His green eyes darted around and he gave a sigh. The sky was clear giving light to the blossoming flowers in the gardens. Their flowers bloomed gracefully as they attract dazed bees in their gentle scent. Just over the horizon, the strawberries were flushed red and ripe, ready to be picked and ravished. The birds were singing sweetly like the muses with their harps. The grass was even greener despite being under the heat of the sun.
All in all, it was a beautiful afternoon, as if the gods were mocking him.
He frowned, his tired eyes focusing on what's in front of him. A line of dead bodies.
What was wrong with the world? He asked himself as his hand tightened around Annabeth's hand.
She looked at him, her eyes swollen from tears.
He looked away. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't deal with the disappointment in her eyes. He couldn't deal with the despair at the back of her mind. He had one job— just one job— and he couldn't do it right.
He looked at the casualties of his mistakes. He looked at the people mourning over the dead.
He looked at Nico and he could see the hatred brimming in his mind. His tears were falling and they seem to never stop. He's been crying for days, cursing the Gods for giving them such fates and clutching the only thing left for him, a necklace that resembles a sun.
He looked at Jason holding Piper closely, muttering encouraging words that kept her sobbing at bay. Next to them was Calypso whose eyes looked like an empty shell of nothingness as her hand clutch a bag of tools. Hazel was down on her knees with Frank holding her.
And then there was Drew, Mitchel, Sherman, Miranda, Clovis and… he couldn't count them all anymore.
"She was our rock, our foundation, our mother, the best sister we could have asked." Percy heard Harley speak between hiccoughs and sniffs. His hair was a mess and his eyes were darker from last night. "Nyssa will never be forgotten. FOR OUR HEROES!"
"FOR OUR HEROES!" Everyone cried desperately with their voice hoarse from the previous fight.
It has been deadly, the worst in fact. The titans or the giants weren't even behind it. What they fought were the minor gods and goddesses. There wasn't a prophecy. It just happened. Everyone was poisoned. The communications were barred. It was like being imprisoned with no way out. The worst part was you can see everyone die before your eyes.
He can see them suffocate in the air, scratching their throats for leverage, their faces going blue from the lack of air, some being attacked by lesser demons biting and snipping their flesh. He saw some burn in Greek fire and some drowned in the river by some sirens.
He couldn't forget. The memory alone sets his muscles tense. He can still see as he close his eyes. The cries for help, the laughter that echoed, the screams of pain— he can see them all. All he has to do was close his eyes.
"Percy" Annabeth called for him, trying to get his attention away from his thoughts. "It's not your fault." She promised as her eyes wandered from him to the bodies in front.
"It is my fault." He whispered to himself as he remembered the blissful morning he had with the dead in front of him. "I shouldn't have—"
"Daddy?" he heard Charlie spoke looking scared and confused. "It's okay. I'm here."
Percy only smiled. Right, he saved Charlie. At least he didn't fail as a father. He thought to himself as he brought the girl into a hug, her blonde curls sways and he held her tightly.
"I'm sorry." He whispered as tears threaten to fall from his eyes. "I'm very sorry, Charlie."
She sniffled and suddenly tears fell from her eyes. "Everything's going to be okay." She said with an effort to smile, showing her pearly whites and kissing her father on the nose— the same way he'd do when she's upset.
"Yes, that's right." Percy said returning the smile as he wipes away her tears. His eyes were burning too and he couldn't help it. He tried to blink the tears away but he couldn't.
"Percy" Annabeth called to him again but he ignored her.
"Percy" Grover called and it was his time to speak. Everyone turned their heads to him and he stood there frozen, unable to speak.
"Percy" She called again and he couldn't stop his tears from falling. He held on Charlie tightly and wished it was all a dream.
"Do you want me to do the honours?" Grover asked but Percy told him no.
"I'm fine." He said as he let Grover took Charlie in a hug.
He looked around and knew he wasn't the only one. Everyone lost someone dear to them in this war. It wasn't just him.
"Percy" Annabeth called again her eyes full of grief and sorrow and he looked straight at her, his arms tense and body rigid.
He remembered the morning she woke him with a tickle. He remembered her face as he showed her his acceptance in university. He remembered how she kissed him when he asked her to marry him. He remembered their tiny apartment filled with her scent and books. He remembered her singing lullabies as she cradled Charlie in her arms. He remembered her.
"I'm sorry Annabeth." He said with finality. "I couldn't save you."
lol this is just something like a light bulb nothing more, noting less. if you're reading my other works then thank you though i can't really update anything yet because the other laptop broke and the continuation is there like the rest of my school work. anyway thanks for the read hart hart!