Percy fall into Tartarus Alone

Chapter 1

Third Person Pov:

Nico had just reached the ladder when a sharp pain shot up Annabeth's injured leg. She gasped and stumbled. "What is it?" Percy asked, concerned. She tried to stagger toward the ladder, but instead found herself moving backward. Her legs swept out from under her, and she fell face-first. "Her ankle!" Hazel shouted from the ladder. "Cut it! Cut it!" Annabeth's mind was clouded by the pain. Cut her ankle? Percy didn't understand what Hazel meant either. Then something yanked Annabeth backward, dragging her toward the pit. Percy lunged and grabbed her arm, but the momentum carried him along as well. "Help them!" Hazel yelled.

In the distance, Annabeth caught a glimpse of Nico hobbling in their direction, with Hazel struggling to disentangle her cavalry sword from the rope ladder. Their other friends remained focused on the statue, and Hazel's cry was drowned out by the general shouting and the rumbling of the cavern. Annabeth sobbed as she reached the edge of the pit, her legs dangling over the side. It was too late for her to realize what was happening: she was entangled in spider silk. She should have cut it away immediately. Initially, she had thought it was just a loose line, but with the entire floor covered in cobwebs, she hadn't noticed that one of the strands was wrapped around her foot, its other end disappearing into the pit. It was connected to something heavy in the darkness, something that was pulling her in.

"No," Percy muttered, a realization dawning in his eyes. "My sword..."

However, he couldn't reach Riptide without letting go of Annabeth's arm, and Annabeth's strength was fading. Slowly, she slipped over the edge. Percy swiftly retrieved his pen from his pocket. Annabeth's body slammed into an object, and she must have briefly blacked out from the pain. When she regained consciousness, she realized she had fallen partway into the pit and was now dangling over the void. Percy had managed to jump with Hermes' accuracy and slice the thread, and he was now about fifteen feet below the top of the chasm, holding on to a ledge the size of a bookshelf.

Nico leaned over the edge of the chasm, thrusting out his hand, but he was too far away to help. Hazel was desperately yelling for the others, but even if they heard her amidst all the chaos, they would never make it in time. Annabeth's leg felt as if it was being torn from her body, and pain engulfed her. The force of the Underworld tugged at her, pulling her like dark gravity. She lacked the strength to fight against it. She knew she had descended too far to be saved. Percy looked up at Nico, who was fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico! I'll see you there. Understand?" Nico's eyes widened. "But—" "Lead them there!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!" "I—I will." Meanwhile, the voice in the darkness below laughed. Sacrifices. A beautiful sacrifice to awaken the goddess.

Percy could still hear Nico, Annabeth, and Hazel screaming for help. Then he let go of his tiny ledge.

As Percy descended into the abyss, the darkness swallowed him whole. The air rushed past his face, and his heart pounded in his chest. Time seemed to stretch as he plummeted into the unknown depths, a mixture of fear and determination coursing through him.

Meanwhile, Nico and Hazel strained against the force of the pit, desperately trying to prevent Annabeth from slipping away. With one final heave, Nico managed to haul her up onto the solid ground. Annabeth lay there, panting and in pain, her ankle throbbing from the injury.

"Nico," she gasped urgency in her voice. "We have to go back for him. We can't just leave him there!"

Nico's face displayed sorrow and determination. He understood the risks but also comprehended Percy's sacrifice. "We can't save him now, Annabeth," he said, his voice heavy with grief. "Percy wanted us to lead the others to the other side. We must fulfill his final wish."

Tears welled up in Annabeth's eyes as she realized the gravity of the situation. Reluctantly, she nodded, accepting the painful truth. They had to continue without Percy. With great effort, she pushed herself up, ignoring the agony shooting through her leg.

Hazel joined them, her eyes reflecting determination and sorrow. "We'll honor Percy's sacrifice," she declared. "We'll reach the other side and find a way to stop Arachne."

Together, the three of them gathered their remaining strength and limped toward the path leading to the other side of the chasm. Annabeth couldn't shake the feeling of loss and the image of Percy falling into darkness. However, she knew they had to keep going, for Percy's sake and for the success of their mission.

As they forged ahead, the sound of their friends' voices grew fainter behind them, consumed by the vastness of the cavern. The weight of their grief hung heavy in the air, but they pressed on, fueled by the memory of Percy's sacrifice and their determination to overcome the challenges that lay ahead.

Little did they know that Percy, in the depths of the abyss, was not alone. His fate was intertwined with the darkness, and his journey would take him to places beyond imagination. But for now, all they could do was continue their arduous path, hoping that they would find a way to reunite and emerge victorious in the face of overwhelming odds.