IMPORTANT!!!
ONLY READ IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THE PREVIOUS (although horrible) CHAPTERS AS READING THIS BEFORE READING CHAPTER 2 WILL CAUSE CONFUSION.

This is only a preview of chapter 1, and if I'm being honest, I might end up editing things here and there in this chapter when I finally post all of it. But I guess you guys deserve to see some sort of update.

Hope this gives you a good enough taste of what's to come!

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Percy's POV

After travelling for months, slaying monsters, going through the literal definition of hell, nose-bleeding the Earth alive and seeing a guy who you thought was dead arrive with a girl you never thought you'd see again, you'd think you'd need a break. Hey, turns out, I'm able to get one.

For maybe a couple weeks or so.

Most of the monsters who fought for Gaia are either waiting to reform in Tartarus or in hiding across the world. If some are unlucky, they'll come across a few demigods and be turned to dust before they could even say, "Wasn't me!" If I was needed, someone would call me for sure, but everyone agreed the least I deserved was a rest. How often have I managed to rest without the weight of a prophecy on my shoulders, whether I knew about it or not?

Dam, I jinxed that, didn't I? But why would a demigod be assigned three Great Prophecies anyway? You'd have to be messed up to do that.

I jinxed that too. Dam it.

I thanked Argus, our hundred-eyed security guard, for delivering me back home, a place I'd been waiting to see after so long. But I want to see my mom the most. I haven't seen her since Hera - the worst person in existence - decided to wipe my memory and swap me with Jason, and I could imagine her worrying. The thought of seeing her again warmed my heart. It's impossible not to love my mom. And if you didn't, then you're just crazy.

I took a deep inhale and allowed myself to smile genuinely, my hand on one strap of my backpack containing the few items I packed as I climbed the stairs to the apartment. The feel of the new apartment building really signified a change in my life. But when I thought of change, a familiar unnerving feeling settled in my gut. Out of habit, I checked to see if Riptide was in my pocket.

A couple of steps further and my feet landed on our apartment's floor. All was simple in this apartment building, only the occasional door decorations or "Home" doormats giving character to any of the apartments. However, one small thing stuck out of place.

Mom's apartment door was open. No one would leave their apartment door open like that unless they weren't totally worried someone would barge in.

It seems like bad guys don't rest either, do they?

I crept closer to the door and small specks of yellow liquid tainted the door. Upon closer inspection, the liquid glittered in the sunlight. Ichor. A regular monster couldn't have bled ichor; mortal weapons would've passed through. They couldn't have been injured by a demigod weapon either since even the smallest slice would end with them collapsing into dust. Someone or something had been here. So, if my mom and Paul were forced to use the Celestial bronze weapons I left for their self-defence, then...

As I inched the door open, a sight I never thought or hoped to see was met before my very eyes. The apartment was a mess of broken glass, shards of plates and mugs, and upturned or knocked-over furniture with each of its objects broken or littered across the floor. This was only half the problem, and if not, less than half of what worried me. Because no matter where I looked, whether it was at the walls, floor or ceiling, I was met with a red substance I was all too familiar with.

Blood. And all of it was fresh.

My ears perked up as I heard movement from my parent's bedroom. Filled with pain and in a faint voice, I heard someone speak. "P-Percy?" There was no mistaking it; that was the voice of my mom. Rushing to the bedroom while doing my best to avoid the mess and shards of glass, I burst through the door and immediately regret coming in there unprepared as well as regretting lunch.

Paul lay on the bed, unmoving and lifeless with blood pouring onto the bedsheets from the large hole in his chest. He was cut, beaten up and bruised so badly across his face that you could hardly recognise him. My mom was... My mom had also received several cuts but appeared less injured compared to Paul.

That didn't erase the gaping hole in the bump of her belly.

Capping Riptide, I ran towards my mom's side and grabbed her hand, clutching it to keep me from breaking into tears. "It's okay, Percy. But remember that I don't have much time." My mom stroked my hair as I debated between staring at the floor or looking into my mom's eyes. On one side, I wouldn't have to face the reality of what was happening. But on the other side, these might be the last moments I get to see her.

Then again, I don't want my last memory of my mom dying as she held my hand.

For now, I hung my head low as I sobbed. In between my cries, I choked out, "I could've s-saved you both. If I didn't... If I was quick enough, I would have... I could have..."

She kept stroking my hair, soothing the pain stabbing at my heart. Her voice was frail and weak, making me feel more pain than I've ever felt in my entire life. That says something. "Percy, you aren't to blame for what happened. No one could've seen this coming, and we can't change it."

Trembling, I decided to gaze into my mother's pale blue eyes for what might be the last time. "I can't begin to express how proud I am to be your mother, even if I spend lots of time worrying about you." For a flicker of a moment, her face contorted as if in pain. "If we're lucky, there's no need to worry. With any luck, we may see you in the Underworld." She took a sharp intake of breath and, with a weaker voice, continued. "I know you'll take our deaths hard Percy, but promise you'll never lose sight of what's important."

She tried to say but it was so quiet, I had to lean in until I could hear. "What is it?" I took a deep inhale of breath, staggering as I sobbed. "What is it, mom?"

A single breath and she whispered the word: "Family." Without another word, her heart gave a final hurrah as it stopped beating, her hand falling limp in my own as her body came to a complete stop.

I clutched her hand tighter as if it would bring back just a few seconds of life. "I promise." Even though she rested before my eyes, I still couldn't believe it. My mom; the person who sacrificed her dream and put up with Smelly Gabe to protect me; who went out of her way to make blue food; who cared for me all her life and hardly raised her voice.

She was gone.

The barrier I created cracked and I let the tears cascade down my face. For minutes or hours, I have no idea how long I cried for. It could've been days, but all I knew was that I had been crying for a long time. It wasn't until the tears had dried did my eyes catch sight of a small handwritten letter. This only fuelled my anger. Why? It was written in blood. It took no daughter of Athena to know.

Snatching it off the table, I glared as I read but ensured I kept my emotions at a stable rate. If I didn't, I would cause an unnecessary earthquake. If it wasn't in Greek, I would've been there for hours trying to decipher the message. It's because it was in Greek, though, that I knew it was no one ordinary. And unfortunately, I read it crystal clear:

Perseus Jackson,

You and your friends have made a grave mistake. By forcing Gaea into slumber and destroying her physical form, you have stripped her of what she deserves and unleashed my anger. You have taken the happiness of my love. I am simply returning the favour. All will crumble before your eyes as you suffer under my clutches.

You have no idea what you've walked into.

-T

I almost tore up the note in a rage, but I had to keep it with me otherwise I wouldn't remember what it said. And I would need it if I could get in contact with Chiron or my Wise Girl soon. But for now, nothing in the outside world mattered. For now, what mattered was the small world I knelt on. My small world of happiness that came crashing down.

Nothing could fix it.

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