chapter eight
you're my best friendAFTER WHAT FELT like hours, the group finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls. There was one big pit in the floor, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. On the four walls, water tumbled from the huge pipes. The water spilled in the pit, but it was hard to see the bottom.
Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water to clean his face. "This pit goes straight into Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."
Gabriella fidgeted with her hands. Just being by the pit made her feel uneasy. It gave her bad feeling...like somehow, this wasn't going to be the last time she'll see a pit like this again. No one seemed to notice except Annabeth. She glanced at Gabriella, her eyes looked like they were asking: Are you okay? Gabriella just nodded. Annabeth stepped over to her.
"Don't talk that way." Annabeth told Briares, while casually slipping her hand into Gabriella's. Gabriella looked at her in surprise, while Annabeth just gave her a small smile, and squeezed her hand.
She turned back to look at Briares. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."
"I have nothing to offer," Briares frowned. "I have lost everything."
"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked "The other two must still stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."
Briares's face turned to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."
"What exactly do you mean, they faded?" Percy asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."
"Percy," Grover said weakly, "even immortality has limits. Sometimes... sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal."
"I must go," Briares said.
"Kronos's army will invade camp," Tyson told him. "We need help."
Briares looked down. "I cannot, Cyclops."
"You are strong."
"Not anymore." Briares stood up.
"Hey." Percy grabbed an arm and pulled him aside. Gabriella couldn't really hear what they were saying because of the roaring water. She looked back down at the pit, still uncomfortable.
"You feel weird being here too?" Annabeth asked, her expression showed that she felt nervous as well. Gabriella just nodded, glad she wasn't alone. She took a breath.
They were not falling in.
Briares then trudged down the corridor, his expression full of shame. Then, he disappeared in the shadow. Tyson started sobbing.
"It's okay." Grover nervously patted his shoulder, which must've taken him a lot of courage.
Tyson sneezed. "It is not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."
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𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇, a. chase ¹ ✓
Fanfictionlost in the labyrinth, of my mind. ☆ battle of the labyrinth ☆ book one in the 'midnight mayhem' series [ annabeth chase x fem!oc ] [ percy jackson x fem!oc ] ( started - 6/9/23 ) ( completed - 11/25/23 )