Percy had never been very good with dates. This was because, usually, when he liked a girl, monsters would show up and try to kill him before he could even figure out what he was feeling.
But, somehow, Rachel Elizabeth Dare didn't seem to mind.
The two walked side by side on the beach, the tide lapping at their feet. The wind ruffled Rachel's red hair, which was as bright as a flare, but she didn't seem to notice. Ever since Percy had saved her from a Cyclops earlier that summer, she'd accepted the mythological world like it was just another elective at school.
"So," Rachel said, kicking a pebble across the sand, "let me get this straight. You dragged me to a demigod camp because you need me to get into a killer labyrinth filled with monsters, death traps, and probably a Minotaur or two?"
"Basically," Percy replied.
She narrowed her eyes.
"You know, other people ask someone out in a more traditional way, right? Like, I don't know, dinner and a movie?"
"Hey, I asked! And you said yes."
"Because you said it was important!"
"It was an official request from a Greek hero," Percy argued, holding up his hands. "Chiron allowed you to come because we need your help."
Rachel snorted.
"Okay, but how exactly? I don't know how to fight. I don't have any special powers. All I do is see through the Mist. What does that make me? A human GPS?"
"Pretty much."
She crossed her arms.
"Great. And I thought my greatest contribution to life would be painting illegal murals on abandoned buildings."
Percy laughed, but a part of him was still processing everything that had happened before he'd left to get her.
From the moment they entered the Labyrinth, it was clear this would be a problem. It was constantly changing. Walls would appear out of nowhere. Corridors closed behind them. Passages they had just used simply evaporated.
And then they met Janus.
The minor god had two faces, which was as creepy as it sounded. He cornered them in a Roman room and offered Annabeth two doors. One would lead to success. The other… well, not so much. But he refused to say which was which.
Before Annabeth could decide, Hera appeared.
(Percy's mental note: if the Queen of the Gods appears out of nowhere and says she needs to talk to you, you can bet there's trouble.)
Hera brushed Janus aside like he was a pushy waiter and said Annabeth would still have to make her choice, but not right then. Then, the goddess offered them one wish.
Annabeth didn't hesitate. She asked for a way to navigate the Labyrinth.
Hera just smiled and said:
"You already have what you need."
Which wasn't helpful at all.
They continued exploring the Labyrinth and ended up in Alcatraz (yes, the prison). There, they found Briares, the Hecatonchires. He was a monster with a hundred hands, which seemed amazing until they discovered he was so depressed from being imprisoned for centuries that he didn't want to fight anymore.
Even after they freed him, he basically said:
"Thanks, but I think I'll just stay here."
It was… frustrating.
After a few more twists and turns, they ended up at the Triple G Ranch. They tried to resolve the situation peacefully, but Geryon tricked them and tried to imprison them. That was his mistake. Clarisse, Nico (yes, he had run away and entered the labyrinth saying he wanted to experience an adventure), and Annabeth were way above average when it came to fighting. Long story short: Geryon had a very bad day.
That was when they met Hephaestus.
The smith god gave them a clue: the Labyrinth didn't follow logical rules. And the key to navigating it wasn't strength, nor strategy. It was a mortal with clear sight.
That's when Percy knew he needed Rachel.
Rachel watched him, waiting for more details.
"So," she said, "I'm your official Labyrinth GPS."
"Something like that," Percy replied.
She sighed.
"You know, if you'd told me this a few months ago, I would have said you were crazy."
"You still can."
"No. Now I know you're crazy. But… it's okay. I'm in."
"Really?"
She smiled.
"Percy, if there's one thing I like, it's breaking the rules. And this sounds like the biggest rule-breaking of my life."
Percy smiled as they continued walking. He had introduced the whole Camp Half-Blood to Rachel since he brought her.... But thinking about it, he frowned.
It wasn't about Rachel, no...
He was worried something would happen to her.
Something about this quest felt different.
Maybe it was because, for the first time, he knew exactly what Kronos was planning and the thought was simply horrifying.
He looked at Rachel, who walked carefree beside him, as if traveling through the Labyrinth was no big deal. She didn't even notice how chaotic that world could be. Maybe that was what he admired most about her.
"You seem worried," she commented, narrowing her eyes. "More than usual, I mean."
Percy hesitated. He didn't want to overload her with information before they even started. But, at the same time, he couldn't get the image of the Telkhines out of his head.
"It's just..." He took a deep breath. "Remember I told you we met Hephaestus?"
Rachel nodded.
"Well, before that, Annabeth, Clarisse and I discovered what the enemies were doing in his forges."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "And what was it?"
Percy felt a shiver as he remembered. Those creatures seemed more diabolical than normal monsters, with their canine bodies and evil eyes gleaming under the light of the molten fire. But the worst part wasn't seeing them—it was hearing them.
"The Telkhines were forging a weapon," he said slowly. "A scythe."
Rachel blinked. "Scythe... like, a farmer's thing?"
"Like, an evil Titan's thing who wants to destroy the world."
She was silent for a moment. "Wait. You mean *the* scythe? The one Kronos used to—"
"—cut his own father into little pieces? Yeah. That one."
Rachel whistled. "Well, that sounds... bad."
"You have no idea." Percy ran his hand through his hair, wet from the sea spray. "The thing is, we defeated the Telkhines easily. Like they were no big deal. And that bothers me."
Rachel frowned. "Why? Did you want them to be harder to defeat?"
"It's not that." He looked at the ocean, where the waves reflected the twilight. "If Kronos is trying to rebuild himself and bring the Titans back to power, restoring his scythe should be the priority, right?"
"Makes sense."
"So why was the security so weak? Why did they let us discover that so easily?" He shook his head. "It feels like a distraction."
Rachel became thoughtful. "Meaning... while you were worried about the scythe, Kronos was up to something else."
"Exactly." Percy sighed. "And I have no idea what it could be."
She kicked the sand, pensive. "And you think this has something to do with the Labyrinth?"
"If it does, we have a giant problem."
Rachel smiled sideways. "Well, now I'm excited. Let's figure it out together, Jackson."
He smiled, but deep down, that worry wouldn't leave him. If this really was a distraction, then Kronos' real plan was still in motion. And, the last time that happened, a god was ripped in half.
Tomorrow, they would enter the Labyrinth. And, hopefully, come out alive.
They would also have to look for Grover, Tyson and Nico who hadn't come out of there yet, they had separated and Tyson and Nico went with Grover after Pan....
… …
Clarisse stared at the makeshift grave, her knuckles white from gripping her spear. The wind howled atop Zeus' Fist, but she barely felt the cold. All she could feel was rage.
She didn't cry. She never cried. At least, not in front of others.
But this… this was different.
Silena Beauregard was dead. Not because she was caught by surprise, or because she wasn't strong enough. Because she went after Luke herself.
Clarisse gritted her teeth. Since they entered the Labyrinth, she'd been waiting to find him. She dreamt of the moment she would drive her spear into him and make him pay for what he did. But no. The bastard didn't even show up.
And the worst part? Percy didn't say anything. No explanation. No answer. As if there was something he couldn't tell her.
But Clarisse wasn't stupid. She knew it had something to do with Ikki and what happened between Silena and him...
She tightened her grip on the spear, her knuckles turning white. It was obvious, now that she thought about it. Silena was always loyal, always the type of person who put others before herself. And Ikki... well, he wasn't just her friend. He was her crush.
And now he was gone. Again.
"What were you thinking, Silena?" she murmured, her eyes burning.
Maybe it was her fault. If she had paid more attention, if she had done something, maybe her best friend wouldn't have gotten into this.
"You're here again."
Chris Rodriguez's voice came from behind her, but Clarisse didn't turn around.
"What do you want?" she growled.
He sighed, walking up to stand beside her.
"You know this isn't going to change anything, right?"
Clarisse clenched her fists.
"If I'd found Luke in the Labyrinth, it would have."
Chris was silent.
"He'll pay," she said, her voice sharp as a blade, "For everything he did to her..."
Chris sighed, he ran a hand through his hair, clearly choosing his words carefully.
"I'm not going to tell you to forget about it," he began. "Or to move on."
Clarisse let out a dry laugh. "Good. Because I wouldn't."
He shook his head.
"But you know that killing Luke isn't going to bring Silena back."
Clarisse turned to him with a furious expression.
"This isn't about bringing her back! It's about justice!"
Chris didn't flinch. He just crossed his arms and waited for her to finish venting.
"He used her, Chris," Clarisse continued, breathing heavily. "He took advantage of her huge heart, her kindness. And now she's dead."
Chris nodded slowly, as if choosing his words very carefully.
"I know. And you have every right to be angry."
Clarisse scoffed.
"That's great. Good to know my anger has official approval."
Chris ignored the sarcasm.
"I'm just saying you can't let this consume you."
Clarisse gripped her spear, the tip digging into the dry earth.
"I'm not in the mood for a motivational speech, Rodriguez."
"It's not a speech. It's a warning." He took a deep breath. "I've seen this happen before. When a demigod lets anger take over… it never ends well."
She spun on her heels, eyes burning.
"And what do you want me to do, then? Pretend everything's okay? Accept that that bastard got away with it?"
Chris didn't back down.
"No. I want you to be smart."
Clarisse laughed, humorlessly.
"You think I'm stupid?"
Chris sighed. "Clarisse, I know you're one of the best fighters at Camp. I know you're strong enough to take down anyone. But this isn't just any battle. If you go after Luke with only anger, you'll end up like—"
He stopped, but Clarisse understood what he didn't say.
She gritted her teeth.
"Like Silena."
Chris looked away.
Clarisse felt something inside her break.
She didn't want to hear anything else.
"Go away, Rodriguez."
Chris hesitated.
"Clarisse—"
"I said, leave me alone."
She didn't look at him as she spoke. Just stared at the makeshift grave, as if she could see Silena smiling at her, saying everything would be alright.
But it wasn't.
Chris was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay."
He turned and walked away, his footsteps sinking into the dry earth.
Clarisse stood there, alone with the biting wind and the pain she didn't want to admit.
She thought about Ikki.
She thought about how Silena always looked at him. How she talked about him without even realizing she was smiling.
And then she thought about the fact that he wasn't there.
And now Silena was dead.
Clarisse gripped her spear until her knuckles were white.
If Ikki had been there, would it have been different?
She didn't know.
But she knew one thing.
The next time she saw Ikki, she would make sure she got some answers.
…
..
.
Annabeth let the hot water cascade down her back, trying to ease the tension that had accumulated in her muscles.
Her body, strong and well-defined from years of training, was on full display. Her arms were firm, yet feminine, her abdomen sculpted with subtle lines, her curves were perfect, large breasts and a firm, shapely butt. Her hair was much longer than five months ago, and she had learned to enjoy keeping it loose to relax or to shower...
But in that moment, all she wanted was to forget. Just for an instant.
She let out a long sigh, tilting her head back as droplets of water slid down her skin. Her mind, however, gave her no respite. Ever since she entered the Labyrinth, something had been bothering her, something that had nothing to do with monsters or death traps.
Ikki.
His name echoed in her mind like thunder, as inevitable as it was irritating. That idiot had disappeared for five months. Five. And not a word. No message. Nothing. As if he'd simply vanished.
She knew he was fine, of course he was. Ikki wasn't the type to get hurt easily. He was the strongest person she knew, the closest thing to a god any demigod had ever seen. But that didn't mean she didn't worry.
It was stupid, but when she entered the Labyrinth for the first time, a part of her really believed she might find him. That somehow, the path would twist in an unexpected way and he would be there, with that calm and provocative look, as if he'd never left.
But the Labyrinth only brought her more questions. And no answers.
She bit her lip, irritated with herself. Since when did she become this kind of person? Since when did she let someone affect her like this?
Perhaps since Ikki came into her life.
Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a knot in her stomach. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she was completely, desperately in love with him, and she wanted him no matter what; even after knowing he liked Artemis at one point, she didn't give up...
Annabeth turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body as she stepped out of the stall. The warm steam still filled the bathroom, and she rubbed her blonde hair with a second towel before briefly glancing at herself in the fogged mirror. Her gaze was serious, determined, but there was something else there. Something she didn't want to admit.
She dressed quickly—comfortable shorts and a loose camp T-shirt—and then threw herself on the bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion take over her body. Tomorrow, they would enter the Labyrinth again.
The mere thought made her clench her jaw. The Labyrinth was unpredictable, ever-changing, a living, treacherous creature that seemed to revel in the demigods' confusion. But she couldn't afford to make a mistake. They needed to find Daedalus before Luke. Before it was too late.
She turned to the nightstand beside the bed and picked up one of the books she'd set aside: *The Architecture of Daedalus.* A study of the designs of Ancient Greece's greatest inventor. It was a rare copy she'd found in the camp library, and if there were any clues about Daedalus's mind, they might be in there.
She flipped through the pages, trying to focus, but her mind wandered. Not to the Labyrinth. Not to Luke.
Ikki.
She huffed, annoyed with herself, but couldn't help it. As her eyes scanned the words about Daedalus's impossible constructions, she thought about how easily Ikki would understand it. How he would make a sarcastic comment about the inventor's ego or point out a detail she hadn't noticed.
Annabeth sighed and rolled over in bed, pulling the sheet over herself. She needed to rest.
She needed to be ready for tomorrow.
But she couldn't help but wonder, where was he?