𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐕.
this could be the worst goodbye

ᯓᡣ𐭩

𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘'𝐒 arguing could be heard from where Maisie was walking on her way to cabin six. They clearly didn't care about who would hear them.

"You didn't know him before, Percy! I did," Annabeth said, voice close to breaking into sobs.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. It's just not him anymore," Percy responded and Maisie was suddenly intrigued.

She walked up to them, even though they barely noticed her, considering the heat of their argument.

"What are you guys on about?" she asked, peaking her head in between them.

Percy looked startled as he jumped off his feet a bit, before looking back at Annabeth.

"Um..." he mumbled, not keen on giving her an explanation.

Maisie furrowed her brows, confused as to why they were being cryptic. She looked at her sister, expecting an explanation.

"Maise, um," Annabeth said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We found Kronos' coffin... Luke was inside." She looked like it took her great effort to say that, and she kept her head low, alternating from looking at Percy and the ground.

"What?" Maisie asked, still not fully understanding. "Why was he in there? Was he dead?" she asked, keeping her composure, although she was praying silently that he was okay.

"No... That's the thing," Annabeth continued, her gaze flickering to Percy again. "Kronos was in Luke's body."

Suddenly, the world felt like it was spinning.

Maisie knew Luke had crazy plans for the war, but she never thought it'd come to this. 

And what did this mean? Was he gone? Surrendering to Kronos forever?

Maisie's body shook from the inside and she fought not to let her lip quiver.

She opened and shut her mouth, contemplating her next words, when she felt like someone had just taken her heart and smashed it on a wall.

"Oh," was all she could utter. Annabeth looked at her with concern in her eyes, even if she didn't know about everything.

"Yeah," Percy confirmed. "But... Annabeth thinks he's still in there. I don't know."

"What makes you think that?" Maisie asked, working hard to keep her voice from breaking.

"Well... When Rachel hit him, it was Luke's voice that yelled out in pain. Not Kronos'," Annabeth explained, sounding almost shy. Maisie knew she still believed in him, too.

"Oh," she repeated, somewhat relieved to hear that there was a possibility Luke was still himself. That he still existed.

"Yeah."

"That's pretty crazy," Maisie commented below her breath. "Why would he..." She let the sentence hang in the air, then shook her head. "Anyway. I should go."

"Okay," Annabeth said carefully. "We'll go back to the Labyrinth, but we'll talk soon."

Maisie nodded. "Be safe."

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Maisie wasn't going to wait for answers.

She made it her mission to go find Luke and see for herself what he'd become, what foolish thing he'd gone and done.

It was idiotic, probably, but she couldn't bear living in the dark. She hated not knowing.

Which is why she quietly entered the Labyrinth a while after Annabeth and Percy had, checking her surroundings twice and thrice, before sneaking in so nobody would suspect her of anything.

She followed the same path she had the last time (or, at least, she tried to), and she finally made it to a familiar place — the little corner she and Luke had had their picnic at.

Maisie looked around, seeing the place now empty, looking sad with no blanket on the ground or laughter to fill the blank quietness of its stone walls.

She went from there, making her way further into the maze, praying she wouldn't get lost.

Time seemed to drag forever while she walked past cobblestone paths and creepy looking, soundless rooms.

She held her breath, trying to hear anything that would help her identify any sign of human life. She was half convinced nobody was actually here and it was all a big prank.

Right as she was closing in on a big door that looked like it belonged to a dungeon, she heard voices, relieved.

She couldn't make out the speakers, so she got closer to the door, standing on her toes to peak inside from the big lock.

The sight was nothing out of the ordinary. There was Luke, standing at the front with his arms crossed, while a bunch of monsters and corrupt demigods listened to him.

However, when he spoke, it wasn't his voice that was heard. It was a deeper, uglier, and more sinister voice, that sent chills to Maisie's skin.

Gods, was Percy right?

Maisie couldn't keep watching Kronos bark out orders in Luke's body any longer, so she took a step back. Of course, even that didn't go her way. She tripped on a rock, sending it rolling to the door.

The noise it made wasn't too loud, but it was enough to make whoever was in the room wonder.

Maisie froze.

Before she had any time to think about what to do, the door swung open, revealing Luke, looking angry at having been interrupted.

Maisie's body shook unwillingly. She wasn't ready to face Kronos.

However, a couple seconds after Luke's (or Kronos') eyes fell on hers, he registered who was standing before him. He forcefully shut his eyes, dropping his head for a moment.

Maisie stared at him, anticipating what was about to happen, whatever that was.

When Luke's eyes opened back up, they were softer, as soft as his would get, glistening. He almost looked himself. Almost.

"What are you doing here, Maise?" he asked in a hushed tone, pulling her aside by her shoulders.

Maisie shook herself back to the moment. "I heard about Kronos," she explained, braver now that she knew she was speaking to Luke. "I wanted to see for myself."

"You shouldn't be here," Luke said, disregarding her explanation.

"It's true then."

"It's complicated, Maisie. He's taken my body but I can still be me sometimes. But I can't always control it. You can't come here whenever you want. What if it was him who was speaking to you now?" he asked, now angry.

"I'm not helpless, Luke! I know how to fight, in case you forgot. And I thought you knew that I don't want to lose you. This isn't going to be the reason I do."

They were both out of breath, staring at each other desperately, grasping at straws not to fall apart.

Maisie frowned, tired of it. Tired of the fighting, tired of the war, tired of hiding. She wanted to live freely, to have him and never have to worry about him.

She was about to say something when Luke pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her as if she would disappear if he let go. Though startled, she held him just as tight, knowing he'd have to disappear when she let go.

"I love you," she whispered into his shoulder, and she knew he heard her when he squeezed her impossibly tighter.

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