Camp Half-Blood felt unnaturally calm as we walked back, especially with my hand in Pery's. The familiar sounds of swords clashing and campers laughing floated in the distance, but it felt like I was detached from it all. My footsteps slowed as we reached the tree line, the familiar weight of my decision pressing harder on my chest. I'd faced Phobos, I'd chosen Percy, but I knew there was one conversation I needed to have.
Artemis.
I hadn't spoken to her yet, and though she hadn't summoned me, the conversation hung over me like a thundercloud. A quiet pull guided me toward the forest, toward the place where I knew she'd be waiting.
Percy walked beside me, his hand warm in mine. I could feel his gaze on me, like he was waiting for me to speak, but he didn't rush me. He just stayed by my side. The camp sounds faded into the background, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional call of a distant bird.
The sounds of the forest felt different now, more alive, more welcoming. The chaos of the past few days seemed distant, like a fading dream. The path beneath my feet was familiar, and this time, I wasn't lost.
I could feel the gentle tug in my chest, guiding me toward the clearing. The place where I had first spoken to Artemis, when I'd been lost in the storm—both literally and figuratively. Now, there was no storm. No confusion. Just the truth I was finally ready to face.
"I've been thinking about this conversation for years," I said, glancing ahead at the forest that stretched out before us. The path felt familiar, almost comforting, but the conversation ahead of me was anything but. "I can't believe it's actually happening."
We stopped. Percy's hand tightened around mine, grounding me. "Do you want me be there with you?"
I smiled, appreciative of the gesture, but declined, feeling a strange sense of peace wash over me as I gently shook my head. "This is something I've got to do on my own."
He smiled then, the kind of smile that had always made things feel a little bit easier. "You've got this, Thalia. You're stronger than you think."
I rolled my eyes, but there was no real bite behind it. "You don't have to remind me."
He chuckled softly. "Just don't forget it."
I gave him a small smile, squeezing his hand one last time before stepping away, toward the clearing. His quiet support lingered with me, steady and grounding, and as I walked, I let the warmth of that moment carry me forward. One last look, one last shared glance, and then I turned toward the clearing, ready to face what was waiting.
A serene calmness settled over me. The path ahead wasn't a storm this time. There were no dark clouds, no wind whipping through the trees. It was just... quiet.
I found my way into the clearing, and there she was—Artemis, standing in the soft glow of the sunlight filtering through the trees. She looked as she always did—calm, powerful, timeless. Her silver eyes caught the light, reflecting it in a way that made them seem almost too bright to look at.
Artemis watched me approach, her expression a mix of pride and sadness, like she already knew what I was about to say. My stomach twisted. She hadn't summoned me, but I had known I needed to come here. The pull that led me to this place was undeniable.
The breeze rustled through the leaves, soft and steady, like the forest itself was holding its breath. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. I had thought about this conversation a thousand times, imagined how it would go, but now that I was here, all the words I had rehearsed vanished. All that was left was the truth.
I took a deep breath, stepping fully into the clearing. Artemis didn't move, her eyes locked on mine, full of understanding and... sadness.
"I…" My voice cracked, and I had to force myself to continue. "I made my choice."
Artemis didn't flinch, but there was a softness in her gaze. Her silver eyes lingered on me, as if weighing the full gravity of my words. There was a pause, a hesitation that I hadn't seen before.
My chest tightened, and I took another step closer. "I... I chose Percy. Over the Hunt. Over everything."
There it was. The truth. The final decision I had been struggling with for years.
Artemis's silver eyes never left mine, but the sadness deepened in them, mixed with a glint of pride that took me by surprise. For a long moment, she didn't say anything, just studied me, as if weighing her response carefully.
When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, almost... gentle. "You have grown, Thalia. More than you realize."
I blinked, my heart still racing. This wasn't the reaction I'd been expecting. I had imagined disappointment, maybe even anger, but not this calm, almost reflective tone.
"You have faced challenges that many of my Hunters would never dare confront. You've battled your heart, your loyalty, and your sense of duty. And you've made your choice." Artemis paused, and the sadness in her eyes seemed to flicker. "That is not something to be ashamed of. It is something to embrace, Thalia."
Her words were simple, but they hit me with a wave of emotion I wasn't prepared for. I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over.
I swallowed hard, my voice catching as I tried to speak. "How are you not angry with me?" My eyes searched hers, desperately seeking the disappointment or anger I had feared for so long. "How can you just... accept this? After everything I've done, everything I've chosen... I thought you'd be furious."
Artemis's expression grew more tender, and for a moment, the weight of her centuries, her timeless wisdom, seemed to wrap around us both. Her silver eyes held no judgment, no disappointment—only something deeper, something that made my heart ache.
"Thalia," she said quietly, her voice as gentle as the wind through the trees. "I've known your heart longer than you realize. I've watched you battle this, not just over the past few days, but for years. You've been carrying this weight, this conflict, for a long time."
Her words were like healing and pain all at once, cutting through me, but also soothing something deep inside. She had known all along.
"You never had to say it out loud for me to see it," Artemis continued, her gaze never wavering from mine. "Your heart has always been conflicted, torn between the path you chose and the one you couldn't quite leave behind. I've seen it in your eyes, in your actions. I never brought it up because I knew you weren't ready to face it. Not until now."
I choked back a sob, the enormity of her words washing over me. "When I joined the Hunt, I gave you everything. You gave me a purpose, a place where I finally felt like I belonged. For the first time, I had a family I could count on, and you... you were like the mother I never had."
Artemis's eyes softened as she listened, her gaze never leaving mine.
"I was so afraid," I continued, the tears finally falling freely. "Afraid that if I let myself feel anything for Percy, if I let those feelings grow, I'd be betraying you. I'd be betraying the Hunt. I kept telling myself that I could bury it, that I could ignore it. I wanted to prove to you that I was strong enough, that I could keep my oath. But I was lying to myself."
Artemis stepped closer, her hand resting on my shoulder, a gesture that felt more like reassurance than anything else. "Thalia…"
"I had to use it," I continued, as the tears continued to fall, my voice shaking as I gave her what I thought would be a reason to resent me. "The circlet… it broke when I used it to free Annabeth. I didn't think it would... shatter like that, but it did. It felt like I was losing everything, like the last piece of my connection to you and the Hunt was gone."
Artemis's gaze was compassionate but firm. "It shattered because it needed to, Thalia. You've been holding onto it as a symbol of your duty, but that duty has been in conflict with your heart for a long time. The breaking of the circlet wasn't just about freeing Annabeth. It was about freeing you."
I blinked, her words settling in like puzzle pieces falling into place. "Freeing me?"
Her voice gentle but unyielding. "The circlet represented your place in the Hunt, but more than that, it represented your choice to bind yourself to something greater than yourself—an oath that, for a long time, gave you purpose. But you've outgrown that purpose, haven't you?"
The realization hit me with a force I wasn't prepared for. "So... it wasn't just about saving Annabeth. It was about me."
Artemis gave a soft nod. "It was about you understanding that you no longer need the Hunt to define your strength, your purpose, or your heart. You've made your choice, Thalia. And the breaking of the circlet was the physical manifestation of what you've already been feeling inside—you're ready to let go of the Hunt, of the weight of that oath, and follow what your heart truly wants."
I shook my head, struggling to find my voice. "I just... I always thought the Hunt was where I was meant to stay. I thought my loyalty to you would be forever."
Her expression was thoughtful, but beneath it, I saw the struggle—a flicker of sadness, like the weight of my decision had finally settled on her. Her eyes lingered, just for a moment, as if she was letting go of something she held dear. "Loyalty isn't about remaining in one place, Thalia. It's about honoring the truth within yourself. You came to me when you were lost, searching for a place in a world that had wronged you. The Hunt gave you the space to find yourself, to grow. But now, it's time for you to grow in a different way."
My heart stuttered at her words. I had expected judgment, maybe even rejection, but instead, Artemis offered me something I hadn't known I needed—her acceptance of who I was now.
"You have carried the weight of this inner conflict far too long," Artemis continued, her silver eyes searching mine. "But you've always been free to choose. And now, you've chosen love. You've chosen to follow your heart." She hesitated for just a moment, her words more measured. "That isn't a weakness, Thalia—it's your strength."
Tears welled up again, but they weren't tears of sadness this time. They were tears of release, of letting go of the burden I'd carried for so long. Artemis had always known, always understood, and she had let me come to this realization on my own.
"I'll always carry the Hunt with me," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "But I need to be with Percy. He's... where my heart is."
Her gaze was filled with warmth, though this time I could see the sadness mingled with the pride in her eyes. Her hand was still resting on my shoulder. "And that's exactly where you should be. Your heart is your guide now, just as it has always been." She took a slow breath, her hand still resting on my shoulder, but her grip was almost... hesitant, like she was reluctant to let go. "You'll walk this new path with the same strength you've always had, Thalia. You've grown beyond the Hunt, but that doesn't mean you've left it behind."
I let the tears fall freely now, the enormity of the moment settling in. "Thank you," I whispered, "For everything."
Artemis nodded, her silver eyes shimmering with emotion I hadn't expected.
Artemis's grip lingered for a moment longer, her silver eyes meeting mine one final time. There was a weight in that gaze—a mixture of pride, sadness, and understanding that made my heart ache. Slowly, her hand slipped from my shoulder, the warmth of her touch fading, though it left behind a sense of peace, like a quiet farewell.
She stepped back, her figure bathed in the soft light filtering through the trees, and for the briefest moment, it felt like the whole forest was holding its breath. Artemis's form seemed to shimmer, the silver glow surrounding her intensifying.
"You'll always be welcome, Thalia," she said softly, her voice carrying the weight of centuries, of wisdom far beyond my understanding. "In the Hunt, in my heart, wherever your journey takes you."
With those final words, Artemis's figure began to dissolve into the light, the silver shimmer slowly enveloping her until she was no longer there—only the glow of the sun through the trees, the rustling of leaves, and the quiet stillness of the clearing.
I stood there, staring at the space where she had been, the tears still wet on my cheeks, but with a sense of finality that wasn't heavy or painful—just bittersweet
I stood there for a long moment, letting the silence of the clearing wrap around me like a warm blanket. Artemis was gone, but her words lingered, echoing in my mind. The weight I had carried for so long—the fear, the doubt, the loyalty I had tried so hard to cling to—was finally lifting.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't torn between two worlds. I wasn't lost in the chaos of my own heart.
I was free.
The path ahead wasn't clear, but that didn't scare me anymore. I knew who I was, what I wanted, and where I was meant to be.
Percy.
The name whispered through my thoughts, grounding me in the present. I smiled softly, brushing away the last of my tears. I could already feel his presence, waiting for me just beyond the trees.
With one final glance at the clearing, I turned toward the path ahead, stepping towards a promising future.