?"
"At least give me a second to activate them," Annabeth shot back, exasperated.
Her storm-gray eyes shimmered faintly as arcane light flickered within them, her [Mystic Insight] awakening. The world subtly shifted—layers peeling back as hidden truths revealed themselves.
"…There," she murmured after a moment. "I'm detecting a strong magical signature. That display—over there."
Through their [Psychic Link], Lucian received what she was seeing: a pulsing aura restrained behind glass, tightly sealed to prevent detection. They moved closer together, their steps careful and deliberate.
Inside the case rested a weapon.
A sword.
Lucian leaned forward, reading the information tablet embedded beside the display.
"'The Sword of the Kupriotes…'"
He straightened slowly, eyes flicking from the sword to Annabeth—and then back to the sword again. A grin spread across his face, sharp and unmistakably mischievous.
"…Yoink."
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