Fuck.

I kept walking with Riptide pointing to the cloaked man's neck. Y/N had gone. Gods, I hope she'll be okay. After all, she's Y/N L/N, right? She can't die, right? I'll find her again. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

But first, I need to find this guy's master.

We kept walking, the man mumbling occasionally about the chill weather. I just kept replaying Piper's voice in the recorder.

Don't think about Y/N. Don't think about Y/N. Stop thinking about Y/N.

I don't understand why I'm so worried. There was a pit of guilt and fear in my knotted stomach. I wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Y/N's warm body.

Gods, I'm so dependent. I was never this clingy. Not even to Annabeth. What would happen if Y/N dies?

Finally, after a long time of walking, the cloaked man stopped and turned. He wore a slight smile.

"Master Castellan wishes for you to be unarmed as you step into his territory," the man said mysteriously.

Castellan?

I nodded, slowly bending down to place Riptide on the ground. I felt a pang of reluctance vibrating through my body as it dropped fully onto the concrete ground.

The cloaked man nodded. He led me through a little alleyway into a small tavern.

"Safety precautions," he explained, suddenly splashing a stinging liquid on my face. I spit it out immediately, ridding myself of the strange feeling. "Whoops."

The man set down the cup he used and grabbed two others. They were minuscule and held some sort of pale yellow substance. He took a swig, then handed the other to me. I mimicked him and kept following the man as he walked through a back door.

We got out, but the bright sun on the other side had almost blinded us. The man muttered a sorry as he dug out two pairs of sunglasses. He handed me one, hastily putting the other on to shield his eyes.

I followed the man again through a series of paths until we reached a shack that sort of resembled a cabin at Camp.

The man knocked once, twice, three times before someone swung the door angrily.

I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. Standing in the frame was -- gods, it was --

"Luke," I breathed.

He looked the same as the last time we had met -- but healthier. The scar was gone.

"Come inside," Luke said, opening the door wider to allow us to enter. I walked inside cautiously, but there was nothing to harm me that I could see.

The interior I imagined would have been neat and organized. Instead, it appeared some sort of earthquake (courtesy to my dad) had occurred. Maps and papers were scattered across the floor, and a wooden table was holding a mess of books.

"Planning," Luke explained, "often results in a catastrophic mess." He took a seat at the mahogany desk and smiled. "Percy, we need you to help us."

I didn't know whether I could trust Luke or not. Before he died, he seemed to be an actual good person.

Now? I don't even know what's going on.

Luke pointed to a chair I hadn't noticed earlier across the room. The cloaked man automatically grabbed it an set it in front of the desk. I sat down slowly, hesitant to face Luke. When I did, he wasn't smiling anymore.

"I was reborn," he started. "As I died, I saw Annabeth. She was crying.

"I loved Annabeth. But seeing her cry made me angry. So I took that anger, and forced it to make me see her again.

"I was rebirthed. But I'm not the same. No, I've long ridden Kronos of me. I am now 100 percent Luke Castellan."

Luke stared at me with some sort of intensity in his burning eyes. It told me he was very serious with this.

"I need you Percy," Luke said. He inched forwards closely. I was caught in his forcefield, moving towards him. "Percy, I need you to help me. Will you?"

And then he kissed me. His lips felt cold and dead against mine. They were soft but dry, gentle but on the verge of accelerating.

The cloaked man coughed. Luke pulled away first.

"I love you," he said. "Percy, I need you on my side. I need you."

What the actual fuck?

I shook my head slightly, but only a small bit. Luke could kill me easily if I had actually disagreed.

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Luke sighed. He clapped his hands professionally to the cloaked man. "So I decided to bargain with you."

Oh. My. Gods.

"Y/N," I breathed.

She's been taken hostage again.

But this time, I won't be able to save her. I just know it.