I'm sorry in advance. Trigger warning: Torture and all things associated.
Jason's Pov
Man I'm a wreck lately. I don't think I've ever cried that hard in my entire life. All of my worry and anger and hopelessness just kind of exploded and left me sobbing like a baby in Piper's arms. Even though I was miserable, I somehow fell even more in love with Piper from the abundant amount of understanding and comfort she was displaying during my breakdown. She sang me to sleep with her irresistibly calming voice and didn't seem to care in the least that I was showing so much weakness. I also had no idea she could sing so beautifully but it was the most amazing sound I think I'd ever heard. She never ceased to amaze me.
During my blissful nap I dreamt of dancing in the rain with Piper as my partner. She sang to me as the water dropped on the ground around us, providing an almost drum like accompaniment while we swayed to the sound. It was the best dream I'd had in a long time. I don't think I've slept that good in months.
When I woke up from my nap it was to Piper tapping my arm persistently. With a groan I blinked my eyes open and saw that she was staring at something in the distance. I sat up, and tried to see what she was looking at and I was met with a worrisome sight. Thalia was running at full speed in our direction with tears pouring down her face. I wasn't awake enough to understand what that could mean so I just sat in my spot and waited for her to reach us
Thalia skidded to a jerky stop looking borderline crazy with a wide smile on her face but tears still streaming down her cheeks. She looked like she'd just escaped the loony bin as she searched our eyes.
"Thalia! Are you okay?!? What the heck happened?" Piper asked, clearly concerned.
The grogginess from my nap was wearing off as I realized that tears usually meant that something bad happened and heart fell as I assumed the worst. "Did he say no?" I held my breath, not wanting to hear anymore bad news but needing to know.
Thalia bent over, fumbling for the zipper on one of her many pant pockets. I watched in awe as she pulled it open, reached in, and carefully pulled out a glowing golden leaf. She was handling it like it'd explode at any second. I saw Piper scoot forward, studying it with the same interest a normal girl would give a diamond ring.
I stared at the object for a few seconds before an understanding hit me like a bus. I leapt to me feet, startling Piper in the process but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to really notice. "Is that the blessing?!? How?!?"
Thalia was practically bouncing on her feet as she smiled more brightly than I'd ever seen her smile before. "Yes! For a while I was positive that he was gonna say no but then he just gave it to me!"
Her excitement was contagious as I jumped up and down with her, not caring how crazy I looked. I felt like I was flying and when I looked down I realized that I was flying. Well sort of, more like hovering but whatever, this was great! Now we only needed Hades' blessing and then we could save Percy!
In my excitement I turned to Piper and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around and kissing her passionately. Seeing her wide eyes I quickly set her down thinking I'd gone too far, "Uh sorry Pipes, too much?" I didn't usually lose control of my emotions so much but I guess today was an exception.
Luckily Piper relaxed and let out a breathy laugh. She roughly grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me close, crashing her lips against mine and kissing me deeply. My eyes shut, taking in the moment until an awkward cough caused Piper to suddenly pull away from me.
Confused, I looked to Thalia who'd dried her tears and was looking at me with fake disgust. "I'm really glad you guys are happy but can you at least wait till I leave to start making out? I mean jeez I'm still your sister. Can you save the pda for later?"
Piper turned a bright scarlet as she muttered an embarrassed apology. I thought it was adorable but I forced myself to turn away from her and face Thalia, rubbing the back of my neck with one hand, "Sorry sis, good job by the way. Thank you for doing that...I'm sorry for losing it in there."
Thalia rolled her eyes and moved forward, wrapping her arms tightly around me, "Don't sweat it, I'm just glad you're okay. Dad can be a real pain to talk to but he came around." Even though her hug was unexpected, my shoulder's sagged from the relief of having her here and knowing she redeemed my failure with Zeus.
After she slowly pulled away, Thalia and Piper exchanged a friendly hug accompanied by a short conversation that was too quiet for me to hear. I was curious as to what they were talking about but I trusted that it might not be something I needed to know.
Thalia and Piper faced me after ending their private discussion, smiles on both of their faces. It was great to see them in good spirits during such a difficult time. I didn't wanna kill the mood but a question sprung to my mind. "Thals will you stay with us on the ship for a while? Or do you have to get back to the hunters?" I tried to sound passive, not wanting to pressure her into coming with us if she had to leave.
"Artemis told me to take my time so I'd love to stay with you guys at least for a little while. Thank you." She pocketed the leaf before asking, "Any idea how we're getting back to your ship?"
Looking around I noticed that Stratus was no where in sight. She wasn't where we'd left her so I was at a loss for ideas. I couldn't fly both Thalia and Piper at the same time. I mean if I had to I might be able to do it for like five minutes but I didn't even know exactly where, let alone how far away we were from the Argo II.
For a while no one spoke as we tried to come up with ideas. That is until a voice whispered in the wind, "I believe I can be of some assistance." Eurus popped into existence in front of Piper who let out a high pitched squeak of surprise and jumped behind me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I can get you home but first I have to ask, is anyone afraid of butterflies?"
"Butterflies?" I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he could possibly have in mind.
Eurus beamed, "Yes! Lovely creatures, very gentle. Just stay where you are, try not to move, and don't fight them or they might accidentally drop you which would not be pretty. Just close your eyes if it gets too disorienting and you'll be to your destination in no time. I think that is everything. It was lovely to meet you all and I hope to see you again sometime. Goodbye." He bowed to us and sent a small wink specifically at Thalia before vanishing out of sight.
"Butterflies?" I asked, still dumbfounded by the odd interaction with the wind god. The girls seemed just as shocked as I was but before either of them could respond, a colossal swarm of monarch butterflies rose up from behind Eurus's palace. My eyes widened at the tsunami of orange and black insects that were flying right at us. I fought the urge to bolt as thousands of the little creatures encircled me in a mini tornado.
It was hard to resist flailing my arms as my immediate instinct was to swat them away, not enjoying how their little wings tickled against my skin. The hundreds of butterflies were circling around me so close together that it felt like I was in my very own cocoon. The blue sky disappeared as the mass of butterflies blocked out all light, making it impossible for me to see anything at all.
A feeling of weightlessness overtook me and right away I knew they'd somehow picked me up and were carrying me through the air. I wanted to tell them I could fly just fine on my own but I knew I didn't speak butterfly and they probably didn't understand english so I stayed quiet, keeping my eyes tightly shut and trying to be okay with the weird method of transportation.
I wondered how Piper and Thalia were doing with the less than ideal journey. My ears were being bombarded by the drumming of tiny wings flapping at high speeds and my stomach kept dropping which made me conclude that we were descending. Gods I couldn't wait to be on solid ground again.
After what felt like twenty minutes my feet touched something solid causing the butterflies to scatter, allowing bright sun rays to attack my eyes and nearly blind me after not seeing any light for so long. When my eyes adjusted to the brightness I saw Piper swaying slightly as her horde of butterflies flew away. I looked around and noticed Thalia leaning over the railing of the Argo II and gagging loudly. I figured the sporadic flying patterns had given her motion sickness which would explain her struggle.
I was about to go check on Thalia when Leo's voice halted my actions. "Jeezus were those butterflies?" He asked, seeming perplexed at our eventful arrival.
Piper stomped up to me, poking a finger against my chest, "Next time, you're doing the flying. Got it?"
With a chuckle I promised her I would before turning back to address Leo, "Long story short we got Zeus's blessing, met a pretty cool wind god, oh and Thalia's gonna stay with us for a while. I'd say today was a solid win so far."
Leo looked over at Thalia who was now leaning against the side of the ship with her elbows resting on the railing. She looked slightly pale but was no longer feeding the fished which I thought was a good sign. When she noticed our stares she waved a hand at Leo who shot her a friendly smile in response.
"Good to have her aboard. You guys'll have to tell me all about your adventure during dinner. Speaking of..." He looked at his watch and continued, "It's about that time, anyone hungry?"
Thalia turned green at the mention of food and I decided I wasn't very hungry either. The drastic highs and lows from our adventure didn't give me much of an appetite and I had other things on my mind. "Why don't you guys go ahead. I think I'm gonna go to the med bay and check on Percy. Is Annabeth with him?"
Leo nodded but stuffed his hands in his pockets, his mood suddenly shifting, "There was a little scare while you guys were gone. Percy's heart kinda stopped and we don't know why. Frank said he was fine one minute then he started seizing and after a few minutes he just flatlined. Hazel screamed and I wasn't far so I heard it and came running. I found Percy unmoving, and not breathing. His lips were tinged blue like he was suffocating. Nico did cpr and chest compressions and after about two minutes Percy started breathing again. It was pretty awful to watch and thank gods Annabeth was still sleeping when it happened so she didn't see it. He's fine now but I'd feel a lot better if we could get that last blessing before anything else happens. Annabeth's with Percy now and Nico hasn't left his side since the incident. Frank took Hazel to her room to calm her down and I haven't seen them since."
Holy hydra I was not prepared to hear that Percy'd almost died while we were gone. We still have a few days, he's not supposed to die before the end of the week! Piper's mouth was dropped open in shock and Thalia looked like she was gonna be sick again. One thing I knew for sure was that I definitely wasn't hungry after that information bomb.
Leo shuffled his feet nervously, "I'm sorry... I didn't want to ruin your successful quest but I thought you guys should know before you go down there. I think your victory with Zeus will lift everyone's spirits so I'm gonna get Hazel and Frank and head to the dining room. Can you tell Annabeth and Nico to meet us there?"
It was hard to speak as I tried to swallow the lump that'd formed in my throat but I did my best, "I'll let em know." Piper came to my side and slowly planted a kiss on my cheek, "I think I'll get some dinner. Then I can tell everyone the story so you and Thalia can stay with Percy. Jase if you end up visiting Percy's subconscious please be careful. Whatever almost killed him might still be around and I don't want you to get hurt."
Once I promised her I'd be safe Thalia walked over and turned to Piper with the golden leaf in her hand. "Can you hold onto this for me? Zeus told me how to use it in the cure and I can tell you everything later but I don't think I can repeat it right now."
Piper understood and gingerly took the invaluable item. She told us she'd see us after dinner and squeezed my arm, her gorgeous eyes flickering over my face before she let go of me and moved to Leo. Together they went down the stairs and disappeared, leaving me alone with Thalia.
I let out a soft sigh and faced her, "Ready?" She nodded with a remorseful look, "I've been ready for weeks, It's been too long since the last time I saw them, so much's changed."
Her frown made it clear how much she'd missed Percy and Annabeth. I took her hand for support, "They'll be happy to see you. Don't worry Thals." She nodded again as we walked down to the med bay, not knowing how Percy would look after practically dying.
When we walked into the room we saw Nico and Annabeth watching over Percy but not saying a word to each other as if they were both too afraid to speak. Neither of them noticed our entrance so after a few seconds I cleared my throat and watched Annabeth turn to us and freeze when she caught sight of Thalia. Her eyebrows scrunched up and she let out a small cry of desperation as she stood from her chair and instantly ran into Thalia's already open arms. The two held onto each other, both crying and exchanging words that were hard to understand through their sobs and sniffles.
Not wanting to interrupt their emotional reunion, I moved to Nico's side speaking in a hushed tone, "How's he doin?" Nico had obviously been crying as his eyes were blood shot and his nose and cheeks were tinted an irritated pinkish color. "He's alive. Were you able to get it?" He didn't have to specify what 'it' was. When I confirmed that we obtained the blessing I saw his shoulders slump in relief as he sighed heavily.
"Thalia and I are gonna watch him and make sure he's okay. You and Annabeth need to go get some dinner and rest. Piper's gonna explain what happened during our mission and Thalia will fill in the rest tomorrow. Thank you for saving him while we were gone, Leo told me what you did." I smiled lightly as he flushed from my praise. He thanked me bashfully and stood, joining Annabeth who Thalia apparently was able to convince to leave for the night.
The pair left, closing the door behind them and leaving Thalia and I alone with our comatose friend. "Are you okay?" I asked, seeing tears still puddling in my sister's eyes as she watched Percy's bare chest rise and fall.
Thalia wiped her face with the back of her hand and said, "It's really hard to see him like this. I've seen him hurt but not this bad. Annabeth is doing better than I'd expected but not much. I'm so worried about them Jason. It's unnatural to not be hearing a stupid joke or see his goofy smile while he's here in front of me. I don't like it." She was holding one of his hands in both of hers, studying his face with a look of deep angst.
I understood how she felt, it was awful to see him in this fragile state. "He'll be okay, we'll make sure of it." I put a hand on Percy's forearm and the second my skin made contact with his I was pulled away from reality and shoved onto a dusty and rough, stone littered floor.
After I got over the bewilderment from the rapid change of scenery I looked around and deduced that I was some how in Tartarus again. Percy must've accidentally brought me here when I touched him.
A distressed voice somewhere off to my right asked, "Jason? Where are we?" I stood up and found Thalia, staring at me expectantly. I didn't understand how she was here too but her question made me realize that I might've forgotten to mention this specific detail in the iris message.
"Um did I not mention that Percy can bring me, Frank, and Nico into his mental prison? I didn't think it'd work for you but here you are. This is Tartarus. Well not literally but according to Percy it's pretty much identical to the real thing. I've only been here once but it's not a pretty place. We should probably find Percy, we can't stay here too long."
Thalia gaped at me, looking around as if trying to disprove my words. During her search for proof she seemed to catch sight of something. She let out an abrupt gasp, fear filling her eyes as her hands flew up to cover her mouth.
"Thalia?!? What is it, what's wrong?" I asked before shifting my eyes to the area she was focused on. Horror seized my heart as I saw Percy on his knees with his arms bound high above his head. Around his wrists were thick black chains that connected to the top of a tall pole. He was positioned in the center of a baron field with strange bushes and flowers growing through the cracks in the stone floor like zombies grasping their way to the surface.
A curse escaped my lips as Thalia and I took off in a run to the seemingly unconscious Percy. We stopped in front of him and kneeled down as the entirety of his frightful condition was displayed for us to see.
Percy's head hung limply to his chest, jet black hair plastered against his pale forehead. Sweat trickled steadily down the sides of his face while a thin stream of blood trailed from the corner of his mouth ominously. The orange shirt he wore now resembled more of an apron as the back seemed to've been cut in long strips like it'd been slashed repeatedly with a knife. The material had clearly been soaked with blood and it was still dripping off of the fabric and splattering onto the ground in a puddle below. The part that disturbed me most was there were no visible injuries that could permit such mass amounts of gore.
Before I realized I'd spoken out loud my grief stricken voice reached my ears. "Oh gods what the heck happened to him?" I was mostly talking to myself as the terror I'd felt at his appearance began to sink into my body and left me trembling with fear.
Thalia remained quiet as she reached a shaky hand out, gently cupping Percy's cheek, a look of devastation in her electric blue eyes. I lifted a hand and rested it on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her while also needing to reassure myself that I wasn't going through this nightmare alone.
A small jolt went through Percy's body followed by a moan of pain at our combined touch. Thalia quickly pulled her hand back, taken off guard by his sharp movement and sound.
Percy rolled his head to the side then lifted it up with effort. He blinked a few times before noticing our presence. His eyes wandered up to our faces and after a few seconds he gave us a weak smile. "Jase...good to see ya man." His voice sounded gritty and dry like he hadn't had anything to drink in days. He was surprisingly alert for how weak he looked. His eyes left mine as they shifted to Thalia's with a playful sparkle, "Is that you pinecone face? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with...that goddess lady?"
It was great to see him awake and the look on Thalia's face when he called her pinecone face was priceless but when he couldn't remember Artemis's name I got a little concerned. Frank had mentioned that Percy was starting to forget things but it was way different to hear it first hand.
Even though Thalia was stunned by his words she recovered fast and let out an affectionate laugh, "Yeah it's me seaweed brain. I came as soon as I found out you were trying to take a one way trip to Elysium without my permission. You should know by now that I'd never let you leave Annabeth and I this soon."
Percy gave her an innocent smile, "My bad, I'll double check with you next time. It's really good to see you by the way. Although I do wish it was for burgers and a milkshake. That would be way better than this torture fest."
At his last words I caught sight of the chains that were holding him in what I was sure was an uncomfortable position. I stood up, looking for a way to free him, feeling in my pocket but finding my coin wasn't there.
Percy smiled sadly up at me, "There's no way to undo em Grace. I've tried everything. They're unbreakable. She said that I'm trapped here until the end. I think it's getting close, the days and nights are blending together and I can feel myself growing weaker. Don't worry though, I haven't given up, not by a long shot. By the way what's the status on that cure? Any luck with Zeus?"
I couldn't believe how relaxed he was right now. Chained up and trapped here but still smiling and messing around like normal. It only made me want to get him out of here even more, to make sure he'd still be himself once he was was safe. "Yeah we got it bud, now we only need Hades blessing and then we can get you outta here."
Percy let out a breath of relief, which made me think he was probably struggling a lot more than he was willing to let on.
Thalia edged closer to Percy and gently brushed a stray piece of hair out of his face. "What's happening here? You mentioned a 'she'...who is it keeping you here? Leo told us that your heart stopped earlier...do you know what could've caused that?"
Percy's eyes widened and he fidgeted against his restraints as if the subject brought back painful memories. "I-I'm sorry if I scared anyone. I-I'm trying to fight it I promise. It's Akhlys...she's the keeper of the death mist and the primordial goddess of misery and...poison." He took in a shuddering breath before continuing, "Annabeth and I barely got away from her alive. Time is weird down here but maybe a day ago she found me and brought me here so she could-" He clenched his hands into fists in an attempt to stop them from shaking. Whatever happened to him must've been bad. He was struggling to speak and could barely control his shaking limbs.
He apologized for taking so long to explain but Thalia just hushed him in a soft voice, "Take your time, we understand."
Percy nodded and swallowed with a wince, "She has these disgustingly long, sharp fingernails that she's been using on my back to slice up my skin so she can better access my bloodstream. Then she pours a poison of her choice over my open wounds. It's more painful than anything I've ever felt before. At one point she forced a brew of Belladonna and Hemlock down my throat and I swear my organs were dissolving. My heart felt like it was beating so fast I thought for sure it was gonna explode. I don't really remember much after that...I don't know for sure but I guess it's possible that I asked her to end it. According to...Neptune, no that's not right. Dad...Poseidon. Yeah, according to Poseidon when the week's over I'll die no matter what but until then the only way I can die is if I beg for death myself.
The blood pool and mangled shirt registered in my mind during his story and I felt like I'd been stabbed in the gut. He was being poisoned and tortured, unable to fight back and on top of that he'd almost forgotten his own father's name? He'd been in so much pain that he'd begged this Akhlys person to kill him and if Nico hadn't saved him he'd be dead. This couldn't get much worse. "We're gonna get you out of here Percy. Nico's gonna get the last ingredient and then you'll be safe. Just keep remembering us and don't give up. Hold out a little longer Perce, we'll bring you home."
Percy nodded and glanced from me to Thalia with a look of desperation, "Thank you...I'm sorry for almost giving up...C-Can I have a hug?"
My breath caught in my throat at the fear and regret in his voice. It was such a simple request but it was so much more than that to Percy. He needed a hug like a boat relying on an anchor to avoid being carried off and lost at sea.
At the same time Thalia and I moved forward, wrapping our arms around his torso but being careful not to cause him any more pain. Percy was trembling against us, his face buried into Thalia's shoulder as I'm sure he was using every ounce of strength to not burst into tears.
We held him close to us for a long time, whispering things that we hoped he could hold onto through the times of torment. When we finally pulled back Percy looked a lot better than he had before. His skin was no longer clammy and his cheeks held a healthier coloring. We talked for a few minutes, glad to be together even thought the circumstances weren't the best. Percy eventually told us it was getting too risky for us to stay. He assured us he'd be fine and gave a brave smile to try and prove it.
Thalia didn't want to leave and neither did I but we also didn't want to put him in any more danger. We gave him one last hug before we got up from our spots on the ground. I was about to ask him how to leave when all of my thoughts and actions came to an abrupt halt.
A wailing sob from somewhere in the distance assaulted my ears and left me feeling as if every ounce of happiness in the world had been sucked into a pit and replaced with pure misery. Percy's terror filled eyes met my own and he barely managed to cry, "Get out before she sees you! Don't let anyone come back here it's not safe!"
The alarm that I felt at his tone made me grab Thalia's sleeve and scramble backward for a place to hide. About 40 feet away I found a large rock big enough to conceal both Thalia and I. We took cover behind it and carefully peeked around the boulder to see what was happening. We watched as a hideous humanoid creature, who I assumed was Akhlys, approach Percy with a cruel grin on her ugly face. My heart was pounding as the hag bent down and whispered something in Percy's ear. From the way his body tensed up I was sure she hadn't said anything good.
Akhlys straightened slightly before she creeped around to Percy's back, and with one rough tug tore Percy's orange shirt off and throw it carelessly on the ground. She grinned sadistically as she raised her hand that was equipped with talon like nails just as Percy had described. In a single swift motion she brought down her razor sharp claws and raked them across his skin, leaving long deep gashes down his spine. The agonizing yell that came from Percy was almost too much for me to bear. He pulled against his chains as he endured the pain, making a distinct metallic clanking noise as the links clashed together violently. Akhlys paid no attention to his struggle as she reached into her dirty, blood caked dress and brought out a hand full of dark purple berries that practically screamed poison.
"As soon as you say the words I can make the pain stop. Your friends have left you to die and they will never save you in time, Perseus. If you give up I can free you from your pain and relieve you from your suffering. All you have to do is ask." Her voice was compelling even from far away. I wanted to yell to him that she was lying but I knew it would only make things worse if I revealed our existence.
Percy lifted his gaze to try and look at Akhlys but he froze when he spotted Thalia and I half hidden behind the rock. He must've assumed we'd left by now.
When Percy didn't answer her right away, Akhlys barked, "Well? What is your answer?"
Percy's face hardened, eyes never leaving our position, "Sorry sunshine but I'll never lose hope. No matter what you say or do I won't give up on my friends." He gave us a weak smile and a firm nod before mouthing, "Go."
Thalia looked at me and we were about to try to leave when our attention was drawn back to Akhlys who snarled, "I am not sunshine! I am misery and you will beg for death!" She held her hand over Percy's back and closed her fist, crushing the berries angrily. Almost instantly a deep red liquid rushed over her fingers and poured down onto the freshly opened gashes that were bleeding lazily below.
Percy arched his back as the juice from the berries mingled with his blood. He cried out in pain as tears rolled down his face involuntarily. I took a step away from my hiding spot and was about to run to Percy's side when Thalia yelled, "No!" and grabbed my wrist to stop me from my stupidity. The second she touched me the world around us melted and I found myself shoved back in the med bay on the Argo II. It took me moment to understand what'd happened but when I did everything came crashing down at once.
I barely had time to jump out of my seat and shove an astonished Leo out of my way as I dashed into the bathroom and fell to my knees. Unable to hold it in I retched into the toilet below me and threw up everything I'd eaten in the last day. I couldn't handle the images that were so vivid in my head of Percy being tortured. I puked for a long time and was vaguely aware of someone rubbing my back. By the time I stopped gagging my throat was burning and hot tears were pouring down my face. I thought I heard someone talking to me but I was too exhausted and upset to make out any words. I remember getting lifted onto my feet, the world spinning around me, and then nothing but darkness.
When I started to wake I noticed that my head was pounding and my throat was on fire. I moved my hands slightly and felt soft, cool sheets wrapped around my body. Though I couldn't understand how I'd gotten in a bed. I opened my eyes tentatively and was met the worried eyes of Leo and Piper staring down at me.
Piper helped me sit up slowly before Leo handed me a cup of water which I graciously took and downed almost immediately. I couldn't comprehend what I was doing laying down in the med bay or why I was there. "What happened?" I asked after wetting my dry lips. My voice was foreign to my ears as it sounded strained and broken.
Piper squeezed my hand lightly, her voice taking on a tender but apprehensive tone, "Baby you got sick...You and Thalia came out of Percy's subconscious and you kind of puked and passed out."
The memories flashed through my head like a horror movie and a new wave of nausea hit my stomach making me grab a fistful of sheets. I took a few deep breaths, not wanting to throw up again before asking, "Is Thalia okay?" I tried to shift my focus and remain calm despite my growing anxiety.
"She wasn't a whole lot better than you but she didn't hurl. I gave her some pills to help her relax and now she's sleeping in Percy's room. Annabeth and Hazel are keeping an eye on her. Thalia did manage to tell us everything before she fell asleep. I'm sorry that happened." Leo spoke quietly, looking down.
My eyes watered as I imagined Percy, being poisoned and tortured relentlessly by the goddess of misery herself. Piper kissed my cheek and rubbed my arm, trying to distract me from the painful thoughts. She spoke in a coaxing voice, "Go to sleep love."
An overwhelming weariness overtook me as I registered that she'd used charmspeak on me. I tried to fight it but eventually gave in from my desire to forget about today's trauma. I let her command send me into a peaceful slumber and take me into a new and hopefully better tomorrow.
I don't know what to say. This chapter just kinda happened. I didn't plan it to be so intense and yet here we are. Sorry for the darkness, the next chapter will also be pretty heavy so beware. It was honestly pretty difficult to write since I'm a positive person in real life. Speaking of, let's move onto the happy stuff, Triple B, thank you for the super review and welcome to the party, I'm sorry for making it even more emotional ':). Mika1303 and Mike2020 thank you for the reassurance you are both awesome as always. Now, my poor sweet Percy is in rough shape and I think I traumatized Jason but maybe they can pull through? I mean they are two of the strongest demigods and have a ton of people to support them. Any who we'll see what happens and I'll see you all in the next chapter!