The shattered walls of the palace spoke of a time when power ruled here – and of its fall. Yet, despite the decay, the place radiated a dark presence. It felt as if the weight of the heavens not only held Artemis to the ground, but anyone who stood there.

Artemis knelt under the weight of the firmament, her shoulders hunched, her skin pale. Despite the obvious pain in her face, her eyes were sharp, glinting with rage as she looked at me.

Annabeth stood in chains beside her, her face marked with despair. As our eyes met, a flash of hope appeared, only to be immediately overshadowed by deep disappointment.

"Thalia," she whispered, her voice fragile. "Please tell me this isn't true."

I straightened my shoulders and forced myself not to look away. "It's true," I said, colder than I intended. "I'm here because I made a choice. The gods have abandoned us over and over. It's enough."

Artemis lifted her head, her features hardened with anger. "Abandoned?" she hissed. "Are you listening to yourself, Thalia? Do you know how I ended up here? Your oh-so-just Luke betrayed Annabeth to impose the burden of the heavens on her. And when I came to save her, I had no choice but to take it off her."

I glanced at Luke, but he showed no reaction. His hands were loosely crossed in front of his chest, his gaze calm. "Artemis is exaggerating," he said softly. "I just found a way to distract her until we had the upper hand."

"Upper hand?" Artemis spat. "You nearly killed her! A girl who trusted you!"

Annabeth's voice cracked as she shuddered and added, "Thalia, he lied to me. I thought... I thought I was saving the world. But all I did was walk right into his trap. Please, see that."

I avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry, Annabeth," I murmured. "But you don't understand what's at stake here."

"And what do you understand, Thalia?" Artemis' voice was cutting. "You're nothing but a pawn in Kronos' plan. You think you can change the world by joining the Titans? They'll use you until there's nothing left of you."

"And what have you ever done for us?" I snapped. "Where were you when we fought for survival? Where were you when we called for help? You always made us fight while you watched."

"I never looked away!" Artemis screamed. The fury in her voice made me flinch. "I just wasn't there because father held me back! I never let a child die when I could stop it."

I clenched my teeth. Her anger felt like a blow, but I couldn't let her throw me off balance.

"And yet you kneel here," I said softly, "broken under a burden that's not yours. Why do you do this, Artemis? Why not just leave? Why not show that you're strong enough to refuse?"

Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Because I'm not like Luke," she hissed. "I sacrifice myself to save those I'm supposed to protect. I carry this burden so Annabeth lives. So she doesn't break like you."

"I'm not broken," I retorted, though my voice trembled.

"You are," Annabeth whispered. Her tears ran freely down her cheeks. "Thalia, you're broken because you've forgotten who you are. You were always our leader, our hope. Please come back. Don't let Luke destroy you."

"It's not Luke who's destroying me," I said, the words sharper than I meant. "It's the gods. It's the world as it is. Luke is giving me a chance to change something."

"At what price?" Artemis asked. "Do you really believe the Titans will give you freedom? You'll wear their chains, and when you're no longer useful, they'll discard you. You're nothing but a tool to them."

I closed my eyes, but her words echoed in my head. Deep down, I knew there was truth in them. But it was Luke's voice that pulled me back.

"It's their choice," he said calmly, though his voice carried a familiar undertone, one that used to soothe me. "It was always us against the world, remember, Thalia? It was never about glory or power. It was about survival. And now we have the chance to do more. Not just survive, but to live. To finally truly live."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. His gaze was soft, and for the first time in a long time, I remembered the nights we sought refuge together, making plans to escape the madness.

"I'm sorry," I said finally, my voice barely more than a whisper. "But I can't go back."

Annabeth's sobs tore at my heart, but I forced myself not to turn around. Artemis' gaze burned into my back, but I walked on.

I had made my decision.