Luke and Annabeth

{Camp Half-Blood, 4th of June 2006}

Annabeth POV

"Thalia, what am I going to do? They say that Luke allied with Kronos, that he has turned against Olympus, that we need to hunt him down." I confessed, as I lay next to the tree. Tears slowly descending down my cheeks from my grey eyes. 

"If you were here what would you do?" I cried once more, then as it always happened something fell on my shoulder, a white substance I looked up at one of Odysseus' crown with a shit eating grin on his face, they always did this when I visited Thalia, probably a cruel joke that Odysseus came up with.

But I couldn't stand it anymore, Luke the person I cared the most about had left camp without a notice, then his treason was announced in camp, and I couldn't even cry in piece at one of my best friends' grave. I looked up and yelled, "Stop doing that, you stupid crow. Let me grieve in peace."

Then only response I got was the crow turning and showing me it's behind, I was about to unsheath my dagger and throw at it at the dumb animal, when a voice disturbed those thoughts.

"Randy leave her alone, come back later to protect the tree."

The crow nodded at it's masters words performing a salute and flying away, I turned to see the voice of said 'master', Odysseus, the perfect demigod, the pride of Chiron, the greatest camper in the last 2000 years, and I hated him.

He walked closer to me, kneeling before Thalia's tree. "I'm sorry about that, I'll tell them to let you approach the tree."

"Don't."

"Don't, what?" He asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Don't act all nice around me, not now, not ever. I don't need your sympathy."

He simply sighed at my words, putting his hand over the tree's trunk, closing his eyes. Dark treads started to enter the tree through all of it's cracks, I wondered what he was doing but I didn't bother asking. The only thing I didn't hate about him was the fact that he would probably be the first one to give his life for Thalia's tree so I was sure he wasn't doing anything bad about it.

Then in the middle of whatever he was doing his voice rung out once more, "Look Annabeth, I know we don't get along. But-"

"That's the understatement of the century."

"But," he continued. "I do know what it's like losing a person important to you, in the way Luke was to you."

I looked at him once more a sad smile on his face, his pupils slightly shrunken while he looked at the pine tree.

"So just so you know it isn't entirely Luke's fault for his actions, the gods' carelessness, Kronos' sly mouth, Luke's childhood. Everything was what culminated his betrayal."

I simply huffed at his words.

"But that doesn't mean his actions can be forgiven or forgotten. He still did said actions and even if he were to repent, the gods would make him suffer a fate much worse than what Kronos would bring upon the world."

"What are you getting at?" I asked getting irritated at the sound of his voice.

"Ok, straight to the point," he answered. "Do you know anyplace Luke would have wanted to stay at, something he may have said in idle conversation."

Ok, now I was made all that sweet talk of understanding me, was just that sweet talk. He just wanted a lead to figure out where Luke was, to bring him to the gods.

"I don't know," I muttered back.

"Are you sure, anything at all could help us, help the -."

"I DON'T KNOW OKAY, I DON'T." I shouted back, standing up and leaving back towards camp. It was the truth I really didn't know where Luke could be, otherwise I'd go there and I was sure I could talk him down of whatever he was planning. I was sure I could do it.

{Underworld, 4th of June 2006}

Luke POV

"Luke if you want to survive in Tartarus, you need to bathe in it."

"Fine," I replied. I started to take off my clothes, then wrapped a rope around my waist giving it to a Lastrygonian. 

"Ten minutes, after that pull me out. Understood." I ordered towards the canadian cannibal.

"Yes sir, I understand."

With a final inhale, I started walking towards the river of hatred, the Styx. It's black running water, the broken toys, ripped diplomas, I could feel the lack of hope in it and dreams, making my hair stand up. First my feet, I walked deeper and deeper into the river feeling the burning of the river's water, finally my head went underwater.

The pain was unbearable worse than anything I had ever experienced. It stung, burnt, froze all at once. I couldn't see anything since I had my eyes closed but it felt as if my skin was being torn off. It felt like an eternity had passed, but according to the faint murmurs I could hear form Kronos only two minutes had passed.

The agony was indescribable, a torment that reached down to the very marrow of my bones. Every nerve in my body screamed in protest, but I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to endure it. I had made this choice—to bathe in the River Styx, to become strong enough to turn Olympus upside down. But now, submerged in this river of hate and despair, I questioned whether any power was worth this price.

The water pressed in on all sides, as if it were alive, trying to crush me, drown me, erase me from existence.

Memories of my life flashed through my mind—, my mother's decent into madness, that wretched house that almost killed us on our way to camp, the cycploses who came after us, the hellhounds, Thalia's death, my bullshit of a quest, Ladon scarring me, the failure that my 'father' had in me after that, Odysseus beating me the first and second time. If these things were supposed to deter me, they did the opposite, hatred burned inside me, hatred to survive, hatred to prove everyone wrong, hatred to thrive.

The pain grew sharper, more intense. My skin felt like it was peeling away, layer by layer, exposing raw nerves to the icy fire of the river. I could hear Kronos's voice faintly, like a distant echo, urging me to hold on, to resist. But even his voice seemed far away, drowned out by the overwhelming roar of the Styx.

'Hold on', I told myself. 'Just hold on a little longer.'

But every second felt like a lifetime, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take. My thoughts grew hazy, and I struggled to remember why I was even doing this. Why had I chosen this path? Was it for power, for revenge, or was it something deeper, something I hadn't fully understood until now? Still the memories, my memories kept me conscious.

Then, just when I thought I couldn't endure any longer, the rope around my waist jerked violently, and I felt myself being yanked backward. The Lastrygonian was pulling me out, just as I had commanded. The force of the pull was strong, dragging me out of the suffocating embrace of the river. I gasped as my head broke the surface, the air cold and sharp against my burning skin. The agony didn't fade completely, but it dulled slightly, allowing me to focus again.

I was pulled fully out of the river, and I collapsed onto the rocky bank, gasping for breath. But I was alive. Barely, but alive. Then I felt, the strength, I was stronger, much, much stronger than ever before, for a moment it felt exhilarating.

The Lastrygonian loomed over me, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and respect. "You did it, sir," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "You survived."

I didn't respond immediately, still trying to regain my bearings. My skin felt different, harder, as if it had been transformed into something less human, more… immortal. I looked down at my hands, expecting to see burns or scars, but they were unmarked. I immediatly took my hand to my face, but what I hoped wasn't there, still was, Ladon's scar a reminder of my failure.

"Of course I survived," I finally managed to say, though my voice was hoarse and raw. I forced myself to stand, even though my legs felt weak and unsteady. The Lastrygonian offered a hand to help me, but I waved him away. I needed to stand on my own, to prove to myself that I was still in control.

Kronos's presence stirred within me, a dark whisper in the back of my mind. 'Well done, Luke,' he murmured. 'Now bring me the bolt and the helm, I'll, reform, burst out and return the Age of the Titans, the Golden Age. With you by my side.'

I nodded, to his words, but then I felt it, a weak spot, my Achilles heel. Under my armpit the only place I could feel that wasn't as strong as the rest of my body, it was jarring to say the least to feel the difference.

"Let's get going," I said, my voice stronger now. "We have work to do."

The Lastrygonian nodded and handed me my clothes. As I dressed, I could still feel the lingering effects of the Styx, the hateful memories embbeded into my mind. The path I had chosen was set, and I would see it through to the end.

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