The silence that followed Artemis's revelation was heavier than any Percy had ever known. Annabeth. Back. The words echoed in his mind, a tantalizing whisper that threatened to unravel the carefully constructed fortress of his grief and fury. He looked at Nico, then at Artemis, a thousand questions warring in his eyes, but one stood above all: What's the catch?

It was Chiron who broke the spell, his voice gentle but firm. "Lord Hades is not known for his benevolence without reason. A soul, even one unjustly taken, is not returned without immense cost, especially when it involves such powerful divine interference as Lady Artemis and Lady Athena's." He sighed, casting a look towards Artemis.

Artemis nodded, her expression grave. "Indeed. The Fates' decree, though bent, requires a balance. A service must be rendered. Hades has agreed to release Annabeth's soul, and allow her return to the mortal realm, under one condition." Her gaze swept over Percy, Nico, and Thalia, her silver eyes piercing.

"You three will embark on a quest. Your objective: to locate Kymopoleia. She has retreated further into the uncharted, chaotic depths of the oceans, her mind and domain increasingly consumed by Pan's essence. Your task is to confront her, not to destroy her, but to find a way to separate her from the fragment of Pan's wild essence. Only then, once she is free of its direct influence, can she, and must she, be persuaded to seal that shard away permanently, preventing it from harming the balance of the world any further."

Percy felt a jolt of grim determination. This was it. A direct path to fixing a piece of the world that had shattered. His eyes flickered to Cyrus and Corina, who had been listening with rapt attention, their earlier fear now replaced with a desperate, fragile hope.

Corina stepped forward, her voice trembling. "We want to help. We know our mother's domain, even the wild parts. We can guide them."

Chiron and Artemis exchanged a look. "Your willingness is noted, Corina," Chiron said softly. "And your knowledge would indeed be invaluable. However," Artemis interjected, her voice firm, "given your inherent susceptibility to Kymopoleia's influence, and the very essence you seek to contain, it is too great a risk. You have already witnessed how that chaotic energy 'washed over' your brother. For the safety of the quest, you must remain far from her domain and her presence. Your assistance must be from a distance, perhaps providing whatever information you can from here at Camp."

Cyrus visibly clenched his jaw, but surprisingly, he didn't protest. Instead, a flicker of haunted understanding passed through his eyes. He knew, intimately, the danger she spoke of.

Percy, his voice still hoarse from disuse, finally broke the heavy silence. "Separate her...and make her seal it? How do we even do that? She's a goddess, and if she's consumed by this...madness..." He trailed off, the impossible nature of the task sinking in. "And what if she refuses? What if we can't?" The raw edge was back in his voice, threatening to crack. The fragile hope in his eyes seemed poised to shatter.

Nico stepped closer, his own nervousness momentarily forgotten in the face of Percy's despair. "My father's deals are absolute, Percy. If you succeed, Annabeth's soul will be returned. He would not offer what he could not deliver." He paused, a flicker of his characteristic cynicism showing. "But the 'how' is usually where the true price lies. Gods don't make it easy. And convincing a god or goddess, especially one consumed by primordial chaos...that's a new kind of impossible."

Thalia crossed her arms, her expression grim. "He's right, kelp head. This isn't just about fighting. It's about persuasion, about finding a way to touch the goddess beneath the madness. And if she's truly lost to Pan's essence, that might mean confronting the essence itself directly." She looked from Artemis to Chiron. "Are there any known ways to counter this specific type of primordial madness? Any weaknesses?"

Chiron stroked his beard, his brow furrowing deeper. "Pan's essence, even fragmented, is part of the very fabric of nature. It cannot be 'destroyed' in the conventional sense. It must be contained, perhaps even reabsorbed into the natural order through a powerful act of balance. As for weaknesses...the Wild God, in his benevolent form, valued balance and harmony. Perhaps its distorted remnant recoils from true order, from unwavering will and clear purpose. And certainly, from the purity of certain divine powers." He looked pointedly at Artemis.

Artemis met his gaze, then looked back at the trio. "Chiron speaks wisely. This madness amplifies chaos and despair. Your greatest weapon, Percy, may not be your rage, but your unwavering determination, your loyalty, and perhaps...your capacity for hope. And Thalia, your lightning, the ultimate expression of clear, focused energy, may disrupt its hold. Nico, your connection to the ultimate order – death – may offer insights into its decay and where it can be contained." She then looked at Corina and Cyrus. "Corina, you and your brother know your mother's mind, perhaps better than anyone. Even from a distance, any detail, any weakness in her patterns before this madness, could be vital."

Corina's eyes lit up with a flicker of purpose, despite her earlier fear. "I...I will try. I will search my memories, anything that might help you understand her, understand...what she became. Cyrus, you will have to help me."

Cyrus remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor, but the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease infinitesimally. The thought of his mother being freed, even if it meant his own retribution, seemed to offer him a strange solace.

Percy looked at Thalia, then Nico. The path ahead was terrifying, but the prize...the prize was everything. "So, we find a way to make a goddess, driven insane by primordial nature, willingly seal away the very essence that consumes her." He said it not as a question, but as a statement of grim acceptance. "And if we fail...?"

Artemis's voice was sharp, cutting through the morbid thought. "Failure is not an option, Percy Jackson. Not if you wish to see Annabeth Chase walk among the living again. Not if the world is to remain stable. This is not merely a quest; it is a desperate necessity." She paused, her voice softening slightly but retaining its authority. "The hunters and I will remain here for 2 days, you shall leave when we go, at dawn."