Something was crushing her into the ground, the cold rocks painful against her knees, so hard that she knew there would be blood. Immediately she knew that she had been holding this weight- this thing- up for longer than a normal person ever should be able to. Still, she did her best, her breaths coming in shallow gulps. The air around her was stale and cold, leading her to believe she was in some sort of cave, alone in total darkness. The sweat from her brows dripped into her eyes constantly, and soon she couldn't tell whether the moisture on her cheeks was sweat or tears. Despite the pain, she didn't call out: She had learned long ago that nobody really listens when you need them to. "You can only really rely on yourself" she muttered, and she could feel the helplessness invade her heart. She almost gave up holding that dreaded weight, but then she saw a flash of silver, and Thalia stood before her. "Don't you worry, little owl, you're gonna be fine. We're gonna be okay." She was saying as she knelt down in front of her. "We're going to be okay" Annabeth repeated. With that, Thalia reached up and placed her hands next to Annabeth's, and started to lift. But just as Thalia lifted, a knife sank through her back, and she fell to the floor and faded.
Luke stood a few feet away, and as Annabeth accepted the weight back onto her shoulders, screaming in pain from the jolt and the loss, he seemed to be saying something. He reached out to her, saying "Just come with me, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you. I'm sorry about Thalia, I am, but she would have stopped you from coming with me! It had to be done! I had to. But I won't hurt you, little owl, I won't! We'll be okay, just come with me." As much as she wanted to, she couldn't make herself look him in the eyes. "No, Luke. Just… no." "Annabeth, please just trust me!" He tried again, but she closed her eyes and screamed "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" to which he responded to by vanishing. As she found herself alone again, she couldn't keep quiet, and pitiful sounds found their way out of her mouth until she gave up keeping them inside. She screamed until her voice was hoarse, and screamed some more after.
Her vision started to blur, and when she looked up she saw four more flashes of silver. First was her stepmother, who looked at her with that disconnected pity, the one reserved for the children in commercials about famine in Africa. Then came her father, who only said "I am so sorry, but I've got to look after the boys: you know how they are." And with one more look at her, they faded. Athena stepped up next, wanting to help but unable to: "Daughter, this is for you to bear, and you alone can. The pain is in your head. You are fine." Chiron came next, adding to Athena's comments: "Annabeth, my little owl. You have a strength I envy. You will be okay, just think past this pain." And with those words, they, too, vanished.
For a while, thinking past the pain worked. She was able to breathe easier, she stopped screaming, and her tears stopped flowing. But then the ground started breaking apart beneath her, unable to support the added weight, and she let her fear run her mind. "HELP ME! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME! DI IMMORTALES, PLEASE, DON'T LET ME DIE!" she screamed, and in a flash of gold, he was there: his ocean eyes washing away her pain, and his calloused hands overlapping her own. "I'm sorry it took me so long, Wise Girl. You're gonna be okay, though, we're gonna get through this together. I promise I won't leave you." He said, and the weight pushing down on her disappeared. The floor did too, though, and she found herself falling into the nothingness below until he caught her hand with a jolt. "We'll be okay, Annabeth. As long as we're together, we'll be okay." She heard him say as he let go of the floor above them and fell with her. On the way down, she couldn't help but think that of those who said "We'll be okay", she only ever believed it when Percy said it. Maybe promises just sounded better coming from his mouth. It was because of this she didn't scream during their descent, instead she chose to wrap her arms more tightly around him and say "I love you, Seaweed Brain." He tightened his arms around her, but didn't say it back: He didn't need to. She knew, because he was the one who stayed.
When she wakes up in his arms, she can't help the smile that spreads across her face like the early morning sunlight; it's been years since they first met, and he still drools in his sleep.