The Lost Prince

⇀ ten

IF ANNABETH HAD the chance to bet on who Percy's godly parent would be, she would have said Hermes. Well, his charming attitude and snarky comebacks surely fit the part.

But she never expected it to be him, out of all immortals. Him; one of Athena's most hated in the council of Olympians. Him meaning the god of the seas.

How did she know, one might ask?

He jumped off the deck and into the sea right after he saw her fall. At that time, she didn't know if Percy was just trying to be heroic or if he was a complete idiot. She had figured that it was the latter, honestly, but gods how wrong she was.

Now she stood directly beside him, trying her best not to turn to face him and glare. For five years, they have been best friends. Five. And this is the first time she wanted to slap her younger self for being so oblivious. The signs were all over-his love of the colour blue, his passion when it came to swimming, the way he just decides to take a walk in the beach whenever he felt agitated. The sea always calmed him down.

"So," Percy said, clearing his throat in attempt to break the awkward silence. "What are we doing here again?"

"Oh, let me see. I'm just trying to think of a way to kill you and hide all the evidence,"

His eyebrows shot up. "Then cremate my body after you're done murdering me,"

Annabeth snorted at his words, shaking her head, muttering incoherent words under her breath. Her stormy grey eyes scanned the fleet of unique ships that differed greatly in sizes. One was a beautiful polished wooden ship with a peculiar symbol painted on the flag attached to its mast. It had the figure of a fierce looking woman with elegant features and a deep scowl. Her left arm is outstretched, holding a five-foot-long sword. Then, on the opposite side of the dock, the daughter of Athena spotted a rather expensive looking vehicle. It was painted a marble white colour across the hull, with a chained woman on the masthead. Annabeth shuddered at the haunting realism of the wooden figure.

She averted her gaze from the boat. But not too long after, something clicked, and her heart rate increased twofold. What she was thinking...it couldn't be possible. She watched everyone from their crew drown. She watched their ship burn. She saw all of them die.

But the masthead. The guy with blond hair in the Aegis. Why did he look so familiar?

Oh, that's right.

Castellan. His name was Luke Castellan. Why was he a part of the crew that belonged to the Hunter? He wasn't supposed to be there. He wasn't supposed to be alive. How in Hades is he still alive? A word surfaced in her mind as panic seized her completely.

Titans.

———————

"Whoa, there. Hey. Annabeth, breathe. Breathe,"

At first, Percy thought that he had said or done something wrong, because the blonde girl beside him started to hyperventilate. Her usually fierce and stormy grey eyes were filled with panic and fear. She clawed at his arms and look like she was trying to say something, but no words escaped her lips.

"Do you need to get back on board?" the son of Poseidon asked, worried. She nodded vigorously, and Percy didn't miss a beat as he led her back towards the Midnight. He occasionally whispered soothing words into her ear as they neared the ship.

But then Annabeth let out a strangled gasp and stopped abruptly. Nico di Angelo stood in front of the gangplank, completely blocking the path. Tears streamed down his face, and his eyes flashed with hatred.

His voice was as venomous as his glare, but the words barely came out as a whisper. "Get out of my ship,"

"Captain—?"

"That's an order, Jackson." the younger boy spat out the surname as if it was disgusting. Then the son of Hades snapped his fingers, and two struggling figures were brought forth. Reyna and Leo wriggled and cursed at the crewmen who restrained them. The two demigods were unceremoniously thrown onto the dock.

"Percy, what's going on—" Leo started, but was quickly cut off by the sound of a strangled yelp.

Just as Nico had stepped back onto the deck with his men, the four saw a figure that was laying on the wood, unmoving. Her brown hair was strewn all over her face, which was matted with crimson liquid and tears. Blood oozed from a small wound on her chest, the lower portion of her shirt now red and damp. Bianca di Angelo's brown eyes were glazed over, lifeless and cold, staring straight into the eyes of Percy Jackson.

On the mast right beside her was a note that was embedded on the wood with a silver arrow. Bianca's arrow.

Percy barely finished reading it when the ship started to melt back into the shadows.

This is only the first warning.

———————

Hazel wanted to die. If only she had offered to go abovedeck to keep an eye out for any potential threats. If only she had gone with her half-sister. If only she could trade her place for the older di Angelo sibling. If only Hazel was dead instead of Bianca.

"She was only seventeen," the daughter of Pluto sobbed. "It should have been me."

"Don't say that!" the man before her snapped, his eyes sympathetic despite his barking tone. "Hazel Levesque, don't you dare say that!"

"And for what reason should I not?" the girl said bitterly. "Frank, she had a whole damn future ahead of her!"

"And so do you," the Chinese-Canadian sighed. Then his gaze softened. "I'm sorry, Hazel, but what's done is done. All you have to do now is—"

"Stand up tall and move on? Do you even hear yourself, Zhang? I just lost my sister, for Pluto's sake. Don't you dare talk to me like that as if you've ever lost anyone you loved with your whole heart!"

Frank recoiled, his glare hardening. The son of Mars looked murderous, yet fragile. Tears brimmed the corners of his eyes, and his breathing picked up. Hazel immediately knew she had said something wrong. Then she cursed herself.

"Frank, I'm sorry. I forgot—"

"Of course you did," he spat as he let out a humourless laugh that pierced through her heart like a knife.

"Frank—"

"No, no. I totally get it," he said, cutting her off. "My mom isn't anyone of importance to you."

"I didn't mean—"

"Good bye, Hazel."

Then he swiped his hand across the Iris Message, plunging the world of the girl with frizzy brown hair into darkness.