Beyond the Song
A soft chant, one that seemed to reach into the deepest part of the soul, echoed slowly along the shores of a rocky island, covered in mist and the floating remains of ships shattered upon its own coast.
Annabeth walked along those shores completely soaked. Her steps did not falter. They continued straight ahead, her gaze fixed on nothing… and yet the faint smile on her face suggested that, to her, she was seeing everything.
As she listened to that gentle lullaby, a song she did not remember ever hearing and yet felt tied to her childhood. As if that melody had once been sung by her own mother at night, when she was little.
Her steps never slowed as her gray eyes looked forward. And what her sight beheld was perhaps what she had always dreamed of.
There it was.
Before her stretched a field of flowers. Beautiful flowers of every color, swaying softly in the wind. In the middle of the field, she could see someone standing there, waiting for her with a gentle smile. Only she could clearly see his face.
A smile formed on Annabeth's lips.
The figure opened his arms, waiting for an embrace. Only from her. From no one else.
Annabeth walked toward those arms without hesitation… before stopping just in front of them. Her expression grew more serious. She took a few steps back.
For a moment, a faint sting touched her eyes. She rubbed them lightly, but did not look away from the young man.
"You're fake. I won't fall for that," Annabeth said with a slightly proud smile.
Around her, everything began to fade.
The field of flowers disappeared.
The rocky island revealed itself once more.
Annabeth stood before hideous creatures staring at her.
They were a grotesque mixture of feathered birds, fish, and deformed human heads. Gray. Ugly.
Sirens.
As the illusion shattered, Annabeth looked around, realizing she was completely surrounded.
She drew her dagger quickly.
But before any of them could attack her, they suddenly burst into golden light.
A beautiful woman, strikingly similar to her, appeared right in front of her. Her face was filled with pride. Dressed in light armor, she looked at Annabeth with a warm smile.
"Seeing through the Sirens' illusion on your first attempt is a rare feat for any demigod. It is truly a remarkable milestone, especially for someone who is my daughter," the woman said with loving pride.
"Mother," Annabeth said with an emotional smile. "I did not know you were watching."
"When have I ever stopped watching you?" the woman replied softly. "Though I am not entirely in favor of that peculiar relationship with Poseidon's son, you always embody the pride of being my daughter. Something I am deeply proud of. I am proud of you," Athena said.
"Why are you here? I thought the gods were not allowed to help us," Annabeth asked, concern in her voice.
"Well, Poseidon's son seems to have quite a bit of help. So it is only fair that I assist my little one as well. You deserve the same opportunity as he does. I came so that you may train as he does… and become the best at everything," Athena said as she raised her hand toward her.
Annabeth, happy at her words, lifted her own hand to take it, filled with endless joy.
But before touching her, she stopped.
Her eyes began to sting again. She rubbed them.
She looked at her mother once more.
Then her joyful expression cracked for a moment. A deep sadness appeared on her face.
"What is it, dear? Just take my hand," Athena said gently.
But Annabeth did not take it.
Her eyes filled with tears as she slowly shook her head, murmuring, "I knew it… I knew it…"
"Come now, my daughter. Come," Athena said again.
"You're not my mother. I can see your true form," Annabeth said at once, a hint of anger and disappointment in her voice.
Athena's face changed. Her loving expression shifted into something colder, more severe. Suddenly, her mouth opened in a grotesque way and she lunged at Annabeth.
At the same time, the Sirens that had supposedly burst apart began surrounding her again, ready to devour her.
But at that exact moment, a black sword appeared, slicing them in half.
Percy.
He grabbed Annabeth from behind, pulling her against his chest while gently covering her eyes.
Without stopping, he leapt backward, dragged by a rope that pulled him straight toward the sea.
For a brief second, Percy released his sword and raised his hand toward the Sirens, his face filled with fury.
"Frost rune."
A silver seal formed on the island's ground just before his sword returned to his hand, mere seconds before they hit the water.
Then an explosion of ice engulfed the island instantly.
Icicles shot outward from the center, piercing through many of the Sirens.
Meanwhile, Percy plunged into the water, holding Annabeth tightly.
Genuinely furious at having seen her cry.
He swam quickly toward the ship, which was still moving while dragging them by the rope Percy had tied around his waist.
Annabeth climbed aboard first with Percy's help. Then she turned and helped him up.
Percy thanked her as soon as he crossed the railing… before freezing completely as he stared into Annabeth's eyes.
She also went still when she looked at him.
"Are you a dragon?"
"Are you a dragon?"
They both asked at the same time, before making identical confused expressions at having said the exact same thing.
"What are you talking about?"
They said it again in unison.
"Wait, you're making me dizzy. Let me go first," Percy said quickly, stopping her with a hand. "What do you mean I'm a dragon?" he asked.
"Well… that thing surrounding you looks like a small dragon," Annabeth said, staring at him.
Percy looked down at himself, confused by her words, since he could see absolutely nothing.
"And what do you mean I am one?" Annabeth asked quickly.
"Well… your eyes," Percy said, pointing at her face.
She still had her unmistakable gray eyes. But now her pupils were vertical.
And there was that aura Percy, more than anyone, could never mistake. The gaze of a dragon. An aura Percy could never confuse with anything else. And yet, at the same time, it was different. It felt more like that gaze could see straight through him with ease.
Annabeth touched her face.
"What's wrong with them?" she asked.
Percy reached into his bag and searched until he found a sword, using the blade's reflection as a mirror.
Annabeth leaned slightly and looked at herself in the polished metal, her expression turning to shock as she saw her vertical pupils.
"What the hell?" she said, completely confused.
Meanwhile, Percy kept staring at her. Something came to his mind.
He remembered what that woman had told him. The gifts given as an apology. And that enormous eye… with a vertical pupil.
Without thinking too much, Percy cupped Annabeth's cheeks with both hands to get a better look at her eyes, bringing his face close to hers.
Annabeth froze completely again, her cheeks pressed between his hands, blushing instantly.
"It looks really cool. You're even prettier than you already were. I kind of wish I had eyes like that too," Percy said with a smile, not realizing how close their faces were.
Annabeth was frozen too, but for a different reason.
She could clearly see the aura still surrounding Percy. Sea-blue in color, forming the shape of a small dragon. Just like when she had seen the true form of the Sirens who had taken Athena's image.
It confused her completely.
She looked at his face while that dragon-shaped aura did not make him look fierce, but rather like a smaller, almost animal version of him… unexpectedly adorable.
Until both of them seemed to realize the compromising position they were in.
They both turned completely red and pulled away quickly.
"Ah, sorry. I was just looking at your pretty eyes," Percy said in a rush.
"Ah, yes. I was also… lost in your face," Annabeth replied.
They both fell silent as soon as they realized what they had just said.
They opened and closed their mouths like fish out of water.
Without saying another word, they separated abruptly and walked to opposite sides of the ship, completely embarrassed.