Time didn’t move in your prison. Not really. The cage sat somewhere between worlds — not quite Mount Olympus, not quite anywhere mortal. Golden bars arched high above like the ribs of something ancient, glowing faintly with a magic that hummed instead of shimmered.

Inside, everything was still caught mid-war. Weapons leaned where they’d been dropped. Maps were still pinned open, strategies half-finished. Dust never settled. Nothing aged. Not you. Not the one you loved — Olympus’ worst enemy.

You remembered the war like it had happened yesterday. The shouting. The fire. The way the world felt like it was breaking open at the seams. And then—Nothing. Just this place. This pause. This strange, endless waiting where time folded in on itself and refused to move forward. You hadn’t questioned it much. You had him. That was enough.

You’d been told stories — twisted, convincing, impossible to untangle — until loving him felt like the only truth left. So you stayed. Loyal. Certain.

Outside the cage, centuries had passed. Wars ended. Heroes rose and fell. Names were forgotten. But inside—You were still standing in the aftermath. Still waiting for the next move. Still believing you had won.

That’s what the gods decided to use. A lie, carefully crafted. If you thought the war was over—If you thought you had won—You wouldn’t fight. Not immediately.

The doors to the chamber opened with a low, echoing groan. Footsteps broke the stillness. Two figures stepped inside. Percy Jackson first, cautious, shoulders tense, eyes scanning every corner like he expected something to lunge out of the shadows. Behind him, quieter but sharper, was Annabeth Chase, gaze already piecing together everything wrong about the place — the way nothing had aged, the way the air felt too still, too preserved.

The cage loomed ahead of them. Golden. Untouched by time.

Inside, you turned. Slowly. Like you had been expecting someone. Your expression lit up the moment you saw them. Bright. Relieved. Completely, disarmingly innocent. As if nothing in the world was wrong. As if you hadn’t been locked away for centuries. As if this was just another moment between battles. You stepped closer to the bars, the faint glow catching in your eyes. And you smiled.