‘Luke! Hurry!’

I stood still, blinded by the sudden brightness of trees surrounding me on the hill. Sounds did not register. The only thing that was real to me was the thrill and joy of being alive again.

‘Luke!’

I whipped my head around. Thalia was screaming at me, gesturing for me to hurry. Only, she looked younger, like she did when we were on our own with Annabeth.

Wait a second.

‘They’re coming!’ seven-year-old Annabeth shouted.

I looked around and recognized the scene; the Minotaur and hoards of hellhounds swarmed the area, led by the three furies, heading straight for us.

Thalia scrambled back down the hill and grabbed one of my arms. Someone grabbed my jacket and I turned, expecting Annabeth, but finding Grover instead.

‘Come on!’ Grover bleated. ‘They’ll be time to look at the scenery later.’

We began climbing the hill as fast as we could. I remembered this; we were trying to escape Hade’s wrath upon Thalia by reaching Camp Half-Blood. This is the day she died.

How did I get here? I was in the Underworld and... and...

The wish.

The shooting star; I wished that I could go back in time and not be Kronos, and be the brother than Annabeth wanted me to me.

Maybe I was being given that chance.

‘Luke!’ Thalia screamed again. I realized I’d slowed down. ‘What is wrong with you?’

You’re going to die, I wanted to cry. But then I thought.

Maybe this is my chance to change that.

We stumbled through the woods until night began to fall. The four of us were tiring. The monsters, it seemed, were not. At last, Half-Blood Hill was in sight.

‘We’re almost there,’ Grover yelled, brandishing a small club.

As we got closer, I picked up Annabeth as I did before. But this time I grabbed Thalia’s hand, pulling her along with me at a faster pace.

‘Luke!’ she yelped, tripping on roots and rocks. ‘What are you doing? Let go!’

‘No!’ I yelled bluntly. ‘I’m not letting you die!’

She never got that chance to ask what I meant, because the Minotaur bellowed in rage. I didn’t turn around in fear of freezing in terror. Thalia staggered again and again as I hauled her along. Annabeth was crying on my shoulder, her sobs echoing with every bounce.

We arrived at the base of the hill with the monsters hot on our tail. As we started climbing, I realized that fate still had to go on. Someone had to die tonight.

I let go of Thalia’s hand and pushed Annabeth into her arms.

‘Keep going,’ I said to her stunned face. ‘Don’t wait for me!’

I pushed her up the hill and she froze, Grover screaming to hurry up. In her arms, Annabeth wailed and cried, ‘Don’t leave him!’

‘I’m sorry, Annabeth,’ I whispered. ‘This is the best I can do. Don’t let me die in vain. Now, go!’

Thalia sobbed and kissed me on the cheek. Then she held on to a struggling Annabeth and raced up the hill as fast as she could. I touched my cheek where her lips had made contact. It caused a wonderful warm feeling that spread throughout my body and gave me the courage to go on.

I yelled a battle cry, hefted my sword and waited for the monsters to charge. I glanced at the top of the hill and a thought came to me. Thalia, Annabeth and Grover had nearly reached the summit.

‘Over here!’ I yelled. ‘Over here, you stupid monsters!’

With the Minotaur leading the assault, the monsters came for me. I knew what would happen.

I stabbed the first hellhound and it disintegrated. The second lunged for me and I ducked as it sailed over my head. One of the furies cackled as it flew at me and grabbed my jacket. She flew up 20 feet and screeched in my ear, ‘Enjoy the fall, honey.’

She let go and I fell like a stone, landing on the hard ground with a crunch. A shooting pain ran through my ribs. The Minotaur howled and took hold of me with an iron grasp, clenching me tightly. With a roar, he threw me back with enormous strength. I was flung through the air and came to rest at the top of the hill.

I heard Thalia screaming and Annabeth crying. My body felt like I’d been run over by a bulldozer, and I knew that I was dying.

Kronos will never rise, I thought calmly. The war will never come to pass.

I could feel myself sinking into the ground, my limbs becoming one with the earth.  A shadow covered my mind and I finally felt at peace as my body turned to roots, and leaves sprung from the newly formed tree, right above my head.