It was like a terrifying water slide. Without the water. That's why it was terrifying. I could vaguely see Charlie underneath me, screeching like a frightened child on a roller coaster. At the end of the slide was a warm light, candlelight. It grew bigger the further we went, and I soon recognized it as an opening into a room. We approached all too quickly.

Soon enough, we emerged into the room and landed in a heap on a thick carpet. A nice change, really. As soon as we landed, Charlie broke into a coughing fit. I looked up and the first thing I noticed was a man, maybe a bit older than my dad. He looked somewhat like my Uncle Jason, but his blonde hair was long and covered most of his face. He had a beard that looked to be messily shaved.

"Daedalus," he cursed. The he noticed me and Charlie. "Who are these people, what have you done to them?" He bent down next to Charlie, who stopped coughing as he yipped in surprise and backed into me. I took him by the shoulders and pulled him into my side, staring defensively at the man. He pulled back apologetically.

You can't trust him.

"You told me to follow the two demigods that would fall into Tartarus and bring them here," Daedalus explained.

The blonde man's eyebrows creased in concern. "They were the demigods you found?" He began muttering to himself. The only words I caught were, "Percy and Annabeth." I perked up and their names but wasn't given a chance to speak.

"And I told you to keep them safe? They don't look safe!" He motioned towards us. He stepped towards me and reached for my arm but I recoiled.

This is the opposite of safe.

Daedalus shrugged. "Well, they're alive," he excused.

No help to you

"Did you say Percy and Annabeth?" I blurted. They both went silent and looked at me as if to, say how do you know those names?

"Yes, I did," the blonde man said softly. "Why, do you know them? Are they ok?" His eyes pooled with emotion. Even Daedalus seemed to grow a kinder expression.

"Yeah, I do know them. And they were ok last I saw them, which was about eight months ago, or however long we've been in here."

The man smiled in pride and relief. "Thank the gods they're ok! When I died, the fates told me they were doomed to fall into Tartarus. I sent Daedalus to keep them safe, but I guess they weren't the ones to fall. At least Daedalus was there to bring you here. You may not be who I thought you were, but that's ok. I think I've found a way out of here," he said.

"Percy and Annabeth did fall, like twenty-six years ago," I said plainly. The man seemed to melt. His eyes became misty as if he were trying to hide his own grief.

"Twenty-six years ago?" He turned to glare at Daedalus and his face went red and he struggled to keep himself contained. He reminded me a lot of Casey. Except he was better at controlling his anger.

You'll never see her again.

"I did not know! I did not know!" Daedalus insisted, growing pale.

"It's ok," I said. "They escaped through the doors of death. Then they defeated Gaia and saved, so I'd say it turned out alright."

The man just looked sad now. He turned away from the son of Athena. "I knew they would fall. Maybe it was part of my punishment, but the fates told me. When I was sent to Tartarus, I felt helpless. But then I met Daedalus, and I thought there would be a way to save them. I had him stay behind to watch for them so he could keep them safe, then I came here and spent years finding this workshop. I've been mastering the Labyrinth so I could help them escape when Daedalus brought them here. But like usual, I guess they didn't need anybody but each other to survive." He smiled softly. It was a sad smile, the type of smile you see as soldier recount their times at war and the friends they lost while there.

You now wear that smile. As does Charlie Valdez.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You mastered the Labyrinth for my parents? You could have escaped!" Who was this guy? A nagging suspicion began to grow in the back of my mind, but my dwindling logic pushed it aside.

"I could have, but I wouldn't. Not as long as I knew there was a chance I had to save Percy and Annabeth. And I haven't mastered it yet-," he froze mid-sentence as he realized the full extent of what I had said. "Parents?"

I nodded as if it were obvious, sending both the men into wide eyed stares. "I'm Jason Jackson. Percy and Annabeth are my parents."

The man looked like he was about to cry, yet he was somehow happy. His head dropped to his hands, revealing a strange scar on his face. I gasped and grabbed Charlie's arm. I couldn't find myself able to speak. I knew who this man was. I knew how he knew my parents, why he was so adamant to save them. And I knew why he wound up in Tartarus. Kronos was inside of him when he died, so it made sense he would end up in Tartarus.

Ah, Luke Castellan. The hero of both sides.