Hello fellow demigods! I know you guys are confused, it's been super long with no update, but don't worry, things will become very clear. I was thinking of ending this story on chapter 20, maybe 25. Let me know if you guys would want more, or a different story, etc. I've been working on this since 2018 so thanks to all you guys for tuning in. Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

Rachel sat on a beanbag chair, her switchblade in hand, glittering off the LED lights strung up around her cave: it was definitely cool, as Apollo said it would be, but lately it felt like a prison. Every night, her nightmares got worse; scenes of mass murder, torture, and even more scenes of gore and suffering she couldn't put into words. All because of that one cursed vision.

"Love is cruel, isn't it dear?" said a smooth female voice. Rachel looked up and saw one of the only celebrities she had ever found beautiful. In front of her stood Lauren German, the only actress that she ever found stunning. Unfortunately, Rachel knew who it really was.

"What do you want, Aphrodite?" she said, her gaze turning back to the unopened blade. The goddess took a look around, reaching up to touch the LED lights with her fingers, turning that section a vibrant pink.

"I always knew Percy would break a few hearts, dear, but this obsession of yours" Rachel's head snapped up as Aphrodite shook her head "it's simply unhealthy." Rachel felt like she had just been slapped in the face.

"So, this is my fault?" blood roared in the young Oracle's ears, fire building in her stomach. The goddess picked an invisible piece of lint off her white blouse and flicked it aside calmly; her dark blue jeans were ripped at the knees; the way Rachel like to wear hers.

"Darling, you chose to take on the Oracle's role. You had the gift of sight even before-"

"Gift?" Rachel stood, her fists shaking. The cold metal of the switchblade prominent in her right hand. "I've suffered from visions, been to countless therapists, nightmare after nightmare, and now that fucking shield" as soon as she said the word, her mind began to flood with images of pain and suffering, rape and slaughter, the screams of the damned painfully loud in her ears. She dropped the blade as she fell to her knees, groaning in pain, her eyes shut tight, and her hands pressed to her aching temples. It took a few seconds before she was able to calm her mind, her eyes opening slowly to meet the goddess' sad gaze, looking down at her.

"Well, that does explain a lot" Aphrodite knelt to meet Rachel's gaze, who now sat on the stone floor, her fingers picking at one of the holes in her frayed jeans.

"You need to leave Percy alone, dear." Rachel knew she was right, but her mind just couldn't accept that.

"No, no I can't" the redhead had no control over her emotions, tears welling in her eyes almost instantly "I love him, I need him, I-" the goddess placed her hand on the Oracle's shoulder, causing a warm, calm feeling to spread through her body. Her muscles relaxed as Aphrodite shook her head, sensing the aching and pain of the young mortal.

"Your mind is tainted, child" whatever Aphrodite's touch did, it allowed Rachel to think rationally, just for a bit "You saw the shield even before Calypso told you, and it has been slowly corrupting you" her blue eyes pierced the redhead's soul, and Rachel knew she was right. She lowered her head, tears falling down her cheeks.

"It's just…" Rachel looked up, but the goddess was no longer there. That feeling of calm and stillness was gone, along with Aphrodite. The young Oracle picked up the switchblade; it had a brushed gold handle, with three finger grips. She flicked the weapon open and inspected the Imperial gold and Celestial Bronze blade. She had asked Leo to make it for her while he made his throwing knives, tired of feeling helpless. She still carried around the brush she threw at Kronos all those years ago, but she figured she needed an upgrade.

"Be careful with this thing alright?" Leo had warned her as he made it "It might not hurt you, but it'll kill any monster or demigod" Rachel had rolled her eyes at the time, but after her visions, it was always in her pocket, like Percy's sword. She sliced at her arm, watching the blade pass through her like it was made of smoke. With a sigh, Rachel closed the blade and leaned back onto her beanbag chair. Though she wasn't tired, she closed her eyes, and sleep came soon after.

Percy stood on the beach, the warm September air blowing across his face. At least the sea still brought him some modicum of peace: though it did nothing to ease the guilt in his stomach. He sneered as he thought of Rachel, but he couldn't fully blame her. Once she had left the Infirmary that day, all his attraction to her was gone, replaced by shame and remorse. He scratched his head, the cast on his shattered wrist startling him slightly.

As Percy opened the door to the Infirmary, a hand clamped over his mouth and a mass shoved him to the side, the door closing with a gentle thud. After a few seconds in the dark, his eyes adjusted, and there stood Io; one hand on the wall and the other on her bandaged torso. The son of Poseidon looked at the ex-Hunter in confusion, her eyes stern and a little bit angry.

"We need to talk" She said in a hushed voice, and Percy's heartbeat sped up as he looked around the cabin; all the beds were empty except for one right next to him, where Will slept quietly on duty. Percy wondered if he could make a break for it, but he thought that seemed stupid in contrast to the situation. Besides, he wasn't proud of what he did. He needed advice on what to do next.

They sat at the end of the Infirmary as to not wake Will, both sitting on the edge of a bed. For almost a full minute, there was nothing but silence between the two.

"You want to explain yourself?" Io finally said, her arms crossed over her chest. It seemed like Io knowing just added an extra weight to his guilt. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know." Io frowned; that was not what she expected to hear. She's heard a lot of bad excuses, misplaced aggression or other emotions, but not 'I don't know.'

"I'm sure you're gonna call me crazy" Percy scoffed right after he spoke, shaking his head "Gods am I tired of saying that. Point is, I don't like Rachel. If anything, after what happened I don't think I even want to talk to her anymore, but…" he pressed his fingers to his temples as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Annabeth, yeah" Io finished for him. She knew what it was like to be manipulated, though she never saw Rachel as the manipulative type. She made a mental note to talk to her later on.

"Not to mention the fact we have to save Grover and fight a godly revolution. And gods Piper…" the emptiness in his gut was replaced by a tugging pain; he had forgotten just how much he cared about his friends. Io nodded sadly; she never got to meet Piper, but she heard so much about the young woman. She definitely was a true hero.

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I am going to tell her myself." Io was skeptical. What reason would he have to be honest if she didn't pressure him? She looked at him in the eye and saw the anguish and guilt he felt inside.

"Alright. If I learn you have no intentions of telling her, however-"

"Then you can spill the beans" Percy interjected, which made Io smile a little bit. Maybe Percy would prove her wrong.

Nico sat on the ground, his fingers gingerly touching the blades of grass. During his rare moments of calm, he actually enjoyed nature: the trees swaying in the gentle breeze, the cool dewy grass on a hot night, and the sound of the creatures in the forest brought peace to his mind. His hand went lower, touching the scarred dirt. This was where Io had opened the ground and disposed of the Manticore. He didn't want to admit it, but it made him feel weak. How could someone of the same parent be so much more powerful?

"Nico" said a voice behind him. He turned his head, his fingers already wrapped around his Stygian Iron dagger, next to his sword. He was surprised to see Jason, his hands shoved into his frayed jean pockets, sporting a clean Camp Jupiter t-shirt. Nico pushed himself to his feet and brushed himself off.

"What're you doing up?" Nico didn't wear a watch, but he had a good sense of time at night. He knew it was after midnight.

"I can't sleep" His voice was monotone and empty, but Nico could see how sunken and tired his eyes were. The son of Hades wasn't sure how to help Jason; they both handled grief very differently. At least, Nico assumed.

"Well… do you want to chat?" The sentence felt weird in the demigod's mouth, something he's only ever offered Hazel or Will. The son of Jupiter shook his head, the rest of his body unmoving.

"I want to see Piper" Nico stared at the demigod for a few seconds, slightly taken aback by his words.

"And… How do you plan on doing that?" Nico hoped if he played dumb, Jason wouldn't ask him to do this.

"There's a reason I came to you, Nico." The stern tone in his voice was one that Nico recognized too well. He sighed, looking back at the woods.

"Listen Jason. This won't give you the closure you're looking for. The best thing for you i-" in a burst of movement, Jason had taken three long strides and gripped Nico by the collar of his skull print t-shirt.

"Please, dude." His voice came out in almost a whisper, and Nico's urge to kick him back melted when he saw the tears falling down Jason's face. "I haven't slept in days, I can't eat, I don't know what else to do" the son of Jupiter let go of the boy, falling to his knees as he wept. Nico felt like he wanted to run away, but he understood that debilitating grief better than anyone, and how much it would have meant to him to have had somebody by his side as he grieved, all those years ago. The boy knelt at Jason's side, placing a hand on his back.

"Hey man, I know." The demigod's weeps quieted down as he tried to wipe his face "If you really want to try this, we can." Jason looked up, his chin wobbling and his face streaked with tears. He nodded, wiping his face a bit more as he stood up.

"Just promise me you won't get your hopes up. This has only worked for me once or twice, so our odds are slim." Jason nodded, turning away for a second as he composed himself. He didn't mean to break down in front of Nico like that, but he felt the son of Hades wouldn't tell anyone about it. Besides, it felt better to cry than to bear that empty pit in his stomach.

"C'mon, I have a spot in the woods I like to go to" Nico led Jason along the forest line as he looked for his old path.

"Right here" Nico stopped, Jason bumping into his back. He often forgot that his eyesight at night was much better than everyone else's. He pointed between two trees, where a dirt path led forward into the dark.

"What?" Jason asked, squinting. Nico sighed and grabbed his wrist "Just follow me."

Hazel sat on her bunk in the Hades cabin staring out the window, idly running her thumb over a fist sized ruby. Nico and Will were usually just a few bunks away, but tonight they were gone, probably attending to their own matters. She squeezed the gem as her mind wandered, thinking of her old life in the forties, how much simpler things were back then. Not better, necessarily, but easier.

She felt a sharp pain in her palm, making her drop the jewel. She had squeezed the ruby so hard it cut her hand, a small drop of blood sliding down her skin. She stared at the droplet until it fell to the ground with a barely audible splash; during Khione's attack, her time frozen was not pleasant. She dreamt, or potentially was, back in the Fields of Asphodel, except this time she knew exactly where she was, and who she was. She had run through the high yellow, dead grass, trying to scream for help, for remorse, for mercy, anything, yet she could do nothing but whisper. She had tried to tackle other souls, wake one of them up, but they'd simply stare confusingly at her as she attempted to grab the spirits. It had felt like years passed before the ice thawed, and she woke up back at Camp. She wasn't even sure if she really was back.

"Hazel?" The daughter of Hades gasped loudly, her body rocketing backwards into her bunk, afraid of whatever had just touched her. She stared back at a very concerned looking Frank, his hand hovering where her shoulder just was.

"I just came to check on you. I've been worried" she bit her lip and looked down at the pile of jewels around her feet, kicking one away so Frank could sit next to her. He had to hunch over so he could fit under the other bunk. For a moment, they simply sat there in silence, Hazel unable to speak much, feeling like at any moment she would blink and be back in that hell.

That's when she felt his hand cover hers, careful not to touch her injured palm, as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand. Tears welled in her eyes, but she was too scared to blink them away. Her eyes closed anyway when she began to sob, her face falling onto Frank's shoulder as she gripped his shirt, afraid he'd disappear if she didn't hold him. He folded his arms around her, confused and more worried than ever, yet glad he could be there for her when she needed him.

After about ten minutes of crying, she pulled back and wiped her face "I'm sorry, I'm a mess" she felt a bit better after that, but she couldn't shake the dread that lingered. He rubbed her back as she sniffled.

"It's okay. I'm still here" she smiled at him, that warm fuzzy feeling she only got when he was around burned in her chest, and she kissed him gently.

"You should go to bed, you know" she said, placing her head on his shoulder again as they held hands.

"Nah, I couldn't sleep anyway. Had to take a walk" Frank said, scratching his chin. Hazel chuckled a bit.

"Seems no one can sleep lately" Frank nodded, saying nothing as he stared at the wall across from them. For another minute or so, they stayed like that, silent and comfortable in each other's presence. The son of Mars took a deep breath.

"Hey, Hazel?" he said, looking over to see his sleeping girlfriend leaning against him. He sighed, lying her down in the bunk and covering her with the quilt. He kissed her forehead and made his way to the door; but he stopped as his hand touched the handle. He looked back at her, thinking how lucky he was to have her in his life, and how much he loved her.

"I love you, you know" he said quietly, his heart heavy.

As the cabin door closed behind him, he fished in his pocket. He had seen something shiny on the ground when he was approaching the Hades cabin, so he pocketed it. He meant to see what it was once he got inside, but Hazel was more important.

At that moment, the cloudless sky bore nothing but a large full moon, providing plenty of light for Frank to see what he was holding. His mouth dried instantly, and his gut felt like he had been sucker punched, but he knew his fate was sealed. There was nothing he could do now.

So, he continued to the Ares cabin. His legs felt like jelly, yet he walked with his head high…

… as he pocketed the small diamond he had collected, outside of the Hades cabin.