𝟎𝟎𝟑.𝟑
Do you know that feeling when you feel like a truck had run you over and your head bangs like a bitch while your back is breaking? Yeah, that's exactly how Juliet felt when she woke up, with her wrists tied to a door handle, her mouth gagged and the yelling voice of Luke in the background.
Juliet's eyes blinked open, and the harsh reality of her situation hit her like a tidal wave. The pounding headache, the throbbing pain in her back, and the disorientation added to the sensory overload. Her surroundings came into focus as her vision cleared.
The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls, giving it an eerie ambiance, the room kept rocking and Juliet knew she was on the Princess Andromeda. Her heart raced as she tried to make sense of everything.
She strained against the restraints, her wrists aching as her mind raced. How had she ended up here? The memories flooded back – the dance, the sudden encounter by Ethan, and now the presence of Luke.
Fuck, she couldn't believe she'd let herself get kidnapped. How stupid did she have to be end up in this position, did she really have no survival instincts?
Her gaze darted around the room, searching for an escape route or any clue that could help her. The sound of footsteps approached, and Juliet tensed, her eyes widening as Luke entered her line of sight.
He wore a twisted smirk, his eyes cold and calculating. Juliet's muffled protests were met with indifference as Luke circled her, reveling in the control he had over her.
The atmosphere grew thick with tension, and Juliet's instincts urged her to fight against the bonds that held her captive. She glared at Luke, pure rage burning in her veins, if her hands had been unbound she would've smashed his head to a wall.
"This might be the first time I've ever seen you so broken Juliet," He leaned down and tugged at her golden hair, making Juliet squirm in disgust and try to get away from him.
She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain as Luke toyed with her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and turning her gaze up.
Despite the vulnerability of her current situation, she maintained a defiant glare, refusing to let him see the fear he sought.
"I've brought you here for a bigger purpose, You'll do as I say Juliet, because if you don't," He snapped his fingers and the door to the room slammed open as two demigods dragged a tied up Annabeth in. Both girls looked at each other with wide fearful eyes, clearly they were both each other's bait.
The sight of Annabeth, bound and helpless, sent a jolt of shock through Juliet. Their eyes met, and in that shared gaze, a silent understanding passed between them. The gravity of the situation deepened as Luke reveled in the power he held over both demigods.
Juliet's defiant glare wavered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of concern for Annabeth. The realization that Luke had orchestrated their captures as part of a larger scheme tightened the knot of fear in her chest. She felt the weight of responsibility not only for her own escape but for Annabeth's safety as well.
Luke continued to circle them, his satisfaction evident. "Now, you see, Juliet, you have a choice to make. Will you cooperate willingly, or shall we make this more unpleasant for both of you?"
The room seemed to close in on them, the air thick with tension. Juliet's mind raced, calculating the odds, searching for a loophole in Luke's plan. She exchanged a silent communication with Annabeth, and realised there was no escape.
Fuck, there was no escape.
Whatever happens, Juliet needed to protect Annabeth. She'd offer herself as bait for Annabeth to think of a plan and then they'll escape together.
She wouldn't allow Luke to break her, nor would she let harm come to Annabeth.
Juliet nodded, there was no option left. Annabeth's muffled screams of protest passed away as background noise as Luke hauled Juliet up and turned to the demigods by the door, "Watch the other girl, I'll take this one up to the general."
Who was the general? Juliet's mind reeled as Luke pulled her through the hallways.
As Luke dragged Juliet through the dimly lit hallways, her mind raced with questions. Who was this general, and what was Luke going to do with her?
The twisting corridors seemed endless, and the air grew colder as they ascended a set of stairs. Juliet's mind remained sharp, seeking any clue or opportunity that could aid her escape. She stole glances around, memorizing the layout of the path they took, preparing herself for a moment when she could turn the tables.
Luke pushed her outside and the sunlight streamed in, Juliet had to blink twice to adjust to the sudden light as she looked around at where she was, they were on a mountain, She didn't know which one yet, but Luke was pulling her around and she would find out soon. There were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted. Ruins, what mountain had ruins?
She wracked her brain to try to come up with something. They picked their way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways, Luke held Juliet's arms as he dragged her forward. Soon they had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders a titan.
Juliet stopped, she realised what Luke had brought her here for and she felt. her soul shrivelling up. No! No! He wanted her to hold the roof of the world. He wanted her to take Atlas's place. She struggled within his grasp, trying to break free or step back, but Luke just held her tightly and pushed her forward.
The titan seemed to loom over the mountaintop. Juliet's mind raced, seeking any possible way to escape the incoming torture. The burden of holding the sky was no ordinary task, and the consequences of failure was being crushed to death.
She did not want to be crushed to death.
Luke's grip tightened, his gaze a little hesitant when he watched the tears of desperation drip down her eyes. He pushed Juliet closer to the titan. The swirling vortex of clouds created an eerie backdrop to the scenery.
She was going to die, she would die under the weight.
"Come here child," Atlas bellowed and Juliet didn't have much choice as she was pushed to her knees beside the titan, her hands and mouth still bound. No, no, gods no.
Luke came forward, there was a slight hesitance in his eyes before he slashed her restraints, Juliet moved to reach for her laurel but before she cold Atlas stood up and the sky fell on her shoulders.
It was the heaviest thing Juliet had ever felt, as if she were being crushed under a thousand trucks. She wanted to black out from the pain, but she breathed deeply. I can do this.
Her yell of pain came out muffled due to the gag in her mouth, she bit down on it harshly trying to control the pain. The sunshine shone down on her through the clouds, trying to heal her, to keep her alive but nothing could help.
Every muscle in her body turned to fire. Her bones felt like they were melting. she wanted to scream, but she didn't have the strength to open her mouth, again. Juliet began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky's weight crushing her. She concentrated on breathing. If she could just keep the sky aloft for some time. Percy will find her. She believed in him, he would find her.
She could do this, she pushed her hands up and screamed as she rose up higher and got on her knees. She could do this.
Her vision turned fuzzy. Everything was tinged with red. Sweat poured down her face. Her hands were slippery. Her shoulders would've screamed with agony if they could. Juliet felt like the vertebrae in her spine were being welded together by a blowtorch.
Atlas, towering beside her, seemed indifferent to her suffering. His booming voice echoed as he commanded her to hold the sky. The clouds above swirled ominously, casting shadows over the mountaintop. The sunlight, filtered through the dark vortex, offered little solace.
She didn't know what was happening around her, she just held the sky. She just tried to stay alive.
"It didn't have to be this way, Juliet," Luke knelt down infront of her, his gaze hesitant. "Everything would've been fine if you had joined willingly."
A bitter laugh, not entirely Juliet's own, echoed in the air. Luke hesitated, and in that moment, something otherworldly took hold. Juliet felt a presence, a voice that wasn't hers, but one that carried the weight of centuries.
"I curse you, Luke Castellan," the words spilled from her lips, but the echo of a long-gone hero lingered. "Nothing good ever comes from my fury. You'll suffer tenfold of the pain I have felt since Troy."
The atmosphere shifted, an invisible force charging the air with an ancient vendetta. The swirling clouds above seemed to respond, their ominous dance intensifying. Luke, momentarily taken aback, glanced around as if expecting an unseen adversary.
Juliet, caught in the duality of her own voice and that of Patroclus, felt a surge of power.
Luke, undeterred, tried to mask his unease with a scoff. "Empty threats won't save you, Juliet. You're still at my mercy."
But even as he spoke, the mountain trembled, a low, resonating rumble.
The curse had been spoken, and the consequences, both known and unknown, loomed over the future.
Percy snapped awake from his nightmare. His breaths coming out in short pants as he remembered what he'd seen, Juliet taking over the sky and screaming in pain.
Just a dream. He tried to assure himself, it was just a dream nothing else.
The train rumbled, they'd been on freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE, after killing the nemean lion in the museum.
Percy had fallen asleep in the Lamborghini, and woken up to dawn. He tried to stop his heart from hammering as voice said right next to him, "If it weren't for dreams, I wouldn't know half the things I know about the future. They're better than Olympus tabloids, you should take them seriously."
He looked over. Somehow, Percy wasn't surprised to find the homeless guy from the rail yard sitting in the shotgun seat. His jeans were so worn out they were almost white. His coat was ripped, with stuffing coming out. He looked kind of like a teddy bear that had been run over by a truck.
"Apollo?" Percy guessed.
He put his finger to his lips. "I'm incognito. Call me Fred."
"A god named Fred?"
"Eh, well... Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off, when there's a human quest. Even when something really major is wrong. But nobody messes with my baby sister or my daughter. Nobody."
"Can you help us, then?"
"I'm not fond of you Percy," Apollo snarked, his eyes blazing with anger, "But you can save my child, I've helped you as much as I can. Haven't you been looking outside?"
Percy gulped before questioning, "The train. How fast are we moving?"
Apollo calmed down slightly. "Fast enough. Unfortunately, we're running out of time. It's almost sunset. But I imagine we'll get you across a good chunk of America, at least."
"But where are Juliet and Artemis?"
His face darkened. "I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don't know that. They're... clouded from me. I don't like it. I just know,"
"Know what?"
"That my child is pain, Percy. I feel it in my bones, there is something wrong, Juliet has prayed to me, I know she prays because I feel the calling but I don't understand where she is."
Percy felt his heart simmer with dread, something was terribly wrong if a god was worried, "What about Annabeth?"
"She's with my daughter,"
"What about the monster Artemis was seeking?" Percy asked. "Do you know what it is?"
"No," Apollo said. "But there is one who might. If you haven't yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle."
"But it's your Oracle," Percy protested. "Can't you tell us what the prophecy means?"
Apollo sighed. "You think the business of the Oracle as so easy Percy? If that had been the process don't you think Juliet would've have found that despicable Achilles by ow with my help?"
"What's your deal with Achilles?" Percy asked, slightly defensive for no reason.
Apollo checked his watch. "Look at the time! I have to run. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Percy, but remember what I said save my child or I'll burn you to smithereens."
Percy looked outside then, as the train came to a halt. They'd arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.
And the count down to reach Juliet hung on his head as he walked out with his friends.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 ! All your comments got me posting this earlier than I wanted to😭