Guilt is the echo of an unlived life.

When they first came back into camp, they were hailed as heroes, and for the others, rightly so. Jason and Piper had both risked their lives in that final battle, along with Nico, Annabeth, and who knows how many others. But just because they were treated like heroes doesn't mean they felt like ones.

The aftermath of the giant war had left Percy with a heavy heart. Yes, the battles were won, the giants and monsters had been defeated and there was even peace between the Romans and Greeks, but the scars of war ran deep. Back at camp, the place was alive with celebration and relief. Jason was undoubtedly sharing his final fight with Gaia, while Hazel and Frank were declaring their profound love for each other, but Percy couldn't partake in this celebration. People dealt with grief in their own ways, and for him that meant a moment of solitude to process everything that had happened… and he knew exactly where to find it.

Quietly, he made his way to the familiar shores of camp. The salty breeze tousled his dark hair as he walked along the shoreline. Besides him, the rhythmic crash of the waves against the rocks echoed the turmoil in his mind. Each foamy embrace of the sea seemed to wash away some of the burden, but not enough.

Few people knew this place existed, and even few ever visited it. That's why Percy was incredibly surprised to find someone else sitting on the jagged boulder of his secret cove staring deep into the horizon. She was a vision of extravagance, and that was undeniable. Her robes, silver as a winter's frost, flowed like liquid moonlight around her, and the pale light of the waning moon heightened her features. Alabaster skin, seemingly kissed by starlight, shimmered in the soft moon's glow. Gracefully, her toes dangled over the edge of the rock, lightly touching the surface of the water. The sea almost seemed to recognise her presence, for the waves whispered gently at her feet.

Percy hesitated for a moment, watching the goddess lost in thought. Her ageless face held an expression of deep contemplation, and her silvery eyes stared out at the dark horizon. In all his years, he had never seen her like this, so vulnerable, so human in her solitude.

"Percy Jackson," she said quietly, still facing away from him. "It's rude to stare, you know?" Immediately, he looked away, suddenly finding the sand very interesting.

"I'm sorry, Lady Artemis," he murmured. "I guess I wasn't…"

"Expecting me here?" she finished his thought. "Or perhaps expecting me all by myself?"

"Both," Percy admitted. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed, before eventually, Artemis turned to look at him. Her silvery eyes met his, and Percy felt like he was being seen in a way no mortal had ever been seen before. There was an understanding in her gaze, a shared burden of war.

"Tell me," the goddess asked curiously. "What brings you here?" Percy took a few cautious steps closer, his gaze never leaving hers.

"I needed some time alone," he confessed, his voice filled with weariness. Artemis nodded, a fleeting, sad smile touching the corners of her lips.

"As did I." Breaking their eye contact, the goddess turned to look back at the sea, watching it with an interest.

Percy genuinely had no clue what he was meant to do. On one hand, he'd come here to wallow in peace, but on the other, Artemis was here, and things were already more than awkward. Then again, he could almost tell that she too was dealing with something, and wouldn't it be worth talking to her for a bit?

"So who is it?" she asked suddenly, almost catching him off guard.

"Uhh, who's what?" He couldn't see her face, but he could sense her eye roll.

"The person you miss. The reason you're here." Percy sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Leo… he…" The goddess nodded, understanding without the need for further elaboration.

"I know of his sacrifice, Percy. The loss of a friend in battle weighs heavily on the heart." Percy swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

"This is my second war," he muttered, taking a deep breath. "Does it ever end? All the suffering… the death… the guilt…? I thought… I thought it would be easier this time, but it just isn't. In this Gigantomachy, I've made new friends, but I've also lost far too many than I'd ever want to admit, and a lot of it is my fault. Perhaps if I'd been smarter, or quicker, or more powerful, Leo would still be here with us, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe if I'd just watched my nose, we'd never be in this mess… And now, I'm expected to celebrate when all I can think about is the mistakes we made to lose one of our closest friends." The goddess was a good listener. A moment of silence passed, where Artemis picked up a rock from her side and gently skimmed it. Percy watched as it travelled further than he could see, before eventually sinking into the ocean.

"War is a brutal teacher," she said after a while. "It reminds us of the fragility of life and the value of those we hold dear. Your grief is nothing to be ashamed of. It's a testament to your humanity, and a burden shared by many who have stood in your shoes." He frowned.

"What do you mean by 'it reminds us of the fragility of life?' You're immortal. Your life is about as fragile as bedrock." Artemis regarded Percy with a solemn expression, her silver eyes shimmering with an ageless wisdom.

"You are right, Percy. I am immortal, and my existence is probably like bedrock. But the same cannot be said for those I care about, for the mortals and demigods who have touched my life." Percy frowned, his thoughts racing as he considered her words. There was no way she actually cared about Leo, was there…? But then, which other mortals was Artemis close with-

Percy's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place.
"You hunters… Where are they?" Artemis hesitated for a moment, her expression clouded with sadness.

"Unfortunately, most of them have moved on into the Underworld." Percy's heart sank at her words, a feeling of dread suddenly growing.

"Thalia? Phoebe?"

"Thalia is with Jason," Artemis replied, "and Phoebe is with the children of Ares. As for my last remaining hunter, Atalanta, she's fighting to stay alive in the infirmary as we speak. I should probably check in on her soon." Percy's mind raced as he tried to process the information. The Hunters, the immortal maidens who had sworn allegiance to Artemis, had scattered to the wind. It was a sobering reminder of the cost of war. The cost of his mistakes…

Artemis muttered something under her breath, too low for Percy to catch. He leaned in closer.
"What was that?" he asked. She sighed, her shoulders slumping.
"I said, I should've just killed Orion when I had the chance." Percy frowned, slightly confused.

"Orion?" he asked quizzically. "Why would you say that?" Artemis snorted softly, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"You really don't know, do you?" Percy shook his head.

"Nico mentioned something about the hunters, but I haven't had the time to catch up on the details. Between managing Leo's death, helping both camps and trying to get some normality back, I've been pretty preoccupied." Artemis sighed, leaning back and gazing up at the starry night sky.

"The hunters… they had a run in with Reyna, Nico, and that centaur. Orion had been tracking them and eventually found them. The hunters fought hard so Reyna and Nico could escape with the Athena Parthenos. Of course, fighting Orion was practically suicidal, but I guess they all knew the risks. Either way, I'm lucky to have three hunters left at all." Percy couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the goddess.

"So much unnecessary bloodshed," she murmured. "If only I'd taken it to kill him instead of leaving it to my hunters." He nodded.

"I can't pretend to understand everything, but I'm here to listen, Artemis, as a friend. If you ever need to talk or if there's anything I can do to help…" Perhaps he was just imagining it, but Artemis's expression softened ever so slightly.

"Your offer is kind, Percy Jackson," was all she said. He wasn't surprised. Him and Artemis weren't even close to friends. Whatever relationship they had was distant, built on mutual respect rather than friendship. Perhaps he could go as far as calling them acquaintances, but nothing more. She'd never come to him to talk about her problems. The only reason she was right now was because… Well Fate. That, the harsh consequences of war, and dare he say a rare moment of vulnerability? Regardless, it would never happen again.

"Percy?" A voice carried on the breeze reached his ears. "Percy, where are you!?" Artemis, also hearing this, stood up gracefully, straightening the hem of her moonlit robes.

"Your girlfriend is looking for you, and I think it's time for me to take my leave. It was nice to talk to you, Percy Jackson," she admitted, her tone surprising in its sincerity. "As much as I hate to admit it, you did good for a man, yet again." Percy managed a faint smile. "Unfortunately, I need to check on Atalanta," she continued. "Till Fate decrees we meet again… Farewell Perseus."

"Percy!" Annabeth called out with an exasperated sigh. "I've been looking everywhere for you." He turned to see Annabeth emerging from the trees, her expression a mix of worry and relief.

"I'm here, Annabeth," he said, reaching out to take her hand. She squeezed his hand gently, her grey eyes filled with concern.

"What are you doing here all alone?" she sighed, nuzzling into his warm neck.

"Alone?" Percy frowned. "But-" His eyes darted back to the spot where Artemis had just been, but to his bewilderment, the beach was empty. Like the last remnants of twilight, she had vanished into the night.

Annabeth noticed his distracted gaze and tilted her head.

"Yes?" Percy shook his head wearily.
"I... I don't know," he admitted. Annabeth squeezed his hand once more, offering him the comfort of her presence.

"Are you okay?" He looked down at her, his expression uncertain.
"Honestly, Annabeth, I don't know." She nodded.

"Well unfortunately, we need you back at camp for the celebrations. Chiron and the rest of the seven want to put up a wreath with the names of the fallen." With a sigh, he turned his attention back to Annabeth and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Together?" he asked, his voice filled with a sense of unity and shared purpose. Annabeth nodded, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Together."

Hand in hand, they headed back to camp, the memory of his meeting with Artemis lingering like a fading dream, a whisper in the night waiting to be called back.

A loud bang caused Vivienne to snap open her eyes as she roused from her makeshift sleep on the floor.

"What's happening?" she muttered groggily, the commotion around her starting to register. Phoebe's head popped through the door, and she gave Vivienne an amused look.

"It's about time you woke up," she snorted. "Breakfast was over ages ago and we're getting ready to leave now." With a resigned sigh, Vivienne yawned before getting up and making her way towards the bathroom to freshen up. She quickly washed her face, brushed her teeth (someone had left a toothbrush with her name on it), and did the usual morning routine. After a few minutes, she emerged to find Thalia and Hazel spawn camping outside the bathroom for her.

"We need to leave now," Thalia said, a slight urgency in her tone. Hazel, however, didn't seem to share her sense of urgency.

"Relax, Thalia," she retorted, shaking her head as if she were dealing with an overly anxious friend. "Vivienne isn't going anywhere without a good breakfast." Thalia's impatience remained evident.

"Percy isn't getting any closer if we lounge around all day and eat breakfast." Hazel crossed her arms.

"It's only ten thirty in the morning," she argued. "Besides, Percy hasn't been getting any closer for the last five hundred years. A few more minutes won't hurt."

"You wanna tell that to Artemis?"
"I will," Hazel said firmly. With that, she ushered Vivienne down the hallway and into the grand kitchen.

Calling the kitchen grand would be an understatement. The kitchen, in a word, was magnificent. Gleaming stainless steel appliances lined the walls, while pristine white cabinets contrasted with the dark marble countertops. A large island in the centre held a gleaming sink and a built-in stovetop. The room was bathed in natural light streaming through the expansive windows, offering a view of a beautifully landscaped garden outside.

Despite the grandeur of the kitchen, it was somewhat marred by a few messy plates and utensils scattered on the kitchen counter. Hazel glanced at them apologetically.

"I didn't realise how much of a rush Thalia was in," she smiled sheepishly, "or I would've left some food out." Vivienne nodded timidly, feeling awkward alone in this massive kitchen with the goddess of caves who was surprisingly hospitable. Hazel hurried over to the counter, turning the stove on and taking out a few mixing bowls. She then turned her attention back to Vivienne with a warm smile.

"So, what would you like for breakfast? Actually no, let me guess," Hazel continued playfully.

"Hmm, are you a pancake girl or a waffle girl?" Vivienne thought for a moment before answering, "Pancakes."

"I was gonna say that," she chuckled, pouring some flower into the bowl while simultaneously cracking an egg in.

As Hazel continued to whisk the pancake batter, she began striking up a conversation.

"So, Vivienne, I still don't know anything about you, which is why you're stuck here until I find out more, starting with where are you from?" Vivienne smiled lightly.

"I'm from Michigan," she mumbled quietly. "It's where the hunt found me before taking me to Camp Half-Blood." Hazel poured some more milk into the bowl.

"And how old are you?"

"Nineteen," Vivienne replied. Hazel nodded, pouring the batter onto a hot griddle to make pancakes.

"So your father is old Hephaestus, isn't he?" Vivienne nodded, before letting out a small snort.
"What's that?" the goddess asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Vivienne mumbled. "It's just crazy that I'm looking for a lost man who hasn't been seen in the last half century, a man whose lover is the maiden goddess of the hunt and who's spent more time with my father than I have, and arguably ever will." Hazel smirked.

"Come on, that can't be the strangest thing you've heard."

"Yeah," she conceded. "It's definitely not as bizarre as twenty foot tall giants, or a squad of immortal girl scouts, but it's still kind of sad."

At this, Hazel frowned.

"Why sad?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Vivienne let out a deep sigh, her eyes distant for a moment.

"I guess I always thought something had happened to my father when I was young, something important that kept him away. But as I grew up, I realised he was just too busy to even say hello." Hazel sighed in response, and it was clear she was unsure on what to say.

"Hephaestus has many responsibilities to tend to," she finally said carefully. "It's not easy being a god and juggling both the mortal and divine realms."

"Too busy to even say hello, or a happy birthday once in a while?" she retorted, her voice tinged with bitterness. "You and Frank are demigods who became gods. Surely you'd understand what it's like. Imagine if you neglected one of your children over the past few centuries." Hazel's face turned a deep shade of red as she realised the implication of Vivienne's words. She stumbled over her response, embarrassment tainting her words.

"Oh, uh, well, Frank and I haven't had any children... recently," she stammered, feeling increasingly awkward. Vivienne's curiosity was piqued.

"So you've had one before?" she asked. Hazel blushed even harder, before her demeanour suddenly changed into a more sombre one.

"That's a story for another day," she murmured sadly. Realising she had made Hazel uncomfortable, Vivienne felt even more awkward and embarrassed. However, after a while, Hazel gave a cheery smile and changed the subject.

"So, tell me more about your mother. She's mortal I presume?" Vivienne nodded. "So what happened to her?"

"Well she's a wonderful woman," Vivienne began, her face softening as she spoke about her mother. "But she's been through a lot recently. She had a bad injury a few months ago and has been stuck in the hospital ever since. We talk a lot, and she's been my rock for my entire life." Hazel listened attentively.

"Sounds like she means a lot to you. I hope she gets better soon." Vivienne smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you. I hope so too."

Hazel looked at Vivienne with a warm smile, before suddenly her expression suddenly changed to one of alarm, and she muttered, "Oh flip! Pun not intended by the way." She turned back to the pancakes, quickly flipping them onto a plate and handing it to Vivienne. As Vivienne examined the plate, she noticed that one of the five pancakes looked slightly charred. Hazel quickly apologised.

"See, we were talking, and I forgot to flip that one. Sorry about that." Vivienne nodded.

"It's okay. I like them a little crispy." Hazel chuckled at that, before becoming serious again.

"What drink would you like with this? We've got plenty to choose from. Frank seems to change his favourite drink every other week. We have orange juice, mango juice, come to think of it we have every juice, as well as coffee, black coffee, latte, tea, pink tea-"

"That's a thing?" she frowned.

"Oh yes," Hazel replied earnestly. "And it's amazing by the way. We also have some sodas, latte, frappuccinos, cappuccinos-"

"Umm just get me anything, surprise me."

"Oooh, if you insist," she giggled before getting to work and swiftly whipped up a steaming hot chocolate for Vivienne.

When she brought it over, Hazel noticed that Vivienne was already halfway through the pancakes.

"Talk about being a fast eater," she smirked. "It's fine, Frank, Percy and Jason are all just like you." Vivienne nodded.

"Hazel," she began quietly. The goddess nodded.

"What's up?" she asked. Finishing off her pancakes, Vivienne put her plate to the side before leaning in.

"What can you tell me about Percy Jackson?"

Hazel frown deepened, and she released a conflicted sigh.

"Vivienne, I really can't talk about that," she began hesitantly. "Percy is a very sensitive topic amongst us immortals, and if Thalia hasn't told you already, then there must be a reason-"

"There's no reason," Vivienne explained, before taking a deep breath. "Hazel, you don't understand how isolated and segregated I feel, not knowing this secret. I just want to know more about the guy I'm trying to find. It's only fair." Hazel sighed again, clearly torn. After a brief internal struggle, she reluctantly relented.

"Okay, you get one question. Just one. And then we're never talking about him until either he comes back or Thalia gives the go ahead."

Vivienne breathed a sigh of relief, slightly shocked that Hazel agreed to it, before thinking for a moment. There were so many things she wanted to know about Percy Jackson: his domains, his love life, why he had been with Artemis, if he had any children with her, and so much more. Finally, she hesitated and said, "I want to know why he left."

Vivienne could practically see her groan, as if this was the very question she had been dreading. Hazel's eyes darted uneasily to the door before she leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a barely audible whisper.

"Percy was... he was kind, caring, generous, loyal, and selfless. But he was also unstable, and it wasn't his fault. His life as a demigod was never easy, and the Fates certainly didn't help."

Vivienne leaned in, her curiosity evident. "What happened to him?"

Hazel hesitated before continuing, "One day, he had slept over with Artemis. It wasn't a weird thing because it had happened many times before. It didn't mean anything other than when they came out of the tent together, the Hunt would tease them, and Artemis would have to promise fifty times that they hadn't done anything." She paused, glancing toward the door with a hint of unease. "The day he left… It was honestly a normal day. Percy and Artemis woke up, had breakfast with the Hunt, and then split up for hunting. Percy stayed back for a while, probably to muck about with Thalia, Phoebe, and a third hunter who, sadly, passed away a while ago. It was your very typical day, until…"

"Until…" Vivienne urged her to continue, but Hazel shook her head, her gaze fixed on the door.

As if she'd predicted it, Thalia barged through the door with her rucksack.

"Enough's enough," she declared. "We have to leave right now!"

"What!? Why!?" Thalia just shook her head.

"Percy's not getting closer and I don't care about the last five hundred years. I wanna find him now." Vivienne grumbled in frustration, annoyed that she couldn't hear the rest of the story. Hazel offered her an apologetic smile, though she seemed more relieved than sorry. With a sigh, Vivienne got up, grabbing her rucksack from Thalia before heading to the door. She'd been so close to finding out the truth, and Thalia just had to choose that moment to barge in like that and force her to get a move on.

Frank was waiting outside, leaning back against the door. He grinned when he saw her.

"Ah, Vivienne! I was beginning to think you were still asleep. Did you get a good rest?" Vivienne simply nodded, her mood still a bit glum from the earlier interruption. Just then, Thalia and Hazel also come outside, the latter cosily leaning against her husband.

"So what's the plan now?" Hazel asked, ignoring Frank's playful attempts to nibble on her collarbone.

"Atalanta has figured out a route," Thalia explained but we'll need to take some detours to throw off any monsters on our tail. Plus we can't risk the cameras picking up our licence plate, especially seeing as this car isn't fit to drive, and definitely isn't insured." Hazel nodded understandingly.

"Makes sense. I'd offer to let you borrow Frank's car, but, well, most of them are in repair after the dragon incident."

"And they're not driving my Pagani," he muttered under his breath. Hazel rolled her eyes and mouthed an apologetic 'sorry' before hugging Thalia goodbye. She then turned to Vivienne giving her a quick, friendly hug.

"Here, take this," Hazel said, shoving a carrier bag into the demigod's hands. "It's not much, but it should have a bit of everything, and hopefully it'll come in handy." She then leaned in closer to her. "And don't tell Phoebe but there's a boatload of sweets and chocolates at the bottom. Do what you want with that information." Hazel winked and Vivienne profoundly thanked her, before waving her goodbye and following Thalia to the car.

Thalia quickly settled into her car and Vivienne followed, jumping into the car's front passenger seat. Next to her was Reyna who looked positively miserable.

"Why do you look so down?" she asked Reyna. Reyna sighed.

"Why do you think so?" she muttered. "Just when I have one of the most phenomenal breakfasts I've had in a while, I find out I have to drive a manual car again. It's a pain!" Thalia rolled her eyes at Reyna's complaints.

"Enough whining, Reyna. Start the car! We got places to be, people to find, cars to drive!" Grumbling, Reyna followed her orders and revved up the engine. Reversing carefully, she pulled out of the massive driveway and Vivienne found herself saying goodbye to Frank and Hazel's mansion.

"So where are we going?" Vivienne asked, strapping herself into the seat.

"Yeah, where's our destination?" Reyna chimed in. Atalanta, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke up, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Well this is my first destination of the journey-"
"-And last," Phoebe muttered. Atalanta playfully punched her in the arm.

"So I got to thinking," the huntress continued, "and I figured it wouldn't be a proper quest if we didn't make a visit to my one favourite city." Reyna rolled her eyes again.

"Okay, and which city is that?" Atalanta leaned back and stretched her arm, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Atlanta. The city that is, not me."

Wow. Okay firstly, sorry for being AWOL for a month, but the motivation to write just hasn't been coming to me, and then exams were literally spawning out of nowhere, I kid you not. Anyway, I'm hoping I can get back to my update schedule now, so that's that.

Overall, how was the chapter? I kinda felt like we needed to talk about Percy and Artemis's first proper interaction after the Gigantomachy, so I did that. Also, slowly but surely we're learning more about Percy's disappearance, and I've yet to see someone correctly guess why he left, though some people have gotten close.

Other than that, hope you enjoyed this, and please do leave a review if you did, or else please do leave some helpful criticism. See you next week hopefully!