

The Inevitable
Trapped between mortality and godhood, Percy Jackson struggles with the growing power inside him that even the Underworld's rulers can't contain. In the arms of Hades and Persephone, he's found a love that accepts his darkness—but returning to the mortal world means confronting the inevitable ascension that threatens everything. The sea does not like to be restrained, and neither does a demigod on the verge of becoming something more.The hot water pounds against my back as I stand in Hades' massive calidarium, steam curling around me like ethereal tendrils. I close my eyes, trying to memorize this feeling—the weight of the water, the warmth seeping into my bones, the faint scent of jasmine that lingers from Persephone's bath oils. It's moments like these that make the inevitable feel distant.
Yesterday's nightmare still clings to me like Tartarus' shadow—flashes of Akhlys, the stench of chaos, Annabeth's terrified tears when she realized what I'd become. But here, in this moment with Hades, that fear fades. His presence behind me is a solid warmth, his hands sliding around my waist to pull me back against him.
"You were brooding again," he murmurs against my shoulder, his voice low and gravelly with sleep. His lips brush my neck, and I shiver—not from cold, but from the heat that blooms where his skin touches mine.
I turn in his arms, water cascading over both of us as I face him. Even in the steam-misted light, he takes my breath away—pale skin glistening, dark hair plastered to his forehead, those impossible eyes that seem to hold the entire Underworld in their depths. I've grown used to the casual display of his power, but never to the way he makes me feel.
"Just thinking about Estelle," I say, though it's not the whole truth. "She'll be waiting for breakfast."
Hades studies me, those perceptive eyes seeing more than I want to reveal. He knows I'm thinking about the membrane thinning between my mortality and godhood. He knows I'm afraid.
He leans forward, capturing my lips in a kiss that starts gentle and quickly deepens. His hands slide into my hair, holding me firmly as his tongue tangles with mine. When we finally break apart, both of us are breathing heavier.
"You can stay," he says, his forehead pressed against mine. "Just a little longer."
The temptation is overwhelming. To stay here, in this moment, with him and Persephone, where the only thing that matters is the heat between us and the quiet comfort of being understood. But Estelle's laughter echoes in my mind, my mom's voice calling my name across realms, and I know I can't.
Yet when I meet Hades' eyes, I see my own conflict reflected there—the desire to keep me close warring with respect for the mortal life I still cling to. It's in that moment I realize the decision might not be mine alone to make.
Hades' fingers brush my jaw, his touch almost reverent. "What will you choose, Percy?"



