Chapter 22: The Sea Where Hours Drown
Falling Echoes Arc II
The rocky shoreline stretched out before them, jagged and unforgiving, as if the earth itself were warning them to turn back. Waves crashed against the rocks, spraying cold mist into the air. The Princess Andromeda loomed offshore, dark and foreboding, its silhouette stark against the pale gray horizon. The ship didn't sway or drift like a normal vessel—it sat unnaturally still, as if the sea itself feared to touch it.
Percy crossed his arms, trying to ignore the unease twisting in his gut. "That thing looks like it wants to eat us," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"It might," Annabeth replied. Her gray eyes stayed locked on the ship, scanning for any sign of movement.
Thalia stood a few steps ahead, her arms crossed and her jaw tight. The wind whipped her dark hair around her face, but she didn't seem to notice. "We don't have time to debate this," she said,. "Luke is on that ship. If we wait any longer, we might lose whatever chance we have to reach him."
Percy hesitated, glancing between Annabeth and Thalia. "And if it's already too late?"
Thalia's electric-blue eyes narrowed, though her voice remained steady. "It's not," she said simply.
Annabeth adjusted the strap of her bag, her expression carefully neutral. "We need to focus. Let's just get to the ship first. Then we can figure out the rest."
Percy frowned but didn't argue. "How are we supposed to get there?" he asked, gesturing toward the Andromeda. "Swimming's out unless you two can top Olympic swimmers."
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You're the son of Poseidon. Don't you have, I don't know, a magical solution for this?"
Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair and thought for a moment. "Maybe. But it's going to be weird."
Thalia smirked faintly. "Weird is kind of our thing."
Percy rolled his eyes but stepped closer to the water, his shoes sinking slightly into the wet sand. He closed his eyes, focusing on the currents beneath the surface, feeling the pull of the tide. The water responded almost immediately, rippling and surging away him.
"Okay," he said, turning back to face them. "We're walking. Underwater."
Thalia blinked. "We're what now?"
Annabeth groaned. "Please tell me this isn't one of your 'I just thought of it, so let's try it' plans."
Percy grinned, despite the tension. "Trust me. It'll work. Probably."
Thalia rolled her eyes but stepped forward. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Percy raised his hands, and the water surged up, curling around them in a dome of shimmering currents. The ocean floor stretched out ahead, dark and mysterious. Thalia and Annabeth gathered right next to Percy as they began their descent.
"Alright," he said, his voice echoing faintly within the watery bubble. "Let's move."
With hesitant steps, they descended beneath the waves, leaving the shoreline and the safety of the open air behind. The cold water pressed against the dome, and the silence of the deep was broken only by their footsteps on the rocky seabed.
Annabeth kept pace on Percy's left, her steps measured and deliberate. Thalia stayed on Percy's right, close enough that their shoulders brushed.
"Everyone okay?" Percy asked, his voice low but steady.
"Fine," Annabeth said simply, though her voice carried a faint edge, like she was focusing hard to keep calm.
Thalia hesitated, her eyes darting nervously to the shimmering dome. "Yeah," she said.
The three of them walked in uneasy silence. The bubble shimmered faintly around them, its surface rippling under the pressure of the water. Percy kept his focus, reaching out with his powers to feel the currents and the faint pulse of the ship ahead. It was like a beacon, radiating an unnatural energy that made his skin crawl.
A sudden shift in the current jolted the bubble, and Thalia stumbled, her boots skidding on the uneven ground. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed Percy's arm.
"I've got you," Percy said quickly, steadying her.
Thalia's grip lingered before she straightened, her fingers slipping down to his hand. She held it tightly, her knuckles pale against his.
"Just… don't let this thing pop," she muttered.
"I won't," Percy promised.
They pressed on, drawn close as if sharing body heat in a winter storm. Each step over uneven seabed felt heavier than the last, as if time itself fought their progress. No one spoke. Even the slightest word felt like it would shatter what little control they had.
It felt like they'd been walking for a while as the darkness deepened and the faint light above faded to murk. Percy concentrated on keeping the dome intact. But something kept snagging at his senses, twisting the currents so he couldn't be sure of their progress. Occasionally, he glanced at Annabeth and Thalia. Annabeth's jaw was tight, her eyes wary. Thalia gripped Percy's hand firmly.
A flicker of movement caught Annabeth's eye. Shadows darted at the edges of their vision, quick and silent. Percy tried to track one of them, but every time he focused, it vanished, leaving him uncertain if he'd seen anything at all.
Then a low groan rumbled through the depths, drawn out so long it seemed to bend reality, like the moan of something ancient and hungry. Thalia flinched. "What was that?" she asked, her voice too loud in the cramped stillness of the bubble.
"I don't know," Percy admitted, forcing calm he didn't feel.
Annabeth abruptly halted. Her breathing quickened, and for a moment she closed her eyes, recalling what Percy had told them. Kronos's power is all over it. The closer we get, the worse it'll feel. It's like… poison in the water. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around as if seeing the currents for what they truly were. "We're so stupid. It's the water," she said, her voice clipped and urgent. "It's not normal. Kronos—he's poisoning it, warping it with his power."
"Poisoning it how?" Thalia asked, but even as she spoke, the world seemed to tilt. The coral that had been to their left flickered out of existence, replaced by a stretch of bare sand. A rock formation that had been behind them appeared ahead. Thalia's heart thumped painfully. "What… what's happening?"
Annabeth's voice rose, words spilling out fast as she tried to piece it together. "Time. He's twisting time itself. The closer we get to the Andromeda, the more everything distorts. It's why we feel like we're not making any progress. The seabed keeps rearranging, and we're losing track of how long we've been walking."
Percy's grip on Thalia's hand tightened. He had thought it was just nerves, just darkness playing tricks, but now he recognized it: the subtle lag in their movements, the way shadows stretched unnaturally, the sense that hours might have passed or maybe only seconds. "So we're stuck in some kind of time trap?" he asked.
"Not stuck yet," Annabeth said, though her expression was grim. "But if we let it get to us—if we lose focus, we'll never reach the ship. We'll wander in circles, thinking we're going forward but not moving at all."
Percy's arms ached, and a spike of pain shot across his temples. Maintaining the bubble took more effort now, as if the water were thickening, congealing into something heavier. He felt Kronos's presence like an invisible hand pressing down on his shoulders. "I can't… hold this forever," he admitted, voice strained.
Thalia's eyes flashed with fear, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Percy's bubble, of being crushed under a mountain of cold, merciless water. "We have to keep going," she said, her voice wavering. She looked at Percy, then at Annabeth. "How?"
Annabeth searched her mind for a solution. Panic threatened to overwhelm her. "Focus on what we know is real," she said, trying to steady her voice. "Ourselves. Each other. Keep moving forward, one step at a time, and don't think about how long it's taking. Don't let Kronos's poison twist your perception."
Before either Percy or Thalia could respond, a jagged crack suddenly snaked across the bubble's surface. The dome groaned, and a rush of icy seawater surged in, drenching their ankles and sending a jolt of panic through them all.
Thalia cried out, reflexively yanking her hand away from Percy's to shield her face from the stinging salt. Annabeth stumbled back, choking on a gasp as freezing currents swirled around her legs. For one heart-stopping second, the bubble threatened to collapse entirely.
"Hold on!" Percy shouted, his voice echoing through the distorted water. He threw both arms out, ignoring the throbbing in his temples as he poured every ounce of focus into sealing the breach. The currents resisted, pushing and clawing at the edge of his power, but inch by inch, he forced the water back. With a final, desperate effort, he pushed the crack closed, expelling the water and restoring the fragile dome.
They stood there, shivering and drenched, their breathing ragged in the stale, trapped air. Thalia pressed a trembling hand against her chest, swallowing hard as she tried to steady herself.
Percy's chest heaved, his arms shaking from the strain. He looked at them both, relief and fear warring in his gaze. "I won't let that happen again." he said finally. "We'll do just like you said, Annabeth. One step at a time."
They pressed onward, huddled closer than before, all three of them shaken by the near-collapse of their fragile shelter. The water's oppressive presence weighed on Percy's mind, and he struggled to maintain the bubble's integrity as the distorted currents pushed and pulled like invisible hands. He focused on breathing—counting each breath, steady and slow—trying to tune out the erratic beating of his own heart.
The air inside the bubble felt thinner now, stale and heavy with every strained breath. No one mentioned the crack in the bubble again, but it lingered in their minds, a silent warning of how quickly their situation could turn fatal. Thalia forced her thoughts back to their goal: Luke, Kronos, and the Andromeda. They had to reach that ship.
"Do you hear that?" Thalia's voice was barely a whisper, trembling with unease.
Percy strained his ears. At first, it was nothing—just the hum of the currents and the groan of the bubble—but then he heard it too: a faint, rhythmic tick, tick, tick, like the beating of a colossal clock. Each tick reverberated in his chest, slow and deliberate, as if marking the moments slipping away.
"It's him," Annabeth said, her voice tense. "Kronos. His power is all around us."
The ticking grew louder, merging with the groaning currents until it felt like the water itself was alive, pulsing and stretching with time's erratic beat. Percy gritted his teeth and kept walking, each step harder than the last. The weight of the water was unbearable now, pressing against the bubble, crushing down on his shoulders.
Thalia cursed under her breath, her hands curling into fists. "How much farther? This is…" She trailed off, her voice breaking as another shadow swept past the bubble, impossibly large and utterly silent.
Percy clenched his fists, forcing power into the bubble as he pushed forward. "We're close," he said through gritted teeth, though he didn't know if it was true. The Andromeda's pulse felt stronger now, but time twisted so wildly around them that he couldn't trust anything.
The bubble flickered, and a cold trickle of water spilled in at Percy's feet. Annabeth froze, her breath hitching audibly. Thalia grabbed Percy's arm again, her nails digging in. "Percy—"
"I've got it!" Percy shouted with strain. He forced the crack closed, pushing the water back out, but the effort left him shaking. "Just… stay close."
The clock-like ticking grew deafening, the distortion so thick it felt like the air itself was folding around them.
"I can't take this," Annabeth muttered, her voice raw with fear. She stopped for a moment, clutching her temples as if trying to block out the oppressive noise. "This isn't real. It's not real."
"Focus," Thalia said sharply, though her voice shook too. "Don't look at anything. Don't listen. Just keep moving."
Percy took another shaky step, and then another. He couldn't think about the way his legs felt like lead, or the burning in his arms, or the crushing certainty that the bubble would fail. He just kept walking, forcing himself to trust the faint pull of the ship's presence ahead.
And then he saw it.
At first, it was just a smudge of darkness below the bubble's edge, barely visible through the distorted currents. But as they stepped closer, it became clearer: a massive, barnacle-encrusted anchor embedded in the seabed. Its iron chains stretched upward into the murky water, disappearing into the shadows above.
"There," Percy breathed, his voice cracking with relief.
Annabeth's head snapped up, her eyes widening. "The anchor," she said, her voice trembling. "We're here."
When they reached the anchor, Annabeth stepped closer, running her hand along the rough metal surface. "The ship's just above us," she murmured, squinting into the murk.
Thalia's eyes darted to the chain, then upward into the darkness. "We're not… climbing that, are we?" she asked, her voice edged with exhaustion and disbelief.
Percy shook his head, though the motion made his temples throb. "No climbing," he said, his voice hoarse. He hesitated, pulling at the currents around them with his senses. An idea formed, "I can push us up with the water. Like an elevator."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "An elevator made of water," she repeated, skepticism dripping from every word.
Percy gave her a weak, humorless grin. "Trust me," he said. "I've done crazier things."
Thalia nodded sharply. "It's our best shot," she said, stepping closer to Percy. "What do we do?"
Percy steadied his breathing, forcing the trembling in his arms to subside. "You'll both need to hold onto me," he said. "If you're not close, I can't keep the bubble up and move us at the same time."
Thalia immediately grabbed his arm, her fingers firm and steady. "We've got this," she said. "Right, Annabeth?"
Annabeth hesitated, glancing upward again, before finally stepping closer, her hand gripping Percy's other arm. "Okay." She said shakily.
Percy's voice wavered, but he managed a shaky grin. "Hold on."
He reached out with his powers, feeling the water around the chain, the weight of the ocean pressing down on them, and the faint pull of the ship above. With a deep breath, he willed the currents to rise, carrying them upward. The bubble trembled and groaned, the edges flickering under the strain.
"Almost there," Annabeth whispered, though her voice was tight with tension.
The chain rattled faintly beside them, a deep metallic groan reverberating through the water. Percy didn't dare look up, focusing instead on the steady push of the current beneath them.
The Andromeda finally loomed into view—a hulking shadow rising out of the darkness. The ship's massive underside was encrusted with rust and barnacles. Percy's heart pounded as he fought to keep the water moving.
"There," Thalia said, pointing ahead. "An escape hatch."
Percy squinted and saw it: a round, reinforced hatch set into the hull. Its edges were rimmed with faint, glowing glyphs that shimmered golden through the murk.
"It's a barrier," Annabeth said, her voice low. "The magic's keeping the water out."
Thalia's grip on Percy's arm tightened. "What happens if it breaks when we go through?"
Annabeth didn't answer immediately, her jaw tightening. "It won't," she said firmly, though her voice betrayed a flicker of doubt. "We'll go through together. Quickly."
Percy guided the bubble closer, sweat beading on his forehead as the barrier rippled faintly, radiating a low hum. He clenched his fists, forcing his power to hold steady as they approached. The hatch loomed larger, its glyphs glowing brighter with each step.
Percy exhaled, steadying his trembling arms as he willed the bubble forward. The closer they came, the heavier the water seemed to press against them, as if the barrier were resisting their presence. He gritted his teeth, focusing on the currents as the glyphs pulsed faster, their light flaring like tiny suns.
When the bubble touched the barrier, it shuddered violently, sending a wave of vibrations through Percy's chest. For a moment, it felt like they'd hit an invisible wall. Percy pushed harder, pouring his power into the bubble as the golden light crackled and hissed around them.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, the barrier parted. The bubble collapsed instantly, and they were pulled forward into a small, dry chamber as the barrier sealed itself shut behind them with a low thrum.
They found themselves in a narrow, cylindrical chamber. Above them, a ladder led to another sealed hatch, its metal surface scarred and dented. Percy slumped against the wall, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. Every muscle in his body trembled, and he let his head fall back, the cold metal pressing against his damp hair. For a long moment, he didn't move, didn't think—he just tried to breathe.
Annabeth sank to the floor nearby, her hands braced on her knees. "That was—" she started, but her voice faltered, and she shook her head instead, letting the oppressive silence fill the space.
Thalia stood in the middle of the chamber as her gaze darted around the room, checking for any immediate threats, but her attention quickly snapped to Percy, her brows knitting with concern. "Percy…" she said softly, stepping toward him.
"I'm fine," he muttered, though his voice was hoarse.
Thalia knelt beside him, her expression softening as she studied him. "You don't look fine," she said, her voice quiet but edged with worry. "You're shaking."
Percy opened his eyes just enough to glance at her, his crooked smile faint but there. "I'm always shaking after near-death experiences," he said lightly, though his voice lacked its usual energy. "You get used to it."
Thalia huffed softly, not quite laughing. She reached out without hesitation, brushing a strand of wet hair from his forehead. "Well, I don't like it," she said quietly. Her hand lingered against his temple for a moment, and then she shifted closer, sitting beside him. "You scared me, Percy."
He blinked at her, surprised by the raw honesty in her voice. For a moment, he didn't have the energy to quip back, and that silence between them said more than words could. Instead, he let his head tilt slightly toward hers, his shoulder brushing hers as if drawn there instinctively.
"I wasn't going to let anything happen to you," Percy said finally. His hand moved slightly, resting against her knee—as though he needed the connection as much as she did.
Thalia's lips pressed into a thin line, but her gaze softened as it rested on him. "I know," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't lose you either."
His heart tightened at her words. The room felt smaller, quieter, the tension of their survival giving way to the weight of everything unspoken. Percy's fingers curled slightly against her knee, and she leaned her head lightly against his shoulder, just for a moment.
"I'll be okay," he said softly, as much to reassure her as himself.
"You'd better be," Thalia muttered, though her voice was more tender than sharp. She tilted her head slightly to meet his eyes, and for a heartbeat, everything else—the ship, the danger, the godly power humming in the walls—seemed to fade.
His gaze dipped to her lips for the briefest moment, but before either of them could move further, Annabeth coughed from across the chamber.
"You two done?" she said, her voice dry but laced with faint amusement. "We're in enemy territory, in case you forgot."
Percy and Thalia both flinched, their heads snapping toward her like guilty kids caught sneaking snacks. Thalia quickly stood, brushing off her pants, her cheeks turning faintly pink. "Sorry," she muttered, glancing briefly at Annabeth before adding, "I didn't mean to—uh, we'll focus."
Annabeth rolled her eyes but stepped closer, her sharp gaze flicking to Percy, who was still slumped against the wall, his breathing ragged. Without a word, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small square of ambrosia. "He needs this," she said, holding it out—not to Percy, but to Thalia.
Thalia blinked, caught off guard, but she took the ambrosia without hesitation. She crouched down beside Percy, her expression softening as she pressed the square into his hand. "Here," she said quietly. "Eat."
Percy looked at her, then at the ambrosia, before nodding. He took a small bite, the warmth spreading through him immediately, easing the ache in his limbs and the tremble in his hands. He exhaled slowly, the color returning to his face. "Thanks," he murmured, meeting Thalia's eyes.
Thalia's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "Don't mention it." Her fingers brushed his for a moment before she stood, turning back to Annabeth.
Annabeth adjusted her bag, watching the two of them with an unreadable expression before shifting her focus to the ladder. "We need to figure out where we are on the ship," she said. "Thalia, what's the plan?"
Thalia squared her shoulders, her confidence returning as she stepped toward the ladder. "We move carefully, stick together, and stay quiet until we know what we're dealing with. We're at the very bottom of this massive ship so we'll have to work our way up. It might take a while, so we need to be cautious. And no heroics," she added, throwing a pointed look at Percy.
Percy managed a small grin. "Got it. No heroics."
"Good," Thalia said, already reaching for the ladder. "Let's move."