Chapter Text
Will, Nico, Percy, and Annabeth headed down to the lake together.
It was supposed to be ‘relaxing’.
Will walked a little behind them, hands shoved deep into his pockets. The sun felt too bright. The air felt too open. Every step closer to the water made his chest tighten a little more.
They trust you, the voice whispered. That makes it easier.
Will clenched his jaw and kept walking.
“Will… Will?” Nico called.
Will blinked hard. “What? Sorry.”
“You’ve been zoning out,” Percy said. “Like, a lot.”
“Yeah,” Will said quickly. “Just tired.”
The voice laughed softly.
Liar.
They reached the lake.
The water glittered under the sun, calm and inviting. Percy dropped his towel onto the sand and kicked off his shoes. Annabeth followed, already rolling her shoulders like she was ready to swim.
Will stopped.
His heart skipped.
The lake felt massive. Endless. Too deep.
“Dude,” Percy said, already ankle-deep in the water. “You coming or what?”
“Yeah,” Will said, forcing a laugh. “Just give me a second.”
Don’t, the voice murmured. Or do. Either way, something breaks.
Will stepped forward.
They all jumped in.
The cold hit him like a shock.
The water wrapped around his legs, his waist, his chest, and suddenly his breathing was wrong. Too fast. Too shallow. His heart slammed against his ribs like it was trying to escape.
There it is, the voice said, pleased. You remember.
The sounds around him dulled. Percy’s laughter echoed strangely, warped and distant. The surface of the water shimmered in a way that made his head spin.
“Will?” Annabeth called. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Will said automatically.
He wasn’t.
The water pressed against him from all sides. His arms felt heavy. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to get out.
Let go, the voice coaxed. I can make it quiet. I can make it stop.
“No,” Will muttered.
Annabeth frowned. “What?”
“Nothing,” Will snapped.
Percy’s smile faded. “Okay, dude, what’s going on? You look awful.”
“I said I’m fine,” Will said louder.
The voice rose with him.
They see you. They’ll leave.
Will’s hands started shaking under the water.
His chest burned. His vision blurred.
Kill them, the voice hissed suddenly. End it. Spread it.
“Shut up,” Will whispered.
Annabeth stiffened. “Will?”
“I said shut up!” Will shouted.
The water sloshed violently as he stumbled backward.
Percy moved instantly. “Okay. We’re getting out.”
“I can’t,” Will said, panic flooding his voice. “I can’t breathe.”
Nico was at his side in seconds. “Will. Look at me.”
Will tried.
The lake roared in his ears.
Do it, the voice screamed. You’re a weapon.
Will bolted.
He barely remembered getting out of the water. Just sand under his feet. Lungs burning. Heart racing.
He ran.
“Will!” Nico shouted.
Will sprinted back toward camp, tears blurring his vision. The voice followed him, louder with every step.
Yes. Run. Break.
“Stop,” Will gasped.
He burst into Cabin 7 and froze.
Kayla and Austin were there.
Both pacing.
Both muttering.
Both gripping their heads.
“Oh gods,” Will whispered.
The moment he stepped inside, the noise exploded.
They hear me too, the voice crowed. We’re free.
Will collapsed to his knees, hands buried in his hair.
“Make it stop,” he begged. “Please.”
Kayla slid down the wall, breathing hard. Austin cursed under his breath, hands shaking.
Nico burst in. “Will!”
Will looked up just enough to see who saw him kneel.
“Hey,” Nico said urgently. “Look at me.”
A tear slipped down his face.
“Nico?” he whispered.
“I’m here,” Nico said. “You’re safe.”
Percy and Annabeth rushed in behind him. Annabeth moved straight to Kayla. As Percy steadied Austin.
The voices overlapped, chaotic.
Kill them.
Spread it.
“SHUT UP!” Will, Kayla, and Austin shouted together.
Annabeth flinched but stayed calm. “Okay. Breathe.”
Slowly, painfully, the noise faded.
Not gone.
Just quieter.
Will sagged against the wall, knees pressed to his chest. His hands still trembled. Every breath felt like it took effort. The cabin was silent, except for the faint creak of wood and their uneven breathing.
He pulled up the sleeve of his wet shirt without thinking, and Nico noticed the raw, angry scars along his forearms, red and painful, evidence of the battles he’d fought with the voice inside his head.
Will pressed his arms tighter against himself, trying to hide them, trying to breathe through the panic.
Percy shifted, scratching his head. He looked at Will, then at Kayla and Austin. They were both slumped on the floor, trying not to look at each other.
Annabeth crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “Okay,” she said softly. “We need… we need to talk about this. Slowly. One at a time.”
No one said anything.
The silence stretched.
Will’s eyes darted around the room, landing on Nico. Nico didn’t say a word. He just stayed close, his hand still holding Will’s.
Kayla fidgeted, twisting her fingers together in her lap. Austin’s jaw clenched. They kept looking at the floor, at the wall, anywhere but at each other.
Percy finally cleared his throat. “Uh… do you guys want to… start?”
Kayla’s eyes flicked up, then down again. “I—” She stopped, pressed her lips together, and exhaled shakily. “I don’t know how to say it.”
Austin muttered, “Yeah, it’s… not easy.”
Will hugged his knees closer. The aftershocks of the voice made his head spin. Everything felt too loud, too sharp.
And then the urge hit him.
He needed to run. Anywhere. Away. The walls felt like they were closing in. The air pressed against his chest. His legs twitched. His pulse slammed in his ears.
“I can’t,” Will said. “I feel like I’m gonna, I don’t know.”
He pressed his hands into his hair again, breathing hard.
He was going to bolt. He could feel it.
Before he could move, Percy stepped into the doorway and Annabeth moved beside him.
The exit was blocked.
Will froze.
His chest tightened further.
Kayla flinched. Austin’s eyes widened.
All three of them felt trapped.
Will’s breathing sped up. He pressed his back to the wall, legs trembling, hands gripping his hair. The voice whispered again, softer this time.
Run. Leave. Break free.
Every instinct screamed at him to move. He felt the walls closing in, the ceiling pressing down, the air too thick to breathe. He tried to force his legs forward but he couldn’t. Percy’s eyes held him in place, Annabeth’s presence solid and unwavering.
Will shook his head, panic clawing at him. He felt the urge to scream, to run, to vanish.
Kayla gave a tiny, shaky laugh. “Okay… I guess I’ll start.”
She wiped her face with the back of her hand and exhaled. “It’s… complicated,” she said.
She took a deep breath. “Apollo kids… we’re healers. Music. Medicine. Sun stuff. Light. But Apollo’s also plague. Disease. Death. And sometimes… we get stuck with the other side.”
Austin nodded. “Thoughts that aren’t ours. Violent urges. Bad stuff.”
Percy blinked. “And it tells you to… do bad stuff?”
“Yeah,” Will muttered. “Kill. Hurt. Spread plagues. All that fun Apollo gone wrong stuff.”
Annabeth’s jaw tightened. “And you just… live with that?”
“We don’t really get a choice,” Kayla said quietly.
There was a long silence.
Nico shifted closer to Will. “How long has this been happening?” he asked softly.
Will hesitated. “Since I was a kid. I just learned how to ignore it.”
“Today you couldn’t,” Nico said.
Will nodded.
The voice stirred again, quieter now but still sharp.
You embarrassed yourself.
Will clenched his jaw.
“Will?” Percy said. “You just went pale again.”
“I’m fine,” Will said automatically.
“You said that earlier,” Annabeth pointed out.
Will laughed weakly. “Yeah. Well… I lie sometimes.”
Nico squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to right now.”
Will swallowed. His breathing started to feel off again. Too fast. Too shallow.
“It feels like… like my chest is too tight,” Will admitted. “And my head won’t shut up.”
“That sounds like a panic attack,” Annabeth said calmly.
“No it’s not,” Will said quickly. “I’ve had those before. This is just”
His voice broke.
Kayla scooted closer. “Will, your hands are shaking.”
He looked down. They were.
The voice laughed softly.
Let go. I can fix this.
“Stop,” Will whispered.
Percy frowned. “Okay, I don’t like that. What can we do?”
“Nothing,” Will said, a little too fast. “Just give me a minute.”
He stood and paced once, then twice. The cabin felt smaller. The walls felt closer.
The lake flashed in his mind. Cold water. Heart pounding. The urge to bolt.
Will sucked in a sharp breath.
Nico stood immediately. “Sit down.”
Will’s legs wobbled. “I can’t,” he whispered.
Kayla grabbed his wrist gently. “Look at me.”
He did.
“Name five things you can see.”
“Kayla. Austin. Nico. The floor. The window.”
“Good. Four things you can feel.”
“Nico’s hand. The bunk. My shirt. The floor.”
His breathing slowed a little.
The voice faded further, annoyed now instead of loud.
Cowards.
Austin exhaled. “It’s backing off.”
Will sagged, knees buckling slightly. Nico caught him before he hit the floor.
“I hate this,” Will muttered.
“I know,” Nico said quietly. “But you did good.”
Percy scratched his head. “So… what now?”
Annabeth stood. “Now we make sure this doesn’t happen again without support.”
Will looked up. “You’re not scared?”
Annabeth met his eyes. “Of you? No.”
Percy nodded. “Same. You heal people, dude. That matters.”
Will’s throat tightened. “Thanks.”
The voice was silent. For once.
Will’s vision swam.
Nico noticed instantly. “Will?”
“I’m really tired,” Will murmured.
His legs gave out.
Nico caught him. “Hey hey stay with me.”
Will tried to respond.
The room tilted.
The last thing he heard was Nico calling his name.
Then everything went dark