JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

The bridge to Olympus was dissolving. Warren and the others stepped out of the elevator onto the white marble walkway, and immediately cracks appeared at their feet.

"Jump!" Grover said, which was easy for him since he's part mountain goat. He sprang to the next slab of stone while theirs tilted sickeningly.

"Gods, I hate heights!" Thalia yelled as she and Percy leaped.

But Annabeth was in no shape for jumping. She stumbled and yelled, "Ren!"

Warren caught her hand as the pavement fell, crumbling into dust. For a second she thought Annabeth was going to pull them both over. Her feet dangled in the open air. Her hand started to slip until Warren was holding her only by her fingers. Then Percy and Thalia grabbed her legs, and she found extra strength. Annabeth was not going to fall. Warren pulled her up and they lay trembling on the pavement.

"Thanks," Annabeth said shakily.

"Don't mention it," Warren panted.

"Keep moving!" Grover tugged her shoulder.

They got to their feet and sprinted across the sky bridge as more stones disintegrated and fell into oblivion. They made it to the edge of the mountain just as the final section collapsed.

Annabeth looked back at the elevator, which was now completely out of reach- a polished set of metal doors hanging in space, attached to nothing, six hundred stories above Manhattan.

"We're marooned," she said. "On our own."

"Blah-ha-ha!" Grover said. "The connection between Olympus and America is dissolving. If it fails- "

"The gods won't move on to another country this time," Thalia said. "This will be the end of Olympus. The final end."

They ran through the streets. Mansions were burning. Statues had been hacked down. Trees in the parks were blasted to splinters. It looked like someone had attacked the city with a giant Weedwacker.

"Kronos's scythe," Warren said.

They followed the winding path toward the palace of the gods. Warren didn't remember the road being so long. Maybe Kronos was making time go slower, or maybe it was just dread slowing her down.

The whole mountaintop was in ruins- so many beautiful buildings and gardens gone. A few minor gods and nature spirits had tried to stop Kronos. What remained of them was strewn about the road: shattered armor, ripped clothing, swords and spears broken in half.

Somewhere ahead of them, Kronos's voice roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!"

A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly exploded. The dome shot up like the lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining rubble over the city.