▬▬▬ CHAPTER THIRTY ▬▬▬

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS GAVE ME ABOUT THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER! AND THANK YOU FOR THE ADVICE TOO!!!

Speaking of advise, I've decided to change my dreaded Quotev username to "11QueenSupreme11" (my user for my Wattpad) just in case someone thinks I'm plagiarizing... from myself 💀 Not only does it sound awesome, it's a helluva lot better then fucking "FruitasManiac". I wish someone had been there to stop me from making that horrible decision because WTF WAS I THINKING?!?!?! I think I was going through a phase of something 😭

BUT AGAIN! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!! YOU GUYS ARE WONDERFUL!!! 🥺

ESMERELDA WAS FALLING—AND NOT in the romantic way.

She was falling thousands of feet in the air and had she been fully human, she would've died in the first couple of seconds. Either from the freezing temperatures of the high altitude, the rapid terminal velocity from the free fall, or from asphyxiation.

But fortunately she wasn't fully human and neither was Ethan so they were both still alive after falling for gods knew how long.

"ETHAN!" She called out, hoping he could hear her through the wind and his own terrified screaming.

He stopped screaming and looked... up? Down? She really didn't know which term to use since they were both falling upside-down.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" He screeched.

"GIVE ME YOUR HAND!" She screeched back, trying to reach out for him.

Her shoulder felt like it was on fire like never before. The harsh winds were stinging every area of her body, like little daggers being shot at her, but she didn't care. She tried to reach out for him anyways. She had to do this.

He reached out, but then his hand went through hers. 

"ESSIE, WHAT—WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

No! She thought while he panicked over the state of her hand. Now her molecular structure decided to break apart?! 

"GET MY OTHER HAND!" She shouted through his screaming. 

Unfortunately, her other hand was attached to the bad arm—you know, the one with the flesh wound her dear big brother gave her. 

Ethan grabbed onto her hand and immediately yanked her to him. She suppressed the urge to scream from the pain and concentrated on wrapping her arms around him as he did with her. He was squeezing her so tightly that she could feel his the stab wound from his broken armor.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" He practically screamed in her ear. "WE'RE BOTH GONNA DIE!"

"JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME CONCENTRATE!"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"

"I SAID SHUUUUUT UUUUUP!"

But Ethan did not shut up. Apparently he had the tendency to get mouthy whenever he was seconds away from death because she had never heard him be so talkative before. Usually she wouldn't mind, but she really needed him to keep quiet right now.

Esmerelda dared to peek over his shoulder and tried not to throw up at the sight before her. Right now they were passing through a bunch of clouds, but she could see the greyish tint of asphalt from waaaaaaay down below. 

Oh gods, oh gods, she thought with panic. They were so high up, they'd just be splatter marks once they hit the ground. She needed to hurry up.

"ETHAN SHUT UP, I NEED TO CONCENTRATE!"

"ON WHAT?! THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA DIE?!"

Instead of replying she hugged him tighter and burrowed her face into his neck, gathering as much magic as she could muster for this single moment.

They passed by the last row of clouds now and were about halfway down the troposphere. They were now about skyscraper height and were soon getting closer to the ground.

"Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods," she could hear him mutter frantically, squeezing her tighter. She could hear the pure fear in his voice.

Come on, she thought, eyes shut. Come on, come on...

She pictured the throne room of Olympus and thought of every single detail of it that she could remember. I want to go there, she thought. Take us back up, come on...!

But nothing was happening other the growing lightheadedness. If she pushed any further she'd pass out. 

Her heart rate sped up in realization. She couldn't Mist travel anymore, she had used up whatever little energy she had left in that battle against Alabaster. 

She and Ethan were going to die. 

Or at least, that was what she thought. The next second, she could see a green mist enveloping both of their bodies. But it wasn't coming from her. 

There was a poof, and they were both gone, just shy of ten seconds from hitting the ground.

Instead, they hit the familiar marble floors of the palace throne room.

Ethan got the brunt of it. The back of his head hit the floor and he let out a loud groan, and then another one when Essie landed on top of him.

"...Ow..." He said lamely after nearly dying.

Esmerelda rolled off of him, her back meeting the marble flooring. Her limbs felt like jelly and she briefly wondered if this was how Harry felt when Lockhart magically removed his bones.

There was a gasp at their side.

Grover was staring at them with his jaw hanging.

"Essie! Ethan! How did you—?!"

"Mist... travel..." Esmerelda managed to say between heavy breaths. 

Ethan didn't respond. He curled up on his side and vomited.

"Here, take this hurry!" Grover scurried around Annabeth's (still breathing) body. He dashed to Ethan and Esmerelda, and since they were too weak to even get up, he fed them some of the ambrosia he had left.

"Gods, I can't believe you're both alive," he muttered hysterically. "Essie, when you jumped after him, we—we thought that would be the end for you guys!"

"...Had a plan," she murmured weakly, chewing on the ambrosia slowly.

Truthfully, she actually didn't have a plan. When she realized what Ethan was about to do, and when she saw him fall, she just... she just jumped after him without even thinking. She wanted to save him, but at that moment she didn't know how. It was only once she was free-falling after several seconds did it finally occur to her that she could Mist travel them back to the palace, the only issue was that she couldn't do it anymore. 

Somebody else had saved them, and she had a feeling she knew who, but didn't want to think about it at the moment. 

The ambrosia made her shoulder a little better, but it was still bleeding. Her hand was no longer flickering in and out of existence now that she wasn't trying to force her body to use more magic, so she was alright enough to sit up. Grover helped her lean against an intact column before moving over to tend to Ethan and Annabeth.

She turned her attention to the center of the throne room, where Kronos had Percy backed against his father's throne.

"Oh, yes," Kronos said. "This one will make fine kindling for my new hearth!"

Their blades clashed in a shower of sparks. Percy pushed him back and struck again—slashing Riptide across his breastplate so hard he cut a gash in the Celestial bronze.

Kronos stamped his foot again and time slowed. Percy's movements slowed drastically, allowing Kronos to back up and catch his breath. He examined the gash in his armor while Percy struggled forward.

Esmerelda inwardly cursed. Kronos could take all the time-outs he wanted. He could freeze anyone in place at will. Percy's only hope was that the effort was draining him. If he could wear him down...

Esmerelda tried to stand, but her body was struck with a wave of dizziness.

Grover realized what she was trying to do.

"Don't," he warned her. "You can barely stay conscious right now. We have to let Percy handle this. He's the only one who can."

But Rachel's voice echoed in her head.

Perseus, you are not the hero.

"It's too late, Percy Jackson," Kronos proclaimed. "Behold."

He pointed to the hearth, and the coals glowed. A sheet of white smoke poured from the fire, forming images like an Iris-message.

"Nico..." She whimpered, spying him and Percy's parents down in Fifth Avenue, fighting a hopeless battle, ringed in enemies. In the background Hades fought from his black chariot, summoning wave after wave of zombies out of the ground, but the forces of the Titan's army seemed just as endless. Meanwhile, Manhattan was being destroyed. Mortals, now fully awake, were running in terror. Cars swerved and crashed.

The scene shifted, and she saw something even more terrifying.

A column of storm was approaching the Hudson River, moving rapidly over the Jersey shore. Chariots circled it, locked in combat with the creature in the cloud.

The gods attacked. Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and exploded. Slowly, the cloud ripped apart, and she saw Typhon clearly for the first time.

She knew as long as she lived (which might not be that long) she would never be able to get the image out of her mind.

Typhon's head shifted constantly. Every moment he was a different monster, each more horrible than the last. Looking at his face would've driven her insane, so she focused on his body, which wasn't much better. He was humanoid, but his skin reminded her of a meat loaf sandwich that had been in someone's locker all year. He was mottled green, with blisters the size of buildings, and blackened patches from eons of being stuck under a volcano. His hands were human, but with talons like an eagle's. His legs were scaly and reptilian.

"The Olympians are giving their final effort." Kronos laughed. "How pathetic."

Zeus threw a thunderbolt from his chariot. The blast lit up the world. She could feel the shock even here on Olympus, but when the dust cleared, Typhon was still standing. He staggered a bit, with a smoking crater on top of his misshapen head, but he roared in anger and kept advancing.

Beside her, Grover and Ethan watched the scene in horror.

Just then, Annabeth started to sit up, dazed. She quickly snapped out of it when she realized what was happening.

"No... No...!" She tried to stand, but Grover stopped her.

In the image, Typhon stepped into the Hudson River and barely sank to mid calf.

Lord Poseidon, Esmerelda prayed, remembering that Percy had tried to contact him for help. Any time now!

Like a miracle, a conch horn sounded from the smoky picture. The call of the ocean. The call of Poseidon.

All around Typhon, the Hudson River erupted, churning with forty-foot waves. Out of the water burst a new chariot—this one pulled by massive hippocampi, who swam in the air as easily as in the water. Poseidon himself, glowing with a blue aura of power, rode a defiant circle around the giant's legs. As he swung his trident, the river responded, making a funnel cloud around the monster.

"No!" Kronos bellowed after a moment of stunned silence. "NO!"

"NOW, MY BRETHREN!" Poseidon's voice was so loud she wasn't sure if she was hearing it from the smoke image or from all the way across town. "STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!"

Warriors burst out of the river, riding the waves on huge sharks and dragons and sea horses. It was a legion of Cyclopes, and leading them into battle was Tyson.

"Tyson!" Percy yelled in amazement.

Tyson had magically grown in size. He had to be thirty feet tall, as big as any of his older cousins, and for the first time he was wearing full battle armor. Riding behind him was...

"Briares!" It was Esmerelda's turn to be amazed now.

Beside her, Ethan squinted at the scene in confusion, clutching his bleeding stomach. "Who?"

"Briares, dummy! The Hundred-Handed One!" Esmerelda replied excitedly.

All the Cyclopes held huge lengths of black iron chains—big enough to anchor a battleship—with grappling hooks at the ends. They swung them like lassos and began to ensnare Typhon, throwing lines around the creature's legs and arms, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him. Typhon shook and roared and yanked at the chains, pulling some of the Cyclopes off their mounts; but there were too many chains. The sheer weight of the Cyclops battalion began to weigh Typhon down.

Poseidon threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat. Golden blood, immortal ichor, spewed from the wound, making a waterfall taller than a skyscraper. The trident flew back to Poseidon's hand.

The other gods struck with renewed force. Ares rode in and stabbed Typhon in the nose. Artemis shot the monster in the eye with a dozen silver arrows. Apollo shot a blazing volley of arrows and set the monster's loincloth on fire. And Zeus kept pounding the giant with lightning, until finally, slowly, the water rose, wrapping Typhon like a cocoon, and he began to sink under the weight of the chains. Typhon bellowed in agony, thrashing with such force that waves sloshed the Jersey shore, soaking five-story buildings and splashing over the George Washington Bridge—but down he went as Poseidon opened a special tunnel for him at the bottom of the river—an endless waterslide that would take him straight to Tartarus. The giant's head went under in a seething whirlpool, and he was gone.

"BAH!" Kronos screamed. He slashed his sword through the smoke, tearing the image to shreds.

"They're on their way," Percy said. "You've lost."

"I haven't even started." He advanced with blinding speed.

Grover released Annabeth and tried to protect Percy, but Kronos tossed him aside like a rag doll.

It must have been the adrenaline fueling her at this point, but Esmerelda rose to her feet. She unpinned her labrys and attacked Kronos next.

He jabbed at her, but she countered the strike and went for the small gap in his armor.

"NO!" He yelled, using his free hand to grab her by the wrist and slam her against a column.

Ethan came barreling forward—weaponless and with broken armor.

"Get away from her!" He yelled, and actually socked the titan in the jaw. The force was strong enough to send his helmet flying off his head.

Ethan's fist was red and raw, slightly trembling but his face didn't show an ounce of pain. Just anger.

Kronos snarled and him. He released Esmerelda and raised his sword, but Percy came and stood between him and Ethan. While the two engaged in battle, Ethan hurried over to her side.

"Well," she began, groaning slightly. "My wrist is broken."

"I think my whole hand is too." He replied, helping her back up.

There was a clanging noise, and the two looked over to see that Kronos had successfully disarmed Percy. They watched, in growing dread, and Riptide skittered across the ground and fell straight into the open fissure.

"STOP!" Annabeth came from nowhere.

Kronos whirled to face her and slashed with Backbiter, but somehow Annabeth caught the strike on her dagger hilt. It was a move only the quickest and most skilled knife fighter could've managed. She stepped in closer for leverage, their blades crossed, and for a moment she stood face-to-face with the Titan lord, holding him at a standstill.

"Luke," she said, gritting her teeth. "I understand now. You have to trust me."

Kronos roared in outrage. "Luke Castellan is dead! His body will burn away as I assume my true form!"

Esmerelda felt her whole body stiffen up, and realized that Kronos had frozen them yet again. Everyone was feeling the same effects, everyone but Annabeth who somehow managed to stand strong despite being just as battered and half dead with exhaustion as the rest of them.

It was impressive.

Kronos pushed against her, trying to dislodge his blade, but she held him in check, her arms trembling as he forced his sword down toward her neck.

"Your mother," Annabeth grunted. "She saw your fate."

"Service to Kronos!" The Titan roared. "This is my fate."

He said 'my', Esmerelda noted, trying to force her limbs to move.

"No!" Annabeth insisted. Her eyes were tearing up, from sadness or pain or both. "That's not the end, Luke. The prophecy—she saw what you would do. It applies to you!"

"I will crush you, child!" Kronos bellowed.

"You won't," Annabeth said. "You promised. You're holding Kronos back even now."

"LIES!" Kronos pushed again, and this time Annabeth lost her balance. With his free hand, Kronos struck her face, and she slid backward.

Kronos loomed over Annabeth, his sword raised. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

She croaked, "Family, Luke. You promised."

Percy managed to take a painful step forward. Grover was back on his feet as well, but he was still too far away from Annabeth. Esmerelda could feel her fingers twitching. She glanced down and saw Ethan's knee move up just a smidge.

Before any of them can get any closer to Annabeth, Kronos staggered.

He stared at the knife in Annabeth's hand, the blood on her face. "Promise."

Then he gasped like he couldn't get air. "Annabeth..." But it wasn't the Titan's voice. It was Luke's. He stumbled forward like he couldn't control his own body. "You're bleeding..."

"My knife." Annabeth tried to raise her dagger, but it clattered out of her hand. Her arm was bent at a funny angle. She looked at Percy, imploring, "Percy, please..."

Percy was the first one who could finally move again

He surged forward and scooped up her knife. He knocked Backbiter out of Luke's hand, and it spun into the hearth. Luke hardly paid him any attention. He stepped toward Annabeth, but Percy put himself between him and her.

"Don't touch her," he said fiercely.

Anger rippled across his face. Kronos's voice growled: "Jackson..."

Esmerelda tried to call out in alarm, but she found that she couldn't even speak. Kronos' body was glowing now. A gold aura seeped from his skin.

He gasped again, and Luke's voice returned: "He's changing. Help. He's... he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Please—"

"—NO!" Kronos bellowed. He looked around for his sword, but it was in the hearth, glowing among the coals.

He stumbled toward it. Percy tried to stop him, but he pushed him out of the way with such force he landed next to Annabeth and cracked his head on the base of Athena's throne.

"The knife, Percy," Annabeth muttered. Her breath was shallow. "Hero... cursed blade..."

Kronos grasped his sword, but then he bellowed in pain and dropped it. His hands were smoking and seared. The hearth fire had grown red-hot, like the scythe wasn't compatible with it. An image of Hestia flickered in the ashes, frowning at Kronos with disapproval.

Luke turned and collapsed, clutching his ruined hands. "Please, Percy..."

Ethan stumbled forward, gasping as if he could finally breath.

"Percy!" He called out desperately. "His Achilles Heel! I see it now! It's under his left arm!"

Esmerelda groaned, her legs moved felt like but she was able to move forward at least.

Percy struggled to his feet. He moved toward him with the knife.

Luke tried to shake his head, but his movements were stiff.

"You can't... can't do it yourself." He croaked. "He'll break my control. He'll defend himself. Only my hand. I can... can keep him controlled."

He was definitely glowing now, his skin starting to smoke.

Esmerelda's eyes widened in horror. If Kronos regained his true form, they would all die in an instant. Their bodies would not be able to withstand a Titan's aura.

With as much strength as she could muster, she moved towards Ethan and grabbed him.

They held each other tightly, too scared to let go. She could Grover doing the same with Annabeth, trying to shield her from what was to come.

Percy raised the knife to strike.

"Please," Luke groaned. "No time."

If Kronos evolved into his true form, there would be no stopping him. He would make Typhon look like a playground bully.

Percy, please hurry! Esmerelda pleaded.

Suddenly, Grover yelped. "Percy? Are you... um..."

She dared to look up.

Percy was giving Luke the knife.

Ethan's jaw dropped. "Is he insane?!"

"Shhh!" She shushed him. "This... this is the right thing to do!"

He stared at her incredulously, his one eye bulging.

"A hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap." She recited. "That's a line from the prophecy. Percy... Percy is not the hero. Luke is."

Luke grasped the hilt of the knife while Percy stood before him—defenseless.

He unlatched the side straps of his armor, exposing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, a place that would be very hard to hit—and the exact spot Ethan had spoke of.

With difficulty, Luke stabbed himself.

It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke howled. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook, throwing everyone several feet back. Esmerelda and Ethan crashed against the wall, and she was pretty sure everyone else met the same fate.

An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. She shut her eyes and felt a force like a nuclear explosion blister her skin and crack her lips.

It was silent for a long time.

When everyone opened their eyes, they saw Luke sprawled at the hearth. On the floor around him was a blackened circle of ash. Kronos' scythe had liquefied into molten metal and was trickling into the coals of the hearth, which now glowed like a blacksmith's furnace.

Luke's left side was bloody. His eyes were open—blue eyes, the way they used to be. His breath was a deep rattle.

"Good... blade," he croaked.

Everyone struggled to surround him. Annabeth limped over with Grover's support. They both had tears in their eyes.

Luke gazed at Annabeth. "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew..."

"Shhh." Her voice trembled. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium, won't he Essie?"

"Yes," she sniffled. "You'll be there. I... I'll make sure to walk with you. Make sure you're alright in the afterlife."

He shook his head weakly. "Think... rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."

"You always pushed yourself too hard." Annabeth whispered.

He held up his charred hand. Annabeth touched his fingertips.

"Did you..." Luke coughed and his lips glistened red. "Did you love me?"

Annabeth wiped her tears away. "There was a time I thought... well, I thought..." She looked at Percy intensely, and the two of them stared at each other for a while.

"You were like a brother to me, Luke," she said softly. "But I didn't love you."

He nodded, as if he'd expected it. He winced in pain.

"We can get ambrosia," Grover said desperately. "We can—"

"—Grover," Luke gulped. "You're the bravest satyr I ever knew. But no. There's no healing..."

Another cough.

He turned to Esmerelda and Ethan, who were leaning against each other for support.

His eyes watered.

"I'm sorry," he croaked. "I... used you... both... I'm sorry, for the pain, every—everything."

Ethan's lips trembled, and his lone eye started to water too. "Luke..." He said painfully.

Tears spilled from Esmerelda's eye, and she reached out and grasped his hand.

"You saved me," her voice shook. "You saved me and—and—"

He squeezed her hand weakly. "I'm glad that... that I could save you from this fate... You—" He coughed again, thin trails of blood spurting from his lips. "D-don't deserve this..."

With his other hand, he reached out and gripped Percy's sleeve. "Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it... Don't let it happen again."

His eyes were angry, but pleading too.

"I won't," Percy said earnestly. "I promise."

Luke nodded, and Esmerelda felt the hand gripping hers finally go slack.

The gods arrived a few minutes later in their full war regalia, thundering into the throne room and expecting a battle.

What they found were four battered children and a satyr standing over the body of a broken half-blood, in the dim warm light of the hearth.

"Percy," Poseidon called, awe in his voice. "What... what is this?"

Percy turned and faced the Olympians.

"We need a shroud," he announced, his voice cracking. "A shroud for the son of Hermes."

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

The Three Fates took Luke's body.

Esmerelda had never seen them before, but the sight of them terrified her. Appearance-wise, they weren't very frightening to look at—just three ghoulish grandmothers with bags of knitting needles and yarn.

But it was never wise to let their appearances fool you. The Fates were the three divine personifications of destiny. They controlled the thread of life for every living thing from birth to death. She was pretty sure most of the gods feared them too.

They gathered up Luke's body, now wrapped in a white-and-green shroud, and began carrying it out of the throne room.

"Wait," Hermes said quietly.

The messenger god was dressed in his classic outfit of white Greek robes, sandals, and helmet. The wings of his helm fluttered as he walked. The snakes George and Martha curled around his caduceus, murmuring, Luke, poor Luke.

Esmerelda thought about May Castellan, alone in her kitchen, baking cookies and making sandwiches for a son who would never come home. The very image of it made her heart ache.

Hermes unwrapped Luke's face and kissed his forehead. He murmured some words in Ancient Greek—a final blessing.

"Farewell," he whispered mournfully. Then he nodded and allowed the Fates to carry away his son's body.

Esmerelda thought numbly about the Great Prophecy, its grim words now making sense to her.

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap.

The hero was Luke. The cursed blade was the knife he'd given Annabeth long ago—cursed because Luke had broken his promise and betrayed his friends.

A single choice shall end his days.

Percy's choice, to give Luke the knife, and to believe, as Annabeth had, that he was still capable of setting things right.

Olympus to preserve or raze.

By sacrificing himself, he had saved Olympus. Rachel was right. In the end, Percy wasn't really the hero. Luke was.

But she still felt like Percy deserved a good chunk of the credit (like, 99.9% of it). While Luke had done the heroic thing of sacrificing himself in the end, it was Percy who had done the rest of the work of defeating Kronos. He was the one who rallied all the campers in the heart of Manhattan, he was the one who led them, he was the one who fought against Kronos.

So really, she liked to think that both of them were the heroes. Not just Luke.

After getting healed up by the god of healing himself, Esmerelda chose to lean against one of columns that weren't broken while Apollo moved on to heal Annabeth, who had collapsed.

Ethan stepped in front of her, looking anxious.

"Um, hey," he said lamely.

She just stared at him.

He gulped audibly, growing even more nervous at her silence. "I... I, um—"

"—Did you mean what you said?" She cut him off, wanting to get to the point.

"Huh?"

"What you said—or, well, mouthed back there before you attacked Kronos," she clarified, her heart racing. "You said you loved me. Did you really mean it? Or... or were you just saying that because you knew you could die and it just came out in the heat of the moment?"

Ethan was the type of person to express himself through actions rather than words. He expressed his love for her through actions, but never words, and while she knew him well enough to understand what he was feeling, there was still a little bit of herself that wanted the verbal confirmation—especially for something as big as this.

"Yes," he said firmly, and she felt almost weightless at that moment. "To both actually. I love you. I've loved you for a very long time actually, first as friends and then romantically as time passed by. That part took a while for me to figure out by the way, and I just wanted you to know how I felt in case... in case I died and—"

She threw herself into his arms, practically collapsing in his embrace.

She could feel his body temperature skyrocket in a matter of seconds.

He cleared his throat. "S-so I take it that you—?"

"—I love you too. Now shut up," she breathed out, looking up at him with a bright smile on her face. Her hand snaked behind his head and she yanked him down to kiss her.

(For some odd reason, she could hear someone squeal in the background. They sounded weirdly similar to Aphrodite)

She put as much feeling as she could in that kiss to show him how much she reciprocated his feelings. Her chest literally felt like it was about to burst from happiness. So much had been taken away from her and her life was full of so much pain, but now... now she felt like maybe things could get better again. The war was over, Lou Ellen was okay, the little friends she had left were alive, and Ethan was with her again.

She spent her entire life focusing on the negatives, but for once she could relax and focus on the good things in her life.

They pulled away, breathing heavily. Ethan stared at her intensely, his features softening and making him look more like a teenage boy instead of a soldier. He let out a light laugh and leaned his forward against hers.

"I love you," he murmured with promise, before kissing her again.

The next few hours were a blur. Percy remembered his promise to his mother and asked Zeus—who was in a very good mood—to light up the Empire State Building blue.

The gods set about repairing the throne room, which went surprisingly fast with twelve super powerful beings at work (and Esmerelda was glad none of them were bad with her for destroying the roof).

Once the sky bridge reformed, the remaining demigods who had survived met with them at the palace.

The Cyclopes had saved Thalia from the fallen statue. She was on crutches, but otherwise she was okay. Connor and Travis Stoll had made it through with only minor injuries. They weren't very happy when they saw who their dearest friend was cuddling up with though.

"Why," Travis asked her, while Connor stared at the pair in horror.

Esmerelda sighed, "Guys, please."

"Do you remember when he joined Kronos? Or when he kidnapped you? Or when he became Kronos' lieutenant?"

"Or when he kidnapped you?" Connor echoed.

"Or when he stabbed Annabeth?" Travis added.

Ethan winced with every crime they had listed.

"Yes, I remember them all very vividly," Esmerelda deadpanned. "And yes, I'm still very upset with him, but..."

"He makes you happy," Travis finished miserably, as if he was dreading the words. "And you love him."

"I knew we should've tried to hook her up with that one guy at the mall," Connor muttered to his brother.

She was pretty sure that guy was a college student, but that wasn't the point right now.

"I'm not asking you to be happy about this, because I know you're not, but can you just... accept it?" She pleaded with them. "Please? For me?"

The two brothers looked at each other before sighing in defeat.

"Fine," Travis said painfully. "We'll accept this, if only for your sake."

"But," Connor scowled, pointing an accusing finger at Ethan. "We're watching you, got it? Essie may trust you, but we sure as hell don't."

"Fine by me," Ethan scowled back.

After that, things were slightly less tense between them. The Stolls continued on conversing with Esmerelda and pretending that Ethan didn't exist. They told her a lot of things. Basil was okay, and Lou Ellen had even recovered from her injury and fought alongside them. Mrs. O'Leary had dug Chiron out of the rubble and rushed him off to camp. The Stolls looked kind of worried about the old centaur, but at least he was alive.

Nico had entered Olympus to a hero's welcome, his father right behind him, despite the fact that Hades was only supposed to visit Olympus on winter solstice. The god of the dead looked stunned when his relatives clapped him on the back. Esmerelda doubt he'd ever gotten such an enthusiastic welcome before.

Clarisse marched in, still shivering from her time in the ice block, and Ares bellowed, "There's my girl!"

The god of war ruffled her hair and pounded her on the back, calling her the best warrior he'd ever seen. "That drakon-slaying? THAT'S what I'm talking about!"

She looked pretty overwhelmed. All she could do was nod and blink, like she was afraid he'd start hitting her, but eventually she began to smile.

Katie Gardner reported that she'd seen Rachel run out of the Empire State Building at the end of the battle. Rachel had looked unharmed, but nobody knew where she'd gone which was concerning considering her... situation. She, too, ignored Ethan when she was speaking with Esmerelda.

Ethan didn't seem to mind the treatment he was getting.

"They hate me," he said with a shrug. "It's to be expected."

But Esmerelda was still frowning. "But Ethan..."

"Essie, really, it's fine," he reassured her with a soft eye. "I deserve it anyways. I knew they weren't gonna accept me with open arms right away. They probably might never. I don't really care either way."

"But what if they lash out at you when we go back to camp?" She asked worriedly.

He snorted. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it. Don't worry too much okay?" He pecked her on the forehead for added reassurance. Again, she melted in his arms and allowed him to hold her.

The moment was ruined when a familiar voice spoke up:

"So..."

Ethan immediately tensed up, his eye twitching in annoyance at the figure behind him.

"You're alive," Nico said with clear disdain. "How... unfortunate."

Esmerelda's face lit up and she pulled away from Ethan way too eagerly for the latter to be happy about that.

"Nico!" She gushed, speeding passed her newfound boyfriend to embrace the son of Hades. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! I saw you fight alongside your father! You both were amazing!"

"I'm glad you're okay too," Nico smiled before returning her hug. He gave Ethan a nasty glare that she couldn't see.

Ethan glared right back.

"Are you injured? Did your father give you any ambrosia or nectar? Do you need to see Apollo or one of his kids?" She fretted over the younger boy.

"My father gave me some nectar to drink on the way up here," he reassured her. "So... are you two a thing now?"

"Yes!" She replied happily, a sentiment that Nico didn't return.

Ethan smiled evilly before standing beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pecking her on the cheek. The look he gave Nico was triumphant.

"Aren't you just happy for us?" He asked with a sickly sweet tone.

Nico forced a smile, but it looked more like a threatening grimace (if that was even possible).

"The happiest," he said through gritted teeth. "Now if you'll excuse me. I need to speak with my father."

Esmerelda patted his cheek affectionately. "Of course, of course. I'm glad you two are finally getting along."

He gave her a smile, but when she wasn't looking, he sent Ethan another nasty look before stomping off to his father's side. Ethan watched in interest as they two exchanged a few words, before suddenly they were both glaring at him.

What the heck? He thought nervously. He didn't care much about angering Nico—it was fun getting back at that brat—but what had he done to earn the Lord of the Dead's ire? Was he still mad about the sword thing?

The next person to go to them was Lou Ellan, who was also supporting a grinning Basil.

"We did it! We did it! We won the war and survived and—why the heck are you snuggling with Kronos' lieutenant?!" Basil gasped in horror.

Lou Ellen had never personally met Ethan before, but she recognized him. "You... you're the dude from the pictures?"

Ethan turned to Esmerelda. "Pictures?"

She smiled sadly. "I... I still have the pictures of everyone before... you know." She shook the dark thought away and flashed them all a smile. "Ethan, this is my little half-sister, Lou Ellen. Lou, meet Ethan, son of Nemesis."

"And one of the biggest traitors to Camp Half-Blood..." Basil muttered under his breath. "So what? He's one of the good guys now?"

She nodded firmly. "He tried to stab Kronos in the neck."

There was a silence.

"Oh..." Basil blinked, looking at Ethan in a somewhat new light.

Lou Ellen just shrugged. "Good enough for me. Nice to meet you, man. Treat my sister good, got it?"

"I will," he promised.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of a conch horn.

The army of Poseidon marched into the throne room.

"Percy!" Tyson yelled. He charged toward his older half-brother with his arms open. Fortunately he'd shrunk back to normal size, so Percy wasn't being squeezed to death.

"You are not dead!" He said.

"Yeah!" Percy agreed. "Amazing, huh?"

He clapped his hands and laughed happily. "I am not dead either. Yay! We chained Typhon. It was fun!"

Behind him, fifty other armored Cyclopes laughed and nodded and gave each other high fives.

"Tyson led us," one rumbled.

"He is brave!"

"Bravest of the Cyclopes!" Another bellowed.

Tyson blushed. "Was nothing."

"I saw you!" Percy beamed. "You were incredible!"

Poor Grover looked like he was about to pass out. He was deathly afraid of Cyclopes, but he steeled his nerves and said, "Yes. Um... three cheers for Tyson!"

"YAAARRRRR!" The Cyclopes roared.

"Please don't eat me," Grover muttered.

The conch horns blasted again. The Cyclopes parted, and Poseidon strode into the throne room in his battle armor, his trident glowing in his hands.

"Tyson!" He roared. "Well done, my son. And Percy—"

His face turned stern. He wagged his finger at the noirette, like a father scolding an infant. "I even forgive you for sitting on my throne. You have saved Olympus!"

He held out his arms and gave him a hug. It was the most parental thing Esmerelda had ever seen a god do. Beside her, she could even see Ethan's eye grow wide with shock.

Father and son seemed to be having a sweet, familial moment together, but that was all ruined by Zeus.

"POSEIDON!" He roared.

Zeus had taken his throne. He glared across the room at his brother while all the other gods filed in and took their seats. Even Hades was present, sitting on a simple stone guest chair at the foot of the hearth. Nico sat cross-legged on the ground at his dad's feet.

"Well, Poseidon?" Zeus grumbled. "Are you too proud to join us in council, my brother?"

Poseidon just grinned. "I would be honored, Lord Zeus."

He strode over to his fishing seat, and the Olympian Council convened.

It was actually kind of boring. Zeus was giving some ridiculously long speech about the bravery of the gods while giving little credit to the demigods—which was expected of him so whatever.

"As for my brothers," Zeus said. "We are thankful—" He cleared his throat like the words were hard to get out. "—Erm, thankful for the aid of Hades."

The lord of the dead nodded. He had a smug look on his face. He patted his son Nico on the shoulders, and Nico looked happier than Esmerelda had ever seen him.

"And, of course," Zeus continued, though he looked like his pants were smoldering. "We must... um... thank Poseidon."

"I'm sorry, brother," Poseidon said. "What was that?"

"We must thank Poseidon," Zeus growled. "Without whom... it would've been difficult—"

"—Difficult?" Poseidon asked innocently.

Ethan whispered in Esmerelda's ear, "Do they always act like this?"

She nodded in response.

"Impossible," Zeus said painfully. "Impossible to defeat Typhon."

The gods murmured agreement and pounded their weapons in approval.

"Which leaves us," Zeus began. "Only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes, who defended Olympus so well—even if there are a few dents in my throne."

This is it, Esmerelda thought, her heart pounding with every second.

She kept a deathly tight grasp on Ethan's hand like it was a lifeline. The deal and vow she made with Hera echoed in her head until that was all she could focus on.

The demigods of Kronos' army had all been hauled up to Olympus and they had been shoved to the side of the throne room, shackled and chained up like prisoners (which was understandable). The cyclopes who had been in charge of doing so had tried to do the same with Ethan too, but one venomous glare from Esmerelda made him rethink that decision.

Alabaster, naturally, was one of the chained demigods. He had woken up about an hour ago and thrashed around so much that the cyclopes had to gag him. He resorted to just glaring at everything for the remainder of the time.

She was not blind to the fate they would all get. The gods were still very cruel and merciless after all, but she and Hera had a deal and that goddess had better follow through with it.

He called Thalia forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunters' ranks.

Artemis smiled. "You have done well, my lieutenant. You have made me proud, and all those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure."

She glared pointedly at Hades.

He shrugged. "Probably."

Artemis glared at him some more.

"Okay," Hades grumbled. "I'll have Esmerelda streamline their application process."

Esmerelda sighed tiresomely. She could already imagine the amount of paperwork she would be stuck doing. "Yes, sir."

Thalia beamed with pride. "Thank you, my lady." She bowed to the gods, even Hades, and then limped over to stand by Artemis's side.

"Tyson, son of Poseidon!" Zeus called.

Tyson looked nervous, but he went to stand in the middle of the Council, and Zeus grunted.

"Doesn't miss many meals, does he?" Zeus muttered. "Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new... um... what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?"

An axe! Esmerelda thought excitedly.

"Stick!" Tyson exclaimed, showing his broken club.

That was fine too.

"Very well," Zeus said. "We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found."

"Hooray!" Tyson cried, and all the Cyclopes cheered and pounded him on the back as he rejoined them.

"Grover Underwood of the satyrs!" Dionysus called.

Grover came forward nervously.

"Oh, stop chewing your shirt," Dionysus chided. "Honestly, I'm not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders."

Grover collapsed on the spot.

"Oh, wonderful," Dionysus sighed, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. "Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast, and that all satyrs, naiads, and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honors, blah, blah, blah. Now please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts groveling."

"FOOOOOD," Grover moaned, as the nature spirits carried him away.

Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter."

Annabeth steadily walked forward and knelt at her mother's feet.

Athena smiled. "You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength, and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is... well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements."

Annabeth looked up, stunned. "My... my lady?"

Athena smiled wryly. "You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus and make it a monument that will last for another eon?"

"You mean... I can design whatever I want?"

"As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city for the ages."

"As long as you have plenty of statues of me," Apollo added.

"And me," Aphrodite agreed.

"Hey, and me!" Ares said. "Big statues with huge wicked swords and—"

"—All right!" Athena interrupted. "She gets the point. Rise, my daughter, official architect of Olympus."

Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back towards Percy.

"Esmerelda Black!" Zeus called out next.

Esmerelda nearly jumped. She swallowed thickly, gave Ethan one last nervous smile, before going over to kneel at Zeus' feet.

"Rise, daughter of Hecate."

She did so.

"Esmerelda Black, for your loyalty to me—"

"—To us." Hades grunted.

"To us," Zeus corrected through gritted teeth. "And for fighting against Hyperion and aiding the fight against my father, I reward you with—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Hera reached out and grasped her husband's hand.

Zeus paused. "Ah, my dear?"

"I have a reward in mind," Hera said smoothly, but Esmerelda could see the annoyance in her face.

The gods stared at her, stunned, as did everyone else in the throne room.

Zeus blinked at her once, then twice, as if he had heard her wrong. "You... wish you reward her?"

"Yes." Hera nodded.

"Esmerelda Black? Daughter of Hecate? A demigod?" Zeus asked, like he was trying to check if this was actually his wife he was talking to.

Hera's gave him a look of irritation. "Yes, husband. Now may I get on with it?"

Zeus briefly glanced at the other gods as if he was telepathically asking them Is Hera okay? before slowly nodding in acceptance.

She smiled. "Thank you, my dear," then she looked at Esmerelda and fought the urge to scowl (a sentiment the demigod shared).

"For your loyalty in the war... I reward you... with an amnesty," she said. "Granted to all demigods who sided with my father."

Murmured gasps echoed around in the room. Everyone was stunned, even the gods. The Hera was showing mercy to a bunch of demigods? Demigods who actually betrayed them? It was absolutely unheard of.

Esmerelda felt a smile crawl over her face, but then—

"NO!" Alabaster, who had finally managed to remove the gag, shouted. He thrashed against his chains.

Esmerelda whirled around to face him, sucking in a breath. Alabaster looked animalistic with how chained he was. He was madder then ever, his eyes glowing green as he tried to break free from the shackles.

"Fuck your stupid amnesty!" Alabaster spat, and Esmerelda really wished he would stop talking because he would only earn Hera's wrath.

She remembered the goddess' words to her: "I swear on the River Styx that I will do everything in my power to spare the surviving traitors. But that amnesty is only granted if the traitors accept it."

If the traitors accept it.

If.

Fuck, Esmerelda cursed. Alabaster, please, don't do this!

Hera, naturally looked offended. "You do not wish to accept our mercy? Fine then! For your cheek, I shall—"

Green mist appeared in the center of the room, right next to Esmerelda.

It was Hecate, and she looked meek as she addressed the winning gods.

"Hecate," Hera spat.

"My lords and ladies," Hecate acknowledged meekly. 

Esmerelda regarded her numbly. Hecate had been the one who Mist traveled her and Ethan back up to Olympus. She had saved them, and she didn't know how to feel about that. Of course, she was still furious with her... but she was grateful for that one act of kindness nevertheless. 

Alabaster finally stopped struggling. "Mother..."

"So you finally show yourself to us," Zeus rumbled. "After your treachery."

"Mother, we can still fight!" Alabaster urged. "We have to! Mother, you don't have to bow down to them!"

Esmerelda stared at her brother pleadingly.

"Well?" Zeus narrowed his eyes. "Did you come here to admit defeat? Grovel for forgiveness? Or did you come to witness us smite your insolent son?"

"My lord please," Hecate begged. "Spare my son. I have suffered too many losses in this war. Please. I cannot lose another child after already losing so many..."

Esmerelda and Alabaster stared at their mother in shock. The former couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her wretched mother was actually begging for Alabaster's life to be spared. She actually looked regretful. Mournful even.

"Mother..." Alabaster's voice shook. "What are you...?"

"One more chance Hecate," Zeus growled. "I will give you one more chance to rejoin the side of the Olympians. In exchange, we will banish your rebellious son in order to keep him from corrupting his siblings. He is never to return to Camp Half-Blood. If you choose to listen to the boy's wishes and stand against us... well, I'm sure you know what to expect next."

As if to prove how serious he was, his hand crackled with electricity. It was a silent promise that he would destroy Alabaster should he refuse.

Hecate paled drastically. "I understand, my lord. I shall... return to the side of the Olympians."

"Mother, no!" Alabaster cried out. "What are you doing?! Don't listen to them!"

Esmerelda couldn't speak.

Banished, she thought numbly. Alabaster was to be exiled. She didn't know how to feel about that.

"Then he shall be spared." Zeus stated.

Hecate let out a shaky breath, and nodded. "Thank you for your mercy, my lord. I shall... deal with my son now."

The two of them disappeared in a poof of green mist.

Hera regarded the prisoners. "Does anyone else refuse the gift I've bestowed?"

Nobody spoke, and she smiled venomously.

"Good. You are dismissed, daughter of Hecate."

Esmerelda bowed to the gods, and walked stiffly back to Ethan.

"What..." He breathed out, wide-eyed. "Was that? Did Hera just—why would she—?!"

"Who knows," she replied dully, staring at the spot where Alabaster once stood.

He realized that, and his face fell. "Essie... about Alabaster and your siblings, I—"

She shook her head. "—You have nothing to apologize for. I'm just glad everyone else accepted the amnesty..."

She truly didn't know how to feel about what had happened with Alabaster. She certainly didn't feel happy about it, but strangely enough, she wasn't sad about it either. She just felt... bitter and resigned.

It doesn't matter anymore, she tried to tell herself. The war is over. What's done is done.

"PERCY JACKSON!" Poseidon suddenly announced. His name echoed around the chamber.

All talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Everyone's eyes were on Percy—all the gods, the demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits.

He walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia gave him a reassuring smile. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again. Her smile seemed to have given him the courage to keep walking.

First he bowed to Zeus. Then he knelt at his father's feet.

"Rise, my son," Poseidon said.

He stood uneasily.

"A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon stated. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?"

None of the demigods disagreed, but what was surprising was that the gods didn't protest either. And they never agreed on anything.

"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."

Percy hesitated. "Any gift?"

Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time."

Percy stared at him, stunned. "Um... a god?"

Zeus rolled his eyes. "A dimwitted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever."

"Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."

"I approve as well," Athena said, though she was looking at Annabeth.

Annabeth was trying not to meet his eyes. Her face was pale. It reminded Esmerelda back when Percy thought he would lose her to the Huntresses.

Percy was deep in thought, and Esmerelda couldn't blame him. This was a serious offer that he needed to think about. In her opinion, Percy would make a pretty cool god. But she felt like either way, god or not, he could still go on to do great things.

"No," Percy finally said.

The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have misheard.

"No?" Zeus repeated. "You are... turning down our generous gift?"

There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm about to erupt.

"I'm honored and everything," he continued. "Don't get me wrong. It's just... I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."

The gods were glaring at him, but Annabeth had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were shining.

"I do want a gift, though," Percy said. "Do you promise to grant my wish?"

Zeus thought about this. "If it is within our power."

"It is," he nodded. "And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx."

"What?" Dionysus cried. "You don't trust us?"

"Someone once told me," He said, looking at Hades. "You should always get a solemn oath."

Hades shrugged. "Guilty."

"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power."

The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.

"From now on, I want to you properly recognize the children of the gods," Percy said firmly. "All the children... of all the gods."

Ethan's knees buckled. His hand tightened around Esmerelda's.

"Is he—is he really—?" He murmured, looking at Percy with a wide, almost tearful eye. His expression was full of astonishment, disbelief, and hope.

The Olympians shifted uncomfortably.

"Percy," Poseidon said. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents," he stated. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."

Zeus's royal nostrils flared. "You dare accuse—"

"—No more undetermined children," Percy barreled on. "I want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive."

"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo said, but Percy was on a roll.

"And the minor gods," he continued. "Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe—they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades—"

"—Are you calling me a minor god?" Hades bellowed.

"No, my lord," he said quickly. "But your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. The same goes with hybrid children."

Esmerelda's breath hitched.

"Esmerelda's proven to you time and time that she's with us. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. That is my wish."

Zeus snorted. "Is that all?"

"Percy," Poseidon said. "You ask too much. You presume too much."

"I hold you to your oath," Percy said bravely. "All of you."

He got a lot of steely looks.

Strangely, it was Athena who spoke up: "The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps—" She glanced at Annabeth, and then spoke as if the words had a sour taste. "—Perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept the boy's plan."

"Humph," Zeus scoffed. "Being told what to do by a mere child. But I suppose..."

"All in favor," Hermes said.

All the gods raised their hands.

Ethan nearly fainted from the shock if it hadn't been for Esmerelda keeping him grounded.

"I can't believe it..." He muttered, looking like he was about to go under cardiac arrest. "He really... he really did it."

Esmerelda just smiled. "Thank you, Percy," she whispered under her breath.

"Um, thanks," Percy said to the gods. It was a pretty lame finish, but nobody seemed to care.

He turned, but before he could leave, Poseidon called, "Honor guard!"

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the door—an aisle for Percy to walk through. They came to attention.

"All hail, Perseus Jackson," Tyson said. "Hero of Olympus... and my big brother!"

— author's note —

For those of you who forgot, the chapter title "Elpis" means "hope" in Greek. It was the one thing left in Pandora's Box.

And speeaakkkingggg of chapter titles :D

I actually got the previous chapter, "The Mighty Fall" from a Fall Out Boy song. It's literally titled "The Mighty Fall" but I purposely picked that cuz I knew some of you Essan shippers would be like "the mighty FALL??!?!?! NOOO ETHAN'S GONNA DIE!!!!"

You read it wrong! In the chapter title, "mighty" is referring to Essie and Ethan!!! And if you've heard the song, then you should remember that the lyrics go:

"Oh, how the mighty FALL IN LOVE"

 😂

You guys thought I was talking about Ethan plunging to his death, but nope. I was struggling to pick a title for the chapter, but I was listening to Fall Out Boy cuz their songs are great, and that's when I heard the lyrics. I was like "THIS IS THE PERFECT TITLE! PLUS IT'LL TRICK PPL INTO THINKING THE WRONG THING :D"

Kudos to icara rain (from Quotev) for figuring it out first!

BUT ANYWAYS, GUYS GUESS WHAT!!!!!!

I found out about this around a week ago but I forgot to tell you all! Look what I realized when I checked out Nemesis' PJO Wiki article: 

LOOK AT HER EARLY LIFE!!!! It says "Nemesis was born from the protogenoi Nyx (Night) through parthenogenesis (by herself, therefore she's a primordial goddess herself)."

The "species" part on the right even says "Primordial Goddess" aajhdsghadf I DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF THAT WTF. This entire time I thought she was just some simple minor Goddess but SHE'S EVEN BETTER?!?!?!? Further down the article under 'Abilities' it even states: "As her powers were able to affect the gods, it can be stated that Nemesis is considerably more powerful than her status as a non-Olympian, such as Eris, Thanatos, and Hypnos"

"mInOr GoDDesS" my ASS the Olympians did her so fucking dirty smh, omg the POTENTIAL she and Ethan could've gotten holy shit!!!

Also, this means that Ethan's technically half primordial and—

Can ya'll just imagine it... Essie, a half-titan, with Ethan, a half-primordial... The power... the chaos... 

I'm gonna have so much fun with this info in the next book sdnfajdfb

Anyways, here's my own meme: 

Every single demigod when they come back from the war: