HIRAETH

Chapter 32

Annabeth's POV

"Nothing left?"

"Yeah. He took all his stuff with him." Malcom said, looking through the drawers.

I sighed, and Malcom closed the drawer.

"Don't be so sad about it."

"... I won't."

"He's a dead person really, if you think about it. How could he live against Gaea?"

"... yeah."

"It's a relief. We don't have to go into a useless battle."

I was silent.

"Malcom."

Percy put a hand on my shoulder. "He could live using his awesome water powers."

I brushed off his hand. "Malcom's right." I said flatly.

Percy shot a glare at Malcom and he shrugged.

"Percy."

"Yeah?"

"If you were leaving, would you leave a note?"

"Of course."

"Where?"

"... I don't know. I never thought about it. I don't want to think about it."

"Think now. If you had to leave. If you wanted only me to see the note. Where would you leave it?"

"... You know I'm pretty simple."

"Very." Malcom added.

Percy scowled.

"Try to be as complicated as possible."

"I don't know Wise Girl. Complicated just doesn't work with me." he pressed his lips together. "Maybe under the pillow or something."

"We've already looked."

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not sure."

"Did you check the bathroom?"

Malcom nodded. "Everywhere. We even took the sink apart."

I stepped inside the bathroom and looked around.

"What about inside the bottles?"

"... oh."

I opened the shampoo and toothpaste, but there was nothing.

".. maybe he really left nothing."

"No."

I took out the bottle of pills from the cupboard.

".. yeah. And?"

"He wouldn't leave this behind." Percy said.

"Why?"

"You didn't see the mess he became when Nico spilled all his pills, didn't you." I muttered. I opened the bottle.

Just pills.

I poured the whole bottle out onto the sink, and a small piece of paper fell out. I unfolded the small piece of paper, everyone holding their breaths.

I'm leaving this.

Frustrated, I crumpled the paper in my hand. An hour of searching, and this? No clues at all- absolutely nothing but a note that says that he's leaving his medicine behind.

What did he mean?

"What does he mean?"

"I don't know! You wrote it!"