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My head was pounding as I looked at the door. Adrenaline and nerves made my heart beat rapidly at my chest, I didn’t know what to think. Not at all, so I just stood there while my friends regrouped.
"Someone has to stay behind, and when your time comes, do not despair. Recklessness comes at a cost."Nemesis had told me that. I was only 10, I don’t think I understood it. I don't even know if I did now. All 9 of us had made it out, Clytius and the witch were gone, this wasn’t my time, I didn’t have to go yet.. right? Can’t this be a happy day?
We all started our trek out of the Necromanteion now that Pasiphae’s labyrinth had collapsed, but as I took a step, I looked back, and-
Percy wasn’t with us.
I watched as he took a step back into the doors. Annabeth scrambled back. Trying to pull him out, before Nico put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Annabeth… there has to be a sacrifice.” His voice was calm, but I could see the pain in his eyes.
Hazel shot him a glare, Annabeth was close to tears, Jason had to hold her back from going in with Percy. Frank was trying to shake awake an unconscious Leo.
I shook my head, snapping myself out of my near-disassociation. “Damn you, Percy. You suck. You really fucking suck right now.” I thought to myself. “You got a good ending, you’re gonna get a good ending, no way I’m gonna let you be a martyr. I can't let this happen.” God, how I hated him right now.
"It's either me or you, Wise Girl." Percy insisted upon it, tears tracking down his dirt stained face. His hand gripped hers tight, threatening to betray his words. "You know I can't let you go back there. Someone's gotta help Bob." He leaned forward, placing his forehead against hers. "Hey, i promised you. I'm gonna come back. You know me." They both leaned in for a good-luck kiss.
And that moment was when I made a stupid (not) decision. As most of mine are.
"Nope, not today, you sickening lovebirds." I cracked a joke, though I don't think it was enough to hide my internal thoughts. I grabbed my brother's wrist and pulled him out the door. I stepped in his place.
"Tally, you can't- please. What are you doing?" Jason tried to convince me to get out, but I put myself further behind the door.
"No, no- good gods, don't make me regret this. Don't make me regret this. I know what i'm doing." I exhaled, leaving the door only halfway open. They stared at me. That was what hurt the most. I could still see them all, the pity, the clear fear on their faces, that I caused by going in place of Percy- but I couldn't get out and comfort them, or just split second change my mind- the damage was already done.
Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing. I was doing this baseless action, stepping through a door- a baseless action that would probably kill me, yet I had this fake confidence because I didn't want to worry my friends. i didn't know what Percy and Annabeth had gone through down there, and there was no way in hell i was mentally or physically prepared.
"Theseus, no..." I looked back at Nico as he spoke to me and my eyes teared up. I didn't want to go, especially after seeing what happened to him and Percy and Annabeth, but I felt like I owed it to them. Some kind of sick guilt.
"Good things don't happen to heroes, Nico." Him and Percy were the only ones I told. They didn't believe it would happen, and I was naive enough to agree.
The first I thought of was Theseus, King Theseus of Athens. I know i'm probably not the first demigod to ask this, but has your name sake ever fucked you over so much that you just knew your life would be short?
I envy Percy, though I know it's not fair of me.
Theseus got exiled for his recklessness and I'm getting told the same thing. I was told the same thing.
I'm gonna die there, aren't I?
"Tally..." Percy looked at me.
My wonderful, stupid, loving brother looked at me and he saw what I was thinking. I couldn't breathe in that moment. I felt overwhelmed.
He bumped my forehead. "Don't die."
"I won't." I don't think i'm a good liar. "I really won't." My voice cracked.