Chapter 12: Echoes of Love and Regret
The Labyrinth Arc VI
Percy froze as the wall shot up between him and Thalia, slamming into place with a deafening thud. He lunged forward, but the cold stone was already solid and unmoving. "Thalia!" he shouted, pounding his fists against the barrier, hoping, somehow, she'd answer from the other side. Silence swallowed his voice.
A chill ran down his spine as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. He pressed his forehead against the stone, breathing hard as he tried to steady himself. The walls seemed to shift, almost alive, as if they sensed his fear and were reveling in it.
"Think, Percy," he muttered, pulling back and scanning the dark corridor around him. But every inch of this place seemed hostile, with shadows stretching out from nowhere and corners bending into darkness that felt endless. He'd never felt so… isolated. Usually, Thalia was the one keeping him grounded when the tension got thick. Now he was alone, and the silence weighed heavier than any enemy he'd ever faced.
"Alright," he whispered, trying to focus, "just… stay calm." But the words sounded hollow, almost ridiculous. He'd faced monsters, gods, and creatures he didn't even have names for, but somehow, this was different. The Labyrinth felt like it was swallowing him, pressing down with a darkness that seemed to crawl under his skin, sinking deeper with every second.
He remembered what Thalia had said, that staying still was one of the worse things he could do, so he moved forward, taking one last look at the stone wall that had separated him from his anchor.
As he rounded the first bend, a flicker of blond hair caught his eye, vanishing around the corner ahead. Percy's breath caught, a chill creeping down his spine. "Annabeth, please," he called, his voice urgent. "If it's really you… just wait." He pushed forward, heart pounding, the shadows in the twisting passages stretching and shifting like they were closing in. He'd seen her so many times now—always just out of reach—and the flickers of her form felt hauntingly real, yet impossibly distant. His footsteps echoed louder with every step, as if the Labyrinth itself were holding its breath, watching him chase her.
She didn't turn back, only slipped around another corner, her figure ghostly and elusive. He followed, every step feeling heavier as the maze seemed to narrow around him, closing in.
As he moved, she became more visible, her silhouette clearer with each turn, her features starting to come into focus—but her expression stayed distant, unreadable. She was always just ahead, a flicker of gray eyes or the curve of her face, tauntingly close but just beyond reach. Percy's heart pounded, his pulse thundering in his ears as he tried to close the distance.
"Annabeth!" His voice sounded hollow, as if the maze itself were swallowing it. She paused briefly, her head turning ever so slightly, a ghost of a smile on her lips, then faded back into the dark, drawing him further in. He followed, feeling the cold creep over him, the air thick and stale. Shadows seemed to reach for him, stretching out like fingers across the walls, and the flickering light from the torches on the walls made her figure seem almost translucent, a trick of the light that played with his mind.
The twisting passages opened into a vast, shadowed chamber, and Percy stopped dead, his breath catching. The space was familiar, hauntingly so. Ancient marble columns rose around him, cracked and covered in climbing ivy, their once-grand forms now crumbling. A chill ran down his spine as he looked around, recognizing the eerie likeness of the throne room where Annabeth had made her choice. Only now it was twisted, broken, like a ruin pulled from his memory and left to decay.
And there, in the dim glow, Annabeth stood by the thrones, her back to him, as if waiting. A faint silver glow radiated around her.
Percy felt a tightness in his chest, a mixture of fear and hope tangling together as he stepped forward, his voice barely a whisper. "Annabeth?"
Percy's eyes swept over the room, taking in the broken thrones, the ancient pillars crumbling under vines that twisted up from the floor like memories reclaimed by nature. He took a shaky breath. "Why here, Annabeth? Why lead me… to this place?"
Annabeth gracefully turned around. She tilted her head, an almost knowing look in her eyes. "The real question is, Percy… why did you follow?" Her gaze seemed to pierce him, calm but probing, as though she were uncovering something he hadn't dared to admit.
Percy's gaze fell to the cracked floor as he took a shaky breath, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I thought… I thought we had something, Annabeth. Something real." He paused, struggling to find the right words. "When you chose the Hunt, it felt like you just… left. Like you left me."
Annabeth watched him with that same knowing, unyielding gaze, her expression softened but unreadable. She said nothing, letting the silence stretch until he was forced to fill it.
"I was just… starting to understand what you meant to me," Percy admitted, his heart heavy with the weight of all the things he'd never had the chance to say. "And then you were gone. You didn't even… let me say goodbye." He looked up at her, frustration and lingering hurt in his eyes. "Didn't it mean anything to you?"
Annabeth's gaze softened as the silence stretched between them. She seemed to weigh his words, the flicker of something wistful in her expression, as if she, too, felt the weight of all that had gone unsaid. "Maybe there was something there, Percy." she said finally, her voice low, almost hesitant.
She paused, her eyes drifting to the crumbling thrones behind them, her expression shadowed with a kind of regret. "But sometimes… fate calls, and we don't have the luxury of ignoring it. It's like being caught in a current, and you have to let it pull you where it wants to take you." Her gaze met his, steady but distant, as though already miles away. "You know what that's like."
Percy's throat tightened, a mix of understanding and lingering ache. "So… you didn't have a choice?"
Annabeth's lips curved into a faint, sad smile. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. But I knew that I had to follow it. The Hunt was my answer, Percy. It wasn't about leaving you or anyone else. It was… finding a part of myself I couldn't see before."
Percy's voice softened, a tremor he couldn't quite suppress breaking through. "I just… I just miss you, Annabeth." The admission felt raw, almost painful, and he lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. "I miss… everything we were, everything we could've been."
Annabeth's expression softened, the unyielding edge melting as she looked at him, her voice filled with a quiet sadness. "I miss you too, Percy. More than you know." She reached out, as if to touch his shoulder, but her hand hovered, the gesture left incomplete. "But maybe it's not about holding on to what was or could have been. Maybe it's about seeing what's here. Right now."
Percy frowned, not fully understanding. "What do you mean?"
Annabeth tilted her head, a faint, knowing smile crossing her lips. "You're not alone in this, Percy. Thalia's still here. She's been right beside you, through everything." Her voice softened, a note of insistence underscoring her words. "She's been fighting by your side, facing the same dangers. She's chosen to stay with you."
Percy's breath caught, something in her words striking a deeper chord than he'd expected. Memories of Thalia's fierce loyalty, her unwavering strength, and the silent support she'd offered him in the darkest moments of the Labyrinth surfaced, one after another. He realized how much he'd leaned on her presence—how much he'd begun to rely on her.
Annabeth's gaze remained steady, almost as if she were reading his thoughts. "Maybe… maybe Thalia is the one you should be looking to now," she continued gently. "Not the memory of what could have been, but the reality of who's here now, standing by you when it matters."
Percy's heart thudded in his chest as the weight of Annabeth's words settled like a stone. He had been holding onto shadows of the past, waiting for a moment that would never come, all while Thalia had been beside him, strong and real. He looked back at Annabeth, her expression filled with understanding, and nodded, finally feeling the truth of what she was telling him.
"Annabeth… are you really here?" His voice was quiet, almost as if he were afraid to break whatever spell was holding her there.
She met his gaze, a faint smile flickering across her face, but there was a sadness in her eyes that only deepened the mystery. "Does it matter, Percy?" she asked softly. "Whether I'm here or not—what you feel, what you need to see, it's all real. The choices you make because of it… that's what matters." Her voice was steady, each word imbued with both compassion and a hint of urgency. "You don't have to keep looking back to find what you need."
Percy took a deep breath, his voice filled with quiet sincerity. "Thank you, Annabeth. For… everything. For talking to me, for making me face this. I think I needed it more than I realized. I… I'm really going to miss you."
Annabeth's expression softened, a playful glint sparking in her eyes. "I'm not dead, Seaweed Brain," she said, her voice softening, as a subtle smirk appeared on her face. "But this is goodbye… for now." Her smile held both warmth and understanding. "We'll see each other again. Just… maybe sooner than you'd expect." With that, she turned towards where Artemis's throne was at and began walking away.
Percy watched her form fade, her words lingering in the air with a warmth that softened the ache in his chest. The last time he'd stood here, he'd been left reeling, filled with confusion and sadness as he watched Annabeth choose a path that took her away from him. The throne room had felt hollow and cold, like it was bearing witness to something lost before it had even begun.
But now, as the shadows swallowed the last trace of her figure, he felt something different—a quiet acceptance, a release. The room no longer felt like a place of endings; it was just a memory, one he could finally carry with him without the weight of what-ifs.
Percy took a deep breath as he stepped out of the throne room, the silence of the Labyrinth pressing in around him once more. He felt lighter, as though a burden he'd carried for too long had finally lifted. His heart, once tangled with unresolved feelings, now felt clear. And though there was a bittersweet ache, he understood that he'd finally made peace with Annabeth's choice. The memory was still there, but it no longer held him back.
Yet, as he delved back into the twisting corridors, the atmosphere shifted again. The Labyrinth's walls seemed to close in, shadows flickering in the dim light, and an eerie silence settled over everything. Despite the clarity he felt inside, the maze still felt as unpredictable and alive as ever, as if testing his resolve to move forward alone.
He paused, looking down the dark path ahead, a flicker of doubt creeping into his thoughts. Just as he was about to push forward, Percy caught sight of a faint, ghostly glow shimmering in the shadows. Recognizing the spectral figure, he called out, his voice echoing through the eerie silence. "Theseus! I need your help!"
The apparition drew closer, taking shape as Theseus's form materialized from the haze. His expression was calm, but his eyes held a familiar intensity as he regarded Percy. "You've returned, young hero," Theseus said, his voice carrying a strange blend of approval and urgency. "I can see that you have faced what the Labyrinth brought you here to confront."
Percy swallowed, sensing that Theseus's words held a deeper significance. "I… I think I have. But I still need to find Thalia. She's alone somewhere in this maze. Do you know where she is?"
Theseus nodded solemnly, the faint glow around him flickering like a dimming torch. "Thalia faces her own trial—a trial as fierce as any within this maze. But the path to her is still open to you…"
Percy's heart pounded as he took in Theseus's words. "Is she… is she in danger?"
Theseus's gaze darkened, his voice edged with a quiet urgency. "The Labyrinth preys on uncertainty, Percy. It feeds on the doubts buried deep in the heart. Thalia stands at a crossroads—one that could lead her from the path she was meant to follow. If she loses sight of who she is, of where her loyalty lies… then the way forward may close to her forever."
A chill ran down Percy's spine as Theseus's words settled over him. He looked into the darkness ahead, a renewed determination hardening his resolve. "Then show me the way."
Theseus turned and gestured for him to follow. "Come. Your presence is the thread that may yet bind her to her path."
As Theseus began walking, Percy hesitated, glancing at him, a question gnawing at him. "These visions we keep seeing… are they real?" He swallowed, thinking of the way Thalia had spoken to Luke, as if he'd truly been standing there.
Theseus stopped and turned back to Percy, regarding hm with a knowing, almost solemn expression. "They're only as real as you allow them to be," he said, his voice low and steady. "The Labyrinth doesn't create something from nothing—it takes what's already within you. Your fears, doubts, memories. It twists them, draws them out, and weaves them into illusions. But they're still just shadows, born of your own mind."
Percy nodded, the weight of Theseus's words settling heavily over him. The maze twisted their fears and doubts into something almost real. He thought of Thalia facing those illusions alone, her deepest regrets turned against her. His worry sharpened—he had to reach her before the maze pushed her past her breaking point.
Theseus began walking and Percy fell in line behind Theseus, following the ghostly figure through the twisting paths of the Labyrinth. The air felt charged with urgency, each turn heightening his sense of determination.
As they went deeper, Percy found his focus narrowing. Images of Thalia filled his mind—her fierce gaze, her quick smile, the way her presence had become his anchor in the maze.
After a while, Theseus slowed, gesturing silently toward a branching path. But Percy barely looked at him, his gaze fixed on an offshoot to the left that seemed to pull at something deep inside him. He hesitated, feeling a certainty settle in his chest like a compass aligning north.
Percy glanced back at Theseus, who offered a faint, knowing nod before stepping back, fading slightly into the shadows. "Go," Theseus murmured, his voice low. "Trust your heart now. It will guide you where you need to be."
Percy turned down the left path, moving with a new, almost unshakable certainty. Every fork he approached seemed obvious, as if he were drawn forward by an invisible thread connecting him to Thalia. The sense of urgency mixed with something deeper, something that felt almost like a promise. He needed to find her, not just because of the dangers that loomed but because of the connection they shared—the one that had grown stronger with each trial they'd faced together.
At the final turn, Percy broke into a run. He could sense her presence just beyond, close enough to touch, and the realization sparked something fierce and uncontainable in his chest. It wasn't just the fear of losing her—it was the thought of a life without her beside him.
The tunnel opened up, and Percy froze, his breath catching as he spotted Thalia near the edge of the cliff. Her shoulders were slumped, her figure outlined in the dim light, but it was her gaze that unsettled him—fixed on a spot just ahead, where the shadows seemed to gather thicker, as though hiding something… or someone. For a split second, Percy thought he saw the outline of another figure, but he couldn't make out any details.
"Luke…" Thalia's voice broke through the stillness, raw and cracked with despair. "Maybe you were right. Maybe all of this—everything I've been fighting for—isn't worth it." Her hand trembled as she reached forward, and Percy's stomach twisted with dread. Whether Luke was truly there or not, Thalia believed he was, and she was spilling her soul to him, her defenses shattered.
She took a shaky breath, her voice growing faint, nearly swallowed by the darkness. "I've tried so hard, Luke. I thought I knew who I was, what I stood for. But maybe… maybe I was wrong. Maybe I'm just… tired." Her hand drifted closer to the shadowed figure, her fingers hovering just inches from where she thought his hand waited.
Percy's heart pounded as he raced forward, fear lancing through him as he watched Thalia lean toward the figure. "Thalia!" he called out, but she didn't seem to hear him. Her focus was solely on the shadow, her face filled with a sorrow so deep it seemed to drain the strength from her.
He saw her hand tremble, her fingers reaching for the darkness. Just as she moved to grasp the shadow's extended hand, Percy lunged forward, sprinting to get to Thalia before it was too late.
For an instant, she thought she heard someone call her name, the voice distant but familiar. Her gaze flickered, but the sound barely registered, swept aside by the pull of Luke's presence and the weight of her own exhaustion. His outstretched hand was all she could see, grounding her in the choice before her.
Her fingers hovered mere inches from his, her breath unsteady, each word feeling like a release and a surrender all at once. The cliff loomed behind her, an abyss that seemed to pull her toward its edge, and Luke's hand was the only anchor in a world that felt like it was crumbling around her.
His voice, low and unyielding, cut through her resolve. "I knew you'd come back to me, Thalia. This is your last chance. Take my hand. There's no turning back. Together, we'll make it all mean something."
The warmth of his hand was almost tangible, so close she could feel it, grounding her, pulling her forward. Her fingers reached out, inches from his, feeling like she was falling, slipping into a choice she couldn't unmake. But as her hand extended fully, ready to grasp his, she felt a sudden, solid warmth—another hand closing firmly around hers, steadying her.
Startled, she looked up, and Luke's image flickered, breaking apart like smoke. Percy's face came into view, his grip strong, his eyes filled with determination and worry. The edges of her vision cleared, and she blinked, the weight of reality settling over her like a shock of cold air.
Thalia's hand dropped, and in that instant, the dam broke. She crumpled to the ground, her entire frame shaking as the tears spilled over, fast and relentless. She covered her face, but it did nothing to muffle the raw, gut-wrenching sobs that tore through her.
When she felt Percy's kneel down and put his arms around her, she froze, her breath catching. For a brief, disoriented moment, she couldn't believe he was actually there. Her voice was barely a whisper, thick with tears and disbelief. "Percy… is it really you? You're not just… an illusion?"
Percy's grip tightened around her, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm here, Thalia. It's me. And I'm not going anywhere."
Her last shred of resistance shattered, and she collapsed into his shoulder, the sobs coming faster and harder. "I… I almost… I was actually going to… to join him," she choked out, each word thick with disbelief and self-loathing. Her shoulders shook as she buried her face against him, the tears coming freely now. "I didn't even… I almost believed him, Percy. It's like I wanted to give in—to just let it all go. I'm so tired, and I thought…"
Percy held her tightly, letting her collapse fully into him as the sobs wracked her. "Thalia, listen," he whispered, his voice steady, unwavering. "It wasn't real. The maze… it's ruthless. It drags out what we fear the most, makes us believe it, but that doesn't make it true."
Thalia's fingers twisted into his shirt, holding on as if he were the only solid thing left. Her words tumbled out, "But he's gone, Percy... I killed him. I didn't even give try to save him. I just… gave up on him. And I'm… I'm just so lost." Her grip on him tightening as she buried her face against him as years of anger and pain spilled out with every tear.
Percy held her without a word, letting her pour out every last bit of the pain, of the exhaustion that had built up in her for so long, steadying her as the tears came in waves. And he stayed right there, anchoring her, until her breathing began to slow and the storm inside her finally eased.
As her breathing steadied, Thalia leaned against Percy, her head bowed, and let the silence settle between them. She felt raw, stripped bare, but somehow lighter, like she'd finally let go of a weight she hadn't known she'd been carrying.
She pulled back slightly, looking at him with a mix of gratitude and vulnerability she rarely showed. "I… I don't know what to think anymore."
Percy held her gaze, his own steady and unflinching. "What happened to Luke…" he said quietly. "None of that is your fault. He made his decision. He knew what he was doing. You're not wrong to feel regret, but you need to remember that you were protecting yourself and those who were in danger." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And with your doubts about where you're at with the gods… You're allowed to feel it all—anger, doubt, even wanting to give in sometimes. But you didn't, Thalia. In the end, you didn't."
Thalia's gaze dropped to the ground, her fingers twisting together as she tried to find the words. She took a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "Percy… if you hadn't shown up when you did, I don't know if I would've been able to pull myself back. I was so close—too close—to making the wrong choice." She lifted her eyes to his, and for a moment, all the guarded walls she normally kept up fell away.
Percy managed a small, slightly teasing smile, though his eyes were soft. "I'm glad I found you," he said, as he wiped a dry tear from her cheek.
But he paused, unsure how to explain. He took a breath, his voice softening. "I didn't find you by accident. It was more than that." He glanced away for a second, collecting himself, before his gaze found hers again. "The maze, it kept twisting and turning, but somehow, I just… knew where to go. It's like I could feel you—pulling me forward."
Her eyes widened, and she searched his face, her expression shifting from disbelief to a warmth that seemed to melt the sadness and fear that had clouded her before. "You felt me… through the maze?"
Percy took a breath, gathering his thoughts, his gaze fixed on Thalia. "When we got separated… I saw Annabeth. Or something like her, I guess." He ran a hand through his hair. "At first, I thought it was her, leading me out, pulling me along. She brought me to this old, crumbling throne room—it was empty and… kind of sad. And we talked, or at least, I thought we did."
He paused, his voice softening. "And as we talked, I realized… Annabeth had already made her choice. She'd gone a different way, chosen a path that didn't include me. And maybe I kept holding onto the idea of her because… I didn't know what else to hold onto. It felt safe."
Thalia listened quietly, her eyes locked onto his, a mix of understanding and something deeper in her gaze.
"But standing there, I knew I couldn't keep looking back. She was gone, and I didn't need to follow her. And that's when I knew—I don't want to focus on who's not here. I want to focus on who is. You, Thalia. You're here, by my side, in this mess, and that's real."
Percy took a breath, as his arm was still wrapped around her, recalling the last stretch through the maze. "After that… after realizing what I'd been holding onto… it was like everything shifted." He glanced up at her, a hint of wonder in his eyes. "Theseus helped me, guided me through the maze for a while. But when we got close… I don't know, it was like I didn't need his guidance anymore. I just knew where to go. That connection pulled me through the last part, led me right to you."
Percy and Thalia's gazes locked, the unspoken words between them hanging in the air. Slowly, almost unconsciously, they both leaned in, their foreheads coming to rest gently against each other. The contact was simple but intense, a shared breath that seemed to bind them closer.
"Percy…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, laced with a tremor of emotion. She closed her eyes, as if gathering herself. "I don't… I don't know how I'd have gotten through this without you."
Percy's eyes softened as he held her gaze, his voice quiet but steady. "You don't have to know, Thalia. Because I'm here now."
Thalia opened her eyes, searching his face with a quiet intensity. "Just promise me," she whispered,. "No matter what gets thrown at us—don't let go."
Percy looked back at her, his expression softening as he took in his words. His voice was barely above a whisper, but steady. "Never."
Apologies for the delay in getting this out! Life got a little chaotic, but I'm happy to finally share this chapter with you all. Anyone else excited that Percy and Thalia's relationship is started to grow exponentially? I have next chapter all outlined and it's going to be the climax of the Labyrinth arc. And it's going to get insanely crazy. I'll see you then!
As always, thank you so much for reading and sticking with this story. Your comments, theories, and encouragement mean everything to me. Thanks for being the best readers ever!
Review Responses:
blendbeast: I really appreciate it! Luke is definitely something else. I wonder how the chapter would have turned out if he was actually there? Maybe they will confront each other in real life soon...
KaidoFett: Fortunately he stayed safe this chapter! Though I can't promise it will always be like that in this fic...
anaklusodude16: Your review made me laugh! You are definitely not wrong haha, Annabeth did a ton of talking. You're really in tune with this story :D
SD2901: That's a pretty unique idea with the Labyrinth messing with both Thalia and Luke! Thanks for that fresh perspective, it has me thinking about their dynamics even more.
merendinoemiliano: That is such a nice compliment and it means the world to me! I hope this chapter did a good job of exploring their emotions even more. Your continued support means the world to me!
Guest: Thank you so much for reading!
Gingersnap117: Wow I really appreciate all the reviews and you're interest in my story! I love hearing your thoughts on it!