"Percy," Annabeth sobbed as they lit the funeral pyre. Malcolm, her brother, wrapped his arms around her and held her. She sobbed into his chest. Jason stood awkwardly to the side. Sometimes, you just need a brother. This was one of those times. When Annabeth cried herself dry, Malcolm pulled away.

"I'm here for you. You know that."

"You're my brother. It's your job."

"You're my sister. I care for you."

"Percy... what even happened?" She asked Will.

"He was stabbed by an invisible sword," he shrugged. "It was a sword stab wound, but there was no sword, and it just happened. I honestly don't know. I'm sorry. Before he died, I think he dreamed Tartarus. With Maya. He said to tell you that she's safe. The curse of Achilles. She had Riptide, and fights just as well as him. He... he said it wasn't her fault. I don't know what that means, but he said to tell Maya."

"Jason!" Piper shrieked. The group turned to see him slumped on the ground. Malcolm and Will swung into action, checking his vitals and bringing him to Apollo's palace. Annabeth stood, frozen.

"Percy."

"The same thing," Piper agreed.

"Nico's next. We have to warn him," Annabeth ran over to Hazel. "Did Nico come?"

"No. He stayed to look for Percy. Luke's with him," Ziva said.

"Take me there. Now. Jason just went down, and Nico's next."

"You got it," Hazel grabbed Annabeth by the arm and the two melted into shadow. Annabeth ran to Nico.

"Nico! Did you find him?"

"No! He's no where. I've searched."

"Maya wrote Chiron the same way I wrote Connor and Travis when I was there. She told him that Percy died in Tartarus."

"How is that possible?"

"Kronos pulled his spirit into the pit. That's when Percy passed out on Olympus. Then in the pit, he was with Maya. He was stabbed. On Olympus, the same wound just appeared. That's how he died. He was with Maya before he died. Jason just went down, same as Percy. You're next."

"What? No. that's not possible."

"Well it happened. Where's Luke?"

"He left. Said he was going in. I tried to stop him. He insisted. I think he loves her, and I'm no child of Aphrodite."

"After you, I think it's going to be Thalia, then Hazel. The big three first. But it might be by ego we're succeed, in which case Frank would be after you. Either way, you need to get to Olympus."

"No. I'm needed here."

"You'll die."

"Apparently I'll die either way."

"Nico please. We need to know what's happening, and that can't happen if you're here. For me?" Hazel asked.

"Fine. But only because I'll need to be there at the end of the week anyway."

"Thank you," Hazel shadow travels the three of them back to Olympus.

"Maya!" A voice said in shock. I turned to see Jason.

"What? How are you here? What happened? Dad. No. There's only a week left. Uncle Jason, you're going to die. Here, in Tartarus. Then you'll be taken to the same place as the gods. Dad's already there. When I save the gods, I'll save you too. Wait, you're Jupiter's successor. That means either Frank or Nico is next. Probably Frank. Oh, Ziva. Gods, she'll be destroyed!"

"Maya, I'm here. You can talk to me, rather than rambling to yourself."

"Right. You probably didn't understand a word I said. You will die. Soon. Then Frank or Nico will probably be next. After you die, you won't go to the underworld like normal. You'll go to a prison that Kronos has built for the gods. That's where I'm trying to get. Because you're a successor, you will turn into a god at the end of the week, so Kronos is going to kill you in a place where he can control your fate after death. But when I rescue the gods, I'll also be rescuing you and Dad. You'll be gods at that point, so you'll have to help stop Kronos and Chaos. Did that make a bit more sense?"

"Your mom is my cousin. I've known her for seventeen years. Roundabout one sided conversations no longer confuse me."

"Look out!" I screamed, just as a cyclops literally ripped his head off. "No! You don't hurt my family without answering to me," I uncap Riptide. The cyclops takes one look at it and runs screaming. I guess he met dad once or twice.

"Maya. Will, tell Annabeth. Kronos is pulling the successors into Tartarus, killing us, then imprisoning us with the gods. Percy is there. Tell Piper I love her," Jason closed his eyes, blood pouring from his neck.

"Will!" Emily ran in. "Its Dad, he just fainted. Aunt Hazel sent me to get you."

"Go find Piper," Will pushed her from the room.

"Dad's at Aunt Hazel's palace."

"Thanks," Will ran to the palace.

"Nico? Why so soon? It was almost a full day after Dad... time. There's only a week left. There's twelve successors. That has to be it.

"What does?" Nico asked me.

"Never mind. You're going to be the god of death, so you probably know-"

"That I'm going to die in exactly an hour? Yes. Until then, I can help."

"i need to get to nyx's palace."

"I can't shadow travel in Tartarus."

"Can you at least tell me which way to go?"

"Down. Her palace is the lowest point in Tartarus. No matter which direction, so long as you go down, you'll end up there."

"Can you help me get there?"

"Yeah," we walked in silence for a half an hour before Nico talked again. "Gods I hate this place," he muttered.

"I think I'm gonna have nightmares about it for a while," I agreed.

"your parents and I still do."

"I hate to admit it, but I think I made a mistake coming in alone. Even Emily would be better than being alone."

"You do realize she's my daughter, right?"

"You do realize she can't use her powers without passing out and can't fight to save her life, right?"

"Yes. I know. She's a lot like her mother -artistic, but not exactly skilled in combat."

"I've got a question for you."

"Okay. Is this I'm asking my dad's cousin, I'm asking the future god of death, I'm asking my friend's dad, or I'm asking someone with experience in this?"

"More like I'm asking my Uncle Nico."

"I'm not your uncle."

"Not technically, but on Dad's side, you and Jason are the closest I've got."

"Alright. I'll pretend to be your uncle. What's up?"

"Dad hates Luke. Mom doesn't. Why?"

"Luke was reborn. This is his second life. In his first life, he tried to kill your parents, but also helped raise your mom for five years. So when your mom looks at him, she sees the closest thing she had to family when she was seven. When your dad looks at him, he sees the guy who tried to kill him and actually did kill several of his friends. Your dad's fatal flaw is loyalty. It might not seem like a bad thing, but the most dangerous flaws are the ones that are good in moderation. Your mom's flaw is hubris. You, unfortunately, have both. So you not only want to protect Luke, but you think you can, even when you can't. If you had to, you wouldn't be able to hurt Luke, so instead your try everything else, just to prove you could."

"It's not that. It's not normal oh he's my friend stuff. It's more complicated than that."

"Oh. You meant that side of the issue. A couple years ago, Piper told your parents that you like him. As daughter of Aphrodite, she can sense stuff like that. Anyway, she told your parents. Your dad wanted to protect you from betrayal, not to mention you're his only daughter. Your mom wanted to to be happy, whether with Luke or with a regular mortal. So your mom saw her little girl growing up as a good thing. Your dad saw it as one step closer to not being able to protect you anymore."

"So, if it were Emily or Julianne who had a crush on a guy, what would you do?"

"I'd pull his soul from his body and imprison him in the fields of punishment fit ever thinking he could touch my baby girl. Uh... That came out wrong."

"So that's what my dad wants to do to Luke?"

"Yes. Especially now that he knows Luke is the same Luke who tried to literally destroy the entire world."

"But that was Kronos, not Luke."

"You've had a crush on him for two years. Your dad is a dad. He doesn't want his baby girl to date."

"You've had a crush on me for two years?" Luke walked up.

"Luke!" I shout. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently discovering that you have a crush on me."

"No I don't," I said a little too quickly. "Maya, I have five minutes. Do you need me to get them a message? Percy woke up long enough to tell us it wasn't your fault before he died."

"Tell them that Luke is here and we're following mom's advice and going to Nyx' palace. Also, I have the curse of Achilles. I fell into the river, so I have no idea what part is my Achilles heel."

"Umm, maybe you don't have one?" Luke suggested.

"Everyone with the curse of Achilles has a heel. Achilles had his heel, Percy had the small of his back, you had under your arm. I did not mean to say that."

"No. I already know. I was a bad guy before I died. But because I died saving the world, I got the option for rebirth. Which is how I'm alive."

"Okay. Maya, I love you. Don't forget that. You're my cousin. That means a lot in my book," Nico said as an empousa sliced off his head.

"Luke is with her. They're going to Nyx's palace. She has the mark of Achilles. Tell Annabeth," Nico managed before dying. As soon as he did, frank, who was right there with Hazel, dropped.

"Nico!" She screamed for her brother. "Frank!" She screamed for her husband. "Annabeth," she said, knowing what she had to do. She ran to the blonde, who sat, holding a small ceramic jar. Hazel knew what it was.

"I was going to have Jason blow them over the ocean," Annabeth said, staring off the edge of Olympus Into the Atlantic. "Make sure some landed everywhere. That way he would have been anywhere I was, but still in the sea. I just can't bring myself to let them go though. When I don't have them, I feel more alone than when I do. Even if I'm with others. I never... I thought we'd go together, y'know? Never apart. He promised. Swore on the Styx that he'd never leave me. After a while, I forgot that the world still spins without him. But here we are."

"I know how hard it can be."

"You haven't lost Frank."

"I lost Sammy."

"Yeah but you're the one who left. Not him."

"I still know the pain from not having the person you love with you. I also know what it's like to die and leave everyone. Neither experience is happy. But... Percy's not gone for good."

"Nico couldn't even find him. He's just gone."

"Nico died. Frank is next. He already went down."

"Oh gods, Hazel. I'm so sorry. I was so insensitive."

"You didn't know, and you just lost your husband."

"And you're about to lose yours."

"Nico gave me a message from Maya for you. She's following your advice and going to Nyx's palace. Luke is with her, so she's not alone. And she has the curse of Achilles."

"Wait. If Maya can send us messages, maybe we can send her messages. Time is hard in Tartarus. She's got two days left, and she might not know that."

"Annabeth," a woman walked up.

"Hey Daphne. What's wrong?"

"Rachel saw something. She painted it, and I saw her painting. Annabeth, I was a part of the sacred oracle of Rhea for many millennia. I have only been apart from it for seven days. I can still prophecy. And, this one, I think you need to hear it."

"Okay. Go."

"Through the sea's wisdom

Chaos shall reign

Through the new rulers

Peace shall prevail

Through the god's son

Chaos shall die

Through the first child

Peace shall be born."

"That's... a prophecy," Hazel said. "About this," Annabeth said suddenly. "Hazel, this prophecy is about this. Today. Well, three days from now, but you know what I mean. Somehow, some way, this is happening now. And I think it's too late to stop it."