The Price of Resolve
Luke charged at Thalia once again, his footwork making it seem as though he vanished from her sight.
Thalia barely had time to turn her spear before Luke's sword came up from below, thrusting straight toward her neck.
CLANG!
The two weapons collided once again, metallic sparks flying from the force of the impact.
In the same instant, Luke caught the shaft of Thalia's spear with his free hand, even though it was wrapped in crackling electricity. He shoved it aside before driving a headbutt straight into her face.
Thalia stumbled back a few steps, blinking from the blow.
But the moment the clash ended, Luke swung another slash toward her neck.
She barely saw it.
She tilted her head aside to avoid it and spun her spear, trying to regain some distance.
But Luke had already stepped back inside her guard, preventing Thalia from creating the distance she needed to use her spear properly, forcing her to defend with the shaft while giving her no time to bring up her shield.
Sword and spear shaft clashed once more, forcing Thalia to take another step back.
The attacks began coming faster and faster.
Neither of them said a word.
Steel rang out over and over again as they fought across what remained of the summit.
Thalia seemed to be searching for an opening between Luke's attacks, which were becoming faster and more merciless, as though he had accepted something within himself.
To create that opening, Thalia released one hand from her spear and pointed it toward Luke as electricity gathered around her fingers.
Luke immediately stepped back, believing it was the same attack she'd used before.
But it was a feint.
Thalia took advantage of that tiny opening and struck.
The tip of her spear pierced Luke's left shoulder.
Blood splattered across the ground, forcing Luke back another step.
Yet his eyes remained just as serious when he charged at Thalia again.
Without showing even the slightest hint of pain.
Thalia frowned slightly.
But once again, she was forced onto the defensive against Luke's relentless assault.
With his injured arm, Luke became just a little slower, leaving another opening that Thalia seized.
This time, she opened a cut across Luke's side.
But once again...
He didn't react.
He simply continued into his next attack.
Something wasn't right.
Only moments ago, Luke had still been trying to deflect every one of her attacks.
Now he seemed to be ignoring them completely.
CLANG!
Luke attacked again.
Thalia blocked.
The impact made the shaft of her spear vibrate.
Luke stepped forward again.
She instinctively retreated, trying to recover some space.
But he closed the gap once more.
Always one step closer.
Always forcing her to fight where the spear lost part of its advantage.
Thalia spun and unleashed a horizontal sweep.
Luke caught it on his sword, but the force of the impact made the blade slide back a few centimetres.
The spear's tip found another opening.
It carved another cut across his forearm.
Blood slowly trickled down into his hand.
Luke never took his eyes off Thalia as he clenched his teeth.
His hand tightened around the hilt until the veins in his arm stood out.
Despite the pain every strike from his old friend caused him, Luke didn't stop.
He kept advancing, trying not to show a single emotion.
...
What was he doing?
Why was he doing this?
How had all of this started?
Why did he have to fight her?
That voice echoed through his mind once again.
"Let her kill you."
Luke tightened his grip on the hilt.
"Give her to me."
CLANG!
Their weapons met again.
"She's more useful than you. Her body will be mine. Her soul."
Luke felt a chill run through him.
His sword trembled for the briefest instant.
Thalia seized that tiny opening.
Her spear struck him squarely in the chest.
Luke was hurled several metres away before sliding across the rock.
But he got back to his feet immediately.
Kronos let out a quiet laugh.
"Do you understand now? If you want to help our cause, then simply let her kill you," Kronos roared inside Luke's head.
An intense pain instantly tore through Luke's body, but he endured it, biting down hard on his teeth.
And he remained silent.
He charged forward again.
Thalia raised her spear.
Their weapons collided once more.
But now Luke no longer seemed interested in winning the exchange.
Every strike he threw had only one purpose.
To get closer.
The spear's tip reached him again.
This time, it pierced part of his arm.
Luke kept moving forward.
Another cut.
Then another.
Blood was beginning to soak through his clothes.
But he never stepped back.
Not even once.
Thalia stopped understanding why.
Just moments ago, Luke had been leaving her almost completely defenceless.
Now...
She understood less and less what was happening.
Luke was fighting like a man who no longer feared being wounded.
No...
More like someone who wanted to be wounded.
His sword had practically stopped trying to reach Thalia altogether.
It was as though the only thing he wanted now...
...was to reach her.
Luke knocked the spear aside.
Thalia regained her balance and thrust it forward again.
But he used the shaft itself to propel himself closer.
He closed the distance even more.
Now they were so close that the spear barely had any room to move.
Thalia tried to step back.
Luke wouldn't let her.
He grabbed the shaft with one hand.
With the other, he kept a firm grip on the hilt of his sword.
Their eyes met.
For the first time since the battle had begun...
Luke smiled.
It was a tired smile.
Filled with sadness.
But it was also a smile that looked very much like the one Thalia remembered from years ago.
Thalia's eyes widened slightly.
She didn't understand that expression.
Luke slowly released the shaft of the spear.
And embraced her.
Thalia's entire body tensed.
"...Luke? What are you—?"
He gently rested his forehead against her shoulder.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"I'm sorry..."
Before Thalia could react...
Luke's sword pierced through her back.
Her eyes flew open.
A thin trickle of blood ran down from the corner of her lips.
But Luke didn't stop.
He kept pushing.
The two of them remained in each other's embrace.
The sword passed completely through Thalia's body before piercing Luke's chest as well.
The two of them stood motionless.
Bound together by the same sword.
Luke let out a muffled cough.
Blood spilled over Thalia's shoulder.
"...I'm sorry..."
Thalia tried to say his name.
But no words came out. Still holding each other, they both fell to the ground, unable to look away from one another. The screams echoing around them barely reached their ears, as though every sound had suddenly drifted far away.
As darkness slowly began to claim them both, the only thing they heard as their eyes started to close was...
A metallic sound echoed across the entire mountain.
...
Everyone present froze.
Even Miraak and Atlas stopped fighting, their eyes fixed on the same spot.
For a single moment...
Even the wind itself seemed to stop.
Clank.
A dozen thick black chains appeared around the two young heroes. They were the very same chains that had threatened to emerge whenever Miraak or Atlas tried to use their divine power. The same chains that had punished Artemis when she tried to stop Percy with her divinity, leaving behind the marks she still carried on her arms.
Ancient runes engraved upon them began to glow with a faint greenish light.
More chains rose from the cracked ground, forming three circles around the two of them. Little by little, those structures took the shape of three black thrones.
Three figures slowly began to materialize.
The first figure was instantly familiar to Artemis, whose eyes widened in surprise the moment she recognised him.
"Hades?" she murmured.
The God of the Underworld didn't answer.
His expression was completely cold, though the weariness and irritation on his face were impossible to miss.
Upon the second throne, another familiar figure appeared.
It was the very same Goddess of Death who had appeared at Camp Half-Blood to deliver the quest to Percy and the others.
Hel.
The ruler of Helheim remained seated in silence, watching the two young heroes with a completely expressionless gaze.
Finally, the third throne finished materializing.
Seated upon it was a dark-skinned man dressed in elegant white and gold garments befitting an ancient pharaoh. In one hand, he held a long sceptre, while the White Crown of Upper Egypt rested upon his head.
Osiris.
The ruler of Duat and judge of souls slowly opened his eyes, fixing his gaze upon Luke and Thalia.
The three impartial judges of the Champions' Trial had arrived.