The sun was shining bright in the sky as Percy sat on the steps of the Big House, staring out at the camp. It had been several weeks since the battle, and things had finally started to settle down.
The camp had suffered some damage during the battle, but they were slowly but surely repairing it. The demigods were also taking some well-deserved time off, relaxing and recovering from the intense battle.
Percy sat there, lost in thought. He couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Sure, they had won the battle, but what came next? What was their purpose now?
As he sat there, lost in thought, he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Annabeth walking towards him.
"Hey," she said, sitting down next to him.
"Hey," Percy replied, his voice quiet.
They sat there in silence for a moment, both lost in thought.
Finally, Annabeth spoke up. "What are you thinking about?"
Percy sighed. "Just wondering what comes next. We won the battle, but what now? What's our purpose?"
Annabeth nodded. "I know what you mean. But I think we just need to take things one step at a time. Focus on rebuilding the camp, and then we can figure out what comes next."
Percy nodded, feeling a sense of relief. He knew that Annabeth was right. They just needed to take things one step at a time.
As the days passed, the camp slowly but surely started to return to normal. The damaged buildings were repaired, and the demigods started to resume their training.
Percy spent most of his time training with Riptide, trying to improve his skills. He also spent time with Annabeth, just talking and enjoying each other's company.
One day, as they were walking around the camp, they stumbled upon a group of demigods gathered around a large map. They were all deep in conversation, their voices hushed.
"What's going on?" Percy asked, walking over to them.
The group turned to face him, and one of them spoke up. "We're trying to figure out the next move. After the battle, there's been a lot of unrest among the other gods. Some of them are worried that there may be another attack, and they want us to be prepared."
Percy frowned. "Another attack? From who?"
The demigod shrugged. "We don't know. But there have been reports of strange activity in the underworld. We think it might be Hades."
Percy's heart sank. Hades was always up to something, and he knew that they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
"What can we do?" he asked.
The demigod turned to him, a serious look on his face. "We need to start preparing. We need to strengthen our defenses, train harder, and be ready for anything."
Percy nodded, feeling a sense of determination. He knew that they had to be ready, no matter what.
Over the next few weeks, the demigods worked tirelessly to strengthen their defenses. They set up traps and barriers around the camp, and trained harder than ever before.
Percy spent most of his time training with Annabeth, trying to come up with new battle strategies. They would spend hours discussing tactics, trying to figure out the best way to defend against an attack.
One day, as they were walking back to their cabin after training, Percy felt a sudden surge of pain in his head. He stumbled, grabbing onto Annabeth for support.
