Chapter 546: The Breaking Line

A Day Before

Everything moved too fast.

Someone rushed toward Annabeth, breath uneven, hands shaking slightly as they shoved a small bundle into her grip.

"Here," they said quickly. "It’s all we have."

Annabeth didn’t waste a second. She dropped to her knees in front of Tobias, fingers already moving.

"Hold him steady," she ordered.

Benny shifted immediately, tightening his hold on Tobias to keep him from swaying. Tobias groaned under his breath, his body unsteady, his breathing uneven.

Annabeth reached for the makeshift bandage Tobias had wrapped around himself earlier and pulled it away.

The moment the cloth came off, her expression changed.

"Shit..." she muttered under her breath.

The wound looked worse than before.

Blood seeped out steadily, no matter how much pressure one applied, it didn’t slow.

She didn’t hesitate. Her fingers moved to Tobias’s clothes, tearing through the fabric without care. The rip of cloth was sharp against the chaos around them.

Tobias flinched slightly but didn’t protest.

Annabeth grabbed the herbs from the bundle and crushed them quickly between her fingers, releasing their scent before pressing them directly against the wound.

"Stay still," she said, her voice firm.

Tobias tried to nod, but even that small movement made him dizzy.

The herbs soaked into the wound, the green staining red almost instantly.

Annabeth pressed harder.

Nothing.

Her jaw tightened, and she grabbed the bandage. She wrapped it firmly around his side, pulling it tight enough to apply pressure, though she doubted that would help.

"Why isn’t it stopping?" Benny asked with a frown.

Annabeth didn’t answer immediately. She kept her hands on Tobias as she thought of every possible reason a wound like that would continue bleeding without stopping.

Then she exhaled slowly.

"I think..." she started, then shook her head once before looking up at Benny. "I think the arrow was poisoned."

Benny’s expression darkened instantly.

"Fuck."

His grip on Tobias tightened slightly before he forced himself to focus. "How much time do we have?"

Annabeth didn’t lie. "Not enough."

Benny turned toward the ropes. "How much longer before we can send him down?"

One of the pack members near the edge glanced back. "We can send him now. Most of them are already down."

Benny nodded immediately. "Good."

Tobias let out a low groan, his head dipping slightly. "Did... did the children go down?"

The pack member nodded. "Yes. All of them."

Tobias exhaled, relief flickering briefly across his face.

Benny leaned closer to him. "You can’t die here," he said, his voice firm, almost harsh. "You hear me? You need to go back home."

Tobias let out a weak breath that might have been a laugh. "I’m... going with all of you."

Benny nodded. "Yeah. You are."

Then his tone shifted slightly. "But you’re going down first. You and Annabeth. The pack healer is already down there. She’ll be able to help you."

Tobias hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding.

"Okay..."

He forced himself to move.

Annabeth pulled back slightly to give him space as he pushed himself up.

The moment he stood, his body swayed dangerously.

Benny caught him before he could fall. "Easy."

Tobias clenched his jaw, forcing his legs to hold. "I’m fine."

He wasn’t.

But he steadied himself anyway.

The pack member at the ropes moved quickly, grabbing one and securing it around Tobias’s waist. The knot was tight.

"Hold onto the rope," they instructed.

Tobias nodded weakly.

Benny kept a hand on him for a moment longer before stepping back. "Go."

The rope tightened.

Then Tobias was lowered over the edge.

For a brief second, his figure remained visible against the cliffside, then slowly, steadily, he descended into the darkness below.

Annabeth watched until she couldn’t see him clearly anymore.

"Your turn," Benny said behind her.

She nodded, though her chest felt tight.

She moved toward the ropes, her steps quick but controlled.

But when she reached the edge... she stopped.

Her fingers hovered over the rope.

She glanced back.

The chaos hadn’t stopped. If anything, it had gotten worse. The sounds of fighting, of shouting, of something breaking—echoed behind her.

Benny was already turning away, heading back into it.

Annabeth swallowed. She wanted to help, but she also had a responsibility for the people down the cliff now.

The rope was secured around her waist, the knot pulled tight, and she gripped it firmly.

Then she stepped off the edge.

The drop hit her immediately.

Her breath caught in her throat as her body lowered, the cliff stretching endlessly beneath her.

Her heart slammed violently against her chest.

This was too high.

Her grip tightened instinctively as she tried not to look down.

"Just... don’t look," she muttered to herself under her breath. "Don’t look down. Remember Benny’s words."

She kept her eyes fixed on the rock in front of her, focusing on each uneven surface, each jagged edge.

She forced herself to breathe.

In.

Out.

"I’m fine. I’m fine," she kept on muttering to herself.

The rope creaked slightly as she descended.

Her arms strained slightly from holding on, her body tense, every muscle locked.

She was almost halfway down.

Almost.

Her heart pounded harder.

Then—

A loud boom echoed from above, followed by screams and howls of pain.

Annabeth froze in shock. Fear gripped her.

"What—"

Her head snapped upward instinctively as the sounds increased.

Something wasn’t right.

Her chest tightened painfully.

Benny.

Her grip on the rope tightened.

Her mind raced.

She needed to go back up.

She had to go...

The rope jerked suddenly.

Annabeth gasped, her body slipping slightly downward before she caught herself.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

"What—?"

The rope shook again. She wondered if someone was coming down with her, but then noticed that wasn’t the case.

Her eyes widened as realization hit her.

No.

No, no, no—

The rope wasn’t stable anymore.

It was trembling.

Like something was interfering with it.

"Move!" a voice shouted from below.

Annabeth looked down, panic flooding her.

"You need to move faster! You’re the only one left! The ropes are being cut!"

Her breath hitched.

"What?"

Her voice barely came out.

"The ropes are being cut!" the voice repeated. "Hurry!"

Annabeth swallowed hard.

Her mind spiraled.

Benny was still up there.

"Benny..." she whispered.

Her fingers tightened painfully around the rope.

"I have to go back up," she muttered to herself. "I have to—"

The rope jerked again.

Harder this time.

A small scream tore from her throat as she dropped a little before catching herself again.

Her heart slammed violently against her chest.

Fear wrapped around her completely now.

There was no way to go up now, with the ropes like this.

If the ropes were cut—

How would Benny come down?

How would any of them come down?

Nathan was still up there too.

Her chest tightened painfully at the thought.

"Move!" the voice below shouted again. "You need to get down now!"

Annabeth shook her head slightly, panic clawing at her.

"I can’t..." she whispered. "I can’t leave them..."

"You have to!" the voice yelled back. "They’ll be fine! But you won’t be if you stay there!"

Her hands trembled against the rope.

She didn’t want to believe that, but still she knew that was the truth. And so, with a short prayer to the goddess that she watched over Benny and the others, she continued her descent down.