𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐑, 𝐏𝐉

𝟎𝟎𝟒.𝟑

𝟎𝟎𝟒.𝟑

"Juli, are you okay?" Annabeth sobbed next to her, but Juliet's focus wasn't on her. Juliet's focus wasn't on anything except breathing.

Artemis had arrived, she'd somehow found them and when she'd seen Juliet crushing under the weight of the sky, there hadn't been any words exchanged as she'd took Juliet's place and let her unconscious body be dragged away from the summit.

Juliet had held the weight for an entire day, her body felt like collapsing on itself again when she thought about the pain she had been, and was going to be in again. Because Atlas had suggested the idea of alternating between Artemis and Juliet.

Annabeth had been tied to a bed post inside the room of the ship, and Ethan had been locked in the dungeon for being a brat. He'd yelled and punched Luke when he'd spotted Juliet, shouting about something along the line of, 'this wasn't part of the deal! You said you won't hurt her.' But Juliet couldn't be sure anymore.

She wasn't even sure if she was alive. Everything ached, and even breathing was impossible.

Annabeth kept running her hands through Juliet's hair, mumbling frantically about them losing colour but Juliet didn't understand.

Her brain wasn't working. She just didn't understand anything. It was if...her soul just wasn't there anymore, she was just a shell of a human.

"Juliet, please talk to me." Annabeth continued sobbing next to her, Juliet took in a shuddering breath as she finally moved, running a hand through her hair. It wasn't shining, it wasn't purely golden anymore.

She kept tugging at different strands, it was if half of her hair had lost its colour. Juliet's movements got hasty, she kept frantically tugging on them, her breath becoming ragged and tears welling up in her eyes.

"W-why is it gray?!" She sobbed tugging the strands.

She was having a panic attack. Annabeth watched her with wide teary eyes, she'd never seen Juliet so distressed and she knew it wasn't just about the hair.

"Juli," She gently pried Juliet's hand away, tears streaming down her face too as she looked at Juliet's haggard appearance, Luke had broken something in her, "Juliet, breath with me."

But Juliet couldn't hear her. It wasn't just her having a mental breakdown, she'd somehow awakened the soul of Patroclus within her, and just her luck, Patroclus was having a breakdown too.

"Juliet, listen to me," Annabeth urged, her voice gentle yet filled with concern. "In and out, just breathe with me. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

"Killed...didn't meet him,"

"Juliet what?" Annabeth frowned in confusion, but Juliet was too far gone maniacally mumbling Patroclus's thoughts.

"Had to walk alone....I walked alone...I was so alone." She was loudly sobbing now, tugging on her hair and just crying like a child.

Annabeth felt a sense of helplessness as she witnessed Juliet's breakdown.

"Juliet, it's okay," Annabeth whispered, her voice a soothing presence amidst the storm. She tried to interpret Patroclus's fragmented thoughts and offer comfort. "You're not alone now. We're here for you. Just focus on breathing. In and out, remember?"

But the chaos within Juliet's mind continued, the boundaries between her own thoughts and those of Patroclus blurred. "Achilles...can't find Achilles.... Briseis helped....alone"

Annabeth stared then, Briseis helped? What did that mean?

"Rest...need to rest...please.." Juliet begged, she begged Annabeth, and Annabeth understood. Patroclus had died and just wanted to reunite with Achilles and finally find peace, finally rest but he hadn't been allowed Elysium, he had roamed the grounds of the underworld and then reborn to again endless suffering. He just wanted rest.

Annabeth closed her eyes in pain, taking a deep breath before opening them and speaking, "Achilles is coming," Juliet's attention immediately snapped to her, "He's coming to save you, to give you rest. Just please, leave my friend alone."

As Annabeth spoke those words, she hoped she got through to Patroclus. The mention of Achilles, the promise of rest, and the idea that help was on the way seemed to reach a deeper part of Juliet's consciousness.

Juliet's frantic movements began to slow, the chaotic sobs turning into quieter whimpers. The storm within her seemed to subside, if only momentarily. Annabeth continued to hold her, providing the anchor she desperately needed.

"Achilles... coming... rest," Juliet repeated in a broken whisper, as if trying to grasp onto the lifeline of hope that Annabeth had offered. The struggle between Juliet's identity and the memories of Patroclus played out in a painful symphony, but Annabeth saw a flicker of recognition in Juliet's eyes.

Annabeth gently wiped away the tears from Juliet's face. "Yes, Juliet. Hold on. We'll get through this together. Percy is coming and he's gonna save us, He's our best friend, he'll find a way. You're not alone, and we won't let you go. Nobody will die."

Miles away Percy Jackson had just lost Bianca Di Angelo in a junkyard.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 ! okay this is a short one, but titan's curse is gonna be a short arc cause the actual shit show is gonna happen in battle of labyrinth. TTC is just setting up the stage for all the chaos that will ensue in the fourth book.