{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"We try to survive."

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Words. What are they? I have no idea.

Talk? How? I couldn't seem to speak.

My voice wouldn't come out. My head was spinning and my throat was hurting. I could feel my hands shaking but it doesn't matter how hard I grip them in my pants, it won't stop.

I kept looking at Annabeth, who was desperately trying to make me say something.

"Maria, listen to me. I need you to tell me what happened?! Where's Grover? Where's Tyson? Where is Percy?!"

I could only shake my head.

"The kid might be in a state of shock..."  Hephaestus said, still fidgeting with his tools. "I wonder what she saw there." He dropped everything and stopped in front of me, crossing his arms beside Annabeth.

"T-telekhines." I managed to say. My mind was blank but at the same time it was full of thoughts, all running around.

"Hmpf. As I suspected." He said and stepped away.

"Maria, I need you to answer me. Where is everyone?" She spoke louder, putting her hands on my shoulders and shaking me.

"I- I don't know." I felt tears coming down my face, frowning as I looked around. Where were we, again? I gripped the corner of the table I was seated in, trying to stop shaking.

"What do you mean?!" She turned to look at Hephaestus. "Can't you do something?! Don't just stand around!"

The god took a deep breath, turning to look at us again. I felt chills on my body while trying to stand up.

"This spider will guide you through the maze to your camp." He handed it to Annabeth, who got it with shaky hands.

I don't remember how we got to camp, had I walked all that? I just remember coming out of the maze leaning on Annabeth and seeing Beckendorf with two of his siblings guarding the entrance.

They kept asking what had happened, where was the rest. Annabeth sobbed, never letting go of me. I looked at the entrance of the labyrinth and more tears came down my face. "Percy." I stumbled forward, feeling Annabeth pulling me. "He—" I sobbed, looking around at everyone, then everything went black.

🕊️

When I said that I would love to take a vacation and sleep for a whole day, I didn't mean it like this.

"Three days. Maria, you went unconscious for Three. Motherfucking. Days." Annabeth was seated on the chair beside my bed. I was at the camp infirmary being taken care of by Will Solace, a guy from the Apollo cabin.

"I'm sorry." I looked at her. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she was crying. Dark circles indicating that she hadn't had a good night of sleep, and a scowl of worry.

"You don't need to be sorry. I was just so worried..." She trailed off. "You got back to the Hephaestus place in a pink puff, in a state of shock." I kept my gaze on my hands.

After I was discharged from the infirmary, I went with Annabeth to talk to Chiron.

We were now seated in his study room. He was in his human form, looking at both of us.

"Tell us, dear. What happened?" He spoke in a sweet but concerned voice.

And I told them. In between tears and sobs I told them everything that happened. How Grover went with Tyson to fulfill his dream of finding Pan. How me and Percy listened to the Telekhines plan. How Percy made me promise to not come back.

"When I heard his scream..." I looked down, whipping my tears. "I was going to go back, I made a stupid mistake listening to him. I shouldn't have left! I shouldn't have promised anything!"

"Maria, if you break that promise, you would have a worse fate."

"I don't care! Now Perseus is dead. Isn't this the worst?" I hit my fist on my leg, starting to get angry at myself. 

Chiron stayed quiet and Annabeth stood up, getting out of the room.

"We are not sure yet if he's dead, maybe he survived. Have faith, Maria." He breathed deeply. "I would pray for your mother, too. As you explained, it appears to me that she was the one who took you out of there."

"She didn't have to." I stood up. "As Hephaestus said, I should have gone and not came back. Not Perseus." Then I went to my cabin.

🕊️

Two weeks have passed, and I don't know how I'm still alive.

I have barely slept at night, I have no energy to eat anything. In fact, I could stay in my bed for the rest of my life and I wouldn't mind.

But having people worried about me... that's a big no no. I would wake up everyday— wait, let me try again.

I would just get up because these days I can only sleep for at least an hour before the nightmares start to hit me. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart beating fast like a race car, sweating cold and crying. Then I would stay awake, looking outside the window just in case he appeared.

I would go to breakfast with my siblings but I was never hungry. I would talk to them normally, hoping their look of pity would go away. It wouldn't.

Annabeth was also a mess. She wouldn't let go of Gabriel since we came back. During the afternoon, we would meet up somewhere to just be sad together.

"I was reading this night," Annabeth started as we were seated on the beach. She had her head resting on Gabriel's shoulder and he kept caressing her arm. I was seated to the side, my feet buried on the sand feeling the waves hit my legs. I think I never prayed so hard to the gods as I did this week. For breakfast I would give half of my plate to my mom and the other half to Poseidon, pleading for them for a clue.

"I told you to sleep, Annie..." Gabriel breathed deeply. She held his hand and kept saying, "I discovered this island, Ogygia. Some heroes go marooned there, they meet... Calypso. A minor goddess and a nymph that was cursed to live there."

Her theory was that Percy was alive, but marooned there. I kept my doubts. I've seen how that forge was, there could be no way for him to be alive.

But deep inside of me was warming up with that idea, even if it hurted that for two weeks he chose to stay there. The possibility of him staying there for the rest of his life crossed my mind, making tears form in my eyes.

Chiron then finally asked who would volunteer to make his shroud. No one said anything, so I decided to take action and do it. I spent day and night in the craft room, Annabeth and Gabriel helped me when they could even sleep on the floor to keep me company.

I got angry at myself. How I was stupid for getting out and how he was stupid for having this hero syndrome.

I had experienced other deaths before. Bianca, Zöe... but they weren't like Percy. He has been present in my daily life since the first day he stepped foot on camp. Other than these stupid feelings that I had felt this last months, maybe that was what made everything worse.

I wouldn't even touch my camera, not wanting to see the memories.