Chapter 18: Twice As Many Funerals
Camp Half-Blood's reconstruction had been slow work. Even after a decisive victory over Darkness itself, joyless and dreary were the only words to describe the heavy atmosphere. The Big House stood as a shoddy structure, a fraction of its original size, populated by a lone, despondent centaur. Many of the gods' cabins stalled under construction, having barely any work done on them after being destroyed by the battles.
The delay led to double bunking in the rest of the cabins. The Apollo cabin, rebuilt first, had also repurposed medical tents into temporary living spaces. In one of the rooms, cordoned off by hanging sheets, Nico and Will stifled sobs as they held each other. It had been just over a week since Percy's death, and the couple found themselves in that position at least once a day. Will had been saddened by the loss of his friend, but Nico was beyond devastated. The only person besides his sister to have accepted him from the beginning was gone. The son of Hades hadn't even tried to visit Percy in the Underworld yet; he wasn't ready to face him.
"Why did it always have to be him?" Nico whispered into Will's shoulder, a question he repeated daily.
"The Fates knew he was the only one who could," Will answered, rubbing Nico's back.
Percy's oldest friends at camp weren't in much better shape. Katie Gardener led the charge in trying to lift the campers' spirits, but any mention of Percy was always followed by her quivering voice and glassy eyes. The Stoll brothers' demeanors could not have become more different. They wore permanent stone expressions, had become disinterested in even their harmless pranks, and spent most of their time in bed.
Clarisse followed right behind Katie in trying to raise camp morale, but more aggressively. For most of the day, she was vocal and angry, yelling at the campers for being lazy and spending their days unproductively. It was normally Clarisse that unwittingly made Katie cry, shouting that Percy would be embarrassed at how useless they were all being. When she wasn't yelling, she threw herself into work and was the one that had single-handedly put up many of the cabin frames. But her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, would find her crying quietly at night when nobody else was around.
Outside of fleeting glimpses at the dining hall and emotionless "mhm"s through a closed door, nobody had seen or heard from Annabeth. She'd locked herself in her separate room in the rebuilt Athena cabin, only leaving to pick up her food and returning to eat it alone.
Annabeth was sitting at her desk, shaking as she slowly shuffled through pictures of her and Percy together. She smiled softly, holding a polaroid of them on the Argo II. She was kissing his cheek and he was making bunny ears behind her head, a gesture she'd always hated. She flipped to the next picture. Percy was arm-wrestling Jason right next to Annabeth arm-wrestling Piper, all four of their faces strained. The next image was Percy and Annabeth jumping and celebrating their dual victory. Annabeth dropped the stack of photos after the following one: a smiling Percy next to a stunned Annabeth, because he'd whispered he loved her right before snapping the picture. She sullenly walked back to bed and buried her face in her permanently tear-stained pillow.
The news had also hit New Rome badly. Frank and Hazel, after having witnessed it, hadn't been in a state to deliver the news to the waiting legion following their return from battle. Reyna, who'd been shaken herself, had had to solemnly announce that Percy Jackson was dead. All of the gathered soldiers had locked their shields and raised them overhead, thrusting them in the air and chanting "Vivat Praetor" until they were hoarse. Reyna, Hazel, and Frank had stood saluting through tears as the Twelfth Legion performed their 'long live' chant, pledging permanent remembrance of their former Praetor.
Nobody in the Roman camp had taken it worse than Jason and Piper. The couple had returned from their honeymoon a few days after his death, immediately struck by the news. Piper had broken down, overwhelmed when she remembered her final conversation with Percy on Olympus. Jason had done his best to maintain composure but failed, unfairly blaming himself for missing the battle entirely. The couple had spent their first night back in New Rome holed up in their home, crying together as they remembered their friend.
The Senate had unanimously voted to hold a formal vigil for Percy, scheduled for the coming evening, and had elected to assist Camp Half-Blood with their reconstruction by sending their own builders. The crowd started to gather in New Rome's central square, where the Roman funeral was going to be held. After a short argument with Terminus, members of the legion had settled on wearing their traditional armor as long as they promised no weapons. The citizens of New Rome wore customary togas.
As evening fell, Reyna, Frank, Hazel, and Jason carried a pyre into the square, even if there was no body to burn in it. The first three wore ceremonial armor as Praetors and Centurion while Jason dressed in a deep purple toga, presiding over the vigil as Pontifex Maximus. He cleared his throat, stepping up to the podium facing the crowd.
"Warrior. Hero. Praetor. Percy Jackson was all of these things," Jason began formally, transitioning to Percy's accomplishments during his years.
He tried his best to keep his speech impersonal and to maintain his composure, but a single shared glance with Piper broke his voice. Jason knew Percy would've hated some emotionless brief about his heroism.
"But above all of that, he was a friend. Never in my life have I met someone so fiercely loyal. To his friends, to his family. There is no doubt in my mind that he would've moved the world itself if the people he loved needed it done. For gods' sake, he stood alone against a primordial and still used the last of his powers to protect his friends and family," Jason said through cracking words.
He could feel spirits collectively rising from the audience, but his voice continued to quiver as his thoughts bubbled up. Jason sighed as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"And I will regret it for the rest of my life that I wasn't there when he needed all of the help he could get."
The square fell deathly silent. Piper roughly stood from her seat in front of the podium and grabbed Jason by the collar before dragging him out of the mic's range. Tears spilled from her eyes as she glared at him.
"Jason, I know you're hurting; I am, too. But don't you dare take away from his sacrifice. Nearly all of the Olympian gods were there and they couldn't make a dent! Without his decision, nobody would have had a chance," Piper hissed.
Jason looked at her wide-eyed before setting his jaw. He kissed her cheek and apologized, returning to the podium.
"I'm sorry about that. Losing him has been heavy on me, just like it has been on so many other people, and it's no excuse for my words. Percy Jackson will be remembered forever as a hero among heroes, both in Greece and Rome. Vivat Praetor!"
The Twelfth Legion, along with the citizens of New Rome, raised their fists in salute and echoed the chant. Jason turned to an active statue of Terminus, raising an unlit torch in a silent question while the crowd reverberated with noise. The border god grimaced but nodded. Piper joined Jason as they lit the fire together. Reyna burned her own torch while Frank and Hazel lit a third. The chant reached a crescendo when the group pressed the three torches into the pyre together, and a raging fire erupted into the sky.
The square fell silent only after the fire dwindled, and anyone that wanted to was able to pay their personal respects at the burned pyre. The crowd slowly cleared out until only the five that had performed the ceremony were left. They'd saved themselves for last, but were suddenly interrupted. Before Jason could have begun, Hermes had appeared beside the group. The god smiled when he noticed what'd walked in on.
"Lord Hermes," the demigods said in unison.
"I am sorry to interrupt your occasion," Hermes started, "but I've come to tell you a funeral for Perseus is going to be held on Olympus tonight. I had no idea you were also having one here, and I have already informed his friends at Camp Half-Blood. Would you all like to join us as well?"
Naturally, they all nodded, and Hermes transported them to the home of the gods.
On Olympus
Anna shook in her sleep while Thalia lightly stroked her hair. The daughter of Zeus rubbed her own red-rimmed eyes and softly readjusted herself on the couch, careful not to disrupt the sleeping huntress' head in her lap. Anna hadn't had a good night's sleep since Percy had died. She was passed out from exhaustion, having no tears left to cry, and Thalia wanted her to get some rest before the funeral. She sniffed as she looked to her left at Phoebe, who sat stone-faced and silent, just as she had all week. The rest of the hunters were strewn about in the spacious living room of Artemis' palace, some in better shape than others, while a desolate feeling hung in the air.
"How much longer is this going to last?" Phoebe asked quietly, her gaze not leaving the far wall.
"What do you mean?" Thalia questioned, wiping away the thin tears that had returned to Anna's closed eyes.
"This empty feeling. I don't want to sleep, I don't want to eat, I don't want to do anything. I have been a huntress for thousands of years; losing family is not new to me. Why is it different now?"
Thalia laughed bitterly.
"I hate to sound like a cliche, but it's because he was different. Look at how he proved that to you after he joined the Hunt. That idiot jumped in front of hydra poison, ready to die for you even though you hated him. And then he sacrificed himself without a second thought while we all stood and watched, powerless to stop it. Right now, I'm not sure if this feeling will ever go away," Thalia said before trailing off.
Anna shifted in her lap, and Thalia rhythmically brushed her hair to keep her asleep. Phoebe finally turned towards the pair, looking sadly at the sleeping huntress.
"I could not imagine how Anna is feeling now. Fate is cruel allowing her to be present when she lost her brother," Phoebe said solemnly.
"Yeah, but at least we're here and able to comfort her. Artemis hasn't left her room since the night it happened. Besides Lady Hestia, nobody's even been in there since. And with Apollo coming by earlier today with the funeral news, I don't know how we're going to get her out for it. Gods, I hope she's okay in there," Thalia said as both huntresses turned toward the shut doors that led to Artemis' room.
Inside, the goddess laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. Her expression was stone, but her eyes gave away her sorrow through an unending stream of tears. She hadn't slept in several days, seeing Percy's final moments every time she closed her eyes. Dried ichor caked her palms from each time she replayed his sacrifice, her nails digging into her skin every time he stabbed his own chest.
'I love you, Artemis,' she'd hear before the image in her mind would explode and her eyes would snap open.
The goddess would then cry again, freshening the wet stains on her bed. She was convinced that the only reason she wasn't nonverbal was Hestia's daily visit. On the first night, they hadn't exchanged a single word. Hestia, barely holding herself together, had just enveloped Artemis in a hug while the moon goddess wailed until she was hoarse. Every day after that, Hestia had visited her palace and they'd sat on Artemis' bed together. Their silence had eventually turned into quiet conversation.
"You know he loved you so much, Hestia? We would talk about you all the time. He would make me dinner and tell me about how you taught him each dish, and how you grew so close during his two years away," Artemis had said quietly, before laughing softly and wiping her eyes, "and how he would make you train in boxing with him."
Hestia had responded with a small smile and more tears as she pulled the Goddess of the Moon into a tight embrace.
"And do you know how he loved you? Even when he would not talk to me about it, I knew. I would see it in his face any time I mentioned your name. When I would visit him during your hunts, we would talk, but his eyes would never leave the moon. I do not think a moment has gone by where he hasn't loved you. Even now," Hestia had whispered while Artemis hugged her tighter and cried.
Days had passed just like that, with Artemis refusing to leave her bed and only Hestia periodically keeping her company.
The Goddess of the Hearth appeared beside her now, reminding her that Percy's funeral was soon. Artemis continued to stare at the ceiling silently, dreading the idea. In the back of her mind, she knew she should go, but her body refused to move. Even still, she didn't want to accept his death, and she felt that attending the funeral did just that. To add on to her unwillingness, Artemis did not want to deal with the rest of the Olympians' reactions to her admitting she loved him. She didn't care what they thought, but she cared even less to hear it.
Hestia knew her own pleading with the goddess would be useless, and she sighed sadly before vanishing from the room. Seconds later, there were two soft knocks on the front door of the palace. Thalia and Phoebe shared a confused look.
"Rachel, could you check that?" Phoebe asked the huntress closest to the door.
She nodded and turned the handle, opening the door to reveal a tall woman wearing a chiton. Rachel didn't recognize the woman in the doorway, and neither did Thalia or nearly any of the other hunters peering at the familiar-looking figure. Phoebe's mouth dropped as she stood from her seat on the couch.
"L-Lady Leto?" Phoebe asked, approaching and bowing before the Titaness.
"It has been a long time, Phoebe," Leto said, smiling while lifting the huntress upright.
The rest of the room looked on at their mistress' mother that they'd never seen before. Leto revealed that she'd met Phoebe when Artemis had first begun the Hunt millenia ago, the pair sneaking onto Delos for the last time to see her. All heads turned to the oldest huntress as it sank in just how long she'd been a part of the Hunt. Leto laughed, the sound identical to Artemis', before asking where her daughter was. Thalia pointed to the doors, and the titaness thanked her before she stepped through them.
"Mom?" Artemis asked, stunned, before she moved to sit up.
Leto just smiled and held out her hand to stop her. The titaness climbed into the bed, taking a seat before adjusting her daughter's head to be in her lap.
"What are you doing here?" Artemis asked quietly, not fighting it as Leto softly massaged her temples.
"Hestia told me everything. How could I not have come for you?"
The goddess bit her lip, but failed to stop herself from crying into her mother's arms. Leto hummed quietly as she lifted her daughter into an embrace and rocked her slowly. The pair sat for a few minutes, Artemis' body relaxing while she wept openly.
"I loved him, mom. For the first time in my life, I fell in love. I found the one thing I was certain I would never have with the one kind of person I was certain I would never meet," she choked out.
"I know you did, Artemis. I only met him that night on Olympus, and I know he was a good man. But…" Leto stopped her sentence abruptly, gripping her daughters' shoulders tightly as she made her meet her eyes.
"Now you are disrespecting him. And you are disrespecting yourself even more," Leto said in a considerably less warm tone.
Artemis' eyes widened at the sudden shift in her mother's demeanor. The goddess' brows creased, and she opened her mouth to retort before being cut off.
"He loved you. You. Not this shell in front of me. You are in a kind of pain I can only imagine, but that is no excuse. There are thirty girls right outside your door, almost all of whom look to you as a mother, that have not seen or heard from you in over a week. Did they not love him as well? Does it not add to their pain not having you with them? And what of your brother, who hasn't seen you either? And Hestia said you may not be attending young Perseus' funeral. Is this what is left of the proud Artemis? The greatest huntress the world has ever seen, now a recluse?"
Artemis' anger faded as Leto spoke. A new feeling filled her body, washing away the week's emptiness as she straightened her posture and stood from her bed.
"Thank you, mom," Artemis said, kissing her mother's cheek.
"Of course, Artemis. Now, go," Leto said while smiling, shooing her daughter away with her hand.
The moon goddess wiped her eyes and pushed her shoulders back before walking through her doors into the open area. The reaction from the hunters wasn't drastic, but it was immediate. Everyone in the room seemed to visibly brighten as Artemis strode out to face them after over a week of silence. The goddess smiled apologetically.
"Girls, I am so sorry for my actions. I know that doesn't begin to make up for it, and I will make up for it, but now isn't the time. We all need to get ready; we leave for Percy's ceremony in half an hour," Artemis announced, trying to sound confident.
Anna stirred from Thalia's lap, woken by the noise as some of the hunters began to shuffle about. She crawled off of the sofa and made her way to Artemis. The goddess crouched down to eye level as Anna reached out to hug her.
"Are you okay, Lady Artemis?" Anna asked in a muffled voice, her face buried in the goddess' neck.
Artemis teared up immediately at the youngest huntress worried about her wellbeing over even her own, and hugged her tighter.
"I will be, Anna. We all will."
(Line Break)
The hunters filed out of Artemis' palace under the assumption that the funeral would be held in a city square. They stopped in their tracks when they found the Olympians, Percy's demigod friends, and several minor gods gathered right outside. The deities and demigods stood together in the center of Artemis' garden, facing a draped pyre toward the side. The hunters exchanged looks as they made their way down the front steps and stood alongside the demigods. Artemis stepped out of her palace last, equally taken aback by the gathered mass. Like her, the rest of the Olympians wore various black clothing. The goddess adjusted her dark robe, looking questioningly at her father clad in a cloak and tunic.
"When I heard that you may not have been joining us, I felt that it would only be right to change the location to be closer to you," the King of the Gods said albeit sheepishly, not used to explaining himself.
"Thank you, father," Artemis said as she joined him at his side.
Leto followed closely behind, and Artemis almost fainted in disbelief when Hera nodded in curt acknowledgement to her mother. Wearing an all-black suit and sunglasses, Apollo appeared next to Leto and kissed her cheek before materializing his lyre.
"It's good to see you, sis," he said, smiling at Artemis, before he walked towards the pyre.
The bundle of wood was draped in silver silk embroidered with the symbol of an upright trident in a fireplace. Apollo began to play slow music, starting the ceremony, and Hestia held her hand out for a moment to set the pyre alight. Artemis' eyes widened and she opened her mouth when flaming ash sparked into her garden. A hand on her shoulder kept the moon goddess quiet.
"Do not worry, Artemis. Not one blade of grass will be singed," Demeter whispered from behind her.
The music continued as a handful of gods decided to stand and speak in front of the raging flame. To everyone's surprise, it was Ares that made his way to the designated spot first. He cleared his throat, and Clarisse and Frank preemptively covered their faces.
"I never liked him. Percy Jackson was a pain in the ass since the day I met him. That spunky kid was twelve years old trying to step to me, the God of War," Ares started.
"And he was winning," Aphrodite said into her black faux scarf, leading to light laughter from the crowd.
Artemis looked down and smiled. She wanted to be upset that they weren't taking the procession completely seriously, but realized that that reflected exactly how Percy had lived; those would have been his words had he been present. She and Hestia shared a knowing look, and Ares growled.
"Anyways, I didn't like him. He was a rambunctious upstart who didn't know when to shut up. But he was the greatest damn warrior I have ever seen. My daughter will tell you about the same. So will my son. Or uh, step-son? Step-aspect-son? The Roman Praetor. Whatever, I think all of the demigods are saying their piece with Jackson in private. But yeah, that's it. Didn't like him for most of the time I knew him, but he was the only mortal besides my own kids that I would ever consider giving my blessing," Ares finished.
The God of War gruffly nodded his head. He conjured and threw a stick of firewood into the pyre, paying his respects before returning to the group. Continuing surprise appearances, Hades took the floor next. The God of the Underworld seemed to be uneasy as he began to speak.
"In the same vein as our last vulgar speaker, I also did not like Perseus. He was an uncontrollable force that I feared would bring about our destruction. I was glad to be wrong about the back half. He not only saved Olympus itself, multiple times, he saved me. My children lived tortuous lives, overcoming hardship at every turn, and it led to some brash decisions that, at points, hurt Perseus," Hades said.
Nico turned red and looked away.
"But he never became spiteful toward them. He remained kind, and it eventually brought me to my two closest children, Hazel and Nico. I have nothing but gratitude for him," Hades finished, adding his own piece of wood to the flame.
A few more gods said their own pieces, leading to a handful more laughs, before Hestia stood up.
"Percy was my first and only son. We grew close because of a tragedy in his life; his mother was killed. I had no idea that something so horrible would lead to the most fortunate relationship in my millennia of life. I became an adoptive mother to the kindest son any parent could ask for. I have never regretted my vow of maidenhood, but every day of calling him my son made me regret not asking him sooner," Hestia laughed as tears filled her eyes.
"He would tell me that was unfair. That we had been mother and son for much longer than since the day I had asked him to. Losing him in front of my eyes was the worst feeling I have ever felt, but I know I will see him again. He will leave Elysium to come back to the mortal world, not striving for the Isles of the Blest, but just to have the infinitely small chance to see his friends and family again. I would not be surprised if he already was absent from the Underworld. We will all see him again soon. I am certain of it."
The Goddess of the Hearth tearfully threw her own wood into the dwindling fire before being embraced by Artemis.
"That was beautiful, Hestia," Artemis whispered before Hestia returned to the group.
Artemis stood before the crowd and took a deep breath. She felt incredibly grateful that nobody had brought up their relationship during their individual eulogies, not even Apollo, who had instead spent his time poking fun at Percy's archery ability.
"Percy and I were in a relationship together. This does not come as a shock to most of you, as you were present when he… passed," Artemis started awkwardly, holding herself together as she pushed through the initial explanation.
"We were together in secret for several months, and our relationship had been kept quiet by anybody that knew or found out," Artemis said, sending an appreciative glance to Annabeth, who silently nodded back.
"I loved him. He brought a light to my life that I was unshakably certain I would never find. He made my family in the Hunt even more complete than it already had been. I know how familiar all of his friends are with how intoxicating of a person he is to be around. Was, to be around."
The goddess cleared her throat as she bit back tears.
"I have felt lost since that night. But my mother reminded me of how unfair that is to him and to myself. And to everyone else he loved. Percy sacrificed himself with the intent to save us all. He gave his life so that we could continue living, so that is what we will do. I have not been a good role model for my hunters this week, and I have not honored the man I love by continuing on as the woman he loved. But Hestia said it herself as well. Percy will return, and we will find each other again. I swear it on the Styx."
Thunder boomed overhead, and Hestia forced the flame higher before Artemis added her log to the pyre. The Goddess of the Moon's confidence waned as she readied herself to meet her father's eyes. She knew that, at the end of the day, it didn't matter what Zeus thought about their relationship, but it would be nice for him to approve just as her mother and brother did. Artemis knew not to be too hopeful, though, considering Percy was still a son of Poseidon.
The fire disappeared abruptly as Artemis faced the group, her uneasy eyes immediately finding Zeus. The King of the Gods smiled knowingly at her, as if reading her thoughts. His gaze shifted slightly, like he was looking straight through her. Artemis stood confused for a moment until several others in the audience did the same, peering over her shoulder and murmuring. The goddess turned to find the pyre a heap of ash, its sudden absence revealing some form of a covered monument near the corner of her garden.
Artemis' eyes flicked back to Zeus, who simply snapped his fingers. The tarp disappeared, unveiling its contents and eliciting gasps from the craning audience. The goddess turned to find, carved out of Olympian Silver, a picture-perfect statue of her and Percy dancing together. Her hand flew to her mouth and more tears welled in her eyes as she relived the memory of their night in the silent garden.
"How did you know?" Artemis asked as Zeus put an arm around her, the crowd brushing past them as they admired the statue's craftsmanship.
The King of the Gods used his free hand to grab a boy with elfish ears trotting by. Leo was surprised by the sudden hand on his shoulder, but quickly bowed when he realized whose it was.
"You did this?" Artemis asked.
The son of Hephaestus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"No. I'm good, but nowhere near that good; I just snapped the picture. Calypso and I had snuck off later after the wedding stuff and were flying Festus around Olympus when we saw you two dancing together. I screencapped an image with my dragon's eyes to fake-blackmail Percy the next time I saw him. And then, you know," he paused, "When I got back to Olympus, I was devastated. But then my dad told me about some discussion the council had afterwards about you and him, and how they were all cool that you guys had gotten together, and I had this idea."
The demigod quickly caught his breath after he finished rambling.
"This was the moment that we admitted we loved each other. Thank you, Leo. And, please, thank your father for me," Artemis said to him.
The son of Hephaestus smiled sadly and nodded before joining the rest of the group near the statue. Artemis embraced her father, thanking him for being supportive. Zeus simply smiled. The pair walked towards the statue as the group began to disperse. The demigods each said their goodbyes before Hermes teleported them back to their respective homes. The minor gods vanished, as did many of the Olympians. The hunters slowly filed back into Artemis' palace.
Hestia sadly cupped the statued Percy's cheek in her hand before she said goodbye to Artemis and disappeared. That left only the moon goddess in the corner of her garden. She stood in front of the statue, the life-sized monument placed in an area where the only flowers planted were amaranth. Artemis crouched down to pick one when she noticed a small plaque embedded in the bottom of the statue.
Dance of the Moon and Tides
Artemis smiled softly, taking a mental note to tell Thalia that they'd stolen her former Operation title. She plucked two of her sacred flowers before she stepped in close to the monument. Artemis couldn't believe how lifelike they both looked, as if the memory itself had been projected into the Olympian Silver. The goddess placed one of the flowers behind her replica's ear. She tried to stick the second up Percy's nose and make it stay. After a few attempts, the goddess gave up and imagined him watching and laughing at her efforts through the statue's sparkling eyes. Artemis cupped his face with both of her hands.
"I will see you soon, Percy."
A/N: And there it is. I wanted to respond to some reviews in the last chapter, but I thought it would be more fun and dramatic to not end it with an Authors Note. So, I'll be responding to those reviews here.
Dragon21356: This has actually been such an inspiring, heartwarming and truly satisfying read this far. I've been following Percy Jackson FanFictions, specifically Peremis ships, for like 8 years now and so many times the story diverges into something underwhelming. Your story thus far has kept my attention from start to finish (I kid you not I have read from 12 am to 3 am continuously today to finish all 16 chapter) so please keep it going! I'd love for you to finish the story someday and not leave it halfway like so many others have unfortunately. Keep up the awesome work! You are hella talented at writing.
You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you so much for your unbelievably kind words. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and the last, but don't think that it's close to over yet. I won't reveal anything, but what's coming is (hopefully) going to make what's going on now pale in comparison. Thank you again for this review, you and everyone else reviewing are the driving reason that gets me to continue this story as quickly as I am.
torukmaktoo: "don't let it hit at high speeds" thats foreshadowing has to be
Heh, nice. You caught it the chapter right before it happened, good work. I didn't want to make it glaringly obvious but I did want to somehow reference Percy's blade coming in contact with his heart in an earlier chapter. Congratulations on being the first to catch it in the reviews ;)
The last chapter didn't do as well as I'd hoped in terms of reviews but that's okay! I know a majority of readers don't prefer leaving comments even when they still enjoy the content itself; I completely get it. So for the quieter people, thank you for reading and I really hope you're liking the story. Catch everyone next time.