Percy wakes in a rowboat with Annabeth. There’s no sign of Tyson. They’ve crossed into the Sea of Monsters, and while the sea is a healthy green and there’s plenty of sunshine, something about the place feels dangerous. They ride in silence for a while until Percy finally asks about the prophesy regarding his 16th birthday. Annabeth doesn’t know for sure it’s about him. The prophesy says the next child of the “big three” who reaches 16 will make a decision that either “saves the Age of the Gods, or destroys it” (167). Percy realizes this is why Kronos let him live the year before—in hopes he would reach his birthday and end the gods.

The boat pulls up to a luxurious-looking island. A pristinely dressed woman welcomes them to the CSS Spa & Resort and takes them inside to meet C.C., a beautiful woman with a loom and a cage full of guinea pigs. Annabeth goes off on a tour of the spa, and C.C. has a chat with Percy. The more C.C. talks, the worse Percy feels about himself and all his imperfections. C.C. shows Percy his ideal version of himself and promises he can achieve that version with the right diet and exercise, as well as a glass of water mixed with an unidentified red powder.