•as the world caves in•

•happy endings•

Percy spoke to Hermes while I waited at the elevator for him. Olympus needed rebuilding, and Annabeth was already holding her hands out, explaining what she wanted to do.

"I still don't fully know what my role is," I sighed. "How often do the gods need help on this stuff?"

"Well," Annabeth said. "I'm sure they'll need to reevaluate everything with the Titans, they'll need to fix stuff in the Underworld so you might be besties with Hades. But you'll figure it out, I think your role is pretty cool, getting to be like, an assistant."

When Percy came over, he smelled like roses.

Mom must've said something.

When we went down the elevator, Annabeth stayed up to wait for Thalia, Percy's parents and my parents were waiting.

"Coriane!" My dad sighed, hugging me, and Sam join. "Cor, I was so worried."

"Even though I told you she was okay?" Sam smiled.

"I needed to see it to believe it."

I let them shower me in hugs and kisses, and then Sally and Paul gave me quick hugs, and Sally whispered, "thank you for keeping him safe." And I almost started crying.

Everything was perfect, our parents met each other and Percy and I shared awkward glances as the back of our hands brushed together but we didn't actually hold them, not just yet.

But then Nico came running in, talking about Rachel stealing Blackjack and going to camp and suddenly everything was not perfect.

•.•.•.•

After calling Hippocampi we rode to camp, and it was so weird being back.

It looked as though a war had never happened, camp was just how I left it, except for the shooting green light and Rachel sitting at the Big House.

I watched in awe as Apollo appeared and declared Rachel as the new Oracle, as the old Oracle came out and embraced her and suddenly everything looked normal.

Rachel looked fine, like nothing had happened, but then she groaned and it sounded like the Oracle, not Rachel.

"Eight half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall,
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And does bear arms to the Doors of Death."

"Well," Apollo said. "Looks we have our next prophecy!"

I looked at him in confusion. "And you're happy why?"

"Because it means the Oracle took! Besides, the last one took like seventy years to happen, this one might take longer."

That made me feel a little better.

•.•.•.•

I cried again as I lit Silena's burial shroud and even Drew looked a little sad. I had been appointed as the head of my cabin, so now I was just like Annabeth and Percy.

Clarisse held me as we watched her shroud burn, which was weird, but when you're crying and someone hugs you, you can't really complain.

I watched Juniper and Grover reunite and take a walk across the beach, something Silena and Charlie had always done. Something I had always wanted to do.

I had done some convincing before dinner to get Chiron to let me use the kitchen, although he wasn't happy when I almost started a fire or made a mess, it was worth it.