[Annabeth's POV]
I pulled Percy out by the wrist. Tears were welling in my eyes and I tried to convince myself that he'd come running out right after us. All I could do was pray that Y/N had a plan.
But I knew he didn't. It was Y/N. He never plans anything ahead.
We turned quick and felt the volcano start rumbling. Dust shook from the cave ceiling, as Percy and I found the tunnel behind the spider.
We made it out just in time. As we ran from the exit of Mount St Helen, the earth beneath us shook, and in a flash of blinding white light, there was an explosion so loud I thought I'd never be able to hear again. My ears rang as I stared in disbelief at what just happened. The cave behind us had caved in, and steam was floating from out of the cracks.
I'd had a fantasy, since Y/N rescued me in Mt Tam. That we'd get to grow old together, like we grew up together.
I realized now that you're not allowed to have a happy life as a demigod. Something always goes wrong. I could barely bring myself to think about it. The very idea that I'd lost him just after I got him back took my breath. I could almost feel my heart stop beating.
I felt Percy grab my wrist, yelling something I could barely hear. "Annabeth, we gotta go!" he shouted. I couldn't move. My feet wouldn't.
No one could have survived that explosion.
Percy stepped in front of me, and through the tears that were starting to form, I could see his determined face. "I know," he said, his voice faltering. "I know how much it hurts. I know that you're not going to be okay, but we need to move, or we're going to join him!" he shouted.
That didn't sound so bad right now.
I spent this whole time trying to find Y/N, and when I finally do, he blows himself up. We hurried after the spider and ran as fast as I could with tears all but blinding me.
We made it back to the workshop, and met with Hephaestus, who was delighted(?) to hear the news that we had destroyed the forge. When we told him that Y/N was caught up in it, he replied, "Figures... His mother is going to be very upset." he huffed.
"Sir, we have to get back to camp." Percy choked out. Hephaestus hmphed, and grabbed the chassis of one of the cars, before placing it on the ground.
Suddenly, the vehicle sprung to life, growing wheels, and a brand new paint job. "This car will take you wherever you need. Consider it a thank you for your friend clearing the forge." he waved his hand, signaling us to leave.
Percy opened the door, and we climbed in. It was a spacious vehicle, with more room on the inside than the outside.
"Camp Half-blood." Percy said simply, after shutting the door. The car hummed to life, and suddenly, the windows were a gateway to the blur that was the outside world.
The prophecy was right. He was gone. And I'd never get to see him again. The moment finally hit me.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about all the moments we had together growing up. The fights we made it through side by side. Everything that was left unsaid. I just wished we had a little more time. The pit in my stomach I felt, the pain of losing him, it was unbearable. I couldn't shake the feeling like a part of me had been ripped away.
It felt like the fates were playing such a cruel trick on me. I had hoped for so long that he wouldn't be the one I'd lose, but it felt like nothing would change the fact that he was.
Percy shared a look of sympathy with me, but it did nothing to ease the pain I felt. "I'm sorry, Annabeth," he said. I looked up at him. He looked in pain too. "It's not your fault, Percy." I croaked. He nodded, putting his hands up to his face. "It's not your fault, either, Annabeth," he replied.
"But-"
"No." he said, simply, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Do you think Y/N would want you to blame yourself? He did this for you. For us, for the good of the camp. Don't think his death is on your hands. It's not. It's not on anyone but Kronos."
I nodded weakly, hearing, but really not listening. I really didn't want to talk now. We rode in silence the rest of the way to camp. It was familiar, like the time this happened a few weeks ago. When I first found out Y/N was missing. It broke my heart. He would find the setting kind of funny.
That just hurt more. I'd never get to see that smile, hear that laugh, or feel his arms around me ever again.
I tried. I tried so hard. Yet I couldn't help but think about Y/N, about what he meant to me, and about how he had sacrificed himself for us. The journey back to Camp Half-Blood was filled with mostly silence after that, as the weight of our loss hung heavily in the air.
Eventually, the car came to a stop, right at the base of Half Blood hill. It was a sad, quiet trudge to the top. We had no clue about Tyson or Grover, and that felt merciful, because we knew what happened to Y/N.
I couldn't shake the feeling that he was gone, and the burden of guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders.
Chiron and Zoe were waiting for us in the Big House, their faces etched with concern and anxiety. I took a deep breath, trying to find the words to convey the tragedy that had struck us.
"Chiron, Zoe," I began, my voice trembling with emotion, "Y/N... he's gone."
Chiron's wise eyes mirrored my grief, and Zoe's expression darkened with sorrow. I felt the weight of our collective loss pressing down on me.
"He was brave," I continued, "Up until the last moment."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I spoke, and I struggled to keep my emotions in check. Y/N had been not only a hero around camp. But he was my hero. I could only hope that his final rest was as peaceful as he deserved.
"He... He told us to go. He said he would handle it and-" my sobs cut me off. "He said he..." I shuddered with a sob. "He said he was going to go out with a bang..."
Chiron put a gentle hand on my arm. Zoe was shaking with emotion and it was easy to tell why. She'd just lost her brother.
The centaur weakly said, "Of course... That's how he would want to go... a joke as his final words." His face quivered, and tears tracked into his curly beard, as he broke down. Zoe cried silently. I had to muster a lot of strength within myself to not cry with them.
I waited for two weeks. Two weeks of sleepless nights, and praying to any god that might be listening, that he would come back. It hurt more and more, because camp felt wrong without him. Everyone felt it.
It felt like all the life had been sucked out of the place. Some of the newer kids that he'd taught, like my sister Miriam, and most of the kids in my cabin were distraught.
Y/N was often around the Athena kids, because he didn't have a cabin of his own, and he said he liked being around us. So, he got to know everyone in there pretty well.
Then there was Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus Cabin, and even Clarisse, who were dealing with the loss in their own ways. Beckendorf stayed in the forge all day, and Clarisse took her anger out on all the dummies in the arena.
And the Stoll brothers lit a basketball on fire in his honor. It was a good hearted gesture, but they also almost burned down their cabin.
Chiron sat in his wheelchair all day, trying to read, and distract himself. But his tears dripped onto the page. And he never made it through more than a few paragraphs before he'd have to put the book down.
Percy stayed underwater a lot, maybe trying to figure out where Tyson was, or not have to handle the gravity of the situation.
Zoe, who I had never seen look so sad before, was inconsolable. She looked like she might break. But, when Percy spent the rest of his time with her, she looked a little less miserable.
Any time someone tried to talk to me about it, I tuned them out. I couldn't take the condolences. They didn't do anything to ease the pain.
After two weeks, Chiron found me and said, "We must hold a ceremony for him." That made my heart sink. "But, Chiron-"
Chiron looked at me, tear drops glistening in his eyes. "Annabeth. He deserves the respect of a funeral. I've hoped and prayed as well, but there is nothing more we can do. It's been far too long, for there to be any chance that he's-"
"No!" I cried. A funeral would make things feel too final. Like it would certify that I'd never see him again. I couldn't do that.
"We will be honoring his memory tomorrow, Annabeth. I'm sure Y/N wouldn't want you to lose yourself because of this. As I have with Percy and Zoe, I am offering you the chance to speak. To offer a few words about him. A final... a final kindness."
Preparing for Y/N's funeral was one of the most agonizing and heart-wrenching things I've ever had to do. It was a pain I couldn't put into words, a void that couldn't be filled in my soul.
I choked down my sobs as I watched the Aphrodite cabin and Zoe make his burial shroud. It was a beautiful piece.
Leafy green was the base color, with bronze and silver stars dotted around, with a bow and arrow in the center, resting over a crescent moon. It felt like the moon shone, even through the faint sunlight.
And the sun, well, it wasn't out very much lately. Even the skies seemed like they were in mourning now. The moon was shrouded by clouds and the stars hardly glittered at night.
His shroud was disgustingly beautiful. Were it for anyone else, I would admire it for a while. But for Y/N, it felt cruel that it was this amazing. I didn't want to burn it, but Chiron gave me the honors.
It took place in the amphitheater. On top of a stage, laid a lit torch and Y/N's burial shroud. I wanted to be anywhere in the world but right here.
But there I was, standing in the solemn shadows of a funeral service, trying to find the right words to honor his memory.
As I glanced around at the faces of our friends and fellow demigods, I could see the same grief reflected in their eyes. Y/N had been a beloved member of the camp, a friend who had fought with and for us, countless times. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that he was gone, but I had to accept that fact.
Chiron spoke first. He'd lost a lot of demigods through the years, but this blow seemed to hurt him far more than any other I'd ever seen. He struggled through his statement, but the meaning was as poignant as ever. His voice, filled with emotion, resonated through the crowd as he began his eulogy.
"Today, we say our final farewells to a remarkable hero, a young man who had grown under our care and our guidance. Y/N L/N was more than just a demigod. He was a beacon of hope, a symbol of the very best that our camp has to offer."
Chiron took a deep breath and wiped a handkerchief up to his eyes.
"Y/N was one of the strongest individuals I've ever known. One of the kindest, best meaning people I've ever had the benefit of training and raising. Yes, I know he wouldn't want such a large service. He'd find it 'crowded'" Chiron joked sadly. He turned around the audience and looked them over, taking a deep breath.
"But, Y/N's journey reminds us of the importance of friends, courage, and the unyielding spirit that defines a true hero."
Chiron's voice became firm with resolve as he continued. "His memory will forever be a part of this camp. Apart of everyone here. It is engraved in the very essence of what Camp Half-Blood stands for. And as we mourn his loss today, let us also celebrate his life. Y/N leaves behind a legacy of strength, determination, and an ability to shine light, even in the darkest of places. And let us never forget what he sacrificed his life for. We must make it matter, so that his legacy can inspire generations of young heroes who come after."
There was a hush over the crowd. Y/N had been at camp for about 13 years. Everyone here knew him in some way or another. Whether they were his friends, or a younger camper he once showed around. They knew him. Silena and Beckendorf were comforting each other, holding hands, and leaning their heads against each other.
Zoe went next. Her feelings toward Y/N had taken a drastic turn over a couple weeks last year. Originally, she had despised his very existence, because of his father. But, he had proven himself to be the opposite of what she thought on the quest in the winter.
She had learned to respect him and care about him, and the fondness she held for him was that of a sister, who had grown and come to appreciate the qualities and character that made Y/N so extraordinary.
She looked down, but composed herself as best as possible. "Y/N was a shining example of what it means to be an unflinchingly good person. He was a caring soul, who had more love for others than himself. He never blamed anyone else for anything, even when they deserved it."
Zoe looked ashamed with herself. "He always made sure to make everyone feel better about themselves. It was a quality I always admired of him. And it's one I wish that everyone could have appreciated before it was too late. I hope you rest well, brother."
The Stoll brothers, along with most of the other campers in attendance were struggling to hold in the dam of tears. I was crying the entire ceremony. Percy stepped up to the podium.
"Y/N... always made promises." he started. "And he always delivered on them. Whether it be something silly, like promising to smack you if you were wrong about something, or promising a twelve year old me, that we would get my mom back from the underworld, even though he knew it would be next to impossible to achieve."
Percy started sputtering, tears brimming from his eyes. His words started to drag. "He moved in with me and my mom last winter. And having a friend like him is an honor I didn't realize I would get."
He took a deep breath and swallowed the emotions that were evident on his face. "He may be gone, but he's not going to be forgotten. I'm always going to remember Y/N as my friend. A guy who always found a way to make you laugh. A guy who never gave up."
Percy sniffed, and stepped off the stage. Finally, it was my turn.
Walking up the steps and to the podium felt like an eternity. Like, it was meant to be my suffering that it took so long. That I would suffer in this moment for as long as possible. When I got up there, I didn't even know what I was going to say. But, I found the words.
"Y/N was... the most helpful, most loveable, kindest person I could ask for in my life. He was there for me from the start. Like, when I first arrived at camp, he fought tooth and nail to keep me and two other half bloods alive, even at the cost of his own wellbeing. And when I woke up, he was the first one by my bedside. He gave me the tour around camp, and since then, he's been my best friend." My cries overtook my words for a moment.
"I always told him that his selflessness would be his end. I just hoped I'd never be right." I swallowed the building lump in my throat, and took hold of the torch next to his shroud. I swore something glinted in the sunlight. "It's fitting, in a way. Y/N was the bravest, most selfless person I ever had the pleasure to know. He-"
I looked up, as my eye was caught in the glare again, and looked down the line of campers, to see something I didn't believe was actually was there. My heart climbed into my chest, as anger started to creep up as well.
"He's right there!" I pointed in disbelief. Half the campers gasped, and the others turned. I stepped down the stage, grabbed the first thing my hand met, something from a fruit bowl, on a table, and hurled it at his head.
He caught it, grinning like a moron as I approached. I clenched my knuckles tight, and pulled my fist back, and punched him.
[Y/N's POV]
My raft washed up on the shore of Manhattan at some point in the morning. Eventually, the lake shimmered and opened up into the ocean. When I stepped ashore, with my wobbly legs, the first thing I did was find my way to Mrs Jackson's apartment. I wanted to let her know I was alright. She deserved that much for taking care of me.
It took about an hour to walk from the beach, through the streets of the city barefoot, in plain white clothes, avoiding obvious muggers.
It was surreal, seeing the towering skyscrapers, and so many people, after being alone in the dark depths of Daedalus' labyrinth for so long. But, I kept walking. Eventually, I reached her building, and took the elevator up to her floor.
I knocked on the door, hoping she was home, and when the door opened, I was greeted with a woman whose hair was frizzy, and her eyes were tired.
When she looked at me, she hesitated for a second, as if trying to figure out if I was actually there. That seemed to be a theme. Not believing something's there.
But when she made her choice that I was in fact real, the older woman lunged and wrapped her arms around me.
"Y/N!" she shouted, squeezing the life out of me. "What happened to you?" She asked, taking a step away to examine my face, gently grasping my cheeks in her hand. "You look skinny, you need to eat. And you need a haircut! And where are your shoes?" she fussed over me. She inspected different parts of me, tracing her fingers over some of the scars that were still fresh, with worry still in her eyes.
I couldn't help but smile. It was nice having someone worry this much. "I'm fine, Mrs Jackson." I croaked. She scoffed. Before I knew it, I was sat at the dinner table, eating fresh baked blue chocolate chip cookies.
"So what happened? After you let for school that day, no one knew where you had gone." she asked. After I finished eating, I explained everything.
The labyrinth, Nico, the monsters, some of the almost dying, but I left out the volcano part, so she wouldn't worry too much. "How'd you survive down there?" Mrs Jackson asked. I shook my head. "I'm just that good."
She smiled happily, as if she were delighted to see me again. "Oh, when I see Paul again, he's going to be so happy to hear you're okay. He was worried about you too."
"Yeah, I'm sorry that I bailed on him. I heard he vouched for me to get into Goode." Mrs Jackson nodded. She walked off down the hall as I finished another cookie.
She walked back into the kitchen and set out a stool, looking through her cabinets for a box. When she found it, she pulled out a pair of scissors and a brush.
Mrs Jackson undid the braids and the bun, and sliced through the seemingly endless (H/C) hair sprouting from my head.
After a while, she took a step back, sprayed my hair with some water, and brushed it over. I flung off the apron and stood, smiling back at Mrs Jackson. I ran my hand through my hair. I felt like I'd shed five pounds from that alone.
After being forced to eat even more home cooked food (I'm not complaining), I went into my room for the first time in a while.
I grabbed a fresh change of clothes and placed Calypso's moonlace on my bedside table. I dug a small hole in the cactus pot in my room and planted Calypso's moonlace in there. I went and got a bit of water to help the plant grow.
It wasn't a garden yet, but I needed to start one, for her sake. I promised that much. Should probably get the Demeter cabin's help for that.
I grabbed an orange camp half-blood shirt from my closet, along with a new pair of jeans, and one of my flannels. Not to mention shoes. It felt nice not being barefoot anymore. The sneakers that Mrs Jackson bought me felt like my feet were getting hugged.
It was then that I realized that I had to hurry to the camp. Mrs Jackson did not let me leave just yet. Insisting that I was still too skinny, she made me at least bring another lunch. She hugged me again and sent me on my way.
I was full, so I gave the Mac n cheese to a homeless person in the park. After that, I caught the gray sister's cab down to camp, giving them some of the drachmas I grabbed from my drawer.
When I got out, and started walking through camp, I was immediately off-put.
It seemed practically deserted. It was late in the afternoon, but there was no one around. The archery range was empty. The climbing wall was pouring lava, but onto no one. No food in the pavilion, and not a soul in their cabins. I checked Cabin 8, and was hoping to see Zoe, but no dice.
There was no one here.
That was when I noticed smoke coming from the amphitheater down at the end of camp. I tucked my hands into my pockets and walked down that way. I heard voices. Nothing too specific, though. But I could make out who they belonged to. Chiron, Zoe, Percy, and finally. Annabeth. I stopped in my tracks when I realized what was going on.
They were holding my funeral. I crept up to the back of the gathering. No one noticed me yet.
Annabeth said, "I always told him that his selflessness would be his end. I just hoped I'd never be right." she lit my green, silver, and bronze burial shroud ablaze. Everyone looked really sad. Clarisse was actually crying.
It was almost disturbing. It felt surreal, crashing my own funeral. But hey, so does just about everything else from the last two-ish months. Annabeth paused, choking on her words. "Y/N was the bravest, most selfless person I ever had the pleasure to know. He-"
That was when she noticed me. I gritted my teeth, and prepared for whatever was going to happen next. "He's right there!" she shouted, pointing a shaky finger my way. The entire camp turned to face me, gasping in shock.
"What?" I asked (like a complete idiot)
"Y/N!" I heard a voice cry. My sister, Zoe, not wasting a single moment, bounded down the stage and charged me. I hadn't seen her in a while, so what was going to happen was up for interpretation. She had tears streaming down her face.
When she tackled me, I thought she was going to try to kill me. But no, it was just a very tight, very tearful hug. "You're alive!" She shouted, through a sob. I almost chuckled to myself. "Don't sound so surprised."
I looked up to see Chiron in disbelief, but crying what I hoped were tears of joy. Beckendorf, Silena, the Stolls, and Clarisse all stopped in front of me, staring in awe that I had the audacity to be alive even after they held such a nice ceremony. A bunch of people smacked me on the back, others just smiled.
Chiron trotted over, looking at a loss for words. "You decided to wait to show up until after we had started?" he joked, swallowing his tears. "I wouldn't have made you go through all that work if I knew." Chiron smiled brightly, wiping his tears. "My boy, I'm so happy you're alive." he said, pulling me to my feet and into a back breaking hug.
"He won't be for long." Percy murmured, looking behind him.
"Look out!" someone from the crowd shouted. The others parted like the red sea in time for me to see an apple hurtling my way. I was barely able to catch it in my hand. I held it to my side as Annabeth stomped angrily down towards me. Percy laughed nervously, as the crowd parted even further. "Dude, you're dead." he said. I grinned weakly at Annabeth as she got closer.
I did not expect her to knock my teeth in. Chiron hurried to grab her before she could beat me any further. But before I could even fall, in the same motion with which she clocked me, Annabeth grabbed me by the back and hugged me so tight I thought my ribs were going to break again.
"Where have you been?!" She exclaimed, pressing her head to my chest (I think she was trying to hear my heartbeat). "We thought you were dead, Y/N!"
I looked around at everything. My shroud had just finished burning. "I can see that." Finally, with her face beet red, she let go, taking a step back, staring in disbelief, like she wasn't a hundred percent sure I was real. "What happened to you?" Percy asked.
"I took a few wrong turns." I replied. "A FEW WRONG TURNS?!" Annabeth shouted, looking like she might punch me again, "It's been two weeks, Y/N! I was-... We were worried-"
"Annabeth," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"
Without waiting for us to protest, he picked up Percy, Annabeth, and I, as easily as if we were kittens, slung us both on his back, and galloped off toward the Big House.
* * *
I didn't tell them the whole story. I just couldn't bring myself to talk about Calypso. I explained how I'd caused the explosion at Mount St. Helens and gotten blasted out of the volcano. I told them I'd been marooned on an island. Then Hephaestus found me and told me I could leave. A magic raft had carried me back to camp.
All that was true, but as I said it my hands felt heavy.
"You've been gone for two weeks. And after the month and a half you were in the labyrinth, I didn't think..." Annabeth's voice was steadier now, but she still looked pretty shaken up. "When we heard the explosion, I thought-"
"I know. I'm sorry. I would have told you, but it wasn't like I could just call you or anything." I said. I took a deep breath and wrapped my hands together, my forearm resting on my bouncing leg. "But I talked to Hephaestus. I figured out how to navigate the labyrinth."
"He told you the answer?"
"Well, he sort of told me that I already knew. And I do. I get it." Percy sat up in his chair. "What was it? Hera said we both knew already. But I couldn't think of anything." I leaned towards him. "Remember our friend from the Hoover Dam?" Percy's eyes widened as I told them my idea. Turns out Rachel was going to Goode too.
Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Y/N, that's nuts!"
Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and stroked his beard. "There is precedent, however. Theseus had the help of Ariadne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason."
"Man, I wanna meet Harriet Tubman some day." I stated. The others eyed me curiously. "What? She was cool." Percy laughed, and Chiron smirked to himself.
"But this is my quest," Annabeth said, bringing the topic back around. "I need to lead it." Chiron looked uncomfortable. "My dear, it is your quest. But you need help."
"And this is supposed to help? Please! It's wrong. It's cowardly. It's-"
"It's hard to admit we need the help of a mortal, I know." I replied. "But it's still the truth. We need Rachel's sight for this." Annabeth glared at me. "You are the single most annoying person I have ever met!" And she stormed out of the room. "I'll get her." Percy said, following after her.
I stared at the doorway. I felt like hitting something. Last I saw Annabeth, she kissed me, and begged that I would come back. But now that I was back, she seemed less than happy with me. I wanted to get a moment with her, just us. But, the odds of that weren't looking great. "So much for being someone she had the pleasure of knowing." I sighed.
"She will calm down," Chiron promised. "She's jealous, my boy."
"Of what?!" I asked. Chiron leaned forward. "I think you know of what." I cocked a brow at that.
"I do not, at all, know of what." My centaur trainer sighed. "It hardly matters." he chuckled. "Annabeth is very territorial about her friends, in case you haven't noticed. Especially you, my boy. She was quite worried about you. And now that you're back, I think she suspects where you were marooned."
I met his eyes, and took a deep breath in. Of course he figured it out already. He knew about Calypso. "We won't dwell on your choices," Chiron said. "You came back. That is what matters."
"Yeah, I'm not sure that matters much to Annabeth right now." Chiron sighed tiredly. "I am sure she will get over it, Y/N. You mean more to that girl than anything. She'll realize that again soon. If she doesn't already."
"I hope she does. Because we need to talk." Chiron nodded and smiled. "In the morning I will have Argus take the three of you into Manhattan. You might stop by Percy's mothers. She is... understandably distraught."
"I already gave her a visit. Where do you think I got this outfit?" Chiron rolled his eyes. "You always think a step ahead, my boy." I shrugged. "Nevertheless, I think she would still like to see you and Percy together. I will send you on your way. Maybe find Annabeth and have that talk." I let out a deep breath, realizing I was not ready for that conversation.
"Send Percy in, I must speak with him as well." I nodded, and left the room, to try and make peace with people who were mad at me for being gone so long, but not before I followed Chiron's wishes, and sent a nervous looking Percy in.
I needed to talk to Annabeth.
***
[Percy's POV]
"Chiron," I said, sitting back down. "So, Y/N's back. Could that mean anything about Grover and Tyson? Do you think-"
"I don't know, my boy." Chiron gazed into the empty fireplace. "Juniper is quite distressed. All her branches are turning yellow. The Council of Cloven Elders had revoked Grover's searcher license in absentia. Assuming he comes back alive, they will force him into a shameful exile." He sighed.
"Grover and Tyson are very resourceful, however. We can still hope."
"I shouldn't have let them run off."
"Grover has his own destiny, and Tyson was brave to follow him. You would know if Grover was in mortal danger, don't you think?"
"I suppose. The empathy link. But-"
"There is something else I should tell you, Percy," he said. "Actually two unpleasant things."
"Great."
"Chris Rodriguez, our guest..."
I remembered what I'd seen in the basement, Clarisse trying to talk to him while he babbled about the Labyrinth. "Is he dead?"
"Not yet," Chiron said grimly. "But he's much worse. He's in the infirmary now, too weak to move. I had to order Clarisse back to her regular schedule, because she was at his bedside constantly. He doesn't respond to anything. He won't take food or drink. None of my medicines help. He has simply lost the will to live."
I shuddered. Despite all the run-ins I'd had with Clarisse, I felt horrible for her. She'd tried so hard to help him. And now that I'd been in the Labyrinth, I could understand why it had been so easy for the ghost of Minos to drive Chris mad. If I'd been wandering around down there alone, without my friends to help, I'd never have made it out. It made me wonder even more how Y/N got out with his mind intact.
"I'm sorry to say," Chiron continued, "the other news is less pleasant still. Quintus has disappeared."
"Disappeared? How?"
"Three nights before you and Annabeth returned, he slipped into the Labyrinth. Juniper watched him go. It appears you may have been right about him."
"He's a spy for Luke." I told Chiron about the Triple G Ranch, how Quintus had bought his scorpions there and Geryon had been supplying Kronos's army. "It can't be a coincidence." Chiron sighed heavily. "So many betrayals. I had hoped Quintus would prove a friend. It seems my judgment was bad."
"What about Mrs. O'Leary?" I asked. "The hellhound is still in the arena. It won't let anyone approach. I did not have the heart to force it into a cage... or destroy it."
"Quintus wouldn't just leave her."
"As I said, Percy, we seem to have been wrong about him. Now, you should prepare yourself for the morning. You, Y/N, and Annabeth still have much to do."
I left him in his wheelchair, staring sadly into the fireplace. I wondered how many times he'd sat here, waiting for heroes that never came back.