Chapter 4:
Derealization
Percy felt like he should've been dead.
He felt dead.
However, after lying for what felt like an eternity, he started to notice that he couldn't be dead. He was still breathing, It was just impossibly dark. He couldn't see anything but he wasn't dead or in the Underworld.
After letting out a painful groan, and confirming that he was still alive he tried to move. A weight was pressing down on him.
Percy tried to move it away, still feeling sluggish. It felt as if his skin had been boiled in acid, his muscles strained as his fingers gripped around something jagged and cold.
With a cry that was almost a roar he shoved the object in front of him.
A ray of light slipped through the cracks, allowing him to understand where he was.
Somehow, he had found himself buried underneath a pile of rocks.
Percy managed to free his shoulders. Small pebbles and dust rained down on him. It didn't stop him as he continued to dig his way to freedom. Out of this grave.
More sunlight shone through, parts of an orange colored sky were visible. He heard the clashing of waves near him, it filled him with hope.
By the time his entire body was free to move Percy could no longer feel his fingers.
"W.." he tried to speak but his throat was dry and felt burned. He looked down and saw his orange camp shirt was practically nothing but some ragged sheets.
His hand immediately slid down his pocket. Only when his fingers clenched around Riptide his head began to stop spinning.
Only to stop spinning again as the memories of what just happened caught up with him.
"N-no!"
He stumbled as the vivid images of the attack on camp filled his vision. His stomach churned and he felt like vomiting his insides out.
"No, no no." Percy tried to blink the tears away.
How could it have happened? It couldn't have been real right?
His own father, the entirety of Olympus turning against them.
Impossible.
Annabeth, he recalled her pushing him away. Away from the lightning bolt..
His hands dug into his pocket. He felt the soft fabric of something.
Percy pulled his hand up to see; a yankees cap. Perfectly intact.
"...No." his voice croaked. The thought started to echo in his head. This couldn't be real.
He sat down on the rocks where he had been buried just seconds ago. His eyes fixed on the cap in his hands.
Time passed by like this.
He was just alone with his thoughts, no battles, no angry gods. Just him and one burning question.
"Why?"
Why did the Gods attack camp? Why did Annabeth had to die? Whhy did Annabeth give him the cap instead of saving herself?
He wanted to know. There had to be a reason, right?
He had to find out.
With shaky legs he stood up straight and pocketed the cap.
For the first time he took a good look around.
The sound of waves clashing was all around him, the subtle salt air pricked his nose. Whereas it normally would feel good and caring, it felt uncaring and apathetic this time.
He was standing on a hill, inside a crater.
Around him was the lush green color of a small garden, a ruined house. Surrounding that was a ring of sand, and then an endless ocean that stretched out in all directions, seemingly infinite.
The orange sky bathed the small island in a golden hue.
Memories came back to Percy.
Ogygia
Calypso's island. Or atleast, where she used to live.
He recognized it now, the position of the trees, the broken down house and the garden that had grown wild.
Percy held back tears as he slowly strolled down the hill, following the path that led towards the beach.
How did he get here?
He remembered getting hit by an explosion and briefly soaring through the sky but there was no way he could've landed on this island.
No man could visit this island twice, or atleast. Should.
Leo did it.
Thinking of the small elf made Percy grow worried. What happened to the other demigods that weren't present at camp? Did they survive?
Time moves differently in Ogygia. For all he knew, he could be in the 22th century and all of his friends were long gone.
No, that couldn't be it.
He had to find out what happened to them, to the world.
With newfound determination he stumbled down further the path. He had to find a boat or something, anything to get off the island and find his way back. See if the camp somehow managed to fight off the hoard of monsters.
As the shore came closer and his feet dug into the coarse sand Percy saw something on the beach.
His gut clenched. His eyes fixated on the large obstruction that was stranded before him.
"..."
He tried to speak but the urge to vomit his empty insides took over.
Again, he lost footing and crashed down on the sand.
Percy could make out two names, again he wished he didn't.
In front of him, lying in the sand, stood a broken down metal dragon. Its face was half molten off and parts of its body had been exposed to the salty sea air.
Next to the dragon stood 2 makeshift tombstones, built out of scrap metal and wood.
Two names.
Percy only uttered one question.
"Why?"
No one responded.
A/N Captain MoonShine here, welcome to another chapter. I hope you guys liked it. I have not written anything for quite a long time but I think i can go back to it.
Anyway, tell me your thoughts in the reviews and I cya later.