LXXIV

Pasiphaë weaves layers of Mist that turn the cavern into a reborn Labyrinth, disorienting Hazel and Leo with lethal traps. Realizing brute will won’t break an immortal’s spell, Hazel decides to manipulate the maze by giving Pasiphaë what she wants: a more dramatic, deadly gauntlet that distracts from direction.

Hazel guides them through spikes, false pits, toxic gas, and crushing walls by reshaping the Mist, subtly curving their route toward the chamber’s center. At a serpent-filled chasm, with the passage closing behind them, Hazel leaps and redirects the Labyrinth’s magic, creating a chute that dumps them directly onto Pasiphaë, collapsing the illusion.

Facing the sorceress, Hazel pivots from desire to fear, making Pasiphaë see a trapdoor under her own feet. The sorceress plunges into a nonexistent abyss and vanishes. With seconds left, Clytius blocks the Doors of Death, so Leo improbably hurls a screwdriver to hit the UP button, opening the elevator.

Percy and Annabeth spill out, limp and barely alive. Clytius uses his smoke to speak through their bodies, declaring his plan to take them to Porphyrion for sacrifice. Leo blasts fire, but the giant’s aura devours magic, smothering the flames and choking Leo.

As the smoke spreads to consume Hazel’s friends, she hesitates, outmatched—until Hecate arrives, answering Hazel’s worth with blazing torches. The goddess challenges Clytius, setting the stage for a decisive confrontation by fire.