“Well, Percy Jackson, or should I say, Odysseus, it seems we need to have a talk”

After that proclamation, I started sweating nervously, wondering what we had to talk about. Then I remembered that I was technically in her River. THEN I remembered that she called me Odysseus.

“Wait, what do you mean? I can’t be Odysseus. I’m Percy. Just Percy.”

The lady (Styx) stared at me for a few seconds. “Did you really just quote Harry Potter at me?” She asked, amused.

“Uhhh,“ I was really nervous now. “Maybe?”

She snorted. “Well, at least there’s something amusing about you.”

“...”

She sighed, and said in an annoyed tone, (But still slightly amused. Ha!!), “You have heard of reincarnation, I suppose?”

I stared at her blankly. She rolled her eyes, and muttered something under her breath about stupid Poseidon children. Wait. I’m a Poseidon child…

Before I could get annoyed at the insult, I remembered something I had read a long time ago.

My face lit up and I said, “It’s that thingy where souls are pretty much placed in another body only they don’t remember what their past life is! Or is that rebirth…” Now I was confused. Styx facepalmed.

“Well at least you know some stuff. Even if it is limited and mixed up. For your information, Rebirth is when the soul gets placed into a new body without remembering anything of it’s past life, until they die again. Or until they bathe in my River. Which has never happened before until now. Reincarnation is when a soul is placed into a body, and it automatically remembers everything from birth. Which is extremely rare.”

It took a while for me to digest this information. “Wait… what does this have to do with me?”

Again she rolled her eyes. (Seriously!) “And here I thought you might actually be a little smart.”

I pouted. “Ok, you don’t have to be so rude.”

She glared at me. “Well maybe if you would actually think, I wouldn’t be so rude. Think, you idiot! Why would I be telling you about rebirth and reincarnation, (and calling you Odysseus) if you weren’t a reborn soul?!?”

I froze. “W-wait you mean…” I trailed off not sure what to say.

She rolled her eyes. Again. That must be a record. I mean she’s rolled her eyes three times in the past minute or two. Amazing. “Yes. You're the reborn spirit of Odysseus. You have five minutes to process this before I summon someone who actually knows how to handle this.”

I stood there in shock. I was the Odysseus!?!

Then what the goddess said caught up with me. (Not the part where I was Oddyseus. My mind couldn’t handle that yet.)

“What do you mean to summon someone who can handle this? Can’t you handle this on your own? Who is the other person? Why the hell is this my life?” Oops. I hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud.

I was completely, absolutely, and utterly confused.

Styx just stared at me unimpressed. “You know, most heroes would be ecstatic to be the reborn spirit of a famous hero. But then you aren’t exactly like most heroes, are you, Perseus Jackson? And no I cannot handle this on my own. Reborn spirits aren't even supposed to visit my River, or their memories will return! There are Ancient Laws in place to prevent this! Do you have to break all the rules you see, Perseus?”

As she spoke her voice rose in volume, and she was gesturing wildly with her hands, upsetting the objects and trash circling around her.

My mouth was suddenly very dry. “What do you mean, Ancient Laws?”

She glared at me. And didn’t answer the question. Meanie. “Does this mean you’ve processed,” She scoffed at the word, “The fact that you have Odysseus’s soul already? I had assumed most mortals would go into shock or faint or something.”

Or something? Did she seriously just say ‘Or something’?

“That’s kinda racist ya know? Basing your idea of my reaction based on my species? I know some mortals who would handle this extremely well.” Yeah, insane ones.

She glared at me even harder, her eyes glowing angrily.

“I am not racist!!!” She said, her voice echoing slightly. I backed up a step slowly, in case she decided to attack me.

She took in my nervous form and relaxed her glare slightly. Then I thought of something I definitely should have thought about before.

“Wait, what happened to Nico? He’s the boy I went here with. He’s going to be worried, if I stay here too long.”

She raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Oh, him? He thinks you are dead. He left a while ago. You’ve been down here about an hour.”

“WHAT!!!”