-Percy POV-

Watching everybody leave, I can honestly say I feel even guiltier about what happened today. I had made a fatal error in judgement, and lives had been lost because of it. I looked at the faces of the people I had learned to love again, I felt an overwhelming desire to see them safe, protected.

Thinking about keeping them safe turned my thoughts back to Arthur, my friend… Just yesterday I stared into his eyes and told him that we would survive this, and now he's gone.

I need some time to myself, some time to mourn, and time to heal. Of course my somber thoughts reflected my appearance, I probably looked as lousy as I felt. Annabeth had made her way to me. She knew I was hurting as she gently asked,

"Are you alright?"

Not really, I've seen more death in my time than I wish to remember, but today was different. I wasn't watching a criminal be executed for his crimes, or a murderer be dealt due justice. I saw friends, students, people I had promised safety to disappear forever. It felt so mortal, so unlike anything I have gotten used to since being with Chaos. I shrugged and answered her,

"I will be, but I need time to heal."

She nodded her head and said,

"You know that if you need anything, you need only ask."

I looked at her beautiful face and saw complete understanding, acceptance, and love. It made me smile despite my present gloom. I answered,

"I know, I need some time to myself. I won't be gone long I promise."

She again nodded her head and said,

"I love you."

I replied,

"Love you too Wise Girl."

With that I closed my eyes, flying didn't really appeal to me right now so I just transported myself to where I always go when I need to think.

I opened my eyes to a familiar sight, a statue of a sandy haired man, a baby girl being held in his arms, and a middle aged woman wearing a warm smile, my family.

Memorial Park, the city sized place on Genesis where all the honored dead could be remembered. I had created this park a few weeks after joining Chaos. It started as a simple statue to remember my family by, but now it had grown to honor the death of every person on Genesis or a loved one.

This statue stood in the center of the circular park and was surrounded by similar statues that appeared with a beloved's death. I half-smiled at the statue, looked at the woman and whispered,

"Mom."

Gods I missed her. Zeus took the first chance he had to explain that Hecate had been behind the murder of my family, not him. She had stolen some of his power while controlling him and had used my parent's death as a final blow to my spirit. Zeus said she called it her "parting gift", evil witch…

I spent some time there, thinking, praying to Chaos, and reflecting on everything that had transpired in my existence. I had won wars, slew giants, saved trillions, and become a beacon of hope to entire galaxies. But deep down, I sometimes felt like a little boy who just missed his mommy.

Turning from the statue I began to make my way down the pathway that snaked through various forms of memorials for countless souls who were long-gone. Most of them I didn't recognize, but every so often I would spot a familiar face, a general I mentored on a war-torn world, a servant I helped free from a dictator a few years ago. So many people who were forever represented by these statues of stone.

Time worked differently in Memorial Park, I had designed it that way. I wanted people to have as much time as they needed so I had manipulated the borders of this place to slow time for all those inside. You could spend months in here, walk out, and barely a minute would have passed. Seemed like a better use of time manipulation than something like the Lotus Casino.

After an unknown amount of time, not that it really mattered, I came to an open field gated in by ornate fencing. I wasn't familiar with this section so I stopped to look around. There was a slight hill covered in grass that held benches, a small pavilion, and a shrine to Chaos to pray at. Looking around at the statues here, my heart skipped a beat when I saw who they represented.

Nine young people, four male, five female. The statues were in various positions, a few sitting on a bench, a few others tossing a magically suspended football, and one was off by itself leaning up against a tree, smiling at the scene. My Angels, the ones who had perished in today's battle already had memorials. I stood next to each statue, thought about their story, and symbolically said goodbye to each one.

Eight down, I looked to the man leaning up against the tree, it was Arthur. I walked slowly to it and stopped in front of it. A single tear slid down my face as I said,

"I am so sorry I couldn't save you. I hope wherever you are, you're happy. I hope someday to see you again, wherever we go after death."

I knew it was silly, talking to a polished piece of stone, but saying the words aloud seemed to help. I felt a little better, like I was able to come to grips with their deaths. They knew the risks, leaving Genesis, they knew it might have been their last time, yet the still did it. They laid down their lives for others, and it was now my job to honor their sacrifice.

-Annabeth POV-

I was walking through the columns of my mother's temple, this had always been a place where the world seemed to disappear for a bit as I walked in the world of old wisdom. They say a small piece of Athena still exists in Athens, I had found that statement to be right in the dark years of my godhood.

Sitting down and looking down from the ancient acropolis onto the modern Athenian city, I thought about my mother. I thought about the contrast between the old world and the new. Since discovering that the romans existed, I had thought a lot about the difference in Greek and Roman gods. The change in personality, appearance, power, but what I thought most about was how awful it must have been for my mother to experience the fall of her beloved city.

I knew the Romans hadn't destroyed Athens, the Peloponnesian war had tarnished the glory of Athens infinitely more than Rome. But what was more depressing to me than the fall of the world's first democracy, was the effect being turned Roman had on my mother. Athena obviously knows nothing of it, but the few times I have seen Minerva, she always seems angry, resentful of Rome. She remains the only goddess still unwilling to move past the split in godly personalities.

Deep in thought, I failed to notice Percy had appeared right next to me. I jumped when he cleared his throat out of shock. He snickered and said,

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

I shook my head and replied,

"Don't apologize, I was thinking about my mother. How are you?"

He smiled slightly and replied,

"Better, I spent some time in the place that always seems to help."

Curious I asked,

"Where?"

He answered,

"I'll show you some day."

He didn't seem to notice how frustrated him not telling me made me. I knew it was childish, I honestly did want to know what made him feel better, but the daughter of Athena in me hated not knowing something. Deciding to let it go I took a hold of his hand and looked back onto the city.

After a few moments of silence he asked,

"Do you come here often?"

I shook my head and answered,

"Not anymore, I used to. It helped me think, plus I still get ideas from the ruins, I find it amazing that thousands of years have passed, yet people still design building based off of this one."

He nodded and looked around the back of the temple then said,

"There are actually buildings on Genesis made to look like this one. The main public forum in the capital is a larger version of the Parthenon. Public meetings, criminal hearings, debate, and ideas are discussed in it. Athena is probably Chaos's favorite Olympian.

I asked,

"Why?"

He replied,

"She stands for logic, knowledge, and most of all order, all things Chaos prizes above all. I find it ironic that he is called Chaos and his brother is Order, not the other way around."

I nodded, I had also thought of that before. After a few more seconds of silence he stood up, bringing me with him. He said,

"It's late, we should be going."

"Alright," I replied.

A moment later the Parthenon was once again empty.