I smiled at her.

My Annabeth is old now, with grey/white hair and few wrinkles, but still looks as stunning as ever. She wears her old Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, as do I. She's smiling at me in return. I don't know what she's thinking, but I know she knows what I'm thinking; this is it, and it's okay.

I think about all the times we've kissed. I think about our children and their children. I think about our adventures as kids, our near-death experiences. I think about my friends and family. But never about myself.

Thalia, Nico, Jason, Grover, Hazel, Tyson, Mom, Paul, Chiron, Zoë, Piper, Leo, Frank, Artemis, Hestia, Clarisse. . . the list goes on and on. And I am so thankful to have called them friends and family.

But my time is up now. It's time to meet some of them again, and think about others, on another side of life. Elysium. It's confirming, knowing your fate, especially when it's a rather splendid one.

And Annabeth will live a life here, and come to my some day.

"I love you." My lop-sided smile fades into a smirk.

She kisses me like always, "I love you too, Seaweed Brain."

"Wise Girl."

I cough slightly. I love you, Annabeth. The light above me isn't light anymore as it turns into darkness. I wonder what my ghost self would look like; maybe what I looked like when I committed such heroic acts that landed me a place in Elysium.

I'll find out sooner or later.

I hear quiet sobbing, but Annabeth knows it's okay anyway. She's strong. I take another struggling sip. I probably shouldn't say anything.

A take my last sip of breath, and it comes out with one last thought, the thing that kept me alive and to her for years and years. Annabeth.

~

It's dark.

No, now I see lights. Coming towards me. Yellows, blues, mostly reds.

"Welcome back, Perseus. Your drachma?"

I hand it to him and wait in the chairs, waiting, waiting, to take the elevator down. Down to my uncle. Down to the Underworld.