This has absolutely nothing to do with the story, Jason is absolutely alive and kicking in this, but I just had to talk about it. Thank you to Emma Vignel for the "When I see you again" video, and oh schist for the "Say Something" video.

https://youtu.be/H00WhsVCe3w

I want to bring up the topic of Jason Grace's death. It's been almost a year, and I am only now coming to terms with it. I'm sorry if this upsets you, but it needs to be spoken about. 

Jason Grace is a hero. He is my hero. Every time I re-read all the series, (I'm up to re-read 5 I think) I think about all the times he could have died but didn't and I wonder: Why? Why did he not die at any of those times, but that he had to go then? And then I realize. It finally hits me. These people are only real in my mind. And as much as I want them to be real, they aren't. This doesn't stop me from crying though.

 I remember when I read the Burning Maze for the first time and for a few minutes, I just stared at the page in shock. I couldn't think straight. After that, I threw the book across the room and shouted: "WHY?!?!?!?" After that, I just sobbed. I sat there, in the school, in my tiny corner of no-where, and cried. I cried for Jason. I cried for Piper. I cried for Leo. I cried for just about everyone. After a while, my friend came up to me with the book and asked me softly "Are you ok?" She hadn't read it yet, but I couldn't take it. I cried "NO!" and sobbed into her hug. She comforted me, and I finished the book. I leant it to her, and the next day, we both came into school puffy eyed. We just stood at the school gates, hugging, and bawling our eyes out. After a while, the teacher came by and asked us what had happened. We just said, "a great friend of ours has just died". 

She thought we meant a real person - which of course we did. To us. She gave us an awkward arm rub each, and then asked if we wanted to come to the safe room. The safe room was a place where you could cry and be ok. We nodded. We just spend hours crying, hugging, and recounting his greatness. The teacher didn't realize that we were talking about a - very real to us - book character. After a while, we stopped and went back to class. Other PJO & HOO fans from ALL OVER THE SCHOOL came together. We actually organized a farewell. It was after school, on a Friday. Over half the school showed up. So many people came. Some even came from other schools. In the end, we all said something about him. We acted as though it was a funeral. We all knew him, in our own way. And the last thing we said was:

 "Jason died a hero. He was a brother, a fighter, a friend and an amazing person. Rest in Peace. Have fun in Elysium. We will see you again"

If you have anything you would like to say about this great hero, I will be doing shoutouts in the next chapter.