Percy POV
Talk about a plot twist if my life ever was a story… Six years. That was the last time I saw Annabeth Chase, the same day she left me to rot in that cave. To be honest, I never gave it much thought about what had happened to her. I'd always thought nature had taken its course and given her what she deserves. Never, ever, did I think that Annabeth would be Gone, the exact same person we'd been struggling to kill.
Well, I guess they've both tried to kill me, so plus one point for similarities?
Artemis' eyes widened, her hand going to her mouth in astonishment.
"By the gods, it's really her," she said, her voice filled with both relief and concern. Calypso's expression softened, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Percy, it's your Annabeth," she said, her voice catching with emotion.
"Not mine," I growled. "Never making that mistake again." Athena, too, looked taken aback, her typically composed demeanour faltering for a moment.
"I never thought I'd see her again," she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness. "It embarrases me to know what my daughter was, what my daughter could've been, and what my daughter became…" And then there was Zeus, his brow furrowed in thought.
"This complicates matters," he said, his voice carefully measured, and Percy resisted the urge to face palm.
All attention was on Annabeth as she slowly got up, looking dazed and confused.
"Wh-Where am I?" she asked, her voice trembling. When her eyes fell upon the gods and me, realisation suddenly dawned on her face.
"Percy…" she started, but before she could say more, Calypso pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. The two rolled on the floor, until Calypso straddled her, a knife pointed at Annabeth's throat.
"Don't you dare move a muscle," Calypso said, her voice fierce and protective. "He may not be my love, but don't think he never told me the things you did. You're a monster, and you deserve to be treated like one as well!"
The battlefield seemed to hold its breath as Annabeth and Calypso faced off. The tension in the air was palpable, and I could feel the weight of the impossible situation we found ourselves in. Annabeth, the woman I had loved and trusted with all my heart, had turned against us, and now Calypso, the woman who had previously found a place in my heart (though Percy still saw her as a kind, compassionate, and loyal friend), was ready to protect me at any cost. Annabeth's eyes were wide with fear and regret as she looked up at Calypso, who had pinned her to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, her voice shaking. "I never wanted any of this to happen." Her apology rang hollow in my ears. I had seen the darkness in her heart, the hatred and anger that had driven her to betray me and everyone I cared about. But despite the hurt and betrayal, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the woman I had once loved so deeply. Calypso's grip on the knife tightened, her eyes flickering with a mix of anger and uncertainty.
"You tried to kill him," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "You don't deserve forgiveness." I looked at Calypso, my heart torn between the past and the present.
"I know what she did was unforgivable," I said, my voice steady. "But right now, we need to focus on figuring out what the full story is. I tell you, finding out Dart Vadar was Luke's father is less surprising than this turn of event…" Calypso hesitated, torn between her desire to protect me and her anger at Annabeth's actions.
"I can't just let her go," she said, her voice tinged with hurt.
"You don't have to," I replied. "But I need you to stand down. If Annabeth tries anything, I promise I can handle it."
Reluctantly, Calypso released her hold on Annabeth, stepping back but still keeping a watchful eye on her. I helped Annabeth to her feet, but she didn't resist. She seemed defeated, her shoulders slumped, and I could see the turmoil in her eyes.
"Explain yourself, Annabeth," I said, my voice cold and distant, trying to keep myself away from the hurt she had caused. As Annabeth began to speak, her voice was barely above a whisper, laden with guilt and regret.
"When I was dating Percy," she started, her gaze fixed on the ground, "at night, the darkness would speak to me. It filled my head with doubts, telling me that I deserved better, that I could have a life without him. I started having dreams of a different future, one where I wasn't tied down to him." She took a deep breath, and the words seemed to flow more easily. "Voices in my head commanded me to leave him, to break free from the constraints of our relationship. I felt like I was losing control, but I convinced myself that it was what I wanted, what I needed. So, I ended things with Percy, thinking it was for the best." Zeus, always impatient and quick to anger, interrupted her.
"Speak up, girl!" he boomed, causing Annabeth to flinch. She took a moment to gather herself before continuing, her voice a bit louder now.
"I didn't understand what was happening to me," Annabeth said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I thought I was making a choice, but looking back, I can see how manipulated I was. I didn't realise that something was influencing me, pushing me away from Percy." Her eyes welled with tears, but she held them back, determined to continue.
"I made a terrible mistake," she said, her voice catching. "I-I cheated on him with someone else, thinking I was doing what was best for me. But it was all a lie, a trick." She wiped her eyes, but surprisingly, I felt no sorrow, no remorse for her anymore. Only the painful memories of the past that still haunted his dreams. "When I finally realised what I had done, I ended things with the other guy," Annabeth continued. "The darkness, it-it had controlled me, it had forced me to hurt Percy."
"Oh, but you liked it," Apollo suddenly interrupted, his voice dark and sinister. "It may have been the darkness, but you loved every second of it. You were always too prideful, always thinking you were the best, that you deserve the best, that Percy somehow wasn't the best. You felt entitled to dating multiple people at once, and you loved the thrill of it." She hung her head low, neither accepting or denying the accusations, though that said it all.
"I ran away," Annabeth admitted, "knowing that everyone would be hunting for me. I spent a long time on the run, trying to figure out what was happening to me and how I could fix it." She paused, her hands trembling.
"One night, I was by a lake in the darkness, feeling lost and scared, and that's when I met her - a beautiful woman dressed in pitch-black. She approached me and spoke to me with a soothing voice, comforting me in my confusion." I frowned. Was Gone just a smaller plot in the middle of a bigger plan?
"At first, I was hesitant," Annabeth said. "But the woman claimed she was a demigod too, a child of Nyx. She showed me powers, proving her divine lineage. She told me she could help me, that she understood what I was going through. I followed her. At the time, it felt like a good idea, and I thought she could help me find a way to fix what had happened, but as we walked deeper into the shadows, she suddenly attacked me. I didn't even see it coming; the next thing I knew, everything went black." Her voice trembled with the weight of her experiences. Artemis looked like she wanted to say something, but I raised a hand, determined to hear the full story.
"When I woke up, I was in the middle of a dark palace," she said. "I could tell it was my body, but someone else seemed to be in control, commanding me to do things I didn't want to do. I suspected that the demigod had done something to me, some sort of mind control or manipulation. Then, that same demigod came into the room, and that's when she revealed her true identity - she was Nyx, the primordial goddess of the night." Annabeth's eyes were haunted by the memory.
"Your leader is Nyx?" I asked, confused. Annabeth nodded her head.
"Yeah, why?"
"In my dream, I saw you talking to another man, not a woman." The daughter of Athena gave an honest shrug.
"It might've been one of Nyx's other forms, she'd sometimes transform into a man when she got bored. Or, it might've been Erebus. He came to visit me from time to time." I nodded. I guess it all did make sense then.
"She spoke of her plan to take over Olympus," Annabeth continued, "saying that her children, the demigods of the night, had been overlooked for far too long. She wanted to bring them into the spotlight, to make them known and feared by all, but knew it was hard for her to fight outside, especially seeing as Hemera would aid the Olympians, as long wit some of her other children, and that it would turn into a civil war between the family of Nyx. I didn't want to be a part of it, but she forced me to comply, to do her bidding. I became her puppet, her pet, and I was unable to resist her commands. Nyx transformed me into someone called Gone. She twisted my mind and my memories until I believed I was him, that my sole purpose was to destroy Olympus. With each passing day, I felt more and more brainwashed, my thoughts becoming clouded by Nyx's influence. She gave me these orbs as a weapon, filled with dark power, and she sent me on missions to weaken Olympus from within." Now, the puzzle was starting to click in for me.
"But not all of Nyx's children wanted the attention and the chaos," Annabeth said, her voice gaining strength. "Some of them preferred to be overlooked, to live in the shadows. They saw the destruction that Nyx was causing, and they wanted to stop her. They helped the Olympians above. They fought against Nyx and her influence, and together, they managed to break the hold she had over me. I started to remember who I truly was, and the battle between Nyx and the other demigods allowed me to finally regain control of myself."
"I fought against Nyx's control," Annabeth said, determination shining in her eyes. "I didn't want to be Gone anymore. I wanted to be Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, the one who fights for what's right. And now, here I am. I'm so sorry, Percy, for everything I did. I never wanted to hurt you or anyone else. I was just a pawn in Nyx's game, a victim of her manipulation."
For a moment, the revelation hung heavy in the air, sinking into the hearts of those present. The truth of Annabeth's plight and the manipulation she had endured by Nyx were difficult to process, but there was a sense of relief that she was back, that she had fought against the darkness consuming her. However, the sombre silence was abruptly broken as a slow clap echoed through the chamber. All heads turned to see Eris walking down with a sadistic grin, her eyes glittering with mischief.
"Bravo, bravo," she said, her clapping slow and deliberate. "What a touching story, Annabeth." Zeus narrowed his eyes at her, his tone sharp.
"And who are you?" Eris silenced him with a look, before turning back to the daughter of Athena, her grin widening.
"Oh, Annabeth," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Such a tragic tale of manipulation and victimhood. But you and I both know there's more to the story, don't we?" Annabeth's eyes flickered with confusion, and she began to protest, but Eris raised her hand, silencing her.
"Oh, don't bother denying it," she said. "I can see it in your eyes, feel it in your emotions. Deep down, you felt a sense of satisfaction breaking up with Percy, hurting him. You thought he had a perfect life, which, by the way, is incredibly false, and deserved a little suffering." Annabeth's face paled, and she stuttered, "No, that's not true."
Eris smiled, her eyes glinting with a sadistic delight. Then, without warning, she lashed out and slapped Annabeth hard across the face. The impact of the slap resounded through the chamber. Annabeth's head snapped to the side, her cheek turning a furious shade of red where Eris's fingers had connected. The pain was evident in her eyes as she staggered back, her hand instinctively moving to cradle the stinging mark left behind. The force of the blow had been so strong that the skin on Annabeth's cheek appeared to be swollen, and a faint imprint of Eris' fingers could be seen etched in red on her delicate skin. A thin line of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth where her teeth had bitten into her lip from the impact. Her wounds and marks were evident to all, and even Calypso, Artemis, and I winced at the brutality of the slap.
"Never dare lie to me again," Eris said, her voice low and dangerous. "I can see through your façade, Annabeth. People have broken free of Nyx's control before, as long as they had the willpower to do so. Don't forget the part where my mother promised you gold, riches, powers, and fame beyond your imagination, and the idea stirred something inside of you. Deep down, you knew what you were doing, and eventually, you embraced it." Annabeth looked shaken, her eyes filled with shame and regret. She had been exposed, and there was no hiding from the truth any longer.
Eris then turned to me, her grin never wavering.
"Pleasure doing business with you," she said with a hint of mischief. I rolled my eyes at her theatricality but leaned in anyway, giving her a hug. Eris had helped us out, regardless of how sadistic and risky her plan had been, and Percy was truly grateful. Artemis, however, grew visibly annoyed at the hug, her eyes narrowing. Eris noticed and chuckled.
"Don't worry, Artemis," she taunted. "He's all yours. I'm sure you two will have lots to talk about tonight… though I'd recommend that other people aren't too close to you during this time…"
With that final jab, Eris turned on her heels and sauntered back towards the elevator.
"Oh, Percy, my love, please take me now!" Eris moaned, her voice dripping with mischief as she took one last dig at the moon goddess. Artemis blushed deeply, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson that matched the setting sun. Her eyes flashed with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance as she tried and failed to maintain her composure.
"Enough of your games," Zeus barked, his voice filled with authority. "You've had your fun. Leave now." Eris chuckled, her laughter echoing through the chamber. With a final teasing glance at Artemis and a knowing wink at me, she stepped into the elevator, disappearing from sight.
"What do we do now?" Nico asked, gesturing to the still wincing Annabeth. I took a deep breath, thinking carefully before responding.
"We can't let her go free after everything that happened," I said, my voice heavy with sadness. "But killing her won't solve anything either. She was manipulated by Nyx, and I don't want any more blood on my hands." Calypso protested, her eyes filled with anger.
"She tried to kill you, Percy! Many times! She doesn't deserve mercy!"
"I know," I replied softly, "but I've learned that revenge won't bring anyone back, and it won't heal the pain. She was under Nyx's control, yet she was rapped by the idea of more power, recognition, and fame, and that's a burden she'll have to carry for the rest of her life." Hermes stepped forward, looking stern as he picked up Annabeth.
"We'll take care of her," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She'll be locked away where she can't harm anyone else." Zeus nodded, but concern still lingered in his eyes. "But how can we be sure that Nyx won't try to strike again?" I smirked.
"See, you know that girl who just left down the elevator. She and I had a little chat. This victory sends a clear message to Nyx that she couldn't defeat us. Besides, creating those armies took time, and I think we're in the clear for at least the next few centuries."
Everyone slowly left, congratulating me on my win, I felt a mixture of relief and weariness. Poseidon hugged me so hard I thought I'd be stuck with Apollo for a week. Even Zeus gave me a hug, along with Aphrodite (she promised to Artemis she was acting like a friend) and even Ares, saying I 'did good for someone who wasn't a war god.'" As the last echoes of departing footsteps faded away, the air seemed to exhale with relief. The battlefield, once a chaotic battleground, was now quiet and serene. The victory was hard-won, the price steep, but as the dust settled and the sun dipped below the horizon, a sense of accomplishment washed over the group. A mixture of exhaustion and triumph hung in the air. I let out a long, deep breath, the tension that had knotted my shoulders dissipating. My heart, still pounding with the adrenaline of the battle, gradually slowed to a steady rhythm. The burden I had carried for so long, the weight of protecting the world from impending doom, had finally been lifted. The world was safe, at least for now.
Finally, it was just Calypso, Artemis, Nico, Thalia, Charlotte, Sophie, and me left standing there. Charlotte, after giving me a fierce hug, draped her arm around Nico and Sophie, and along with Thalia, they all walked off. I resisted the urge to tease Nico, figuring out I'd do it another day.
As Calypso made her way toward the departing group, she paused before leaving and turned back with a playful glint in her eye. Looking at Artemis and me, she smirked mischievously.
"Give it to her rough," the titaness winked. My cheeks flushed crimson, and I could feel the embarrassment spreading through me like wildfire. Artemis, however, merely raised an amused eyebrow, her gaze unyielding.
With Calypso gone, Artemis and I were left alone, looking each other in the eye. She asked, "What now?"
I smiled, feeling the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. "Now, we talk."
And there it is, the truth! Really hope everyone loved this chapter and the logic! It took a while to think out. Also, are Eris and Calypso not the most epic wingmen/wingwomen? XD. Thanks everyone for the reviews last chapter, I read through every one! Please do keep reviewing, especially since this story is coming to an end soon :( Also, if anyone wants to join my discord, you're more than welcome! The code is in chapter 50, or I can send it again if you'd like!