The Afterlife (HoO Fanfiction)

Jason

I was trapped in a labyrinth, alone. The air became colder by the minute. I walked along the walls, trying to keep my back to it so I wouldn't get surprised from behind. I kept my sword held high, but every few minutes I had to lower my guard in order to push back up my glasses that were sliding down my sweat-beaded nose.

Everything was strangely quiet. The only sound that I could hear was the pounding of my own heart and the blood rushing through my veins. Sometimes, I could hear my friends calling for me, but they seemed so far away, I could almost be imagining them. Then, a scream tore through the silence. It was Piper, and she sounded scared, in pain, lost. I grew desperate. Every turn I took ended up being a dead-end. I was stuck and I couldn't get to my friends, who needed me.

"Jason..." a voice whispered behind me, sending shivers down my spine. This feminine voice was unmistakable: it was Ananke.

I turned around, trying to find the source of the voice. At every turn, I caught glimpse of her, hovering a few inches above the ground, her tall wings flapping lazily the air. After some time trying to get to her, I finally found her standing in the middle of a dead-end (again). This one had grass on the ground and vines growing on and through the bricks of the walls.

"Jason, the great Jason Grace," Ananke said delightfully. "I am so glad that you joined me."

Without thinking, I charged at her, my sword raised, screaming in rage. Ananke didn't move to dodge my attack or defend herself. Instead, a wall of vined erected itself between me and the goddess. I tried hacking at it with my sword, but it was no use. The vines were tough as metal.

"I'd stop doing that, if I were you," Ananke suggested. "You might break your sword."

"What do you want from me? Where are my friends? I need to help them!" I exclaimed.

"Ah, you see? That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Your loyalty. Aren't you tired of always having people relying on you? Always having to be at your best, never being allowed a single mistake, that must be exhausting."

"That's my job. I'm a demigod. I have to be a leader," I replied, like if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You are so used to that mindset, it became so normal to you. When, in fact, it's not healthy. You are allowed weaknesses, Jason. You are allowed to fail. And you are allowed to confide in others, sometimes. You don't have to do all of this yourself."

I had nothing else to answer. I didn't know where Ananke was going with that. However, I was starting to get conscious about how tired I was. Every anxious tension in my jaw, neck, shoulders, back, became apparent to me. I found myself wondering about the last time I didn't feel as tense.

"What if you weren't a demigod? What if you were living a normal life, a 9 to 5 job, without the gods. You still could be a leader. You still could change the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of young people. But you wouldn't have to be scared of their lives. Their survival wouldn't be in your hands. How relaxing, no?"

"But I don't want a 9 to 5 job. I already change the life of hundreds of kids... I manage quests..." I said this without much conviction. The idea of a steady job with a predetermined schedule was appealing. No more waking up in the middle of the night for an emergency. No more working around the clock. No more deaths of my conscience.

"Deaths, yes," said Ananke, as if she could read my mind. "Deaths caused by careless gods. And I'm including myself in the lot, don't get me wrong. I am as guilty as all of them. But you can do something about it. Renounce the gods, destroy them, and be free."

"I can't do that, you know it. You know that I'll never accept it, and neither will my friends."

"Ah, there it is again. Loyalty. Loyalty, given blindly to gods who have betrayed you all your life. you were tricked, your memory was wiped, and you are still doubting every day, I know it."

"But I'm not the only one who has been tricked by the gods. Why do I matter more than all of the others?" I asked

"Jason, Jason... Stop being altruistic for a minute. Stop thinking about your friends. It feels good, doesn't it? Well, the fact that you are one in a million tricked by the gods doesn't bother you? You are one too many. The fact is that the gods don't care about you. Start acting accordingly."

"You are trying to trick me."

"No, I'm only telling you the truth. Also, do I have to remind you that gods ruin the life of innocent mortals? Let's talk about--"

"Don't," I interrupted. I knew what she was about to say. But Ananke didn't stop.

"--your mother. Wrecked by the gods. Manipulated into giving you up. If it hadn't been for the gods, she wouldn't have turned to destructive behaviour, that later lead to her death. How unfair is that? Jason, you care so much about your friends and family. Why do you have to protect both offender and offended?"

I was fuming. The vines wall had receded, so I lunged forward, faster than lighting. Again, the vines stopped me, this time wrapping themselves around me and squeezing harder and harder. The pressure on my wrist made me drop my sword.

"You are tougher than I thought," Ananke laughed, sarcastic. "But you will come around. What about I leave you here a few minutes, no? Soon enough you will give me your answer."

Ananke vanished in smoke. I was indeed left alone, in total silence. My mind was overheating. I was fighting against Ananke's poisonous insinuations. I was trying to convince myself that she was wrong, but she had successfully woken up dark thoughts. What would have my life looked like if it weren't for the gods? I would have a normal life, I could commit fully to Piper. The painful tension in my shoulders would vanish, I'd have nightmares only after eating to much right before bed, instead of every night.

I was so caught in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed that the vines were releasing me, so I fell to the ground. I was on my hands and knees in thick grass, and for a second I wanted to lie there and forget all my problems. But I knew better. Instead, I picked up my sword and got to my feet. I had to find my friends.