a day in the shoes of y/n, post-jason loss. he was gone, he wasn’t coming back.
warnings: grief, hurt/very little comfort, reader is grieving jason like he’s a lost limb, no beta no proofreading.
i was high asf writing this
jason grace x gn! reader, except jason is dead.
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The stickiness of the July sun has found you all quicker than you were comfortable with, seeping into the cracks of your being like heated honey, rendering you incapable of completing your daily tasks.
Naturally, you find yourself in Cabin One, lying uselessly in Jason’s bed. His scent was heavy, and you close your eyes languidly. For a moment, you swear you can feel a warm palm on your shoulder, electric blue eyes peering under black glasses, meeting your own.
Normally, the days aren’t so bad. Your heart was scabbed, aching always. But, it had grown back from when it was ripped out that day.
You tried to talk to Nico, to Piper, to everyone. But, the second you tried, nausea settled heavy in you. Your throat would close, and you’d find yourself back in his old cabin.
You recalled, briefly, what Jason always looked like in the summertime. His skin would turn sun-kissed, his blonde hair a brighter golden. There would always be a thin sheen on sweat over his skin, enough to make you want to reach out and brush your fingertips against his skin, trace the line of his veins.
Time had never been in your favor, and soon enough you open your eyes to realize that you’d drifted off some time ago, and you sit up to the low light of the cabin, peering around. The candles you’d set earlier had mostly burnt out, only a few remained, casting a hazy and warm glow to the room around you.
You stare up at the clouded-print ceiling for a few, long seconds. The room seems to spin, and you wonder if you’ll ever be the same again. Without him, what was left of you? What of the future you could’ve shared? Of the words left unspoken, because you— stupid, in love you— thought you had more time.
Eventually you give into your need for food, though you would’ve much preferred to shield your face and concede to your grief.
There are soft glances thrown your way as you stumble by, chest empty and heavy. Someone, it might’ve been Will, murmurs something soft into your hair as you pass one another. You don’t dignify his comfort with a response, settling yourself at the Cabin One table. The food tastes like tar on your tongue, you reminisce on a time in which you thought it was good. You can’t stomach it now, and scrape the rest of your plate into the fire, thanking Zeus for god-knows-what.
The rest of the night is a blur of gentle encouragements and worried glances, you can’t bring yourself to give in to it, though. No, you wanted Jason. He wasn’t here, he isn’t ever going to be here again.
A gentle hand clasps your knee at the campfire that night. You look up to meet the eyes of Piper, warm brown irises with soft flecks of gold. She was beautiful, her layered hair spills over her shoulders, small braids with soft-looking feathers weaved in. Her glossed lips part in a sympathetic smile, revealing pretty, perfect white teeth. “I know it’s been hard,” she starts, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface.
You two held your grief together, palmed it within the same space, a force too powerful to name and too delicate to prod at. The gaps Jason used to fill feel big enough to fall through and lose yourself in. Faintly, you recall the feel of Jason’s large hands on you— supporting you when you tripped, clasping your hand in his own. You nod, eyes devoid of anything except for the glossy tears that bubble their way to the surface of your being. You sniffle, reaching up your hands to press them to your eyes.
“Yeah,” you manage out, voice rough from disuse, you wince at the sound of it. “Yeah, it has been.” Because, what else is there to say?
You walk Piper back to her cabin that night, arms linked and voices soft. Piper presses her cheek to your shoulder, a welcomed and steady weight.
When her final embrace for the night comes, she exhales against your shoulder. “This isn’t what Jason would’ve wanted,” she tells you, “you know this.”
Jason couldn’t want anything, because he was dead.
“I know,” you agree, feeling disconnected from your own body. It was like your center of gravity had shifted, what once rested on the broad shoulders of the son of Jupiter was now barely being held up by your own, shaky hands.
You don’t cry again that night, but loss is as present in your mind as the fireflies are tonight, trailing after you as if they can smell it off of you, the rot of a corpse, one that wasn’t yours. Your trek from the Aphrodite cabin to Jason’s isn’t a very long one, but you drag your feet to preserve what little dignity you had left, you don’t hear it as bugs buzz by your head.
Instead of wallowing in his sheets, you settle on the porch, head in your hands, the kiss of pain blooming over your skull, you groan at the sensation. The cool summer winds reminds you of flying.
Like you’d allowed yourself to do time and time again since the loss, your eyelids fall closed and you fall into the hazy glimpses of whatever daydreams your psyche could conjure up.
Hands— familiar, scarred, warm— slide over your waist, up your back in a solid embrace. Strong biceps on either side of you. You nuzzle into the crook of his neck, feel all consumed by his broad form. The trustful line of his figure is a familiar one to settle into. You used to nip at him, or pull away from his affection in a teasing ploy to get him to pull you even closer.
Now, you wished you had never fought it, ached to hold or be held for only a moment longer. Maybe, if you got him once more, you could move on. Have some closure, or beg him not to go.
Jason was pure, untouchable in a way your frail mind couldn’t fathom. That thought it a sickening one, the word was makes something dreadful pool in your empty stomach.
His bed that night is warm against you, and you feel more relaxed than you had that whole week. The outdoors were still humid, kissing your skin and keeping you locked in its uncomfortable, compromising grasp.
Tomorrow would be better, softer. Maybe tomorrow, you would let someone in, allow yourself to soak in their comfort.
But, for now, you closed your eyes once more, knowing that the cycle would only repeat.
a/n: I cleaned up the first chapter cause it was kind of driving me too insanity. (Once again another chapter too long </3 not being able to write short form content is my curse. Too be continued on ao3 my tumblr friends.)
previous, masterlist, a03
You watched in horror as the stranger sat up, paying no mind whatsoever to the open wound across their chest.
“Who are you?!” you shouted, pressing both hands against the watery prison. “And let us go!”
The stranger stood as if nothing had happened, calmly tucking a wet strand of dark hair behind one ear. Now that they were close, you could finally take in their features.
They looked young and were clearly of East-Asian heritage, their slender frame and kind eyes giving them an unexpectedly delicate presence.
Now, you were no doctor, but you were almost positive that walking around with a giant hole in your chest was generally considered bad for your health.
The water holding Nico carefully lowered him onto the stone platform. A moment later, your own prison did the same.
As soon as your feet hit the stone, you staggered back. The stranger’s eyes grew wide, filled with concern.
“Are you two alright?” they asked gently.
“Are we alright?” you repeated. “You—you’ve got a hole in your chest!”
“Who cares?!” Nico snapped. “You attacked us!”
He bent down to snatch up his sword, but the water scattered across the stone sprang to life. A ribbon of it wrapped around his wrist before his fingers could close around the hilt.
His fingers were pried open, the sword slipping away and falling against the platform.
The stranger’s brows pinched.
“Oh no,” they frowned. “I didn’t tell it to do that.”
You studied them. “You’re a demigod, aren’t you?” you asked. “You control water. Are you another secret child of Poseidon or something?”
“No way,” Nico scoffed, though he didn’t seem completely certain. “The universe couldn’t handle two of them. And a child of Poseidon wouldn’t have to rely on cheap tricks to catch us off guard, either.”
That seemed… debatable.
Percy Jackson had an impressive habit of winning fights through what could only be described as creative problem-solving.
You distinctly remembered hearing how he’d defeated Medusa by using the reflection of a polished ball instead of facing her head-on.
But Nico looked utterly convinced by his own argument, so you decided this probably wasn’t the time to point that out.
The stranger didn’t take the accusation personally. If anything, they looked more apologetic. Embarrassed, even.
“You’re right,” they said softly. “I’m no child of Poseidon. That’s far too grand a title for someone like me.” A smile graced their face. “My name is Rain Shui, son of Achelous, god of all freshwater upon the earth.”
At that, the water pooled around his feet responded at once.
This time, the water did not surge or lash out. Instead, it rose in graceful, flowing ribbons that circled his body. When Rain lifted his hands, the currents obeyed, swirling in perfect harmony.
With one hand, he guided the stream upward; with the other, he drew it inward, the water folding over itself like silk gathered between fingers. Each motion flowed into the next, so seamless it became impossible to see where Rain ended, and the water began.
You could not tear your eyes away. It was mesmerizingly beautiful.
The ribbons of water fell over the wound in Rain’s chest, glowing with a soft light as they danced across the torn fabric.
Slowly, the wound began to close.
The angry edges of torn flesh softened, the bleeding stilled. The gash, once deep enough to be fatal, shrank bit by bit, fading as if the water was gently washing the pain away.
Your jaw dropped.
“Nico,” you whispered. “Nico, are you seeing this?”
The son of Hades had no words at all. Stunned into silence.
Rain lowered his hands, and the remaining water drifted back into the canals surrounding the platform. A small scar remained where the wound had been, but the worst of it was gone. He gave a shy, embarrassed smile.
“Freshwater carries life wherever it flows,” Rain explained. “Healing is simply helping the body remember the shape it had before it was hurt.”
“If you can do all that,” Nico said, narrowing his eyes, “then why are you here?”
Rain blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, why are you in the Labyrinth?” Nico crossed his arms. “Shouldn’t you be at Camp Half-Blood?”
“Camp Half-Blood…” he repeated. “…Do you still believe in that place?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean—“
The click of heels echoed through the sewers.
“Well, well,” a silky voice purred. “Usually, new recruits need a few more spectacular failures before they’re taken seriously.”
A girl emerged from the shadows. Or at least, something like a girl.
Her cheerleader uniform was somehow perfect despite the filth of the sewers. Her dark hair fell in perfect waves around her shoulders, and her smile was bright enough to belong on a magazine cover.
Then things got a little… weird down south.
One of her legs was smooth bronze from the knee down. The other was covered in shaggy hair and ended in a donkey’s hoof. It looked as if the universe had reached into a hat labeled Miscellaneous Body Parts and decided to see what happened.
Rain shuffled closer to her, averting his gaze as he lowered his head.
“Kelli,” he greeted her. “I hope these demigods will be sufficient.”
The empousa’s crimson lips twisted into a wicked grin.
“Oh, Raindrop. Always so polite.” Kelli circled him once, hands clasped behind her back. “But I must admit, this is impressive. Two half-bloods in one go? Somebody’s finally making a name for himself.”
Rain remained silent. Kelli leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“Certainly doing better than your one-eyed little friend, anyway. Poor thing disappointed Luke so thoroughly that I almost felt sorry for him.” She sighed as Rain’s eyes flickered. “Almost.”
Your eyes widened. “You’re part of the Titan army?!”
Rain’s shoulders stiffened. His fingers curled around the hem of his sleeve.
“How else…” he began quietly, “…was someone like me supposed to be noticed?”
Your stomach dropped.
“But…”
The stories. The monsters. The deaths.
“But you guys are the bad guys,” you blurted.
Kelli burst into laughter.
“Oh, sweetheart, what an incredibly boring way to look at the world.” She spread her arms. “What exactly is evil about a better future? About tearing down an order that abandoned its own children centuries ago?”
Her golden eyes gleamed. “When Kronos rises, everything changes. No more groveling for scraps of attention. No more neglected children desperately begging for a single glance from Olympus.” She grinned. “And me? Oh, I’ll be thriving. Imagine it—a whole new age, and Kelli, beloved heroine of the winning side. Honestly, I deserve it after all these years.”
“No!” you shouted, shaking your head. “You don’t get to hurt people just because somebody hurt you first!”
A lesson you learned in recent years.
Back when you first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, Drew Tanaka had made it her personal mission to remind you that new campers occupied roughly the same place in the social hierarchy as dirt.
After one particularly awful afternoon, you’d retaliated by “accidentally” dumping an entire cup of strawberry juice over her sandals.
In your defense, the cup had slipped.
The fact that it had slipped directly in her direction was a complete coincidence.
Silena pulled the two of you aside before the argument could escalate into an all-out civil war. You still remembered her kneeling down so she could look at both of you properly.
Just because somebody hurts you first doesn’t mean you get to hurt them back, she’d said. Otherwise, nobody ever stops hurting each other.
Kelli’s smile didn’t falter.
“Oh?” she mused. “And who taught you that? One of your lovely little bedtime stories?”
Your hand curled into a fist at your side, but then a deep rumble spread through the sewers.
Nico crouched next to you, pressing both hands firmly against the damp stone.
“Good thing I don’t need a bedtime story to know when somebody’s full of it,” he shot back.
Then he lifted his hands, and the dead answered his call.
The canals burst to life. Dark water roiled and spat as skeletal warriors clawed their way up from the depths. Riverweed tangled around their bones, making them look like lost soldiers, drowned in battle and forever denied the shore.
Rain gaped in awe, his eyes flickering wildly from one undead warrior to another.
Even Kelli looked genuinely shocked.
“You…” she breathed, taking a step back.
Then she laughed, a sound bubbling up that was equal parts disbelief and delight.
“So the old ghost wasn’t lying after all.” Her golden eyes gleamed as they settled on Nico. “A son of Hades.”
Her smile widened. “Oh, Luke is going to be thrilled when he hears about this. Imagine bringing back one of the Big Three in chains. What a wonderful little reward you’ve handed us, Raindrop.”
She clapped her hands together.
“Laistrygonians!” she called sweetly into the darkness. “Be dears and get rid of these annoying skeletons, would you? We have much more important prizes to collect.”
Nico’s brow furrowed. “Old ghost…?”
From the tunnels beyond, enormous figures emerged one after another, their hulking bodies forcing them to hunch beneath the ancient stone ceilings.
Their skin was coarse and mottled, their faces brutish and misshapen, and each carried weapons that looked less like swords and more like slabs of sharpened metal.
You have seen plenty of monsters since coming to Camp Half-Blood.
None of them looked this ugly.
None of them looked this big.
The Laistrygonians lumbered forward as one of Nico’s skeletons charged first, rusted spear raised high.
The giant barely acknowledged it.
With a lazy swing of its arm, the skeleton exploded into a shower of bones that clattered across the stone.
Another lunged from the side, only for a massive foot to crush it beneath a single step.
The rest of the undead army surged forward together, swords scraping against monstrous flesh, but the attacks seemed to do little more than irritate them.
Your breath caught as one giant swept its weapon through an entire cluster of skeletons, sending skulls and ribs flying into the canals below.
Kelli threw her head back and laughed.
“Oh, honestly, this is adorable,” she purred. “The son of Hades summons an army, and the army lasts all of thirty seconds. Enough playing around. Grab them.”
The Laistrygonians obeyed at once. One lumbered toward Nico while another turned its attention to you, their heavy footsteps shaking the stone beneath your feet.
“Move!” Nico shouted.
He snatched up his sword and charged, the black blade flashing through the dim sewer light. It bit into the giant’s leg, but the creature merely grunted. Nico barely managed to throw himself aside.
You weren’t about to stand there and do nothing.
With a burst of courage, you threw yourself at the giant. The Laistrygonian didn’t even bother raising its weapon. It simply reached down, calm as could be, and plucked you from the ground.
“HEY—!”
You twisted and kicked, but its fingers wrapped around your middle and hoisted you into the air.
The second giant caught Nico by the back of his jacket. He struggled furiously, kicking and slashing with his sword, but the Laistrygonian only lifted him higher.
“Put me down!” Nico snapped.
Kelli clasped her hands together, looking immensely pleased with herself.
“See?” she said sweetly. “Was that so difficult? Honestly, heroes always make everything much more dramatic than it needs to be.”
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the air shimmered.
A pale blue figure slowly emerged from the stone. Unlike before, Minos no longer appeared as a faint specter. His form was steadier now, his robes rippling around him with an almost tangible weight, the outlines of his features no longer fading in and out like mist.
Nico froze. His eyes widened. “Minos…?” he whispered.
The ghost king kept his eyes on Kelli.
“The string,” he said evenly. “Have you acquired it?”
Kelli’s grin turned positively radiant.
“Of course we have. A deal is a deal. We’ll escort you to Daedalus’s workshop, and you’ll finally have the opportunity to settle your very old score with that miserable inventor.”
Nico’s voice cut sharply through the chamber. “Minos!”
Minos gave no indication that he had heard him.
“Answer me!” Nico demanded, struggling harder against the giant’s grip. “What are you doing?”
The silence dragged on, each second stoking the fire in Nico’s eyes until fury blazed across his face.
“I gave you an order,” he shouted. “I’m your lord!”
Minos finally stirred. His head turned until his hollow gaze settled on Nico. Amusement flickered across his weathered features.
“Lord?” he repeated, the word rolling off his tongue. “You flatter yourself, young prince.”
Nico’s eyes darkened. “You swore yourself to me.”
“I swore to instruct you,” Minos corrected calmly. “Not to kneel before an ignorant child.”
The giant restraining Nico let out a harsh, barking laugh, squeezing tighter until Nico’s pain escaped as a hiss between his teeth.
“You dare—”
“I dare because you misunderstand the nature of power,” Minos interrupted. “A crown is not inherited simply because your father sits upon a throne. It is earned. You command neither the Underworld nor its dead. At present, you can scarcely command yourself.”
Kelli giggled behind one hand. “Oh, this is awkward.”
Nico ignored her, his eyes never leaving Minos. “You’re betraying me.”
“No,” Minos replied. “I am pursuing my own destiny, just as I always have.”
Nothing in his bearing changed. Only the hungry gleam in his eyes revealed the thoughts turning behind them.
“For centuries, I have waited to settle my debt with Daedalus. I did not spend an eternity wandering as a shade only to abandon that vengeance because a frightened boy believes himself my king.”
Nico’s breathing became ragged. “My father—”
“Your father,” Minos said, cutting him off again, “is Lord Hades. You are merely his son.”
Nico’s lips parted, but his throat felt parched. Before he could find his voice, Minos had already turned away.
“Take the boy with us,” he said to Kelli without a hint of emotion. “He will prove… useful before this is over.”
Kelli’s smile widened.“With pleasure.”
You glanced sideways at Nico. His entire body was rigid.
Every muscle in his jaw looked painfully locked in place. His breathing came in short bursts, as though he were fighting with everything he had not to explode.
Minos just humiliated him in front of everyone, dismissing him like he was nothing more than an annoying child.
Honestly…
What a royal butthead.
You frowned at the Ghost King marching ahead without so much as a backward glance.
For someone who carried himself with such regal dignity, he was remarkably good at acting like a toddler throwing a centuries-long tantrum.
Your gaze drifted back to him, curiosity beginning to creep in despite the situation.
Minos waited millennia for this.
That was impressive. But also, really, really concerning.
You couldn’t even stay mad at Drew for more than two days before feeling guilty.
This guy had apparently made hating one person his full-time, multi-millennia career.
Gods… he must’ve been in love with Daedalus or something.
There was simply no other explanation that made any sense.
Who else stayed that emotionally invested in one person for thousands of years?
Sure, he kept calling it revenge, but at a certain point, wasn’t that just commitment?
You pictured Minos, century after century, making grand speeches about vengeance while secretly curating a scrapbook titled Reasons I Despise Daedalus, filled with wilted flowers and furiously underlined rants.
A snort slipped out before you could stop it.
The Laistrygonian hugged you so tightly that the noise you made sounded more like a squeaky dog toy than a real laugh.
“Ack—okay, okay,” you wheezed. “Message received.”
Kelli strolled at the front of the procession, while Rain walked a step behind her, quiet.
He kept his head bowed. Every now and then, his gaze drifted toward Kelli before darting away again.
After several moments, he drew his bottom lip between his teeth.
“…Kelli?”
Her jaw ticked. “What?”
“You… you mentioned Ethan. You said he disappointed Lord Luke,” he swallowed. “What happened?”
Kelli rolled her eyes so hard that you were surprised they didn’t stay behind her head.
“What happened?” she scoffed. “Percy Jackson happened. Ethan was supposed to deal with him, and instead, he embarrassed himself.” She flicked an irritated hand through the air. “He lost. Spectacularly, I might add.”
“…He was hurt?”
“Oh, please. He’s alive, unfortunately. If losing to Percy Jackson was not embarrassing enough, Ethan managed to make it even worse by running off with the sea brat.”
Rain looked stunned. “He… what?”
“You heard me.” Kelli’s lip curled in disgust. “After everything Luke has done for him, after everything he’s been given, he disappeared with the enemy.”
“I don’t think Ethan would betray Lord Luke,” Rain shook his head. “There has to be another explanation.”
Kelli laughed. “Keep telling yourself that. Whether he betrayed Luke or not hardly matters anymore. He abandoned his post, failed his mission, and ran off with the son of Poseidon. As far as I’m concerned, the outcome is exactly the same.”
Rain halted in his tracks. Kelli continued on, only noticing the silence when she realized his footsteps had vanished.
She glanced over her shoulder.
“What now?”
Rain squared his shoulders. He didn’t come off as imposing by any means, but there was a newfound steadiness to him.
“I’ll find him,” he stated. “I’ll find Ethan… and I’ll have him make it up to Lord Luke.”
Rain’s sudden confidence caught you completely by surprise. Just a little while ago, he could barely look the monsters in the eye without shrinking into himself.
Now he was talking about tracking this Ethan person down and setting things right for Luke.
“Oh?” Kelli said, chuckling. “And what exactly are you planning to do once you find him?”
Rain met her gaze, unblinking. “I’ll remind him who he is. If Lord Luke is disappointed… then Ethan deserves the chance to make things right.”
“How touching,” she purred, turning on her heel. “Go on, then. Run along. See if you can find your little friend before we do. If you’re very lucky, perhaps Luke will spare his life.”
Rain’s entire face brightened. “Thank you,” he said earnestly.
Before you or Nico could react, he dashed away, vanishing into a side passage, leaving behind only the fading echoes of his hurried footsteps.
Kelli watched him go.
“Oh, Raindrop,” she sighed, shaking her head. “He really did stab himself for Luke. Now he’s off chasing Ethan the moment he hears Luke’s disappointment? Some people really will do anything for approval.”
Goosebumps crawled up your arms.
Rain… did that willingly?
You’d assumed Rain had simply been hurt during fighting in the labyrinth, perhaps attacked by a monster. The thought that he’d purposely driven a blade into himself because someone told him to was almost impossible to reconcile with the nervous boy you’d met.
He looked frightened of nearly everything; you could barely hear him through the softness of his voice.
But somehow, he had found the nerve to pierce his own flesh. All for Luke.
You couldn’t decide which possibility unsettled you more: that someone could inspire that kind of loyalty… or that someone else could be crazy enough to go through with it.
Kelli seemed to know every twist and turn the Labyrinth offered, easily leading your group ahead.
After several more winding passages, the rough stone walls abruptly gave way to gleaming stainless steel, its walls reflecting the harsh white lights mounted overhead.
The brightness was so severe that you narrowed your eyes, the sterile glow burning away the shadows the Labyrinth seemed to cling to everywhere else.
It felt eerily clean, utterly alien beneath the earth.
After constant squirming, the Laistrygonians opted to put you and Nico in heavy chains. Conversation wasn’t exactly an option, so the both of you had resorted to communicating through increasingly elaborate facial expressions.
It turned out the human face was remarkably expressive when the message was, Help me, or Please tell me you have a plan because I absolutely do not.
You were halfway through what you were convinced was a brilliant attempt at blinking Morse code when Nico suddenly looked past you, his attention locking onto something farther down the corridor.
You turned, more than a little offended that whatever it was had apparently become a higher priority than rescuing you from your current predicament.
At the end of the hallway stood a pair of massive steel doors, a large blue Greek delta—Δ—standing out against the dull metal.
Your heart skipped. This had to be Daedalus’s workshop.
Voices drifted through the steel doors, too muffled to make out more than a few scattered words. You strained to listen, catching only the tail end of the conversation.
“…You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string—”
A second voice cut in, alarmed.
“Someone’s coming!”
Kelli’s lips gave a satisfied twitch. She walked forward and pushed the doors open, leading everyone inside.
The ceiling was the first thing to catch your attention.
It stretched high overhead, the vast windows pouring streams of golden sunlight across the floor and workbenches. Bronze contraptions, half-finished inventions, and stacks of blueprints filled every corner of the room.
It was cluttered and chaotic, but oddly beautiful.
This place felt less like a workshop and more like an art studio, which of course made your thoughts drift to Lee Fletcher.
He guarded his sketchbook with his life, refusing to let anyone so much as peek inside until you’d sworn—three separate times—that you wouldn’t touch it. When he finally relented and showed you a single watercolor, you understood why. Every piece he made carried a part of him.
That was the feeling this place stirred in you. It was not just a workshop; it was as if you had stepped right into the heart of Daedalus himself.
Your attention shifted toward the center of the workshop. Percy and Annabeth were there.
They looked surprised to see you, but you were grateful they were alive, and very much not in whatever peril Minos had implied.
Standing with them was a girl you had never seen before. Her red hair caught the sunlight streaming through the windows, burning so brightly it nearly outshone the Greek fire on the shelves.
Then your eyes landed on the last person in the room.
“…Quintus?” You blurted. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you back at camp?”
Quintus froze for the briefest moment.
“Quintus?” Minos laughed. “What an imaginative little name. No, child. The old fool abandoned that name long ago. He has worn so many faces over the centuries that I doubt even he remembers them all. Ever since escaping his judgment, he has fled from death itself, leaping from one body to the next whenever the end finally caught up with him. But every game must come to an end. There are no more bodies left to steal, Daedalus. No more places to run.”
Quintus was Daedalus?
All this time, the legendary creator of the Labyrinth had been living at Camp Half-Blood, hiding in plain sight?
Daedalus stiffened, his eyes snapping to Kelli.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Kelli smiled. “Luke sends his compliments,” she said with a graceful little bow. “He thought you might enjoy seeing your old employer again.”
Daedalus clenched his jaw. “That was not part of our agreement.”
“No,” Kelli agreed. “But we already have everything we wanted from you, and we have other bargains to uphold.”
She slipped a finger beneath Nico’s chin, forcing him to look up.
“Minos asked for only one thing in exchange for this fine young demigod. All he asked for was your head, old man.”
She turned her attention to you.
“As for this one…” She gave a careless shrug. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
Well, it looked like your destiny had been filed under 'deal with it later.'
Daedalus went pale.
“Treachery.”
Kelli rolled her eyes.
“You’re centuries old, Daedalus. You should know by now that loyalty is the rarer commodity.”
Percy finally seemed to shake himself free of his shock and turned to you and Nico.
“Nico. [Name]. Are you two okay?”
A breathless huff escaped you.
“…I’ve definitely had better days.”
Nico’s shoulders sagged. The anger that consumed him moments ago drained away, leaving only guilt behind. He couldn’t quite meet Percy’s eyes.
“I… I’m sorry, Percy,” he said softly. “Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the Labyrinth.”
Percy’s eyes softened with surprise.
“You were trying to help us?”
Nico gave a small, miserable nod.
“I was tricked,” he admitted. He shot Minos a glare. “He tricked all of us.”
Percy's face hardened. He looked back at Kelli.
"Where's Luke?" he demanded. "Why isn't he here?"
“Luke is… occupied,” Kelli purred. “Preparing for the assault. But don’t worry—we have plenty of friends on their way.”
She flexed her hand, and her fingers stretched into sleek black talons.
“As for us…” Her eyes gleamed. “I think it’s time for a snack.”
The red-haired girl darted to Percy’s side and leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered something you couldn’t make out.
Whatever she said, it made Percy give a sharp nod before murmuring a quick reply.
The next instant, he and Annabeth launched themselves at Kelli.
An all-out battle erupted. The two Laistrygonians abandoned you and Nico without a second thought, charging straight for Daedalus.
They didn’t bother moving you gently. One giant shoved you aside with the back of his hand while the other sent Nico sprawling in the opposite direction.
The workshop descended into a frenzy of flashing bronze, flying debris, and shouting. Giant feet pounded the floor, and you barely rolled aside before one could crush you.
Still bound, you threaded your legs beneath the chain linking your wrists, twisting your body until you managed to push yourself into a sitting position.
You ducked just as a bronze wrench screamed past, close enough to ruffle your hair before shattering against the wall. Drawing in a trembling breath, you scanned the workshop.
Nico lay sprawled across the floor several yards away, struggling against the chains around his wrists. You planted your heels against the stone and dragged yourself toward him.
“Nico!”
He looked up, relief flashing across his face.
“[Name]!”
“You doing okay?”
“We’re prisoners in the middle of a battle!”
“So… that’s a no?”
“Obviously it’s a no!”
“Good, I’d hate to be the only one having a bad day.”
You dragged yourself the last few feet toward him.
“Turn around.”
“Why?”
“Because unless you plan on spending the rest of your life hog-tied on a workshop floor, I need your back.”
After only a moment’s hesitation, Nico twisted around until your backs pressed together.
The chains binding your wrists clinked as you shifted, and you reached blindly behind you until your fingers found the links around his hands.
“Hold still.”
“What are you—”
“I’m being a criminal. Quiet.”
Your fingers worked quickly over the chain. You gave one link a sharp twist, hooked another with your thumb, then jerked your wrists apart.
Click.
The manacles sprang open.
Nico’s eyes widened. “…How did you do that?”
You grinned, rubbing your wrists.
“Travis taught me.”
“Travis taught you how to pick locks?”
“He said every respectable troublemaker should know how to get out of a bind.” You shrugged. “I wasn’t paying much attention at the time. Turns out he was giving me surprisingly good life advice.”
The workshop trembled from a loud crash. You and Nico flinched as a jar of Greek fire shattered against the floor, emerald flames racing across the stone and licking up the legs of nearby workbenches.
Above the smoke of the fire, Minos lifted his ghostly hands.
“To me!” he cried. “Spirits of the dead!”
Nico shot to his feet, his eyes widening with horror.
“No!”
“You do not control me, young fool,” Minos sneered. “All this time, I have been controlling you. A soul for a soul, yes… but it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It will be me, once the inventor falls.”
As his words faded, shimmering figures gathered around him. They appeared one by one from thin air, shifting from mist to form, until a small army of Cretan soldiers waited for his orders.
“I am the son of Hades,” Nico said, his voice ringing through the workshop. “Begone!”
Minos threw back his head and laughed.
“You have no authority over me. I am the lord of spirits.” His spectral crown glowed brighter as he spread his arms. “The Ghost King.”
“No,” Nico said, and there wasn’t a trace of doubt left in his voice. “I am.”
An inexplicable surge of pride filled your chest, lifting your heart as if it might burst.
Somehow, Nico looked exactly the same. And yet, he had never looked more like himself.
You watched, breathless, as Nico drove his sword deep into the ground. The blade carved through stone, unleashing a jagged crack that snaked straight for Minos’s feet.
The ground broke open beneath him, the fissure yawning wider as it surged through the workshop. The tall windows fractured into webs of cracks, then exploded inward, filling the air with a rain of sparkling glass.
A wild rush of fresh air stormed through the gap, tugging at your clothes and sending papers swirling in every direction.
The void swallowed Minos, and with him, his army of spirits. Their screams rang around the workshop until the Ghost King and all the Cretan soldiers were gone into the darkness below.
Across the workshop, Daedalus met the giants head-on, his sword flashing as he traded blow after blow, every strike forcing him another step backward.
You wanted to stay angry with him. You really did.
But all you saw was an old man about to die and your legs were already carrying you towards him.
You slipped between broken workbenches and shards of glass, your sneakers skimming over a sea of scattered blueprints.
Off to your right, Percy slammed into a worktable as Kelli hurled him across the room. He groaned in pain, but there was no time to check on him.
You scanned the workshop for anything that could even the odds.
Swords were scattered too far away. Strange machines filled every corner, useless to you in the middle of a battle.
Then, tucked beneath one of the workbenches, something caught your eye. A bow.
Smaller than the bows at Camp Half-Blood, its ash wood worn smooth by years of use. Next to it, a half-filled quiver waited, arrows ready to fly.
You snatched them both up without breaking stride. Just as you closed in on Daedalus, a yelp of pain snapped your attention to the side.
One of the giants had Mrs. O’Leary by the throat.
Her paws clawed helplessly at the giant’s wrist as he lifted her clean off the ground.
“Hey!” you shouted, already fitting an arrow to the string. “Hands off our slobber queen!”
The giant ignored you. You swallowed down hard and drew the bowstring back until your shoulders trembled.
Please, you silently begged, let all those archery lessons have been worth something.
You released.
The arrow whistled across the workshop and buried itself in the giant’s chest.
He staggered with a roar, his hold on Mrs. O’Leary slipping away.
Moments later he exploded into a cloud of golden dust, which settled on the floor of the workshop.
Mrs. O’Leary came down with a woof, gave herself a good shake, and bounded back into the fray.
A grin spread across your face.
“Bullseye!
“[Name]!”
You turned toward Nico’s voice. He was standing beside the red-haired girl near the shattered windows.
Two pairs of bronze, feathered wings were already strapped across their backs, though the effort of simply standing upright looked like it was draining what little strength Nico had left.
You hurried over just as the girl cinched the last buckle.
“There you are,” Nico said, catching his breath. He nodded toward her. “This is Rachel. Rachel, [Name], son of Anteros.”
“Hi,” Rachel said quickly. “Nice to meet you, son of Anteros.”
You barely managed a greeting before Rachel turned you by the shoulders.
“Hey—”
“Hold still.”
Leather straps slid over your shoulders as she worked, tightening buckles across your chest and back. She gave the straps a firm tug to make sure they were secure, she stepped away.
The heat of Greek fire rolled toward you in heavy waves, carrying sparks that danced through the air.
“We need to move,” Rachel said, glancing toward the broken windows.
Footsteps beat across the stone floor as Annabeth hurried over, Percy followed close behind, having finally shaken Kelli.
He stumbled to your side, fumbling with the last stubborn buckle on his wings.
At last, it clicked into place. Percy exhaled.
“I really hope these things work.”
Together, you made your way toward the shattered window. The wind surged in, ruffling the bronze feathers strapped to your back.
Looking down, your stomach lurched. It was a very long way to the ground, but there wasn’t another way out.
As Annabeth prepared to jump, you couldn’t stop yourself from looking back.
“What about Daedalus?!” you shouted over the roar of the wind.
Percy spun round.
“Daedalus!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Come on!”
The wind swallowed most of Daedalus’s reply. You caught only two words.
“Mrs. O’Leary…” Then, after another gust: “Go!”
“We don’t know how to fly!” Nico called out.
Percy pursed his lips. “Great time to find out.”
He jumped, giving you exactly one second to question every reckless decision that had led you here.
Then Nico seized your hand and yanked you over the edge with him.
Wind shrieked in your ears as your stomach shot into your throat, the valley floor racing up to meet you.
You clamped your eyes shut, bracing for the bone-crushing impact that would leave nothing but a tragic smear at the mountain’s base.
“Spread your arms!” Annabeth’s voice broke through. “Keep them extended!”
You obeyed without thinking. The moment your arms shot out, the bronze wings burst open.
“WHOA!”
You shot into the air.
The first few seconds were nothing short of chaos. You lurched from side to side, arms pinwheeling as you fought to stay upright, convinced this was how you were going to die.
Then, little by little, your movements steadied.
“I’m flying!” Nico shouted somewhere beside you, the disbelief in his voice giving way to laughter. “I’m actually flying!”
You spun around just in time to catch him soaring beside you, his dark hair whipping in the wind.
“Nico!” you laughed. “Look at us!”
“We’re doing it!”
The wind rushed past your face, mountains stretched beneath your feet, and without a shred of shame, you began singing to yourself.
“I believe I can fly…
You flung your arms wider, laughter spilling out in bright bursts.
“I believe I can touch the sky…”
You wobbled sideways, almost colliding with Percy, before righting yourself with a yelp.
“I think about it every night and da—”
“Land!” Annabeth shouted, snapping you out of your impromptu concert. “These wings won’t last forever!”
“How long?” Rachel shouted.
“I don’t want to find out!” Annabeth called back.
“Right! Landing!” you squeaked.
The four of you banked downward, skimming over the valley and the winding road below before touching down—some with far more grace than others—on the terrace outside the visitor center.
You hurriedly shrugged the mechanical wings off your shoulders. They were bent beyond repair. As disappointing as that was, you were far more grateful to be alive.
One by one, you tossed the ruined contraptions into a nearby trash bin before any unsuspecting mortals could catch sight of them.
Afterward, Annabeth explained that you’d landed in a place called the Garden of the Gods, in Colorado.
Meaning, you were very, very far from Camp Half-Blood.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you muttered, your excitement from flying evaporating all at once. “How are we supposed to get all the way back?”
Annabeth frowned as her eyes turned toward the hillside where Daedalus’s workshop once stood.
“The workshop moved. There’s no telling where it could’ve gone.”
Percy let the tourist binoculars drop from his eyes, shook his head in frustration.
“So what do we do now?” he asked. “We have to find a way back into the maze.”
Annabeth thought in silence.
“…Maybe we can’t go back in,” she said. “If Daedalus died… he told us his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. The whole thing might’ve been destroyed. Maybe that’ll stop Luke’s invasion.”
“No.” Nico spoke up. “He isn’t dead.”
Percy looked at him. “How can you be sure?”
“I know when people die,” Nico replied. “It’s… hard to explain. It’s like a buzzing in my ears.”
Percy frowned. “What about Tyson and Grover, then?”
Nico pressed his lips into a thin line.
“That’s harder. They’re not humans or half-bloods. They don’t have mortal souls.”
“We need to get into town” Annabeth said. “If there’s another entrance to the Labyrinth, we’ve got a better chance of finding it there. We have to get back to camp before Luke’s army does.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to just catch a flight?” Rachel said.
Percy made a face.
“I don’t fly.”
“But you just did.”
“That was different,” Percy protested. “We were barely off the ground. Flying thousands of feet in the air? That’s Zeus’s domain, and I’d rather not remind him I exist. Besides, the Labyrinth’s still our fastest way home.”
“So…” you rocked back on your heels. “Our brilliant plan is to wander around Colorado until we accidentally trip over another magical hole in the ground?”
Annabeth shook her head.
“First, we find a car. Then we head into the city. If there’s another entrance to the Labyrinth nearby, that’s probably where we’ll find it.”
Rachel leaned over the railing, looking down at the parking lot.
“I’ll get us a ride,” she said, a crease forming between her brows.
Annabeth eyed her.
“How?”
Rachel didn’t look away from the cars below.
“Just trust me.”
Annabeth hesitated, unconvinced, but eventually she gave a small nod.
“Alright,” she said. “I’m going to check the gift shop. If I can find a prism, I can send an Iris-message back to camp.”
“I’ll come with you,” Nico said. “I’m starving.” He glanced over at you. “You coming?”
Your stomach answered before you could, letting out an embarrassingly loud growl.
“Yeah, I could definitely—”
“I’ll stay with Rachel,” Percy cut in. “Meet you guys in the parking lot.”
Annabeth’s steps faltered—barely. She recovered so smoothly that anyone else might have missed it, but you caught the hesitation all the same.
You frowned, your gaze shifting between the three of them.
There was something strange in the air, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.
Nico nudged your shoulder. "Are you coming or what?”
You glanced back at him and shook your head.
“Actually… I think I’ll stay too.” You pressed a hand against your stomach with a weak smile. “If I eat anything right now, I’m pretty sure it’s coming right back up.”
Nico shrugged.
“Suit yourself.”
As Nico and Annabeth disappeared toward the gift shop, Rachel made her way across the parking lot toward a looming black sedan. Percy frowned after her.
“What are you going to do?”
Rachel glanced back over her shoulder.
“Just… wait here, okay?” There was an urgency in her voice, and the look she gave him bordered on pleading. “Please.”
Percy scratched the back of his head as he watched her cross the parking lot and approach the driver of the car. You found yourself watching Percy instead.
He looked every bit as confused as you, watching Rachel talk to the driver.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Percy blinked, tearing his eyes away from Rachel to look at you, and meeting your gaze.
“What?”
You shot him a look that could have curdled milk.
“Aren’t you supposed to be Percy Jackson? Child of the Great Prophecy, bane of monsters, all that?” You gestured between Rachel and the gift shop. “Why are you so confused?”
Percy frowned. “I… what are you talking about?”
You stared at him, deadpan.
“You know what? Forget it.” You dismissed him with a flick of your hand. “This is exactly why meeting your heroes is always a letdown.”
Percy’s eyebrows shot up.
“Your heroes?” he repeated. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” You turned on your heel, eager to escape.
“[Name].”
“I said it was nothing, Jackson.”
“No, you said it was nothing after insulting me. Clearly, it’s something.”
You groaned.
“Seriously, what are you talking about?” Percy asked, quickening his pace to keep up. “Did I miss something?”
You stopped just long enough to stare at him.
“Percy… are you actually serious right now?”
He blinked. “Yeah?”
“…You’re not messing with me?”
“No! Why would I be messing with you?”
You dragged your hand down your face. “Oh my gods.”
“What?” Percy demanded. “Why does everyone keep looking at me like that?”
You glanced at Rachel, then at the gift shop, before slowly swiveling back to Percy.
“The fact that you genuinely have no idea what’s going on is somehow making this even worse.”
Percy threw both hands into the air.
“Then would somebody please explain what I’ve apparently done?”
Behind him, Annabeth and Nico emerged from the gift shop just as Rachel made her way back from the parking lot.
You decided Percy, and whatever spectacular case of obliviousness he was suffering from, was a problem best left to the Fates.
“You’re back."You bounced over to Nico. “Enjoy your Doritos?”
Nico froze. “…How did you know?”
You pointed at his fingertips. “Those are the brightest orange fingers I’ve ever seen.”
Nico glanced down and quickly rubbed his fingertips together. Annabeth, meanwhile, was already focused on more pressing matters.
“I talked to Chiron,” she said. “They’re doing everything they can to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back as soon as possible. They’re going to need every hero they can get.”
Her eyes shifted between Percy and Rachel.
“Did we find a ride?”
Rachel nodded once.
“The driver’s ready whenever we are.”
Right on cue, the driver leaned into the passenger window, showering the man inside with apologies. The man climbed out, looking thoroughly irritated.
You squinted at Rachel.
Just who was this girl?
“Come on,” Rachel said.
She slipped into the back seat, ignoring the disgruntled man. The rest of you scrambled in after her, and soon the car was gliding smoothly down the road.
You couldn’t help looking around.
Months passed since you last set foot in a car, and you’d almost forgotten they could feel this luxurious.
The seats cradled you in soft leather, a far cry from cold stone. There was enough legroom to stretch out, and tiny television screens were built into the backs of the front seats. Between them, a mini-fridge brimmed with bottled water, sodas, and snacks enough to supply an entire cabin.
“…I’m in love,” you whispered.
Nobody objected when you opened the fridge. Within seconds, you, Percy, and Nico were tossing bags of chips and bottles around like a pack of starving raccoons.
Nico wasted no time opening a bag of pretzels and eating them like they were the greatest thing he’d ever tasted.
Then again, after months wandering the streets and the Underworld, you doubted any of you would’ve turned down stale crackers.
You held up a bag of barbecue chips toward the front. “Either of you want any?”
Annabeth didn’t look away from the window. “No.”
Rachel gave a distracted shake of her head.
“More for us,” you said cheerfully.
The driver glanced into the rearview mirror.
“Where to, Miss Dare?”
Rachel leaned forward. “I’m… not sure yet, Robert. Just drive through town for now. We need to look around.”
“As you wish, miss.”
Percy, halfway through a pack of Nerds Gummy Clusters, shot Rachel a curious glance.
“Do you know this guy?”
“No.”
He paused mid-chew, lowering the candy. “Then why did he drop everything just to help you?”
“Just keep your eyes open,” she responded, sighing. “Help me look.”
You had absolutely no idea what she was talking about until Percy explained that Rachel apparently came equipped with magical X-ray vision.
For the next hour, the SUV cruised through Colorado Springs while Rachel scanned every street, alleyway, and storefront
Whatever she was looking for, you certainly couldn’t see it.
Between the full stomach and everything you’d survived in the Labyrinth, your eyelids grew heavier by the minute.
Your head dipped once… then again… until it was only inches from coming to rest against Annabeth’s shoulder.
Before gravity could finish the job—
“Get off the highway!”
Rachel shot upright so abruptly that everyone in the SUV jumped.
“Miss?”
“I saw something,” Rachel said, leaning forward in her seat. “I think. Get off here.”
The driver cut across traffic and took the nearest exit.
Percy frowned. “What did you see?”
Rachel stayed silent, guiding the driver onto a narrow dirt road that jolted the car with every bump.
A few moments later, you rolled to a stop in front of a weathered building with a sign that read: Western Museum of Mining and Industry.
Old railroad equipment, rusted drills, pumps, and massive steam shovels were scattered across the grounds like relics from another century.
Rachel was out of the SUV before it fully stopped.
“There.”
She pointed toward the hillside.
You followed her finger, squinting at the landscape until you finally spotted an old mine entrance sealed behind weathered boards and heavy chains. It looked abandoned.
“You mean…” Annabeth stepped forward, studying it carefully. “A door to the Labyrinth? How can you be sure?”
Rachel looked from the boarded-up tunnel to the rest of you, her brow knitting together in frustration.
“Because it’s right there,” she said, sounding almost exasperated. “I mean… I can see it, okay?”
After thanking the driver and promising all was fine, Rachel hurried him back to the car. When it finally vanished down the road, the five of you climbed the hill toward the deserted mine.
The entrance looked like it hadn’t been touched in decades. Thick chains wrapped around the wooden doors, held shut by a heavy padlock engraved with Daedalus’s personal symbol.
Percy reached out and laid a hand against the lock until it clicked. The padlock sprang open, and the chains slipped to the ground with a metallic clatter.
Percy and Annabeth grabbed hold of the doors and kicked. The old wood groaned in protest before giving way, swinging inward to reveal the familiar darkness beyond.
The Labyrinth. Waiting for you.
You sighed. “…Fantastic,” you muttered. “I was starting to think I’d never see this place again.”
Nico snorted as he stepped past you.
“Missed it already?”
“Oh, terribly,” you followed him inside. “I was worried I’d have to spend the rest of my day somewhere safe.”
The Labyrinth welcomed you back with all its usual shenanigans—twisting corridors, hidden traps, and enough dead ends to make you question your sanity.
Thankfully, Rachel’s strange ability to see through the Mist kept everyone on the right path, guiding you steadily toward New York.
You had to admit, the place was a lot less terrifying with company.
The last time you’d wandered these tunnels alone, you’d been ready to curl into a ball and accept your fate. But with Percy, Annabeth, Nico, and Rachel beside you, the endless darkness didn’t seem nearly as suffocating.
“So,” you called into the corridor, “we just survived jumping out of a mountain together.” You smiled to yourself. “I’d say that’s a pretty solid bonding experience, wouldn’t you?”
Percy glanced back with a dry smile.
“Sure. Next time we bond, let’s do something less life-threatening. Maybe arts and crafts.”
Annabeth slowed, casting a curious glance your way.
“You know,” she said, “I never actually asked… how did you end up in all of this, [Name]?”
You cringed.
The problem wasn’t that you didn’t have an answer. It was that the answer was incredibly stupid. Confessing it to Nico had been humiliating enough. Telling Annabeth Chase?
…Mega Embarrassing!
“Well, I, uh..."
"He tripped into the Labyrinth."
Your head snapped toward Nico.
"Nico!"
He looked back innocently. “What? That’s basically what happened.”
“That's not—" You huffed. "You're making it sound like I tripped over a rock and accidentally discovered one of the greatest architectural marvels ever created!”
Percy raised an eyebrow. “So… you didn’t trip?”
“No!”
Annabeth’s lips twitched, fighting back a smile.
“Alright,” she said. “Forget the tripping part. Start from the beginning.”
With a sigh, you recounted the whole story, glaring at Nico every few sentences whenever he looked even remotely amused.
When you finished, Annabeth considered your story.
“Even if your potion had worked the way you intended,” she said, “I doubt it would’ve been enough. The Labyrinth is far too old, and it’s sustained by much older magic than anything a single potion could overpower.”
From the corner of your eye, you caught Nico looking at you with an expression that screamed, See?
You jabbed a finger in his direction. “Zip it, Di Angelo.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Percy cracked a grin. “…Well, I mean, you did kind of trip into the Labyrinth.”
“Oh, my gods!”
You marched right past the two troublemakers and firmly stationed yourself next to Annabeth and Rachel.
“I’ve decided I’m traveling with people who appreciate me.”
Rachel watched you approach before glancing at Annabeth for an explanation.
Gently, Annabeth reached over and patted your head. Catching Rachel’s questioning look, she silently mouthed, Just let him have this.
From a few steps behind, Nico observed the scene as he walked with Percy, a smile pulling at his lips.
It was nice.
Up ahead, Rachel and Annabeth fell into easy conversation, their laughter and voices echoing softly down the tunnel.
Things almost felt normal.
“Thanks for coming after us.”
Nico started at Percy’s voice. He looked up, the warmth fading from his eyes as he met Percy’s gaze.
“I owed you for the ranch, Percy,” he said after a moment. ”…Besides… I wanted to see Daedalus for myself. Minos was right, in a way. Daedalus should die. Nobody should be able to avoid death that long. It’s not natural.”
Percy’s eyes softened.
“So that’s what this was all about,” he concluded softly. “You were willing to trade Daedalus’s soul for your sister’s.”
For a moment, Nico couldn’t bring himself to answer.
“…It hasn’t been easy,” he said eventually. “Having nobody but the dead for company… Knowing I’ll never really be accepted by the living.” He swallowed. “The dead respect me… but only because they’re afraid of me.”
Percy was silent for a few steps before he spoke again.
“Maybe you don’t see it yet,” he said.“But you could be accepted. You could have friends at camp.”
Could he?
After everything that had happened… was that even possible?
Nico looked back at Percy.
“Do you really believe that?”
Percy’s eyes drifted down the corridor, where you were walking ahead with Annabeth, your hand clasped in hers as you skipped over a crack in the stone floor, animatedly telling some story that had Rachel laughing.
A small smile crossed his face.
“Yeah,” he said, looking back at Nico. “I do.”
Nico lowered his gaze before he could look at Percy any longer.
The silence that fell was so thick, Percy wondered if he had blurted out something terribly wrong.
As he rounded the bend, mentally scrambling for anything else to say, he walked straight into Rachel, stopping with an undignified, “Oof!”
Rachel barely reacted. She was staring farther down the tunnel.
Another passage branched off from the one you’d been following, disappearing into darkness.
Percy frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Annabeth’s attention shifted to the side tunnel. “Is that the way?”
Rachel shook her head, her expression growing strangely anxious.
“No,” she whispered. “Not at all.”
You didn’t like either the answer or the look on her face.
“Fine by me,” you blurted, eager to move on. “So… if we just keep going—”
“Then why are we stopping?” Percy asked. You briefly considered stomping on his foot.
Nico lifted a hand. “Listen.”
A cool breeze drifted through the tunnel, carrying with it the scent of something fresh and medicinal.
Percy sniffed the air. “Eucalyptus,” he said. “Like in California.”
Rachel shifted uneasily. “There’s something evil down that tunnel,” she said. “Something… very powerful.”
Nico’s face soured.
“The smell of death is strong.”
Percy and Annabeth exchanged a grim look.
“Luke’s entrance,” Annabeth murmured. “The one leading to Mount Othrys… the Titans’ palace.”
“I have to check it out,” Percy said.
“Percy, no.”
“Luke could be right there,” he insisted. “Or… Kronos. I have to know what’s going on.”
Annabeth hesitated before straightening her shoulders. “Then we’re all going.”
Percy shook his head. “No. It’s too dangerous. If they got hold of Nico, [Name], or Rachel…” He looked toward the dark passage. “Kronos could use them. You stay here and protect them.”
You barely heard the rest. Your mind had already wandered somewhere far, far away.
Kronos. The Titan King.
The being every camper whispered about around the campfire, the terror haunting even the gods’ dreams, was apparently waiting just down that tunnel.
Your soul quietly packed its bags and left your body.
Somewhere in the distance, you were vaguely aware that Percy and Annabeth were still talking. You couldn’t have repeated a single word even if someone had offered you a lifetime supply of cookies.
All you could think was:
The evil lair of the Lord of the Titans is right there.
This was definitely not on your summer bucket list.
You blinked yourself back to the present.
Annabeth was gently shaking your shoulders, her usually stormy gray eyes softened with concern.
“Are you with us?”
The world swam back into focus in slow, hazy pieces. Your thoughts still felt wrapped in cotton.
“Where’s Percy?”
Your eyes darted through the tunnel, but there was no sign of the son of Poseidon.
Annabeth’s hand slipped from your shoulder. She drew in a breath, and explained Percy went into the tunnel alone to scout the entrance to Mount Othrys.
“Is he going to be okay?” you sked.
“He’s Percy…” Annabeth answered, the words trailing off as though she were trying to convince herself as much as you.
“…He’ll find some way to be okay.”
“This is still unbelievable,” Rachel murmured.
Leaning against the wall, she stared at the dark passage, absently rubbing her arms.
“I mean, I guess it’s believable now.” She shook her head. “But… is this really your lives? Is this what you have to deal with all the time?”
Annabeth sighed.
“Most days aren’t like this.” The breeze stirred again, and she wrinkled her nose at the eucalyptus in the air. “But…” she gave a helpless shrug. “Yeah. More or less.”
Rachel fell quiet, lost in thought. You glanced at her.
“Can I ask you something?”
She turned to you. “Sure.”
“You said you can see through the Mist.” You hesitated. “Does that mean you can… see what things really are?”
“…I guess so.”
You reached beneath your shirt, your fingers slipping under the collar. Drawing the dome into the dim light, you held it out for Rachel to see.
“My dad gave this to me last winter,” you said. “He told me to keep it with me, but…” You paused, studying the tiny flower inside. “I still have no idea why. Can you tell me anything about it?”
Rachel leaned in.
“Hmm,” she said, gently tapping the glass. “It’s definitely missing a petal.”
She straightened and shrugged.
“Other than that… I’ve got nothing. It just looks like a flower to me.”
“Missing a petal?” you questioned.
That didn’t make any sense. The last time you’d checked, the flower had been nothing more than a shriveled little bud.
You lifted the dome and gasped.
Against all odds, the flower returned to life.
Its stem stood tall again, white petals shining with a vibrant glow beneath the glass. At the bottom of the dome, apart from the blossom, rested a lone white petal.
“How…?” you whispered, unable to look away. “Just a few days ago, this thing was completely wilted. How did it suddenly…?”
Annabeth stepped closer. “Can I see it?”
You passed her the glass dome. She turned it carefully in her hands, analyzing the flower from every angle.
“It’s an asphodel,” she murmured. “The flower of the dead…”
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to Nico.
He frowned back at her. “What?”
Annabeth looked at you again.
“[Name]… you said Anteros gave this to you?”
You nodded. “Last winter. About a week before the Winter Solstice.”
“That was…” Her brows furrowed. “During the quest to Mount Othrys. Artemis and I had already been captured.”
“Yeah,” you said. “Anteros came to me the same night the Hunters arrived at camp.”
“Then…” she said slowly, more to herself than anyone else, “wouldn’t that have been the same night Nico arrived at Camp Half-Blood?”
You hesitated as you pieced the timeline together.
“…I guess it would’ve been.
Nico looked between the two of you, his frown deepening.
“Okay…” he said. “Am I missing something?”
The mystery would have to wait.
Suddenly, the ground shook your feet, throwing everyone off balance. You stumbled sideways, crashing straight into Nico as another rumble ran through the tunnel.
“What was that?!” you hissed.
Rachel went completely still.
“Something very bad,” she whispered, her voice suddenly hollow. “...Something very bad is happening.”
Annabeth’s head snapped toward the passage ahead, alarm flashing across her face.
“Percy.”
This time, she didn’t wait for anyone to argue. She broke into a run, and the rest of you raced after her.
A gust of wind swept through the passage, carrying the scent of the sea.
You looked up in confusion. The tunnel opened onto the side of a mountain.
Far below, the ocean crashed relentlessly against the cliffs, each wave exploding into white foam.
You forced yourself to look away from the dizzying drop and followed the others up the path.
That was when you spotted a fortress of black marble looming overhead, its jagged towers stabbing into the gray sky.
The Titans’ stronghold.
The very heart of the enemy’s power.
Getting inside proved far easier than it should have. The enormous doors stood wide open, and not a single soul showed up to stop you as Annabeth led the way into the fortress.
The deeper you ventured into the fortress, the more the air seemed to change. Each breath grew heavier than the last, until your lungs felt too small for your chest.
You could not explain it, since nothing brushed your skin. Yet every inch of you felt pressed down, as if an invisible hand squeezed the life from your body.
Annabeth broke into a desperate sprint, forcing herself through the suffocating pressure. Hallway after hallway blurred past until she halted.
A colossal pair of doors stood open before you, unveiling a throne room beyond your wildest imagination.
You barely had a moment to take it in.
A black scythe swung through the air. Percy ducked beneath the blade as it whistled over his head.
Standing over him was a blond young man you didn’t recognize.
His eyes were unhinged, bright with a kind of manic excitement. He looked like he was seconds away from laughing.
“Percy!” Rachel screamed.
She yanked a hairbrush from her pocket and hurled it straight at the blond boy’s eye.
“Ow!”
Percy sprang into action, sprinting toward you and snatching Annabeth by the wrist as he charged ahead.
“Run!”
“Luke?” Annabeth gasped, stumbling after him. “What—?”
No time for questions. You all bolted after Percy.
Luke?
Your mind snagged on the name even as you ran.
That lunatic was Luke?
Having seen him now, you could believe every terrible story you’d ever heard.
Loose stones scattered under your feet as you burst onto the mountainside, sprinting for the Labyrinth entrance. A roar thundered from behind you.
“AFTER THEM!”
“No!” Nico spun around. He slammed his hands together.
A pillar of black stone burst from the earth, racing upward until it sealed the entrance to the fortress behind a wall of rock. Shouts of surprise bellowed from the other side, followed by fists pounding uselessly against the newly formed barrier.
“Go!” Percy shouted.
None of you looked back.
You plunged into the Labyrinth, your lungs burning as you struggled to keep up. You had no idea where Rachel was leading you, but at this point, trusting her felt a lot safer than stopping to think.
The tunnels opened into a cavern of pale stone, the walls slick with moisture.
Rachel was the first to stop. She doubled over, clutching at her chest as she fought to catch her breath.
“I… I can’t go any farther.”
Only then did your own legs give out.
You caught yourself against the cave wall, pressing your forehead to the cool stone while your chest heaved with every ragged breath. It took several long moments before the pounding in your ears began to fade.
Annabeth sank to the ground a few feet away. She folded in on herself, her shoulders shaking as sob after sob tore free, each one sounding like it hurt.
“Well…that sucked,” Nico said.
Percy let out a breath that was almost a laugh before dropping down beside him.
“You saved our lives, Nico.”
Nico lowered his eyes to his hands.
“I just… wanted them to stop following us.”
“You, uh… kind of gave yourself away.”
“What do you mean?”
“That wall of black stone? That was pretty impressive. If Kronos didn’t know who you were before, he does now. A child of the Underworld.”
Nico’s face barely changed. “Big deal.”
At last, your breath steadied. You peeled yourself from the wall and lowered yourself next to Nico.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out.”
Nico didn’t look at you. But he let his shoulder rest against yours.
“What…” Annabeth’s voice wavered. She lifted her head, her eyes red and swollen from crying. “What was wrong with Luke? What did they do to him?”
Percy let out a shaky breath.
“When I got into the throne room, there was this… coffin. Luke was inside it…At first, I thought he was dead. I didn’t understand what I was looking at until Ethan Nakamura stepped forward and pledged himself to Kronos.”
Ethan Nakamura.
That was the boy Rain had gone after. But if Ethan was there… then where was Rain?
“After Ethan swore his loyalty, the last piece of Kronos’s soul entered Luke’s body.”
Annabeth shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“No,” she sobbed. “That can’t be true. He couldn’t—”
“He gave himself over to Kronos,” Percy said. “I’m sorry, Annabeth… but Luke is gone.”
“No!” Annabeth shook her head. “You saw what happened when Rachel hit him.”
Percy glanced at Rachel. “You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush.”
You let out an involuntary snort.
Rachel’s cheeks reddened. “It was the only thing I had.”
“But you saw it,” Annabeth insisted, turning back to Percy. “When it hit him, just for a second, he looked… dazed. It was like he came back to himself.”
Percy frowned. “What is it with you?” he said. “Why do you keep defending him?”
“Whoa, you two,” Rachel cut in. “Knock it off.”
Annabeth rounded on her.
“Stay out of it, mortal girl! If it wasn’t for you—”
Her face crumpled, and she lowered her head as another wave of sobs overtook her.
Percy watched her, dumfounded.
You winced.
That conversation had gone about as well as a harpy in a china shop.
You’d never known Luke. Before today, he had been little more than a name, a cautionary tale whispered around Camp Half-Blood. But the figure you glimpsed in the throne room was nothing like the stories—he looked utterly lost to madness.
Yet whoever Luke had been before all this, Annabeth loved him enough to mourn him while he was still standing.
You crossed the small distance between you and crouched beside her.
“Hey…” you said gently. “I don’t know what happened in there… but I don’t think you imagined it.”
Annabeth looked at you through tear-blurred eyes.
“He was there,” she whispered. “I know he was.”
You nodded.
“I believe you.”
Nico pushed himself to his feet.
“We have to keep moving,” he said. “He’ll send monsters after us.”
Somewhere behind you, Percy helped Rachel to her feet.
“You were great back there.”
Rachel laughed weakly. “Yeah, well… I didn’t want you to die. I mean… just because, you know. You owe me too many favors. How am I supposed to collect if you die?”
You stayed where you were, offering Annabeth your hand.
“Annabeth,” you said gently. “Think you can stand?”
Annabeth scrubbed at her eyes.
“…Yeah.” Her voice cracked. “I just need a second.”
Even after saying it, she reached for your hand. You helped her to her feet, keeping a steadying hand on her arm until she found her balance.
As the group started forward again, everything that had happened on Mount Othrys kept replaying in your mind. Luke. Kronos. The black fortress perched above the sea.
Before the Labyrinth, the dangers of being a demigod had always felt distant, almost like a story told by someone else. Monsters were real, quests could fail, but it all seemed far away. Not anymore.
You stood in the Titan King’s home. You felt the crushing weight of his presence.
The thought that someone like him could kill you—or any of your friends—left you feeling impossibly small.
Percy came to an abrupt stop, raising his flashlight.
He hurried a few steps ahead before bending to pick something up from the ground.
“This is Grover’s cap.”
Crouching beside it, he studied a trail of deep footprints pressed into the earth.
“These are Tyson’s,” he said. “They can’t be old. They have to be close. We need to follow them.”
“What about Camp Half-Blood?” Nico asked. “We don’t have time.”
“They’re our friends,” Annabeth said firmly. “We have to find them.”
And so, you took yet another detour through the Labyrinth.
The tunnel narrowed until the walls became damp and slick, forcing you to slide down a steep incline.
You grimaced, feeling as if you were being gulped down by a giant, slimy aloe vera plant.
At the bottom, an underground river wound through the cavern. The urge to dive in, clothes and all, just to scrub away the slime, was tempting.
“Tyson!”
Percy rushed to the riverbank, where Tyson sat with Grover lying unconscious in his arms.
“What happened?” Percy asked.
Tyson looked up, frowning.
“So many things,” he murmured. “Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then… we got close to here. Grover got excited. He ran. Then we reached this room…” He looked down at the satyr in his lap. “And he fell. Like this.”
While Percy spoke with Tyson, you wandered a short distance down the riverbank and let yourself sink onto a smooth stone.
A few moments later, Nico noticed and drifted over.
“Tired?” he asked, sitting beside you.
You breathed out through your nose.
“Yeah.”
Nico studied your face, a flicker of concern softening his features.
“We’ll get out of here soon,” he promised. “Then you can hibernate until next summer.”
A tired smile tugged at your lips.
“That would be great.”
The river rushed steadily, filling the silence. You stared into the swirling water, your thoughts drifting far away. Nico stayed nearby, searching for words that would bridge the quiet.
“…Thanks,” you said suddenly.
Nico glanced over.
“For what?”
“For not leaving me behind.” You nudged a loose pebble with your shoe. “When I fell into the Labyrinth, you let me tag along. If you hadn’t…”
You swallowed.
“I’d probably be dead.”
Nico’s throat bobbed.
“…Why would I leave you?”
You shrugged, watching the river.
“Because I slow you down.”
The words came so softly they were nearly lost beneath the rushing water.
Nico’s eyes dropped.
“[Name]…”
The memory of your argument months ago replayed in Nico’s mind, along with every cruel word he’d thrown at you in anger.
“About what I said before… it wasn’t true. You’re one of the strongest people I know. I—”
“[Name]! Nico!” Annabeth called. “We’re moving!”
You pushed yourself to your feet, brushing dust from your jeans.
“You can tell me later,” you said, offering an easy smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Nico hesitated for the briefest moment before giving a small nod and following after you.
When you reached the riverbank, Grover was half-awake, his eyelids barely open.
“Hey, Grover,” you said.
Grover squinted up at you.
“…Cupid?” he mumbled.
“No,” you said with a laugh. “Just [Name].”
“…Close enough.”
Percy pointed across the river.
“We have to go that way,” he said. “Grover says he can feel something powerful beyond that doorway.”
Percy and Annabeth held Grover up as the group waded into the underground river. The moment icy water lapped at your knees, you gasped.
A few minutes ago, you’d been ready to dive in just to wash the slime off. You hadn’t expected the water to feel like liquid ice, so cold it made your legs ache.
The cavern gradually widened around you.
Enormous crystals arched overhead, their pale blues, greens, and violets casting ribbons of light across the stone until it looked as though an aurora had somehow found its way beneath the earth.
You slowed without meaning to.
There was something different about this place.
The air tasted fresher here. The tight knot of fear you had carried since Mount Othrys finally eased, just a little. Even your weary limbs felt lighter in the cavern’s glow.
Somehow, this place felt… safe.
“Oh… wow,” Percy breathed.
Your gaze followed his, and you stopped in your tracks.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale.
Wildflowers blanketed the cavern floor, their colors spilling through carpets of emerald moss that wound around towering crystal formations.
Animals wandered peacefully through the garden, some you’d only ever seen in mythology books, others you couldn’t begin to name. None of them seemed the least bit frightened by your presence.
At the heart of it all rested an ornate bed of living vines and polished wood.
An elderly satyr lay upon it, his great curling horns framing an old but gentle face.
A set of reed pipes rested against his chest, suspended from a cord around his neck. Though age had bent his body, his bright blue eyes remained startlingly clear as they settled on your group.
“Lord Pan!”
Grover dropped to his knees, and the rest of you quickly followed suit, though Percy remained standing for a heartbeat longer, too awestruck to move.
“Grover,” Pan said. His voice carried through the cavern like a warm melody. “My dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you.”
Grover lowered his head.
“I… got lost.”
A soft laugh escaped Pan, his eyes crinkling.
“So you did.”
Only then did Percy seem to realize he was the only one standing. He hurriedly dropped to one knee before blurting out, “You have a humming dodo bird.”
Pan smiled.
“Yes,” he said fondly. “That’s Dede. My little actress.”
A sudden flurry of white feathers stole your attention.
Swans glided toward you from every corner of the cavern, until you stood adrift in a sea of white. Their feathers brushed softly against your legs and hands, cool and silken.
Pan watched them with knowing eyes.
“My swans have always been excellent judges of character,” he said. “Anteros has raised a kind-hearted child.”
Your head snapped up.
“You know my father?”
Pan’s smile deepened.
“I knew him long before either of you walked this world.”
Annabeth gazed around the cavern, her eyes wide with wonder.
“This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” she said. “No temple or palace could compare.”
“I’m glad you think so, my dear,” Pan replied. “It is one of the last true wild places. The world above has forgotten much of what it once was. Only little sanctuaries like this remain… and even they will not last forever.”
“My lord,” Grover said, shuffling forward on his knees, “please… you have to come back with us. The Council of Cloven Elders will be overjoyed. You can save the wild.”
Pan reached out and gently ruffled Grover’s curls.
“You are kind,” he said softly. “Braver than you know. I chose well.”
Grover frowned.
“Chose? I… I don’t understand.”
For the briefest instant, Pan’s form shimmered.
His outline unraveled into wisps of green and silver. Around the cavern, the animals stirred uneasily.
Then, just as suddenly, Pan’s shape reformed. The warmth drained from his smile.
“I have slept for many ages,” he said. “The dreams have not been kind. Each time I wake, the world holds me for a little less time than before.”
He looked around the cavern, to the flowers, the crystals, and the animals resting peacefully around him.
“Now… there is very little of me left.”
“What?” Grover’s voice cracked. “No. You’re right here.”
Pan grimaced. “Long ago, I tried to prepare the world. I spoke to a satyr named Lysas in Ephesos and asked him to carry my message.”
“The old story,” Annabeth realized. “The sailor who heard a voice from the shore telling him to announce that the great god Pan was dead.”
Grover shook his head so hard his curls bounced.
“But that wasn’t true!”
“Not entirely,” Pan said. “Your people refused to believe it. Sweet, stubborn satyrs…” He chuckled softly. “You spent centuries searching for me, hoping to prove the story wrong. I have always loved you for that. But love cannot hold back time forever. It only made my farewell longer… and far more painful.”
Grover’s eyes filled with tears.
“No,” he whispered.
“Dear Grover,” Pan said gently. “There comes a time when even the oldest songs must come to an end. Your friend Nico understands.”
Nico nodded slowly. ‘He’s dying. He should have died long ago. This… this is more like a memory.”
Tears blurred your vision.
You closed your eyes, searching for the rhythm of Pan’s heart. It was still there, though each beat felt weaker than the last, like a candle struggling against the wind.
“Each of you must take up my calling.”
The words pulled you from your haze. You blinked your eyes open.
Pan’s gaze drifted slowly from one face to the next. One by one, he spoke to your companions. Though his words were different, each seemed to find the place in their hearts that needed them most.
At last, his eyes came to rest on you.
“Son of Anteros,” he said. His eyes studied the dome hanging around your neck.
“A flower from the Garden of Love should bloom beneath an open sky, little one. Yet yours carries the scent of deep earth. It is being forced to grow in a graveyard. You guard something far more fragile than a blossom.
You found yourself clutching the little glass dome through your shirt, your fingers curling tightly around it.
“Nico di Angelo…” Pan regarded Nico. “Do not let the voices of the dead drown out those of the living.”
Nico looked at him in silence.
Whatever passed between them left him motionless, and when he finally looked away, he didn’t say a word.
Pan’s attention turned back to Grover. The two of them spoke softly. When Grover finally stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the old god, Pan embraced him in return.
As they separated, Pan’s form unraveled into a white mist, the last traces of light slipping away with him.
Darkness swept through the cavern, swallowing the flowers, the crystals, and every trace of the sanctuary’s warmth.
A click broke the silence.
Percy’s flashlight flickered to life, its beam cutting through the darkness.
“Grover?” he asked gently. “Are you okay?”
Grover tugged his cap down over his curls, his eyes never leaving the ground.
“We should go,” he murmured. “We have to tell them.”
He swallowed.
“The great god Pan is dead.”
This time, you moved straight through the labyrinth, no more detours or distractions.
Soon, you stepped into an alleyway just off Times Square. Percy pressed two fingers to his lips and whistled.
Rachel looked up as the sound of whinnying echoed overhead.
“They’re beautiful.”
A flock of Pegasi soared between the skyscrapers, circling high above the rooftops before folding their wings and diving toward the alley.
Your face lit up.
“Fantasia!”
One Pegasus broke away from the others and flew straight toward you.
“You’ve gotten so big!”
It seemed only yesterday she was an awkward foal, sticking close to your side as you cleaned the stables.
You’d named her Fantasia because of her dramatic, windswept mane, and now here she was, soaring through the New York skyline.
She rubbed her nose against your shoulder before giving you an impatient nudge.
“Okay, okay,” you laughed. “I’m getting on.”
You swung onto her back and buried your fingers in her thick mane, which was even longer than you remembered. You’d have to braid it once you got home.
Off to your right, another Pegasus gave an anxious snort.
When you glanced over, the Pegasi pinned its ears back and shuffled away from Nico, who grew more irritated by the second.
“Seriously?” Nico huffed. “I haven’t even touched you yet!”
You bit back a laugh.
“Ruben,” you called.“Cut it out.”
“Ruben?” Nico repeated. “His name is Ruben?”
Ruben pawed at the pavement, looking very offended.
“Nico is a friend,” you scolded. “Now let him on!”
Percy returned after saying goodbye to Rachel, stopping at the sight of the ongoing standoff. He glanced from Nico to Ruben, then over at Blackjack.
“Go without me,” Nico muttered, folding his arms. “I don’t want to go back to that camp anyway.”
“Nico,” Percy said, “we need your help.”
Nico’s arms folded even tighter, his scowl refusing to budge.
Annabeth stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Nico,” she said earnestly. “Please.”
Nico’s scowl wavered just a bit.
“…Alright,” he muttered. “Fine.”’
Ruben finally lowered himself enough for Nico to climb aboard. A second later, the Pegasi launched into the air.
Cool wind rushed across your face as Fantasia soared upward, Manhattan shrinking below into a sea of rooftops and shining windows.
You took a deep breath.
After all you had endured underground, the fresh air seemed almost magical, too good to be true.
Before long, the city gave way to forests and coastline.
Then, at last, Camp Half-Blood came into view.
Your chest loosened.
Only when you saw the familiar valley below—the strawberry fields, the cabins, the Big House, and the lively Long Island Sound—did you realize just how much you had missed it.
Fantasia banked gracefully toward the camp, and moments later, all of you touched down between the cabins.
Chiron stood waiting, flanked by a satyr and a few Apollo archers.
The instant you spotted him, a dam inside you broke.
“WAAAH!”
You leapt from Fantasia’s back and dashed across the grass.
“Chiron!
The centaur barely had time to react before you crashed into him, throwing your arms around his middle.
“I was so scared!” you sobbed into his shirt. “I fell into the Labyrinth, and there was Kronos, and Pan died, and monsters kept trying to kill us, and I promise I wasn’t trying to misbehave! I was really trying to help! I’ll never do anything reckless again! WAAAH!”
Chiron sighed, though his hand came to rest gently between your shoulders.
“[Name],” he said patiently, “what you did was incredibly dangerous. It could have ended very badly.”
You nodded miserably.
“I know,” you mumbled. “I’m sorry. I’ll… I’ll take whatever punishment you think is fair.”
“I know you will,” he said, softening. “And I also know your heart was in the right place. You are hardly the only camper whose concern got the better of their judgment.”
He tipped his head toward the Athena cabin. You turned.
Two familiar faces vanished just around the corner.
Cecil ducked out of sight, but Ellis was a split second too slow.
Your eyes stung.
“Cecil! Ellis!”
You raced across the grass and tackled Ellis in a fierce hug.
“Whoa—!”
The impact sent both of you tumbling into the dirt.
“Group hug!” Cecil shouted, flinging himself onto the pile without a second thought.
You were too overwhelmed to care that you were now squished in an Ellis-and-Cecil sandwich.
“I missed you so much!” you sobbed, laughter tangled with tears. “I really thought I was a goner! The Labyrinth is terrifying!”
Beneath you, Ellis squirmed furiously, trying to shove you off.
“Maybe don’t be stupid enough to fall into it in the first place!”
“You’re amazing, [Name]!” Cecil beamed. “I barely survived Clarisse’s dodgeball game, but you made it through the Labyrinth!”
Another shaky, tearful laugh bubbled out of you.
“Oh, I love you guys.”
Off to the side, Nico stood beside Percy as he spoke with Chiron. He watched the three of you tangled together in a laughing heap.
A tight, uneasy pressure pressed down on his heart.
He couldn’t have explained why if someone had asked. All he knew was that looking away suddenly felt easier than looking at you.
With little time to spare, Chiron began speaking of the battle to come as he led Percy and the others toward the woods.
Nico followed wordlessly.
It took another minute before you finally managed to untangle yourself from Cecil and Ellis.
Dusting yourself off, you glanced around the camp. “…Where’d they go?”
Ellis jerked his chin toward the woods.
“The battle.” His features hardened. “The forest’s turned into a complete war zone while you were gone. Now that Luke has Ariadne’s string, it’s only a matter of time before his army reaches camp.”
Whatever was left of your smile faded.
“…Then I have to help.”
Cecil stared at you in disbelief.
“You just survived the Labyrinth,” he said. “And the first thing you want to do is throw yourself into another battle?”
“You don’t understand.” You shook your head. “I… I saw Kronos.”
Just saying his name sent your stomach plummeting.
“He’s taken Luke’s body. I saw what he can do…if Camp Half-Blood falls…” You swallowed hard. “I don’t even want to think about what happens after that.”
You turned to face them, willing yourself to stand taller.
“I can’t just stand here doing nothing.”
Ellis squared his shoulders.
“Then I’m fighting too.”
“Ellis, you don’t have to.”
“Yeah, I do.” He scowled. “I’m getting real tired of these ancient losers.”
He let out a sharp click of annoyance.
“They’ve been dead for thousands of years. It’s about time somebody reminded them to stay that way.”
⚠️ anxiety, panic attack, breaking a mirror, small amount of blood
Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the small bathroom cabin window, you stood still, water dripping from your face from when you aggressively splashed at it only a few seconds ago. Your knuckles were white from gripping the sink basin. You breathed in as steadily as possible, exhaling quietly before repeating the same breath. You stared at yourself, the onsetting darkness seemingly making your anxiety worse. You were terrified, and you had no idea why. You always struggled with anxiety, kind of hard not to when your parent is a literal Greek God, or when youre a camp counselor with too much to be done, or due to the fact you couldn't seem to do anything right recently. It's like the whole world was suddenly against you. Your friends weren't talking to you as much, you were falling behind in training, and you had to be a good example. But you just couldn't be. You weren't strong enough, not like Luke Castellan. Camps perfect little golden boy who never struggled with anything. He was always on top of everything. He was trusted. He was well liked. He didn't struggle with pathetic panic attacks for no real reason like you did. You wished you were more like him. You wished so hard but to no avail. This just made you feel even worse. You choked on your breath, unable to control it anymore. Your chest rose and fell rapidly, you felt like you couldn't breathe.
"no no no...shit..." You whined out quietly, fighting back tears. You couldn't have a full blown panic attack now. You had stuff to do. You couldn't hide away for gods know how long. You needed to get a grip. You tried sucking in another breath but you couldn't. The inability to take a breath made your head spin and your heart race even further. You caught sight of your reflection, anger coursing through you. You were so pathetic and oh so fucking weak. You were sick of it. Sick of having to run away and hide to control yourself, sick of being terrified of life itself. You were so angry it made you see stars. Without thinking you slammed your fist against your reflection as hard as possible, the anxiety and lack of a proper intake of oxygen causing you to spiral. You severely underestimated your strength, watching in shock as cracks appeared throughout the mirror. You stood back, even more mortified. Chiron would be furious. Dionysus would have your head. You shook violently, staring at your bloodied hand.
You were biting your lip as hard as possible, trying to prevent yourself from sobbing loud enough for people to hear.
The overwhelming sense of doom washed over you in full force, you would've gotten lost in it immediately if it hadn't been for a loud knock.
"hey [name]? I know you're in there... Are you okay? I saw you go in awhile ago, and I heard something break. Was that you?" Luke. Of course it was Luke.
"F-fuck off Luke" you winced at how pitiful you sounded.
"It's okay. I promise. I'm here to help alright?" He started to open the door
You stood back, desperately wiping your face but unable to stop your sobbing.
"hey hey it's okay," he closed the door behind him. He looked kind of tired, worn out from training today.
You looked away.
"I-I bro-ke the m-mirror" you stammered nervously, tears streaming down your cheeks.
"that's okay." He said gently, glancing at it briefly as he walked forward.
"what's wrong pretty?" He was right in front of you now, hesitantly putting a hand on your shoulder
You couldn't speak, panic swirling in your body and mind, you were desperately wiping tears from your face with your hand, probably smearing a little blood on your cheek too. You couldn't even fathom how pathetic you must look right now.
You stood back, pushing his hand off of you "Just g-go Luke."
You mumbled, trying to glare at him
"leave!" You shouted when he didn't budge.
He just stood there, staring at you with a calm softness.
"I'm not leaving you alone, let's sit down okay?" He began to lower himself, beckoning you to sit with him.
You basically collapsed to the floor, your legs shaking too much to provide stable support.
You put your face into your knees, hugging them tightly as you sobbed harder, taking in shallow breaths and wishing you could just disappear.
He moved forward slightly, not touching you.
"what's wrong?" He whispered
"I-im so p-p-pathetic!" You cried out
"I'm n-not p-perfect like you, I-I can't s-stop having stupid... panic a-atta-cks! I can't c-cope, and there's s-so mu-ch to be d-done!" You barely got out
"I can't do i-it anym-more. I'm not g-g-good en-nough!" you sobbed harder, the room felt like it was spinning
"hey hey you're not pathetic. Come on pretty don't be like that, you're doing just fine, you're more than enough" he shifted next to you, rubbing soft circles between your shoulder blades.
"come on, let's take a breath okay?"
"I ca-cant!" You spat
"yes you can, come on let's do it together" he took your hand, forcing you to let go of your knees. You looked up at him, you didn't feel real, like all of this was some sort of movie.
"deep breath in okay?" He began to inhale
You tried to do the same but your body seemed to convulse. You took five shallow breaths in, shaking your head as more panic seemed to rise.
"I can't b-breath Luke" you whined
"yes you can." He reassured
"come on let's try again?"
He began to inhale again, you repeated his movement, his thumb rubbed gently across the skin of your hand.
You finally managed to take a deep breathe in, oxygen flooding into your lungs despite your sobs. He exhaled slowly and you followed his example. You repeated the breathing for a few seconds, Luke sitting cross legged in front of you now, still holding your hand.
"Did you see Chiron fall today?" He muttered out casually, smiling slightly
"what?" You breathed out
"yeah. Some of the Ares kids accidentally knocked him over during one of their training games or something" he chuckled at the memory
"it was hilarious. All his legs AND arms were like flailing, couldn't get up without someone helping"
"poor Chiron" you muttered, your sobs shifting into sniffles
"Centaurs are pretty useless once you knock them over" he mused
You snorted slightly, beginning to stare at the cracked mirror.
Luke followed your gaze, turning slightly.
"your hand okay?" He took hold of your other hand.
"I'm really sorry" you hissed out
"apologize to the mirror not me" he joked
You just stared at him nervously
"okay, too soon. Got it." He nodded
"it's okay, don't apologize. It happens to the best of us. I know you struggle with this" he continued
"you know?" You muttered in shock, you thought you were at least a little secretive about your anxiety.
"yeah. I notice things" he shrugged, grinning slightly.
"the way you start to ball your fists, staring at the floor, you take deeper breaths, then you disappear to some random place. I follow you sometimes. Just to make sure you're okay. Usually you are, you get it under control, so I leave. But today seemed pretty bad" he shrugged "Also. You dropped these a few days ago" he brought out a small bottle of pills, you recognised them immediately as your anxiety meds.
"was gonna try leave it by your nightstand but I never got the chance to get into your cabin. And I didn't want you to feel embarrassed that I found them, I know you don't want anyone to know about this"
He handed you the bottle, fingers brushing against your hand. The bottle was empty. You remember finishing it, and you were completely out for now which is why these last few days had been especially hard.
"thank you Luke. Sorry I take out my jealousy on you all the time" you muttered
"oh like ignoring me?" He laughed softly
"yeah. s'ry" you lifted your shirt hem, wiping your face.
"I'm not perfect like you think. You're not pathetic for struggling. I do too. It's hard being us. I think you're plenty strong" he rested his hand on your knee, your body suddenly feeling very hot.
"I wish you wouldnt ignore me though. I like talking to you"
"even on these circumstances?" You snorted sarcastically, looking away
"yup."
"you must think I'm crazy"
He moved his other hand up to wipe a tear from your cheek. He lifted your chin slightly, forcing you to stare at him.
"not in the slightest"
Pain shot through you, there you were being all bitter about him, letting your jealousy get the best of you, and here he is, still helping you, still caring for you. He was too nice.
You began to sniffle again, tears threatening to spill again.
"you're so nice" you huffed
"does that upset you?" He looked baffled
You started to cry again, but it was without anxiety this time. He immediately pulled you into him, getting on his knees so he could hug you tightly.
"hey hey I can be mean, want me to be mean?" He laughed softly
You nodded vigorously
He laughed again, squeezing you slightly.
You stopped crying very quickly, but you clung to him pathetically. The smell of wood and lilies too good to pull away from.
"I'm so sorry Luke. I stopped getting this anxious ages ago, but I slip up"
"that's okay." He whispered
"why don't we get your hand treated hm? We can go get some supplies yeah?" he continued
You nodded slowly, letting him move away and then pull you to your feet.
He ruffled your hair slightly
"well I can tell you this, even after all that crying, you still look really pretty."
(Prince!Jason x Princess!Reader, in which, your childhood best friend knows what love is but when he sees you, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.) fluff
(not proofread)
You were in love, hopelessly in love by what everyone assumed. Your childhood best friend happened to notice how your laughter died down when you were in the presence of your arranged husband and his family, how your smile seemed drawn on, how you would sit stiff and hesitate to talk.
You were a princess that was expected for only greatness, to marry rich, to fulfill duties, to overcome the power and wealth everyone in your heritage had managed to achieve. Jason had been the same, to be a strong warrior for his father’s name, to prove to everyone he was somebody worth looking at.
With this pressure you and Jason found each other, you didn’t have to try to exceed expectations to be noticed, he just noticed and so did you. He appreciated having you with him, to tell you stuff in honesty without sugarcoating it, to tell him about things no one else knew, except maybe your other friends.
And when he realized he could just listen to you and you could listen to him while understanding, he knew that what he felt for you was nothing like the warm feeling of platonic comfort he felt with others, it was the feeling of surrendering to love, to be comfortable with settling down with no regrets.
“So, how’s the marriage coming along?” He asked, it had been months since you last talked, you hadn’t responded to his letters, all his mail he received seemed so unimportant compared to what he was really looking for, a sign of you.
“Good” you nod, attempting to avoid him. You knew Jason visited your parents castle in search of you for the past few months but you couldn’t face him. You were ashamed that you would never reach the freedom of being with someone your heart chose.
“Then why are you avoiding me?” He asked as he trailed after you in the fancy halls
“I’m not” you say as you continued walking
“You have, for months and even now, when I’m right in front of you” he says as he sped up as well
“I’m just tired” you lied
“What’s the point of understanding every part of you inside and out if you’re just going to lie?” He said as he continued trailing after you
“I know you aren’t happy with this, everyone knows this, so why can’t you just say it?” He said as you took a sharp turn to your bedroom door and locked the door
“I’m here when you’re ready to talk, to tell me the truth!” He said from behind the door. He touched the door handle and hesitated to leave, what if you really were happy and he would have to watch you fall for another man that wasn’t him?
You were forced to a ball, your last week of freedom before being arranged to marry a man who would never care as much as Jason did.
“You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” he said as you flinched at the sudden arrival
“What?” You ask
“Don’t. Don’t play that. You’re getting married in a dress you used to make fun of, you have vows being written for you, you're having your wedding ceremony at a beach! Y/n, you don’t want this wedding because if you did, you wouldn’t seem so sad” he said
“And you know this?” You say
“I don’t, I don’t know if you want this, but I know you. I know that you never laugh that small, I know that you don’t look at a man for approval just to start eating. So y/n, I don’t know. I don’t know if you actually dreamed of having your wedding with that man, if you want sand between your toes while you say vows that were written by his servants to sound hopelessly in love, I just wish you told me what you really felt” He says
“You’re being ridiculous” you say, you could feel your heart clench at his frown, how he shook his head in disbelief at your words.
“I’m here for when you want to admit the truth” he muttered before walking off. This was the Jason you wanted, the one who would always be there and wouldn’t leave without letting you know that.
You lay helplessly in your bed, hoping the wedding would never come, that you would never have to inherit the last name that sounded horrible with your name.
“y/n, you can’t do this” Silena said as she made her way to you, shutting your bedroom door and sat on your bed
“You have to tell me, why is Jason so moody and sulky?” She asked as you shrugged and she deadpanned
“You can’t lie to me, everyone wants to know what has thee Jason Grace sad!” She said
“He’s the one who said I look so sad for a girl so in love” you huff as Silena laughed
“So he’s jealous?” She asked
“No, he’s worried” you counter quickly
“He’s worried that you’ll go through with this and not run to him like he wants” she says
“Do you want this?” She asked after a brief moment of silence
“Yes…” you whisper
“If you did, you wouldn’t hesitate” she said
“Jason’s right. No girl in love would frown like you do, she wouldn’t be stuck to her bed for the wedding to finally happen and be over with, she wouldn’t have this!” She said as she pulled out the papers from under your pillow you hid before she came into your room
“Silena!” You yell, trying to snatch the papers back, she only ran off as you chased her down. Before you knew it, you crashed into her back as well, the papers flew before you could even attempt to catch them.
“y/n? Silena?” Jason asked as he grabbed your hand and helped you up to your feet before grabbing Silenas arm to help her up.
“You still have this?” He said, his tone quieter and softer than ever as he picked up the paper from the night you and him snuck out while you were younger. Writing vows to each other that you were so sure would be used for the day you would be y/n Grace.
“No, don’t-“ you say
“These are vows people didn’t have to lie about y/n, you wrote this because you knew what to say, you knew what to write for Jason, you didn’t need someone to write it for you” Silena said as Jason looked at you
“I have to go back to my kingdom tonight” he said before turning to leave
“You have to go after him” she said as you both watched him leave
“What? No, he made it final that he’s going back” you say
“He came to your kingdom for you! He’s basically begging you to chase him and wed him instead” you say
“If you don’t marry Jason he won’t marry anyone else, his heart is made for you” she said
As you tossed and turned at night, you couldn’t do it. Silenas words replayed in your head, Jason was never stoic around you, he never struggled handling you when you were stressed, he never failed to love you. You got up in your nightgown and into your parents office.
“Call the marriage off” you say, the arrangement papers weren’t signed off yet
“What? The wedding is in-“ your father says
“This is a huge money grab and power move for us” your mother cut off your fathers sentence
“I won’t sign the papers.” You say, instead you grabbed the papers and left.
In your nightgown you could only run through the castle, you didn’t know if Jason left or if he had been long gone, but you did see Tempest by the castle gates. You spotted Jason holding his bags, you couldn’t do anything but say his name quietly. Luckily for you, Jason had ears for you. He turned around like he had been waiting and laughed as he caught you in his arms after you ran into him. With the overflowing confidence from you choosing him, he kissed you. His hands caressed your jaw while he poured his feelings into the kiss.
“Finally ready to admit it?” He said
You and Jason sat in the spare room he was lended for visiting the castle, he tossed the arrangement papers into the burning fireplace, along with the written vows, his arm wrapped around you as he kissed your temple.
“So what broke you? My frown or Silenas scolding?” He smiled
“Seeing Tempest so sad when he realized he wasn’t going to see me” you smile as he laughed
“Oh really?” He asked as he nudged your head with his nose while you laughed
“I promise to love you, adore you, and cherish you the same way I did when we were both nine years old, my love for you will never wither away and we struggle as if we are one” he finished the last of his vows after you read yours, tears had already fell from his eyes the second he saw you in your wedding dress, the wedding you deserved. Jason definitely wasn’t the only one crying, people that watched on the sides wiped at their eyes. Thalia smiled as she watched Jason held your hand for your comfort though she knew he needed it as well especially as his voice shook while he read his vows.
“I pronounce you, Y/n Grace and Jason Grace as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride” they announced, Jason kissed you carefully and pulled away to guide you to the carriage, the kingdom watched while you waved goodbye through the back of the carriage. It was expected for the wife to live with the husband, luckily your husband was Jason. No arrangement forced on either of you and no feelings being pushed down.
“I’ll help you unpack once we get there” he smiled as you laughed, not like the suppressed laugh you pushed down but the laugh only Jason brought out since you both were little kids with a growing crush on each other. Jason took off your heels for you and smiled when you returned the smile full of affection. His pupils dilated to a tiny sliver of blue while faced with the girl of his dreams, he leaned in and kissed you again, to lock in the promises made. You no longer seemed so sad for a girl “so in love”, now a girl excited to experience the marriage between her and the man who had been longing for her presence.
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I was contemplating soooooo much on making this a Percy fic and please don’t attack me because I didn’t, I just needed to write about Jason. I’m so so sorry if I am way off about Jason in this one, I figured a prince and princess childhood best friends trope would be good with this but I feel like I misinterpreted Jason so bad in here but I don’t know, this is going to flop! Kisses kisses💋
(Luke x Reader, 10 things you hate about Luke) angst (?)
(You and Luke are dating in this fic and this is so not proofread)
I hate the way you talk to me and the way you cut your hair
Luke was a sucker for you, you could hear it in his voice, how he talked you compared to any other camper. How his voice quieted down unlike his usual leader voice he used for being the camp counselor, how he would quiet down when you were in a room, or how he managed to calm down any situation that stressed you out. You hated how much it proved he was the person for you.
You hated how he cut his hair with supplies he stole, how he would smile at you and wait for your input or approval. You hated his sloppy hands and the way he handled his hair, how he would get all cocky if it looked good at the end, you hated most how you would be happy seeing him happy. He would always be proud of his hands that cut his hair because he was self learned, no father to teach him where and how to cut hair that took weeks to grow back.
I hate the way you drive my car
You hated the careless way he drove the car you inherited from your parent before you went back to camp for the summer. One hand on the steering wheel while he held your hand with his right hand while being right hand dominant, in the beginning his left hand was unreliable until he learned how to drive with his left hand and hold your hand with his right. How he insisted when he left camp to drive you, it was your car and you hated how much he treated a car drive as an excuse to hold you.
I hate it when you stare
While he drove your car, while he cut his hair, while he trained, while he ate at his assigned table, while trying to win over the flag during capture the flag, he always stared. And when you finally caught his eyes he would only smile and wave.
You hated his stare, how he would anticipate the eye contact that was bound to happen, how his pupils would dilate slightly when he did stare, how you were his one weakness to his power.
I hate your big dumb combat boots And the way you read my mind
“Do you hate it?” He asked, a pair of boots he stole that he figured was cool
Before you said anything he just laughed
“You hate it, you just don’t want to tell me” he said, like he was reading your mind, you hated how he didn’t even have to ask majority of the time because he just knew. He knew you, he knew how your mind worked, he always knew what to say. You hated it, how he knew you better than anyone that ever cared to stay.
“I didn’t say that” you say
“You were thinking it though, I’m a mind reader” he joked with a smile
“No you’re not” you say as he laughed
“You’re thinking about how much you hate how I can read you so well, you hate the fact that you love me too” he replied with a victorious smile
I hate you so much that it makes me sick And even makes me rhyme
You wrote in your notebook, an assignment for school during your time off camp. 10 things you hate. As you wrote, your words and topic wandered off, the sick feeling of surrendering to Luke and being unable to get off the high of being in love.
As you wrote, it started sounding more like a poem, more like Shakespeare instead of a rant from a girl trying so desperately. The lines you wrote rhymed together, if anyone were to read it, they would think it was for a husband taking place in older days.
I hate the way you're always right
“The Gods are against us y/n, we are pawns to them and once one of their children die they find another one to take control of. They are using us for problems they created” he whispered, both of you sitting on a rock for what you thought was another date.
“You understand me the best, I understand you the best. We can make a new life, one where people aren’t born having to survive and they can just live without the burden of monsters or the pressure to exceed expectations our parents throw at us” He said, though you knew it was wrong, to betray everything you grew up learning, you knew he hadn’t been wrong and you hated that. You were born to take on struggles that others failed, to make your parent proud, to make yourself worthy by their words.
“You can’t deny that I’m right, we were screwed since birth” he said once he was met with silence
I hate it when you lie
“I don’t know who would steal the bolt” he said as you both discussed it. The bolt was stolen and everyone assumed it was Clarisse or even Percy.
You could tell Luke was lying, you hated how you could tell just by the look in his eyes, how you knew him so well that you knew he had betrayed you and everyone else. You hated how he lied, the unsure tinge in his voice, looking you in the eye while lying, how you’ve grown to learn his mannerisms.
I hate it when you make me laugh Even worse when you make me cry
Before you started dating Luke and while dating Luke, you hated how he made you laugh. How he made you the loudest in the room because of his stupid jokes, how he never shushed your laughter and only smiled at you when you continued laughing. It made a feeling swell in your stomach, embarrassment and love. You hated the rising feeling of heat to your face and you hated how his jokes made you laugh even on horrible days.
You especially hated now, how he left you crying when he poisoned Thalias tree. How he didn’t look back to face you, you hated him. He didn’t look back when he knew you were crying, because he could already read your mind. You hated him and he didn’t need to look at you to know, when he heard you crying and yelling after him as he weakened the barriers of camp you once felt safe in, he was sure the love you held for him was gone.
I hate it when you're not around And the fact that you didn't call
You hate Luke, how he wasn’t here to read your mind when you couldn’t say it out loud, he wouldn’t make you laugh the way he used to, he wasn’t here to stare at you with a stupid smile you claimed to hate, he wouldn’t be here for you to laugh at his stupid stolen boots, he wouldn’t be here to talk about a future no demigod had lived to.
In camp every time you would see a rainbow you wondered if Luke had ever wanted to ask the Goddess Iris to connect him to you one last time. You hated how you waited for his iris message that never came, you hated the fact that he never called you, not even to convince you one last time to rise with Kronos. How he left you completely and probably never thought about you.
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all
When you boarded the Princess Andromeda you faced Luke. You hated the familiar feeling rising in your stomach, the same feeling when he would look at you and just know what you were feeling and thinking.
As you heard his voice again you couldn’t help it, your grip on your weapon loosened. He sounded free, happier, victorious of the life he had away from camp, like he didn’t need you and never did. He knew it, you hated him, especially now. He always did, how you would be unused to how he loved you, or how you caught him staring. He knew you hated how much you loved him, and he didn’t want to change it, he just knew your love for him was far exceeded by his love for you.
“Did you… did you hate me?” He whispered while he was dying, using his lasts breaths to confirm what he feared the most, losing you to hatred.
“I hate how I don’t hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all” you say as he blinked slowly, your tears fell on his face.
“I’ll be waiting” he said, his voice giving out as he blinked away his life until he didn’t open his eyes again. Luke would never open his eyes again, he would never be able to do anything you hated, he would wait for you in Elysium alone, waiting for you with the stare and tone of voice you could only dream of now, Luke was a memory.
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I neeeeeddddd to write Jason fics because I need to write up to my name but I have no idea what to writeee and he’s so underrated like my fics on him flop. But for now here’s on about Luke and I hope you enjoyed it because I love this movie so so sooo dearly. Kisses kisses💋
Hey, love your writing and if you're comfortable with it please could you do a Leo Valdez x child of Hermes reader who races in motorbikes like in motoGP? It could be angst and have the reader due to an issue like a mechanical fault or a sudden change in weather (e.g. randomly raining heavily). I'll let you decide if it's full angst or if it gets better at the end. Hope you have a good day
Leo Valdez x Child of Hermes Reader — “Red Flag”
The roar of engines echoed through the valley like thunder. Not monster thunder. Better thunder. The kind that came from twenty high-performance bikes ripping across the track in a blur of color and smoke, just like the races in MotoGP. Leo leaned over the barrier fence, safety goggles pushed up onto his messy curls.
“Okay,” he muttered, gripping the metal railing. “You’ve got this… you’ve got this…”
But the rider he was watching wasn’t just any racer. It was you. A child of Hermes, fast, fearless, and apparently born with gasoline instead of blood. Your bike streaked around the corner, leaning so low Leo swore the knee pad scraped sparks off the asphalt.
“WHOOP—THERE THEY GO!” Leo yelled, pointing dramatically. “That’s my person! That’s my—”
A nearby satyr coughed. Leo corrected himself.
“—uh, very cool and extremely talented friend who I am definitely not emotionally attached to.”
But his fingers were crossed. You’d always been fast. Faster than most demigods. Faster than most humans. Hermes kids were natural racers, reflexes, balance, instincts. But motorcycles? That had been Leo’s idea.
“You’re literally built for speed,” he’d said months ago, wiping grease from his cheek while standing beside the custom bike he built for you. “And I build things that go fast. It’s basically destiny.”
You had laughed. Then you beat every racer on the track. The race was nearly over. Two laps left. Leo checked the sky and frowned. Dark clouds were rolling in—fast. Too fast.
“Uh…” Leo muttered.
Thunder rumbled. The first raindrop splashed against the track. Then another. Then suddenly—
RAIN.
Heavy rain. The asphalt turned slick almost instantly. Leo’s stomach dropped.
“Come on… come on…” he whispered.
Your bike sped into the next corner. But the rain made the track shine like glass. Your tires slipped. Just a little. Then—
SKID.
The bike slid sideways. Leo’s heart stopped.
“NO—!”
The motorcycle lost traction and crashed into the runoff zone with a violent scrape of metal and sparks. The race officials threw out a red flag. Everything stopped. But Leo was already running.
Leo hated two things more than anything.
1. Monsters hurting people.
2. His inventions hurting people.
And that bike? He built it. Rain soaked his shirt as he sprinted across the track. Demigods and medics were already rushing toward the crash site. Your bike lay sideways in the gravel trap. Leo’s chest tightened.
“Move—move—MOVE!” he shouted, pushing through the crowd.
Then he saw you. Sitting up. Helmet still on. Breathing hard. Alive. Leo nearly collapsed from relief.
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” Leo burst out, dropping to his knees beside you.
You blinked at him.
“I was… racing?”
“IT’S POURING RAIN!”
“It started after the corner—!”
“You could’ve been killed!” Leo snapped.
The words came out sharper than he meant. Your shoulders stiffened.
“Leo…”
But Leo’s hands were already shaking. He grabbed your shoulders, checking for injuries.
“Are you hurt? Concussion? Broken ribs? Internal bleeding? Sudden death??”
“Leo,” you said slowly, “I’m literally fine.”
You lifted your arm. Only a scraped sleeve and some gravel dust. That was it. But Leo still looked like he might cry.
He pulled off your helmet. Your hair was damp from rain and sweat. Leo stared at you for a long moment. Then he hugged you so suddenly you squeaked.
“Don’t do that again,” he mumbled into your shoulder.
“…Crash?”
“Almost dying!”
You snorted.
“I’m a demigod, Leo.”
“I KNOW! That’s the problem!”
You leaned back, studying him. His goggles were crooked. Hair soaked. Grease on his cheek. Eyes red from panic.
“You were scared,” you said softly.
Leo rubbed the back of his neck.
“Maybe.”
“You built the bike.”
“…Yeah.”
You nudged him with your elbow.
“It wasn’t the bike’s fault.”
Leo looked toward the wrecked motorcycle lying in the gravel.
“…I can fix it.”
You smiled.
“I know.”
Then you bumped your forehead against his.
“But next time,” you said, “you’re riding with me.”
Leo blinked.
“…On the track?”
“Yeah.”
“You trust me with that much speed?”
You grinned.
“You’re the fastest mechanic I know.”
Leo’s smile slowly returned.
“Okay,” he said.
Then he pointed dramatically at the broken bike.
“But FIRST—”
“Leo.”
“—I rebuild my masterpiece!”
You laughed. Rain poured around you and Leo Valdez was already planning version 2.0.
can I request platonic headcanons fem reader who is Nico's twin sister who is quite optimistic, energetic and has a bit of a sass and has the same interests as him in Mythomagic and pirates when they were younger and they looked very identical that is until Bianca's death happens and Nico ran away living in the Underworld which cause his appearance to change and they no longer look identical but they are twins in many ways despite Nico growing an inch taller than her, the reader also loves to gossip when there's a potential rumor going around and shares it with him, she also love to collect pins or make one she would wear them on her beanie(sorry if it's too much for you write you don't have too y'know)
As young children, you and Nico were absolutely indistinguishable, down to the same olive skin, messy dark hair, and large, intense dark eyes. You reveled in this, frequently swapping places for games or just to confuse poor Maria di Angelo. Your mother learned to tell you apart only by the sheer force of your distinct personalities: Nico was the quiet, intense one, and you were the loud, grinning blur of motion.
You and Nico were a legendary Mythomagic duo. While Nico was the master strategist, meticulously arranging his armies, you were the energetic hype-woman. You knew every single card, every bonus, and were the one yelling "Boom! You just got Hydra-d!" when he pulled off a perfect win.
Your shared obsession with pirates was intense. Nico was the brooding, silent captain, while you were the flamboyant, sassy first mate who kept morale high, shouted the orders, and handled the inevitable brawls. You still sometimes send each other GIFs of pirate ships when you're texting.
The loss of Bianca hit both of you hard, but it fundamentally changed how your demigod powers manifested. Nico, running into the Underworld, grew rapidly and his body took on the intense coldness and shadow-touched aura of his father's realm. He grew taller, his skin paler, and the darkness seemed to cling to him.
You remained largely unchanged in height (just slightly shorter than his current self) and maintained a healthier, more vibrant look, reflecting your sunnier disposition. When you finally reunited at Camp Half-Blood, the difference was stark. It was the first time in your lives you didn't look like mirror images, and it was a visual representation of the different burdens you had carried since Bianca's death.
Even though you no longer look identical, the twin connection remains fiercely strong. You often find yourselves saying the same thing at the exact same time, sharing a look across the dining pavilion that says everything, or feeling a sharp, unexplained pang of anxiety when the other is in danger.
You are the official gossip columnist of Camp Half-Blood (and sometimes Camp Jupiter, thanks to occasional visits). You are highly observant and have an uncanny ability to hear whispers even in the loudest crowds.
You never share your juicy scoops publicly. Your first and primary confidant is Nico. You'll corner him in the Hades cabin, close the curtains, and dramatically whisper, "Okay, Nico. I have the tea. Apparently, Will and Austin got into a huge argument over a ukulele, and Percy is trying to train a pegasus to deliver blue cookies."
Nico pretends to be annoyed or indifferent, giving you his signature eye-roll. However, he secretly loves it. He trusts you implicitly, and your ridiculous rumors are often the only things that genuinely make him relax and smile. He might even throw in a quick, deadpan comment, like, "Tell Percy he should try hellhounds instead."
Your signature look is a brightly colored beanie, usually a vibrant red or electric blue, that is almost entirely covered in custom-made pins. This is your way of adding fun color to the generally gloomy Hades cabin decor.
Each pin tells a story. You make most of them yourself, and they range from silly inside jokes ("I Survived a Sassy Satyr," "Ask Me About Crop Rotation") to tributes for Nico ("Mythomagic Master," a tiny skull, a little drawing of a pirate ship).
Every few months, you lovingly make a new custom pin just for Nico and secretly slide it into his jacket pocket. They are usually small, subtle, and meaningful, like a tiny skull holding a miniature rainbow flag, or a card for his favorite Mythomagic monster. Nico, who never wears any camp paraphernalia, always keeps them. He usually slides them into a secret pocket in his aviator jacket, keeping them close even if he won't wear them publicly.
Being the Daughter of Hecate and a Devotee of Aphrodite Around the Camp.
You were always a contradiction to people at first glance. A daughter of magic, crossroads, ghosts, and ancient power, but dressed in soft perfume, gold jewelry, and silk ribbons blessed at Aphrodite’s shrine. Your cabin smelled like candle wax and roses instead of sulfur and spell smoke. You knew love charms and hexes with equal mastery.
It made people underestimate you. That was their mistake.
Percy Jackson
Percy thought you were terrifying the first time he saw you smiling sweetly while threatening a harpy with a curse so complicated even Annabeth looked nervous. But he also found you weirdly comforting.
You had this calming presence when his nightmares got bad after quests. Maybe it was your magic. Maybe it was how gently you touched his face while whispering protections in Ancient Greek.
He trusted you faster than most people because you never looked at him like he was “the chosen one.”
You looked at him like he was just Percy and Percy would absolutely sit with you during late nights by the lake while you braided charms into friendship bracelets.
“Is this gonna explode?”
“Only if someone hurts you.”
“That’s kinda romantic.”
You’d roll your eyes while he grinned. He secretly loved when you wore Aphrodite-blessed perfume because he associated the scent with safety.
Leo Valdez
Leo flirted with you immediately. He thought the whole “mysterious witch girl who also acts like a lovestruck poet” thing was insanely attractive. You flirted back just enough to drive him insane.
Leo would bring you random enchanted trinkets he made because he loved watching your eyes light up when magic interacted with your own powers. You’d add tiny spells to his inventions in return.
The two of you together were chaos. Camp Half-Blood banned you from “experimenting” together after the incident with the animated bronze doves that kept attacking Clarisse. Leo also loved how you understood loneliness.
Children of Hecate were often avoided. Children of Aphrodite devotees were underestimated. You understood what it felt like to be dismissed until people saw what you could really do. He’d probably fall for you harder than he intended.
Nico di Angelo
Nico trusted you because you never feared darkness. You talked to ghosts like old friends. You lit candles for forgotten spirits. You stood at crossroads at midnight without trembling. He noticed.
Most people treated death carefully around him. You treated it gently. You’d sit beside him in silence while shadows curled around your feet, your hand resting near his but never forcing contact and because of your devotion to Aphrodite, you understood love in all forms, romantic, platonic, tragic, impossible.
So Nico never felt judged by you. He probably confessed things to you before anyone else. You became one of the few people who could pull him out of his isolation simply by saying:
“Come sit with me.”
And he would.
Annabeth Chase
Annabeth was skeptical at first. Not because you were a daughter of Hecate, she respected magic. But because you openly worshipped Aphrodite. Annabeth expected someone shallow.
Then she watched you dismantle an ancient curse in under five minutes while explaining the emotional symbolism hidden inside the spellwork. That changed everything. The two of you became terrifying together. Brains and magic. Architecture and ritual. Logic and intuition.
You helped Annabeth understand that love itself was powerful, not weak and Annabeth helped ground you when your magic became emotionally overwhelming.
She’d absolutely edit your spellbooks because your handwriting was “a crime against humanity.”
Piper McLean
Piper adored you almost immediately. Finally, someone who understood Aphrodite beyond beauty and gossip. You understood devotion, emotional intelligence, vulnerability, desire, heartbreak, self-expression.
The two of you would spend hours discussing the different forms of love while making enchanted cosmetics and charms together.
Piper especially admired how you balanced softness with danger. You taught her that femininity could be intimidating.
Meanwhile Piper helped you loosen up emotionally when you buried yourself too deeply in rituals and responsibilities. You two definitely had sleepovers involving, love readings, gossip, curse discussions, skin care and summoning rituals. A completely normal girls’ night.
Hazel Levesque
Hazel found your magic beautiful. Old magic. The kind that felt ancient and respectful rather than flashy. You reminded her of moonlit rituals and whispered prayers.
Hazel especially appreciated your gentleness with cursed things. You never treated dangerous magic carelessly, which made her trust you deeply.
The two of you probably spent evenings practicing magic together in the woods while talking quietly about fears neither of you admitted aloud to others. Hazel would also love your Aphrodite side because you encouraged her to embrace beauty without guilt.
Not vanity. Beauty. There’s a difference. You’d braid flowers into her hair while she smiled shyly.
Will Solace
Will thought you were both concerning and gorgeous. You’d casually mention things like:
“The dead have been unusually restless tonight.”
And he’d stare at you like:
“Please never say that before breakfast again.”
But he admired how caring you were beneath the eerie aura. Your magic worked wonderfully alongside his healing abilities. Protective charms, calming enchantments, sleep spells, the infirmary became much easier with you around.
Will also loved how affectionate you were because of your Aphrodite devotion. Not overly dramatic affection. Just intentional affection. Holding his hand absentmindedly. Fixing his collar. Kissing bruises before he healed them. He melted every time.
Luke Castellan
Luke was fascinated by you. Not just because you were powerful. Because you saw through him. Children of Hecate understood crossroads better than most people. Choices. Consequences. Temptation. You could tell there was something fractured inside him long before others noticed. And your devotion to Aphrodite meant you believed love could save people.
That became dangerous. Because Luke wasn’t used to someone looking at him with understanding instead of admiration or suspicion. He’d flirt with you constantly, but there was always tension beneath it. You made him hesitate sometimes. Made him wonder if he could still turn back and honestly? That terrified him more than monsters ever could.
Jason Grace
Jason respected you almost immediately. You carried yourself like someone older than your age, calm, poised, careful with your words.
But then he’d catch you laughing with Piper or threatening Leo with glitter curses and realize you were also ridiculous. Jason liked how balanced you were. Your Hecate side understood strategy and caution. Your Aphrodite devotion understood emotional connection.
You were someone who could mediate arguments without losing authority and Jason, who often carried leadership like a burden, found himself relying on you emotionally more than he intended.
You were one of the only people who could convince him to rest. Mostly because your voice during spells was ridiculously soothing.
Lityerses
Lityerses was completely caught off guard by you. You were elegant. Beautiful. Soft-spoken. And then you threatened someone using ancient curse magic with the sweetest smile imaginable.
He fell in love a little immediately. Lityerses especially admired your confidence. You never hid your femininity to appear stronger, and that fascinated him because most demigods treated softness like weakness.
You’d probably tease him constantly while helping him unlearn old beliefs about strength and masculinity and he would absolutely become protective of you after realizing how often people underestimated you.
“You know she could literally curse your bloodline, right?”
