Chapter 1: Reminiscences
Annabeth
"I love you Wise Girl…I am sorry we won't be able to stay together but promise that you will live your life, at least for me.", I heard Percy mutter into my ears. My heart slowly broke as I looked into his almost lifeless sea green eyes, those eyes that I thought I would love forever.
"No, Percy! Stay with me Seaweed Brain, please don't go! Here, take this!", I practically screamed back at him, internally chiding him for giving up so easily. I quickly grabbed the flask of nectar from Will's hands and tried to dribble some nectar into his mouth.
"It is no use, Annabeth. My time on Earth is over." I looked at him with disbelief, and I think he saw it too as he tried to put a smile on his face. His next action shocked me even more. He pressed Riptide into the palm of my hand and opened his mouth to speak.
"I, Percy Jackson, hereby transfer ownership of this sacred blade to Annabeth Chase, in the hope that she finds better use of it than me." He went limp as soon as he uttered those words and left me stunned in the harsh reality of his death.
I jolted awoke in my bed, sweating profusely even though it was winter. I have had that recollection, every night, for the past week since his death. A nightmare so horrifying that I kept wishing was just my imagination, but reality does have its way of virtually slapping people.
I looked around the cabin, realising that everyone was still asleep. Deciding that I needed some fresh air, I pulled on my hoodie and grabbed my Yankees cap, then slipped out of the cabin, careful not to wake anyone up. As I walked around camp, I tried my best to push my thoughts of Percy, but noticing the different landmarks kept bringing back memories of him. Our first Capture the Flag in the woods to our first underwater kiss in the canoe lake, each memory more relieving yet more painful than the previous. Ironically, I found myself walking to beach, where I knew it would hurt the most. I sat down in the pearl white sand and breathed in the cooling sea breeze, reminding me of Percy. The night sky glittered with stars, and I remembered Zoe, the huntress that had been forever etched into the night, and Bob who had longed to see the stars again. Percy had tried to help many people, and had saved countless more. This left me thinking why the Fates were so cruel, why they had taken away a life so precious and young from us, from me. Suddenly, as tears were rolling down my cheeks, a voice jarred me from my thoughts.
"Thinking about Percy?". I whirled around and was surprised to see Poseidon standing there. He looked immensely different, his regal composure as the sea god was gone, his hair turned grey with dimmed and gloomy sea green eyes without the usual joyful glint. I was not surprised, after all, his favourite son was gone. I quickly stood up and greeted him.
"Yes, my lord, I was not able to sleep with all those thoughts, so I decided to take a walk." I explained. He merely nodded and turned his attention back to the sea.
After a long silence, he said, "He went too early, didn't he? He was named Perseus by his mother, because he was one of the only heroes that had a peaceful end. I just really wished that it was true for him too."
I could not say anything. A ball was formed in my throat, threatening to burst out in the form of tears. Instead, I tried to divert my attention back to the sand, the fine granules in between my toes.
Finally, I asked Poseidon, "Who do you think did this? Kronos's remains were scattered across Tartarus, impossible for him to reform this quickly, and the rest of the Titans are in hiding. We just put an end to Gaea's conquest last week. Other than them, Percy did not have any major enemies that would go so far as to get him killed in cold blood."
"I do not have an inkling as to who could have done this, my dear Annabeth, only time would tell." Poseidon replied in sombre tone, filled with helplessness. "For now, all we can do is wait for answers. Both camps have sent out search parties for the owner of the murder weapon. Hades and I have also sent out our forces for information, and Zeus has instructed Artemis and the hunt to keep a lookout as well. Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't focus on finding the killer but instead focus on coming to terms with Percy's death, for your own sake."
I gave him an empty nod and looked away, trying to absorb what he had said. He put a protective arm around my shoulder and let out a sigh.
"Just remember Annabeth, you not in this alone. We all are in the same boat right now and eventually, will have to get over this someday, whether we like it or not. However, for that to happen, we have to be there each other."
When I looked back in his direction, he was gone, leaving behind that nostalgic sea breeze scent. With a tear-streaked face, I laid back down on the beach, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.
Piper
"Ring! Ring!"
I woke up with a start in my bed, still feeling groggy and tired. Looking around, I saw my other cabinmates still asleep, and I questioned myself why I set my alarm so early. Then it hit me that Jason was coming back today. He had been running all around the country for the past week, rallying support for the search for Percy's murderer.
Percy was like a brother to me. We had not known each other for long but the time that we spent together really created a special bond for ourselves. With his death, the emptiness that he left behind was easily felt. Hazel, Nico and Thalia probably felt the same too, with him being their actual brother. All of them became less and less approachable since that fateful day, keeping to themselves, hardly talking to anyone.
Jason, Grover, Leo and Frank were equally as devastated as us. They were the first ones to react, along with Reyna, Thalia and Clarisse, when Percy got stabbed by that hooded figure. They tried to give chase, but he was long gone. Hopefully, Jason would have some helpful news today about what happened.
I remembered how Sally had reacted when she heard the news. She seemed completely broken, refusing to talk to anyone. I could only imagine how much pain she, as a mother, had felt when her only son had died at such a young age so gruesomely. For a parent, that is the worst that can ever happen.
Realising that there was still time for Jason's arrival, I decided to take a walk along the beach to clear my mind. I was walking slowly on the smooth sand, taking in the refreshing sunrise, when I noticed. a certain blonde lying on the sand, sound asleep.
"Annabeth, wake up! What are you doing here all alone? Are you okay?" I shook her awake, scaring her out of her wits. She had deep, dark circles around her eyes and sunken cheeks, indicating the stress she was going through. Annabeth was definitely the most affected by his death. Once we had burnt Percy's shroud and conducted his final rites, she had locked herself in her room in the cabin for an entire day, refusing to eat anything or talk to anyone. When she finally came out, the only places you would have ever seen her at would be the pavilion for meals or in her room working on designs for buildings
As she looked around her, she replied, "Oh Hades! What time is it, Piper? Sorry, I was taking a stroll here last night as I could not sleep but it seems that I ended up passing out here."
"You are lucky I was the one who found you, Annie. If it was anyone else, you would have been in big trouble by now." I pulled her up to her feet and steadied her. "You look exhausted, we should probably get some food into you."
"Don't call me Annie!" She clutched her stomach and said, "Well I am a little hungry…"
"Great. Let's go then!" I dragged her behind me to the dining pavilion, and we took a seat at a table.
While eating, I kept bringing topics up, trying to start a conversation with her, but the entire time she either kept ignoring me or did not bother listening. "By the way Jason's coming today with information about the search. Are you up for the meeting?"
She pondered on the issue for a while and told me that it was finally time that she came to terms with his death, we all should. I was proud of her, she had really improved he state of mind from a week ago. However, emotionally, her expressions did say otherwise, but I am sure that it would be okay after a while.
Jason
I was deep in thought as I walked through the camp border with Frank and Leo. We just had a run in with Hermes and he had a rather peculiar request. While pushing it to the back of my mind, I saw Piper running up the hill to me and Annabeth walking behind, with a morose expression on her. It was understandable as I knew what she was feeling, the pain that she was going through. Losing a person close to you is hurtful enough, but when the person is the love of your life, it's a completely different story.
I quickly called a meeting in the recreational room, and before long, all the camp counsellors were assembled in their respective positions. Chiron came in with a tired look on his face, glanced around and went to stand in the far corner of the room.
"As for the search, there have been no new developments. Grover has just sent another squad of his elite nature spirits to Alaska, just in case." This proclamation received a number of sighs, from which I realised the hopes they had. I glanced at Annabeth, who had turned her head downwards.
"However, there is something else." I remembered our talk with Hermes and looked at Frank and Leo, who gave me a quick nod. "The gods have called for an emergency meeting in Olympus at 3 this afternoon and we are invited. Apparently, they want us to meet someone."
