Okay, lovely people, this is the last chapter. Sequel will be up in two weeks.

The forest was quiet, as if all the monsters and nymphs had tucked themselves in its farthest corners to give the two this moment of peace. Strong trees towered over their heads, obscuring the sun above, leaves and branches cracking under their feet as they treaded through the mud.

Luke lead them to a tiny clearing, where a large oak tree leaned over a small lake, branches spread as if to touch its surface. The blonde sat down on the ground beside the tree, Percy taking a seat across from him, closer to the water.

The older brought out two sodas, tossing one to Percy, and he caught it nimbly in his hands. He cracked open the can, taking a sip of the drink before setting it down.

"So, uh," Percy tapped his fingers against the aluminum surface, thinking. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he said. "We did pretty great on the quest, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "It had a lot of... highlights." He looked meaningfully at his friend, but if Luke understood, he didn't act on it.

"And while that's been fun, I have something to confess." He finished his drink, tossing it away into the lake. Percy blinked, wary of a nymph to suddenly pop out of their hiding place and curse them, but nothing came.

"Sure," he finally replied, shrugging. He toyed with the string around his neck, holding a single bead, and Luke smiled, blue eyes brimming with an emotion he couldn't place.

"I'm going to be leaving soon," Luke confessed. "There's someone I have to see to, and it's time I left the gods behind for good." He stood, most likely to grab another soda from the package a few feet away, but Percy stood with him.

"What?" He asked, hand reaching out. It caught onto Luke's arm, holding on. "You're leaving?"

"Yup," he answered, tone light, and the grin grew almost sinister. "I needed you to know. For obvious reasons, of course."

"Luke, you can't-"

"Actually," he interrupted. "It wasn't so much that I needed you to know, as I needed to get you alone."

"Alone?" Percy scowled. "Listen, man, you can't just leave. What about the other Hermes kids? What about Annabeth?"

"Annabeth," he murmured, considering the name and the girl that went with it. "I'll admit, I will miss her. Almost as much as the camp will miss their hero."

"Exactly!" Percy exclaimed, letting go of the blonde's arm. "You can't just go! The camp needs you."

Luke sighed. "I was talking about you." Percy frowned, about to speak, but the taller cut him off. "I brought you here to say a final goodbye, and the last one you'll hear. You see, Jackson, Ares isn't the one who stole the bolt."

"Then who did?" His eyes widened. "You can't be saying-"

"Isn't it obvious?" Luke asked, stepping away, but Percy stayed where he was. "I took the bolt from Zeus' chamber- really, it wasn't that difficult. The gods never stop to think that anyone would dare to steal from them, didn't bother to leave any security. Idiots!" He expected thunder to rage across the skies, shocked even more when none came. "And then, Perce, I met you."

"Luke, c'mon, this isn't funny," Percy said, and Luke nodded.

"No, it isn't," he agreed. "But it's true. I met you, and wow, were you were easy to trick. It only took a little effort to get on your good side, a few big words to become your hero and jump the quest. And it only got better after that." He shrugged, Percy shaking his head.

"Stop!" He demanded. "But what about-" he faltered. "What about the Underworld?"

"You mean the kiss?" The smile dropped then, just for a second, before coming back as a ghost of its former self on his scarred face. "Slipped the bolt in your pack, of course. Neither you or Grover had suspected I had been carrying it, and you didn't bother even stopping to think before charging into Hades' throne room. And who could blame you?" His voice softened. "It was an adventure."

Percy's fists clenched. "Luke..." He looked down at his dirt-covered sneakers, shaking. "Why?"

"I think you already know that," Luke told him, back leaned against the oak tree. A sliver of sun shined through the shade of the canopy above and hit his hair, making it glimmer like gold. "He's rising, Perce, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"You..." He trailed off, fuming. "You sided with Kronos?" The name had a certain power that all these Greek names did, and the world seemed to darken at the word.

"The gods will never treat us with respect," Luke defended. "They throw us around like toys. Even today- what has Zeus done for you? He had ruined your life because of his mistake, and when you got his master bolt back after being named a thief and stalked by monsters, what did he give you? A warning!"

"Hades brought my mom back," Percy reminded, thinking of the letter he had received upon returning. Luke only sighed.

"That isn't enough," he said. "You deserve better, better than the gods. But I know you won't trust me. So I have no offer to give you," the older admitted, straightening up. He walked over to Percy, a hand coming up to trail his cheek, lips hovering above his own and face much too close. "Only an end."

He drew back as Percy gasped in pain, strong arms catching him before the hero could fall. Percy writhed in his grasp, arm stinging, and he glanced down to see a midnight-colored scorpion jump from the crest of his wrist and disappear into the forest.

"Wha-?" His voice couldn't quite make it out of his throat, and Luke gently set him on the ground. His eyes gazed down at Percy, body kneeled over the boy like a tree to a lake that wished to touch but never did, and he almost looked sad.

"A gift," he said. "I thought it would hurt less if I distracted you, but I suppose you still have to wait the sixty seconds until the scorpion's poison reaches the heart." He ran his finger over Percy's wrist, were an angry red scar stood prominently against sickly skin. "I think it's time for me to go."

He made to stand up, but Percy's voice stopped him. "I know you care," he swore, tone desperate as it pressed out of his mouth. "You would have killed me in the Underworld if you didn't. I know you care."

Luke's smirk softened at the edges, turning into a small smile. "If you want to believe it," he whispered. "Too bad this is the end, Perce." He pressed a kiss to his lips, a tiny little thing, and the son of Poseidon felt his eyelids slip closed. Unconsciousness took him for a moment, and when he opened back his eyes, Luke was gone.

He felt panic rise up in his chest. How long had Luke said? Was it already a minute? It felt as if a shard of glass was cutting through is lungs, inching closer towards his heart as each second passed.

He lunged up, coughing, starting to crawl towards the lake. His hands dug into the water, trying to take strength from a small part of his father's domain, but it didn't work. The poison was too strong.

The ground started to crumble as his fear grew, struggling to his feet. Percy stumbled forward a few steps, cracks appearing in the ground as he went, but he collapsed shortly after. Thunder sounded from the sky but he knew it wasn't from the gods, nervous spouts of power coming from his rage of panic.

"Help!" He yelled, and the forest stirred. "Help me!" Black dots started to swim in his vision, taking over his view. Percy fell to the ground, struggling to stay awake, and he made out the shape of an elf as she came from the trees.

"Help me," he pleaded, knowing that she would, more nymphs coming from the nature around his sprawled out form. His eyes finally slipped close, body twitching once before it went still, and a single thought ghosted through the crevices of his crumbling mind.

You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

It wasn't sudden when he woke up. It wasn't so much as an explosion of awareness then the dull thunderings of a storm as it faded, disappearing from the planes of existence to hide in the horizon and move on.

Percy blinked back, the storm leaving his mind. His arm hurt more than he could comprehend so he simply didn't, and when he turned his head, Chiron gazed worriedly at him from his wheelchair.

"Perseus," he breathed. "I'm glad you're alright." He smiled, nodding softly, glancing over at the entrance to the infirmary. He could see Annabeth's grey eyes watching them from the distance and he wiggled his fingers in a sad excuse for a wave, coughing slightly as he sat up.

The daughter of Athena actually waved back, to his surprise, walking in. He had expected her to fix him with a sour face and duck back, still resentful about not choosing her for the quest, and now he wished he had.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she greeted, sitting on the edge of his bed. He furrowed his eyebrows, Chiron watching the exchange silently.

"Seaweed Brain?"

"'Cause your head's full of seaweed," she explained, rolling her eyes. "It fits."

"Yeah," he murmured. He looked over at Chiron. "Listen. Luke, he's-"

"Working for Kronos?" Chiron interrupted, and he nodded. "Yes, child, I know. It was only about time he showed his true loyalty."

"Is he-?" He faltered, voice catching, and Annabeth's face contorted in grief. "Gone?"

"There's search parties going around the Camp," he told him. "But I doubt they will he successful."

"Then what do we do?" Percy asked. "What happens now?" Annabeth gazed at him pitifully, honey hair surrounding her head like a halo, and Percy figured he wouldn't like the answer.

"That's for the Fates to decide, now," Chiron told him, and the hero knew that it was time to move on.