"You sure you know where you're going?"
"Not a clue but the mechanical spider that's walking along the wall will probably take us to it."
Leo slightly jumped back as he watched the spider that he hadn't known was there, creeping its way past his head by mere inches. The horrid sound of its small metal legs sent shivers down his arms. He hated to admit it but Annabeth wasn't the only one with a fear of eight-legged crawlers. Percy however paid no heed to the small automation and seemed rather pleased to have it guiding them. He didn't doubt it and walked wherever it went without hesitation, stating that Hephaestus wouldn't give them a faulty guide considering they were doing him a favor by clearing out his forge.
The thought of doing another favor for the God put a sour taste in the son of Poseidon's mouth. He had initially come here to cash in on a favor that he owed him yet here he was, doing another quest that he had already done once a few odd years ago. Leo had begged him to talk about it once he realized their walk to the forge was going to take some time so he decided to indulge his curiosity, speaking of Kronos's army preparing his scythe in the forge, the monsters throwing lava on him, and him blowing up the volcano in a last-ditch effort to accomplish the mission.
"Woah, that's freaking nuts, bro! You were like fourteen and already had enough power to blow up a freaking volcano!" Leo exclaimed with starry eyes, causing Percy to slyly smirk to himself. He was always happy to see the wonder on people's faces when they heard stories of his exploits. Granted, a lot of them were exaggerated which wasn't a fault of his own but it was fun to tell them. It definitely wasn't fun back then doing them but now after the years passed, he realized how lucky he was by only having to worry about an odd quest or two a year.
He made sure though to keep the part of him landing on Calypso's island after he had blown up the mountain out of the story. That wouldn't go over well with the son of Hephaestus considering that was now his girl, he guessed. He didn't really know if the pair were a couple or not as he didn't keep up with affairs like theirs around camp. He was always busy dealing with paperwork, training, helping out with chores around camp, or finding the odd city or two beneath the camp.
Seeing that the two of them had stuck around each other a lot at camp made him assume they were together but the sly side glances directed at him from the former Titaness told a different story. If he had to guess, she wasn't over him quite yet despite Leo rescuing her from the island and basically trying to be the man she wanted him to be. He felt bad for the Latino man but there was nothing he could do besides tell Calypso upfront no to her advances the next time she does it. It was the right thing to do not only for Leo but for himself as well. The last thing he needed was another woman after him. Artemis, Reyna, Hecate, and Calypso, he knew what they were trying to do. He wasn't blind nor as oblivious as he used to be thanks to Annabeth always telling him how women act around men they like. She made it pretty clear to teach him that after seeing the women of Camp Half-Blood always trying to be around him.
It was nice of them to consider him like that, especially Artemis who he knew wouldn't go after just any man but he needed to be alone right now. The camp and the war should have his attention right now, not his love life. And there was the thing with Annabeth. He needed to settle things with her once the time came. He honestly didn't know what he would do when he saw her again. He hoped he wouldn't cry, that would be embarrassing. All he knew was that if the video Athena had shown him was real or even if it wasn't, there was one thing that he needed from her, and that was closure. He's had time to think about her despite all the crazy things that have happened the past few days which led him to a startling realization. He didn't hold the same love as he once did for her. It was still there, he could feel it in his heart but it wasn't as strong. Wasn't as bright as it once was.
He didn't know how that happened. Maybe it was the video or maybe he had just moved on after all this time spent away from her. He'd been through a lot this past year and that has definitely influenced his perspective on things. He's lost so many people he loved from his mortal family to his demigod one which had changed him. For better or worse, he didn't know. He guessed he would when the time came to stand before the judges of the underworld. What he did know, however, was that he needed to keep the people that he did love, close. He needed to protect them. And Annabeth, as much as he hated to admit it, wasn't as close to his heart anymore unlike the others like Jason, Piper, and Thalia. They had chosen to follow him on this journey. They were the ones to help him when the time came to leave. They were the ones who followed him through the treacherous mountains of Alaska to its barren plains. Annabeth didn't. She didn't trust him enough to go to the Godless land. She didn't believe in him.
It hurt his soul. It really did. After all they'd been through together, she didn't trust him enough to follow. Oh, but she was confident enough to lead an army there and raze the home he had built with his bare hands to the ground and take his people prisoner. She was more than happy to march her way to Alaska, a place she said she would never step foot in, and kill his own people. People that she had once called comrades in arms.
That was something he would never forgive her for. It was something for the regular demigods who were on the opposite side. They didn't know any better and were just following orders but she knew better than that. She knew what was really going on. She had to of, right? She was smart enough to realize that Zeus was doing this all because he wanted him dead. He guessed not considering she had sworn on the Styx that it was him that attacked camp. Gods, he wished he knew what was going on inside her head but even after all their time together, he was never really able to get a good grasp of what she was thinking.
Suddenly feeling a hand on his shoulder, Percy stopped all thoughts going on in his head as he looked to where Leo was silently pointing ahead of them. It seemed he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the mechanical spider guide had disappeared and in front of them was the entrance to Hephaestus's forge. Quietly walking forward, it seemed they were above the forge itself, offering a good view as to what was happening below. And boy was it a sight. Monsters of many different kinds littered the area below, all congregating in one specific area thing in the middle of the forge.
"The furnace?" Leo whispered, answering Percy's silent question. "They're making something."
That statement brought flashbacks to the green-eyed demigod as he remembered the last time he was here. The monsters had been making Kronos's scythe and it seemed history was repeating itself. The monsters, Telekhines just like last time, were making a weapon, a sword by the looks of it. It was a blazing orange due to the metal that had yet to cool, giving it an ominous glow. He could feel the weapon's power, even from where he was standing, weighing down the air which shocked him. Not even Kronos's scythe had this type of aura. So what in Gods name were these monsters forging and for whom? Seeing the Telekhines had some mystical powder on top of the glowing metal which turned it from a glowing orange to a furious, blazing fire of red coating the blade, he suddenly realized the answer to his question. After all, he knew what this sword was. He had seen it before painted on the cave's wall.
"It's Polemus's sword." He whispered, causing Leo to take intake a sharp breath of warm air.
"Oh shit, not good. Not fucking good." Leo frantically replied, kneeling down next to Percy to try and get a better look.
He shared Leo's sentiment. This wasn't good at all for two reasons. One was the sword. It was easily a weapon that was on par with the Big Three's divine symbols of power. The aura he felt radiate from it was so similar to theirs but coupled with that was the aura of absolute chaos. He could feel its influence creeping inside his bones, telling him to kill everything in sight. It was similar to Ares's aura in that regard which was a dangerous combination. Second was that the monsters were making it which meant Polemus had them under his control. How many, he didn't know but he had a feeling it was a lot. More than Kronos's easily.
"What do we do?" The son of Hephaestus turned to him, looking for an answer which Percy was honestly apprehensive to answer. He knew this weapon needed to be destroyed. It was a must. Polemus could not get his hands on it because if he did, their situation and the war would become a lot more difficult. But there were tons of monsters down there and while he wouldn't have a problem killing them all, he was worried about Leo. He knew the man could take on his fair share of them but if he got swarmed and he wasn't able to get to him in time, it was game over. If there was one thing he was glad about in this situation was that he didn't have to worry about Typhoon breaking free as he was currently down in Tartarus. So if he did blow up the volcano, they wouldn't have to worry about the world getting destroyed by the father of monsters. They would just have to worry about the entire west coast of America getting destroyed by the eruption.
"Hey, I know that look. Don't worry about me. The first priority is that sword, no matter what. Understand?" Leo reiterated, seeing Percy's concerned features.
"Yeah, Yeah, alright, let me go in first then you sweep in. We'll take out as many as we can but destroying the sword comes first and foremost." He replied, putting his stygian armor on before jumping down into the forge below without waiting for a reply. The crash of his feet hitting the floor echoed loudly throughout the forge, bringing all attention to him. The monsters turned around, finding themselves looking at what appeared to be a God, his golden mask reflecting the orange fire in it, making it look like a melted liquid. Uncapping Riptide, they all flinched back at the sight of the familiar weapon, quickly realizing who this was behind the mask.
He craned his head upward, offering a glimpse of the sea-green eyes that stared unflinchingly into their own, silently telling them that it would be the last sight they would ever see.
"Oh shit." One of the Telekhines whispered at the sight of the infamous son of Poseidon, taking a step back in fear. The others mirrored their brethren's action but it was already too late. The son of Poseidon was already on the move to kill. Disappearing in a green mist in the blink of an eye, he reappeared in the middle of the monster's rank, slicing off the heads of two unsuspecting Telekhines before disappearing once more, the only sign that he had been there was the golden dust floating in the air.
All the monsters panicked, raising their weapons defensively as they backed themselves into one another. They had no clue what had just occurred, it was too fast for them to comprehend. Frantically looking around the forge for any sign of the son of Poseidon but finding none, they scrambled to form a defensive position around the sword that one brave Telekhine was still attempting to procure.
"Protect the sword!" A cyclops, presumably the leader, ordered out. Those were the last words he was able to utter before a sheening-bronze sword was jutting out from its one lone eye. Collapsing to its knees in front of the group of monsters, they all watched in horror as their leader disappeared in a fine, yellow dust, revealing the black-armored demon standing tall behind it, his sword coated in the monster's essence, gripped threateningly at his side.
The two sides stared at one another in silence, waiting for the next move. The monsters felt the air in their lungs be sucked out as they watched the demigod wipe off the golden dust on Riptide mockingly. They had always been scared of Percy Jackson throughout the years, who wouldn't be? But this…this was different. He was different. This wasn't the same son of Poseidon they learned to fear over the years. This…was a demon beginning to emerge from whatever remnants were left of the demigod. They could see it in his eyes. The chaos, the destruction, the insanity, all of it was in those sea-green pearls just begging to be let out. Judging by how he began to slowly walk his way forward, twirling Riptide in anticipation, it seemed he would indulge those feelings for once onto these poor creatures.
"Kill him!" A centaur standing at the front suddenly cried out, seeing that if they were to die, they should go out fighting. Percy's eyes crinkled in delight at the sight of monsters charging at him. It seemed this was going to be a fun little quest after all.
Clashing with them head-on, the son of Poseidon was like grass in the wind, never in one place for more than a second. He would use his power over water vapor in the air and disappear before a monster could get a hit on him. He would then reappear behind them, slicing them in half with his immense strength before repeating the process once more. This type of style was something the monsters had never seen before in all their years. There was no way to combat it as they would literally be swiping their weapons at thin air before having a sword lodged in their stomach due to their exposed opening.
Chaos and confusion quickly ensued among the hoard, monsters left and right getting killed seemingly out of nowhere while the others simply attacked the air in hopes of the demigod reappearing there. Before they knew it, their number had been cut in half and it wouldn't be too long until it reached zero.
"How much longer left on the sword?!" A centaur asked the Telekhine blacksmith who was still forging away at the divine weapon.
"Only a little more. Once it's cooled, we're leaving!" It replied frantically, giving some hope to the monsters that were still trying to protect it. Hope, however, wouldn't prevent them from getting brutally killed by the demigod who was still in the middle of the hoard.
The centaur felt true fear seep into his bones as he watched the son of Poseidon inch closer and closer to the furnace. He had stopped the disappearing trick and opted to just go full berserk, killing anything and anyone who dared get close. Ripping off the head of one of its friends with sheer herculean strength, the centaur watched in slow motion as the green-eyed demigod glanced at him square in the eye, the mere look telling him all he needed to know. He was going to die and there wasn't anything he could do about it.
Realizing if that were the case, he might as well make it difficult for the demigod somewhat. What fun would it be to just let him have their lord's sword without any challenge? Bringing out a horn he had strapped to his belt, he brought it up to his mouth before giving a mighty blare of alarm, signaling for reinforcements.
"Let's see just how long you can go, Perseus." The centaur said with a wicked smile plastered on his face. Not even a mere minute later, the reinforcements arrived through one of the tunnels, all savagely running forward like a pack of wolves desperate for food.
Hearing the horn, Percy managed to take a look at one of the entrances, his eyes widening at the sight. There had to be at least two hundred monsters streaming out, all gazes focused solely on him. However, it wasn't just ordinary monsters this time. They were the creations of Polemus. The bloodthirsty demon-like zombies filled with Tarteric lifestream in their veins. Their horrid guttural bellows soon filled the air as they joined in on the fight, charging head-on into the original monster hoard like a cavalry charge.
"Get out of there, Percy!" He could hear Leo yell from above before a bright orange flash of fire illuminated the forge. Realizing what was about to happen, the son of Poseidon mist traveled out of the way before a great ball of fire landed dead smack in the middle of the hoard right where he had originally been standing. Reappearing to the side of the hoard, he watched in sick fascination as the monsters burned to death, letting out horrific screeches that not even the furies could compete with. The relief on his face soon swept away when he noticed something strange. The monsters that were of Polemus's creation weren't dying. Instead, they seemed to embrace the fire, enjoying its blazing warmth on their skin. They quickly turned their attention back to where he was standing before running after him once more.
"Aww shit!" The son of Poseidon yelled out, feeling as if he were in a shitty zombie movie as they began to surround him, his back against the wall. Reaching out with his powers, he attempted to kill some of them using the control of blood but to his shock, he couldn't feel any moisture in them. Smacking himself across the head, he had to remind himself that these things were really dead. Of course they wouldn't have any water inside of them.
Noticing a moment of opportunity, one of the demons lunged out at him, its claws barely inches away from his face. Reaching out at speeds not even Hermes could comprehend, the demigod grabbed ahold of its neck before snapping it in a satisfying crunch! Sadly, that little display of power didn't seem to deter them, seemingly making them angrier as they all let out horrific wails before continuing their rampage. Rasing Riptide, he was only granted a glance at the Telekhine who was continuing to make the sword. It seemed the monster was almost done, preparing special water to cool the blade. Growling in annoyance, the green-eyed demigod did his best to make his way through the demon hoard which seemed to only get bigger by the second, all crashing down on him like a pack of rabid dogs.
Riptide was a bronze arc of destruction, swiping through endless crowds of monsters by the second. The blade was stained in both golden dust and black ooze which came from the demons. It was futile, however, because the more ground he gained, the more monsters arrived through those tunnels. It was beginning to be too much, even for him. He could see Leo use his powers over fire to burn the hoards but his strength was beginning to dwindle. The fire was encompassing the entirety of the forge by now, making it difficult to see or breathe. He pushed on though. His sword never stopped for a moment, even when his tired arm begged for a break, he pushed on toward the sword.
Screaming just like the demons, he gave everything he had to kill every single one of them. He embraced his primal urges to kill anything in his path, turning into a mindless killing machine. Even though there was practically no air left to breathe and his entire body begged to stop, it looked as if he was getting stronger, killing more demons with one strike as compared to the last. The ground was littered with corpses but he paid no mind, his eyes deadlocked on the terrified Telekhine who hastily put Polemus's sword in the water.
"Not much time left!" He yelled to himself, grunting as he felt the fangs of one demon try to pierce his armor. Swatting it away, he realized he was getting sloppy. If he kept up this pace, he would soon be overpowered and Polemus's weapon would get away. He needed to think of something quick before it was too late.
"Fuck it. If I blow up the volcano, so be it!"
What he was about to do was probably one of the most idiotic things he'd ever done. It was stupid as hell and if it didn't work out as planned, well…bye bye America's west coast.
"Leo! Get ready to run like hell!" Percy yelled out to his demigod friend who could only reply with obscenities in acknowledgment, too busy stabbing a demon in the eye.
Without any hesitation, the son of Poseidon leveled his sword to the ground before stabbing it with all his might. Not a second later, came an earthquake that registered as a five-point seven on the seismograph. It wasn't necessarily one of his most powerful earthquakes but it was enough to drop everyone to their feet. Running as quickly as he could over to the furnace, he could see Leo in the corner of his eye doing the same. This was their last opportunity for the sword.
The Telekhine, after getting back onto its feet, wasted no time pulling out the sword from the water even though it hadn't properly cooled. Searing its flesh, it screamed out in agony but held on to it before attempting to run away. But it was too slow, the demigods were a mere few feet away from it, their swords raised high to end the monster's pitiful life. Percy was the closest, he was so close that he could hear the Telekhine's terrified yelps as it fled.
"Got you!' The stygian armored demigod yelled out, lunging forward in an attempt to drag the monster down to its knees. It was too late though because, in the corner of his eye, he failed to see in time a large black mass barreling right into him. It was as if a freight train had hit him square in the chest, sending him flying back into a wall that would've killed any normal man. Without any chance to catch his breath, the hellhound was already on top of him, its fangs trying their best to pierce his armor. Thankfully, it would have to take a lot more than that to pierce it and even more to kill him. Using his hands, he held the hellhound's jaw in place before peeling it back like a can of oranges, killing it in an instant with a sickening SNAP!
Getting up, he could see that Leo was now managing the Telekhine, fighting it one-on-one. It seemed he had the upper hand as the monster wasn't much of a fighter, especially with a sword that seared the flesh to the bone. Wanting to help out, he began to run over but was stopped by the remaining hoard of demons who attempted to surround him. Deciding it was best to deal with them so Leo could focus on getting the sword, he charged right in, killing any that dared to challenge him. It hadn't taken long thanks to the already diminished number of monsters. It seemed some of the ceiling had collapsed after his little display of power, sending debris raining down onto the majority of the hoard.
Before he knew it, he was only dealing with a handful of demons. Deciding to risk it, he took a glance over a Leo who was continuing to fight but that seemed to about be over. He had the monster pinned to the ground, his sword raised high above him in preparation to stab down and end its life. Before he could, however, Percy noticed something. Something had changed within the Telekhine. It had a nasty smirk on its face that he could recognize even from where he was standing. It was the same smirk the elf had when Polemus had infiltrated her mind. His suspicions were only confirmed further when he could see the pearly green eyes so similar to his own in the monster, promising death to any who dared look at him. And it seemed Leo was a prime candidate.
"Leo!" Percy tried to warn but it was too late. Polemus had completely taken over the monster's body and jammed the sword upward directly into the son of Hephaestus's chest the moment he took his eyes off of him.
The world stopped for a moment in the son of Poseidon's eyes. Nothing moved and nothing could be heard except for the beating of his own heart and Leo's strangled gasps for air as he collapsed on the ground. His feet were clued to the ground as he watched the blood begin to pool around his friend's body. He didn't even move when the hoard of monsters ran around him to protect their master who was now standing up, his sword coated in Leo's blood, dripping onto the floor.
Snapping out of his shock, Percy stared into Polemus's green eyes that unflinchingly stared back. He could see the mirth and the satisfaction in them at the thought of killing one of his friends. He enjoyed inflicting pain on the son of Poseidon who couldn't move due to the shock.
"Be seeing you, Percy." Polemus's faint voice spoke out over the rushing of blood in his ears. Watching the Telekhine's green eyes shift back into the color of its own, it quickly fled away from the scene with the demons in tow, protecting both it and the sword. Leaving the son of Poseidon the only one left in the otherwise silent forge, he wanted to go after them and kill each and every last one of them but Leo's gasps diverted his anger.
Finally able to move, he didn't hesitate to run over to his friend who was on the ground, his hand shakily covering the open wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Leaning over him, he softly took his hand off the wound before covering it with his own, attempting to use his powers to divert the bleeding.
"P-P-Percy, I'm scared."
"Shhh, shhh, shhh. You're gonna be fine, man. You're gonna be fine." Percy tried to calm him down, but it didn't do much good when even his own voice was shaky. Much to his horror, the flowing of blood from the wound wasn't stopping, even with his powers. It seemed there was some type of magic preventing him. It had to be because of the sword. It must have some type of divine properties that were simply too powerful for him to overcome.
Now he was really starting to panic and Leo could notice it. The Latino demigod was beginning to turn pale and cold. His lips were turning purple and his breathing was becoming more shallow by the second. Something needed to be done and fast but he couldn't think of anything. There were no medical supplies nearby and his powers wouldn't work.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" Percy chanted repeatedly as he looked around the forge for anything that he could use to help stop the bleeding.
"I-I'm cold." Leo whispered, raising a blood-covered hand to his chest, attempting to use his power over fire to warm himself. Sadly, no warmth ever came. He was far too weak to procure even the faintest of flames. Beginning to feel extremely tired, he softly shut his eyes for what would be the last time. The son of Poseidon attempted to keep him awake but it was far too late. There was so much blood that even if he were to keep him awake, he'd soon die of blood loss.
"No." He whispered, staring down at Leo's still face. He half expected him to get up and offer a quip or joke but leaning over him for what felt like an eternity, nothing ever came. The blood on the ground soon seeped into Percy's jeans, offering him warmth that Leo would never feel again. But he didn't feel any of it. He could only feel the cold hand of his dead friend who was emptily grasping his own.
"No." The green-eyed demigod said once more, his voice coming out more as a whine, sobs threatening to break free. Leaning his head against his friend's still chest, he stayed like that for who knew how long, thinking of how Leo would never be able to build those warships. Never be able to joke or laugh with the others, never be able to experience the love he so desperately wanted with Calypso. He would never get to experience any of those things with them.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKK!" He let out a primal scream of anger into the hot air, the ground shaking heavily due to his inadvertent use of power. His emotions were controlling his power, letting out one of the strongest earthquakes the west coast had ever felt but he didn't care. Let the mortals experience death just as he had. Let them experience the misery of losing family. This, however, wasn't the greatest of moves as the volcano under him began to shake horribly, signifying that an eruption would soon occur. Cracks soon formed around him and Leo's body, threatening a collapse.
Deciding it was best to get away before harm could come to him and Leo's body which needed to be returned to camp, he quickly scooped up the lifeless form in his arms before running out of the forge just in time before the eruption came in a blazing heat of glory. The power behind it was something he'd never felt before, the sheer sound was enough to blow out his eardrums had it not been for the tunnel's magic protecting him. The earth shook heavily enough to bring even him to his knees, causing him to cover Leo's body with his own in case he needed to shield him from any falling debris.
Eventually, it stopped, allowing Percy to pick up his friend who was still dripping blood onto his already blood-soaked clothes before heading in the direction of Hephaestus's other forge. The walking felt like an eternity. His body was sore as hell, his arms shook from the strain of carrying Leo and his emotional state certainly wasn't the best but he pushed on. Leo deserved to be buried at home and he would make sure of that.
It took at least two hours before he finally reached his destination because he didn't have the mechanical spider guide to help him back. The son of Poseidon could hear the pounding of Hephaestus's hammer echo throughout the tunnel with every step he took, feeling his heart with dread at the thought of delivering a dead son to his father. The God needed to see Leo though for one last time. He deserved that much even though it was he who had a part in his death. If Hephaestus had just honored his favor, Leo would still be alive! Those thoughts only became more evident as he entered the forge, watching Hephaestus's backside swing away at a sheet of celestial bronze.
The son of Poseidon was tempted to drive Riptide straight through his back. He wanted to kill someone so badly. His hand itched toward Riptide slowly as he watched the God not even acknowledge his entry. Would it be so bad to kill? Why not? He was an Olympian. He was guilty just as much as Zeus for the pain of Demigods throughout the centuries. Why not just pay back all those years of suffering?
"Stop." A little voice said in the back of his mind. Hephaestus was an ally now. He recognized his misdeeds and was trying to make up for them just like Artemis and Hecate were. It wasn't fair not to give him a chance as well. Sighing at his internal conflict, he stepped close to the God who just now seemed to notice him, evident by him laying his hammer on the table.
"You're done." He said it more as a statement rather than a question. The demigod elected for silence as he waited for him to turn around and see his dead son in his arms. He waited for the cries, the shouts of anger, the sobs, but it never came. He didn't even turn around to face Percy. The duo stayed that way in silence for what felt like an eternity before the son of Poseidon realized that Hephaestus wasn't going to face him. A snarl formed at the back of his throat but he held his tongue. Even though the God was now on his side, he was still a God. Deaths of mortals, even his own children, didn't bother him too much. Why did he expect anything differently?
"You owe me twenty warships before May." Percy said with restrained anger before swiftly turning around and walking out of the room without another word.
The God stared motionless at the wall for a long time. Long after Percy had left with his son in his arms. He knew what the son of Poseidon was thinking but he couldn't bear to look at his dead child. He couldn't bear to see the consequences of his own hubris. Turning around slowly, he stared at the spot Percy had been standing earlier. The only evidence of his son being the small pool of blood trailing on the ground. Only then, at the sight of that, was he able to let out heart-shattering sobs.
Sobs that filled the otherwise silent and desolate forge.
Reappearing on the cliff overlooking Camp Freedom, Percy took in a shaky breath of the cool night air. It was a sight for sore eyes, the dimly lit camp that offered a sense of peace he so desperately longed for. Looking down at Leo's pale face, however, he knew he wouldn't get any of it until Zeus, Polemus and any who dared stand against him were dead.
"You're home, bud." He said to his friend who had a look of relief written across his peaceful features. It seemed even he realized he was back where he belonged. A place that he had helped build for all future generations of demigods. A home for any who sought a world they could thrive in. A home that would be his final resting place.
"You're home."
~A/N~ This will be my final weekly chapter for the next month or so. I will be releasing chapters 40-43 altogether once they're completed to speed up this story slightly. Hope you enjoyed this chapter but you probably didn't as it was pretty sad, even for me. Join my discord to stay up to date with this story's progression
/DbNtv2wyhN