To die, to sleep - / To sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub, / For in this sleep of death what dreams may come... - William Shakespeare

Percy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. 1, 2, 3, 4 … "What brings you here, sister?"

He opens his eyes to trees covered with black Rottweiler hide, branches tipped with drooling white fangs and brown roots burrowed in claws.

"Just a social call," Teleute says, her full attention still on Artemis. "If the prodigal never returns home, then you go to his."

Artemis backs away from the pale goth, like a gazelle all too aware of the cheetah's starved gaze. Her bow remains at the ready—primed to main him or his sister.

"Not to mention that you left the door wide open," Teleute continues, gesturing to the furred forest around them. "You need to clean up better. Smells like wet dog."

From the vast darkness above, Percy hears the approaching beat of hordes of flapping wings and scoffs. "You're more than welcome to help if you care so much."

But before Teleute can say another word, the Huntress raises her bow and releases a stream of silver arrows into the sky. Within seconds, the steady rhythm of leathery bat wings becomes the splattering rain of corpses onto the forest floor.

"Seems like your friend has things well in hand," Teleute says with a lazy smile. "Another traipse into the darkness, Phaesporia?"

Artemis's eyes gleam all the brighter. "It would seem so … Thanatos?"

For a moment, his sister's form flickers, her modern black gothic clothes becoming a dark silk dress that covered all her skin. Then with a shrug, it changes back. "I shouldn't be surprised you recognize me in such a way. The goddess of sudden death …"

The body of a bat-winged woman crashes against a tree and rolls into their midst. Teleute finally looks away from Artemis and kneels to touch the corpse's shoulder. "So simple to trace your footsteps with such obvious trails you left in your hunts."

"You're gonna get an arrow too if you keep teasing her," Percy grumbles, turning to walk away.

He can almost feel the glare Artemis levels at the back of his exposed neck. Then, when he realizes he can't turn his head to see what his sister was now doing, he sighs and yanks out another arrow lodged through his neck.

"She does not deserve the same hostility that you do," snipes Artemis. Still, Percy can tell she has yet to decide whether to keep following him or remain with his sister, who is still looking over the dead body.

"That's very kind," Teleute says, standing back up lightly. "I'm not quite as sturdy as Percy is here. But it's nice to know he cares!"

He snorts and continues walking. "Or I don't want another sucker to get in over their head."

"Maybe," Teleute says and she strolls in his wake, and Artemis quickly falls into step with her. "I' might've believed you if I thought you could be a hypocrite."

"Could I not?" Percy asks.

A moment passes as Teleute reconsiders. "Nah. Morpheus, yes. But not you." Then, she begins to talk with Artemis. "So, what brings you back?"

After a pause, Artemis says, "I don't remember."

"Ah. You will soon enough. Has my brother at least been of help?"

"Besides an easy target for venting frustration? No, not really."

Yes, because Percy loved getting shot all the time. He can't think of a single visitor that causes him to get more injuries. Even Ares would at least only take up arms against monsters rather than him.

Teleute giggles. "True. But he can take it. And he could learn to be a bit less prickly."

"Could you be of more help than he?"

"No one knows this place better than Percy. Not to mention the rules, your way out is through him and him alone, regardless of his guiding skills."

Percy raises a finger over his shoulder, which gets him another laugh from Teleute.

"Rules? Pray tell," Artemis asks, ignoring Percy.

"I can only answer one question. Is that what you truly wish to know?"

"Then what—you have already given me some answers."

"Answers of sorts. But nothing significant that you did not already know or could not figure out yourself. So choose wisely. You don't have much time."

Teleute was right. Percy could feel the next phase of the forest yearning to overtake them, and only her presence was stalling that change. And then she would also be gone until she bothered him next.

"What is this place, truly?"

Percy almost laughs. Leave it to Artemis to be unsatisfied with his answer about the forest and to ask to explain the unexplainable.

"This place is entropy incarnate. We stand at the edge of the universe, at the edge of destiny and death and dream and destruction … where even gods may truly die, if one were to get lost in the depths of this forest. So do be careful not to antagonize Percy too much, alright? Lest he chooses to leave you behind."

For a moment, there are no words.

"I'm sure I'll see you again, Artemis. Olethros?"

He turns to stare at his adoptive sister. "Don't call me that."

Teleute smiles, sad and apologetic. She reaches out to both of them but stops herself. "Take care, Perseus."

And then she's gone, and so is the forest, and instead both Percy and Artemis are sliding on an almost vertical steep slope towards the edge of a massive pit. And he remembers naught but darkness and poison and pain, staring deep into the abyss.

Then a beam of light skewers his leg to the ground. Percy shakes himself free from his daze and grabs hold of the goddess who shot him before either of them can slip any closer to the void.

And suddenly the pit is gone and they're lying in a shallow crater, surrounded by trenches and trees of gnarled metal shrapnel.

Percy falls back against the hard-packed soil and groans. "She had to say something."