IT SEEMED that due to the heat of the moment, and the split second decision to either jump out of Daedalus's workshop or face a terrible death, everybody forgot about the fact that Magdalena Caelestis had a crippling fear of heights.

  Including Magdalena, herself.

  To put it lightly, Lena had accepted her fate right then and there. She'd held the weight of the sky. She'd been kidnapped and tortured by a Titan for two weeks. But her fate was going to be sealed by plummeting into a grease spot at the bottom of a valley a five thousand feet below her.

  But then, by the grace of the gods, Magdalena heard the faint sound of Annabeth's voice yell, "Spread your arms! Keep them extended!"

  With the small amount of brain power she had left, her arms worked without question. The second her arms caught onto the wind, the wings flattened, and her plummet slowed into a swift dive toward the earth. She sailed down like a paraglider, slow and steady.

  From beside her, she saw Percy flap his wings, like a bird, and he arced into the sky. He whooped and hollered, soaring through the sky like he was part eagle. "YEAHHHHH!"

  Magdalena wished she could feel the same. She felt like she'd left her stomach back in Daedalus's workshop, which was billowing up in flames behind them. Part of her truly thought staying up there and fighting whatever demons had swarmed them would've been better than this.

  "These wings don't last long!" Annabeth yelled. "We need to land!"

  "How long do we have?" Rachel screamed.

  "Not sure!" Annabeth replied.

  Lena didn't like that response.

  They ended up landing on the balcony of a visitor center near the Garden of the Gods. Magdalena honestly had no idea how she managed to do it, but she thanked every god listening for giving her the strength to land without instant death. As soon as her feet fell onto solid ground, she ripped her wings off her, and collapsed onto the floor, her eyes wide and breathing heavy.

  "Oh, thank gods!" She cried, her hands feeling the ground below her, like she was thanking it for being there.

  As everyone else took off their wings, with much more normalcy, Rachel stared at Lena in concern. "Uh . . . Is she— "

  "She's fine," Annabeth and Percy said in sync, not surprised by her behavior. They were shocked she even managed to jump out of the workshop in the first place.

  Rachel just shrugged. "Okay."

  As everybody looked around, the place seemed pretty empty for the most part. The wings had already started to melt, which seemed a shame since they couldn't fix them. But, they knew they couldn't let any mortals find them, so they dumped the wings into the nearest trash can.

  Percy used one of the big binoculars stationed around to look at Daedalus's workshop, but it was gone. All that remained where it had once stood was the side of a hill.

  "It must've moved," Annabeth said as she extended her hand out to Lena, who took it, wobbling to her feet. "It could be anywhere, now."

  "What do we do now?" Percy asked. "We have to get into the maze somehow."

  Annabeth stared longingly at the hill. "Maybe not. If Daedalus is gone, the Labyrinth is too. The entire thing would be destroyed along with his life. If that's the case, that would halter Luke's invasion."

  Magdalena thought about Magnus, Grover, and Tyson, who'd still been down there. Even Daedalus, who she knew had made many mistakes . . . She felt bad for him. That was a terrible way to die.

  "He's not dead," Nico said.

  "How do you know?" Percy asked.

  "I would know, okay? I— I get a feeling when people die. A ringing in my ears."

  Lena looked at Nico. "What about my brother? And Grover and Tyson?"

  Nico looked unsure. "Magnus's soul is guarded by their's, probably. They don't hold mortal souls like him. It's harder to tell."

  Magdalena looked grim as she gazed out beyond the mountains. Percy could tell she was on edge more than ever without Magnus with her. Just his presence alone kept her grounded. And now, with everything that had happened in the past weeks, he knew she needed Magnus more than ever. It was eating away at her not knowing where he was, or if he was alive.

  "We'll have a better chance at getting back into the maze by going into town," Annabeth said. "We need to reach camp before Luke does, and that's not a lot of time."

  "We could take a plane," Rachel offered.

  "I'd rather walk," Lena deadpanned. After what she'd just gone through, free falling through the sky on the metal wings of hell, she'd sooner ride a bike across the country back to camp than take an airplane.

  Percy shivered. "I don't fly."

  "You just did."

  "That was different," Percy said. "It was low flying, and that was even pushing it. The sky is Zeus's territory, and he would love to send a bolt of lightning down onto me. We need to get back into the maze."

  "We need to find the others too," Lena added, to which Percy agreed. He wasn't going to say it, but they needed to go back through the Labyrinth. He wasn't going to leave Magnus, Grover, and Tyson behind.

  Rachel looked unhappy as she looked toward the parking lot. "I'll handle it."

  "How?" Annabeth questioned.
 
  Rachel gave her a look that said drop it. "Just . . . Just trust me. For once."

  That was a hard ask from Annabeth, but she agreed. "I'm going to find something inside to use to send an Iris-message to camp."

  "I'll come," Nico said. "I'm starving."

  Annabeth looked at Lena, silently pleading for her to join. Percy wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want to let Magdalena out of her sight, or just because she wanted someone else with her for company. Regardless, Magdalena nodded.

  "I'm hungry too," she admitted. She looked to Percy. "You coming?"

  Percy looked at Rachel, then at Lena. "I'll stick with Rachel," he decided. "We'll meet back in the parking lot."

  Magdalena gave him a strange look, which he didn't like, then nodded, and turned to follow Annabeth and Nico back into the visitor center.

Magdalena let Annabeth call Chiron on her own, which the girl was against at first. Annabeth figured Chiron would be more than relieved to see Lena for himself, getting proper confirmation that she was alive. But, Lena refused. She wasn't ready for the questions and bombardment that would come from centaur when he saw she was okay. She knew he meant well, but she needed time before she properly sat down with him and explained everything. Annabeth understood, of course, but she made sure to inform Chiron about Magdalena's appearance and reassure him that she was coming back.

While her and Nico waited for Annabeth to finish, they found the nearest vending machine. Lena had lied earlier about being hungry, but she bought something anyway to avoid any prying from Percy and Annabeth. She got sour skittles, and Nico got chips and a Snickers bar. Magdalena got Percy a bag of M&M's, and Annabeth a Twix bar.

"Are those all for you?" Nico asked as he inhaled his Snickers, already starting to open his chips.

Lena raised an eyebrow. "Are you calling me fat?"

Nico stopped chewing, and shrugged. "It's a lot of candy."

"Says the one who finished his Snickers in two bites."

Nico glared at her. "I haven't eaten in days."

"Neither have I," Lena replied. "Is this a competition?"

"No," Nico replied, swallowing some of his chips. "Just saying that's a lot of candy."

Magdalena put a hand on her hip, narrowing her eyes at him. "For the record, these are for Percy and Annabeth. You are so judgy."

Nico shrugged, not denying it. He crumpled his empty chip bag in his hand and looked back at Lena. "Do you have more quarters?"

Lena's mouth dropped. "After all that, you're asking me for money to buy more stuff?"

"I was just wondering."

Magdalena stared down at him. She wished she could get annoyed with him, but she couldn't. Despite everything he's said and done, Lena would always see Nico Di Angelo as that innocent little boy back at Westover Hall. And after everything he's been through, Magdalena couldn't find it in her to walk away from him.

So, with an eye roll, Magdalena fished three more quarters out of her pocket and handed them to Nico. A ghost of a smile flashed across his face as he grabbed the coins from her, and he went to buy another Snickers bar from the snack machine.

Lena shook her head as he did so, a small smile on her face as she watched Nico happily grab the candy bar from the dispensary.

  When Annabeth returned from the bathroom, her call with Chiron done, she looked grim. But, her spirits lifted a little when Lena handed her a Twix bar, and they all walked back to the balcony, where Percy and Rachel were waiting for them.

  "Chiron said they're doing all they can to prepare for the attack, but he needs us back," Annabeth explained to everyone as she finished off her candy bar. "They need every half-blood they can muster. Do we have a ride?"

  "The driver's waiting on us," Rachel answered, looking slightly bothered by the fact.

  The chauffeur at the edge of the parking lot was getting grilled into by a guy in a business suit, who was probably his client before them. He was yelling at the driver, but the driver was saying something like, "Apologies sir, it's an emergency. I've called in another vehicle for you."

  "Let's go," Rachel said. They followed her to the car, and Rachel didn't even spare a glance at the other guy who'd in there before. Within the minute they were driving down the highway. The backseat was large, with TV's molded into the headsets and two fridges stocked with drinks, snacks, and candy. Everyone immediately dug in.

  Magdalena glanced down at the bag of M&M's she'd gotten for Percy, then to the boy himself, who was thanking Rachel as he popped a piece of the same candy into his mouth from the mini fridge. She felt her stomach twist, but she put on a poker face, and slid the bag of M&M's into her bag before he could see them.

  "Where to, Miss Dare?" The chauffeur asked.

  "I don't know, Robert," she said. "Just drive us around town so we can look around."

  "As you please, Miss."

  Percy raised an eyebrow. "You know this guy?"

  "No."

  "But . . . He kicked the other guy out of the car to help you. Why?"

  "Just keep looking around," she snipped. "Help me find an entrance."

  That didn't really answer his question.

They drove through Colorado Springs for close to an hour and came up empty. Percy was highly aware of Rachel's shoulder pressed up against his own, and of the fact that Magdalena hadn't said a single word this entire car ride, her eyes glued to the window. Percy's thoughts on Rachel over-rided those of Lena, and he wondered who the girl really was, and how she was able to instantly catch a ride from this random driver without question.

They chose to head north toward Denver, hoping that the bigger city would give them a higher chance of finding an entrance, but time was running out. And everyone was starting to get anxious.

But right as they were passing the exit to leave Colorado Springs, Rachel sat upright, her hand clamping down onto Percy's leg. "Get off here! On this exit!"

The driver turned. "What?"

"Just do it. I . . . I saw something."

The driver didn't question it, and veered off the highway.

Rachel's hand was burning into the skin of his leg. He knew she didn't even realize, but he was very much aware of it. And he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"What is it?" He asked. There was nothing but farmland around them now. Nothing that gave any signs of an entrance. Rachel didn't respond, and ordered the driver down a long dirt road. There was a sign on the side of the path that Rachel read as, "Western Museum of Mining & Industry."

It didn't seem like much to be considered as a museum. There was a small building that looked like a railroad station, with some old drills and pumps on display in front of it.

  "There." Rachel tapped her finger against the window, gesturing to a boarded up tunnel. "An old mine entrance."

  "That's an entrance to the Labyrinth?" Annabeth asked. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes!" Rachel said. "I mean, don't you see it? I . . . I can see it, at least."

  She thanked the driver and everybody got out. He didn't ask for payment. "Miss Dare, is this really where you want to go? I am more than happy to call— "

  "There is no need," Rachel said, smiling. "Thank you, Robert. We'll be fine."

  There was nothing stopping them as they approached the old mine entrance. The mark of Daedalus was clearly etched into the stone beside the chains. How Rachel had seen this from so far away, Percy had no idea. Percy touched the mark and the chains and boards fell away, allowing them to enter the old shaft. And for better or worse, they'd made it back into the Labyrinth.

  DIRT QUICKLY fell to stone as they continued through the corridors. Rachel had no issues with the twists and turns, barely hesitating at crossroads. They knew they needed to get back to New York, and Rachel didn't falter once at delivering that to them.

  Shockingly, Rachel and Annabeth began conversation with each other as they went. Annabeth inquired into Rachel about her family, but the girl quickly diverted the subject into architecture. She knew more than she let on about it due to studying art. They yapped about all the different structures in New York— "Have you seen this one," blah, blah, blah, so Percy trailed behind and walked with Nico in awkward silence.

  As he walked, his eyes stayed glued onto Magdalena's back, who was walking behind Annabeth and Rachel. She hadn't talked to Percy, or anyone, really, since the night before, when she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He'd thought about their conversation that night, how she'd pleaded to him to never leave her again. He'd promised he wouldn't. And he intended to keep that. But, he wondered if she was just saying that because of the heat of the moment. With the way she was acting around him now, it seemed like she wanted nothing to do with him.

  He didn't want to pry, but he also wanted answers. Lena had been to hell and back these past two weeks and hadn't said a word on it— to him or to Annabeth. He wasn't surprised, necessarily, but he also felt nervous from it. He wondered if what Luke had done to her really had tampered her for life. That talking about it would only remind her of the horrors she was put through. That scared him. He was scared that the girl he'd once knew was gone, and that Luke had finally gotten his wish.

"Thanks for coming back for us," Percy finally said to Nico.

Nico's eyes were guarded, but his anger had subsided. Now he was just being cautious. "I owed it to you. Besides, I wanted to see Daedalus myself. Minos, even after deceiving me, was right with one thing. Daedalus should be dead. It's unnatural to evade death for as long as he has."

"That was your goal, then," Percy said. "A soul for a soul. Daedalus for Bianca."

Nico didn't respond for a few minutes. "It's been hard, only having the dead as friends— if you'd even call them that. They're the only ones that respect me, and that's only because they fear me. I'll never be accepted with the living as I am with the dead."

"That can change," Percy said. "At camp, you could make friends."

Nico gave him a look. "You really think so?"

Percy didn't respond. To be honest, he didn't know. Nico was different, and he'd changed for the worse since the death of the his sister. He'd gotten darker. His eyes resembled those of his father— that chaotic, dark fire that looked like those of a madman or a genius. Watching him send Minos back to the underworld, and claim himself as the ghost king, was impressive. But it also scared Percy more than it should.

Percy ran into the back of Magdalena before he could formulate a response. She didn't pay him any mind as she glanced at Rachel, noticing they were at a crossroads. One corridor continued forward, but another tunnel expanded to the right— a hollow entrance carved from black rock.

"What?" Percy asked.

Rachel gazed through the right corridor. Her eyes were curious, but nervous. And in the dim light from her flashlight, she looked almost ghostly.

"Do we need to turn?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Rachel murmured. "Absolutely not."

"Then why'd we stop?" Percy asked.

"Listen," said Nico.

There was a brisk wind blowing from the dark corridor, and the familiar smell of strong menthol started to fill their senses. A reminder of something horrible that had happened lasted winter.

"Eucalyptus," Magdalena said quietly.

It was exactly like how Mount Tamalpais had smelled last winter, when they'd held the sky on their shoulders. When they'd faced Atlas and Luke.

"Something bad is down there," Rachel said nervously. "It's evil. Powerful."

"It smells like death," Nico added helpfully, which didn't raise anyone's spirits.

Annabeth shared a wary look with Percy and Lena.

"Luke's entrance," she said. "One that leads to Mount Othrys."

"I need to check it out," Percy said.

Magdalena immediately turned to him. "No."

"Luke's probably in there," he argued. "Or Kronos, even. I need to see what's happening."

Magdalena's face filled with fear. "You're not going down there," she said hardly. She masked the tremble in her voice, but Percy heard it.

"If you go, we all go," Annabeth said.

"No," Percy said. "That's too risky. If they caught Nico or Rachel, Kronos would use them to his advantage. You and Lena stay back and protect them."

What he chose to not mention was that he didn't want Lena to get near Luke. After just barely escaping his grasp, Magdalena needed to stay as far away from that monster as possible. He didn't want to take any chances losing her again. And, with Annabeth, he was worried about what she might do if she saw him again. She'd been fooled by him too many times. He wasn't going to risk that happening again.

"Percy," Lena said quietly. She was staring at him with such intensity it made Percy's head ache. "You promised."

That felt like a rusty dagger to the chest.

No one else knew what Lena was referring to, which was clear from the confusion on their faces, but Percy knew. He'd sworn to her he'd never leave her again. And even with something as simple as treading down a different corridor than her, she was holding him responsible to uphold his promise.

"I know," he replied, his voice low. "But I have to do this. We need to see what they're doing to help camp."

"It's stupid," Lena argued.

"It's the only way."

"That's bullshit!"

"Lena's right, Percy," Rachel intervened, before a real argument could breakout between the two of them. She could feel it brewing before it even escalated. "You can't go up there alone."

"I'll be quick," Percy assured. "I promise, nothing stupid. Just in and out."

"I've heard that before," Lena said, glaring at him. She was using anger to hide her fear— a common tactic with her. "Don't go, Percy."

  Percy clenched his jaw. As he'd mentioned before, it was always difficult to say no to Magdalena. But this time he knew he had to relent. "Stay here," he said again. "I'll be back soon."

  Annabeth grabbed her Yankees hat from her pocket and extended it to Percy. "Take this."

  "Thanks." He glanced back at Magdalena, who he knew was mad at him. The last time they'd separated, Percy had kissed her to throw her off her tangent and escape. Now, all he got from her was a fierce glare and the silent treatment.

  Yay.

  Percy put the hat on. "Here goes nothing." And he trudged invisibly down the corridor.

  WAITING FOR Percy to come back was like waiting for paint to dry— long and annoying. Nobody spoke much as they stood there. Nico kicked spare rocks against the walls, hiding in the shadows away from the group. Annabeth stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the dark corridor Percy had gone through. Rachel paced, biting her fingernails nervously. Magdalena couldn't even look at the girl without getting dizzy, so she kept her eyes on the ground, nervously messing with the ring on her finger.

  Finally, Annabeth had enough of it. "Will you stop pacing?" She snapped, her eyes snapping from the dark corridor to Rachel.

  "It helps me stay calm," Rachel defended. Her fingertips were red from her biting them.

  "Well, do something else," Annabeth said, crossing her arms. "It's driving me crazy."

  Rachel rolled her eyes, but she stopped pacing. It was silent for a few moments before Rachel started to hum. Lena faintly caught onto the tune of Heroes by David Bowie. Despite that being her favorite song, the humming seemed to be even worse than the pacing.

  Annabeth jaw ticked, and the look she sent toward Rachel was so intense even Nico felt bothered by it. Lena wasn't too happy with it either, but she kept to herself, watching as the silver metal band on her finger glinted in the dim light from their flashlights.

  "I can't take it," Annabeth finally snapped. "I can't stand the humming!"

  Rachel's humming stopped when she glared at Annabeth. Once again, she repeated, "It helps me stay calm."

  "Yeah, and it makes me want to rip my ears out," Annabeth retorted. "Maybe do something that doesn't involve any sound. Or moving."

  "Right," Rachel said, crossing her arms. "Because everything has to be your way."

  "I didn't say that."

  "But it's true," Rachel responded hardly. "Whenever you're not in charge, you don't listen to anyone but yourself. If something doesn't happen the way you like it, it's wrong. You're self absorbed, Annabeth."

  Annabeth's face was flushed from anger. "Why should I listen to you? You're only on this quest because you're mortal. You know nothing about, well, anything!"

  "I'm the only one who knows how to navigate the maze," Rachel argued. "You would've never found Daedalus if it wasn't for me."

  Annabeth laughed humorlessly. "We were doing just fine without you. Trust me."

  "Yeah, and that's why Lena got captured, right?"

  They could've heard a pin drop with how quiet the corridor got. Even Nico winced when Rachel said that, and that meant it was bad. Nico was hardly phased by anything these days.

  Rachel face fell after she said that, regretting it immediately. She looked over at Magdalena, only to see her staring at the floor, her eyes hardened. She'd stopped messing with her ring.

  The look on Annabeth's face could've evaporated a Laistrygonian with how murderous it was.

  "How can you say that?" Annabeth growled. "After everything you saw. After seeing what happened to her. You're a total bitch, Rachel!"

  "If you think that, then why'd you ask for my help?" Rachel asked, her green eyes alight with rage.

  "I didn't want your help!" Annabeth snapped. "It was Percy's idea to bring you here. He insisted we find you, and he doesn't take no for an answer. You shouldn't feel special."

  Rachel looked like she was about to say something very harsh toward Annabeth, but then they heard a loud crash come from the dark corridor. Everyone's heads whipped toward the sound, alerted.

  "It's been too long," Lena finally said, getting to her feet. Her eyes wouldn't even look near Rachel, but she swallowed the pain the girl's words had caused. She didn't have time to remember the things she went through. Not when Percy was in danger. "We need to go after him."

"Shouldn't we avoid going toward the loud crash?" Nico asked, looking quite comfortable where they were, away from danger.

"Percy's going to do something stupid," Annabeth grumbled, unsheathing her dagger. "Nico, you're coming with us. We're not leaving you behind."

Annabeth and Rachel seemed to ignore their differences for the time being, because once Lena had gotten Nico, they all sprinted into the dark tunnel toward the sound.

"Ah . . . Much better," a gravely voice said from further in the chamber. "Backbiter, isn't it? That is what Luke named it. Very fitting. As it has been re-formed to my pleasing, it shall bite back."

"What did you do to Luke?" Percy groaned, and Magdalena ran faster at the sound. The loud crash must've done something to him. He was injured.

Kronos chuckled. "Luke Castellan serves me with everything he has to offer, just as I have required. The difference between us, Percy, is that Luke feared you. I do not."

And that's when Percy ran. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind about anything else. Should he grow some confidence and fight him? Nope! He just ran.

But that's when time seemed to slow down. Percy's legs felt like they were being crushed into a trash compactor. Percy knew what this was. It was power of Kronos. He was so powerful he could bend time as its own being.

"Try and run, little hero!" Kronos boomed with laughter. "Run!"

Kronos was taking his time as he strolled toward Percy, who was stuck in place. He looked happy, feeling and twisting around his scythe, pleased to have it back in his grasp. Nothing could halter him. No weapon could defeat him.

He was just about to approach him when Percy heard, "PERCY!"

Rachel's voice.

Something whizzed past his head, and a blue plastic hairbrush whacked Kronos right in the eye.

"Ow!" He screamed. For a second it was purely Luke's voice, full of surprise and pain. Percy felt his body break free from its binds and he bolted straight into Magdalena, who was staring at the body of Luke Castellan in horror. Nico, Rachel, and Annabeth were all beside her, all staring in disbelief.

"What . . . " Lena's voice cracked. "Luke?"

Percy grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her with him as he sprinted. He ran faster than he'd ever run before, hauling all of them straight out of the room and back toward the entrance. They'd almost escape when behind them, the loudest voice they'd ever heard— the sound of Kronos regaining control— "AFTER THEM!"

"No!" Nico cried. He clapped, and a huge rock spear exploded from the ground, shielding them from Kronos's vision. The ground shook so violently the top columns of the fortress collapsed. Dust exploded, and telkhines cried out.

They delved back into the Labyrinth and didn't stop running, the roaring of the Titan lord shaking the width of the world behind them.

  THEY RAN until their lungs gave out. They had no idea where they were running to, no destination. All they were focused on was getting as far away as they could from Kronos.

  They found themselves stumbling into a cavern filled with humid, white marble and rock, similar to a natural cave. Despite hearing no signs of pursuit, nobody felt safe. Luke's golden eyes were burning holes into Lena's head as she remembered how lifeless he looked.

  "I can't," Rachel heaved, stumbling on to her knees. "I can't keep running."

  Annabeth broke down the second she stopped moving, collapsing as she sobbed into her knees. Her cries echoed painfully. Magdalena didn't know how to react. She slowly fell to her knees in the center of the cave, and stared in disbelief at the ground. She didn't cry. She didn't know what to do.

  Nico and Percy sat beside each other, Nico's sword clattering beside Percy's.

  "That sucked," he said, which seemed to sum things up well enough.

  "We would be dead without you," Percy said.

  Nico leaned his head against a pillar behind him. "Thank the girls for forcing me with them. It was about the only thing they could agree on. You needed our help or else you were going to do something stupid."

  "Good to know they trust me." Percy looked around the cave, watching as water dripped from the ceiling. "Nico . . . You sort of gave yourself up, back there."

  "How so?"

  "The black stone? That's pretty hard to do. If Kronos didn't know you were a son of Hades, he certainly does now."

  Nico shrugged. "Whatever."

  Percy dropped it. Nico was trying to hide his fear, and he didn't blame him.

  Annabeth sniffed as she raised her head. Her eyes were bloodshot. "What happened to Luke? Why was he . . . What did they do?"

  Percy explained what he'd seen inside the coffin. How when Ethan Nakamura pledged his life to Kronos's cause, the rest of the Titans spirit overtook Luke.

  "No," Annabeth croaked. "It can't be. Luke wouldn't— "

  "Luke gave his body to Kronos," Percy said. "He's gone, Annabeth. I'm sorry."

  "He's not!" She protested. "When Rachel hit him, you saw. It was him."

  Percy nodded, smiling at Rachel. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush."

  Rachel blushed. "It was all I could think of."

  "It was awesome," Percy complimented.

  "You saw him," Annabeth persisted. "After she hit him, he was confused. It was Luke. He's still in there." She turned to Magdalena. "You agree with me, right?"

  Magdalena raised her eyes from the floor. She looked barely recognizable. Her eyes were distant, and her face was devoid of any emotion. Percy figured Lena would've been in the same state as Annabeth after seeing what had happened to Luke, but she wasn't. He didn't know what she was thinking.

  "I don't know, Annabeth," she admitted. Her voice was hollow. Annabeth's face turned even sadder. Usually Lena was on her side when it came to Luke. She found comfort in having Lena to defend her, knowing that nobody else understood as they did. But now, that defense was gone. Magdalena had nothing to back her up with anymore.

  After what Lena went through, Annabeth had lost her support system.

  "Kronos probably was still adjusting to Luke's body," Percy said. "That has nothing to do with Luke being in control."

  "You wanted this to happen, didn't you?" Annabeth yelled. "You're glad he's evil because it'll make me realize that's he's gone! You never knew him before, Percy. Not like I did!"

  "What's your problem?" Percy snapped. "You keep defending him even after you saw what he did to Lena! How can you not see he's fucking monster?"

  "Guys," Rachel intervened. "Come on, calm down."

  Annabeth snapped her head toward her. "Shut up, mortal girl! If you hadn't been here . . . "

  Her voice cut off her next words, and she put her head back down, sobbing in despair. Percy didn't know how to react. He felt like he was frozen in time, just as he was before, and couldn't compute what he'd seen. Kronos was back, and he was unstoppable. The world was nearing its end.

  "Kronos has monsters after us," Nico said. "We need to keep going."

  None of them were fit to keep running, but they knew he was right. Percy got himself up and helped Rachel to her feet.

  He turned to Lena, extending his hand, but she ignored it, keeping her eyes averted from his as she stood. Percy wanted to say that didn't hurt his feelings,  but he'd be lying.

  "You were really brave back there," Percy said to Rachel, swallowing his hurt and distracting himself from it by talking to Rachel.

  Rachel faintly smiled. "I didn't want you to die." She blushed again. "You know . . . Since you still owe me. A lot, actually. You can't return the favors if you're dead."

  Percy smiled at her. "I've got a lot to make up, I guess."

  Magdalena watched the interaction with a sick churning in her stomach, but Percy didn't notice. She looked away from them with a frown, and put a hand on Annabeth's shoulder, kneeling beside her.

  "Annabeth, we need to go," she said softly, rubbing her arm.

  Annabeth nodded, sniffling. She took Lena's hand and shakily got to her feet. "I know, I . . . I'm okay."

  Everyone saw through the lie, but they decided to leave it. Together, they all began to navigate through the Labyrinth again.

  "Okay, we need to get back to New York," Percy said. "Rachel, you know— "

  Percy faltered when Lena stopped dead in her tracks in front of him. He bumped into her, but she didn't move an inch. Her body had gone completely rigid.

  Percy started to say, "Lena, what's . . . "

  But then he saw it. In the light of his flashlight, something metal glinted in the dirt, wedged between two small rocks. Magnus's silver ring.

  MAGDALENA'S HAND shook as she wedged it out from between the rocks, holding it in her hand as if it were a lost artifact.

  Annabeth's face fell as her eyes landed on the ring. "No," she whispered, not wanting to believe it. "Is that— "

  "Magnus," Lena whispered. Her eyes stared at it in horror. Without this ring, Magnus was completely unarmed. All he had were his powers, and those would hardly make it day with constant use.

  But, then Lena's eyes caught on to the trail of footprints leading further into the tunnel. Three sets of them— one pair larger, Tyson's, one pair in the shape of hooves, Grover's, and a third set of human prints, Magnus's.

  Before anyone could anything on the matter, Magdalena bolted down the tunnel.

  "Lena!" Rachel protested.

  Everyone else immediately followed after her, struggling to keep up. Percy always seemed to forget that when Lena wasn't playing tennis, she was running track for her school. And even after they'd just sprinted for miles trying to escape Kronos, she was outrunning all of them by a landslide.

  "Lena, hold up!" Percy yelled as they all raced her.

  It was hard to run through the tunnel, with the floor sloping at harsh angles and slick with moisture. They were slipping and tripping over each other more so than running. But Lena didn't falter. She kept sprinting dead ahead, her feet planting into the ground like it was straight concrete.

  Eventually they caught up to her at the bottom of the slope and stumbled into a huge cave filled with stalagmite columns. In the center of the room was a river, and Tyson was crouched by the side of it, Grover laying limp in his arms while Magnus tried to coax him awake.

  "Magnus!" Magdalena cried out.

  Magnus's head snapped toward her voice, and he immediately got to his feet. "Lena!"

  Magdalena rushed toward him and threw herself into his arms, Magnus doing to the same. Percy could feel the relief radiating off the girl in thick waves. After everything she'd gone through in these past couple weeks, Percy couldn't imagine how relieved she felt to be back with her brother, knowing that he was alive.

  Percy also knew that Magnus would have to find out what had happened to his sister eventually, and the mere thought of that filled him with dread. Percy had felt enough anger seeing what Luke Castellan had done to Magdalena. And he was only her friend. When Magnus found out . . .

  Percy feared for the lives of everyone within in a five miles radius of him. Including his own.

  "Percy!" Tyson called out. "Come quick!"

  Percy snapped himself out of his thoughts and they all rushed over toward the riverbank. Grover was breathing, thankfully, but his body was shivering with such harshness he could've been going into shock.

  "What's wrong with him?" Percy asked.

  "Many things happened," Tyson despaired. "Big snake. Scary, large dogs. Bad men with spikes. Magnus fought bravely to protect us. Then we came here. Grover ran away. When we reached this river, he collapsed."
 
  "Did he say anything?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes. 'We're close.' Then he fell onto the rocks."

Magdalena and Magnus kneeled beside each other, Lena silently pulling his ring off her finger and handing it to him. He gratefully took it from her and slipped it back onto his ring finger. Percy crouched beside Grover, remembering the last time he'd passed out, back in New Mexico. The last time he'd felt Pam's presence.

Looking around the cave, there was another entrance beyond the river, surrounded by dozens of crystal spires shining like diamonds. And through that entrance . . .

"Grover," Percy said. "Wake up."

"Gguuuhhhhh."

Magdalena took a handful of icy cold water and slapped her hand across his face with it.

Percy continued to wonder why she always resorted to slapping people in order to wake them up.

"Grover!" She snapped.

Grover shot up, his eyes frantic as he looked at them. "Lena? Annabeth? Percy? What? Where— "

"You're good, G man," Percy soothed. "You collapsed. The presence overwhelmed you."

"Pan! I remember!"

"I know," Percy said. "There's something just through that entrance. Something powerful."

PERCY MADE his introductions quick, since Magnus, Grover, and Tyson hadn't met Rachel. Tyson called Rachel pretty, which made Annabeth nearly have an aneurism. Magnus chuckled at the sight, to which Annabeth punched him in the arm. Lena just rolled her eyes at the comment and turned away.

After being introduced to Magnus, the boy raised a calculating eyebrow at Percy. Percy gave him a look that said not— a— word.

Magnus just smirked and went to stand by his sister, who was lingering near the riverbank.

"Alright," Percy said. "Let's go, Grover. Lean on me."

Magnus and Percy helped Grover to his feet, and as a unit, they all began to walk through the river. The water was below freezing, and went up to Lena's chest. It felt like she was walking through a snowstorm, but doubled.

"This is the Carlsbad Caverns," Annabeth chattered. "It's looks undiscovered."

"Have you been here?" Percy asked.

"No," Annabeth replied. "But Carlsbad is in New Mexico. That's answers last winter."

Percy understood. That's why Grover passed out last winter in New Mexico. He was close to Pan's true presence.

Once they got out of the water they continued forward. Magdalena was still shivering, even after getting out of the water. Percy noticed, and put his hand on her shoulder, absorbing all of the water from her skin and clothes.

Lena flinched, turning to him in confusion. Percy raised an eyebrow, holding a water sphere in his hand.

"Better?" He asked.

Magdalena blinked, noticing that she was completely dry, and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Magnus turned to Percy eagerly. "Me next?"

Percy stared at him for a moment, then responded by throwing the sphere of cold water at Magnus's face. Magnus spluttered and gasped as his hair flattened on his forehead from the water.

Percy laughed, which echoed through the cave. Magnus turned to him, glaring murderously.

"Percy! What the fuck is— "

"Shut up," Annabeth hissed, elbowing Magnus in his side. "We're getting close."

She was right. As they neared the next room, Lena's skin started to tingle with living energy. It was nothing like how she felt being in the presence of a god. Her exhaustion started to fade, and she felt energized, even more so than when she was underneath the stars. The smell that was wafting from the cave ahead was warm, and fresh, like a nice summer afternoon.

Grover was shaking with excitement, but everyone else was too stunned to speak. Even Nico was rendered silent. They entered the cavern and Rachel gasped. "Woah."

  All around, a rainbow of crystals glittered. Dozens of plants grew throughout the room— star shaped flowers, bright blue orchids, vines that exploded with vibrant orange and red berries. Plush green moss was layered on the floor like carpet. The ceiling reached higher than a cathedral, sparkling with stars and galaxies. In front of them with a Roman-style bed piled with velvet cushions and quilted gold and silver. Animals rested on and around it— but they were all extinct. A dodo bird, a crossbreed of a wolf and tiger, a large rodent that looked like the queen of all hamsters, and grazing behind was a wooly mammoth.

  Before them, an old satyr laid on the bed. Kind, bright blue eyes watched them as they walked toward him. He had curly white hair and a matching beard, the fur on his body a deep grey. He had horns so large not even a top hat could hide them.

  Grover gasped and collapsed onto the floor. "Lord Pan!"

  The satyr had a kind, but sad smile. "Grover, my brave satyr. I have waited a long time for you."

  "I . . . Got lost," Grover guilted.

  Pan laughed, and it was most beautiful sound Lena had ever heard. It filled the cavern with the sensation of fresh springtime, and an air of hope. Beside him, the dodo bird nipped at his hooves, humming a tune that sounded very similar to "It's a Small World."

  Despite the beauty, Pan was tired. He flickered in the air, as if his body were mist.

  All around Percy, his friends kneeled, staring at Pam in wonder. Percy dropped to the ground.

  "You have a humming dodo bird," Percy said stupidly.

  Pam's smiled. "Ah, that would be Dede. My little actress."

  Dede seemed offended by that comment. She pecked at his leg and then started to hum something similar to a funeral hymn.

  "This place . . . It's so magical!" Annabeth marveled. "No other piece of architecture could ever top this!"

  "It is quite beautiful," Pan agreed. "It is my final resting place. My last piece of the wild. Above this, my realm has been destroyed. Only small pieces of wilderness remain, and this one shall be untouched for now . . . But not forever."

  "Lord Pan," Grover said, "we must get you to camp! The Elders will lose their minds when they see you're alive! You can save us! Save the wild!"

  Pan put a fond hand on Grover's shoulder. "Grover, how young you are, but genuine. I have chosen correctly."

  Grover stared at him. "What do you mean?"

  Pan's form shuddered, like the mist he was made from was being blown in the wind. Dede the dodo screeched with fear, and the wooly mammoth's long snout swished anxiously. Then the satyr relaxed.

  "For many eons, I have slumbered," Pan admitted. "I witness dark dreams, only waking fitfully. With each rest, my time awake grows smaller. Now, the end is near."

  "Pan!" Grover said in despair. "It's not the end. You— you're right here! I found you!"

  "As I hoped you would, my dear satyr," Pan obliged. "But now, there is no time left for me. I have tried to warn the world, two thousand years ago. Lysas, a satyr very similar to you, attempted to spread the word among Ephesos."

  Annabeth exhaled in realization. "That old tale . . . A sailor traveling across the coast of Ephesos, hearing a crying voice from the shore, 'Tell them the great god Pan is dead.'"

  "But you're not dead!" Grover protested.

  "You satyrs never gave up," Pan said. "Your strong, stubborn never accepted my passing. I love you all for that, but it was only prolonged my demise. Your search has delayed my intended passing. My final breath into a calm, twilight sleep. The end has come."

  "No!" Grover cried softly.

  "Grover, the truth is in front of you," Pan said. "You must understand, as your friend Nico does."

  Nico slowly nodded. "He's dying. His energy . . . It should've passed on long ago. This is more of a memory."

  "But . . . Gods can't die," Grover argued.

  "I am fading," Pan answered. "Gods . . . They cease to exist when the things they believed in and stood for are gone. The wild is fading, just as I am, Grover. It cannot be revived, not even by a god. As the wild dies, as does my life force. That's why I have brought you here, Grover. You must carry on the message to your camp— to the council, nature spirits, satyrs, all of them— tell them that the great god Pan is dead. You must tell them, because they cannot keep seeking out for me to save them. In order to restore our world, you each must— "

  He stopped and turned to Dede, who'd started up on another tune.

  "Dede, what is that your humming?" Pan said. "You're not singing Kumbaya again, are you?"

  Dede innocently cocked her head at the god.

  Pan exhaled. "Nowadays, everyone's a cynic." He cleared his throat. "Grover, my dear, every single nature spirit must take responsibility to my calling."

  "Pan . . . I can't," Grover whimpered.

  "You must," Pan insisted. "It's time to be strong now, Grover. You alone have found me, and now you must continue to bring forth my spirit. The wild cannot be held in the hands of a god anymore. Together, you all must carry it."

  When Pan turned his electric blue eyes to Percy's, he realized that he didn't just mean nature spirits. He needed everyone. Half-bloods. Humans. All of them.

  "Percy Jackson," Pan said. "I know the horrors you've encountered today. I see your anguish, your doubt. But I will tell you this: when your time is set, you shall not be ruled by fear."

  He looked to Annabeth. "Wisdom's daughter, you've prolonged your choice, but the time is near. Your role was be strong, but it will not be what you expected."

  Pan gazed toward Tyson. "Master Cyclops, do not be in misery. Heroes, for eons, have failed to succeed in their hopes. You are not like those heroes, Tyson. Your name shall hold glory among the Cyclops for generations."

  Pan's kinder eyes stared at Magdalena and Magnus, looking between the both of them. "Children of Astreaus have always been considered rare, my dear ones. They do not come and go as other half-bloods do. They are placed on this Earth with intention, and purpose. Do not let your fate deter you from what is most important. Do not let the unknown scare you. Your time is approaching, and soon you shall see just how important your actions have been to our future."

Then his eyes stared right into Magdalena's. "Magdalena Caelestis . . . Your strength is unlike those around you. You have suffered much, and you will continue to do so. But do not let the darkness of your past dim the sun that is in your heart. You are a light, my dear. Do not let it fade. From your pain, make it shine."

Magdalena stared at the god with an unreadable expression. Unshed tears glittered in her blue eyes.

  Pan shifted his eyes toward Rachel. "Miss Rachel Dare . . . "

  Rachel winced when she heard her name, looking away from the god guiltily. Pan just smiled, and raised a hand in blessing.

  "I know your mind tells you that amends are beyond you," he said softly. "But you are just as important as your father."

  "I— " Rachel's voice cracked. She shed a single tear.

  "You do not believe me now," Pan said. "But you will. Seek out your opportunities. They shall find you."

  And then, he settled his gaze on Grover. "Grover Underwood," he called. "My brave satyr. Will you carry my message?"

  "I can't do it."

  "You can," Pan insisted. "Your heart is braver than any other satyr I've ever met. You're true. You never gave up on my existence, even when everyone else around you called it a lost cause. This is why you must be the one to spread my word. You must be the one to set me free."

  Grover started to cry. "But . . . I don't want to. I don't want you to go."

  "I know," Pan said gravely. "You must remember, my name Pan . . . Back before proper English, stood for rustic. Today, it has developed to stand for all. My spirit, the spirit of the wild, shall pass into each of you. With every single being you encounter, you must tell them: if you would find Pan, take up his spirit. Salvage the wild. It will take time, but you must do it. Piece by piece, whenever each of you go. You cannot hold out up on a god to do that for you."

  Grover swallowed his tears, shakily getting to his feet. "My entire life . . . My only goal was to find you. And now, I . . . I set you free."

  Pan smiled. "Thank you, my brave one. My final blessing."

  He took a long breath, and as he exhaled, his eyes closed, and his form began to shimmer. White mist formed from his dissolving figure, but it wasn't anything scary. It surrounded the room, shooting straight into everyone's mouths, a little more into Grover's. The diamonds and crystals on the walls lost their light, and the mythical animals all looked at them sadly. Then at once, they all dissolved into dust. The greenery turned wilted. And suddenly, there was no life left in the room. They were all alone, in a dark, empty cave.

  Magdalena started to cry. Percy wasn't sure why, but Pan words must've made more of an impact on her than he'd thought. And after watching such a pure, beautiful god dissolve right in front of their eyes, it was nothing easy to accept. Percy wondered if maybe this had been Lena's breaking point. Her final shot in the chest, releasing all of the emotions she'd been feeling these past weeks.

  Magnus wordlessly wrapped his arms around her, letting Lena's tears silence themselves against his shoulder. He rubbed her arm softly, giving Percy a knowing look as Percy watched the interaction. Magnus knew something had happened since he'd last seen them. He could tell immediately by the way his sister had been acting. And he knew Percy knew what had happened. He could tell by the look Magnus had in his eyes.

  Grover watched the girl with sad eyes.

  "Are you okay?" Percy asked him.

  Grover seemed to have aged, and he looked worn down. He grabbed his Rasta cap from Annabeth, sticking it firmly on his head.

  "We need to go," he said. "We must tell everyone. They need to know that the great god Pan is dead."

ANNA'S NOTES!
My family ... Have we caught onto some signs of oncoming Percalena troubles (I left a comment by them tehe)

But hi our favorite siblings are reunited we can all have a good nights sleep now ☺️☺️☺️💝💝💝

Also... I really hope Lena's trauma doesn't impact her relationship with Percy out of fear of hurting him again... bc she'd never do that... she'd never push him away bc she thinks he's better off without her... right....