Slice!
Jason's sword neatly cut through the last dummy, depositing a bunch of straw and sliced up felt onto the floor of the arena. All around him, his efforts lay in the form of straw and flesh-colored cloth. He knew that he would have to clean up his mess later, but at the moment, he was just concentrating on how angry and devastated he felt.
Jason was sure that he would go mad if he remained like this another day, but the memory was just too painful.
The son of Jupiter knew that he shouldn't feel this way. He had completed everything on his short to-do list: Confront Porphyrion and send him to Tartarus—check. Defeat Gaea and send her back to sleep—check. Make peace with his fellow praetor—she didn't blow up like a volcano, so Jason could only assume that he succeeded. Complete the freaky Prophecy of Seven—Michael Varus would be jealous. Keep all of his fellow prophecy members alive—they all still had their heads and necks intact.
Yes, Jason Grace was miserable after he saved the world from impending doom.
He dropped his golden sword onto the sandy ground. A second later, his knees buckled and he collapsed, his breathing harsh and ragged. He scraped his palms on the gritty and rough ground, and hot tears sprang to his eyes, unbidden and dripping down softly into the earthy dirt.
"Your fault," he breathed, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Your fault that she's gone. You hear me, Gaea?"
He hadn't really expected the ground to answer, and it remained as silent and still as ever. But he had to yell at something. He couldn't keep this sorrow pent up much longer.
"It's all right." Footsteps silently padded behind him and a girl sat down besides him. Jason caught the flash of Annabeth's unmistakable blond hair.
"Nothing's all right!" Jason yelled, snatching up his sword and stabbing it into the Coliseum floor so that it sank hilt-deep. "Nothing!"
Jason was sure that Octavian was going to come storming in any moment, telling him to shut up and stop making such a racket.
"That's not what I meant," Annabeth said, sounding distressed at his outbreak of screaming. "Just let all of your emotions out. Your anger, your sadness. There's nothing shameful of doing that."
Jason hugged his chest. "No. That won't help one bit. I'm wrecked, Annabeth."
Annabeth gripped his shoulders with startling strength. "Jason, listen to me. You can't keep on going like this."
"Yes, I can!" Jason sobbed, wrenching free of Annabeth's tight grasp. "I might as well commit suicide!"
"You're not helping yourself by doing that," Annabeth gently said. "You've got to live your life to the fullest. It's what she would have wanted."
"She's right, you know." A breathy whisper passed Jason's ear. He felt a slight wind brush past his head. Annabeth froze mid-sentence, her chest not moving, her eyes staring vacantly past his head.
She shimmered into existence in front of him, her head tipped like she was questioning his motives. She looked exactly like she was when she was alive. "You can't kill yourself over my death. That would be meaningless."
"I would be with you," Jason said, rubbing his eyes.
She extended a hand, but it evaporated when it got close to living skin. "Jason, listen to me. Don't do this to yourself. You aren't doing yourself any good if you commit suicide."
"I lost you," Jason said. "Nothing will ever reverse that."
"True," she conceded. "But your death will come in time, not in battle. Not from suicide. Your time will come many decades later. It isn't time for you to die right now. Just forget about me for the time being."
"No," Jason croaked. "I can't, and I won't."
She smiled at him. "Jason, I love you—there's no denying that. I wish everything was different, I wish I could be with you. But…" A light breeze grazed past his cheek as she began to shimmer. "You have to let go. I'll be watching over you, I promise."
"But we'll never have more time together," Jason whispered. "I miss you."
"And I, you," she said. "Look, I want you to get out there and have some fun with your life. Get married, have kids, or don't do so at all. Whatever your choice, be pleased with it. I'd hate to know that I died for nothing."
Jason took a deep breath. "I guess…this is it, then. You'll have to leave again."
She sighed. "We'll be together once again, someday."
"I'll—I'll miss you until that time," Jason murmured, stepping closer. Even dead, her soul was still as bright as fire.
"Aw, c'mon, Jason," she smirked, "you'll be fine. That's one thing I'll bet my money on."
"I love you," Jason whispered, reaching out a trembling hand.
She gave him one last smile and flickered out of existence.
Time unfroze and Annabeth began breathing again. She caught sight of Jason groping at thin air. "Jason…what?"
Jason stared for a couple of seconds into oblivion and then, he ran. He ran from the Coliseum. He ran through New Rome. He ran from Camp Jupiter. He didn't stop until he reached Mount Tam, and he stopped at a jagged cliff, the rocks below the cliff bristling like sharp spikes. He stared down the gaping chasm and let out all his emotions. He sobbed, the sound echoing all throughout San Francisco, for the sister that was wrenched away from him a second time…this time, forever.