¹𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ! - percy jackson

-011

STELLA FELT COMPLETELY NUMB. The tears had dried on her cheeks, but the pain was nowhere near over. It clung to her like a relentless shadow, heavy and suffocating.

At the edge of the dump, they had found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so they decided to borrow it.

Thalia assumed the role of the driver. Her expression was a stark contrast to the rest of them; she wore a mask of stoic determination, refusing to let her grief show. The daughter of Zeus, a natural leader, guided them through the harsh desert terrain, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

"The skeletons are still out there," She reminded them. "We need to keep moving."

She navigated them through the desert under clear blue skies, the sand almost blinding as it stretched to the distant horizon, an endless sea of hardship and heartache.

Zoë sat up front with Thalia. Stella, Percy, and Grover occupied the pickup bed, their bodies leaning against the tow winch for support.

The air was cool and dry, a stark contrast to the hot desert floor, but the pleasant weather felt like a cruel taunt after the loss of Bianca.

Stella had been blankly staring at the road until something caught her eye. Percy's hand closed around the little figurine that had cost Bianca's life. Stella still couldn't even tell what god it was supposed to be. Nico would know.

Nico.

Her heart ached for the boy. She couldn't help but think of her own half-siblings, Lee and the others, and the sheer dread of losing them washed over her. She didn't even want to imagine what it would be like.

Stella knew Bianca was gone. She knew as soon as she saw Talos collapsing. But the shock had gripped her, preventing her from fully acknowledging the painful truth.

She would have scoured the desert in vain for Bianca if her friends hadn't convinced her to continue the quest.

Now, watching Percy's guilt-stricken face as he clung to the Mythomagic figurine only intensified her own pain. She knew he blamed himself for what had happened, just as she blamed herself. The unbearable weight of their shared guilt hung in the air, unspoken but deeply felt, a heavy shroud over their hearts.

"I promised to help you keep Bianca safe," Stella said softly. It was the first time words had come out of her mouth since her breakdown at the junkyard. "And I failed. It's all my fault." 

Percy's eyes flew to her, "No, I won't let you blame yourself for this. You did everything you could."

She began to tear up again, "I didn't do enough. I couldn't decode the fucking prophecy or listen to the warnings. I could've healed her..."

He watched as crystalline tears began to roll down her face. "No, none of this is on you."

Stella finally met his eyes, and Percy felt his stomach twist when he saw the pain etched onto her face. He didn't dare mention her reaction back at the junkyard or how it worried him.

"It doesn't feel like it." She whispered, her voice a fragile echo of her turmoil.

"I know... but Bianca was my responsibility, and now... it should've been me," Percy said heavily with regret. "I should've gone into the giant."

Stella didn't know what to say. She knew it wasn't his fault, but she felt the same exact way; how was she supposed to comfort him? The thought of her having gone into the giant instead of Bianca wouldn't leave her head, a relentless specter of what-ifs and regrets.