A/N: Hello! This is the tenth chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Percy's POV

I sat up with a start, panting heavily.

Nightmare, my mind whispered. But even so, I couldn't remember it. I gripped my head tightly and curled up against the wall. It had been a bad one, maybe so bad that my brain had blocked it out. Nightmares were worse down here, by a long shot.

I stared out into the inky blackness in front of me, watching the shapes of the rocks in front of me swirl and fade out of my vision as my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. I rubbed at my face, trying to erase the damp trail of tears from earlier.

Strangely enough, the cave almost seemed… comforting. It was a weird feeling, like I had been chased and terrified and starving for so long that a moment of safety had become foreign. I sank deeper towards the wall and floor, half wishing I could disappear into nothingness. Most of my experiences up until this point had been those of pain, and according to the statue that had been outside the entrance, only more suffering would await me.

Even though I knew that I would eventually have to move forward in these trials, a part of me yearned to stay here. It was completely impossible to stay back, but this feeling of peace had finally surrounded me for the first time in a while, and I didn't want to leave it behind.

A feeling of homesickness washed over me, strengthening my resolve. I wanted to be home. I wanted it more than anything. And this place was clearly not home. Home belonged on the surface, where my friends were.

I was so close. I had already done so much. The exit was only a fingertips reach way. Hopefully, soon enough, I would actually be there. It was waiting for me, and I had no choice but to keep going.

I turned my head and looked up. Somewhere, far far far above, the sun was shining down on the Earth. I wasn't going to stop until I could see that again.

I took a breath. At this point, I had already been through so much and seen so much difficulty that it was starting to become normal. I had been fighting the odds my entire life, planning for a future of happiness. I could keep doing it for now.

It wasn't in my nature to be an optimist. I couldn't stand the feeling of lying to myself to feel better. Looking for the bright side of every situation only led to disappointment. And I wouldn't change my outlook now, that there was anything good about my situation.

But that didn't mean I couldn't have hope, or at the very least pretend there would be a future for me.

I took a deep breath.

None of my friends would have ever had these thoughts. They wouldn't have dreamed of giving up. Every one of them was braver than I could ever be. They were the most determined group of people I had ever met. They wouldn't ever stop even if they had no chance.

So I would follow them.

I reached into my pocket and pulled Riptide out, uncapping it. The bronze glow lit up the small cave softly. Even though there was barely any light, I waited for a moment as my eyes adjusted before looking around.

The cave was much smaller than I thought it was. It was closer to being room sized. I stepped closer to the door, hoping to observe some of the intricate carvings, and instead felt my foot crush something underneath.

I looked down and felt a sudden chill run down my back

Skeletons were scattered across the floor of the area. They all looked as if they had fallen in battle, all with mortal wounds and weapons and armor. None of the creatures looked to have human skeletons. It was as if instead of dissolving into golden dust like other monsters, they had sat here undisturbed for centuries.

Hesitantly, I stepped around the bones and up to the giant door. Slowly, I reached a hand out and dragged my fingers down the dozens of inscriptions that were engraved in the frame of the door.

I wish I could have said they were happy carvings, but I'm not usually one to lie. The images depicted death and blood and misery. It was a warning of the pain to come.

I glanced up, and noticed the words that were carved into the wall above the door. They looked greek, but at the same time, completely different. My dyslexia started acting up again, even though the letters looked so familiar.

Maybe it was another language? Or maybe a form of greek so ancient that I couldn't understand it, even with my demigod abilities. The room did seem to reek of ancient power and magic.

Another strange feeling filled my chest. Hundreds of monsters had passed through this room before me, yet I would be the last person to wander through here.

The cave had already been here for thousands of years, and it would remain untouched for who knows how long once I passed through.

It was an eerie feeling. This room might never be seen again by living eyes for the rest of time. I glanced back at the carvings across the walls and at the skeletons lying across the floor. The light from Riptide cast a glow that changed everything to a warm color. Once I left, the cave would be left in darkness until someone else managed to stumble upon it.

I turned back to the door, and pressed my hand against it lightly. Immediately, it slid sideways into the wall. A field of darkness awaited me on the other side.

I stepped cautiously into the darkness, hoping there wasn't empty space below me. Once I was a couple of feet into the room, the door closed behind me. The choice had been made. I was here.

Don't doubt anything, my subconscious echoed. Focus on survival, and survival only.

I kept my friends in my thought, drawing on them for mental strength in the hopes that it would be just enough to get me through. They weren't here, but I could still have them beside me. I could still rely on them.

The darkness was suffocating. It wrapped around me in a strangling way, as if it was trying to fill up my lungs and stop the flow of air. Even Riptide didn't seem to glow as strongly as it normally did.

The night here wasn't simply an absence of the light, but its own entity that wanted to expand. It was alive.

I stepped forward, edging my way into the darkness. I had no idea of where I was heading, or if I was going in the right direction, or if there was a huge cliff right in front of me. It was also a possibility that I would walk straight into whatever was coming for me.

I glanced down at Riptide. If something was hunting me down… then I should probably cap Riptide. I didn't know what I was facing, and I was surrounded by darkness. If I wasn't alone in this room, then Riptide would be giving my position away. Odds were that the monster would have the ability to find prey in the dark. And I did not want to be the prey. I pulled out the cap and covered Riptide, still keeping the pen out in my hand. The place didn't follow the rules of any place on Earth, but I was glad that Riptide was still able to follow its own magical rules.

I stopped walking for a moment. Something was off. I cautiously reached out a hand and touched something. It was smooth and went up farther than I could reach. A wall. I uncapped Riptide for a little light and brought it closer to what I was touching.

There was nothing there. My eyes saw nothing but darkness, and I couldn't make out any shape. And yet my hand insisted it was there. I could feel that it was there in my gut in well. Perhaps it was some sort of magical thing. I could sense the disturbance in the air.

This was the edge of the area. What was beyond it, I didn't know. As far as I could see, I was still on an empty plain, but what I felt didn't lie to me about the structures around me.

I started walking once more, this time following the wall. Maybe it would lead me somewhere. Anywhere would be better than wandering out in the plain cluelessly. And if it came to a fight, at least I would have something to my back.

As I moved forward, I scanned the nearby darkness, although it didn't seem to be doing any good. Hopefully, nothing would lunge out at me and catch me by surprise before I could draw my sword.

I wondered where the wall was leading me. Was the room a square? I hadn't run into any corners, and it was possible that the room was larger than I could comprehend. At best, this wall was leading me towards the exit. At worst, it was leading me to where the monster would be. Either way, I kept to the wall. It was all I had at the moment.

I was absolutely terrified. From what I knew so far, thousands of monsters had tried to make it through here to the surface. Only a handful made the journey alive. And if I considered the number of monsters on the surface and assumed that this was the only way out, the only conclusions would be that this map was easier or that even more monsters than I thought had died trying to make it through. Even so, the monsters would have a second chance to come back after reforming in Tartarus, and perhaps more information on the trials. I didn't have either of those. This was my first and only opportunity to make it out. If I screwed it up, then that was it. Game over.

I was so deep in thought that I almost missed the approach of the monster.

I whirled around and pulled out Riptide, barely catching the sudden wingbeats that broke the silence of the darkness.

Another instant passed and I only made out a pair of glowing eyes before my left arm exploded in pain.

And then there was quiet.

The only proof that I hadn't imagined the ordeal was the blood that slowly dripped down my arm and onto the ground.

I crouched down in my stance, back against the wall. There was no way that the creature that had attacked me would only do it once. It was a hit-and-run, and it would be back again.

A few seconds, three more wingbeats out of nowhere and the monster was on me again. I caught a glimpse of orange scales before I slashed downwards and rolled to the side, parallel to the wall.

A muffled shriek pierced the air, as if the darkness was suffocating the creature as well. I breathed a small sigh of relief. If the darkness wasn't an advantage to the creature, then that meant we were at least on somewhat level playing fields.

Granted, since it found me first and also had the advantage of air attacks, we weren't on very even playing grounds, but at least it was something.

But I had to keep moving. I wasn't going to let it just come for me. I sprinted forward, my left arm trailing across the wall to make sure I wasn't veering off into empty space.

Wingbeats again.

This time, they came from behind me. I launched myself forward into a roll, feeling the rush of air from wherever the creature had attempted to grab me. A second later, and I was back on my feet and running.

My breaths pushed back against the darkness, and I felt myself slowly becoming more light headed. I couldn't breathe as well here as I could on the surface, and that was making everything more difficult.

Maybe if I had water, and maybe if I had enough to breathe through, I could breathe normally. But that would sap stamina if I had to maintain my powers for that long, and I needed every bit of strength I had right now. Even so, I kept it open as an option. Perhaps I would have to make that sacrifice for survival.

Another moment passed, and without warning, claws raked deep into my back. I yelped and crashed to the ground, dizzily climbing back to my feet as quickly as I could.

There hadn't been any sound that time. No indication that the monster had arrived nearby and was preparing to attack. It had just flown out of nowhere.

The realization didn't come as a surprise. This monster, dragon, whatever, was playing with me.

Most likely, it could see well enough in the darkness, or could breathe deeply enough to fight for extended periods of time.

It made a little bit of sense. If the monster had been trapped down here for centuries, playing with the prey was probably all the entertainment it got.

I pressed my back against the wall, ignoring the painful stinging. Thoughts and scenarios were racing through my mind. How could I fight this?

If it could see in the dark, there was no way for me to be stealthy. Capping Riptide would do nothing, and deprive me of the precious seconds I needed to turn an attack to my favor.

I couldn't sneak up on it, or fight it straight on. I had to attack it when it came for me. I grit my teeth and secured my grip on Riptide. If it was going to come for me hit by hit, then I could play its game. I would injure it when it tried to attack me. That's all I could do.

There, to my left. The darkness was swirling lightly, as if someone had just ran through it. Another flicker of movement flashed from above.

I pressed back on the wall with my feet and propelled myself out into the darkness as the monster flew down from the darkness and disappeared into the ground.

It passed right through whatever I was standing on. The walls and floor had no meaning to this monster.

I was a sitting duck, no matter what I did. If it could move in from all directions, then I was vulnerable on all sides. I had to get rid of it, or find a way past it. I pushed back to where the wall was, feeling the slight reassurance that there was something there, and kept sprinting forward.

Suddenly, the wall turned a corner, and for a second I was out in the open. I did a ninety-degree turn and kept running with the wall. At least that corner meant that I wasn't running in circles. From behind me, I heard the monster roar.

It was a terrible sound, more like a croak or a groan rather than one of pure sound. There was also a hesitant whisper underneath the sound, like the monster hadn't drank anything in ages. I was briefly reminded of the nymphs in the nymphaeum but pushed them out of my mind. I couldn't think of that right now.

Another moment passed, and a rush of wind blew from behind me. I spun around, sword at the ready. Nothing was there. I stepped backwards, watching the nearby area.

It was toying with me still. In here, I was like a rat in a maze, unable to see anything, and knowing of my imminent demise. Blood from the wound dripped down my back and stuck the shirt to my skin. I shivered slightly from the brief chill.

I turned around again, still running. Was there even an exit? Could I get out of here without fighting it? Did I have to defeat the monster to exit or was there a door somewhere? What if the actual exit was somewhere in the middle and I was just running on the wall around it?

The next instants happened before I could even figure out what was going on. A gleam in the dark, and the monster was here. I pulled Riptide back at the last second and steeped deep into the side of the monster as it moved past me.

But Riptide didn't come out of the wound as I had expected it to. Instead, I was suddenly yanked off of my feet and tumbling alongside the monster. It was all I could do to hang on and not fall off into oblivion.

I reached up and grabbed hold of the monster, before swinging my leg up around it and saddling it like a pegasus. Although, I supposed, most pegasi weren't screaming and whipping themselves around while you were trying to get on.

The monster shrieked in aggravation, turning downwards in a spiral in another attempt to throw me off.

It was all I could do to hold on. The entire situation was eerily reminiscent of the sow from the Battle of Manhattan. That hadn't been more than a year ago. That statement felt so strange to accept. The final moments from that fight appeared to be light years away, a memory from some distant past where I was a different person.

I pried my eyes open against the wind and felt for Riptide in my pocket with one hand. I brought the pen up to my mouth and tore the pen cap off with my teeth. I could barely spare one hand for this, and I didn't want to think about what would happen if I only held on with my legs. I brought the sword up and used all of my force to stab the monster in the back.

Riptide embedded itself up until the hilt, and the monster let out a screech before suddenly veering sideways. It stopped flapping its wings and we began plummeting towards the ground.

Images flashed through my mind. The monster could go through the ground to whatever was underneath. Would I go with it if I hung on? If I jumped from here, the fall would surely break something. Maybe if I hung on to the body and jumped at the last second?

Something would still give. The ground rushed up to meet us. I had no time to mull over my options. I had to do something now.

As the floor seemed to grow closer, I pushed off with my legs, jumping into a roll. The impact was sudden and jarring, and I groaned loudly in pain when I finally stopped moving.

The monster's body crashed to the ground a couple of yards away from me, sliding from the impact and pushing up against the wall.

Silence.

I breathed heavily, and curled up to clutch at my head. Everything hurt. Even so, I rolled over onto all fours before pushing back and sitting on my knees. I drew Riptide from my pocket again, and leaned heavily upon it as I staggered to my feet.

Another moment passed before the room faded to a dark red color. The room, although still dark, was slightly illuminated. A couple of yards away, on the wall, stood a giant door. I looked around. For the most part, the room seemed to be a rectangle, although I couldn't see the area where I'd entered.

I dragged myself towards the entrance, nearly falling through the door. I placed a hand on the cool stone and watched it slide neatly into the wall, before stepping inside.

This room was similar to the first cave that I had been in, minus all of the skeletons. Perhaps, once you made it this far, giving up wasn't really an option.

I stumbled over to the nearest wall and slid down against it, pain flickering up from the wound on my back.

I had passed the first trial. Even so, I had barely managed to survive. With all of these injuries, I didn't know if I would be able to make it through the second trial. Hopefully, they weren't all fighting.

My eyes watered as I poked at the edges of my wounds. They both appeared to be deep, but I couldn't really see the one on my back. I tore a piece off of the remaining bits of my shirt and wrapped the cut on my arm. The shirt was dirty, full of sweat and grime, but I figured that wrapping it with that would be better than leaving it open. There wasn't anything I could do about the one on my back for now. Assuming I got out, I could heal it then.

I stood up slowly, gripping the wall for support. With each step forward, it became slightly easier to think around the pain of my injuries.

I made my way over to the next door, and pressed my hand against it lightly, like I had done with the first two doors. It slid sideways into the wall and opened up another wall of darkness. I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves, before stepping out into the void.

The blackness that surrounded me didn't seem as oppressing as the previous room, but it was still unnerving. Behind me, the door quietly slid shut and sealed me inside.

I took a couple more steps into the darkness, glancing around warily. There could be anything in here, and I didn't want to be caught off guard.

Unfortunately, that's what happened.

She stumbled out of nowhere before I could even prepare for anything else. She braced her feet against the ground and looked up at me.

"You," She hissed.

"Bianca," I whispered in return.

She glared at me. "I've been waiting to talk to you for years," She growled. "You are the reason I couldn't be there for Nico. Did you even try to comfort him after I died? You left him to mourn and grow up by himself."

"No!" I said. "I did everything I could to help him!" I said. This was not how I had imagined seeing her again.

"You lie," She replied simply. There was a terrible anger that reflected in her voice. "You are the reason for Nico's suffering, and for my own. I wish we had never met you. You destroyed our lives. Even dying by Zeus' lightning bolt with our mother all those years ago would have been more merciful an end."

I winced, trying to ignore how much pain the words put me in. I hadn't done enough for Nico. Bianca was right. And all those years ago in the desert junkyard… I should have stopped her then. There could have been another ending.

Bianca focused on something over my shoulder, still glaring. "And I am not the only one you have disappointed, Perseus Jackson. You have failed so many of your friends. You never learned from your mistakes."

I turned slowly, not wanting to look and yet needing to know at the same time.

I laid my eyes on her and sucked in a breath of air. Zoe. "

"Bianca is correct, Perseus," Zoe said. She didn't glare, instead offering up only a face full of sorrow. Somehow, that was even worse. "Your failures are the cause of our suffering. You could have saved us, and you didn't."

A couple of tears ran down my face, and I wiped them away hastily.

In front of me, a few more figures swirled into existence. Castor. Michael Yew. Lee Fletcher.

They walked up to me together as I watched them.

"You are not a hero," Michael said. "A hero saves people, and you haven't done anything worthy of that title."

"To us, you are the villain," Lee added. "You were our downfall, and our biggest mistake was believing in you."

Castor stepped forward. "My brother is alone, because of you. My twin is suffering because I am no longer there. I miss him more than you can imagine, and he misses me even more than that. I can only hope that there isn't another accident on your part that brings him back to me too soon."

"I'm sorry," I choked out. "I really tried, I promise. I never wanted it to end up like this!" Tears were flowing down my face now, dripping onto the ground.

I felt so useless. An apology would never bring their lives back. An apology wouldn't fix the messes that I had made. An apology could never be enough.

And they knew it too.

The crowd around me moved back, and I looked up straight into the eyes of Charles Beckendorf.

He was holding hands with Silena, who refused to meet my gaze.

"We will never get our happy ending," Beckendorf began. "We will never get to experience the rest of our lives. All I asked of you the day I died was to keep her safe. And you sent Silena straight back into the danger."

"No," I said, my voice quiet. "I sent her back to camp to get her out of harm's way-"

"No," Beckendorf interrupted. "You might have believed that such a stupid plan would keep her safe, but look where we both are."

The words shook me to the core.

"We're dead, Percy. We won't get to experience anything else on Earth. Our time is up." Beckendorf looked to the ceiling. "College, marriage, kids, retirement… You took all of that away from us. All we have is the past."

To my left, the air swirled again. I felt my heart clench in my chest. Another person that I had let down.

They all deserved to yell at me. I deserved to hear it. For so long, I had been focused on imagining my own future, and the futures of my friends, that I had forgotten the futures that I had demolished along the way.

A lump settled in my throat, and I swallowed heavily. It didn't go away.

Ethan Nakamura walked forward, staring me down. I wanted to curl back and run away, but I forced myself to remain where I stood. I needed to hear this.

"One thing, Percy," He said, hot anger dripping off of every syllable. "I asked you to do one thing and you couldn't even do that. You failed so many times. We can't have hope in you anymore. We don't want to be hurt by your choices anymore. We're giving up on you."

On the ground, the puddle of my tears was growing steadily. They streamed down my cheeks, soaking into my face.

I wanted so badly to imagine that this was simply something that Tartarus was doing, but I was afraid that this is what my friends actually thought of me. I had let them all die, and I understood every bit of resentment they had against me

Still, it hurt. It hurt more than I'd like to say.

Would it be possible for me to hope that these words weren't true? My friends would never have peace, and it was because of me. They had all died way too soon without a happy ending they could call their own. Why had I ever hoped they wouldn't blame me?

I was so selfish. I should have done more. I should have done more. I should have done more.

I looked down at the ground, shaking with silent sobs. A pair of feet stepped near to me, and a hand softly lifted my face up.

Leo? But he hadn't died… He wasn't...

If the others here were dead and passed on, and Leo was here as well, then that meant...

Please tell me that this wasn't real. I wanted to be anywhere else, dreaming, thinking, knowing anything else. This couldn't be real.

I stared up at Leo's face, tears still dripping from my eyes. Unlike the others, he didn't seem angry or disappointed. Tears streaked down his face as he looked at me.

"Percy…" He said. Behind him, Jason appeared.

"No," I whispered. "Not you too."

"You should have been there Perce," Jason said. Leo looked over at Jason with a mixture of surprise and horror. "Maybe I wouldn't have died. Maybe everyone would have survived. Maybe Annabeth wouldn't have been so distracted on the battlefield."

"What?" I asked, praying he didn't mean what I thought he did.

Jason stepped to the side. Annabeth stood behind him, looking down at me with disgust.

"Seaweed Brain," She said, the nickname no longer having any form of affection. "Look what happened when you left me behind. Now you'll have to live the rest of your life without me because you can't keep a promise."

Tears welled up in my eyes, nearly blinding me. "Wise Girl, please. I didn't stay behind to leave you. I stayed behind because I thought it would keep you safe," I said desperately.

She glared. "You and I both know it was because you were too much of a coward to deal with Gaea. You thought you found an easy way out of the battle."

This was too painful.

"Please," I whispered to myself. "Don't let this be real. Gods above, I'm begging you."

I couldn't take this anymore. I pushed past them and sprinted towards the other side of the room, hoping that there would be a door to escape.

I needed to get out of here. I needed to think. I needed to be alone.

The wall appeared suddenly, although I couldn't see this one either. I crashed into it, falling to the ground in a heap. A second passed before I shot up again. I dragged my hand on the wall as I moved, grasping for a door.

And there it was. I traced the carvings on the frame for a moment, before raising a shaking hand and pressing my palm to the stone. I wanted to be out of here. I had made it to the other side and it would let me out. I could be free of this.

Nothing happened.

"What?" I asked the door, before pushing hard against it. "Let me out!" I shouted at it.

It wasn't going to let me through. Sobs rose out of my throat. I beat my fist against the door, even though I knew it wasn't going to do anything.

"I reached the other side, let me through," I said, my voice cracking heavily. I slid down against the wall. I didn't want to be trapped in here with them. I clutched at my head and screwed my eyes shut.

The soft sound of footsteps let me know that the others had reached me. I cracked my eyes open and saw the glow they all emitted into the darkness.

"Did you really think that running from us would let you escape? I knew that you weren't a hero, but I thought we could count on you to not be a coward either. Of course, I suppose that's what happens when you place too much trust in terrible people," Bianca said.

Gods, it hurt. They were confirming the things I had heard in my worst nightmares. These were the words that I had never wanted to imagine.

"It's not real. It can't be real. This doesn't exist," I whispered quietly. It was all I could do to hope that statement was true.

Maybe it was. This was Tartarus. These trials were designed to hit monsters where it hurt. I knew that and I knew that whatever was in this room didn't exist.

And yet I still couldn't help but wonder if it was true. I couldn't help but imagine that these were the thoughts my friends had when they went to their deaths. I couldn't help but wonder if Leo and Jason and Annabeth had actually died up on the surface. I couldn't help but ask myself if there was more that I could have done to save any of them.

"Percy, do you really think that this isn't real?" Zoe asked. "We might not be here physically, but we can all guarantee that this is how we feel. You can't escape your shortcomings. We are a testament to that."

I flinched and curled back towards the door, looking up for a moment to read all of their faces. Behind the group, Leo did the same.

Annabeth kneeled down in front of me. "Poor Percy," She said, mockingly. "The little, tiny demigod who thought he could pretend to be a hero. Hate to break it to you, Seaweed Brain, but you are nothing. Nothing to us, nothing to everyone. If you can't help us, then you aren't worth our time."

Seaweed Brain. That was me, and she was Wise Girl. Usually, I would be more than happy to hear those words roll off of her lips. But now, it was an insult. She had said it with such loathing, such hatred, that I wanted nothing more than to disappear underneath her gaze.

I closed my eyes again. If I believed them, then I might stay down here forever. What they said was true, but these weren't my friends. My friends didn't act like this, or sound so cold. Even if they were speaking to me in the way I deserved, this wasn't real.

It couldn't be.

I wouldn't let it be this way. Not for them, or anyone else. I didn't want to be the cause for suffering anymore.

I wrapped my arms around myself and grit my jaw, trying to block out everything they said. They wouldn't do this. It's not real. It's fake. This is a trial and nothing more.

And suddenly, the door slid open behind my back. I fell into the room, quickly whirling around to face the others. They advanced to the edge of the doorway, but they didn't cross it.

"It doesn't matter if you escape us now," Ethan said. "We'll follow you forever, haunting you until you finally die and join us."

The door slid shut. I turned around to the next holding room, fell to my knees, screamed.

The sound would never be enough to drown out my terrible thoughts and their harsh voices.

A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review! They never fail to make me smile!

Published: July 24th, 2018