Las Vegas rose out of the desert like a hallucination.
Neon light bled into the night sky, turning the darkness electric pink and toxic green. The heat shimmered off the pavement even after sunset, and the air buzzed—music, engines, voices, the constant thrum of a city that never learned how to sleep.
Percy stood on the curb with his backpack slung low, staring at the glowing skyline. After days of running, fighting, hiding, and almost dying, the place looked unreal. Like someone had decided reality was boring and turned the saturation all the way up.
Grover gaped openly. "I don't like it," he said. "Nothing this loud should be trusted."
Cynthia rolled her shoulders, winged shoes tapping restlessly against the sidewalk. Her obsidian eyes tracked everything—security cameras, alleys, reflections in tinted windows. "Too many places to hide," she muttered. "And too many reasons not to leave."
Annabeth, however, was already walking.
"The Lotus Casino," she said, pointing across the boulevard at a massive building pulsing with light. A glowing green lotus flower crowned the entrance, petals opening and closing in a hypnotic rhythm. "That's our best shot for supplies. And information."
Percy frowned. "You're saying that like it's a good thing."
"It's a necessary thing," Annabeth replied. "We're almost out of money. And we still need to get to Santa Monica."
Grover's ears flattened. "I read about this place. In the Odyssey. People went in and never came out."
"That was the Lotus-eaters," Percy said. "This is just a casino."
Cynthia shot him a look. "Yeah. And Medusa was 'just' a lady with a scarf."
Percy sighed. "Point taken."
They crossed the street together, swallowed by the sliding glass doors and a wave of cold air that smelled like sugar, ozone, and something… sweeter. Too sweet.
Inside, the world exploded.
Lights flashed in impossible colors. Arcade games lined the walls, bigger and louder than anything Percy had ever seen. Kids raced hover-chair tracks. Teens played virtual reality combat games. Music thumped from everywhere at once—rock, pop, techno, things Percy didn't recognize.
A smiling employee in a green jacket glided up to them. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino! First time?"
"Uh—yeah," Percy said.
"Awesome!" the guy beamed. "Everything's on the house. Games, food, drinks. Enjoy!"
He handed each of them a gold card, then vanished into the crowd.
Grover stared at the card like it might bite him. "Everything… free?"
"That's impossible," Annabeth said immediately.
Cynthia turned the card over in her fingers. "Nothing's free."
But already the casino was tugging at them.
A massive screen flashed PLAYER VS PLAYER – WORLD COMBAT SIM. Percy felt his feet drift toward it without meaning to. The game looked incredible—water effects so real he could almost feel the spray.
Nearby, Annabeth stopped short, staring at a massive architectural simulator. Entire cities rose and fell at the tap of a screen. Her breath hitched.
Grover's nose twitched. "Is that… fresh enchiladas?"
Cynthia felt it too—not excitement, exactly. More like relief. A warmth under her ribs. A whisper that said rest. No monsters. No fighting. No running.
Just stay.
She shook her head sharply. No.
"Time check," she said loudly. "Now."
Annabeth blinked, startled. "What?"
"Time. What day is it?"
Annabeth frowned. "June… twelfth?"
Grover hesitated. "Thirteenth?"
Percy's stomach twisted. "Guys… today was the twentieth when we left Denver."
Silence crashed over them, heavy and cold.
Cynthia's heart kicked hard. "That's not possible."
Annabeth grabbed the nearest kid—a boy blasting aliens at a console. "Hey," she said. "What year is it?"
The kid barely glanced up. "Uh… 1977?"
Annabeth went pale.
"Okay," Percy said slowly. "That's bad."
Grover's legs started shaking. "We're stuck in a time trap. Just like the myth."
Cynthia's instincts screamed now. She felt the pull stronger, more insistent, like gravity. Stay. Forget. Let go.
She grabbed Percy's sleeve hard enough to hurt. "We leave. Now."
"But—" Percy gestured helplessly at the games, the food, the warmth. "We just got here."
"No," she said fiercely. "This place eats people."
Annabeth snapped out of it, eyes blazing. "She's right. Everyone, follow me. No stopping."
They ran.
The casino fought them every step—music swelling, lights flashing brighter, voices calling out. A girl offered Percy a drink. A man waved a free pass at Cynthia. Grover nearly stopped when he smelled fresh grass from somewhere impossibly inside.
Annabeth shoved through the exit doors, and suddenly they were back in the desert night, lungs burning, hearts hammering.
They collapsed on the sidewalk, gasping.
Percy laughed shakily. "Okay. That was officially the worst vacation ever."
Grover hugged himself. "We almost disappeared."
Cynthia stared back at the glowing lotus flower, her face hard. "Places like that don't kill you," she said. "They erase you."
They didn't rest long.
Annabeth led them through quieter streets until they reached a grimy storefront squeezed between an appliance repair shop and a closed pawn broker.
CRUSTY'S WATER BEDS – WE GUARANTEE YOU'LL SLEEP LIKE THE DEAD
Percy grimaced. "I don't like that slogan."
"Procrustes," Annabeth said. "Son of Poseidon. Stretcher. Cutter. He fits people to beds."
Grover whimpered. "Why are all the monsters obsessed with furniture?"
Cynthia cracked her neck. "Because monsters are weird."
They stepped inside.
The man behind the counter was tall and greasy-haired, with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Welcome, travelers," he said smoothly. "You look tired."
"No thanks," Percy said. "Just directions."
Crusty's smile widened. "Directions cost. But rest? Rest is free."
Cynthia felt the trap snap shut.
It ended fast.
Percy pretended to be fooled. Annabeth played along. Grover distracted. Cynthia moved when Percy did.
Crusty didn't even see the blade before Riptide flashed. Dust settled. Silence returned.
Percy exhaled. "Okay. That one I don't feel bad about."
Annabeth checked the back room. "Found it. Entrance."
Behind a curtain, a metal door yawned open, stairs spiraling down into darkness.
Cold air poured up, smelling of stone, coins, and something ancient.
Grover swallowed. "The Underworld."
They descended.
The world grew quieter with every step, sound muffled, light draining away. The air pressed heavy, like water without the comfort.
At the bottom, a river stretched black and wide.
The River Styx.
A boat waited at the shore. And beside it stood a tall, thin man in a tattered coat, eyes like empty coins.
Charon.
He looked them over with disinterest. "Payment?"
Annabeth reached for the drachmas.
Charon sneered. "Not enough."
Percy stepped forward, heart pounding. "What about… a bargain?"
Charon's eyes flicked to him. Curious now.
Cynthia moved closer, steady presence at his side. "We're on a deadline," she said evenly. "And the gods are watching."
Charon smiled thinly. "Then you'd better make it worth my while."
The river lapped against the shore.
And Percy realized—this was it.
The point of no return.