Hand in hand, Percy and Annabeth carefully made their way through the dark cavern. The air was cold and smelled of dust and rock. With every step, the floor creaked under them in protest. There were already several spots where it had caved in, leaving holes the size of cars. Above them, sunlight shone through the cracks in the ceiling, casting an eerie, golden glow on everything it touched. The entire place was covered in cobwebs. Arachne's massive, woven tapestries hung from the walls.

As they walked, Percy heard something that stopped him in his tracks. It started out as whispering, so soft he thought he was imagining it, but judging from the look Annabeth gave him, she could hear it too. Slowly, the voices—raspy and inhuman—grew louder. Over and over, they chanted, "Gracious Earth Mother, accept our offering."

"Let's get out of here," Percy said.

They had almost made it to the ladder when suddenly, Annabeth cried out and collapsed. She was being dragged backwards, straight towards the edge.

"Annabeth!" he yelled. He tried to lunge for her, but something was pulling him back. Confused, he looked down. There were thin pieces of thread wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and waist. Spider silk, he realized.

"Percy, help me!" He tried desperately to yank free, but it seemed like the more he struggled, the more tangled he became. The voices were shouting now but a single laugh cut through the commotion, echoing through the cavern. "If I go to Tartarus, then so will you!" Arachne cackled from below.

"No!" Percy growled, hopelessly thrashing against the spider webs.

Annabeth's eyes were wide with fear. She clawed at the ground but there was nothing to hold onto. Tears streamed down her face. She knew what was about to happen as well as he did: she was going to fall, and there was nothing he could do to save her.

Arachne's bellowing laugh shook the entire cavern. Helpless, he watched as Annabeth, slipped over the edge.

Percy woke up with a start, the sound of Annabeth's cries still ringing in his ears. His heart was pounding like a drum inside his chest. The cavern had disappeared and he was in his bunk in the Argo II. It was just a nightmare, he told himself.

Still, he had to be sure. He tossed his sweat-soaked covers aside, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. The floor was cold on his bare feet as he quietly walked down the hallway to his girlfriend's room. Sure enough, Annabeth was there, fast asleep with the light still on. Ever since they'd returned, she had refused to sleep in the dark; Percy hadn't asked her about it but he guessed it was a result of her temporary blindness in Tartarus.

He stood in the doorway for a moment just watching her, relishing in the fact that she was really there. There was something about the way she looked when she was sleeping that never failed to make him smile. Maybe it the way her hair stuck up or the way her expression softened, making all of those years of quests and prophecies disappear from her face. If he looked hard enough, he could almost see the twelve-year-old girl that told him he drooled in his sleep.

Percy made his way back to his room, flopping onto the bed. He glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand. 3:08. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling, twirling Riptide between his fingers absentmindedly. Hoping to elude the nightmares he knew were waiting for him, he thought about staying awake until morning, but it didn't take long for the drowsiness to set in. His eyelids grew heavy. He was almost asleep when the screaming began.

Annabeth.

In an instant, adrenaline forced him back into his own consciousness. Sword in hand, Percy sprang to his feet and ran down the hall to find Annabeth writhing in her sleep. Her sheets had been tossed to the floor. "No!" she shrieked.

Riptide clattered to the floor as he ran to her side. "Annabeth!" he said, shaking her shoulder. "Annabeth, wake up!"

Her eyes shot open and she bolted upright, screaming. The dream must not have faded immediately because she batted his hand away and scrambled to the far side of the bed, her eyes wild with terror.

"It's okay," Percy told her. "You're safe. It was just a dream."

She looked around frantically, taking in her surroundings. Her hair was matted to her face with sweat and her cheeks were dotted with fresh tears. As soon as she had calmed down enough to register he was really there, Annabeth melted into his arms, burying her face in his chest.

"The arai," she sobbed against him. "They held me down. They made me watch you die."

He held her close, gently stroking her curls. She was trembling in his arms. "I'm right here," he assured her. "I'm not going anywhere."

Percy didn't know how long they sat there like that. Annabeth cried until she couldn't cry anymore and then she was quiet for a while. Eventually, her breathing slowed. He was beginning to think she had gone back to sleep when she whispered, "You should have just let me fall." Her voice was still raw from screaming.

"What?" he asked, stunned.

"I was the one who taunted Arachne. I was the one who let my pride get the best of me. I deserved to go to Tartarus."

"Annabeth, you are the best person I know. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, let alone you."

"You almost died because of me!" she snapped, her voice breaking. "If something had happened to you... I never would have forgiven myself."

Annabeth rarely allowed anyone to see her true feelings. She hid them behind her stormy eyes and an icy expression. Over the years, Percy had learned to see through her mask, but tonight, the facade had shattered. He had never seen her look so broken, so vulnerable. Anyone could've seen the pain in her eyes. Her face was so gaunt and ghost-like, it reminded him of Nyx's death mist. It killed him to see her like this. He would have done anything to take her pain away.

"Listen to me," he said firmly. "Don't you dare blame yourself, Annabeth. None of this is your fault. I made my choice on that ledge and I don't regret it one bit. I would go through it all again if I had to. Never separated again, remember?"

Percy had come close to losing her more times than he cared to count. He couldn't imagine life without her; just the thought of it made him feel sick. She was so much more than his girlfriend: she was his best friend, his better half, his future wife. He knew it was cliché, but he needed her. He needed her like a fish needs water.

Annabeth stared up at him, blinking away tears. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him fiercely. It was a breath-taking, heart-wrenching, brain-melting kind of kiss, filled with sorrow and desperation. When she finally pulled away, he was numb.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too."

"Stay with me."

Percy hesitated, remembering what happened the last time they got caught together after curfew. "Are you sure?"

She smirked. "As long as you promise not to drool all over my pillow."

"No guarantees," he chuckled. He crawled under the covers next to her, laying on his side so they were facing each other. They were so close he could feel her breath on his nose.

Annabeth gave him a soft smile. "I just thought that once we got out, the worst would be over, you know? I thought things would go back to normal."

"Things will go back to normal. It'll take time, but we'll get through this. As long as we're together."

"As long as we're together," she agreed.

And laying there next to her, he truly believed it. He knew they had a long road ahead of them, but things would get better. He looked at her. She was visibly exhausted and her ponytail was a tangled mess, but Percy thought she had never looked more beautiful. In that moment, he said a prayer that when this war was over, he would get to spend the rest of his life like this, falling asleep with the promise that she would be there when he woke up.

Annabeth closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Seaweed Brain."

He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Wise Girl," he whispered.

Percy couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well.