A/N: My first Percy Jackson fic. Just so you know, when it changes to first person in the second section, it's Annabeth's PoV. I know that's kind of confusing, but I thought it fit the story.

Constructive criticism is always appreciated; review and I'll love you forever! Thanks for reading. 3

Annabeth drew her knees up to her chest, staring into the darkness and the tunnels of the endless maze. That was her life now; which turn to take, which tunnel, always fearing for her companions. And this labyrinth was nothing like the ones she used to complete as a child, during long car rides, where if she hit a wrong turn she could retrace her steps and continue. This maze would kill her if she was wrong. It would kill Grover and Tyson (they might already be dead, a part of her whispered, and she tried to ignore it) and Percy. She wouldn't be able to cope if she knew she had led them to their deaths.

Behind her, she could hear Rachel, lying still. Annabeth knew she wasn't asleep, no matter how well she pretended. Percy was, though, from his slow deep breathing.

Percy…

I was scared, when I went to see the Oracle. I was scared of what I might see, what it would tell me. I wasn't ready; not for this.

I took a deep breath as I pushed open the door. The war trophies stared at me. "Well, Annabeth?" they taunted. "Go on."

"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."

"I-I…" I was ashamed at the quavering of my voice. "What will happen in the Labyrinth?"

And the smoke filed out, like so many green serpents. And there was my greatest hope and my greatest shame, enveloping me.

"You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze," said my father, his eyes empty.

"The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise," Athena said, her hand clutching my dad's.

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Luke spoke in the Oracle's voice. Wind blew through Manhattan's rooftop gardens.

"The child of Athena's final stand," my dad predicted.

"Destroy with a hero's final breath," Athena warned.

"And lose a love to worse than death," Luke said, with finality and conviction.

The smoke receded, and I backed away, crashing into a table of memorabilia. I sank to the ground, hugging my knees. And I cried.

Not only was the siren's song thrust back into my face, the prophecy was so negative, so sad and scary.

Lose a love. To worse than death. My first thought was Percy. But what could be worse than death? Would he be tortured? Would he be lost in the Labyrinth, and I would never know his fate? Or would he betray me, like Luke did…

Luke! How could he do this to me? How could he, my first love…

I cried. And I cried…

I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want him to see me looking so lost.

The concern on his face nearly killed me inside. He was coming with me, without a thought.

Lose a love to worse than death.

Percy didn't know that line. I couldn't tell him; it would make what had been haunting me inside so much more real.

And here he was trying to comfort me! He had no idea…

I can't handle it. I thought I could, but I was so hopelessly misguided. In the real world, you find out if you're any good or not. And I wasn't.

I tried to contain the rebellious tears, listening to him ask about my prophecy. My prophecy. I didn't want that prophecy, not that one.

I needed to hold him, to see that he was close to me, that he was still a living being.

Not gone… not yet…

I knew what I would have to choose between. Deep down, I think I always knew.

And here was this god, telling me that the choice would kill me. And that they knew me. They knew what went on in my head.

And this wasn't just two doors.

Percy or Luke? That was what I needed to choose between; that was my dilemma.

And it was one I couldn't solve.

It was last year all over again; I felt like I was holding up the world. I couldn't handle all this. I couldn't…

Was this the last line, coming true?

A sacrifice, to save me. To save the world. Was that worse than death, me surviving, and him not?

Yes. It was. I couldn't be without him, not after everything.

I would let him know that. Right now.

I kissed him, just for a second, to tell him.

And I ran, before he could see me crying.

Lose a love…

I knew where he had been. I could see that now.

Ogygia.

With Calypso!

I'm surprised he came back at all, and now with this suggestion… this crazy lunatic suggestion.

How could he? How could he do that to me?

After all the worrying and tears, and the fact that it was my stupid quest and my stupid leadership that had gotten him… killed.

But he wasn't! Noooo, he was on a tropical paradise with a beautiful immortal being!

I couldn't compete with Calypso. She was everything I wasn't, everything that was perfect, and I was just Annabeth.

The girl who couldn't lead a quest, couldn't find her way, had been kidding herself about everything.

Just Annabeth…

Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

What kind of a name was that?

It was a more exciting name than Annabeth. A prettier name than Annabeth. Sneered the nasty vindictive voice that had been louder and more frequent lately.

Shut up, I told it. It was right, though. Annabeth wasn't even technically a real name.

I hated her. And the fact that I did sickened me.

She was so… different. Like she didn't care what people thought at all, and I saw what she could draw, just with a stick and dirt. And she was pretty. I'm sure she looked better than I did, but that wasn't that difficult at the moment.

I probably would've liked her, if I didn't hate her so much.

I saw the way she looked at Percy, and I couldn't help thinking that she had so much more of a chance.

Annabeth wasn't startled to feel the tears flowing down her cheeks. She'd been crying a lot lately, no matter how much it bothered her.

As she stared out, at the hopelessly tangled paths, she realized that's what her brain and her heart had been like recently.

A maze; tangled, confused, hurt and scared and angry.

Annabeth glanced back at Percy. She wouldn't be able to rest until the prophecy was complete, but she was scared. She didn't want that to happen. It couldn't happen. She had lost Luke. She couldn't lose Percy too.

Not Percy. Not Luke. Not another love.

Her world was bursting at the seams. And then the cavern started shaking.