Unknown POV
Even outside, the musky smell of rotting flesh hit hard. The boy raised his shirt, covering his nose as he walked down the black corridor. There had been a time when all you could hear would've been screams of pain, fear, and every negative emotion. That time had passed. There had been a time where rebellion had sparked and lit a fire. That time had passed. There had been a time where we manipulated the strongest of the strong…
That time had passed.
Pacing faster, the boy walked further down the corridor. From where he was, the beginning and end of the corridor looked infinitely as far. He could see neither. Soon enough, the boy broke into a run. Not to escape from the unnerving corridor, but from the voices growing larger and larger into his head. The boy had done nothing wrong, remaining neutral, and still, they thought they had the audacity to force him to work here like a slave. But hey, after all 18 hour shifts every day, with only one day off a month and 1 drachma per week is pretty reasonable, eh?
At the end of the corridor was a single, metal door, reinforced by layers of steel and celestial bronze. The black paint had long since eroded, leaving a dull brown that reminded the boy of expired cocoa beans. Fumbling around in his pockets, the boy took out a large keyring filled to the brim with keys. He searched through them until he found four orange keys. The door had fifteen keys, and he only had four of them. Finding the letterbox on the door, the boy inserted a key into each corner before twisting. After a few pulls, the letterbox grudgingly moved apart, revealing a small hole.
Peeking inside, the boy saw two men playing cards. He was quiet, watching them with intent. Both their faces were disguised. Both of them wore similar, long, black rags. The only difference was the bracelet cuffing them together. One had an black bracelet while the other's was crimson.
"Blackjack," the black one said, turning his cards over and revealing a King and an Ace. The purple sighed, throwing his cards onto the floor. The black one collected them and began shuffling them, leaning against the wall.
"Welcome back," the purple drily muttered.
"Now, is that really how you treat our savior?" the black chided.
"Oh please," the purple said. "He brings us a pack of cards and suddenly you're on your bloody feet worshipping him like Jesus."
"Weren't you listening when he talked about-"
"All the suffering and pain yeah sure, whatever."
"Max here needs more respect. He will save us all, I know it," the black one said softly. The purple snorted.
"Max Zimmerman, our lord and savior," the purple mocked. "Isn't that right Max," he said, looking right at the boy who shifted on his feet.
"Father," the boy, Max began. "I am here as you requested, what would you like me to do," he asked.
"Break us out, will ya," the purple mumbled.
"It- it is not so easy for one to break out of here," Max replied nervously.
"It has been done before-"
"And it will be," the black snapped. "But while we figure out a plan, I need my son to go on a little errand for me. I want to do a little experiment, just out of curiosity. Perseus Jackson. The filth has taken everything away from us all, you included. So, on your day off, after you've spoken to Thanatos, why don't you take something from him, and we can see how he reacts." Max grew a small smile just at the idea of watching Perseus cry.
"You know our leader won't approve…" the purple said, after hearing the idea. The black shrugged.
"The leader isn't here anymore, is he? And until he is, I think we're allowed some playtime. Now Max, here's what I want you to do…"
Percy POV
Throughout my life, I have been very happy. Never before, have I been as happy as I was right now. I'll elaborate. Annabeth and I had been together for just over a few months since we had all saved Olympus from the Giants and Gaia. We laughed together, joked together, slept together and were together in everything. Life was just perfect. We were together. We were lovers. We were one. Or at least that was what I was thinking as I walked to the beach where I knew Annabeth was waiting for me.
As long as I can remember, I have been… terrible around girls. Even in this relationship, Annabeth had been the first to make a move under St Helens, something that still embarrasses me. However, what she never knew was how I was ready for something I thought that I would never be ready for. We had been together for years, fighting monsters with each other day after day. Now I had courage that I could never have used before in all of those schools I had been kicked out of. I was ready. Ready to propose.
If you want me to be perfectly honest, nervous couldn't even explain what I was feeling. Yeah sure, me and Annabeth did everything with each other, but she seemed so distant. Perhaps I should've first consulted someone else about my plan. Perhaps my father or mother. Even Athena would've been good to talk to about my plan. The last thing I wanted was to be rejected. Being rejected is much worse than getting your memory lost, because when you're rejected, it affects your heart. You lose all the courage you had, and the shame is unexplainable.
The beach was so beautiful at this time. Sunset at the ocean. Peace. Serenity. Contentment. A mixture of all of these creates the unmatched feeling that overwhelms me when I'm at the beach, watching the constant ebb of the waves. It's only me on the beach, allowing me to enjoy the sunset, undisturbed. I've got a few minutes before I will propose. After all, they say that night is the most romantic time. The sun gradually receded into the waters below. Above, the sky consists of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges and yellows. The waters below mirror this effect. The waves are tinted vermilion, with underlying streaks of blue that clash with it. The sand below my feet is the same color, making me feel like a firewalker – daring and bold. The contrast created between the dark waters and the luminous sky makes the horizon look like a meeting of two worlds – the known and the unknown. It's breathtakingly beautiful, and I'm speechless as I stand before this magnificent sight.
Nothing disturbs me as I sit down on the sand. All I can hear is the sound of the waves as they crash against the shore, and seagulls squawking in the distance. The wind whispers in my ear and plays with my hair, as if the nature around me was speaking sweet nothings. It all felt so pure and cleansing.
The fishy smell is oddly comforting. It smells warm and salty as I breathe in the cold. The smell is chaste and unpolluted, a welcome change from the smog that envelops me in the city. As I run, the wind whips my face, blowing my hair back. The salty air makes my eyes water and my feet tingle. Beneath, the sand is soft , as I run close to the ocean, dodging the waves that try to push me over. I almost fall – the water makes me slip, and I stumble clumsily. My arms are thrown apart, grasping the empty air. I stop, breathless, and feel the stickiness settling on my skin, as I walk towards the ocean to wash my feet.
Willing myself to get wet, I soak my feet, and wash my face – which is a big mistake. The saline water stings my eyes, making them burn, and goes into my mouth. It tastes salty and dirty – quite different from how it looks – and I spit it out. I raise my shirt to wipe my mouth, and get sand in my mouth. My idiocy annoys me. I wipe my mouth and sit back down, feeling stupid. All of that is forgotten when I look out into the horizon again. Without me noticing, the sun has almost set. The sky is more purple than red now, highlighting the transition from day to night.
As I sit there and look out into the horizon, the sun has almost set now and just the tip is left to disappear into the water. Eventually, it completely disappears into the water, I sigh, standing up, brushing off the small grains of sand that have stuck to my trousers. The time that I have been trying to avoid for so long has finally come. As much as I try to prevent it, I need to do what I came here to do. Taking one last glance of the best part of my day, I broke into a light jog towards the rock pool at my far left, where I knew Annabeth would be. It hadn't been agreed, but I saw her sneak off here so many times to enjoy the view as well as weather.
I wasn't too surprised when I met the Stoll brothers, both walking away from where I was walking to. The rock pool had so many accessories for pranks. You want a shrimp in someone's bed? Done. You want to wrap them in seaweed? Done. Ending my quick jog, I turned to greet them.
"Wha-Where are you going at this time?" Connor asked me before I said a word, fidgeting with the hem of his camp-half blood t-shirt. I looked at them blankly. Why were they so concerned?
"Alright, can I let you in on a little secret," I asked them after a moment of hesitation. The two looked at each other, before nodding in sync at me. I leaned forwards and looked around to ensure that we were alone, before whispering into their ears.
"I'm going to propose to Annabeth." If anything, their faces grew even more scared, or perhaps anxious was a better word.
"You can't go there," Travis suddenly said, moving in front of me. I raised an eyebrow.
"It's a free country, Travis," I said weirded out. "Just let me pass." Almost casually, my hand drifted down into my pocket, where I was relieved to feel the all familiar shape of Riptide. Eyeing my hand, Travis stepped back, letting me pass.
"Just know, you won't like what you see," Connor muttered as I hurried on, not sure what to think about the small talk I had just had.
She was there before I was. That was a shock to me! She didn't usually get back from archery till long after sunset. Not that she actually fired arrows, but it's Annabeth. She's helpful. I was almost always earlier than her all the time (aside from when it involved sleep!) and we still had one whole hour left until it was time to start our date. As I edged closer, I heard a sound that made me freeze in my tracks, my blood turning cold. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins and arteries, but it was not the type of adrenaline you'd ever want to feel. Going through my ears right now was a noise that I thought only I would ever cause. It was Annabeth making weird noises. Pleasurable noises: It was Annabeth moaning. Moaning in ecstasy as she rubbed herself.
"Give it to me Eddie," she half cried, half moaned. Eddie... Where do I know that name from? Daring myself to lift my eyes, I scanned the beach and saw a boy kissing Annabeth. He was short and had a malicious glint in his eyes. Immediately, I recognized him as one of Hermes', from Cabin 11. There was a moment where my brain stopped functioning. It wouldn't respond to me, as I was forced to watch the love of my life cheating in front of me, and taking pleasure from it. Without realizing, tears began trickling down my cheek. Emotions stuck like lightning. Annabeth was cheating on me. Annabeth didn't love me. Annabeth had someone else. I wanted to run. I wanted to run until I could not run any more. I wanted to leave this place. Slowly, almost robotically, I turned my body around, trudging back in the sand. Unfortunately, now Annabeth decided to notice me, shushing Eddie before asking, "Percy?"
Clenching my fists, I turned around, looking directly into the eyes of my cheater. There was a moment of silence as the two of us looked at each other. My face looked like the face of a man who's life had been crushed while Annabeth's face looked more like the face of a child who had been busted for skivvying their homework, no signs of remorse.
"P-P-Percy!" She finally managed to stutter. "It's not what it looks like. Please, I'm sorry!" She did truly sound sorry, but the fact that Edwards was inside her didn't help at all. Realizing that, she stood up and quickly pulled her dress down. Then, she quickly ran towards me, Eddie short behind.
"Save it Annabeth," I hissed, raising my hand up. "I loved you, cared for you, fought with you, even jumped into goddamn Tartarus for you. I jumped into the pit of death which Nico hadn't even been able to survive, and this-THIS is how you repay me. Do us all a favor and go burn in Tartarus," I bellowed. To say I was angry was underestimating me. I was beyond angry now. Anger boils you. It creates hate within you. But the worst part about anger is that with anger comes sadness too. All of a sudden, I never wanted to be here, as this whole camp seemed like a curse to me. My heart raced, as all the anger came crashing down on me. I was brought back to a reality I didn't want to be part of anymore. A reality where I've gone from Percy Jackson, the hero of Olympus to Percy Jackson, the rejected. I turned around to leave this place but surprisingly was stopped. Slowly, my hand drifted to my left pocket and Riptide, feeling paranoid. And that was when the punch hit me in my jaw.
For a moment, all I could see were stars as I stumbled to the ground. My vision slowly cleared, and I was greeted with Eddie holding a sword above his head, about to plunge it down into my arm. Quickly, I forced my body to roll to the left, and the sword harmlessly crashed into the right of my hand. I stood up and looked at Eddie, trying to figure out if he was actually sane.
"Are you really going to do this, Eddie?" I growled. The ignorant boy charged straight at me with his sword. Gently, I took a step back. The sword missed me by a few inches.
"My turn," I whispered. My hand brought out Riptide, uncapping it. The weight of the sword felt all too familiar, and I relished it.
All I did was make a light swing to his mid-calf. It was an easy dodge, more of a warning for me. However, Eddie fell to the floor in fear, making a useless block. He wobbled back to his legs, raising his swords up. I guess I do give him some credit. Not many would be willing to fight against Percy Jackson, twice savior of Olympus. Bitterly I laughed in my head. And that couldn't even get me a loyal girlfriend.
"I will not ask again. Leave now Eddie."
"Annabeth," Eddie yelled out. "Aren't you going to help me?" Her lips trembled, unsure of what to do.
"Please don't kill him," she whispered. I wasn't sure of who she was talking to. "Eddie, l-let's go back to camp."
"And watch this idiot blabber to every single person he sees? I don't think so…" Screaming, Eddie ran towards me, his sword raised. I blocked it easily, sidestepping and punching him in the ribs. A light punch and he was sent sprawling to the floor. Under normal circumstances, I would laugh, but these were beyond normal.
"Good-bye Percy," the boy grinned, getting back on his feet. He spat out blood.. "There is a new Age coming, and now you won't be part of it." My mind suddenly stopped.
"Call off the bug," I said. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself."
Luke smiled. "Nice try Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."
"Luke-"
"Goodbye Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."
He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.
When the scorpion had come to kill me, it had been Annabeth who saved me. But there was no Annabeth now, and she wouldn't save me. I was truly alone, and truly isolated. Annabeth's betrayal had hurt me emotionally on another level. It haunted me.
Taking my sentiment as an advantage, the boy ran his sword into me again. This time, I was too shocked and saddened.. I looked at him, seeing a miniature version of Luke. My reaction time delayed, I rotated, but the sword still caught me in my shoulder. It left a wound that made me hiss, before anger wrapped me. Becoming savage and merciless, this time I charged into Eddie. We clashed blades and I threw a punch into his. As he staggered backwards, I threw another punch. The next thing, my sword clattered to the floor as I punched again. I kicked him in the ribs. I stepped on his face and… I cried. I cried for the monster I was. I cried from the emotions. I cried from the fact that Annabeth was on Eddie's side, tending to his bleeding nose and not my bloody shoulder. I cried because, even after everything I have done for this camp and for this world, I can't get any respect.
Annabeth was looking at me in sadness. Tearing her eyes away, she tended to Eddie, helping him onto his feet. The two walked along towards the beach towards camp. Under the night sky, one would think it was a cute couple finishing a date. I waited, watching their shadows intently. Soon, all I could see were tiny black specs.
Turning my back on the camp, I began trudging up the hill to Thalia's tree.
"Bye Peleus," I whispered at the copper dragon. I petted him, rubbing my hand along his head, before stroking Thalia's tree.
"Good-bye," I whispered one last time. It hurt me to do this, but I knew I was better off alone. It's better to isolate yourself than be isolated by everyone else.
Knowing my presence would most likely not be missed, I turned, fleeing away like it was a crime scene.
One day…