Percy POV

Voices. That's all I heard. Voices. Whispering. And arguing.

I tried to get up, but for some reason, I couldn't. So instead, I tried to open my eyes.

Bright. So, so bright.

I remembered what happened. Annabeth. Knocking me out with her dagger.

My eyes darted around the room, attempting to find the source of the noise. I saw Annabeth and Chiron, arguing in low voices, sitting in chairs on the opposite side of the room.

I tried to lift my arms to grab my sword, but I felt my arms stay in place. I glanced down. Of course. My hands are tied to the bed. They heard me moving, and both of them gazed at me, their conversation stopping abruptly.

'Well. Isn't this pleasant? Seeing each other for the first time in months and tying each other up? Not great manners, Chiron.' I said, smirking.

Chiron winced.

'Percy, my boy... You know why we had to do this. I was... hoping the note was a lie, but...' He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to.

"So now you know! You're welcome.'

Annabeth glared daggers at me, and a few months ago I would've flinched but now I just glared back. Chiron looked between us and sighed.

'Percy, for the time being... Until we can make you see sense, you're stuck here. I'm sorry.'

'I've gotten a lot of those these days.'

'We're having people watch you at every moment. Don't try escaping.' With that, he left, leaving me and Annabeth alone.

There was a strained silence while we both looked at each other. She had grown taller, her blonde curls were in a ponytail (like usual), and she had an unreadable expression on her face. She broke eye contact first and instead stared at the floor.

'You wanna know why I really joined Kronos, Annabeth?' I blurted out.

She looked up at me in surprise. Guess there was no going back now.

'It's because of how we're treated. After saving Zeus's sorry butt,' Thunder rumbled above us,' He told me if I went into his domain that he would strike me down. After I retrieved his lightning bolt for him! And Smelly Gabe. Poseidon left my mom without anything and didn't care when both of us were being hit by Gabe. He left us alone. He didn't do anything to help. And Luke told me about Hermes. And how he left Luke. Oh, and how Ares used us for his selfish reasons.'

She started at me with both a sad and shocked expression on her face.

'Percy... I understand.'

'You- you what?'

'I understand.'

'You understand why?'

'Yeah. I do. But that doesn't make it right. Percy, when I last saw you... You were one of the only people who tried to understand me. And one of the only people who did understand. And... Percy, I can't lose you. Kronos... He's tempting you with lies. He isn't any better than the gods. He's worse. Yes, the gods don't pay attention to us, but at least they don't throw us into Tartarus! Percy, I need you to come back. I can't lose anyone else.'

I couldn't bear to look at her anymore. She made it sound so simple. Kronos is evil, and the gods are good! Join your friends, Percy! And everyone will be happy and forgive you.

But it wasn't that simple. If I left Kronos, I would have to face the gods. By now, I'm sure they would've known about me leaving them. And... Then there was the matter of Kronos. He had promised to keep all my friends safe, even if they were fighting against him. And he promised to keep my mom safe. I had made my decision.

'Annabeth. I... I already told you. I can't.'

Her face hardened, but I saw past that. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she was about to start crying.

'Fine.' She got up and started to leave.

'Annabeth. I'm sorry.'

She turned back around. Tears were sliding down her cheeks.

'No. You're not. If you were sorry you would've realised your mistakes.'

She stomped out of the room, leaving me tired and miserable. I want so lost in thought that I didn't even notice Travis and Connor Stoll slide into the room until they spoke.

'You shouldn't have done it, Percy.'

I sighed. There were too many confrontations in one day. I just closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep.

Annabeth POV

I stormed out of the room, calling for some other campers to go in there. Everyone seemed to want to do it, but Chiron let Travis and Connor Stoll because they were Percy's friends (well, I guess not anymore). I walked over to the sword-fighting arena. I took out my dagger and started slashing at the dummies. I was thinking of my conversation with Percy.

He seemed so... Different. His sea-green eyes were darker than before, and his hair was longer and shaggier. He had more scars, the most prominent one on his cheek. He had a more powerful aura, and he was scarier.

Now, don't tell anyone that I ever said that.

But it was true. When I saw him at Meriwether, exploding that monster from the inside, I felt like the goofy Percy Jackson I knew last summer was gone. If he could do that, what else could he do? And now that Kronos had him... Well, let's just say I think we're in trouble.

I was tempted to join Kronos myself. I mean, both of my best friends had left to join him! And, plus, the gods had never done anything for me! But then I looked at Percy. How, even though he stood for what he thought was right, he seemed so miserable. So... Un-Percy-like. I had barely seen him smile. But a few months ago, he was smiling most of the time. And then I compared him to our campers. They actually looked like they were having fun. He looked like he just lost his closest friend. I mean, I guess he had. Apart from Luke and Grover, I was his only friend. I knew for a fact he didn't have others. And I had refused him.

Oh, Percy. What have you gotten yourself into?