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𝐕𝐈. If only time was kinder, you would still be here

THE SPIDER was leading them along the maze with ease, but they hit a cross-roads when the tree roots appeared. Off along the side wall, a dug-out corridor was sprouting with pure soil and thick, wooded roots.

Grover froze.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked.

  Grover was nonverbal, staring with an open shock at the tunnel. There was a slight breeze coming from the path, brushing through his curly hair.

  "We need to keep moving," Annabeth said. "The spider's not stopping."

  "We found it," Grover whispered. "This is it."

  "This is what?" Percy asked. Then it clicked. "Wait . . . You think this is the way to Pan?"

  "No. I know this is the way. Can't you smell it, Tyson?"

  "I smell dirt," Tyson supplied. "And leaves."

  "This— this is it! It has to be!"

  They didn't have much time to debate it. The spider was still scurrying down the regular path. They had a few seconds before they lost it completely.

  "We'll come back," Annabeth promised. "When we go back to Hephaestus's forge."

  "It'll be gone before that," Grover said. "I need to go through it. This is a one time opportunity. I— I can't leave it!"

  "We can't go," Annabeth insisted. "We need to find the forges."

  Grover turned to her, his eyes sad. "I need to do this, Annabeth. I know it's not important to you, but . . . This is everything to me. Don't you understand?"

  Annabeth didn't understand at all. The spider was almost out of reach, and they didn't have any time left to decide. But Percy knew what they had to do.

  "We'll split up," he said.

  "What?" Annabeth said, looking at him crazily. "No way! It's too dangerous. We may never find each other again if we separate. And Grover can't go by himself."

  Tyson stepped forward. "I will join him."

  Percy couldn't believe his ears. "Tyson . . . Are you sure?"

  The cyclops nodded. "Goat boy needs my help. We will look for this god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."

  Annabeth shook her head, still not convinced. "Even if you two are together . . . Neither of you can wield a sword! You have no idea what you might run into. It's too risky!"

  But then, Magnus cleared his throat. "I'll go with them."

  Annabeth wheeled around at him, shocked. "Absolutely not."

  "Look, we already have too many people on this quest," he said. "If I go with them, that splits us evenly. Three and three. They're going to need all the help they can get. I'll protect them."

  Magdalena shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she said hardly. "I can't risk losing you."

  Magnus stared at her, his eyes sad, but determined. He didn't like the idea of leaving any of them, but he knew it had to be done. They were breaking ancient laws by sending six people on this quest. He needed to break it even. He had to go with Grover and Tyson.

  It seemed Percy knew this too, because he nodded grimly. "Magnus is right," he said. "I . . . I don't like it either, but it's safer for Grover and Tyson if he goes. It's safer for all of us."

  "Are you crazy?" Annabeth exclaimed. "Magnus, you need to stay with us. All of you do. We— we need to stay together!"

  Grover shook his head. "I have to do this, Annabeth," he said. "This is my path, not yours. Finding Pan . . . That's my life goal. This is what I've been working for."

  Annabeth stared at him, trying to find the words to say to convince him not to go. But, she knew it was a losing battle. And she knew she wouldn't win, because she knew Grover was right. This is what her quest had been leading him towards. This was where he needed to go.

  Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We have our empathy link. I just . . . I have to go."

  Percy swallowed. "I hope you're right."

  "I know I am."

  Grover had never sounded more confident than he did right then and there. That gave Lena a little bit of hope, but it also filled her with dread.

  She turned to her brother, who had an indescribable look on his face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking in that moment, knowing that he was leaving his best friends and sister to follow Grover and Tyson down a path they had no idea would lead them to. It was selfless. It was brave. But it was dangerous.

  Magdalena hugged Magnus, holding him tight. "Please, come back," she whispered as he held her back. "I mean it."

  "I will," he promised. "You know I will."

  Usually, she did. But this time felt different. This time . . . She had no idea what was going to happen. That scared her.

  "I love you," she said as she pulled away. She had a stern look on her face, which meant she was trying to hold back her tears. Magnus noticed it, and smiled at her.

  "I love you too, Lena."

Magnus turned to Percy, who immediately brought him into a tight hug.

"Take care of them," Percy said quietly. "And take care of yourself."

Magnus nodded. He put his hand on Percy's arm, squeezing it. "You do the same."

Percy nodded in return. He couldn't help but feel worried for Magnus. The two of them had gotten close ever since they'd first met. Magnus was one of Percy's best friends. He hated the fact that they were going to be separated, and the fact that he had no idea when the next time they were going to see each other was.

And then, all that was left for Magnus was Annabeth Chase, who was staring hardly at him.

Magnus, despite the ache in his chest, sent a teasing smile at her. "Do I even get a good— umph!"

At the speed of light, Annabeth pulled Magnus towards her by his wrist, crashing into him. Magnus nearly fell over from the force of impact, but quickly recovered, and wrapped his arms around the girl.

But as soon as the hug was there, it was gone, and Annabeth detached herself from Magnus with a push on his chest. She was scowling at him, but the worry she felt for him showed clear in her eyes.

"Don't be stupid," she said sternly. Her voice shook, but she swallowed it. "You better come back. All of you."

Magnus nodded, biting down the smile that was forcing itself onto his face. "Your word is law, Einstein."

Annabeth's scowl only deepened, and she turned away from him, looking back down the corridor where the spider had disappeared.

"Be careful," Percy said to them. He looked to Tyson, who was holding back a sob. The big guy gave Percy a hug so tight that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Then, the three of them turned and disappeared into the dark tunnel of tree roots.

"I don't like this," Lena said as she stared into the darkness they'd disappeared into. "This was a bad idea."

Annabeth nodded. "We shouldn't have split up."

"They'll find us," Percy said, trying to be as confident as he can. "And if they don't, we'll find them. Now let's go. The spider's nearly gone!"







IT DIDN'T take long for the tunnel to start getting hot.

The walls glowed orange, and the air was thick, like they were walking through an oven. There was a loud roar in the distance, like a river of lava. They followed the spider as it scuttled down the corridor.

"Hey, wait up," Percy called to Lena and Annabeth.

They stopped, turning to him.

"Uh . . . Something Hephaestus mentioned about your mom."

"She pledged never to marry," Annabeth said. "Along with Artemis and Hestia. They're maiden goddesses."

Percy blinked. He'd never known that. "Okay," he said slowly. "And . . . I know that her children are like— " Percy made an explosion gesture on top of his head with hands, then twisting them around for extra effect. "Born from her head, and whatever. But, I never really understood how that worked."

Magdalena and Annabeth glanced at each other.

"You know Athena was born the same way, right?" Lena said.

"Yeah. She, like, popped out of Zeus's head in full battle armor."

"Exactly. She wasn't born the normal way, like us. Athena was born from thoughts, literally. We're born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal, the feeling is purely intellectual, just as she loved Odysseus. It's a connection of minds. She says it is the purest form of love."

Percy nodded slowly. "So . . . Your dad and Athena . . . They didn't . . . "

Magdalena smirked at the blush on his face. "Didn't what?"

Percy stammered. "Well, I— I mean, if she swore to never marry, then . . . "

"I'm a brain child," Annabeth said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I was manifested from the divine thoughts of Athena and the mortal ingenuity of my father. We are blessed as gifts to the mortal men she favors."

Percy still looked confused.

"There is no sexual intercourse involved in the process, Percy."

Percy immediately shook his head, clearing his throat. "Right! Right— I wasn't really— "

"Are you done asking questions now?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. "The spider's getting away."

"Yeah— yes. I'm good."

Annabeth smirked. "I thought so." And she ran ahead, leaving Magdalena standing there, staring at him, holding back a laugh.

Percy turned to her, his face dropping. "Don't."

Magdalena laughed, and Percy found it really hard to be annoyed at her when he heard it.

They ran ahead, and the roaring got louder. After a few minutes, they found themselves in a cavern as big as a baseball stadium. The spider stopped at the entrance, and they knew they'd made it to the forge.

The only place to walk on was a makeshift rock ridge that circled the cavern. Everywhere else was pitted by bubbling lava that simmered hundreds of feet below them. In the center of the cavern was a platform with dozens of machines, forges, and the largest cauldron she'd ever seen. There were several misshapen creatures that mingled around the platform, but it was too far from them to make out any details.

"There's no way we can sneak up on them," Percy said.

Annabeth took the spider in her hand and put it in her pocket. "I can. Stay here."

Percy began to say, "Don't you dare— " but Annabeth was already gone by the time he started to protest.

Magdalena shrugged. "She dared."

Percy huffed, shaking his head. "I hate when she does that."

"You seem to hate a lot of things," Lena commented.

Percy side-eyed her. "And for good reason."

Magdalena smiled at him. She turned to look back at the tunnel, and her smile fell. She already missed Magnus. And Tyson and Grover. The loss of them weighed heavy on her chest.

"I can't stand here any longer," Percy said. His tan skinned glowed in the light of the hot lava, making his eyes pop. They looked more green than ever. "Let's see if we can get a better look of what they're doing."

Lena shrugged. "Or, we can let invisible Annabeth look around— "

"Nah," Percy said, grabbing Magdalena's hand before she could argue further. "Let's go, Sunshine."

Lena rolled her eyes, but let Percy drag her further along the outside of the lava gorge, trying find a place closer to the center.

The heat was worse than that of Geryon's ranch. Magdalena was pretty sure she could get a sunburn from how hot her face felt. They kept moving along the edge until they got blocked by a cart with two-wheels, the kind used in mine shafts. Percy pulled a plastic tarp off of it, seeing a bunch of scrap metal inside.

Percy gestured to the small crevice between the cart and wall, and just as they were about to squeeze around it, they heard deep voices from up ahead.

"Wheel it in?" A voice asked.

"We should," the other said. "Film's almost over."

Percy and Magdalena turned to each other, eyes wide. They didn't have time to retreat, and they couldn't be seen, or else they were all screwed.

There was no where else to hide, except . . . Lena saw Percy's eyes trail down to the cart, and her face fell.

"Percy, no," Lena hissed. "We are not getting in there!"

"There's nowhere else to go!" Percy whisper-yelled.

"They'll feel us in there!" Magdalena said. "Do you think we're any lighter than scrap metal?"

Percy pursed his lips. If Magdalena wasn't going to get in that cart willingly, then . . .

"Fuck it," he muttered. He planted his hands on Lena's waist and dragged her towards the cart, practically shoving her inside back-first. He scrambled in after her, his entire body landing overtop her due to the lack of space. He yanked the tarp back over the tarp, and prayed silently that nobody had seen them.

Percy's hands were planted on either side of Magdalena's head, and when he looked down, and saw the look Lena was giving him, he almost wished he'd taken up the fight with whatever monster was waiting for them outside. There was probably a greater chance of him dying in here due to strangulation from Lena.

"Are you crazy?" Lena hissed. "You have lost your— "

Percy put his hand over her mouth as the cart began to lurch forward, his heart pounding in his ears. Magdalena's glare softened a little due to fear, and she pulled Percy closer to her to even out the weight.

"Geez," a voice said. "This things got some weight."

"Celestial bronze," the other grunted. "You really think it'd be light?"

They got carted along, and Percy pulled his hand off Lena's mouth when he felt they were in the clear— for now. Their chests were touching, and Percy's head was right next to Lena's, his beaded camp necklace dangling over her neck due to the close proximity. Magdalena's right hand was gripping the material of Percy's shirt to keep him close to her, while his other arm strained to keep himself lofted above her. His heart never stopped pounding, but he wasn't sure it was completely due to the monsters outside the cart.

  Percy's nose was so close to her face he could smell the citrus shampoo, which baffled him. They'd been running through the Labyrinth for the past day, and she still smelled good? She must've brought her own shampoo and conditioner to use at Geryon's ranch, which didn't surprise him much.

  "Are you wearing lip gloss?" Percy asked under his breath as his eyes caught on to the thin sheen on her lips.

  Lena looked at him. "Yes," she whispered, like it was totally normal. "Cherry."

  Percy's lips lifted a little. "Obviously," he mumbled in agreement. "Should've known."

Lena smiled, and their eyes met again when they turned a corner, and they could tell from the sound of the wheels screeching against the walls that they'd entered a smaller room.

  They could only hope they weren't about to be dumped into a melting pot, or else they'd have to make a really quick reverse course. There was lots of chatter ahead of them, but they didn't sound human. It was almost like barking, like a seal. There were more sounds too that they figured were coming from the video.

  "Put it in the back," a new voice said in the distance. "Alright, younglings, pay attention to the movie. You will be able to ask questions when it's done."

  There are many changes that happen to a young seals body as it matures, the narrator of the film said. The clawing desire for human flesh is normal. It happens to all baby monsters.

  Excited growing sounded through the room. The instructor, it seemed, silenced all of them as the film went on. Percy nor Lena didn't dare look, but the film continued to talk about the different changes the young monsters would go through, such as hygiene and acne problems from working in the forge. Then it was over.

  "Now, young ones," the teacher said, "what is the proper name of our kin?"

  "Sea demons!" A monster yelled.

  "Incorrect. Any others?"

  "Telkhines!" Another snarled.

  "Yes," the instructor said, "and what is our purpose?"

  "Revenge!" A bunch of them screamed.

  "You're right, but why?"

  "Because of the gods are evil!" A monster called. "Zeus banished to Tartarus for using magic!"

  "Exactly," the teacher said. "They cast us away even after we made their most powerful weapons. Poseidon's trident, and of course, the Titans' most famous weapon! But, they sent us to Tartarus, and turned to those stupid Cyclopes for help! And that is why we have taken control of the forges of Hephaestus. Soon enough, we shall rule over all the undersea forges!"

  Magdalena and Percy clutched their weapons, in pen and ring form. They'd never even heard of a telkhine, and they were the one's who'd created Poseidon's trident? It didn't make any sense.

  "Moving on," the teacher proceeded, "who does that leave us to serve?"

  "Kronos!"

  "And all of you will forge his weapons when you are big, correct?"

  "Yes!"

  "Perfect. To start, we have delivered some celestial bronze scraps for you start working with. Just to see how creative you can get."

A rush of excitement exploded through the room, and footsteps began to move toward the cart. Magdalena and Percy both readied their weapons, and when the tarp was ripped off, they sprung to their feet, finding themselves facing a group of . . . Dogs.

At least, their faces were dogs. They had wet, black snouts, and pointy ears. But, their bodies were different— sleek and slippery like a sea lion, with legs that were short and half flipper, half foot. It sort of looked like if a child, black lab, and a sea lion had created a tri-breed, this is what would come from it.

"Half-bloods!" A monster growled.

"Let's eat them!" Cried another.

But then, Magdalena and Percy both swiped their swords out in front of them, vaporizing the closest monsters to the cart.

"Get back!" Percy screamed fiercely. The other monsters backed up as the head instructor glared at them from the back. Percy gave him his best death stare.

"New lesson, kids," Percy announced. "When cut by celestial bronze, all monsters will be vaporized and sent back to Tartarus. That phenomenon will happen to all of you if you don't BACK OFF!"

Surprisingly, his message got across well. But it wouldn't last long. It was twenty of these hungry seal-dogs versus two half-bloods. They didn't have much time before their fear factor wore off.

"Abort mission?" Lena asked.

"Yep." Percy grabbed Lena's hand and jumped off the cart. "CLASS DISMISSED!" And they charged down the tunnel.

Of course, every single monster bolted after them, their stubby legs giving them some good momentum. Graciously, a door blocked off the smaller tunnel from the center cavern. Percy pushed Lena through the exit and slammed the door shut, locking it tight.

Percy and Magdalena didn't know what to do. They had no idea where Annabeth had gone, and their plan of silent investigation had been completely wiped out. They had no other choice than to race back toward the main exit.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled out.

"Shut up!" An invisible hand yanked Lena and Percy behind a cauldron, wrestling them to the ground. "Are you trying to kill us?"

Annabeth glittered into existence right beside them, her face covered in ash. "What is wrong with you?"

"We made some new friends." Percy summed up him and Lena's encounter with their new demon monster buddies. Annabeth's face fell.

"I should've known," she said. "Telkhines. This is bad, you guys. Look at what they're making."

They looked past the cauldron, and saw four fully grown telkhines working on a huge piece of blazing hot metal.

"The blade only needs one last blood cooling to blend the metals," one said. "Then it is complete."

"Good," another said. "That will sharpen it even better than before."

"They keep talking about blending metals," Annabeth whispered. "I don't— "

"The most powerful Titan weapon," Lena mumbled. She looked at Annabeth. "They're making a weapon for Kronos."

Annabeth shook her head. "These monsters turned on the gods. Practicing dark magic to try and destroy them. Zeus sent them to Tartarus."

"With Kronos."

Annabeth nodded. "We need to get out— "

Right on time, the door to the smaller room burst open, and two dozen baby sea demons stumbled out of the exit, looking for their target.

"You two need to get out of here," Percy said. "Annabeth, turn invisible, and take Lena out of here!"

"Yeah, right," Lena said, eyes wide. "We're not leaving without you!"

"I have a plan. I can distract them while you two get back to Hephaestus. You guys need to tell him what's happening here."

"You're going to die if you stay here," Annabeth insisted.

"I'll be okay. Besides, we have no other choice."

Annabeth glared at him so harshly he thought she might punch him, but then she nodded, and got to her feet. "Be careful, Seaweed Brain."

Percy nodded. He turned to leave, but saw Magdalena was staring at him, her eyes hardened. "I'm not leaving you," she said again.

Percy got to his feet, Lena doing the same. "You need to go, Lena," he insisted. "We don't have much time."

"I don't care!" Her eyes flashed angrily. "You can't keep sacrificing yourself with this stupid hero-complex you have! You're going to die if you stay here!"

"We're all dead if you don't leave right now," Percy argued. "I'll be fine, Lena. I have a plan. I'll make it— "

"If your plan is dying, then it's perfect!" Magdalena said harshly. "You can't fight off twenty telkhines on your own, Percy! We have a better chance at surviving if we leave together."

"Lena, come on!" Annabeth urged. "We have to go!"

"No!" She snapped. She glared at Percy so fiercely it made him wince. "I'm sick of you acting like the hero! You always try and put yourself over everyone else, and act like your life is worthless compared to ours! I'm fucking tired of it, Percy! I'm not going to let you throw yourself head-first into danger just so that Annabeth and I are safe! So, I'm staying with you, whether you like it or— "

Percy had stopped listening to her for the past thirty seconds, because all he could think about was a way to shut her up. And only one thing could come to mind.

And before Magdalena could even come close to finishing her lecture, Percy was kissing her.

Her eyes widened, and all of a sudden the heat in the room shut off, and all she could feel were Percy Jackson's lips on her's. His hands were holding either side of her face, and his lips were hot and passionate against her's, making her entire body go numb. Magdalena presently felt her brain shut off, and every single ounce of anger she felt toward Percy fizzled into nothing at the bottom of her mind as she felt his lips on her's.

But, just as she regained her wits, she hardly had any time to realize she wasn't kissing him back before he was already pulling away, keeping his face inches from her's.

Percy stared at her, breathing heavy. Lena blinked twice, no thoughts coming to her head. She felt like she'd just gotten slapped in the face and kicked in the back of the head with how brainless she felt.

"Go," he whispered hardly. "I'll find you again."

Magdalena didn't answer. After another two seconds of silence, she suddenly scowled at him.

"You— you can't do that!" She stammered, pushing him away harshly. "You can't just kiss me to shut me up, and then expect me to leave you!" She was fuming. Literally fuming. "Percy Jackson, you are the most— "

Percy kissed her again. And not just to prove the point that he could in fact shut her up by kissing her. But, also because he was a little selfish, and wanted to kiss her again. Maybe it was because he didn't know if he'd ever see her again. Maybe it was because he couldn't stand dying in this mountain without ever getting the chance to kiss the girl he'd yearned for since he was thirteen.

Magdalena's words fell on deaf ears as she felt the warm sensation of Percy's chapped lips against her cherry-flavored ones. Once again, her brain clicked off, but only this time, she kissed him back, clutching one of his wrist's while her other hand moved to his face. His lips were sweet and salty like the sea. She felt like she was drowning, and never wanted to come back up for air.

But it wasn't long enough. It wasn't nearly long enough for Percy nor Magdalena. But there was never going to be enough time in the world for them, because just as Percy pulled away from her, and Lena saw a smudge of her lip gloss on his upper lip, Percy Jackson turned and bolted down the tunnel, leaving Magdalena alone.

Magdalena's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. "Percy!" She yelled. She started to move, her body automatically bolting to race after him, but Annabeth stopped her, pulling her back by her arm.

"Lena, we have to go!" She cried as she tried to force the girl back down the tunnel.

"No!" Lena yelled, resisting against Annabeth. "I can't leave him!"

"We have no choice!" Annabeth took both of Magdalena's arms into her's, and began to drag her backwards. "He's gone, Lena! We need to get out of here!"

Magdalena was breathing heavily, her body battling against Annabeth's strong arms forcing her back towards the exit until she couldn't fight her any longer. Together, the two girl's sprinted back through the cavern, and back toward the entrance of the original tunnel.

"Annabeth, he's going to die!" Magdalena cried as they ran, the entire mountain shaking as they ran, stumbling and dodging sea demons as they went. "We have to go back!"

"No he won't!" Annabeth yelled as she kept Lena's hand clenched in her's, leading her through the entrance to the Labyrinth, the roaring of lava growing fainter as they continued to run. "But we need to keep going!"

Magdalena choked down a sob. She hated the fact that she knew Annabeth was right. She just couldn't handle losing someone else. She'd already lost her brother, and Tyson and Grover. Having to leave Percy behind was like rubbing salt in an already infected wound. It made her heart rip, and her muscles felt like they were pushing against gravity with how they yearned to turn back around and find him.

They didn't stop running. For miles it seemed, they never slowed down, and Annabeth's hand never left Magdalena's. But, just as the roaring of lava had nearly faded completely, the walls of the Labyrinth shook, and dust began to fall from the ceiling. The two girl's stopped in their tracks, turning to each other.

Cracks began to snake along the roof of the tunnel, and the sound of rumbling echoed from behind them. Within seconds, shards of stone and rock began to fall down, and the entire tunnel trembled.

Out of pure instinct, Magdalena shoved Annabeth forwards, sending her stumbling down the dark chamber, just before larger pieces of stone began to rain down, forcing Magdalena to run backwards.

"Lena!" Annabeth cried, but her voice was drowned out as the entire roof collapsed between them, slabs of stone and a wave of dust collapsing down between the two girls. Annabeth was thrown on to the floor from the force of the impact, her lungs filling with dust.

She coughed wildly, her eyes stinging as she forced herself to her feet, scrambling towards the rocks that blocked her off from where Lena had disappeared to. Her heart was racing so fast she thought she might throw up as dread exploded through her.

"LENA!" She cried out desperately. She began to claw at the rocks, trying to break through to her as the tunnel continued to shake. "LENA! PLEASE!"

"Annabeth?" A faint voice echoed through the small cracks in the stone. Annabeth felt tears pouring down her face as she yanked at the smaller rubble wedged between the large stones in the blockade, dust blurring her vision and corrupting her lungs as she heaved for air.

"LENA!" Annabeth yelled, her voice scratchy from the dust and thick from her tears. "I'm right here! I'm here! Are you okay?!"

"I'm here!" She called back, just as Annabeth managed to punch through one of the weaker rivets in the avalanche of rocks between them. Her knuckles bled as she forced her fist through the stone, creating a small hole in the rock, and she saw Magdalena standing in a mountain of debris, her hair and face coated in dust and blood.

"Lena!" She called through the crack. Magdalena turned, her eyes wide as she raced toward the tiny ridge in the rocks. "Oh, thanks gods! Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Magdalena said, even though her head was stained with fresh blood. "But you need to go! This tunnel's going to collapse!"

"No!" Annabeth cried, attempting to break through more of the rock as her knuckles continued to bleed. "I'm not leaving you!"

A wave of deja vu washed over Magdalena. "I'll be okay! I'll find you at Hephaestus's forge! But you need to keep going!"

"I won't!" Annabeth yelled out, tears pouring out of her eyes. "I'm not losing you too!"

Magdalena's tears streaked the dust on her face as they poured from her eyes. "I'll make it back to you," she promised. "I swear it. But we'll die if we don't get out of here!"

Just as she said that, the tunnel shook again, and more cracks began to emerge on the ceiling. They only had a few more seconds before the entire tunnel caved in on them.

"I love you, Annabeth," Magdalena said thickly, reaching between the small hole to grab her hand. Annabeth's blood stained her palm as she held it. "Don't stop running."

And with that, the rumbling behind them got louder, and more rocks began to plummet from the ceiling. Annabeth cried as she was forced to turn away from the hole separating her and Magdalena, racing further down the tunnel as dust and debris fell from the ceiling.

"Don't stop running," she whispered to herself as she sobbed, hearing the sound of the tunnel collapsing behind her she moved. "Don't— stop— running."

And then, she ran. She sprinted faster than she ever had, until she couldn't any longer. She collapsed to her knees as the rumbling stopped, and dust slowly trickled down the ceiling, raining down on her like snow. The reality of what just happened set in, while Annabeth Chase sat in the center of the Labyrinth, completely alone. And Magdalena Caelestis was gone.







Two weeks later

PERCY DIDN'T know how his raft managed to wash him up on the shore of Camp Half-Blood. He'd drifted for miles until the faint flicker of light appeared on a distant shoreline— the outer barriers of camp. He let a couple of great white sharks propel his raft to the beach, docking him there.

Camp felt completely empty as he walked up the hill toward the main pavilion. But, it was empty. The climbing wall spit out hot lava on its own. Every single light was off in the small ring of cabins. But that's when he saw smoke billowing from the amphitheater. But that was strange. It was too early for their nightly campfire. Percy ran toward it.

Before Percy even reached the theater, he heard Chiron's voice booming gravely through the entire valley. But, his entire body froze when he heard what Chiron was saying.

"Our prayers have fallen on deaf ears," Chiron said. His voice was thick, and scratchy, like he'd been crying. "After weeks of silence, it is only to assume our most loved campers have passed. Their dearest friend, and only surviving companion, shall do the final honors."

Percy inched up along the back the amphitheater, going unnoticed. Nobody would've noticed, anyway. All eyes were looking forward, staring at Annabeth as she placed a green silk burial cloth, stitched with a trident, on top of a bed of flames. Percy, with a plummeting heart, realized they were burning his shroud.

Annabeth turned from the flames, her eyes facing the campers. She looked . . . Horrible. She was dangerously pale, and her body was weak; malnourished. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and her eyes were a deep red as she spoke. "Percy was . . . The bravest person I'd ever met. He was my closet friend. And— " then, her gray eyes locked on him. If looks could kill, Percy would've dropped dead. "He's right there!"

Everybody turned, and a wave of gasps flooded the amphitheater.

"Percy!" Beckendorf grinned. A dozen campers swarmed him, giving him hugs and shaking him happily. Clarisse saw him and scoffed, rolling her eyes, like she couldn't believe he'd had the nerve to be alive. Chiron trotted over to Percy and pulled him into a hug.

"Bless every god listening," Chiron said quietly as he embraced Percy. "You're alive, my boy. I have never felt such relief. But, please, do tell me— "

"Where . . . Have . . . You . . BEEN?" Annabeth exploded as she marched up behind the swarm of campers, knocking a few of them down as she shoved through them. Percy braced himself for impact, waiting for her to punch him, but instead, her eyes welled up in tears, and she hugged him. She did so with so much force she nearly broke a rib of his. Everyone went silent. "We thought you died, Percy! Where— " her voice cracked. "Where did you go?"

"I'm sorry," Percy said, blinking. "I . . . Got lost."

"Lost?" Annabeth said, her voice dangerously calm. Her voice shook. "For two weeks, you were lost? Where did you— "

"Annabeth," Chiron said, swallowing. "Let us move this conversation somewhere private. We have . . . Lots to discuss."

Percy noticed the look on his face, and frowned a little. But then, he started to look around, turning to Annabeth. "Where's Lena?"

Annabeth's face fell, every shred of anger she had before melting away within the second. The air around them shifted, and the campers's around him started to look just as upset as they had before they'd seen Percy.

Percy just stared at Annabeth as her mouth began to shake. "Annabeth," he said, more nervous this time. "Where is she?"

Tears began to trickle down her face, and that's when Percy's eyes landed on the burial shroud in the amphitheater. For the first time, he noticed that his green shroud wasn't the only one being burned. Next to his silk cloth, a deep blue shroud blazed in the fire— a constellation embroidered into the fabric.

His eyes landed on Connor Stoll, who had uncontrollable tears streaming down his face as Travis held his arm around his shoulder, supporting him. Travis looked no better, with a tear-stained face and trembling body. Connor was dangerously thin, and his face was sunken and pale, just like Annabeth's. Percy felt his stomach begin to sink. No. No. No. It couldn't be.

Slowly, his eyes fell back on Annabeth, who looked so fragile that she might break at the slightest touch. "No," he whispered, mostly to himself. His heart began to speed up, and he looked at Chiron, who had fresh tears blurred in his eyes. "Annabeth?"

Annabeth's mouth trembled. Her entire body trembled, for that matter. "I thought I'd lost you both," she said, her voice cracking until she finally broke out into a sob, covering her mouth with her hand as her knees grew weak, the girl on the brink of collapse.

Chiron noticed this, and immediately vaulted the girl onto his back, grabbing Percy just seconds after, immediately turning and galloping them towards the Big House as Percy Jackson began to realize the reality what was happening, and his heart seemed to stop.

  Percy Jackson had once held the sky on his shoulders. He knew its weight. He knew the pain of holding the world on his very shoulders. But, he'd never felt his entire world be ripped out from beneath him. And, right now, that pain felt greater than holding a thousand skies on his back.







ANNABETH STRUGGLED to explain what had happened. With every breath she took, a sob followed, and with every mention of Magdalena's name, her voice cracked. She'd emptied the entire box of tissues Chiron had supplied for her by the time she'd finished her story.

Percy took her words in silence. He sat on the couch, staring at the dark-wood floor as Annabeth's shaky, uncontrollably-crying self did her best to explain how Magdalena Caelestis had disappeared.

After she'd finished, Percy sat up. "She's not dead."

Annabeth looked at him, and it was hard for Percy to look back. Her eyes were swollen, and there were dark circles underneath them. Her body was trembling; her weak, thin body, hardly able to hold itself up. Percy had never seen her look so sickly. Not in the four years he'd known her. It was hard for him to see her as the same Annabeth he'd known all this time when she looked so broken.

"Percy," she whispered. "It's been two weeks. The entire tunnel collapsed, a—and the only other way out would've been to go back into the mountain— "

"She's not dead," Percy repeated, his voice cutting through the room like a knife. His hands shook, but he clenched them to stop it. "She . . . She can't be."

Chiron sat in his wheelchair beside them. He seemed older than ever as he stared into the fireplace, his dark eyes glowing red in the firelight. "There is a chance," he said softly. "We believed Percy to be dead, and he is now sitting with us."

Annabeth swallowed down her tears. "I left her there," she mumbled, her voice breaking with each word. "She . . . She told me to run. She said that she'd meet me at Hephaestus's forge . . . " she sniffled, blowing her nose. "I waited there for three days. I— I didn't want to give up. But— "

She let out another sob, and Chiron rubbed her back softly.

"This is not your fault, Annabeth," Chiron reassured. "Magdalena made the right decision in having you run. You would've been crushed by the rubble if you hadn't."

"But now she's gone," Annabeth cried. "I should've tried harder. If I was stronger, I could've broken the stone. I could've— "

"There was nothing you could do," Chiron said sternly. "You cannot blame yourself for this. And now that Percy has returned, we have a possibility that Magdalena may still be alive."

"She is alive," Percy said hardly. His hands were balled up so tight his knuckles had turned white. "I know she is."

"Connor knew this would happen," Annabeth said quietly, her voice falling in despair. "He . . . He'd been having dreams about it. He knew she was in danger."

Percy's jaw clenched. "Why do you keep acting like she's dead?" He snapped. "Why did you already give up on her?"

"I didn't give up!" Annabeth cried, her lips shaking as she stared at Percy. "For two weeks, I held out hope for the both of you. I— I looked up everything I knew about the Labyrinth, about interchanging tunnels, anything! I waited for you. I prayed for you both. I— I prayed every day. But— " her voice cut off, and she swallowed a sob. "I couldn't hold out hope forever. When neither of you came back, I . . . " a small whimper came from her throat. "I couldn't take it anymore."

She started to cry again, and suddenly, Percy felt horrible. Annabeth had been at camp for two weeks, all alone, waiting for her two best friends to come back to her. She'd had to go through this by herself, while Percy had been on Ogygia, completely oblivious. This whole time, Annabeth thought she'd lost everyone. In the span of a day, she'd lost everything. And for two weeks, she had to suffer from the fact that she would never see any of them again.

Percy's face softened. He reached for Annabeth's hand, and squeezed it softly. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't imagine what you've been going through. But . . . We can't give up on her." Percy swallowed. "I won't believe she's dead until I see her body."

  There was a heavy silence that followed that. There was a lot of truth in his words, but there also came a time where hope ran out. How long could someone go until they had to accept the fact that the person they loved most is gone?

  "You are right, Percy," Chiron finally said. "Magdalena is a very intelligent girl. She knows how to survive on her own. If she made it through the tunnel collapsing, I have no doubt that she is still alive, trying to find her way back."

  Annabeth swallowed thickly, nodding her head. "Having you back gives me more hope, Percy." She looked at him with teary eyes. "Thank you for coming back."

  Percy nodded, squeezing her hand. Though, his heart weighed heavy in his chest. With Magdalena gone . . . He felt like there was a piece of him that had disappeared with her. He felt . . . He felt like something inside him had died. He wasn't whole without her here.

  Chiron cleared his throat. "Percy," he said. "Now that you're back, we have lots to discuss. Where have you been these past two weeks?"

  Percy felt his life was irrelevant when Lena's was currently in question, but he told them. He didn't mention anything about Calypso, but he explained how he'd caused the eruption at Mount St. Helens and got blasted onto an island, where he was marooned for two weeks. Then, Hephaestus came to him and allowed him to leave. He sailed on a magic raft that took him back to camp.

  "The explosion . . . " Annabeth mumbled. "That's what caused the tunnel to collapse."

  Percy sat there, and slowly began to realize what she meant. He didn't want to believe it, but that very thought now plagued him. He had caused the volcano to explode. He was the reason that Magdalena was missing.

  It . . . It was all his fault.

  Chiron immediately caught on to Percy's realization. "My boy," he said firmly. "You did not know what would happen. The tunnel collapsing was a tragic accident. You were only— "

  "It's my fault," Percy said tightly. His eyes were burning into the rug beneath his feet. He almost thought he might be sick with how badly his stomach was churning. "I'm the reason she's gone."

  "Percy," Annabeth said quietly. "There was no way you could've known— "

  "I still caused it," Percy snapped. His hands were trembling as his entire body shook. "The volcano would've never erupted if it weren't for me. Lena— " his voice cracked. "Lena would still be here."

  "And you would be dead," Chiron informed, staring knowingly at Percy. "You did what you had to. There is no changing that. Magdalena's disappearance . . . It was not your doing."

  Percy didn't listen to any them, and they knew that. His heart lurched in this throat as he sat on that couch, wishing he was anywhere but there. He wanted to rip every single wall of the house and set it on fire. He could set the entire camp into flames, and even then, it wouldn't make him feel any better.

  Magdalena was gone because of him. He was reason she might be dead, lying under a pile of rubble, with no one around to save her. It was all his fault.

  "You're mad, Percy," Chiron said. "You're vengeful, and you are grieving. I understand. But, right now, we need to focus on our next steps. In order to find Magdalena, we need to know everything we can in order to get back into the maze and continue with your quest. Please, Percy. You need to help us."

  Percy's eyes looked dangerous as he got caught up in his thoughts. He couldn't shake the fact he could be the sole reason Magdalena Caelestis was dead. He couldn't live with himself. He wanted jump out of his skin and punch himself until he was bruised and bloody. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't take the guilt.

  She's not dead, Percy forced himself to remember. She's not dead until you see a body.

  She's not dead.

  She's not dead.

  She's not dead.

  Percy squeezed his eyes shut. His balled-up hands, raked against his head. Both Annabeth and Chiron stared at him worriedly.

  "Percy?" Annabeth said softly.

  Percy inhaled sharply, running his hands through his hair. He flexed his fingers, the urge to punch something growing stronger as he sat there. Reluctantly, he sat back, and looked to Chiron.

  "I know how to navigate the Labyrinth."

Annabeth perked up. "Hephaestus told you?"

Percy's jaw clenched. He couldn't stay focused. "I, uh . . . Yeah, I guess. He said I already knew. And I do."

Percy explained his idea.

Annabeth stared at him. "Percy, that's insane."

Chiron thought over his words, sitting back in his wheelchair silently. "Theseus was guided by Ariadne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used mortal help in her Underground Railroad. There is precedent to this."

"But . . . " Annabeth shook her head. "I'm leading this quest. It— it's supposed to be me!"

Chiron sighed. "Yes, this is your quest. But you need help."

"And this is the answer? This is cowardly! Asking for a mortal's guidance on something like this? It's— "

"Hard to accept we needs a mortal's help," Percy said hardly. "Yeah. But we need it if we're going to find Lena."

"We'll find her without mortal help!" Annabeth argued. "I don't need some random girl to guide me to where my best friend is!"

"It might be our only way!" Percy yelled. His hands slammed down on the coffee table in front of them, causing Annabeth and Chiron to flinch. Percy was angry. Really angry.

Despite this, Annabeth glared at him with her red-rimmed eyes. "You're the most idiotic person I've ever met!" And she stormed out of the room.

And only made Percy Jackson want punch something even harder.







PERCY FOUND Connor Stoll at the dock.

It was late, and the entire camp was asleep except for Percy. He knew Annabeth was laying awake, whether that meant researching, or sticking her nose into a textbook her keep her mind off her everything else happening around her. He wasn't sure. He also knew he was probably the last person she wanted to talk to, so he decided it would be best if he took his insomnia elsewhere.

  He padded through the pavilion barefoot and in his pajamas, his mind set on going to the only spot in the entire camp where he could find peace of mind: the water.

  Though he would've preferred an ocean, the lake worked well enough. Along the outskirts of camp, it was the only dock that spread from the beach, and it was Percy's favorite. It gave him a perfect view of the sun dipping below the horizon at sunset, and gave him a quiet place to let his mind wander. Recently, his mind had been doing nothing but wandering, at a speed close to an Olympic track star, but he needed somewhere other than his empty, cold cabin to think.

  But, what Percy wasn't expecting was to see someone else already sitting there when he reached it.

  At first, he was angry. He'd already been angry earlier, and now, he wanted nothing more than to spend time at his favorite, secluded spot of camp. Alone. And now, that was disturbed by some other stupid camper who'd taken his spot. Percy Jackson's freaking spot!

  But then, when his feet creaked along the sunken wood, and the person's head turned around, Percy's stomach twisted a little.

  Connor Stoll was sitting at the edge of the dock in nothing but pajama pants and a sweatshirt, glasses on his eyes and his curly hair blowing in the wind. Percy wanted to be mad. Really, he did. He was mad enough that someone had taken his spot for their own use, but to now see that it was Connor Stoll of all people? It should've made him so angry he could've collapsed the entire dock out of sheer frustration.

  But, instead, all of his anger died out. It left him as soon as it began to boil, like someone had turned off the oven that was his stomach, fueling the rage he felt. Now, all he felt was . . . He didn't even know. He felt everything and nothing all at come.

  "Percy," Connor said, his voice distant, but Percy could hear the sadness in his voice. It was thick, and croaky. He had been crying.

  "Hey, Connor." Percy's voice felt foreign to him. It was hollow, and lifeless, as if someone had taken all of the personality he adorned and crushed it under their shoe, leaving it to rot on the ground. He felt empty. He didn't feel like himself. 

  "Want to sit?" Connor asked tentatively, shifting to the side of the dock edge to make space. Percy wasn't sure at first. But then, he found himself moving toward the son of Hermes, his legs working as a separate mind of its own. Percy spread his legs over the edge and sat beside him.

  They didn't talk for a while. To be honest, for the past few months, Percy had felt unspoken hostility toward Connor. He'd never really thought about why he felt that way, or what was causing it, but he'd formed a weird sort of grudge against him due to it. Connor hadn't done anything wrong; he was a great guy. Percy had always seen him as a friend. But, it was every time that he saw Connor was Lena that he felt the grudge resurface.

  But now, it all felt stupid to him. It was meaningless. Magdalena was gone, and here Percy was, thinking about how jealous he'd get when he saw her and Connor together. It made Percy want to turn back time and change every single detail leading up to this point in time. He'd change everything.

  And most importantly, he would've never left her behind in Mount St. Helens.

  "This was her favorite spot," Connor said, breaking the silence. His face was thinner than it was the last time Percy had seen him. He was paler. There were black and blue circles under his eyes. There was no longer that devious, troublemaker glint in his eyes that always made Percy feel like he was up to something. Connor Stoll was a shell of himself.

  "It's mine too," Percy replied. He'd never known this was Lena's favorite spot, like it was his. He'd never seen her there before. How did he never know that?

  Connor swallowed. "I never knew it was here until she showed me it," he said, his voice so weak Percy could hardly hear him. "Four years ago, with Luke and Travis. We sat here for hours, swimming, chicken fighting, talking about anything . . . Everything . . . " He swallowed, and his lips trembled. He didn't say anything else.

"I'm going to find her," Percy whispered as his hands gripped the edge of the dock. He glanced at Connor. "I'm going to bring her back."

Percy looked at Connor, and he saw the face of regret staring back at him.

"She's not dead," Percy affirmed, but even his own voice failed to make it sound real. "She— she's not."

Connor breathing was slow, but unsteady. "I should've tried harder," he said. "I should've never let her leave."

"You can't blame yourself," Percy said, which was pretty hypocritical coming from him. "Lena would've never stayed behind, no matter how hard you tried."

"I didn't try," Connor whispered. His voice was hollow. "I told her I wouldn't feel bad for her if she died. I— I was so angry at her for not believing me." His mouth began to shake, and he rubbed his hand over his lips to try and stop them. "She's gone, and the last thing she remembers of me is that I hate her."

Percy felt his heart clench. He would admit, Connor had been an asshole that day. He'd said a lot of cruel things to Magdalena, and that had made Percy angry. For a day or so, he was baffled by Connor— shocked about how he could say those things to his best friend and then walk away. But now, hearing how broken and regretful Connor was over their last argument, Percy felt nothing but pity for the guy. He couldn't imagine how harsh he'd been on himself since he'd found out Magdalena was missing.

"Look, man . . . " Percy shook his head. "One thing about Lena is that she never gave up on her friends. She never thought you hated her. Not even after hearing everything you said to her. She . . . She'd never think that low of you."

Connor's eyes were bright with tears. "I should've never said it," he whispered. "Any of it. I didn't mean a single word. I . . . I was just so upset. I wanted to keep her safe, and I thought that maybe she'd listen to me. But I was wrong. And now she's gone."

Percy's jaw clenched as he listened to Connor try to silence his crying. It was strange seeing Connor Stoll in this state. Never in his four years at camp had he seen the son of Hermes cry. He never left a room dull. He always was cracking jokes, and wreaking havoc throughout the camp. Everybody tried to act like they despised him and Travis's pranks, but they all knew they were the sole reason the camp's spark was kept alive. But now the atmosphere was cold. It was lifeless, and sad. Because the day the Stoll brothers found out Magdalena Caelestis was gone, they lost their spark.

"I'm going to find her," Percy said, repeating his words from earlier. Only this time, there was more determination in his tone. He felt more confident. He needed to find her. Alive or dead, Percy Jackson was going to bring back Magdalena. "I swear to you, Connor. I'm going to bring her back."

Connor turned to him. His face was streaked with fresh tears, but in his eyes, a small glimmer of hope showed. "You're the only person in this camp I believe could do it," he admitted quietly. "Nobody else, not even me, have strength like you."

Percy felt his words weigh on him. Despite feeling his own self responsibly to find Magdalena, he now realized that he was bearing the burden of everyone else's hope. In times of trouble, the world turned to Percy to fix it. And right now, Camp Half-Blood was mourning the loss of Magdalena Caelestis. Percy Jackson needed to be the one to fix that.

"I caused this," Percy whispered, mostly to himself, but Connor heard it. "This is my fault. But I'm going to fix it. I . . . I'm going to save her."

  Connor didn't ask what he meant, and Percy was glad he didn't. He was scared that he'd start crying again if Connor asked him anything about that day Mount St. Helens exploded. He didn't want anyone else to see him look weak. He needed to be strong. He needed to bear the weight so that nobody else had to.

  And Percy was going to do that. He was going to fix what he'd destroyed. He was going to find Magdalena. Even if that meant taking his final breath. Because he knew that he would do anything for her. He'd kill anyone who harmed her. He'd crawl through the pits of Tartarus if that meant that she would be safe. He'd take the world on his shoulders for her. He would do anything.

  And that would never falter. Percy made this mistake, and he was going to make sure it was solved. He would never let anything like this happen to Magdalena Caelestis again.

  Never again.







ANNA'S NOTES!
Gulp ... hi family

I wish I could tell u it's only up from here ... but my babies are so broken Holyshit Annabeth get behind me Connor get TF behind me

Percy taking the weight of Lena's disappearance on his shoulders so nobody else has to😭😭😭😭him taking full responsibility for it😭😭ohymgodddd I need a gun

But Guys ... at least they kissed?

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