Win or Die
Percy was sitting by the campfire, staring into it with his thoughts drifting somewhere far away, when he heard someone approaching.
It was Annabeth. Her expression was serious, almost tense. Percy glanced at her, about to ask something, but she walked straight up to him and sat down beside him without saying a word.
He frowned slightly, confused. She had just gone to look for Thalia, but when he glanced behind her, there was no one else. So his attention returned to Annabeth's face. She was staring into the fire at the center of the camp, as if her mind had wandered far beyond it.
"Didn't you… go to get Thalia?" Percy asked, unable to stand the silence.
Annabeth let out a long breath. "Yeah. She agreed to go back to the Big House to talk things through with Chiron, at least," she said, then looked at him for a brief moment. "Percy… what if you were right?" she asked suddenly.
That caught him off guard. It might have been the first time he had ever heard Annabeth say he was right.
For a second, it left him a little speechless. "About… what?" he asked, looking at her, confused.
Annabeth turned her gaze back to the fire. The flames lit up her face and her blonde hair, which for a moment seemed to glow softly. At the same time, the shifting emotions passing through her mind made her gray eyes flicker… just for an instant… into something almost draconic.
"We grow up idealizing our parents. But… do they really deserve it? Ever since our first quest, and every time we leave camp again, it makes me doubt. Not just me," Annabeth said, her voice steady. "Do they really deserve our effort, our love… our faith?" she asked, looking at Percy as if trying to pull the answer out of him.
Percy held her gaze for a moment. The Annabeth he had met years ago, the one who got furious every time he insulted the gods, had slowly faded away. That devoted believer in everything they represented was gone. And now she was here, questioning whether they were worth all the sacrifices made for them.
He could not help but feel a quiet sense of pride. She was finally asking the right question without that blind devotion getting in the way. And the questions she asked now felt more like her, clear and honest.
"If you want my quick answer… no. They don't," Percy said bluntly. "The difference is… I stopped believing in them a long time ago."
Annabeth parted her lips slightly, like that small piece of admiration for the gods was still there. But Percy cut her off before she could say anything.
"But that's life, right? You grow up… and you realize heroes don't really exist. And your parents… aren't as great as you thought. Well… in this case, they kind of are. But you get what I mean," he added, glancing around.
Campers were scattered nearby after the battle, some laughing, others still riding the last sparks of adrenaline, a few already preparing for whatever came next.
"Even if I don't exactly like the Greek gods… not everything they've done is terrible," Percy continued. "But that doesn't mean we're going to kneel for them."
Annabeth followed his gaze, looking at some of her siblings.
A little girl near the fire seemed to catch Percy's words. She looked at both of them for a moment, then gave a soft smile before going back to what she was doing.
"Then… if you ever feel like stepping into the dark side, I could show you around. Might be fun," Percy said with a slightly cheeky grin. In the firelight, it almost seemed to glow, warm and soft, with a faint caramel tint that made Annabeth stare at him for a moment… a little too long.
"But for now, it's fine if you stay you," he added. "Don't think about what the gods want from you. Think about what you want from yourself. That's what matters most. At least… it does to me."
Then Percy turned and started walking away.
A second later, as if what he had just said finally caught up to him… he broke into a run without looking back.
Annabeth watched him bolt off at full speed and could not help but smile, hiding her face against her knees. For a brief moment, her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.
She didn't even try to hide it this time.
…
"So… my only option is to win or die and fall into the hands of a god I've never even heard of?" Thalia said, her expression burning with anger as she stood in front of Chiron, who looked at her with quiet sympathy.
"Yes. Once you are named a champion, you cannot refuse it. And the mark will only disappear if you die," Chiron replied gently.
"So I'm being forced into something I never even agreed to? Forced by someone I actually hate… and I have to fight for him… or I die?" Thalia repeated, her teeth clenched with real hatred.
Chiron opened his mouth, then closed it again before giving a slow nod.
"Sounds like him," she added under her breath, her voice filled with disdain.
Thalia's fists tightened until her knuckles turned white, all that anger spilling through her as she looked down at her hand, at the Mark of Olympus, with clear frustration.
"What happens if I win?" she asked suddenly.
"Normally, the victorious champion is granted a personal wish. The god they represent fulfills it as a reward," Chiron answered, his tone steady.
"Anything?" Thalia asked immediately, locking eyes with him as her emotions shifted in an instant.
That made Chiron hold her gaze for a moment in silence before continuing. "Yes… there is no real limit. After all, being the champion of everything is the reward for someone representing an entire pantheon."
Thalia went quiet, thinking it through carefully, before looking back at him.
"Fine. It's not like I have a choice anyway," she said at last. "But if I'm going to play his game… I'm doing it my way."
She gave him one last look before turning to leave, then paused just for a moment, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Where am I staying?" she asked.
Because if she was going to step into this game…
She had no intention of losing.