Percy Jackson(The Elites)

Grover is on his last Nerve

As the group made their way back into the dimly lit basement, the heavy silence between them seemed to stretch for miles. Grover was standing motionless, staring at something in front of him. His eyes were wide, and his face was pale.

"Grover, what's going on?" Mary asked, concern creeping into her voice. She looked around, trying to figure out what had caught his attention.

Anna Beth's eyes followed Mary's gaze. "What is it?" she asked quietly, trying to read the situation.

Grover let out a deep breath, his voice shaking as he spoke. "Uncle Ferdinand." He said the words as though they pained him.

Percy's face dropped. "Oh no..." He knew what that meant. He took a step toward Grover, his own sorrow in his eyes.

Mary's expression softened, and she walked over to Grover, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Grover, I'm so sorry for your loss," she said gently, her voice full of empathy.

Grover stood still for a long moment, staring at the stone statue that once had been a living, breathing being. He swallowed hard. "This... this is as far as he got on his quest," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "He's... he's not like the others, though. He... he doesn't look afraid." His words barely escaped, as though the grief was too much to bear.

Percy stepped closer, looking at the statue, his heart heavy with the weight of the loss. He knew what it meant to lose someone in this world, and seeing Grover like this tore at him. "It's okay, Grover," Percy said softly. He didn't know what to say, but he knew Grover needed comfort.

Mary stepped forward too, her hand rubbing Grover's back, offering what small solace she could. "It's okay. We'll get through this. Together."

Grover sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "He... He believed in me. He came all this way for me, and I—" His voice cracked again, but he steadied himself. "I couldn't even keep him safe." His voice was filled with guilt, and his shoulders trembled under the weight of it.

Percy looked at Grover, his own grief for his friend mirroring Grover's pain. "Grover, he's at peace now," Percy said gently, trying to help him see the bigger picture.

Anna Beth stood a little apart, her eyes softening with sympathy, but her tone was still steady. "We aren't anywhere near Trenton, but look at him. He's not afraid. That's... that's something."

Grover glanced at Anna Beth with a small, rueful smile, but the weight of what had just happened still hung over him. He turned his attention back to the statue, then exhaled a long breath, steadying himself. "We need to keep going," he said, his voice a little stronger. "It will be dark soon, and we have no time to waste."

"What are we going to do with the head?" Mary asked, breaking the silence with the practical question that had been nagging at her mind since they'd left the room earlier.

Percy shrugged. "We could leave the hat on it, and just leave it here. It's already invisible. Who's going to notice it?"

Anna Beth, who had been quiet for a while, seemed to shake herself from her thoughts. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice sincere but still tinged with that hint of awkwardness that came with trying to comfort someone in grief.

Grover waved it off, still clearly in his head. "It's okay, Anna Beth. We just... need to keep going."

Mary crossed her arms and looked around, as if she were trying to steer the conversation toward something that might help them all move forward. "Now, let's talk about the bigger issue here."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "What bigger issue?"

Anna Beth met both of their gazes, her expression serious. "You could have saved your mother." She looked at Percy, her eyes narrowing with concern.