The rise of Tartarus

Chapter 4

Percy POV:

The camp was buzzing with nervous energy, the kind that made your skin tingle and your instincts scream to stay alert. Ever since Rachel's prophecy, everyone had been on edge. It wasn't just the usual anxiety that came with demigod life—this was different. This felt like the calm before a storm that could tear apart everything we knew.

I leaned against the side of the Big House, watching as campers hurried about their tasks. Every demigod in Camp Half-Blood was involved in the preparations. There were no exceptions this time. The Aphrodite cabin was enchanting weapons to inspire hope and courage, the Ares cabin was sparring relentlessly, and even the Hermes kids, known for their pranks and mischief, were focused on packing supplies.

But none of it eased the knot of worry in my chest. I'd been through a lot—fought Titans, faced down giants, even ventured into Tartarus itself. But this? The idea that Tartarus was waking up, ready to unleash his full fury on the world, was something else entirely.

Annabeth stood beside me, her laptop balanced on a makeshift desk made from a tree stump. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and her eyes were laser-focused on the screen. She was in full Architect mode, piecing together a plan to counter Tartarus's rise. I admired her for it, though part of me wished she'd take a break. She hadn't slept much since the prophecy, and it showed in the tight lines around her eyes.

"How's it looking?" I asked, trying to sound casual even though I knew the answer would be anything but.

Annabeth didn't look up, her gaze still locked on the screen. "We've got teams stationed at every weak point Hades mentioned," she said, her voice clipped and professional. "If Tartarus tries to break through, we'll be there to stop him. But Percy, there are so many potential breach points. We can't cover them all. If even one of them fails..."

She didn't need to finish the sentence. We both knew what would happen. Tartarus wouldn't just stop at destroying the mortal world; he'd tear through Olympus, through everything we loved. And we couldn't afford to lose any ground.

"We'll make it work," I said, trying to infuse my voice with confidence. "We've faced impossible odds before."

Annabeth finally looked up, her gray eyes searching mine. "This is different, Percy. Tartarus isn't just another monster or Titan. He's the embodiment of the pit itself. If he fully awakens, if he manages to break free... it's not just our world that's at risk. It's existence itself."

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling over me like a shroud. "We have all twelve of us, right? We're not missing anyone?"

She nodded, her expression softening a fraction. "Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Thalia had to leave the Hunters behind, and she's not thrilled about that. And Clarisse... well, she's ready to fight, but you know how she gets. And then there's Leo. He's been... different since the prophecy."

I knew what she meant. Leo had been distant, quieter than usual, and that was saying something for the guy who usually cracked jokes even in the direst situations. The line in the prophecy about his spark fading had hit him hard, and I couldn't blame him. It had hit all of us hard.

"Leo's tough," I said, though I wasn't entirely sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. "He'll come through. We all will."

"I hope you're right," Annabeth said softly, her fingers resting on the keyboard as if the words she wanted to type had suddenly slipped away. "Because this time, we might not get a second chance."

I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "We've got this, Wise Girl. We'll figure it out, like we always do."

She smiled, a small, weary smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. But she didn't pull away, and for a moment, we just stood there, holding onto each other, trying to draw strength from the connection that had carried us through so much already.

The camp was alive with activity, but it felt like we were in our own little bubble of calm, a brief respite before the storm hit. And hit it would—soon, and with a force that none of us could fully comprehend.

"We should go over the plan again," Annabeth said, breaking the silence. "Make sure we haven't missed anything."

"Lead the way," I replied, though my thoughts were already drifting to what lay ahead. Twelve of us, against the primordial pit of evil itself. If we failed, there wouldn't be anything left to go back to.

But for now, there was nothing we could do but prepare, and hope that when the time came, we'd be ready.