IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

All of my friends and family are dead, moved on to Elysium. I'll never be able to see them again. Jason is the only one still here, he decided to spend his afterlife as a ghost, helping out Nico with his job as Ghost King.

I visit every ten years, Hades lets me in. So, we have that... Things are different. I miss everyone, I still see Reyna and Thalia every now and then. The plant Grover reincarnated into is sitting on my windowsill, next to a juniper plant I grew. A photo of mom, Paul, Estelle and I lying next to the two pots.

I got to see everyone, Luke, Silena, Charlie, Castor. Everyone was waiting there. They were all waiting for someone, it broke my heart when I told Luke that Thalia and Annabeth are immortal now. They visit too, yeah... But it hurt to see him like that.

Now, as I'm standing on top of Half-Blood Hill again, going to visit the city, Annabeth isn't at my side. At least not like old times, we're friends now but that's a hole in my heart no one will be able to fill. I take a deep breath and run down the hill, the muddy grass staining my white sneakers, the wind messing up my hair. I'm happy, I'm content.

I've lost things, yes. I've gained things, yes. I'm broken, yes. But we all are.

So, even after everything, even as I run as fast as I can... I don't look back.