Before I start this fic, I have a few things to point out. So for the purpose of this story, we're just going to completely forget about the trails of Apollo. Mostly because I didn't read those books yet, and I don't think that storyline fits in well with where I'm going with this story.

I tried really hard to make sure the timeline I have set up will work for this story. There will probably be some errors here and there in regards to what age characters are supposed to be but it's whatever. The age of the characters isn't crucial to this story like it was in the PJO series, where the entire prophecy centered around him turning 16. The important thing is I tried to make it work so there's that.

This story centers around two main OC's. However, because we all know and love the main characters from PJO and HOO so much, I've made a handful of them central to this story as well. So while I do introduce a few side characters here and there, the story will mainly focus on my two OC's, Percy, and a few of the others from HOO. When you read and learn more about the OC's, you'll understand why I did it this way. Also important to note that I didn't want to introduce and develop too many characters, since I would like to get right into the action! Ebony (my OC) and Percy are the two main characters of this entire series. I'm not using anyone else's POV (unless it's a prologue/epilogue). I'm trying to keep these fics focused on what is happening, not be confusing for the reader trying to follow too many side stories here and there.

And a few quick reminders before I start the prologue

If you enjoy this fic and would love to help me with editing/making things flow, definitely let me know! I'm not struggling with ideas, but I do struggle with having enough time. And having someone to bounce ideas off of and to help me edit would be awesome! If you're interested, feel free to PM me!

Writing fanfic is super time consuming. It's VERY important to me, as an ammy writer who does it for the pure fun of it, to get feedback. Likes and reviews are amazing. Please don't throw hate my way but I do love constructive criticism.

Sidenote, Annabeth and Percy will not be going to New Rome for college because that's bullshit. They will be staying in New York and be a central part of Camp Half Blood.

And finally: ENJOY IT! I know that a ton of fans of the series were completely let down by the terrible-ness that was Blood of Olympus. Percy deserves to be a hero, the PTSD from tarturus, and his dark side all deserve a chance to be explored, which is what I'm doing in this fic. I swear Percy will get his moment(s) in the spotlight that he should have had in BOO in this fic. My hatred of that book kind of inspired this fic. And now, finally, here is the (admittedly pretty short) prologue!

Grey clouds hung heavy over the city. A thick fog obscured the skyscrapers that seemed to disappear into the sky. Traffic was moving slowly, and a steady drizzle added to the scene. The world looked like it had been edited into greyscale. There was something calming about the dreary fall atmosphere.

The man sat at his desk in the office. His customer still hadn't left. They had been here for nearly two hours, and the individual was still asking questions. Hadn't he fulfilled his job?

"Where did you find it?"

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. More questions. This is why he hardly did business deals.

"A gift. From my mother. Surely you should know this?"

"Yes, yes, I know it was a gift." The individual was leafing through the book, not bothering to make eye contact as they spoke, "But how did you deserve such a gift?"

He clenched his fists to his sides. If only they knew what he was capable of! But no. He was done with that life. He had moved on from his mistakes. It was better to lay low. If he muttered a single spell more he may end up in the Fields of Punishment when his death came. And that was not an option.

"I didn't deserve it." He muttered, picking his words carefully, "I made a deal for it."

"What kind of deal?"

"None of your business." he snapped instantly. This was getting too personal for him. If they could just take the book and leave... take the temptation away from him. "You paid me already, so why are you still here? You paid me an hour ago, then proceeded to question me, over and over again. Just take the damn book and leave. And please for the love of the gods, never come back."

The "customer", if they could still be called that, turned the book over in their hand. A deep frown was still etched on their face. "And you're positive that this spell will work?"

The older man had to resist the urge to reply with a sarcastic comment. How dare this woman question him? She knew exactly who he was. Only one of the greatest magicians alive. For hades sake, he doubted that anyone in the known world had the spell he had just given to her. She had paid him well for it, and he had it memorized, so it wasn't a loss per say... Giving up the book wasn't hard. But having his skills questioned? That was taking it too far.

"Who do you think you are, to question my honesty and my skills? You seeked me out, don't forget." he snapped.

"And how do I know that you're not some silly fraud, pretending to be all high and mighty?" she said, laughter in her voice.

Something inside of him cracked. Too far. The logical part of his brain told hims he was doing this to get a reaction from him. But he didn't care for logic. Nobody ever called him fake. "You listen here." He began, standing up in a fury. He could feel the anger building inside of him. His fists clenched tighter to his side; his face twisted in a snarl. This kind of behavior is what had gotten him in troubleThe urge to curse this woman was so strong, and she seemed to know it. She sat back in her chair, not at all concerned about his growing rage. For some reason that made him even angrier.

He opened his palm, a spell on the tip of his lips, when it happened. A blast of energy slammed into his chest. The older man was thrown backwards, his body slamming into the wall. Pain rushed through him as he crashed to the ground. He hadn't been in a fight, or injured for that matter, for many years. He tried to push his way to his feet, but the blast had sapped his energy. It was just too much, and after a few more moments of struggling he finally lay limp on the ground. This day could not be going any worse.

He heard footsteps and dared to look up. The woman stood above him. Up close, he realized how young she was. Not a woman at all. Probably still a girl in high school. Or possibly college. Maybe she was even a god in disguise. But it didn't matter. He knew the look on her face. Knew what was about to happen. She bent down, that cocky smile still plastered on her face.

"Thank you for the book. It has everything I could ever want in it." She paused and pulled the book into her hand. "I'm sorry about this. You could be very helpful in the future. But for now..."

He felt the paralysis grip him, freezing his lungs in place as she cast the magic over him.

"For now, I have a little hell to raise."