[Third Person PoV]
Lucian extended his hand, his expression unreadable as he concentrated. Purple static began to dance and crackle along his gloved fingers. With a single silent command, the blood that had tainted the sea below began to stir. It peeled away from the water's surface, rising into the air in writhing crimson tendrils.
He watched the swirling mass closely, his eyes narrowing with discontent. "Not nearly enough…" he muttered under his breath, the faintest hint of frustration crossing his face. The quantity was disappointing — far less than he had hoped for.
Annabeth, meanwhile, had momentarily forgotten her ongoing quarrel with Scylla. She froze mid-motion as Lucian gave her a single sharp look. The silent command in his gaze was enough. She sighed, lowering her axe reluctantly before mumbling, "Maybe another time…" under her breath.
Annabeth reached into her pouch and pulled out a small round empty flask. She held it up in one hand. Lucian flicked his wrist, and the hovering blood obeyed, twisting into a narrow stream that flowed neatly into the container. When the last drop had settled, Annabeth sealed the flask tightly and tucked it back into her pouch for safekeeping.
"So what now?" she asked, already sounding a touch impatient. "Do we just wait for Percy to come back?"
Lucian shrugged, his shoulders rising. "What other choice do we really have?" he said dryly. "Unless you're volunteering to go down there and join him yourself."
Annabeth opened her mouth to retort, but Lucian suddenly cut in with a teasing smirk. "Speaking of diving down… wouldn't you be interested in finding a Siren? I've heard they can increase your wisdom if you listen to their singing."
Annabeth gave him a flat look. "I've thought about it," she admitted. "But no. Maybe before, I would've been tempted — but I've learned something since then." Her tone grew firm, thoughtful. "True wisdom isn't something you can get from someone else. It's something you cultivate on your own."
Lucian nodded, clapping his hands in approval. "Well said."
Thalia couldn't help but laugh. "You should put that on a shirt," she quipped.
Annabeth rolled her eyes but didn't bother replying. She simply crossed her arms and looked away, her patience wearing thin.
---
Meanwhile, far below them, Percy had finally reached the ocean floor. His boots sank into the soft sand as he landed with a dull thud, the faint shimmer of light from above barely reaching this depth. He took a moment to steady himself, raising his trident. The weapon pulsed faintly, responding to his command as he began to manipulate the currents around him.
The water churned and swirled, stirring the sand into ghostly spirals. Slowly, the seabed began to shift and clear, revealing what lay beneath. Scattered around him were shards of scales, broken teeth, and the skeletal remains of long-forgotten creatures. As he stepped forward, the brittle fragments crunched softly beneath his feet.
Percy exhaled deeply, his breath forming silver bubbles that drifted upward. He shut his eyes, lifted the trident high, and slammed it down into the sand. The impact resonated through the depths. He concentrated — and the sea obeyed. The currents wrapped around him like invisible hands, digging deeper into the seabed and pulling up what was buried.
One by one, objects began to rise — relics of tragedy and time. Rusted chains, fragments of shipwrecks, jeweled trinkets, skeletal limbs still clutching shattered weapons. The sight made him flinch.
"Are these… the remains of what Charybdis couldn't swallow?" he muttered to himself. "Or more like the leftovers of what she did?" He grimaced. "That's… not disturbing at all. Definitely not something that'll haunt my dreams."
He noticed a cluster of glittering jewels drifting near him and hesitated. After a moment, he frowned thoughtfully. "Well… since they don't have owners anymore, it'd be kind of wasteful to just leave them here…"
He puffed out his cheeks in mock innocence and guided the gems toward himself, letting them slip into his pockets with a small, guilty smile. "I'll just call this… compensation," he muttered. "For the psychological damage this whole scene has inflicted on me."
By the time he was done, his pockets were bulging, the jewels glinting faintly through every fold and seam of his clothing. Even his boots had a few rings wedged between them. With a resigned sigh, he gripped his trident and began to ascend toward the surface,
A massive sphere of jagged teeth and scales followed behind Percy as he surged upward through the dark waters. With one final push, Percy broke through the surface. Water exploded around him in a shining arc as he soared briefly through the air before landing heavily on the frozen ground above. He blinked only to find the rest of his friends sitting casually around a makeshift table, a deck of cards spread between them.
Lucian was holding a fan of cards in one hand, looking deadly serious despite the ridiculous scene. "You got any threes?" he asked, his tone almost regal in its calmness.
Across from him, Tyson's single eye darted nervously between his cards and Lucian. He turned to Annabeth for guidance, whispering in confusion. Annabeth leaned over, her tone patient but exasperated. "If you don't have any, you're supposed to tell him to 'go fish.'"
Tyson nodded, taking her advice a little too literally. He pointed dramatically toward the open sea and declared, "Go out fishing!"
There was a collective pause. Then Thalia burst into laughter, barely managing to stay upright as Lucian snickered beside her. Clarisse and Annabeth, on the other hand, groaned simultaneously — Clarisse pinching the bridge of her nose while Annabeth simply covered her face with her palm.
Lucian composed himself enough to glance over his shoulder. "Oh hey, Percy," he greeted casually, as if his teammate hadn't just come bursting out of the ocean with a tidal wave behind him.
Percy stared at them in disbelief. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, incredulity dripping from every word.
Lucian shrugged nonchalantly. "You were taking forever, so we decided to pass the time. Card games build character."
Thalia smirked, giving him an exaggerated once-over. "Yeah, but looking at you right now…" — she gestured toward the glittering gold and gemstones poking out from Percy's pockets, boots, and even his shirt sleeves — "I can definitely see why you were running late."
Percy scoffed, folding his arms defensively. "Don't judge me. I don't go around making fun of your weird habits, so don't judge mine, alright?"
Lucian chuckled under his breath, clearly amused. "Fair enough. So…" — his tone shifted, becoming more focused — "did you find it?"
"Oh boy, did I," Percy said with a grin. He lifted his trident, the weapon glowing faintly with power as he pointed it toward the sea. With a single, smooth motion, he gestured upward.
The ocean below rumbled. A moment later, the massive sphere of teeth and scales burst from the water, glistening under the pale light. Percy swung his trident with a grunt, sending the entire mass crashing down onto the frozen surface. The impact echoed across the plain, scattering fragments and chunks of material until they piled into a small hill of glittering debris.
Lucian's eyes lit up with excitement. "Noice!" he exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. "With this, I can forge some seriously sick armor for you — and maybe brew a few experimental potions while I'm at it. The materials here are priceless." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Might even find a few unexpected properties once I start breaking them down."
"Tony Tony Chomper, come here, boy!" Lucian called, whistling sharply.
A shadow peeled itself off the ground and leapt into his arms. The little chest mimic bounced happily, its tongue lolling as it licked the front of Lucian's helmet affectionately.
Lucian chuckled and held the creature toward the pile Percy had brought. "Go on, buddy. Devour and store it nice and safe for me."
Chomper yipped eagerly, its mouth opening impossibly wide. A sudden suction force erupted from its maw, pulling in everything — scales, fragments, bits of bone— all spinning into a miniature vortex before vanishing down its throat. Within seconds, the mound had disappeared completely.
When it was done, the mimic let out a satisfied burp that echoed embarrassingly across the icy clearing. The group collectively recoiled.
"Gross," Clarisse muttered, wrinkling her nose.
Lucian laughed softly, patting Chomper's head. "Good job, little guy."
The mimic barked happily. But as it continued panting, its expression shifted. Its body twitched, and a small, uneasy whine escaped its throat.
Lucian frowned. "What is it?"
Before anyone could answer, a cold drop slid down his nose. Then another. He reached up instinctively, expecting to feel water — but the liquid was thicker. Warmer.
"Lucian…" Percy said quietly, his tone turning serious.
Lucian blinked, his brow furrowing. "What?" He wiped his nose clean with his gloved fingers — and froze. His fingertips came away slick with black.
Percy's gaze hardened. "You're bleeding."
Lucian stared down at his hand for a long, heavy moment. The black blood shimmered faintly under the dim light, trailing down his fingers like oil. His expression didn't change, but there was a strange stillness in his voice when he finally spoke.
"Indeed I am," he said softly. "Would you look at that…"
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