SELENA SIGHED AS SHE SAT NEXT TO Chris Rodriguez. He was in tattered camouflage pants and a dirty black T-shirt. His hair was greasy and matted. He was hugging his shoulders and sobbing. 

"It's okay," Clarisse was telling him. "Try a little more nectar."

"You're an illusion, Mary!" Chris backed farther into the corner. "G-get away."

"My name's not Mary." Clarisse's voice was gentle but really sad. I never knew Clarisse could sound that way. "My name is Clarisse. Remember. Please."

"It's dark!" Chris yelled. "So dark!"

"Come outside," Selena coaxed. "The sunlight will help you."

"A...a thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him."

Selena sighed again, "I don't know if I can do this, Clarisse."

"Please? It helped last time." Clarisse begged.

Selena would have laughed at the thought of Clarisse begging her to help Chris Rodriguez last year. But now, everything had gone so serious. Camp used to be fun. Now it's about survival.

"I don't even know what I did last time." Selena replied,

"Can you just try? Please?" 

Selena exhaled, looking from Clarisse to Chris before grabbing his hands, "I'm going to help you, Chris." She whispered, her voice changing slightly like it did before, "You need to relax."

His eyes stayed wide open. They were like a cornered rat's—wild and desperate. "There's no way out, Mary. No way out."

Then he caught a glimpse of something behind Selena and he made strangled, terrified sound. "The son of Poseidon! He's horrible!"

"Sleep!" Selena yelled, her eyes and hands turning a greenish yellow color again and Chris collapsed onto the bed.

"Thanks." Clarisse sighed,

"I just hope he recovers," Selena said, squeezing Clarisse's hand before leaving the room. 

She walked upstairs before pausing in front of the steps that led to the attic. Was Annabeth still up there? Selena quietly made her way up to the attic before opening the door slightly. No one was there, Annabeth had gone.

Something told Selena to keep going, so she did. She made her way into the room until she was in front of the oracle. Was this her chance to hear the prophecy about her?

Selena sat down in front of the mummified oracle, "You know, don't you? My fate?"

Silence.

"I was told there's a prophecy about me. Mind sharing?"

More silence.

"Don't know why I bothered." Selena sighed and stood, leaving the Oracle in the attic and finding the others,

"We've been waiting, my dear." Chiron said as she approached him and the others, "Annabeth, please continue."

Annabeth cleared her throat, "The propehcy said... ah...well, it said, you shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze..."

They waited for Annabeth to continue, "The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."

Grover perked up. "The lost one! That must mean Pan! That's great!"

"With the dead and the traitor," Selena added nervously, "Not so great, if you ask me." Her mind instantly went to herself and Luke.

"And?" Chiron asked. "What is the rest?"

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Annabeth said, "the child of Athena's final stand."

Everyone looked around uncomfortably. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, and a final stand didn't sound good.

"Hey...we shouldn't jump to conclusions," Silena said. "Annabeth isn't the only child of Athena, right?"

"But who's this ghost king?" Beckendorf asked.

No one answered. Selena thought about the Iris-message that Percy had seen of Nico summoning spirits. She had a bad feeling the prophecy was connected to that.

"Are there more lines?" Chiron asked. "The prophecy does not sound complete."

Annabeth hesitated. "I don't remember exactly."

Chiron raised an eyebrow. Annabeth was known for her memory. She never forgot something she heard. Annabeth shifted on her bench. "Something about...Destroy with a hero's final breath."

"And?" Chiron asked.

She stood. "Look, the point is, I have to go in. I'll find the workshop and stop Luke. And...I need help." She turned to Percy and Selena. "Will you come?"

Selena didn't even hesitate. "I'm in." She wouldn't let Annabeth go in alone.

"Me too." Percy grabbed her hand and they smiled at each other.

Annabeth turned to the satyr, "Grover, you too? The wild God is waiting."

Grover seemed to forget how much he hated the underground. The line about the "lost one" had completely energized him. "I'll pack extra recyclables for snacks!"

"Sweet." Selena grinned, "The original four back together."

"And Tyson," Annabeth said. "I'll need you too."

"Yay! Blow-things-up time!" Tyson clapped so hard he woke up Mrs. O'Leary, who was dozing in the corner.

"Wait, Annabeth," Chiron said. "This goes against the ancient laws. A hero is allowed only two or three companions."

"I need them all," she insisted. "Chiron, it's important."

Selena was happy Tyson was coming with them. He was huge and strong and great at figuring out mechanical things. Unlike satyrs, Cyclopes had no problem underground.

"Annabeth." Chiron flicked his tail nervously. "Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Last winter, six went on a quest to save Artemis. Only four came back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Five...this is risky."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I know. But we have to. Please."

"C'mon, Chiron." Selena stepped forward, "We haven't played by those rules for years. We'll be okay."

Selena could tell Chiron didn't like it. Quintus was studying them, like he was trying to decide which of them would come back alive.

Chiron sighed. "Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth."