*First Person Point of View ~ Artemis*
The world was dark without him. Melodramatic, I know, but it was true. When Percy was around, he would have...a spark, I guess. Something special about him that brought a smile to the faces of everyone around him. Moods lifted at his every word, kind and generous as always. Now, without him, the campfires were always low and dark. No one would joke around anymore, just shuffle around like robots to fix the damages to the camps.
I couldn't judge them, though; I was no better. I'd been standing in the surf at Camp Half-Blood's beach for days - fifteen days to be exact because that was how long Percy had been missing. The sea seemed endless in front of me, like it could swallow all of my sorrows and never be satisfied.
Was this how Poseidon felt all the time, looking out at his domain? I hadn't seen him since Percy's disappearance, which was normal, since I hadn't seen much of anyone since then, but I could tell exactly how he was feeling from the sea. It was grey and calm, but not calm in the sense that he was at ease. It was the type of calm that came alone to a funeral, not invited but always there, drowning the atmosphere in a sadness without anguish. I could feel him creeping up on me next, a black umbrella blocking the sun's hope from reaching my soul, cold hands twisting around my neck.
I reached up, but there was nothing there, even though the chill lingered.
I looked down. My feet were bare; I'd taken off my boots at the top of the hill and left them there. My toes were slowly sinking into the sand with each new wave, rising and retreating, just like the memories that wouldn't leave me alone.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, dying. I'd only ever see him dying, but never dead. It was a blessing, in a way, but also a curse, because I knew that he would never die. No. Instead, he was trapped forever in the darkness with The Great One - Iago. How I loathed that monster. Because of him, percy would never find peace. For eternity, he would have to endure anguish in the Voyd - the dark space beyond death where Percy was. No one was sure what to call it, or if it even existed, but that's what the campers had taken to calling it - from what I've heard, anyway.
It didn't matter. There was no coming back from it, not like the other guardians. It was strange. Shortly after Percy and Iago vanished, Hades got a report of several dozen new souls appearing in the Underworld. Now, normally, it wouldn't be all that weird, but these souls hadn't crossed the River Styx or anything - Charon was a bit peeved by that. They'd just folded into existence, all heroes of old who'd never...died, but vanished. Alongside them were the guardians we'd just killed, un-brainwashed and overcome with remorse.
I didn't get the full story because I left before anything more was said, but I could infer easily enough what happened. In the past, when they'd died, they were chosen to become guardians. After training for centuries with no knowing whether they'd be summoned or not, they were all suddenly given their afterlife back, all because Percy had banished Iago - along with himself - to the Voyd.
That just made Percy's sacrifice all the more heroic, and I hated it as much as I loved it, because that meant that I couldn't channel my anger towards the universe for taking him away. In fact...if he hadn't done what he did, I probably wouldn't even be around to be angry at the universe.
The worst part was that we could never repay him for his noble deed. His only thanks would be pain and misery for eternity with the monster he hated. I...I would much rather that he be safe and happy with his comrades in the afterlife - in Elysium where he belonged - but the Fates weren't fair when handing him his destiny. There was nothing I could do.
Then again, that wasn't true. I could still hold on to hope. We could never be sure that the Voyd was for eternity; Percy had pulled off the impossible before. Maybe, one day, I'd be able to tell him the one thing I'd missed the chance to say. Our bond ran deeper than any other I'd ever had - something beyond words, and I'd never told him, never expressed myself to him. I guess...until such a time as he miraculously returned to us, I would just have to live with the ache.
Regret slithered around under my ribcage, curling up like a lead pipe. I had a keen feeling that it would be weighing me down for years to come.
I squished some wet sand between my toes, hoping to distract myself. It did nothing. My feet were maybe three inches under now, which came from two weeks of standing stationary on the beach as the tides shifted granules around. No human would do what I was doing - their feet would be raisins by the end of day one.
A few campers shouted in the distance, catching my interest. What were they doing? Going to dinner? After a deep breath in, I let every bit of air drain out of my lungs. Who could eat? As a goddess, I didn't have to eat - not really - but it was better than letting myself waste away. The camper's voices faded as they made their way to the dining pavilion. Maybe I should follow their example.
"My lady!"
That shout stopped me. It was Thalia.
"My lady!" She ran down the hill. "Mind if I join you?" I didn't have to look back to know that she'd stopped just short of the wet sand.
"You're already here. Why not?" I replied, keeping my eyes on the rippling waves.
There was a rustling. She was taking off her boots and socks too, no doubt.
"The ocean looks sad," she said, voice a little closer, but still too far away. I heard no splashing, so she must've stopped short of the deep water. Another wave came in, rushing over our feet. Thalia hissed. Maybe the water was cold - I couldn't tell.
"I guess so," I replied. It did look sad. Of course it did. Poseidon had just lost his son. Again. While the others were back, Percy remained unseen - a fact which only cemented the reality that he was imprisoned in purgatory.
"You missed everything that's been going on."
"I guess so," I repeated. After a brief pause, I tilted my head toward her, though I didn't turn it all the way. "Perhaps you could fill me in?"
Thalia was silent for a moment. "The guardians that returned spoke of Percy...I think."
"You think?"
"They said that they were training, like always, when suddenly a man appeared in front of them. He was haloed in light, like a god in pure form."
"You said they saw Percy. Why are you being so vague?"
I could hear Thalia shifting from foot to foot from the shifting of the sand. "Well...they didn't exactly see Percy. They all saw a different person when they looked at him."
"But…?" I prompted. I still didn't turn; my feet remained planted as yet another wave caressed my ankles.
"But every description had something like Percy. It's weird - everyone thinks so. Something must've happened to him when he bonded his soul to Iago's. He's beyond immortality."
"I see."
"I know it's a lot to process, but I'm sure we'll know. One day." There were a few splashes, then swishing, and I knew that she was wading deeper. "Do you wish you could've told him?" Her voice was right behind me now.
I nodded. His face flashed in my mind's eye, smiling his infamous lopsided smirk. I blinked, trying to fight back the tears that gathered in my eyes as my heart broke just a little. "Yes," I said, choking on the word. "I wish I could've, but it's too late now. You know that."
A hand suddenly appeared on my shoulder, so suddenly that if I hadn't known Thalia was standing directly behind me, I would've jumped out of my skin. Nonetheless, my hand rose to join hers.
"Don't worry," she said, squeezing my shoulder for comfort. "He knows."
"I hope so," I replied. My gaze fell upon the sea once more, and I watched a few more waves roll in before I spoke again. "Are the hunters ready to leave?"
"Yep. We're all packed and ready for our next adventure. I think some of them are extra relieved to be leaving camp."
"Is that so?" I chuckled.
"Yeah. They don't like being here, now more than ever. I think they miss Percy, too," Thalia admitted. "He was like a brother to all of us, and...now that he's gone, I think everyone is realizing just how much. This place is just a reminder that he's gone and he's never coming back."
"Don't say never," I said sharply. "He could still return."
Thalia laughed, but instead of it being a happy one, it was jeering and hopeless. "I envy you, my lady...for being able to hold on to that hope." She sighed. "I will try to do the same."
"Thank you, Thalia. Let's go."
One last glance at the ocean revealed a single sparkle to me, shining in the otherwise dull waves as if winking. My head told me that it was probably Poseidon, acknowledging our shared sorrow, but in my heart, I wished that it was Percy, somehow reaching out to me from the other side.
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