▬▬▬ CHAPTER TWENTY NINE ▬▬▬

https://youtu.be/Q_dtR775pLE

THIS IS THE CHAPTER THAT REVEALS THE FINAL SHIP!

MAKE SURE TO READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE BECAUSE I EXPLAIN SEVERAL REASONS WHY I PICKED THE CHOSEN DUDE (and there's also a fun little warning for you all 😊)

I'll say it again in case you guys didn't catch that:

READ

THE

FUCKING

AUTHOR'S

NOTE

(after you're done with the chapter, of course)

"CLARISSE IS GLOWING...!" ESMERELDA SAID in amazement, wiping her face clean of tears.

Even without her armor or spear, Clarisse was a demon. She rode her chariot straight into the Titan's army and crushed everything in her path. An aura of red fire flickered around her. It was absolutely godly, in a hellish way.

She was so inspiring, even the panicked centaurs started to rally. The Hunters scrounged arrows from the fallen and launched volley after volley into the enemy. The Ares cabin slashed and hacked, which was their favorite thing. The monsters retreated toward 35th Street.

Clarisse drove to the drakon's carcass and looped a grappling line through its eye sockets. She lashed her horses and took off, dragging the drakon behind the chariot like a Chinese New Year dragon. She charged after the enemy, yelling insults and daring them to cross her.

"The blessing of Ares," Thalia informed her. "I've never seen it in person before."

For the moment, Clarisse was as invincible as Percy was. The enemy threw spears and arrows, but nothing hit her.

"I AM CLARISSE, DRAKON-SLAYER!" She yelled. "I will kill you ALL! Where is Kronos? Bring him out! Is he a coward?"

"Clarisse!" Percy yelled. "Stop it. Withdraw!"

"What's the matter, Titan lord?" She taunted furiously. "BRING IT ON!"

There was no answer from the enemy. Slowly, they began to fall back behind a dracaenae shield wall, while Clarisse drove in circles around Fifth Avenue, daring anyone to cross her path. The two hundred-foot-long drakon carcass made a hollow scraping noise against the pavement, like a thousand knives.

Meanwhile, Esmerelda and everyone else tended to the wounded and brought them inside the lobby.

Long after the enemy had retreated from sight, Clarisse kept riding up and down the avenue with her horrible trophy, demanding that Kronos meet her inbattle.

Esmerelda and Chris finished helping bring in a wounded Hunter when he said, "I'll watch her. She'll get tired eventually. I'll make sure she comes inside."

"What about the camp?" Percy asked. "Is anybody left there?"

Chris shook his head. "Only Argus and the nature spirits. Peleus the dragon is still guarding the tree."

"They won't last long," he told him. "But I'm glad you came."

Chris nodded sadly. "I'm sorry it took so long. I tried to reason with Clarisse. I said there's no point in defending camp if you guys die. All our friends are here. I'm sorry it took Silena..."

"It's okay, Chris," Esmerelda said gently. "It's... it's fine. We're all here now and Silena will be in a better place, just like I promised Clarisse."

Thalia joined them.

"My Hunters will help you stand guard," she said to Chris. "Annabeth, Percy, Essie you should go to Olympus. I have a feeling they'll need you up there—to set up the final defense."

Final defense. The words echoed in Esmerelda's head. She definitely didn't like the 'final' part. She had a feeling Kronos and Ethan wouldn't be the only ones she would face up there.

Alabaster would be there too. And he was hellbent on killing her.

The doorman had disappeared from the lobby. His book was face down on the desk and his chair was empty. The rest of the lobby, however, was jam-packed with wounded campers, Hunters, and satyrs.

Connor and Travis Stoll met the trio by the elevators.

"Is it true?" Connor asked. "About Silena?"

"Yes," Esmerelda answered. "She died a hero."

Travis shifted uncomfortably. "Um, I also heard—"

"—She died a hero," she repeated stiffly. "Alright? That's it."

"Right," Travis mumbled. "Listen, we figure the Titan's army will have trouble getting up the elevator. They'll have to go up a few at a time. And the giants won't be able to fit at all."

"That's our biggest advantage," Percy said. "Any way to disable the elevator?"

Travis shook his head. "It's magic. Usually you need a key card, but the doorman vanished. That means the defenses are crumbling. Anyone can walk into the elevator now and head straight up."

"Then we have to keep them away from the doors," Percy stated. "We'll bottle them up in the lobby."

"We need reinforcements," Travis said. "They'll just keep coming. Eventually they'll overwhelm us."

"There are no reinforcements," Connor complained.

Percy glanced over at Mrs. O'Leary, who was breathing against the glass doors and smearing them with hellhound drool.

"Maybe that's not true," He said. He went outside to speak with her and Esmerelda took that chance to ask the Stolls an important question.

"Where's Basil and Lou Ellen?"

"They're part of the injured," Connor winced. "They're up at Olympus right now."

"Lou Ellen's knocked out cold, a giant bludgeoned her with it's cub, but she'll be fine. Will Solace is tending to her right now," Travis explained. "As for Basil... An empousa burnt his leg. And well, fur and fire don't go well together."

She winced. Those didn't sound very good. "And you guys? How are you holding up?"

"Ah, we'll be fine," Connor lied, flashing her his usual grin. They didn't exactly look okay, but they was in a better state then everyone else at least.

"And you?" Travis asked. "We know you've been holding off on some of your magic."

She bit her lip uncertainly. "I'll be fine."

Truth was, she had no idea how she was still standing. She had Mist traveled multiple times in just the last few hours and she was pretty sure she couldn't risk doing it again. As for her other powers, well... hopefully she wouldn't pass out from using a couple more spells.

Percy finished speaking with Mrs. O'Leary. Whatever he had told her caused her to shadow travel away. When he joined up with her and Annabeth, they headed for the elevator. On the way there, they spotted Grover kneeling over a fat wounded satyr.

"Leneus!" Percy exclaimed.

The old satyr looked terrible. His lips were blue. There was a broken spear in his belly, and his furry goat legs were twisted at a painful angle.

He tried to focus on the kids, but he couldn't really see them. Esmerelda remembered what her father had told her about death. Sight was usually one of the first senses to go.

"Grover?" He murmured.

"I'm here, Leneus." Grover was blinking back tears, despite all the horrible things Leneus had said about him.

"Did... did we win?"

"Um... yes," Grover lied. "Thanks to you, Leneus. We drove the enemy away."

"Told you," the old satyr mumbled. "True leader. True..."

He closed his eyes for the last time.

Grover gulped. He put his hand on Leneus's forehead and spoke an ancient blessing. The old satyr's body melted, until all that was left was a tiny sapling in a pile of fresh soil.

"A laurel," Grover said in awe. "Oh, that lucky old goat."

He gathered up the sapling in his hands. "I... I should plant him. In Olympus, in the gardens."

"We're going that way," Percy said. "Come on."

Easy-listening music played as the elevator rose, which didn't match the mood at all.

"Percy," Annabeth said quietly. "You were right about Luke."

It was the first time she'd spoken since Silena's death. She kept her eyes fixed on the elevator floors as they blinked into the magical numbers: 400, 450, 500.

Grover, Percy, and Esmerelda exchanged glances.

"Annabeth," He began. "I'm sorry—"

"—You tried to tell me." Her voice was shaky. "Luke is no good. I didn't believe you until... until I heard how he'd used Silena. Now I know. I hope you're happy."

"That doesn't make me happy."

She put her head against the elevator wall and wouldn't look at anyone.

Grover cradled his laurel sapling in his hands. "Well... sure good to be together again. Arguing. Almost dying. Abject terror. Oh, look. It's our floor."

The doors dinged and we stepped onto the aerial walkway.

Depressing was not a word that usually described Mount Olympus, but it looked that way now. No fires lit the braziers. The windows were dark. The streets were deserted and the doors were barred. The only movement was in the parks, which had been set up as field hospitals. Will and the other Apollo campers scrambled around, caring for the wounded. Naiads and dryads tried to help, using nature magic songs to heal burns and poison.

As Grover planted the laurel sapling, Annabeth and Percy went around trying to cheer up the wounded while Esmerelda hurried around trying to find either Lou Ellen and Basil.

On the way, she passed a satyr with a broken leg, a demigod who was bandaged from head to toe, and a body covered in the golden burial shroud of Apollo's cabin. She didn't know who was underneath. She didn't want to find out.

She found Lou Ellen and Basil together. Her sister was awake and was leaning against a tree. Basil laid sprawled on the grass beside her, knocked out. His right leg was bright red. The fur was all gone, exposing nothing but burnt flesh. The burns covered the entirety of his front thigh down to the middle of his calf. She hadn't expected it to be this bad.

"Oh gods..." She muttered upon seeing him.

Lou Ellen smiled weakly. "Yeah, I had that same reaction too. A naiad and dryad worked together to heal the burns, but he passed out from the pain."

"How are you feeling?" Esmerelda asked gently, sitting across from her.

"My head hurts," she whispered. "And I'm too tired to use any magic now. Essie... I'm scared. When is this going to be over? Are we winning?"

She swallowed thickly, unsure of how to answer.

"I... I don't know, Lou, I'm so sorry. I'm scared too." She admitted. "But it'll be over soon. Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and I are all heading over to the palace where Kronos will be."

Lou Ellen's lips began to tremble, and Esmerelda leaned forward to hug her, rubbing her back as tears spilled from her blue eyes.

"I don't wanna die, Essie..." She sobbed. "I wanna go home. I wanna go back to camp. I don't wanna fight anymore."

Gods, I'm so sorry, Esmerelda thought, feeling her own eyes beginning to water too.

"You have to stay strong, Lou, okay? Stay strong. This will be over soon, I promise you." She said as she pulled away, wiping her eyes. She held her own cries in, knowing that she had to keep up a good front for her sister's sake.

She fell back with Annabeth, Grover, and Percy. Together, they walked towards the palace. That was where Kronos would head. As soon as he made it up the elevator—and she had no doubt he would, one way or another—he would destroy the throne room, the center of the gods' power.

The bronze doors creaked open. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor. The constellations twinkled coldly on the ceiling of the great hall. The hearth was down to a dull red glow. Hestia, in the form of a little girl in brown robes, hunched at its edge, shivering. The Ophiotaurus swam sadly in his sphere of water. He let out a half-hearted moo when he saw them.

In the firelight, the thrones cast evil-looking shadows, like grasping hands.

Standing at the foot of Zeus's throne, looking up at the stars, was Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

She was holding the pithos.

The four of them froze.

"Rachel?" Percy called out. "Um, what are you doing with that?"

She focused on him as if she were coming out of a dream. "I found it. It's Pandora's jar, isn't it?"

Her eyes were brighter than usual, and Esmerelda had a chilling flashback of May Castellan.

"Please put down the jar," Percy said carefully.

"I can see Hope inside it." Rachel ran her fingers over the ceramic designs. "So fragile."

"Rachel." His voice seemed to bring her back to reality.

She held out the jar, and he took it.

"Grover, Essie," Annabeth mumbled. "Let's scout around the palace. Maybe we can find some extra Greek fire or Hephaestus traps."

Esmerelda nodded, knowing what she was trying to do. "Sure."

Grover frowned. "But—" Annabeth elbowed him.

"Right!" He yelped. "I love traps!"

They quietly left the throne room.

"Why did we have to leave the room?" Grover whined.

"They needed to have a word with Lady Hestia," Esmerelda informed him.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at her. "Something's up with Rachel, isn't there? And you and Percy know?"

"We, er, have our suspicions..." She trailed off.

"What are they?"

"Something tells me that we'll all find out if we can make it out of this alive," was all she said.

Percy, Rachel, and Hestia were still talking by the time they finished checking the perimeters. When they entered the throne room, Esmerelda noticed the strange look on Percy's face.

Annabeth noticed it too and became concerned.

"Percy?" She asked. "Should we, um, leave again?"

Rather than replying, he turned to Rachel (which Annabeth probably didn't appreciate).

"You're not going to do anything stupid, are you? I mean... you talked to Chiron, right?" Percy asked her.

Rachel managed a faint smile. "You're worried about me doing something stupid?"

"But I mean... will you be okay?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "That kind of depends on whether you save the world, hero."

He picked up Pandora's jar, and Esmerelda had a near heart attack thinking he was about to open it. Instead, he did this:

"Hestia," Percy breathed out. "I give this to you as an offering."

The goddess tilted her head. "I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me with this?"

"You're the last Olympian," He replied. "And the most important."

A light shone in Hestia's warm eyes. "And why is that, Percy Jackson?"

"Because Hope survives best at the hearth," he stated. "Guard it for me, and I won't be tempted to give up again."

The goddess smiled. She took the jar in her hands and it began to glow. The hearth fire burned a little brighter.

"Well done, Percy Jackson," she said. "May the gods bless you."

"We're about to find out." He turned to the other three. "Come on, guys."

He marched towards his father's throne.

The seat of Poseidon stood just to the right of Zeus's, but it wasn't nearly as grand. The molded black leather seat was attached to a swivel pedestal, with a couple of iron rings on the side for fastening a fishing pole (or a trident). Basically it looked like a chair on a deep-sea boat, that you would sit in if you wanted to hunt shark or marlin or sea monsters.

Percy stretched his arms up. Gods in their natural state are about twenty feet tall, so all he could reach was the edge of the seat.

"Essie, think you can levitate me up?" He asked.

She made a face. "Uhhh, I was kinda hoping to save my magic."

"Ah, well, can you guys help me up anyways?"

"Are you crazy?" Annabeth asked him incredulously.

"Probably," he admitted.

"Percy," Grover began. "The gods really don't appreciate people sitting in their thrones. I mean like turn-you-into-a-pile-of-ashes don't appreciate it."

"I need to get his attention," he said. "It's the only way."

They exchanged uneasy looks.

"Well," Annabeth sighed. "This'll definitely get his attention."

They linked their arms to make a step, then boosted him onto the throne.

"Poseidon's not gonna kill us too for helping him, right?" Esmerelda whispered nervously to the other two.

"He probably will..." Grover said miserably.

Annabeth shushed them as Percy began talking. It was kind of weird listening to him because it sounded more like he was having a one-sided conversation with himself. But they knew Poseidon was listening to him since the throne would rumble with anger every few seconds or so.

Esmerelda sniffed the air. "Hey, uh, do you guys smell smoke?"

Grover sniffed the air too. "Huh... smells like burnt human..." Then his eyes widened. "Wait."

All three of them snapped their heads up. Percy was literally smoking, but thanks to the Curse of Achilles, he didn't even notice what was happening to him.

"Should we do something?" Annabeth wondered. "I mean... he looks fine, but..."

Turns out they didn't need to. Percy finished his conversation with his father and slipped down from the throne.

Grover studied him nervously. "Are you okay? You turned pale and... you started smoking."

Percy looked confused. "I did not!" But then he looked at his arms where steam was curling off his shirtsleeves. "Oh."

"If you'd sat there any longer," Annabeth frowned. "You would've spontaneously combusted. I hope the conversation was worth it?"

"Moo," said the Ophiotaurus in his sphere of water.

"We'll find out soon," he replied.

Just then the doors of the throne room swung open. Thalia marched in. Her bow was snapped in half and her quiver was empty.

"You've got to get down there," she told them. "The enemy is advancing. And Kronos is leading them."

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

By the time they got to the street, it was too late.

Campers and Hunters lay wounded on the ground. Clarisse must've lost a fight with a Hyperborean giant, because she and her chariot were frozen in a block of ice. The centaurs were nowhere to be seen. Either they'd panicked and ran or they'd been disintegrated.

The Titan army ringed the building, standing maybe twenty feet from the doors. Kronos's vanguard was in the lead: Ethan Nakamura, Alabaster C. Torrington, the dracaena queen in her green armor, and two Hyperboreans.

Esmerelda's breath hitched when she locked eyes with her brother. He started for her, but Ethan yanked him back.

"Enough, Alabaster," Ethan said sternly.

Esmerelda's heart rate sped up when Alabaster kept his deathly gaze on her, and she distracted herself by surveying the rest of the army.

Prometheus was nowhere to be found, but she figured the slimy weasel was probably hiding back at their headquarters.

Kronos himself stood right at the front with his scythe in hand.

The only thing standing in his way was...

"Chiron," Annabeth said, her voice trembling.

If Chiron heard her, he didn't answer. He had an arrow notched, aimed straight at Kronos's face.

As soon as Kronos saw Percy, his gold eyes flared. Percy's body tensed up, but he wasn't the only one. Esmerelda's body had froze too, and she was certain Thalia, Annabeth, and Grover were experiencing the same.

He had stopped time on them, kept them from moving even an inch of their muscle. At least he had the decency to let them breathe.

Then the Titan lord turned his attention back to Chiron.

"Step aside, little son." Hearing Luke call Chiron his son was weird enough, but Kronos put contempt in his voice, like 'son' was the worst word he could think of.

"I'm afraid not." Chiron's tone was steely calm, the way he got when he was really angry.

Esmerelda tried to move, but her feet felt like concrete. She strained her body fruitlessly.

"Chiron!" Annabeth cried out. "Look out!"

The dracaena queen became impatient and charged. Chiron's arrow flew straight between her eyes and she vaporized on the spot, her empty armor clattering to the asphalt.

Chiron reached for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. He dropped the bow and drew his sword. Esmerelda had never seen him use one before, which was concerning.

Kronos chuckled. He advanced a step, and Chiron's horse-half skittered nervously. His tail flicked back and forth.

"You're a teacher," Kronos sneered. "Not a hero."

"Luke was a hero," Chiron said bravely. "He was a good one, until you corrupted him."

"FOOL!" Kronos's voice shook the city. "You filled his head with empty promises. You said the gods cared about me!"

"Me," Chiron noticed. "You said me."

Kronos looked confused, and in that moment, Chiron struck. It was a good maneuver—a feint followed by a strike to the face. But Kronos was quick. He had all of Luke's fighting skill, which was a lot.

He knocked aside Chiron's blade and yelled, "BACK!"

A blinding white light exploded between the Titan and the centaur. Chiron flew into the side of the building with such force the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him.

"No!" Annabeth wailed.

The freezing spell finally broke.

"Let's go!" Esmerelda breathed out, and they ran for their teacher but there was no sign of him. Thalia and Percy pulled helplessly at the bricks. Esmerelda got so desperate she even used her telekinesis to move as many bricks as she can at once while a ripple of ugly laughter ran through the Titan's army. She shivered, hearing Alabaster's voice amongst them.

"YOU!" Annabeth turned on Luke. "To think that I... that I thought—"

She drew her knife.

"Annabeth, don't!" Percy tried to take her arm, but she shook him off.

She attacked Kronos, and his smug smile faded. Perhaps some part of Luke remembered that he used to like her, used to take care of her when she was little. She plunged her knife between the straps of his armor, right at his collar bone. The blade should've sunk into his chest. Instead it bounced off. Annabeth doubled over, clutching her arm to her stomach. The jolt might've been enough to dislocate her bad shoulder.

Percy yanked her back as Kronos swung his scythe, slicing the air where she'd been standing.

She fought against him and screamed, "I HATE you!" Tears streaked the dust on her face.

"I have to fight him," Percy tried to tell her.

"It's my fight too, Percy!"

Kronos laughed. "So much spirit. I can see why Luke wanted to spare you. Unfortunately, that won't be possible."

He raised his scythe, but before Kronos could strike, a dog's howl pierced the air somewhere behind the Titan's army.

"Arroooooooo!"

Percy blinked. "Mrs. O'Leary?"

The enemy forces stirred uneasily. Then the strangest thing happened. They began to part, clearing a path through the street like something behind them was forcing them to.

Soon there was a free aisle down the center of Fifth Avenue. Standing at the end of the block was everyone's favorite hellhound, and a small figure in black armor.

Esmerelda gasped. "Nico!" She said in horror.

The young boy winced when he saw the look on her face. "Um..."

"What are you DOING here?!" She demanded.

"It was Percy's idea." He said quickly.

"Dude!" Percy's eyes widened in panic, and he shrunk at the furious glare Esmerelda gave him.

"ROWWF!" Mrs. O'Leary bounded toward her owner, ignoring the growling monsters on either side.

Nico strode forward. The enemy army fell back before him like he radiated death, which of course he did.

Through the face guard of his skull-shaped helmet, he smiled. "I hope it's not too late to join the party?"

"Son of Hades." Kronos spat on the ground, which was just gross. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"

"Your death," Nico said. "Would be great for me."

"I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live."

Nico drew his sword—three feet of wicked sharp Stygian iron, black as a nightmare. "I don't agree."

The ground rumbled. Cracks appeared m the road, the sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the Titan's monsters got jumpy and started to back up.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Kronos demanded. "The dead are no match for us."

The sky turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. A harsh war horn sounded, and as the dead soldiers formed up ranks with their guns and swords and spears, an enormous chariot roared down Fifth Avenue. It came to a stop next to Nico. The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful death. Holding the reins was Hades himself, Lord of the Dead, with Demeter and Persephone riding behind him.

Hades wore black armor and a cloak the color of fresh blood. On top of his pale head was the helm of darkness: a crown that radiated pure terror. It changed shape as Esmerelda watched—from a dragon's head to a circle of black flames to a wreath of human bones. But that wasn't the scary part. The helm reached in to her mind and ignited her worst nightmares, her most secret fears. She wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, and she could tell the enemy army felt the same way. Only Kronos's power and authority kept his ranks from fleeing.

Hades smiled coldly. "Hello, Father. You're looking... young."

"Hades," Kronos growled. "I hope you and the ladies have come to pledge your allegiance."

"I'm afraid not." Hades sighed. "My son here convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies." He glanced at Percy with distaste. "As much as I dislike certain upstart demigods, it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on—it is that you were a TERRIBLE father."

"True," Demeter muttered. "No appreciation of agriculture."

"Mother!" Persephone complained.

Hades drew his sword, a double-edged Stygian blade etched with silver. "Now fight me! For today the House of Hades will be called the saviors of Olympus."

"I don't have time for this," Kronos snarled. He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions, circling the Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure line, separating Kronos's vanguard, Esmerelda and her friends from the bulk of the two armies.

"What's he doing?" Percy muttered.

"Sealing us in," Thalia said. "He's collapsing the magic barriers around Manhattan—cutting off just the building, and us."

"So then the mortals are waking up!" Esmerelda realized. "They're gonna be trapped in the middle of the war zone!"

And sure enough, she was right. Outside the barrier, car engines revved to life. Pedestrians woke up and stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies all around them. Esmerelda had no idea what they saw through the Mist, but with all the chaos going on, whatever they were seeing was probably terrifying.

Car doors opened, and at the end of the block, she saw Paul Blofis and Sally Jackson got out of their Prius.

Her jaw dropped, and she started tugging on Percy's arm like crazy. "Please tell me those aren't your parents over there."

Unfortunately, they were.

Percy's face turned rapidly white. "No... Don't..."

Sally could see through the Mist, and Esmerelda had no idea if that was a blessing or a curse. She, at least, understood how serious things were. But rather than fleeing the danger, she ran for the barrier.

Esmerelda was worried that Kronos would hurt them, but thankfully, Hades caused a distraction.

He charged at the wall of force, but his chariot crashed against it and overturned. He got to his feet, cursing, and blasted the wall with black energy. The barrier held.

"ATTACK!" He roared.

The armies of the dead clashed with the Titan's monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Demeter waved her hand and an entire column of giants turned into a wheat field. Persephone changed the dracaenae's spears into sunflowers. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could.

Sally and Paul ran towards the barrier, dodging monsters and zombies while there was nothing their son could do to help them.

"Nakamura, Torrington," Kronos said. "Attend me. Giants—deal with them."

He pointed at Percy and the rest of his friends. Then he ducked into the lobby. Esmerelda didn't care, she was just glad he was gone for now.

A Hyperborean giant ran at her, his club raised. She whipped out her labrys, dodged the attack and hopped onto his arm before he could retract it. She ran across the length of his bicep, slashing at his throat before jumping over his shoulder.

As the Hyperborean disintegrated, she looked back to see that her friends were handling the rest just fine and hurried over to the barrier.

Nico was fighting his way towards Percy's parents, but they weren't waiting for help. Paul grabbed a sword from a fallen hero and did a pretty fine job keeping a dracaena busy. He stabbed her in the gut, and she disintegrated.

"Paul?" Percy said in amazement beside her.

He turned towards the pair and grinned. "I hope that was a monster I just killed. I was a Shakespearian actor in college! Picked up a little swordplay!"

"Ms. Jackson, watch out!" Esmerelda called out.

A Laistrygonian giant charged towards Sally. She was rummaging around in an abandoned police car—maybe looking for the emergency radio—and her back was turned.

"MOM!" Percy shrieked.

She whirled when the monster was almost on top of her. There was a shotgun in her hands. She cranked the pump and the shotgun blast blew the giant twenty feet backward, right into Nico's sword.

"Nice one," Paul said.

"When did you learn to fire a shotgun?" Percy demanded.

Sally blew the hair out of her face. "About two seconds ago. Percy, we'll be fine. Go!"

"Yes," Nico agreed, "We'll handle the army. You have to get Kronos!"

Esmerelda pressed her hands against the barrier. "Nico, please stay safe," she told him desperately. "Be near your father, okay? He'll watch out for you, I know he will."

"I will, mom," he promised.

"Good," she smiled, then blinked. "Wait, did you just—?"

"—Come on, guys!" Annabeth exclaimed.

Esmerelda didn't have time to wait for his explanation. After Percy had Mrs. O'Leary dig through the rubble to find Chiron, he, Esmerelda, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover raced for the elevators.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

The bridge to Olympus was dissolving. They stepped out of the elevator onto the white marble walkway, and immediately cracks appeared at their feet.

"Jump!" Grover said, which was easy for him since he's part mountain goat. He sprang to the next slab of stone while the others tilted sickeningly. Esmerelda jumped in after him, making it to safety.

"Gods, I hate heights!" Thalia yelled as she and Percy leaped.

But Annabeth was in no shape for jumping.

She stumbled and yelled, "Percy!"

He reacted instantly. He caught her hand just as the pavement started falling. Annabeth's feet dangled and he almost toppled Percy down with her too until Esmerelda, Grover, and Thalia grabbed onto them. They pulled them back until they were safe too.

Percy and Annabeth laid trembling on the pavement.

"Um, thanks," she muttered.

Percy probably tried to say something smooth back, but all that came out was an "Uh duh."

Esmerelda hated to cut the moment short, but there were more pressing matters on hand.

"The bridge is still falling!" She warned them.

"Keep moving!" Grover yanked them up.

They sprinted across the skybridge as more stones disintegrated and fell into oblivion. They made it to the edge of the mountain just as the final section collapsed.

Annabeth looked back at the elevator, which was now completely out of reach—a polished set of metal doors hanging in space, attached to nothing, six hundred stories above Manhattan.

Esmerelda's lips trembled upon seeing it.

"This is not good," she whispered fearfully. "I think I'm only to able to Mist travel one more time after this, and I doubt I'll be able to take anyone with me."

"So we're marooned," Annabeth stated. "On our own."

"Blah-ha-ha!" Grover whimpered. "The connection between Olympus and America is dissolving. If it fails—"

"—The gods won't move on to another country this time," Thalia said grimly. "This will be the end of Olympus. The final end."

Esmerelda was beginning to hate that word: final. It was so fucking depressing, especially in the situation they were in now.

They ran through streets. Mansions were burning. Statues had been hacked down. Trees in the parks were blasted to splinters. It looked like someone had attacked the city with a giant Weedwacker.

"Kronos's scythe," Percy said.

They followed the winding path toward the palace of the gods. Esmerelda couldn't remember the road being so long. Maybe Kronos was making time go slower, or maybe it was just dread slowing her down.

The whole mountaintop was in ruins—so many beautiful buildings and gardens gone.

A few minor gods and nature spirits had tried to stop Kronos. What remained of them was strewn about the road: shattered armor, ripped clothing, swords and spears broken in half.

Somewhere ahead of us, Kronos's voice roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!"

A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly exploded. The dome shot up like the lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining rubble over the city.

"That was a shrine to Artemis," Thalia grumbled. "He'll pay for that."

They were running under the marble archway with the huge statues of Zeus and Hera when the entire mountain groaned, rocking sideways like a boat in a storm.

"Look out!" Grover yelped.

The archway crumbled.

Esmerelda didn't think, which was a huge mistake. She Mist traveled a few feet away, landing right next to Grover as something crashed behind her.

And there goes my last charge, she thought miserably, wanting to smack herself. She could already feel her energy sapping away and her body growing sick. She probably had enough energy to use, like, three spells now.

She looked behind her just to see Thalia shove Annabeth and Percy out of the way. A twenty-ton scowling Hera toppled over her just after that.

"Thalia!" Grover cried.

When the dust cleared and the mountain stopped rocking, they found her still alive, but her legs were pinned under the statue.

They tried desperately to move it, but it would've taken several Cyclopes. When they tried to pull Thalia out from under it, she yelled in pain.

"Don't!" Thalia said when the statue started to glow a familiar green.

Esmerelda stopped.

"You need to save all your strength for the final battle up ahead," Thalia said, breathing heavily. "You're gonna need it."

"But what about you?" She asked desperately.

Thalia just scowled. "Forget me. I'll be fine..." She let out a growl of frustration. "I survive all those battles and I get defeated by a stupid chunk of rock!"

"It's Hera," Annabeth said in outrage. "She's had it in for me all year. Her statue would've killed me if you hadn't pushed us away."

"I can't believe she's being petty now of all times!" Esmerelda glared at the offending statue.

Thalia grunted in agreement. "Well, don't just stand there! I'll be fine. Go!"

They didn't want to leave her, but they could hear Kronos laughing as he approached the hall of the gods. More buildings exploded.

"We'll be back," Percy promised.

"I'm not going anywhere," Thalia groaned.

A fireball erupted on the side of the mountain, right near the gates of the palace.

"We've got to run," Percy said.

"I don't suppose you mean 'away'," Grover murmured hopefully.

Nobody replied, and they all started sprinting for the palace.

The doors of the palace were big enough to steer a cruise ship through, but they'd been ripped off their hinges and smashed like they weighed nothing. They had to climb over a huge pile of broken stone and twisted metal to get inside.

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if he was taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

"Finally!" He bellowed. "The Olympian Council—so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?"

Ethan and Alabaster stood to one side, trying to stay out of the way of their master's scythe. The hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Hestia was nowhere to be seen and neither was Rachel. The Ophiotaurus swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be long before Kronos noticed him.

Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Esmerelda stepped forward into the torchlight.

Ethan saw them first. "My lord," he warned.

Alabaster's eyes were dead-locked onto his sister. She tried not to shrink at the sight of him and the hate burning his eyes.

Kronos turned and smiled through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same as he had years ago when he'd welcomed Esmerelda into the Hermes cabin.

Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat, like someone had just sucker punched her.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make—to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know."

"Luke would fight with a sword," Percy shot. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. His scythe began to change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade.

Upon seeing it, Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea.

"Percy, the blade!" She unsheathed her knife. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

Esmerelda had no idea why she was reciting that line of the prophecy right now. She was too distracted with watching her brother unsheath his sword while still looking directly at her.

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled as Kronos came upon them like a whirlwind.

He went for Percy first, naturally. He dodged and slashed and rolled his attacks. Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind him until Annabeth intercepted him.

They started to fight, and Esmerelda went forward to help but before she could reach them, a ball of fire came at her.

She jumped back, bringing her labrys up just in time to keep her from getting her head chopped off.

Alabaster leered at her from the other side of the blade.

"You look tired, Essie, you poor little thing," he mocking crooned. "Can't fight any longer, can you?"

With a grunt, she pushed back and created some distance between them. "Try me."

Alabaster lunged at her and they fought. Years ago, she would've known what to expect from him. But they had been apart for so many years, and she could no longer recognize his fighting style. Plus, his attacks were vicious and full of animosity, constantly aiming to kill her.

It was terrifying seeing him this way.

She was vaguely aware of Grover playing his reed pipes. The sound filled her with warmth and courage—thoughts of sunlight and a blue sky and a calm meadow, somewhere far away from the war.

It didn't give her the energy she needed, but it helped to ease her worries as she blasted Alabaster against a column.

Rubble rained down on them before freezing in mid-fall. They glowed green, but it wasn't because of her.

"Ah!" She let out a panicked cry as the rubble shot at her. She hid behind another column, flinching when that was destroyed too.

"What's the matter, Essie?!" Came her brother's deranged voice. "Has your reaction time gotten slower? I thought you would've had enough sense to bring up a shield!"

Fuck, fuck, fuck, she thought, staring down at her hands in terror as she shrunk behind a broken column. She had tried to conjure up a shield—it was practically instinct at this point—but her shield had flickered after a brief second before disappearing altogether and she had no other choice but to run for it.

She was weakening, running out of energy. She couldn't use her magic anymore without hurting herself any further.

This was the worst thing that could happen right now. How could she defeat Alabaster without any magic? He was the strongest child of Hecate... always better than her...

Alabaster's shadow was creeping closer. She scrambled to the side just in time to avoid being skewered from behind. She jumped to her feet and dodged to the side as he sent more flying rubble at her.

"Come on, come on, come on, please...!" She begged, sticking her arm out and trying to levitate a pile of ruble beside her. It glowed weakly before ultimately dying out.

Alabaster saw what had happened and let out a maddening laugh. "Holy shit! You really can't use your magic anymore can you?!"

She glared at him. "I don't need it to beat you anyways," she said, which was a lie.

He tilted his head. "I think you're lying. Your voice is shaking, and you always try to make too much eye contact when you lie. You know you can't beat me. You know you're gonna die here by my hand. Can you even fight against my Charmspeak? Drop your weapon."

The last part had caught her off-guard, but she steeled her mind, trying to push back against the waves of relaxation hitting her.

Alabaster ran at her, sword raised.

She snapped back to reality and brought her weapon up.

CLANG!

"I'm going to kill you," he seethed, adding more force against his sword. "I'll kill you and avenge the siblings that you let die."

"That's not my fault," she panted, trying to hold strong. "Alabaster, you have to understand—"

"—I UNDERSTAND ENOUGH!" He roared, bringing his leg up and kicking her in the gut.

She was thrown to the ground several feet back, the wind knocked out of her. He was above her in an instant, sword drawn back.

"AHHHHHH!" A shrill scream escaped her lips when his blade ripped into her shoulder, pinning her to the marble floors.

"You knew of their plans!" He cried, twisting the blade. Another scream. "You knew and you let it happen!"

Esmerelda's body was burning in pain. She was too busy shrieking and sobbing to reply.

He twisted it again.

"You did nothing!" He spat at her. "I saved you back at the Labyrinth, I showed you mercy because you were my sister and I loved you! But when you found out what they were going to do to the ship, you stood by and did nothing! YOU LET THEM DIE!"

He finally wrenched the sword from her flesh, and she let out a choked scream. She backed away desperately, her back hitting a pile of rubble.

He followed after her with ease, straddling her waist while wrapping one hand around her neck to keep her still. The other hand held the blade up.

Esmerelda's eyes widened with uncontrollable fear as she tried to pry his fingers off. When that didn't work she tried to push him away. All her attempts were futile.

She couldn't think anymore. All she knew was that if she didn't do anything now, she would be done for. Killed by the hands of her brother.

"No, no, please," she choked, tears welling in her eyes, desperately grasping the front of his shirt. "Ally, ple—ack...!" His grip tightened around her neck.

He raised the blade up.

No, no, no, no! She squeezed her eyes shut, hands pressed against his chest. In a desperate attempt to live, she tried to channel as much magic as she could. A pain was building up in her head and she could feel blood rushing through her veins as she forced herself to endure.

Endure. She had to endure. Just like she had been doing her entire life.

"And now," Alabaster breathed heavily. "You are nothing to me. Goodbye, Esmerelda."

He brought the sword down, but green magic finally burst through her palms and sent him flying away. His body crashed through a column and he slammed into the wall.

Esmerelda slowly got up to her feet, her body shaking as if she were trapped in a freezer. Every inch of her skin buzzed, her heart was beating so fast it could explode, and her body was drenched in sweat. The pain in her shoulder had turned into a dull ache. She felt energized and hypersensitive at the same time.

This was the biggest adrenaline rush she had ever gotten, and it was triggered thanks to her own brother trying to kill her—and nearly succeeding in it too.

By the time she got up, Alabaster did so as well. Her eyes zeroed in on him, the fear in her unable to see anything else but her attacker. Alabaster was screaming something but all her ears could hear was static.

Then, her eyes drew down to his hands and it was like time slowed down. His hands glowed with green magic and he immediately thrust his arms out towards her. She raised her arms up in that same second, and their magic collided.

The entire throne room was engulfed in a green glow. The other fighters had stopped to stare at amazement for a brief second before remembering what they were doing. They went back to fighting right away, but they could feel their skin sizzling from the onslaught of magical energy the two siblings were radiating with.

Alabaster grunted and pushed forward, trying to overpower him.

Esmerelda stood strong, but it felt like something had punched her through the rib cage. Her breathing worsened and her vision started to blur and darken. She had heard one of the Apollo kids say that too much adrenaline could kill. This was probably what they meant.

Fuck. She needed to do something quick. She and Alabaster's powers were too equal, neither of them would be breaking through the other's attack until one got tired—and in this case, that person would be her and she couldn't afford to let that happen.

She saw Alabaster's eyes dart to the side and followed his line of sight. The thrones. Her breath hitched once she realized what he was planning. He wouldn't be able to hit her, so he'd go for the thrones instead.

Alabaster's arms started to change aim, but Esmerelda was quicker. Before he could break apart their connection, she lifted her arms over her head and redirected their combined attacks on the ceiling.

The roof of the throne room blew up. She hoped the gods wouldn't charge her for that.

Rubble was raining down on them everywhere. The other demigods had to dodge each others attacks while also hoping they didn't get struck by any of the falling rocks. She felt kinda bad about that, but she had other issues to worry about.

Because now that his magical attack had failed, Alabaster was running for his sword.

Esmerelda sprinted for him before the adrenaline could fade away.

"No!" She grunted, tackling him to the ground before he could reach the weapon. They both fell on a pile of rubble so it wasn't a very soft landing.

He grabbed her wounded shoulder and dug his nails into her flesh.

"AAAAAARGHHH!" She screamed, blindly punching him in the face. His head jerked back and his hand left the injury, but she didn't stop punching. She didn't even bother following the proper punching techniques she learned back at camp. At this point, they were just attacking each other like wild animals.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Alabaster spat as his fist smashed against her cheek.

The hit left her in a daze and he swiftly turned the tides against her, rolling to the side until he was on top. His hands grabbed for a piece of rubble to bash her head in with but Esmerelda clawed at his eyes and kicked him off of her.

She scrambled to her knees and grabbed a nearby piece of debris. Alabaster lunged at her with a snarl but she slammed the rock against his temple. He crumpled to the floor, out like a light.

The rock fell from her hands.

She stared at her brother. There was blood trickling down his head from her hit. His nose and eyes were slowly dripping with blood as well, she was sure she was in a similar state too. His chest was moving up and down, indicating he was still alive.

The rock was still beside her.

She could pick it back up and finish him off...

But she didn't.

Instead, she stared at his face which was now completely unrecognizable to the brother who used to love her.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

Esmerelda let out haggard breaths and choked sobs as she forced herself to her feet. The adrenaline rush was gone, and it felt like she had been hit by a truck over and over again. Her left shoulder was burning and bleeding profusely. She wouldn't be able to even move it at this point. She'd have to use her labrys with her other arm then.

She kicked Alabaster's golden sword away before grabbing her own weapon, crying out in pain when she accidentally moved her injured shoulder.

She looked back to her friends to see how they were faring.

Kronos backed Percy up against the throne of Hephaestus—a huge mechanical La-Z-Boy type thing covered with bronze and silver gears. Kronos slashed, and he managed to jump straight up onto the seat. The throne whirred and hummed with secret mechanisms. Defense mode, it warned. Defense mode.

That didn't sound good. Percy jumped over Kronos' head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. One hit Kronos in the face, arcing down his body and up his sword.

"ARG!" He crumpled to his knees and dropped Backbiter.

Annabeth saw her chance. She kicked Ethan out of the way and charged Kronos. "Luke, listen!"

Kronos flicked his hand. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpling to the floor.

"Annabeth!" Percy screamed.

Ethan got to his feet. He now stood between Annabeth and Percy. Percy couldn't fight him without turning his back on Kronos.

Grover's music took on a more urgent tune. He moved toward Annabeth, but he couldn't go any faster and keep up the song. Grass grew on the floor of the throne room. Tiny roots crept up between the cracks of the marble stones.

Kronos rose to one knee. His hair smoldered. His face was covered with electrical burns. He reached for his sword, but this time it didn't fly into his hands.

"Nakamura!" He groaned. "Time to prove yourself. You know Jackson's secret weakness. Kill him, and you will have rewards beyond measure."

Esmerelda saw the way Ethan's eye dropped to Percy's midsection.

He knows now, she realized in horror. Even if he couldn't kill Percy himself, all he had to do was tell Kronos. There was no way he could defend himself forever.

"Ethan," she called out to him weakly.

Ethan would never lose sight of his goals for a girl. As much as he loved her, he wouldn't stop just for her. And that was one of the greatest things about him, but also one of the worst. She knew his reasons for joining Kronos were pure and righteous, so she would have to appeal to that part of him instead.

He tensed up, as if her voice had caused a jolt to run through his body. He looked at her as she had to lean against a column to support herself, one hand over her bleeding shoulder.

"Please," she begged. "You know this is wrong. This isn't what you want. Look around you, Ethan. You wanted justice and fairness, but all Kronos gave you is destruction. Everything will be destroyed—the good and the bad."

Grover was almost to Annabeth now. The grass thickened on the floor. The roots were almost a foot long, like a stubble of whiskers.

"There is no throne to Nemesis," Ethan muttered. "No throne to my mother."

"That's right!" Kronos tried to get up, but stumbled. Above his left ear, a patch of blond hair still smoldered. "Strike them down! They deserve to suffer!"

"There's no throne to mine either. I understand why you're doing this, I understand what you're fighting for. You're right, Ethan, the minor gods do deserve better, but this won't help them. There's no balance in destruction. Kronos will not help them. He's selfish and greedy, you've witnessed that haven't you?"

He stared at her. "I..."

"Kronos does not build," she told him. "He only destroys."

Ethan looked at the sizzling throne of Hephaestus. Grover's music kept playing, and Ethan swayed to it, as if the song were filling him with nostalgia—a wish to see a beautiful day, to be anywhere but here. His good eye blinked and started to water.

He looked back at her. His lips moved, but no voice came out.

Her eyes widened when she recognized the three words he was mouthing to her. They should've filled her with warmth and joy but all she felt was despair when she realized what he was planning on doing next.

"No... NO!" She cried out as he charged.

While Kronos was still on his knees, Ethan brought down his sword on the Titan lord's neck. It should have killed him instantly, but the blade shattered. Ethan fell back, grasping his stomach. A shard of his own blade had ricocheted and pierced his armor.

Kronos rose unsteadily, towering over his servant. "Treason," he snarled.

Grover's music kept playing, and grass grew around Ethan's body.

Ethan's face was tight with pain.

"Deserve better," he gasped. "If they just... had thrones—"

Kronos stomped his foot, and the floor ruptured around Ethan.

The son of Nemesis fell through a fissure that went straight through the heart of the mountain—straight into open air.

Esmerelda pushed herself off the column and did the most suicidal thing ever:

She jumped after him.

— author's note —

Welp, there you have it guys. The final endgame pairing!!!

🔪❤️ Essie x Ethan ❤️🔪

🥳 🥳 🥳 (AKA, one of the my most fucked up couples ever 😌)

Congrats to the Essan shippers (and also, you're very welcome)

The Essan shippers rn:

Also the Essan shippers:

Okay, I should probably explain why I chose Ethan so here it goes:

Reason #1 (these are just ranked randomly ok, not by importance): Ethan's a minor character and there's just not a lot of fics of him, so why not make a whole series?

Reason #2: I already wrote so much about them??? They've got so much history and chemistry, the foundation of their relationship's practically already made at this point, so now I can expand on it even FURTHER rather then going back to square one with Jessie!!!!

Reason #3: As you guys know, I wrote two separate plans for Jason and Ethan (if you're an otome fan, you can just call them routes lol). And I mentioned that the plan I picked was the one that would bring the most pain to the couple so... :)

Reason #4: Branching off from the above reason ^. The Jason route was just too... good. Too happy. It was mostly centered around helping Essie recover from her trauma. Not enough pain, angst, and suffering. Jason and Essie would've been a happy and (somewhat) healthy couple, and while that would've been cute, I prefer writing about a more fucked up couple instead 🙂 If you've read my guidebook, then you probably already know that I'm a fan of the dark romance genre and there would've been nothing dark about Jessie. Jason's a good dude, there's nothing fucked up about him. Also, he would've helped her recover and get over Ethan's death, he would've helped her with her dwindling mental state too which means Essie wouldn't be as fucked up either. That's just... too nice and merciful. There's just nothing dark about them and I didn't like that. So I picked Essan because they already fit so well under the dark romance category. Like, he kidnapped her and that was before any romance happened so he pretty much fits the bill 👍Plus, Essie can be just as dark towards her loved ones too so that's a bonus 🔪🔪🔪

(If you don't know what 'dark romance' is, I'll be explaining it in a later chapter so just wait)

Reason #5: Ethan's story canonically ends in The Last Olympian, there's nothing written for him in HOO, MEANING I CAN MAKE MY OWN PLOT FOR HIM!!!!!! That's what got to me most, because I reeeaaallly love the ideas I've got for him and Essie (the painful ones that'll make you all scream and cry). I noticed when I looked at the Jason Route, most of the ideas I have were part of the canon storyline already like having Essie retrieve him in the Hoover Dam, having her join his quest in TLH, etc. etc. There were very little things that were new or original that I could've thought up, and that just upset me cuz you guys know how much I love to make original content rather than just pasting Essie into the storyline 99% of the time.

Reason #6: The Ethan, Essie, and Nico dynamic. Need I say more? 😂😂

FOR JESSIE SHIPPERS, I am so sorry for your loss. I know how much you were hoping Essie and Jason would be the endgame couple and I won't get angry if you stop reading (just don't be a weirdo about it like the Draco stan and send me a hate message and shit).

I'm planning on doing something for you guys, but I don't know what yet. I really wanted to write a whole one-shot but my schedule's packed so, for now, the most I can do is publish the Jason Route.

Don't get your hopes up for that though. The two plans I have (the "Ethan" and "Jason Route") really aren't anything special. It's formatted in a timeline/headcanon way similarly to "Timeline of the di Angelo and Hades". There's nothing really much to it, but it'll at least show you what sort of ideas I had for Jessie's storyline. And because I don't want to risk giving any ideas/details of the Ethan route away (because some ideas from the Jason Route are also in the Ethan Route and vice versa), I'll probably release that wayyy later on.

For those of you who think that everything beyond this will be all ponies and rainbows just because I allowed Essie and the love of her life to live, you are very much mistaken.

Remember. I like dark romance and I picked the plan that would bring them the most pain 😊

My thought process when deciding the final pairing:

Now... it's just a matter of HOW fucked up I make them 😊