CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
—dumb injuries

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—DEATH was decidedly less relieving than Judith had been led to believe. Like, weren't your physical ailments and worldly pains supposed to dissolve so all that remained was your soul? And where was the line to get into serene Elysium, or even just the Asphodel Meadows? ( She had been hero enough for that, right? )

But instead of floating peacefully in some cosmic realm, Judith felt a body-curling shoot of pain that wracked through her spine. Definitely a sensation she hadn't anticipated in her vision of the afterlife. Did the dead get growing pains?

The surroundings were a murky haze, the transition from consciousness to ... whatever this was, had been far from seamless. It felt like she was drifting in a surreal dreamscape, with glimpses of distorted reality appearing and disappearing like fragments of a broken mirror.

The awareness of being inert, unable to move or speak, started to gnaw at her. If this was death, then why did she still feel so tangled in the remnants of the battle? Was this some sort of lingering limbo, a realm between life and whatever awaited beyond?

The sensation of pain intensified, jolting Judith out of the murky limbo. It hit her like a surge of electricity, her body lurching as awareness flooded back. Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim surroundings.

As consciousness clawed its way back, Judith found herself in a makeshift infirmary back in the Plaza Hotel. Silena was by her side, dabbing her forehead with a wet cloth, and Percy sat at her other side, his expression etched with concern.

"Judith!" Percy's voice was a mixture of relief and worry. "You're awake."

Judith winced as she tried to sit up, her body protesting with residual pain. Silena gently urged her to lie back down. "Easy there. You took quite a hit."

A groan escaped Judith's lips, and she surveyed her surroundings. No one seemed to be in a panicked rush, but it was still very clear that the battle was far from won. Damn.

"What happened?" she rasped, her voice still rough from the ordeal.

Percy leaned in, his sea-green eyes looking especially shiny. "You took on a legion by yourself, then Ethan Nakamura got a cheap shot. But we drove Kronos back. We're holding the line."

Silena continued to fuss over the heat coming off her head, offering a reassuring smile. "You gave it your all out there, Judith."

It sure felt like it, she grumbled silently to herself, hand sneakily reaching out for Percy's over the side of the lawn chair. A shiver of pain racked through her the same moment their skin connected. It was a near instant soothe as his thumb swiped over her knuckles.

"Ambrosia?" she asked, the aches still oncoming.

"We got you to eat quite a bit a little while ago. You're already burning up inside, so...best not to risk it," Silena answered pityingly.

"And I still feel like this?" She tensed, and if Percy had been just a little less cursed, she knew the bones in his hand would be dust.

He leaned up and over her, looking her up and down, hardly bothered by the force she was gripping him with. "Where does it hurt?"

"Uh, everywhere?"

"Right," he settled back down, face scrunched in a worried way. Judith rolled her eyes over it, but instantly regretted it when a headache spawned. "Your...spot's healed okay on the surface, but I think Nakamura's knife was poisoned. Your body is fighting that off."

Judith was honestly shocked she was alive. The weak spot was—well, it was supposed to be weak. A little arrow had taken out mighty Achilles. And she had not only been hit but poisoned?

"So you're saying I'm poisoned?" She just had to check.

"He didn't pierce deep. It was just a small scratch, really," Percy said lowly. "But it was enough."

"So, what? I could still be dying? The curse doesn't protect against internal injuries." She was doing her best to stay calm. Calm would keep her blood from boiling. Calm was just a bit hard when you were dying at 15.

"We know, Judith. We were actually just discussing bringing you back to camp before you woke up, to the Golden Fleece," Silena explained. "I offered to take you back...I was already planning on going to try one last crack at convincing Clarisse to come."

"You mean leave?" Judith coughed, trying to sit up.

No. No. She was supposed to be here.

This was war.

She was the daughter of war personified.

The war was here.

Her friends were here.

Percy was here.

"No."

Percy pushed her shoulders back down. "I think...it would be best. You're in no condition to walk, let alone fight. With how strong the fleece is, you could be back to normal in minutes. And if that's the case, then you can come back with Silena and your siblings." Quietly, he implored, "Please, Judith."

She held his gaze, the fire in her eyes slowly dimming as his concern began to sink in. Her resolve wavered, just a little, as she took in the full weight of the situation.

Percy must have noticed the slight shift because he leaned in closer, his voice soft but firm. "Judith, you've already done more than anyone could ask. You fought off two legions basically on your own and survived an attack that should've been fatal. But if you stay here, and something happens... I don't know what I'd do."

There was a raw vulnerability in his words that cut through her stubbornness. She had seen him in battle, seen him face down monsters that would make others crumble, but this was different. He wasn't just a warrior pleading with her to make a tactical retreat; he was the boy who cared for her, terrified of losing her.

Judith's chest tightened, the fight draining out of her. She glanced at Silena, who gave her a small, encouraging nod, then back to Percy. His eyes were practically begging her to agree, to be safe.

"Okay," she whispered, barely able to believe she was saying it. "Okay, I'll go back to camp."

Relief washed over his face, and he squeezed her hand like he'd just been pulled back from the edge of a cliff. "Thank you," he breathed, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead.

She almost flinched away at the sudden display in front of Silena, but she found she didn't mind it.

"You'll take Blackjack," Percy said as he drew back. "He's been resting up on the rooftop."

He stood up and crouched right back down to pick Judith up from her temporary bed. She hissed, and with quite a bit of embarrassing and painful grunting and groaning, he walked her out of the lobby and out the front door of the hotel.

Judith could have sworn she saw Kya from the Apollo cabin swoon over the sight as they passed.

With a sharp whistle from behind his teeth, he called out to the black pegasus somewhere above them.

Within moments, the sound of wings beating the air grew closer, and Blackjack descended gracefully from the sky, landing softly in front of them. The majestic pegasus snorted, as if he already knew what was happening.

After a few mutters from Percy, Blackjack lowered himself.

Percy, still cradling Judith in his arms, moved toward him. Silena was already mounting up, ready to help steady Judith once she was seated. "Hold on tight," Percy whispered as he gently lifted her onto Blackjack's back, settling her behind the girl. She winced as pain flared up in her gut, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.

Silena twisted slightly to secure Judith in place, her hands gentle yet firm. "I've got you," she assured. "Just lean on me if you need to."

She nodded, trying to relax despite the throbbing pain coursing through her. She felt small and fragile, weak. She hadn't felt this feeble...ever, probably.

Percy took a step back, his hand lingering on her forearm for a moment longer than necessary. His eyes locked with hers, filled with a mix of worry, determination, and something deeper—something that made Judith's heart clench in her chest.

"Be careful," she just about demanded, but her voice was barely above a whisper. The fear of leaving him behind gnawed at her, more painful than any of her injuries.

He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I will."

She took a shaky breath, trying to maintain her composure. "If you die while I'm gone, I swear I'll find a way to bring you back just to kill you myself."

That finally pulled a genuine smile from him, and he leaned in, his forehead resting against hers for just a brief—too brief—moment. "Deal," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "But I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you get back. I promise."

Judith's heart ached as he pulled away, the distance between them feeling like a chasm. "You better be," she whispered, her hand gripping his one last time.

Percy stepped back, nodding to Silena. "Take care of her."

"I will," Silena promised, giving Judith a reassuring squeeze before gently guiding Blackjack into the air.

As they lifted off, Judith's eyes stayed locked on Percy, watching as he grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

That fleece was going to work. And she was going to come back for the war, for her friends, for him.

And as the city below blurred into a mosaic of lights and shadows, Judith silently vowed that nothing would keep her from returning to Percy's side. Not the poison, not the gods, not even the fates themselves

Judith was in and out of consciousness for the duration of the flight. Luckily, she managed to stay latched to Silena's back even while out of it.

The familiar landscape of Camp Half-Blood came into view one second, Judith blinked, and then suddenly they were landing. Blackjack descended softly, his hooves barely making a sound on the grass as they approached Thalia's old pine tree.

"Come on, let's get you to the Fleece," Silena murmured, sliding off Blackjack and carefully helping Judith down. The world tilted slightly as Judith's feet touched the ground, and she had to lean heavily on Silena to keep from collapsing.

They moved quickly, Silena half-carrying, half-dragging Judith toward the tree. There was no one else around—most of the campers were either at the front lines in Manhattan or preparing for battle. The camp felt eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle replaced by an anxious stillness.

The fleece's warm glow seemed to pulse with life above them. Silena helped her down onto the grass, positioning her beneath the tree where the fleece hung. "Stay still," Silena instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Judith gritted her teeth, her body screaming in protest as she tried to settle. "Like I've got a choice," she muttered, more annoyed at her own weakness than anything else. The warmth of the fleece began to seep into her bones, and she forced herself to relax

As the fleece's magic started working, Judith glanced up at Silena, noticing the determined set of her friend's jaw. There was something more going on here, something she wasn't saying, and it set Judith on edge.

"Alright, spit it out," Judith rasped, her voice rough. "What's going on? You've got that look, that same one from earlier at the Empire State Building."

Silena hesitated, then sighed. "I'm going to do what needs to be done. You just focus on getting better."

Judith narrowed her eyes, not liking the cryptic answer one bit. She'd dealt with too much of this lately to stand for any more of it. "If this is some noble sacrifice bullshit, I swear to the gods—"

"It's not," Silena cut in, her tone firm. "Just... trust me on this.

Judith grunted in response, not entirely convinced. But the fleece was already starting to pull her under, its magic doing its work faster than she'd expected. "Fine," she managed to say, though there was still a part of her that wanted to argue.

Silena smirked, giving Judith a quick squeeze on the shoulder. "Deal. Now shut up and get some rest."

Judith didn't argue, but she kept her eyes on Silena as long as she could, watching as her friend turned and made her way down the hill. There was something in Silena's step that set her teeth on edge, but the fleece's magic was already tugging her into a deep, healing sleep.

As she drifted off, Judith's last coherent thought was one of irritation, cursing herself for being in this position in the first place.

She was plunged into a world of darkness, a nightmare that felt all too real.

She stood in the middle of a vast, barren landscape, the sky above her swirling with ominous clouds that crackled with red lightning. The air was thick with the scent of blood and smoke, and the ground beneath her feet was littered with the remnants of a battle—broken weapons, discarded shields, and lifeless bodies scattered like fallen leaves.

Judith's heart pounded in her chest as she looked around, trying to get her bearings. But the more she tried to make sense of her surroundings, the more disoriented she became. Everything felt wrong, twisted, like she was standing on the edge of a precipice, staring down into an abyss that threatened to swallow her whole.

A low, mocking laugh echoed through the air, and Judith spun around to face the source, her hand instinctively reaching for a scimitar that wasn't there. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw herself standing just a few feet away—but this wasn't the Judith she knew.

This was the dark Judith, the one Hestia had warned her about.

She was bathed in shadows, her form barely distinguishable from the darkness that surrounded her. The only colors that stood out were the glowing red of her eyes and the golden dust that coated her skin, giving her an otherworldly, almost ethereal appearance. Her expression was cold, unfeeling, a mask of ruthlessness that sent a shiver down Judith's spine.

"Why are you so afraid?" the dark Judith asked, her voice a low, sinister whisper that seemed to reverberate through the very ground beneath them. "This is who you are—who you've always been."

Judith shook her head, taking a step back, her pulse quickening. "No. That's not me. I would never—"

"Wouldn't you?" the dark Judith interrupted, her eyes narrowing. "You've felt it, haven't you? The power burning inside you, the hunger for battle, for blood. You've always known it was there, just beneath the surface."

Judith's throat tightened as she remembered the inferno she'd felt during the fight, the raw power that had surged through her veins, nearly overwhelming her. It had scared her then, and it scared her now.

The dark Judith took a step closer, her red eyes gleaming with malice. "You can't deny it. You're a daughter of Ares—war is in your blood, in your soul. You were born to fight, to conquer, to destroy."

"No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm not like that. I fight to protect the people I care about, not to—"

"Lies," the dark Judith spat, her voice rising. "You're lying to yourself, Judith. You can't hide from the truth. Look around you."

With a wave of her hand, the dark Judith gestured to the landscape, and suddenly, the bodies on the ground were no longer faceless. They were her friends, her comrades—people she cared about. Percy, Annabeth, Silena, Clarisse, and others, all lying motionless at her feet, their eyes empty and cold.

Her breath hitched as she took a step back, horror flooding her senses. "No...no, this isn't real. It can't be real."

The dark Judith smirked, a cruel, twisted smile. "But it is. This is what happens when you lose control, when you let the power consume you. This is your future, Judith—unless you embrace who you truly are."

Judith's heart raced, her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of the nightmare. "I would never hurt them," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I would never betray them."

The dark Judith tilted her head, her red eyes boring into Judith's soul. "Betrayal? You think this is about betrayal?" She laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "This is about power. Control. You have the strength to protect them, to keep them safe—but only if you stop fighting who you are."

Judith clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I won't become you. I won't let this power turn me into a monster."

The dark Judith's smile faded, replaced by a look of cold disdain. "You can't fight forever. One day, you'll see the truth—you'll see that the only way to survive is to embrace the darkness."

With that, the dark Judith lunged forward, her red eyes blazing with fury. Judith tried to move, to defend herself, but she was frozen in place, rooted to the spot as her darker self closed in.

Just as the dark Judith's hand reached out to touch her, everything went black. The nightmare vanished, leaving her in a void of nothingness, her heart pounding in her chest.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was back beneath the Golden Fleece, her body drenched in sweat and her breathing ragged. The warmth of the Fleece still surrounded her, but the lingering fear from the nightmare clung to her like a shroud.

She sat up slowly, her mind still reeling from the vision. Hestia's warning echoed in her ears, and for the first time, she truly understood the danger she was in—not just from the war, but from herself. The power inside her was real, and if she wasn't careful, it could consume her, just as the dark Judith had said—just as Phobos and Deimos warned.

But Judith wasn't ready to give in, not yet. She had fought too hard, come too far to let fear dictate her fate. She would find a way to control the power without losing herself in the process. Without burning up.

NOTES ;

Guys, I think it's just my thing to take a whole year to update.

In all honesty, I think what's stopping me is that I really don't want this story to end. Like I've been writing for Judith for so long that NOT writing her feels wrong.

(Other factors that may go into me not writing
-Wattpad just sucks now. Like why do I have to watch ads between EVERY chapter now??
-My hyper fixations are freaking f1 and jjk, so I only want to write that
-I have a clingy bf that I love, but he really leaves no room for me to just write)

But it must be done. We're literally in the endgame now. I just need to finish it all up

I'm not super happy with this chapter, but we need the transition from fighting to Silena's plan. And who doesn't love a little hurt/comfort and angst??

Also sappy Judith. Gosh, who knew death could make you so lovey dovey?? Will she go back to her hardheaded self? Who knows?

So these flashes of Dark Judith are more to set up a future book in the Heroes of Olympus series. I don't think I'll be taking us that far anymore, however I didn't want to completely cut myself off. I do have a plan to wrap this up properly if I don't plan to write more. But don't expect Dark Judith to become a thing in the next few chapters...

Guys, I don't think my heart can handle next chapter. Oh, Silena :(

Hopefully it won't take me a gazillion years to get out the next chapter. See you then!