Worlds Collide

chapter 5 ~ sophie

"So... Did you want to tell me anything?" Sophie asked wearily. These were the demigods that scared her most. They looked tough. And as much as Sophie hated to admit it, they looked like they would have bullied her. Or maybe not. She didn't know them well enough to judge.

"I wanted- We wanted to know more about you. Information that could help us figure out plan for you to get back home." Annabeth explained.

"Thank you for your help."

"It's no problem!" Grover bleated.

"What do you want me to tell you?" Sophie asked, unsure with what to start with.

"I don't imagine there are elves roaming around here in New York. So, where are elves from?" Annabeth thought out loud.

"Well, you may have heard of Shangri-la, El Dorado, and- And... Atlantis." Sophie thought maybe bringing up Atlantis wasn't the best example to bring up, especially to Greek demigods.

Percy's eyes almost glowed at the mention of lost land, Atlantis. He took in a deep breath as if to calm himself down. He had a faint smile, and the bright sun shown through the windows of the room. He looked almost like a little kid on Christmas.

"Atlantis? The- The lost city of Atlantis?" Grover asked, and his face was just as enchanted as Percy's.

"Yeah. Well, all the mythological and lost cities of the world are inhabited with elves. I've gone to visit Atlantis many times before."

"That is so cool! I've always wanted to know what happened to Atlantis!" Percy exclaimed. His calm and collected demeanor completely crumbled at the mention of the lost city. Annabeth was mostly watching, observing, as Sophie noticed her do througout the day. Grover was smiling at Percy's reaction, showing that they were probably very good friends.

"Anyway, all those cities and places exist. I've seen them, and many of my friends have as well." Sophie continued.

"But where exactly are these locations? Do you have coordinantes or transportation vehicles to get you from one place to another?" Annabeth inquired. As excited as she seemed about the re-discovery of the sunken city, she was more focused on the game plan. 

"We have a few things. Home crystals, pathfinders, leaping crystals, and leapmasters. All of these things are made out of a special crystal that will take you to any destination. Home crystals are for a person's home. Pathfinders can make you travel to the forbidden cities, where humans live. Leaping crystals can be owned, but they usually take you from one destination to another, and you can't choose where to go with one. And leapmasters are found in homes and establishments and they can take you anywhere in the Lost Cities." Sophie rambled for a couple minutes, before stopping and take a long, laboured breath.

"Wow." Grover said. He didn't have much to add, which was understandable. Sophie said a lot of things at once, so it would take some time to process all the information. 

"So, you most likely got here, to the Forbidden Cities, with a pathfinder or a leaping crystal, correct?" Annabeth asked Sophie. 

"That's the most likely explanation, yes. The only problem is... The last thing I did before I wake up on the beach here, was fall asleep in my home." Sophie explained.

"Annabeth, do you think maybe it has something to do with... you know who?"

Percy stared right at Sophie as he asked Annabeth asked this. Sophie stared right back, unsure of who Percy was referring to. Grover nodded his head right along. All three of them were sure of who this 'you know who' is.

"This can't be another exchange program, can it?" Percy muttered. He seemed so fixed on the topic. The thoughts racing through his head were going miles a minute. Sophie, from all the time she spent in the Forbidden cities around humans, could tell exactly what was going on in his brain. He was going through every scenario, every possibility, every chance that what he was thinking could be the truth. It was giving Sophie a headache just thinking about it. 

Sophie let out a small grunt, closing her eyes tightly, cradling her face in her hands. Blood rushed to her head as the sound and vibrations of her pulse heightened, leaving her in pain and distress. 

She could feel Annabeth, Percy, and Grover's eyes on her as she sunk down onto one of the old, empty chairs in the War Room. She let out a shaky breath as she tried calming her head down, thinking of anything, any one thing, that could help. But she was stuck. Her powers seemed locked, trapped within her complicated mind. 

The overwhelming sense of uncertainty for the future hit her like a train on a track. She felt her own name echo through her mind like she was in a cave. A very dark cave where she was stuck alone, with her and her thoughts. 

"Sophie... 

Sophie... 

Sophie..."

The voices echoed, getting louder and louder until hit was too much to bear. It was like sitting in a bathtub full of tar. The feeling of thickness swallowed her up until she was fully consumed in her own brain. Sophie felt hopeless, until she felt two hands grab her shoulders, shaking her as if she was a sack of potatoes. She snapped out of the trance immediately, cold shivers running down her spine. Sophie took in a big breath, as she opened her eyes.

The setting afternoon sun light seeped into the room, dust flying around. She was no longer sitting on the wooden chair, but she was reclined on the smelly couch. Sophie coughed, not understanding what had just happened. A cool rag sat on her forehead, wetting her babyhairs.

The whole gang from earlier- Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Chiron, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Clarisse- were standing, looking at Sophie their eyes wide. She looked to her side, seeing Will, the demigod that had run in during their meeting, stand hunched over, his hands on either one of her shoulders. She stared back at them, equally as confused as to what had happened. 

Sophie looked out the window, stretching her stiff neck. As soon as she made direct eye contact with the sun, her head started aching again. She clenched her jaw.

"...What the Hades just happened?" Will asked.

A/N Heyyy? this is being updated exactly a month after the last chapter so... it's an improvement??? i'm really sorry for the wait. if you follow me, then you might know that my hamster, who was very dear to me, passed away on (canadian) thanksgiving weekend (or around oct 9). the chapter is a few hundred words shorter than usual, however it does pass the minimum, which i put for myself as a motivating goal. anyway, have yourself a great thanksgiving, or halloween, or birthday! byeeee

word count: 1154

finished: october 28th 2023