I MEET DEATH - LITERALLY.

In my dream, I was looking at Kronos -Luke-. He was smiling. He said : "Isn't the gods so cruel, Percy Jackson?"

I just stared.

"They used you as a pawn and threw you away when you were not needed anymore. Think, Percy Jackson. Did the gods even care about you when you and your mother was about to be killed by Minotaur? Did they even care when our army attack your camp?"

I tried to reject the idea. Kronos was just trying to anger me. But way too late. Something was boiling inside me already.

"You can have wonderful future with me, Percy Jackson."

Kronos gave me a cruel smile. I flinched. He held out his hand, and my hand was going up. What was I doing?

"NO!"

I tried to pull my hands back, but it was going up - Until my hand grasped Kronos's.

"Look, Perseus Jackson, I said you will meet miserable ending. But not until you work for me."

"I won't work for you."

"Oh, will you?"

Kronos moved aside and behind him, my mother was pushed to her knees and bleeding.

"Your mother came to save you. She thought you were here. If you does not come to my camp until dawn-"

He gave me a chilling grin. I froze, waiting for him to finish.

"Your mother will die."

And everything began to fade. I looked at him in horror. Kronos mouthed : Until dawn, Perseus Jackson.

I woke with a start. Where was there? How will I get to Kronos? I got up and ran from my school to my mother's candy shop. No sign of the great army. I slumped down, depressed. I didn't want to lose another special person. I wanted to live happily ever after with my family, which won't happen. Depressed, I stood up and started searching again. Maybe a clue, please.

After a while, I found it : The camp of Kronos. It was extended across the plain field which had no plants, but dirt and rocks. I slowly stepped into the camp. Nobody, nothing, was there. Relived, I began walking into the core of the camp. No monsters. My instincts was screaming, Get out from this place! It is dangerous!, but I ignored it and searched for my mother. After full-hour's searching, tired, I leaned against a rock, until I realized it was not a rock. I backed up in 'whatever-this-is-I-have-to-run-away' way. But heavy hands grabbed my shoulder, making it even harder to get away. I struggled, pulled, pushed, kicked, stabbed, but no use. Finally, I relaxed my body and looked around at my surroundings. Monsters, monsters, monsters everywhere. And in middle of them, Kronos was walking towards me.

"I didn't think you'd come, Percy Jackson."

"Where is my mother?"

"Don't worry : you'll meet her soon enough."

"Yeah."

I returned annoying replies to make Kronos angry, but it didn't work the way it was supposed to. I expected him to challenge me one on one, but instead, he brought his scythe to my neck. It left a gash, but it felt like my whole life was streaming out of me.

"Cooperate, Percy Jackson. Or you'll face death."

"Okay, whatever."

Kronos frowned and backed away.

"Take him to the jail. Do not give him any food or water until he joins us."

And that was it. I was locked up in a small room without any windows. Worse, I had a dream that day.

Poseidon was looking at me. I was lying on the ground. My whole body was burning. Blood covered my eyes. Poseidon turned away. I would have screamed, but I remained silent. Did I imagine it, or did Poseidon have tears running down his face?

The day after that was bad. I hadn't any food or water since I was imprisoned. My stomach was rumbling, and my throat were dry. I didn't need food -not yet-, but I did need some fresh water.

'Cooperate, Percy Jackson. Or you'll face death.'

I tried hard to ignore that word.

'Do not give him any food or water until he joins us.'

I instinctively licked my cracked lips. It tasted blood.

'until he joins us.'

I will never join your stupid army, I thought, try teaching a sword fight to a street cat passing by instead.

I managed a small grin at my own joke, but stopped. This was serious. I could die whenever Kronos wanted.

I wanted to die, in fact, but not by Kronos. I would rather be killed by Poseidon than being killed by Kronos.

Five days passed, and I didn't had any food. Really, nothing. I was in great need of water. Warm, hot, chilling cold- any water I could get in this situation. I thought Kronos had finally given up and was going to kill me when he appeared in front of my cell with two Dracanae on his side. I stared. Kronos made a gesture, and my mother was being dragged towards my cell. I jumped up.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MOTHER!"

"Thought we needed something,"

Kronos smiled at me.

"Now, will you cooperate?"

"Never."

"I thought you'd say so,"

And he got hold of his scythe, and aimed it at my mother's throat.

"Still not cooperating?"

"... I will."

Pleased, Kronos sent her away with a flick of his hand. He came one step closer to me.

"I'm planning on a attack, Jackson."

"What attack?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"Why, camp Half-Blood, of course."

"What?"

Kronos grinned. He answered.

"If you don't fight, your friends will die, starting with your mother."

And he left. I sat there, staring at the wall.

The next morning, we arrived at the labyrinth's entrance, which lead to camp Half-Blood. Monsters were armed heavily. I followed behind. If I could and my mother were not being hold back at the jail, I would have killed as many monsters I could in couple seconds. This was a exception. We entered the labyrinth and walked down the dark tunnel, until we came to a stop. My heart felt like it was beating almost five times in one second. The door opened. A Familiar voice yelled,

"Everybody- In their positions!"

With a cry, the monsters charged the campers. I left behind in the tunnel.

"Go and fight, Percy Jackson."

Cold voice of Kronos ordered. I closed my eyes tight and slowly walked out the tunnel. I was very glad that nobody noticed me.. Yet. What should I do? I will certainly not kill or harm any of the campers. I won't. I opened my eyes. Some campers were staring at me. Some were grinning in welcome. How could I kill them- Even harm them? I wanted to explain, explain everything, but I felt the eyes of Kronos boring into my back. What was more important : Mother or friends? I knew what would my mother say : "Save your friends, Percy. I'll be fine."

Will I be fine? Will I be fine, after loosing all of my family and friends? Certainly not. So I raised my sword. Kronos snickered in triumph, and the camper's eyes hardened. Some even raised their bows and aimed it at me, until I aimed the tip of the blade at my abdomen. I started taking in every last bits, memories, faces of my friends. I would do anything to fight in middle of them. But not now, not like this. I raised the blade and plunged it into my body. Searing pain exploded, and I fell. Alarmed cries rang out, and campers started rushing towards me. But before they reached my body, my vision faded into darkness.

A camper that had gone by Percy's body to examine him, stood, with tears brimming in his eyes.

"He's dead, Chiron."

A fresh wave of shock rippled through the campers. Thunder boomed, and a bright light flashed. When the light faded, the god of the seas, Poseidon himself was standing there. He didn't wait for a word of respect, he simply walked over to Percy, knelt and wept. Nobody dared comfort him. Kronos has fled, monsters disintegrated, and a Son of Poseidon dead. With a body becoming cold and stiff inside a god's arms, the battle ended.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in DOA recording studio. So I was dead. I walked up to Charon, and surprisingly, he let me in with a curt nod. Bewildered, I got on the elevator, and was standing in a boat. When I reached the dock, I started towards the gate. Somebody was waiting there, The Lord of the Dead and his son, Nico di Angelo. I reached them, and Nico hugged me tightly, crying.

"I got to camp, and they say you d-died, and I wanted to see your body, but they say t-they b-b-burned the shroud already, and-"

"Nico."

"B-but, you d-died, and you and T-thalia and A-anabeth were the ones that wasn't afraid of me, but now Thalia's w-with the hunters and Anabeth with her p-parents and you, you dead. W-what shoud I do? Now I can't-"

"Nico. Everything's fine."

Nico wiped away his tears, and I noticed Hades for the first time. I realized that I had a question.

"Where is my mother?"

"She's-"

"She's alive, is she?"

"She's dead, Perseus."

I stood in shock. Dead. Mom. Dead.

"Y-you are kidding right?"

Hades shook his head. My vision swam with red. I stood like a rock for a second, and then, screamed as loud as my neck could go, tears blurring my vision. Why did my life suck so much?