Almost Gone Forever

Pain

Percy's p.o.v.

Camp Half-Blood

I swung Riptide like I had never before, the sword swinging around so fast I could only perceive the glint from it.

Kronos also seemed to be having trouble keeping up with me, he was taking a lot of steps backwards.

I heard Thalia groan out in pain, sounding less and less like herself.

I cried out in rage, the force of my swings getting stronger.

My arm was swinging wildly, useless because of that stupid cyclops.

I vaguely heard a clop, following by the few campers that were left get to the crest of the hill.

I tried not to let it distract me, but I could feel my steam falling, my strikes were coming slower and slower with every swing.

Kronos felt it too, and he grinned.

He slowly pushed me back, regaining his ground he lost.

I panted as I fell to the ground, rolling to the side to avoid getting stabbed in the face.

I threw some sand into his eyes, taking the time to back up and catch my breath.

Kronos growled and rubbed his eyes clear, then smirked at me.

" Look at you, the hero they all loved and hated. You are beaten down, barely able to stand. Yet you still try to fight me. Why do you? They have done nothing to try and help you. They sat there and watched as you struggled, as you nearly died. Your own father disowned you, discarded you as if you were some trash floating in the sea. "

He started to circle me, his grip on Backbiter turning Luke's knuckles white.

" You were betrayed by all those who you loved, who you fought for. They took your cries for innocence and shunned you. "

He stopped in front of me and grinned, time slowing suddenly.

I tried to back away, but it was like I was walking through amber, I couldn't move a muscle at all.

He placed Backbiter on my neck, the cold steel side pressing against my pulse, making me unnerved.

"Except you didn't deny a thing, now, did you? You just assumed everyone was messing with you. You didn't realize when they started to turn on you. As one by one, you're friends slowly turned their backs on you. You were never special, your life doomed to be miserable because your father, who betrayed you, has you. Breaking the promise he made on the River Styx. He made your life a living hell, you have gone through nothing but sorrow. Aphrodite, however. "

He switched the blade around, the celestial bronze felt like it was burning into my skin, the sweat making it feel super uncomfortable.

" She made your love life interesting. That has made the people you call your friends jealous of you. Jealously turns to desire. And when you cannot have what you desire, well. "

He slowly slid the blade down my skin, I couldn't even scream out in pain, my body not responding to my commands.

" It turns to hatred. Hatred leads to suffering, and suffering leads to despair. I wish for you to experience that, as your so called ' friends ' once did. "

Suddenly I fell to my knees, my will to fight gone.

I slowly looked at my hand, it wouldn't stop shaking.

I faintly heard someone call out to me, but nothing in the world seemed to matter anymore.

What he had said was true. I never denied any of it to anyone. I looked at everyone and just accepted that they didn't like me anymore.