Percy rolled under the soft, fluffy blankets that were placed on top of him, keeping him warm and cozy. He snuggled under the covers while he opened his eyes drowsily. Where was he? The all-so-familiar brown ceiling came into view. The infirmary. Percy looked at his surroundings with his half-opened eyes, and the weird thing was, nobody was there.

Suddenly, Percy felt a slight feeling of panic as he realized he was alone, which was the perfect moment for that someone to attack.

Percy shook his head, reassuring himself that he was safe in the camp infirmary, as he sat up on the white bed, noticing his fractured arm wrapped in bandages.

Someone knocked on the infirmary door.

“Percy?” It was Annabeth. Percy’s muscles loosened as he heard her soothing voice. He didn’t even notice that he himself was tensing so much. “Can I come in?”

Of course she could. “Yeah, come in, Annabeth.” he called back.

Annabeth slowly opened the wooden door. Percy drank in the beautiful looks of his girlfriend. Honey-blonde hair, slightly tanned skin, her shorts slightly jagged at the edge, probably during training, and her eyes. Oh, those grey, intimidating, yet extremely gorgeous eyes. Only the dark circles under her eyes ruined the beautiful picture.

“Annabeth?” Percy said, holding onto her hand tightly. “Didn’t you sleep?”

Annabeth smiled slightly and shook her head.

“How could I? After you left…”

Percy sighed. He hated seeing his own girlfriend like this. So broken, and so worried about him. He looked outside the window beside him, as the bright rays of sunshine shone through the crystal-clear glass. His eyes focused on the demigods outside, some sword training, some throwing spears, and a few were polishing their armors. He wasn’t really paying attention to the details, but enough to get the basic idea.

“Percy? Should I leave?”

Percy tore his eyes from the window, his sight now focused on his scarred hands, his eyebrows creased in thought, mind now on something else.

“You’re not escaping this time, demigod.”

Percy’s heart pounded rapidly in his own chest, as the familiar voice rang loudly in his head, as if he was just sitting next to him.

“Let’s play a game.”

Percy’s unfocused eyes darted around the room, completely ignoring Annabeth’s presence, as he checked to see if the person was really sitting near him, and scanned the room just in case.

“I guess you didn’t notice that blood really suits that handsome face of yours, would you like me to add some more?”

Percy could feel himself hyperventilate slightly in fear.

“Leaving the party so soon? Let me tell you a secret.”

Pain gushed through his arm as he tightly clutched his shoulder in angst, as he began to hyperventilate faster.

“I will kill her.”

Percy’s mind was flooded with dread and panic as the phrase echoed unremittingly in his head, gradually growing louder and louder each passing second, until they seem to be screeching achingly in his ears.

“PERCY!”

Percy’s head whipped up as he saw that Annabeth’s frightened grey eyes were looking at him, and her hand was clutching the hem of his slacks, her nails scraping against the soft, navy fabric.
Percy relaxed slightly at the sight of her. His breathing went back to normal has his heart rate slowed down, the shrill sounds that rang in his ears gradually diminished until they were no longer there.

“Are you okay?”

Those three words seemed to mean much more than they sounded. Percy ruffled his hair; marveling at what a stupid thing he had done by scaring Annabeth, and nodded.

“I’m okay.”

Annabeth opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped and closed it, turning it into a small warm smile. She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, and sit straight again.
“You know, Percy. Waiting, it’s painful. Forgetting, it’s also painful. But not knowing, it’s the worst suffering. And I don’t think only a child of Athena agrees to this.”

Percy felt a pang of guilt rush through him. Tell her. He thought. Just tell her and everything would be solved.

Are you sure?

That voice again. Percy thought that voice would have disappeared after his encounter with that person.

But still…

“Be safe.”

Annabeth smiled sadly, and nodded.

“You too, Seaweed Brain.”

However, Percy couldn’t help not noticing the look of anxiety in Annabeth’s grey eyes.

What was happening? Or more importantly…

What is going to happen?