Annabeth clutched Percy's hand. The fire that lit their path was enormous. It bent and twisted in vicious ways. It looked like it was yearning for human flesh, wanting to be close to something, someone. Annabeth had that curious look in her eyes Percy knew all too well. He clutched back and looked down at her. She was only a little shorter than him, but he still had to look down. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She smiled up at him.

"If this is the way I'm to go," Percy thought, "at least I'm happy."

They plunged toward the fire, weapons ready. Annabeth put on her invisibility cap, as Percy had instructed for her safety. Suddenly everything went dark. The world. Life. Everything. Percy fell to the ground.

"Annabeth!" he yelled. "Annabeth!" he screamed again. He felt breaths, short and heavy, over the back of his neck. He felt hands on his back, pressing him to get up. He looked up. Now he could see. He saw a puddle of blood in front of him. Looking around for Annabeth, he stood up. Racing further into the fire-light world that was left, he readied his sword once again. He leaped into darkness, thudding against something hard and rocky. A rock troll rose up before him, laughing at Percy's attempt. Percy saw the soft spot on the troll, the only place it could be killed. A soft patch of grass and leaves stuck just under his armpit.

"This is going to be a stinky situation." Percy said, racing forward as he stabbed aimlessly and pointlessly at the monster.

He heard a scream, and kept fighting. He felt beads of sweat gathering. The blood had lessened. Racing forward again, the monster swatted at him. He fell backward, onto the cobblestone squares that were the path to the beast. His vision was fading quickly. His head was blurring as thoughts ran together. He felt Annabeth.

"Come on Seaweed Brain. Stay alive. I stayed for you. Keep on doing it. Keep on staying alive. For me, Seaweed brain. You don't even have to fight. Just stay alive." Annabeth said, charging the monster. Percy knew better.

He lifted himself up. He saw Annabeth shaking her head, he heard her warnings. That was the last of what he saw. His eyes stopped, and the rest of him continued being infinite.

Percy heard Annabeth screaming. He heard his footsteps echo through the corridors and slap against the cobblestone. He heard the monster roar with laughter, then screech at it's own downfall. He heard his own laughter at the monster, loud and frighting. This version of him was scary, even to himself. He heard the monster fall with a loud BANG! He felt his sword stab into the monster's weak spot. Percy heard it scream and die. As his vision returned, he saw Annabeth looking scared in the corner.

"Percy…" She said. "You just… that was scary, Percy. Please don't ever do that again." She looked really very scared.

Percy began to cry. "A-Annabeth… I don't know what happened… I had to protect you… I blacked out. I heard things, and then I saw the dead troll." he said.

"Okay, Percy, I believe you." She said. She ran full speed at him and hugged him. She cried into his shoulder and kissed deep into his collarbone. He pressed into her lower and upper back with each hand so he could hold her tighter.

"Annabeth, I just, I love you so much. Please… Please don't ever let me go." He said. "Oh. Come on. I need to ask you something, but not here."

Percy and Annabeth walked back to camp.