Leo's world seemed to collapse around him, compacting against his rib cage and trapping the air in his lungs. He caught her, before she fell, one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist. All sound fell away as his vision tunneled to her. Tanned features turning paler as the ground around her stained redder, crimson leaking onto him, there was so much of it, too much, sea green a striking contrast, slowly disappearing beneath exhaustion. Leo tried to keep her awake, not sure if he was actually saying words or just gargling, Lou, he imagined himself saying, Lou, come on, don't do this, please don't do this.

A hand touched her head and Leo started, letting his eyes travel distractedly over the knuckles, past the wrist and up the arm, finding her brother attached. He too seemed too white, too pale, trembling with the effort of keeping himself up. A distant voice deep in the recesses of his mind reminded Leo of their connection; Percy must have been jolted back to reality as Calypso finally got her revenge.

What are you doing? Leo wanted to ask. Percy didn't hear him, maybe chose not to, lips moving, eyes fixed on his sister. He looked ten years older, desperation racking his frame, feeble sparks of their joined power flitting from his fingertips and dying as they made contact with her.

Leo had seen many things, most of which he had never thought he would see. Such as now. The great Percy Jackson, the saviour of Olympus, son of Poseidon, one of the most powerful demigods alive... was crying. Leo went numb all over and Percy took his sister into his arms, holding her as best he could, his head against hers, saying how sorry he was, saying how he failed her.

Leo fell back from kneeling, dropping his heavy head to see her life soaked into the dirt, sticking his T-shirt to him, his jeans were caked with it, his hands dripped it. His arms felt empty, the numbness was seeping into his bones, fogging his mind. A ringing started in his ears, someone shook him, Piper's face in his, concern running deep in her kaleidoscopic eyes. A flash of blonde curls over her shoulder, Annabeth at Percy's side, spewing her own apologies, knife in hand.

Will Solace arrived. His siblings were there too. And Nico. And Clovis. Clovis staggered to the twins, resting a pudgy hand on the son of Poseidon's head. Percy tried to shake him off, told him to go away, yelled at him, tried fighting. Sleep took him anyway. Annabeth and Grover pulled him back, lying him against the hilltop. Louisa disappeared under a flurry of medics. Nyssa appeared. Piper left Leo with her, sprinting to the top of the hill and yelling. Her charmspeak broke through the ringing, wake up, wake up! The Ares cabin stirred, wake up, wake up!

"Leo." Nyssa was saying something.

"Lou..."

"I know."

"Lou..."

"Leo, look at me." Her hand alighted on his arm. Leo threw her off, scrambling to his feet. "Leo, no! Piper!"

"Leo, stop!" But he didn't.

Calypso had been out cold, he didn't know how, but Piper's attempts at rousing the Ares cabin had woken her too and she was on her feet, racing back into Camp. Leo had never won any footraces, wasn't much for running anyway, but he caught up with her. He was hot on her heels, mind suddenly exploding into overtime, navigating him over every bump and dip in the hillside, dodging her bursts of golden light, giving him the perfect timing. He tackled her round the middle. Caused them both to tumble down the last of the slope, landing in a bruised and bloodied heap at the bottom. She struggled against him, dress smoldering as flames danced across his skin. Words fell uselessly from her lips, he heard nothing. The tangy scent of blood was making his stomach flip, making his fire hotter. He pinned her to the ground, holding her hands behind her back, aware that he was crying, aware that he was yelling at her, people were yelling at him, she started screaming as his hand became a vicious brand around her wrists, the stench of burning flesh sending a disgusted shiver through him. Someone was screaming at him to stop, maybe Piper, maybe what was left of his conscience, but he didn't.

He didn't listen, he didn't stop, he didn't care. The only thing on his mind was the one thing driving him right now- Calypso had killed Louisa.

She had taken his best friend, taken her and laughed about it, had been proud that she had destroyed the one thing keeping him sane, pools of her blood ran rivers down the hill, congealed on his clothes and hands in the heat, and she didn't care, she didn't regret it, didn't do anything other than beg for her life, let me go, Leo, please. She didn't even apologise.

He gritted his teeth as the familiar presence of charmspeak tried to invade his mind. His next words came out in a growl;

"I should have left you on that island."