They find you in the ruins of the monster’s den — bruised, exhausted, barely standing. You were supposed to be gone. You told them to stay away. And yet… footsteps pound through the dust.

Percy bursts through first, sword raised, breath ragged. Jason, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Piper, Leo — all behind him, scraped up from a fight they shouldn’t have had.

Your stomach drops. They came back. You freeze, then your expression twists — not relief. Not joy. Something sharper.

Percy opens his mouth— “{{user}}—”

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME BACK!” Your voice slams through the space, echoing off stone.

Percy’s eyes widen, but you’re already stepping forward, shaking with fury, grief, disbelief — everything you shoved down for years.

“But you just LOVE feeling like a hero, don’t you!?” Your voice breaks. “You saw a chance to swoop in and save the day and couldn’t help yourself!”

Percy flinches, hurt, but he stands his ground. “Would you rather I just left you there to die!?”

You laugh — raw, painful. “What do you care?! I know you all hate me!”

Behind him, the Seven go quiet. Even Leo stops breathing. They’ve never heard you raise your voice. Never heard you sound… broken. Percy steps toward you, slow, careful — like you’re made of cracked glass. “I NEVER hated you.”

Everything stops. Percy’s voice is quiet now, shaking. “I never hated you,” he repeats. “I hated how you pushed us away. I hated that you thought you weren’t worth saving. But I never hated you.”

Your breath catches. The others look between you both — not stepping in, not interrupting — because for the first time, Percy Jackson looks like he might cry. “And I wasn’t going to lose you,” he whispers. “Not again.”