My story | PJO x male reader

Chapter 2: The River of Hate and Promises

The impact didn't kill me, but I wish it did.

Scalding water infiltrated my mouth and started burning my stomach. My limbs turned to noodles and my daggers sunk away from me. Strange wailing noises filled my ears—millions of angry and disappointed voices, as if the river was made of pure hate. The voices were just as bad as the heat.

Look at you! Useless! They told me. Just die, boy! Why struggle?

I wanted to listen to them. I could've just sunk to the bottom and drowned, let the river carry my body away. I could just close my eyes...

"Hey!" a familiar voice started above me. "What are you doing down there?" I forced my eyes open. Percy was standing on a dock just above me. He had his orange Camp Half-Blood shirt on. "C'mon, man, it was just a prank."

Suddenly my brain kicked back into drive. I'm just back at camp. Just off the dock. Someone threw me in, that was it.

I started swimming towards them.

Annabeth joined Percy at the top. "The party's starting, Moonshine. Wouldn't want you missing it!"

As soon as she finished, a tether sprung from somewhere and connected just at the crux between my bicep and forearm and started hoisting me up with it.

NO!!!! The voices dragged me back. I swear on the River Styx that you are never leaving.

My lungs were straining from lack of oxygen. My arms were burning from exhaustion. But I pushed on just a bit farther.

"Hey, Percy!" Luke strolled up beside them. "You should dive in. Get him out of there."

Percy laughed. "Alright!"

The water broke just a few feet in front of me. His hand reached down and grabbed me, just where that tether was placed.

Suddenly I blasted out of the river. I crumpled just on the shore. Sulfuric air invaded my lungs almost as badly as the acid.

"Percy?" I said between breaths. "Annabeth? Luke?" But the names landed on deaf ears. Nobody was around. There were jagged rocks in place of trees. A black, frothing river took place of the bright blue lake.

My skin was bright red. The only white, and seemingly unharmed, part of me was where Percy had grabbed me. Then, the color of my skin turned back to normal, the pain subsided.

I laid on my back and closed my eyes. Jagged rocks weaved their way into uncomfortable places, but I didn't really care.

My hands were on my chest as the rhythm of my breath slowed. "τροχιά"

Orbit, I translated. It was funny how simple Greek was now. If only life was as simple. Just a week ago, I was just another kid in middle school. Just a week ago, I was sleeping in a normal bed, in a normal house, with a normal family.

What happened between then and now?

Why was my life suddenly placed on the porch of death? Was it just a cruel joke?

Annabeth had told me that the fates never liked heroes. That they typically never get a happy ending.

Maybe it was a joke that they hurled at me. Maybe I wasn't supposed to exist in the first place.

The painful journey he must take,
Will be ended by one mistake.

Maybe the painful journey was getting the lightning bolt. Maybe I was the mistake.

"No," I sat up, my daggers were lying right next to me. When I picked them up, I felt as if I picked up defiance from the ground. "This is not where my story ends."

The river started frothing and lurching as if it was throwing a fit over my decision. I smiled for a second. Annoying anything down here had to be a good sign.

Down here. My smile dropped. How far down was I?

I gazed at the roof, but I didn't find one. The red clouds and mist blocked any view I could've had. The walls looked like black obsidian waves on either side of me. Hills of stone rolled all the way to the horizon as "trees" that looked more like giant sticks rooted themselves sporadically.

"Alright," I said, fully standing. "Can't be worse than school."

Then, as soon as I started walking, my daggers started to vibrate. Words started illuminating themselves in a green, forest hue. I could smell pine trees.

HEAD WEST. It said, just before the letters rearranged into: FIND SISYPHUS.

My eyebrows arched at the words that were now dissolving off the blades.

"Sisyphus?" I muttered. I feel like he would hate me—a demigod born from gods that he despises. I mean if I was forced to do the same thing every day for the rest of eternity then I would definitely hold a grudge. "...and West...how would I know...wait." I glanced at my daggers. "Ανατολή ηλίου,"

Sunrise.

The daggers started shaking. One of them started gaining a rounded shape, the other elongated a bit.

After a moment, a compass formed from the rounded one, a silver arrow in the center pointing North. The elongated one turned into a lantern, basking the area in a warm green glow.

I oriented myself to the west—happening to be away from that stupid river—and sighed. "Yay, can't wait."