CATHARSIS, jason grace¹

𝟬𝟯𝟭. your greatest love

"I'm all right," Percy promised. "Everything's okay now."

After Ms. Jackson completed a thorough check to make sure her precious Percy pookins was alright and unharmed, that was when she noticed Aera.

"You must be Aera," she said stiffly, regarding her with an expression of tension. "The demigod lieutenant of the Titan."

Aera's internal sirens went off.

"Hey, mom, it's—" Percy was cut off when Ms. Jackson suddenly stepped out from behind her son and surged forward.

Aera braced herself. She and Percy had been rivals for years. How many times had she tried to kill Percy? How many times had she sabotaged his life, harmed his loved ones, and tried to steal his happiness? If his mother was going to get revenge for all the pain she had caused him, Aera knew she deserved that and more.

But when Ms. Jackson reached her, she did something that really shocked Aera.

She hugged Aera.

"Well done," Ms. Jackson murmured, squeezing her affectionately. "You did it." Ms. Jackson took both of Aera's hands in hers, eyes shining with tears. "It must have been so scary. You must have wanted to give up so many times. Does it feel a little better now that it's over?"

The motherly affection radiating off Ms. Jackson made it difficult to function. She didn't look at Aera like she was the Ravager of Olympus or the traitor of Camp Half-Blood. She looked at Aera as though she were Percy's classmate, a teenager, a 16-year-old girl and not someone who had almost razed the world to the ground.

Aera was stunned. Her voice got trapped in her throat so she mustered a weak nod.

"Oh, my." Ms. Jackson gasped, brushing Aera's hair behind her ear. "You're much prettier than they say. Inside and out. You, Aera, are the true beauty of Olympus."

Despite the fact that Aera had blood all over her ripped clothing and frazzled hair, acne on her cheeks, stomach flab, and more flaws than ever before, Ms. Jackson gave Aera a smile that disintegrated all of that—a smile that told her she was worthy.

Aera broke down crying. It was too much. She didn't care that Percy, who was her arch nemesis, and this random man, who was maybe Ms. Jackson's sugar daddy, were watching her. She didn't care that the gods were probably still frowning down on her from Olympus, as were countless deities for what she had did.

Aera had never felt the warm embrace of a mother. She envied Percy to the Underworld and back for having one; a mother who could hug him when he was scared, a mother who was his safe place.

So while Ms. Jackson cradled Aera in her arms as she cried like a child, Aera realized that her efforts for Kronos and everything this rebellion stood for had been misguided. What Aera had been striving for all this time wasn't power or respect or even love. What Aera had wanted to death was to be understood.

Why was that so hard for them to understand?

There was a chilling three minute silence before Silena's message settled in. Then everyone in the bunker started asking questions all at once. Silena was the spy? She fed Kronos information? Did Luke force you to serve Kronos? Did they blackmail you? So are you a traitor or not?

"Wait a minute!" Nyssa said, holding two burned, calloused hands out. "If Aera was held against her will, that means Silena was the real lieutenant of Kronos all along! She made Aera cover up for her so she could secretly be on both sides!"

Her siblings joined her in her riot.

"What a snake!"

"I knew there was a reason I never liked her!"