Percy

"So Perseus Jackson, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes I have." My dream self said just as I had wanted it to.

"Well, lets here it." Kronos said impatiently.

"You can kill me but you have to give me your word that you won't harm anyone and that you'd call off the war."

"I give you my word "

"I mean, swear it by the Styx."

"I swear it by the Styx." Kronos grumbled.

"You have exactly 24 hours to live and say your goodbyes."

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"Percy, I've known you since I was twelve. I know you're hiding something." Annabeth said to me.

We were sitting under a tree next the lake with our friends. Hazel was manipulating the Mist so that it looked like a shark was in the lake and was scaring the living daylights out of Leo who had decided to take a swim. Frank, Jason, Piper, Calypso and Rachel were laughing at Leo. Leo grinned and pulled a shrieking Calypso into the water with him so that they could suffer together.

Chris, Clarisse, Lisa, Harry, Ginny,  Ron, Hermione and Nico were here too, laughing with everyone else.

Annabeth and me...Annabeth and I were sitting a bit apart from everyone. My arm was around her as she read her book quietly. But I knew that she wasn't reading but thinking because she was on the same page for the last thirty minutes and her eyebrows were scrunched up together and her thinking face was on.

"Annabeth..." I said, not knowing how to answer to her earlier statement.

"Percy, you can trust me, you know." She said, looking up from her book.

"I know. I've always trusted you. It's just...It's complicated, Beth." I said.

"Well, we've got a lot of time on our hands." Annabeth said.

"That's the problem Wise Girl." I said. "We don't. I only have 24 hours."

Annabeth sat up straight. "What- What do you mean?" she stammered, looking me right in the eye.

"I'm sorry,  Beth." I said. "I'm sorry.  But it's the only way. Kronos and I made a deal. I let him kill me in 24 hours time and in return, he sweared on the Styx not to hurt you or anyone else and that he'd call off this war."

"Percy, you- you can't do this." Annabeth said looking at me with tear filled eyes. It broke me to see her like this but it was the only way.

"We need you Percy." Annabeth stammered. "You can't go.  I need you."

"Annabeth..."

"Percy, those eight months you were gone, I felt like a piece of me was missing. The only thing keeping me up was the fact that I knew you were still out there somewhere. How am I supposed to keep going with life without you by my side, Seaweed Brain? twenty four hours isn't enough, Percy. It's not enough." Annabeth said.

I pulled her close to me and held on tight, letting her cry into my shirt.

I couldn't bear to see her in such pain but I couldn't bear to see her die either.

"I'm sorry Annabeth but there's nothing else I can do."

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That day, Annabeth hadn't let me leave her side for even a second. I asked her not to tell anyone else about this and she kept to her word. And she stayed strong for me. We pretended it was just a normal day and I was simply going away for a holiday.

I said my goodbyes to everyone in a way they won't realise until later on. Then when night fell, Annabeth and I stayed awake in the common room. I knew that if I fell asleep, it would be over and I still needed to ask something of Annabeth.

"Wise Girl, you have to promise me that you will move on, alright? Don't dwell on me. Don't cry yourself to sleep and block everyone out, okay? Please, Beth. Just do it for me." I asked her.

Annabeth nodded mutely. She smiled but there were silent tears running down her face.

I kissed her for what could be the last time.

I felt myself slip away and the last thing I heard was Annabeth's heart broken sobbing and my friends rushing down the stairs from their dormitories.