The chill of the night air was a familiar comfort to Percy, sharper and more real than the suffocating grief that had clung to him for months. He stood at the edge of the Camp Half-Blood forest, the distant sounds of the campfire just a muted hum, a world away from his desolate solitude. Nico di Angelo, lately the silent sentinel, stood beside him, a dark silhouette against the moonlit pines.

A sudden crackle of lightning, thin and sharp, split the air, followed by the faint scent of ozone. Percy didn’t even flinch. He knew that signature. From the shadows beneath the trees, a figure emerged, her silver circlet gleaming, her electric blue eyes scanning the darkness with an accustomed ease. It was Thalia Grace, Lieutenant of Artemis.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Thalia said, her voice a mix of exasperation and a rare, subtle concern as her gaze landed on Percy. Her eyes flickered to Nico. "Di Angelo. Still lurking in the shadows, I see."

Nico gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.

Thalia stepped closer, her expression hardening as she studied Percy’s haunted face. "We heard from Lady Artemis. About...Annabeth." Her voice softened almost imperceptibly, a rare display of empathy. "And about those sea spawn. Kymopoleia's triplets, now twins, apparently." There was a hint of a question in her tone. "She has been...restless. More so than usual, even for her."

Her voice softened almost imperceptibly, a rare display of empathy. 'And about those sea spawn. Kymopoleia's triplets, now twins, apparently.' There was a hint of a question in her tone. 'She has been...restless. More so than usual, even for her.'

Percy opened his mouth to respond, a sharp retort or a pained acknowledgment on his tongue. Thalia interrupted him before he could mutter anything. "Percy," she said, her voice softening further, "the hunters and Lady Artemis, but especially me, wanted to give you our condolences. We know it will never be enough. Lady Artemis wanted to give you a parca, just like ours, in honor of Annabeth, one that could have accomplished a lot by our side, and you, a man that we recognize as our ally."

Before Percy could process this unexpected gesture, a clear, resonant voice cut through the stillness of the night, echoing with undeniable authority. "Thalia. Percy Jackson. Nico di Angelo."

Artemis said with her silver hunting attire shimmering under the pale moonlight. Her eyes, usually fierce and direct, held a grave concern that sent a shiver down Percy’s spine, a feeling unrelated to the cold.

"I suppose Thalia has already told you about the disturbance in the wild. One that concerns us all, especially the sea and its volatile children," Artemis stated, her gaze sweeping over Percy, then Nico. "Chiron has been summoned. Those...twins are also expected. We will convene immediately in the Big House. There are matters to discuss that cannot wait."

The implication hung heavy in the air. The chaos that had consumed Marin, the vengeful fury that had claimed Annabeth, was far from over. It was escalating, drawing them all into its treacherous currents. Nico looked at Percy, a silent understanding passing between them. The respite, however brief and tormented, was over. The hunt, in a new and terrifying form, had begun.

The walk from the moonlit forest edge to the Big House was shrouded in a heavy, unusual silence. The normal sounds of Camp Half-Blood seemed muted, distant, swallowed by the gravity of Artemis's summons. Percy felt the prickle of anticipation, a grim excitement that was unsettling in its familiarity. Nico walked beside him, a silent shadow, while Thalia, her silver circlet gleaming, seemed to carry the weight of the goddess's command with her usual stoicism. Each step brought them closer to the eye of the storm, to the truths that could no longer wait.

The Big House glowed with a warm, deceptively inviting light, but the atmosphere inside was anything but. Chiron stood behind the Ping-Pong table, his centaur brow furrowed with deep concern, his gaze meeting theirs as they entered. And there, near the fireplace, stood Cyrus and Corina.

Cyrus, his face still etched with the fear Percy remembered, flinched almost imperceptibly as Artemis entered, her silver aura seeming to draw all light to her. Corina, beside him, visibly tensed, her eyes darting between Artemis and Percy, a flicker of fear and perhaps resignation in their depths. The unspoken thought hung heavy: Are they here to finish him? Am I next? Their presence injected a raw, personal tension into the room that even Chiron's steady demeanor couldn't entirely dispel.

Artemis moved to the head of the table, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, lingering briefly on Cyrus. Her usual fierce eyes now held a profound, almost chilling, concern.

"Now that we are all assembled," Artemis began, her voice resonating with cool authority, no longer simply a summons but a pronouncement, "we can discuss the full extent of this disturbance. What you have witnessed in Kymopoleia’s domain, the chaos that overtook that girl, Marin was her name, isn’t it Chiron?" Chiron nodded when asked. "And the unforgivable acts of that male godling we have here, if it were up to me, I would have already smited him, taking the life of such a remarkable demigod, as Annabeth Chase was, just for a mistaken revenge? but I’m diverting from the target of this meeting, this is merely the beginning."

She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle, before continuing, her voice deepening with urgent gravity. "I’ve discovered some...unusual activity across the globe. The fragment of Pan’s raw, untamed, chaotic essence that Kymopoleia stumbled upon, is now actively spreading its influence. We are seeing unprecedented storms in previously calm deep-sea currents, creatures of the abyss driven to frenzy, ancient sea spirits stirred to unpredictable rage in the deeper, less explored, and inherently more violent parts of the oceans.".

"Kymopoleia’s already chaotic nature has been amplified by this essence and washed over that male." She pointed to Cyrus with an obvious disdain. "This is fracturing the balance of the sea, bleeding its chaotic influence across miles of unexplored trenches and volcanic vents. It threatens to destabilize not just the oceans, but the intertwined elements of the natural world above."

Artemis then turned her piercing blue eyes to Percy, her expression softening almost imperceptibly, a rare human touch. "And Percy Jackson," she said, her voice gentler now, "what Thalia spoke of is true. My hunters and I wish to offer our genuine condolences for Annabeth's loss. It is an immeasurable tragedy. The parca we offer is a small token, but it signifies our respect for her memory and her potential, and our recognition of you as a formidable ally, worthy of our trust, despite your…current path."

Her gaze then shifted to Nico, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "And Nico di Angelo," she added, her voice holding a subtle knowing quality, "I believe you have something important to say to Percy before we proceed. Something that may help appease the fury that drives him, and allow us to focus on the task ahead."

Percy's head snapped towards Nico. His eyes, lately clouded with a cold, distant rage, narrowed slightly. "What is she talking about, Nico?" he demanded, his voice low, a dangerous rumble that made some of the air in the Big House feel thinner.

Nico looked at him, his face uncharacteristically pale beneath his messy black hair, his eyes wide with a mixture of apprehension and grim resolve. He shifted his weight, his fingers nervously fidgeting with the skull ring on his hand. "Percy, I...I've been trying to tell you," he began, his voice a strained whisper, "I have a message. From my father."

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Father...he told me he can release Annabeth's soul. He said...he can bring her back."

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. Percy froze, his expression utterly blank for a moment, before a flicker of raw, disbelieving hope warred with the consuming darkness in his eyes.

Nico hurried on, the words tumbling out. "But that's what's uncanny, Percy! He's never admitted he can do that. Not even for Bianca. With Hazel, he pretended not to notice...but this was different. He was explicit. And I don't understand why now. And how did Lady Artemis even know I had this message?" He looked desperately from Percy to Artemis, seeking answers.

Artemis stepped forward, her silver attire shimmering. "Nico's questions are valid," she stated, her voice calm but firm, cutting through the stunned silence. "It was not a simple matter. Lord Hades does not lightly part with souls, especially those of great heroes. But Lady Athena and I, seeing the depths of despair and uncontrolled rage that Annabeth's loss had unleashed, the subsequent threat to the balance of the world and also The Fates's trail for her cutted down before time, approached him. With a…considerable amount of persuasion, and a little help from our father, we convinced him to make this deal. That is how I knew of your message, Nico."