THE TRIO LIMPED THERE WAY TOWARDS THE TOP OF MOUNT VESUVIUS.

None of their wounds were too serious, but Selena didn't want to deal with another monster any time soon.

All three of them were ready for this quest to be over. To return to Camp Jupiter where they had access to showers, food, and comfy beds.

"Almost there." Jason encouraged.

"Any chance there's a taco truck at the top of this mountain?" Cato sighed, bringing up the rear of the group,

"Fat chance." Selena grunted.

Once they reached the top, they were greeted with the site of a large stone statue of a woman. There were patches of moss, which was strange considering they were on a volcano, which was devoid of all life.

There were antlers coming out from her head, with vines and moss climbing up the stone. She was sitting criss cross applesauce, and holding her large, pregnant belly which was carved to look like the Earth.

"Who is this?" Selena asked, 

"Gaea, she's a Protogenoi." Jason answered,

"A what now?"

"She's the mother of Titans and Giants. One of the most powerful beings. And probably the oldest Goddess." The blonde explained,

"And why is her statue up here? Cuz of the volcano?" Cato questioned,

"Dunno." Jason turned to look at Selena, "Maybe... she's the one who can give your memories back."

"That would mean she was the one to take them away in the first place." Selena stepped forward, towards the statue and running her fingers over it,

"Selena Madison." A woman's voice whispered in her head, "Finally, you have arrived."

The brunette girl looked over her shoulder at the boys, to see if they had heard the voice, too. But they stood there, waiting for any instruction.

She turned back to the statue, "Gaea, are you... are you the one who brought me here? The one who took away my memories?"

"Everything is happening according to the prophecy. You, little demi-god, are destined to help me. To help us all." 

"Selena... are you talking to the statue?" Cato questioned her, his eyebrows raised,

She rolled her eyes, "She speaking to me. I can hear her... in my head. I think she's the one who led me to camp." Selena turned back to the statue, "Just tell me how."

"The dagger and the boy."

The blood of Ceres shall give life.

"I'm not killing him." Selena whispered, not wanting to worry Cato,

Cato was her friend, she vouched for her when she first came to camp. She wasn't going to kill him just to get her memories back, that was a line she wasn't willing to cross.

"I only require his blood, child of Trivia, not his life."

 With a sigh, Selena stood, "Alright, plant boy, you're up."

"I still don't like the sight of blood." Cato mumbled as he stood next to her,

She took her dagger from its' sheath and Cato swallowed nervously, "Careful now." 

Selena grabbed his hand and held it over the statue, "Just a few drops. That's all she needs." She didn't actually know that, but she wasn't gonna freak Cato out.

Gently, Selena dragged the blade over his palm. Cato winced and she felt bad about purposely causing him pain, "Almost done." She let the blood pool in his palm before she placed his hand on top of Gaea's head, in between the antlers.

The ground below them shook the moment his hand came into contact with the statue. Smoke began to plume out of the opening of the volcano and Selena's heart rate skyrocketed, "Oh, no."

"What's going on?" Jason questioned, his eyes wide with fear.

"Um, S?" She turned to look at Cato, who was staring down at his hand that was still in contact with the statue, "I'm stuck."

"What do you mean you're stuck?" Selena grabbed his arm and began to pull.

But his hand wouldn't budge.

The stone statue began to shake violently and Selena fell backward. She landed on her backside and winced as rocks cut into her hand, 

"Yes! We shall be free!"

The eyes on the statue opened and glowed a bright green.

"Guys!" Cato began to panic, falling onto his knees as the ground continued to vibrate.

"You lied to me!" Selena yelled, standing back on her feet with the help of Jason.

"You were the fool, Selena Madison, the girl who lived. Know when you are played."

There was a loud explosion coming from the opening of Mount Vesuvius. Jason ran over to see the lava inside beginning to bubble towards the surface,

"We need to go!" Jason exclaimed, 

"I can't.... move." Cato gasped.

Selena glanced between Jason and Cato, unsure of what to do. She didn't understand what she just did, did she doom them all?

She ran back over to Cato, and her eyes widened when she spotted his hand. 

It was turning to stone.

Cato was turning to stone.

"Oh, gods." She gasped before kneeling down next to him, "Okay, I need you to stay calm. Stay awake, we're gonna get you out."

"I really want to go home now." He groaned in pain.

"Just hang on." Selena patted his shoulder before running over to Jason, "We need a plan, and fast. Cato... he's turning to stone and I don't know how to stop it."

"We need to get his hand off the statue." Jason stated, glancing back over to the opening of the volcano, "And we need to stop the volcano from erupting. Before it destroys more cities."

"But... how?"

"I'll go help with Cato. Maybe you can do your shadow magic thingy to help with the lava?" Jason asked, 

"I've never-"

"Hey!" He grabbed her shoulders, staring into her forest green eyes, "We can do this. We can all live and save the day, okay? You just need to believe in yourself and in your mother."

Selena nodded before Jason took off over to Cato. She moved over to the edge of the opening, trying not to fall in as the ground continued to shake.

"Mom, please." She begged, tears streaming down her face,  "I need your help."

She royally screwed up. She released a higher being even more powerful than Titans, and might've ended the world in the process.

Selena wasn't going to get her memories back.

"I was selfish, I understand that now." She stated, the smoke surrounding her starting to turn green, "If it means we all get to live, then I don't want my memories back. You can keep them. Just let Cato live, please."

In the green smoke, she heard a boy whispered her name. Selena closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the voice.

"Selena?"

She opened her eyes to see a teenage boy around her age with black shaggy hair and startling sea green eyes, that would turn a more blueish colour in the light.

"Percy." The name escaped her lips without her even thinking.

She knew him. She could feel it.

The chaos seemed to stop around her and all Selena could focus on is the boy in front of her, who was starting to fade with the green smoke, "I need help."

"I don't understand." The boy shook his head, "What do you need?"

"You." She reached out and he grabbed her hand.

And with that, all the energy seemed to be sucked out of Percy. He fell to his knees in pain, not understanding what was happening.

He thought it was a dream, Selena was dead, but the pain felt so real.

Selena stood on top of the volcano and water from the sea rose up around her. She kept her hand on Percy while raising her other one and shooting the water at the lava as it irrupted.

All of her senses began to fade. 

The boy disappeared into the smoke and Selena collapsed onto her knees. She glanced over towards Jason, who was holding Cato in his arms.

Blood was splattered on the both of them. Cato was missing his right arm, and his skin had turned white.

"It's too late."  Gaea's voice resonated in her head, "I'm free."

It was the last thing Selena was able to comprehend before collapsing onto the ground, the whole world turning black.