10 years later

"Percy Jackson, Ms. Dare is ready to see you."

Percy turned to the receptionist and nodded his thanks, before wheeling himself down the hallway to Rachel's office. The path was familiar by now, having been seeing her as his therapist the past five years. He had run into Rachel at a bar (or rather she had run into him) after she caught him with multiple shot glasses, extremely inebriated. To be fair to him, it was the only way he could get the nightmares to stop. Luckily, Rachel, who had become a therapist while pursuing art during her free time, took Percy under her wing seeing he had nobody else to return to.

"Come in, Percy!" Rachel's voice called out from inside.

He pushed the door open and wheeled himself into the room. Rachel smiled warmly at him from behind her desk before standing up and helping Percy to his usual seating arrangement. The walls, which were painted by Rachel herself, were covered with soft, soothing tones of sage green and beige, creating an atmosphere of warmth.

"It's really great to see you! How have you been feeling since our last session?" Rachel asked, once seated at the seat adjacent to his.

Percy grimaced. "To be honest, it hasn't been going great; I don't think the medication you gave me is working anymore."

Rachel's face softened with empathy. She furrowed her brow slightly, a look that Percy had come to recognize as her trying to understand his pain. "Your nightmares reappearing may be due to you revisiting the battles. Have you been doing that?" she asked, her voice gentle and encouraging.

Percy sighed, knowing she was right before rambling. "I.. I've been thinking of how I could've avoided more deaths. I should've forced Annabeth to stay home, to avoid her dying. I shouldn't have used the last pearl on myself, leaving behind the other demigods to fend for themselves. I should've been quicker in the mines, running before the monsters approached before having to be saved by dad. I shouldn't have been so easily distracted all the time, because Aphrodite would never have died then. If I was strong enough to kill Khaos, I could've used the prismatic shard to bring back everyone else. Despite everything I did, it was never enough."

"Percy," Rachel said gently, her voice breaking through his downward spiral. She leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "It's useless thinking of what should've been, because you can't change the past."

"You're suffering from survivor's guilt. It's guaranteed that you'll keep recalling these memories, but you need to know that you saved billions of people from Khaos' wrath, you saved me. You did the best you could, and in the end it was just fate. The deaths were not your fault."

Percy's face crumpled, the weight of his grief finally breaking through his resolve. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "But it feels like I failed them," he choked out. "I keep seeing their faces, hearing their voices. I don't know how to make it stop."

Rachel moved closer, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "It's okay to feel this way," she whispered. "You went through unimaginable trauma, and it's going to take time to heal. But you don't have to do it alone. I'm here for you."

For a few moments, Percy allowed himself to be vulnerable, letting the tears flow as Rachel held him. Gradually, his sobs subsided, and he took a few deep, shaky breaths, trying to regain his composure.

Rachel gently pulled back, reaching into a drawer of her desk. "I have something for you," she said softly. "Something that might help you find some closure."

She handed him an envelope, worn and slightly yellowed with age. Percy's eyes widened as he recognized his father's handwriting on the front. "I found it in my rubbish bin," Rachel explained. "I've been holding onto it until I felt you were ready, and I think you are now."

"I-I can't read it. I don't think I can handle it," Percy stammered, his voice trembling.

Rachel gently placed her hand on his. "You're stronger than you think, Percy. This letter might help you find some peace."

Percy hesitated, his fingers trembling as he held the envelope. The fear of facing his father's words, of reliving the pain, was almost overwhelming. But with Rachel's reassuring presence beside him, he took a deep breath and slowly opened the envelope, unfolding the letter inside.

Percy,

If this letter has made its way to you, it means I've passed on. I'm not sure if you're still mad at me when you're reading this, but if you are, I guess I understand. I was never a good enough father to you.

Nonetheless, I want you to know that I am proud of you. You've faced challenges that would break most people, yet you've always stood tall even when it seemed impossible. Your bravery, your sense of justice have always set you apart from other heroes.

I'm sorry I wasn't there more often. Gods have their responsibilities, but it doesn't excuse the countless times I should have been by your side. Know that every moment I wasn't there, I was watching, and I was proud. You've become a leader, a hero, and a beacon of hope for the many people you've fought alongside.

I know it may be hard moving into the future. As a child of the sea, loyalty has always been our flaw; it binds us, and sometimes it drowns us because we hold on to the past. But loyalty also gives us spirit, hope, it gives us an anchor to hold on when things get tough. Loyalty is what keeps us going.

As you continue your journey, remember that you are never alone. You will continue losing close ones, but the love and memories of those who have stood by you will always be what matters most. And though I may not be there in physical form, my legacy will continue on with you.

Take care of yourself, my son. Live your life fully, love deeply, and never lose sight of who you are. You are Perseus Jackson, the greatest ever hero.

Keep on Walking,
Poseidon

AN:

And that's a wrap! Ten chapters in ten days! Thank you for everyone who has made it this far, I really appreciate the support! Please leave reviews if you want whether you enjoyed it, and what you wish was changed. Appreciate constructive critism.

I'm sorry if the ending isn't all what you expected it to be, but I'm leaving it like that so that maybe you guys can imagine what happens next. Maybe he gets with Rachel? Who knows. I hope so. Percy deserves a good ending after everything that has happened to him, everyone around him dying and then his knee shattered which really sucks. Either way, if you've enjoyed this story consider following my profile because I'm going to get started with the new story right away. It will be Preyna, and this time the romance will play out. here's the synopsis:

Percy Jackson and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano have been best friends since 4th grade. It all started when Percy heard a scream coming an alleyway, and together they had managed to take down the creature. Since then, they've had each other's backs. Once Percy's mom finds out he's already been involved with the mythological world, she brings him and Reyna to Camp Half-Blood, where he and Reyna manage to finish their first quest in retrieving the lightning bolt. However, the gods realise something; Reyna isn't greek. The gods erase the memories of everyone in Camp Half-Blood, including Percy's and Reyna's before sending her to Camp Jupiter. It is only when Percy is sent to Camp Jupiter after the battle of Kronos does he recall Reyna, his strongest connection, but she does not remember him.

So yeah, that should be pretty interesting! If you're not a fan of that, I have an evil Percy AU coming up too although that'll only happen after that story which BTW will be longer.

Lastly, just want to point out some inspirations for this story. Firstly, the title and theme of the story, "Keep on Walking" is based on an artist called Denzel Curry, where I feel like the message is self-explanatory. In fact, a fun little easter egg is that the first letter of each chapter ends up spelling "Keep Walkin". The chapters are mostly titles of songs or albums, and Chapter 4, the first letter of each of the four words spell out PTSD, as that is where his mental issues grow stronger.

But other than that, once again I thank the reader for making it this far. Hope you've enjoyed!