Chapter Nineteen: The Outside (Annabeth POV)

I immediately felt myself being pushed forward by an invisible force. It slowly made my back arch. I could feel a warm substance pushing it.

Then the memories came flooding in.

Everything, from back when I was young up to now. Some memories made me laugh. Some I cringed at when they entered me. A golden glow surrounded me. I peered off to the distance, and I could see towers of words forming where there used to just be blank white. Kana also seemed to be getting clearer as life flowed back into her.

After the last memory entered, the glow vanished and I slumped onto the ground. Percy ran over to me. He looked astonished.

"A-Annabeth?" he asked uncertainly.

"Seaweed Brain!" I ran over to him and tackled him with a hug.

He wrapped his arms around me. "Thank the gods! You're back to normal!"

I really wanted to hold him forever. I did. However, we looked into each other's eyes and immediately knew there was something else we needed to do.

"Come on, everyone!" I exclaimed, pointing to the tower of words we had been at before my memory had been lost. The word "reality" still stood there, as if nothing had happened.

We all climbed up the tower and held hands, Percy holding onto Nico's and mine (Nico looked quite uncomfortable). My other hand held onto Kana's hand.

"Ready?" Percy asked.

"Ready," everyone said.

"Okay." Percy reached out and grabbed the word "reality".

We stared.

Nothing happened.

"What!?" He was having a panic attack. "This—this can't be! This isn't possible! How come it's not working?"

"Oh," said a soft voice from below us. It was Kana. "Sorry."

We all looked at her curiously.

"I must be preventing your travel into the Outside," she explained. "You know very well that I cannot go back and forth between the two worlds if both of you are in the same world. I'm afraid you're going to have to leave me here."

It took a little while to sink in. Then I stared at her, horrified.

"Kana!" I cried. "There's got to be some other way!"

"No," she said. I could see tears in her eyes. "Farewell, Annabeth. This may be the last time we meet, but remember that I am always there. Just write something in your diary and know that I will always be listening."

After all this time…

She managed a smile, and then winked. "Good luck!"

With that, she let go off my hand.

… I've been watching over you.

"Kana!" I yelled.

Percy touched "reality".

There was a flash of light, and we found ourselves collapsed on the ground, beside my diary.

With Sai Nishiki staring down at us.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" she said softly. She smirked. "I believe the answer is 'dead meat'."

Supershort chapter, I know! I'm sorry!