Never Change

Chapter 40

Percy slowly sat down, his back leaning against the trunk of the tree.

It wasn't for any reason in particular, really. He just wanted to rest.

The sun was setting in the west of Solitas. Between two twin white peaks in the distance, the sun sat comfortably, slowly descending.

Wasn't it lovely? All alone...

His mind was made of stone, yes, but his heart...

His heart was made of glass.

The sunlight shone onto his tanned skin, the light, slightly cold breeze brushing through his bangs slightly.

He was tired.

He opened his fist, revealing his camp necklace that sat in the palm of his hand.

"One, two, three... four," he muttered.

He was tired from all the fighting, all the wars. All he wanted was peace. Was that too much to ask for?

But, sitting here... for the first time in a while...

He felt an invisible weight lift off his shoulders. He felt careless and... free, even.

For the longest time, he couldn't forget her.

Annabeth Chase.

His first love, the daughter of Athena, who had been through countless adventures with him. Through paradise, and through hell itself. Only to perish at the hands of Gaia.

His hands clenched, and he didn't realize that he had drawn blood until he looked down. Reddish-gold ichor, dripping slowly from his fingernails. It trailed down his palm, to his wrist, and then dripping onto the blades of grass, onto the soil in the garden.

He exhaled and forced himself to unclench his hands.

Even when he was with Pyrrha, sometimes he couldn't forget her. It was unfair to her, and it was unfair to Pyrrha.

He looked at the beads on his necklace again. They really were his last memory of his old world, after all.

Maybe he couldn't talk to her, since she didn't have a grave in this world. But he still wanted to.

"Hey, Annabeth," he started.

"I'm becoming a god, now," he let out a chuckle. After having denied it once already, he was becoming one anyway.

"It's not like I wanted to become one, you know," he stared at the sky, "It just kinda... happened. I sure am popular, eh?"

He stared aimlessly at the sky, waiting for some kind of response from her. Then he stared at the beads on his necklace.

Of course, neither responded. He half-laughed, half-cried.

What was he thinking? He berated himself.

After a moment's silence, he continued.

"I guess... I guess since the Greek pantheon is gone, your soul is gone too. There's no Elysium, is there? But..."

"I guess we were always a losing game, huh? The internal strife, the weakening of the pantheon... us demigods were just pawns in a bigger game. Loving you was a losing game..."

"But it was worth it," he smiled, "I'll never regret it. The memories, and the experiences we had. The adventures, the ups and downs.

He didn't want to... he didn't want to do it.

But he needed to let go.

He missed her, almost more than life. But he had to do it.

He needed to let go.