The morning sun barely broke through the clouds, casting a faint golden glow over New Rome

as I gathered my things. Percy was already outside my villa, his eyes distant, his posture tense.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked as I approached, my voice soft but laced with concern.

He gave me a tight-lipped smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm fine, Reyna. Just... trying to

process everything."

Frank and Hazel arrived soon after, both of them looking more serious than usual. Hazel was

quiet, her thoughts unreadable, but Frank... Frank clapped Percy on the back with his usual

grin, though even that seemed forced.

"We're going to miss you guys," Frank said. "If you need us, you know where to find us."

Hazel nodded, adding, "We'll be in touch with Jason and Nico. Don't worry."

Percy nodded in return. "Thanks. We'll hold it down on our end."

"We'll make sure New Rome stays standing," I added, my tone firm. There was no other option.

Frank gave me a thumbs-up, and Hazel squeezed my shoulder. Percy and I both shared a

glance. There was something heavier in the air now, something more than just the tension of the

moment. Something we hadn't spoken about, but we both felt. The path ahead was uncertain,

and I wasn't sure where it would lead us.

With a last nod to Frank and Hazel, Percy and I walked to our pegasi. Laelia and Blackjack

waited for us, their wings rustling in the wind, ready to take flight. Without another word, we

mounted our steeds, and the world below us grew smaller as we ascended into the sky.

We flew in silence for hours, the only sounds the rhythmic flapping of wings and the occasional

whistle of the wind. My mind kept circling back to everything that had happened—the Senate

meeting, the broken Riptide, and the rising sense of dread that had taken hold of Percy. He kept

looking at his sword, which was bent and useless in his hands, as if the very sight of it reminded

him of all that had been lost. I had no words of comfort, not really. So, I said nothing.

But the silence didn't last forever.

"Reyna," Percy finally spoke up, his voice tight, "do you think we're ready for this?"

I glanced over at him. "We don't have a choice. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

He didn't respond, but I could tell he was reassured by my words, at least a little. For now, that

was enough.

We stopped to let our pegasi rest, hovering above a stretch of forest. The air was cooler here, a

break from the intensity of the day. I was about to ask Percy something, anything to lighten the

mood, but then Laelia shifted uneasily under me.

I looked around, sensing it before I saw it. A flicker of movement in the distance. Something

large, dark—waiting.

Then I saw it.

The Chimera.

Its lion's head glared at us from across the sky, its eyes burning with hatred. And behind it,

towering and furious, was Echidna, her twisted smile growing larger by the second.

"Well, well, well," Echidna's voice echoed like a hiss. "What a surprise. The great Percy Jackson

and his little Roman companion. I'm curious, though—do you think you can escape again?

There's no ledge to jump off this time."

I stiffened. "You're not going to get away with this."

Echidna's smile widened, revealing rows of sharp teeth. "You're not going anywhere. This time,

you'll die. And your death, Jackson... will be nothing short of amazing."

The Chimera roared, its lion's head snapping toward us with a bloodcurdling growl. The goat's

head snorted and stomped the clouds beneath it, while the snake's tail lashed like a whip, its

poisonous eyes narrowing on Percy.

I readied my gladius, the familiar weight of it comforting in my grip. Despite everything that had

happened, I could still count on my sword.

Percy, however, had no weapon. He looked at his empty hands, eyes dark with frustration.

"What's the matter, Percy?" Echidna taunted, her voice dripping with amusement. "Didn't bring

your sword this time? I guess you're no longer the hero without your little trinket. This will be

fun."

I gritted my teeth. "Don't underestimate him, Echidna. We're still going to win this."

Echidna's laughter echoed in the sky, the sound grating against my nerves. "Oh, I'm not worried

about that, dear. I'm just waiting for the moment when I finally crush you both."

The Chimera moved first, leaping at us with the ferocity of a lion ready to hunt. The lion's head

snapped toward me, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. I barely dodged,

swinging my gladius in an attempt to fend it off. My blade met the creature's claws with a

resounding clang, but it wasn't enough to stop the beast's force. It lunged again, its teeth bared

and roaring in fury.

I needed to think fast, but before I could react, the Chimera's goat head lunged toward Percy. It

struck with speed and power, and Percy—unarmed—was forced to defend himself with only his

hands. His face twisted with frustration as he punched the beast's snout, but the creature just

grinned, not even slightly phased.

"Percy!" I shouted, my voice raw with urgency.

The snake tail of the Chimera whipped around, aiming for me, but I blocked it with my gladius,

the metal screeching against the serpent's scales. I spun, trying to get a better position, but I

could hear Percy's grunting as the Chimera's lion head knocked him to the ground.

I rushed toward him, gladius raised, slicing through the air. The Chimera's lion head turned

toward me, eyes full of malice. I was close enough now. With one swift strike, I embedded the

gladius in its side, but it only staggered back, roaring in fury.

Percy's hands were bleeding, his frustration building as he tried to force the Chimera off of him.

He reached out, but without a weapon, there was little he could do.

That's when I saw it—the water. It was in the air, swirling, a rising mist that called to Percy like it

always had. His eyes narrowed, and I knew what he was about to do. Without a weapon,

Percy's power over water was the only thing that could save us.

He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing. The mist began to move in response, swirling

around him like a storm. Then, with a forceful gesture, Percy yanked the water from the clouds,

the trees, the very air, and it surged toward the Chimera.

The beast screamed as water slammed into it, its fur soaking wet. The Chimera floundered, its

movements sluggish as it tried to regain its footing. Percy didn't stop. The water rose higher,

crashing against the Chimera, pulling it into the sky. The beast's lion head screeched, flailing in

the current.

With one last push, Percy shoved the water forward with a burst of power, sending the Chimera

crashing down to the ground, its form dissipating into smoke and shadows.

Echidna's voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "This isn't over, Percy Jackson.

You're not done yet."

But the Chimera was no more, and the rest of the forest fell silent. Echidna hissed in frustration,

but as quickly as she had arrived, she vanished, her dark laughter echoing as she disappeared

into the ether.

I took a breath, the weight of the battle settling in my limbs. Percy was beside me now, his

hands still bloody, but he was standing tall again, his chest heaving as he took in the aftermath.

"You... okay?" he asked, his voice tight with concern. He looked me over, his eyes scanning me

for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine," I said, brushing off his worry. "Just a scratch."

As if on cue, I felt the sting in my side. I hadn't realized the Chimera's claws had grazed me

during the fight, but now that the adrenaline was fading, the pain hit me. A small cut, but enough

to make me wince.

"Reyna!" Percy's voice was sharp, and his eyes locked onto the spot where the scratch was.

"What happened?"

"I'm fine, Percy," I repeated, trying to reassure him. "It's not a big deal."

He took a step closer, gently lifting my shirt to inspect the injury. I had to suppress the urge to

flinch from his touch. I'd never really let anyone fuss over me, but his concern made my heart

skip a beat. His brow furrowed as he examined the scratch.

"You're sure it's nothing serious?" he asked, his voice full of that familiar worry I'd grown used

to.

I bit my lip, looking away, and in the heat of the moment, I blurted, "You look cute when you're

worried, you know?"

I froze, my cheeks flushing immediately. Percy blinked, his mouth parting in surprise, and I

cursed myself for saying it. I looked anywhere but at him.

"What—uh, what did you just say?" Percy asked, a smile tugging at his lips, but there was a hint

of playfulness in his tone.

I groaned. "Nothing! Forget I said anything."

Percy's grin widened, and he placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch light but comforting.

"Right, okay. But seriously, let me just—"

"I'm fine, Percy. Just... how did you do that with the water?" I asked, desperate to change the

conversation.

"I don't know, I mean I got scared seeing you cornered and I felt water around me so I pulled it, I

just didn't from where", he said. I noticed that he hadn't noticed that the grass was wilting and

the trees were all dried out. I didn't have the heart to tell him the destruction he made to nature.

We both turned back toward our pegasi, and I swung myself up into Laelia's saddle. Percy

followed suit with Blackjack, giving me one last lingering look.

"Reyna," he said, his voice a little softer than before, "you look... better, too. Like, actually better,

you know?"

My heart skipped at his words, but I didn't respond right away. Instead, I focused on the path

ahead.

"I'm just glad you were able to win the rematch against the Chimera," I said after a moment.

"You really pulled it off. No ledges to jump from this time, huh?"

Percy gave a wry smile. "Yeah, no ledges. But at least this time, I didn't have to just hope it

would work. I actually had a plan."

We both shared a small laugh, and for a moment, it felt like everything had shifted. Maybe not

everything—there was still so much ahead of us—but for now, we were together, moving

forward.