Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I am Rhea, Titaness of motherhood and Queen of the Titans. Who are you?”

Well… shit.

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Percy should have known better. Playing Truth or Dare, with the gods, while drunk was the worst thing a demigod could do.

But that day had already been a bad one for her. Her professor at New Rome University insisted that saving a group of demigods from monsters was not a rational excuse for being late for an assignment. She returned to her apartment to find Hermes lounging on her couch, carrying a bottle of wine from the year 1800. Honestly, Perseas didn’t remember what happened, but she ended up playing truth or dare with Hermes, Apollo, and Artemis – I can’t leave you with these two idiots.

Somehow, from one dare Percy had given Apollo, they talked about the Trojan War. Moving on to Artemis telling her about Orion and again persuading Percy to join the hunt. And Hermes, of course, smirked as he asked what she would do if she were in Ancient Greece.

Percy didn't remember what the answer was, but it seemed to be the reason for where she was now.

In Ancient Greece.

Standing in front of someone Percy believed was her grandma. Her grandmother who was pregnant with her uncle who would try to kill her in the future.

She groaned loudly in her heart.

Why?? Just….why?

Why did it have to be at this time? Of all the events in ancient Greece, why did she have to wake up at this time? Why not during the Trojan War? Meeting the famous Achilles and Odysseus? Or when Heracles doing his twelve labors so Perseas could strangle that annoying bastard? Even if she appeared in Athens when Poseidon and Athena make a contest in there, she okay with that!

But why did she have to wake up when her father was still in her grandfather's stomach along with her unborn uncle?

And now she had to explain to her grandmother who she was.

How was she going to explain to her that Percy was her grandson when her father wasn't even married yet?! Still trapped in the belly of her paranoid husband?

"I'll ask again, who are you?" Her grandmother walked over, her hands covering her pregnant belly.

“I…” She stuttered, not knowing how to answer.

“Why do you look so much like me?”

Perseas froze as her grandmother’s hand caressed her cheek. She finally understood the gossip she had been hearing about how much she resembled the mother of the king of the gods. Seeing her in person felt like looking into a mirror. Rhea bore a striking similarity to him, except for her green eyes, which were reminiscent of Demeter’s. She appeared young as if she were in her early thirties. A shimmering aura surrounded her, and her gaze was warm and motherly, just like when she was with Hestia.

Being around her made Percy feel calm. The dizziness she had felt when woke up from last night’s hangover slowly faded. She blinked, trying to form words to say.

There was no way she was going to say something like

Hey Grandma! I'm your granddaughter from 3000 years in the future! I don't know why but I ended up here after getting drunk with your other grandchild. And by the way, your baby is going to try to kill me in the future.

Her grandmother would have a heart attack and Percy wasn’t evil enough to kill baby Zeus.

“I… I don’t know,” She said nervously, “I woke up here and I didn’t know where I was.” Hoping it didn’t sound like she was lying. It was easier to say it like that than to explain the future.

Rhea frowned. She paused as she stared at Percy for a few moments.

 “This is my first time seeing you, but why do I feel like I know you?” Then she smiled, “Are you… my daughter?”

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I’m Sorry?

Rhea was sure she had no other children after Poseidon and the child she was carrying.

But she was stunned to see the girl in front of her.

Because the girl was an exact copy of herself. From her long, straight night-black hair to her waist to the curve of her nose. Everything was the same as her, except for her eyes. They were sea green, sparkling like her brother's sea, like Poseidon's eyes. She saw them for a moment when her child was still in her arms before Kronos ate him.

Rhea had only seen her for the first time, but she felt like she knew the girl. As the Titaness of motherhood and a mother, she had always had an invisible connection with her children. That was why she knew that her five children were still alive. She also felt that maternal connection with the girl in front of her.

And that confused her.

This child was her and Kronos's, she was sure of it. But she had never been pregnant with him. Was this child born in another way? Rhea knew about Aphrodite's birth, from her father's severed body parts. She remembered fighting with her husband moments after eating Poseidon. Was she hurt at that time? Was this child born the same way as Aphrodite?

Rhea frowned. She paused as she stared at the girl in front of her “I just saw you for the first time, but why do I feel like I know you?” Then she smiled, “Are you… my child?”

She watched as the girl blinked in confusion, looking at her with sparkling sea-green eyes, “Child? Are you… Mother? My mother?”

Rhea’s heart warmed at the sight of her child. Was this little one here because of her anxiety from moments before? The worry of her youngest child fighting to free his siblings alone? This child was an unexpected gift from Ananke. Although she may not have conceived him, she would love him with all her heart.

Rhea stepped forward and hugged her. At first, the girl froze, her body stiff in her embrace. She reached out and stroked her black hair. Slowly she became weaker. Her head rested on Rhea’s shoulder. Her body then shook, her hands hugging Rhea tightly.

Oh, her child is crying. Or is she scared?

Rhea released her hug and took a step back, lifting the girl’s chin to meet her gaze. She noticed the curiosity in the girl’s sea-green eyes and realized that a few strands of her hair shimmered silver, reminiscent of Selene's moonlight. Rhea chuckled softly and kissed the girl’s forehead.

"Don't worry little sea, Mother is here." She said, "Do you have a name yet? How can I address you?"

The girl was silent for a few moments then she answered.

"Perseas, my name is Perseas. Mother."

Rhea's hug was warm, but it didn't stop the panic in her head.

Daughter? Really?! Her grandmother thought Percy was her daughter?!

It made sense. They resembled each other, like a mother and daughter, and that was what everyone had been saying. No one had ever mentioned it directly to her, but Percy had heard the gossip and whispers from the minor gods and nymphs, comparing her to the mother of the gods. Now that she had met her in person, she truly agreed with their assessments.

On second thought, wasn't that the best option? Percy didn't know how she ended up 3000 years in the past. Of course, she wanted to go back, but that seemed like a long time coming. The only one connected to time was her grandfather and Percy didn't want to see him in his prime.

Rather than wandering in a world ruled by titans, being by Rhea's side was the best option for her. Damn it, she missed Annabeth already, she would know what to do. Maybe Nico and Thalia too, wouldn't miss the chance to laugh at baby Zeus.

Zeus.

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Of course! How could she forget?!

Percy glanced at Rhea's round belly. Based on her experience with her mother's pregnancy, it seemed like her grandmother was due to give birth soon. Which meant baby Zeus would be here in a matter of days. Her stubborn and annoying uncle is in the form of a baby.

Wasn't this the perfect opportunity?

For a little revenge project on Zeus who had always made her life miserable. Even when she was slowly getting closer to her godly family, her uncle always made her day worse. And let's not forget Hera. Making her sleep for months ruining her attempts to get close to Triton and Amphitrite and making her mother panic.

Percy tried to hold back her laughter, her body shaking at the thought of annoying Zeus from a young age. The idea of teasing the other gods, who technically weren't even born yet, was tempting. Maybe being here wouldn’t be as bad as she had initially thought.

Rhea finally released her from her embrace and gently lifted Percy's chin with her hand. Their eyes met, and her gaze traveled to the strands of her hair that were turning white from holding up the sky. She chuckled softly and kissed her forehead, sending a wave of warmth through her body.

"Don't worry little sea, Mother is here." She said, "Do you have a name yet? How can I address you?"

Name. Percy was speechless. Should she give her real name or make a fake one? Her name was the only connection she had to her time. The name her mother gave her, she couldn't lose that. Percy didn't know how long she would be stuck here and something inside her told her it would take a long time to get back. Back to her friends, her family, and her mother.

If that was going to happen, Percy would hold on tight to everything related to her time. Including her name.

"Perseas. My name is Perseas, Mother."

Percy was sure she was going crazy.

She was going crazy because she was bored.

Yes, bored.

It turned out that living in the era of the Titans was very boring. Really.

There was no chaos that he had imagined would happen in the golden age of the Titans. Well, or maybe there was, but because Percy was trapped on this island, he couldn't see the outside world.

The earth felt different now; everything seemed more alive. The trees were greener, lush, and towering over the entire island. The ocean was wilder, with ten-meter waves crashing against the shore and cliffs. She had swum around the island several times, and while the ocean didn't feel like her home, it felt foreign yet welcoming. It provided him with a sense of security

Despite the ancient feel of the place and the refreshing air, he was going crazy because everything was too quiet. There were no bird chirps, no rustling leaves in the wind, and no sounds of small insects.

Perseas was not accustomed to silence. The Half-Blood camp was always noisy, even at night. Her home was usually filled with the chatter between her mother and Paul, along with Estella's cries. Her days were also filled with visits from the gods, who came uninvited after the giant war and talked about various topics.

This silence….too suffocating.

And another thing that made her consider going and strangling her grandfather. Or whoever was responsible for her transfer to the past.

Ripitide was gone.

Her sword, her beloved weapon, was a part of her that accompanied her on every mission, even when Hera had stolen her memories. But now it was gone—missing from her pants pocket for the first time in her life, and at the worst possible moment. Percy felt vulnerable without it; her hands felt empty.

Whoever you are, who dares to bring me here. I will beat you ass! At least let me have Ripitide you fucking bastard! Hera! If this happens because of you again, I will drag you and –

“Perseas!”

Someone’s shout made her divert her attention. She turned and looked at Neda – one of the eight nymphs introduced by Rhea, running towards her. Her face had a worried expression.

“Neda, what happened – “

“Perseas! The Queen is giving birth!”

“Isn’t he handsome?”

Percy looked at the baby Zeus in Rhea's arms and said, "No, he’s... ugly." She wasn’t trying to be rude; she was just being honest. Baby Zeus was ugly, just like all newborns. When Percy thought about Zeus's birth, she imagined a baby who radiated power. Instead, she got a small, red, wrinkled infant whose cries echoed through the cave.

And one thing, he didn’t look like a rock.

Percy couldn't understand how Kronos could mistake a rock for his child and eat it.

"Kronos must be quite foolish if he was deceived by that rock."

Rhea chuckled, still holding Zeus and leaning against the cave wall. Her face was pale, not as radiant as usual. It turned out that giving birth to a god was the same as giving birth to a human, tiring. Information that Percy didn’t want to know, “This rock is a gift from my mother, it will work.”

Percy tried to hold back the sour feeling that arose in her stomach. It turned out that in the eyes of the Titans, Gaia was a good mother. The plan to deceive the baby with a rock also came from her. Isn't it ironic, that Gaia herself gave Kronos the scythe to defeat Ouranus, but now she is helping her beloved son fall.

"Will you hold him?"

Percy raised her head in disbelief, "What?"

"Your little brother."

It still felt strange to hear Zeus referred to as her little brother, but Percy couldn't ignore Rhea's intense gaze. Finally, she reached out and, drawing on her experience with Estella, carefully picked up Zeus. For a brief moment, her eyes opened, revealing a bright blue color, reminiscent of lightning amid a storm, as he stared at Percy with curiosity.

Percy chuckled, "You're going to cause a lot of trouble in the future, little brother."

Zeus squirmed in her arms and then closed her eyes again.

"Perseas, you probably know that after I hand over the stone, I won't be able to visit often," Rhea suddenly said.

Percy frowned, yes, she had expected that. If her memory was correct from the Greek history class at camp, Zeus would be raised by nymphs. Hidden away without his mother's presence. "Yeah, I had expected that to happen."

Rhea then continued, “And maybe, after your siblings are free, I won’t be able to visit you. No matter how much I want to.” Her words sounded sad, full of regret.

What was Rhea saying? Not being able to visit her children? Why was she suddenly bringing up something like this? “What do you want to say, mother?” she asked suspiciously. Unable to ignore the uneasiness in her heart.

Rhea stared at her in silence, and for a moment, she glimpsed another side of her grandmother mother. Rhea Ourania, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, was a Titan, just like her husband and siblings. She had witnessed the atrocities they could commit— a mother who had seen her children devoured by a paranoid, cannibalistic husband, powerless to intervene. Her forest green eyes fixed on Percy; for a brief moment, they glinted with doubt before she smiled.

“Perseas, can you take care of your siblings for me?”

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Wait, mom. What the –

Chapter Text

Percy wondered if it wasn’t too late to throw Zeus off Mount Ida.

“Perseas!! Where are you!”

Or drown him in the whirlpool on the east side of Crete.

“Perseas! “

Anything to stop the screams.

“Perseas, stop hiding from me!”

No matter whether Zeus in the future as the arrogant king of the gods or this little Zeus on Crete, they were both equally annoying. He was a little kid who liked to ask many things and scream if he didn’t get what he wanted.

She thought she was an expert in taking care of children. From Estella to the little kids at Camp Half-blood. Even the neighbor’s kid who liked to throw things when he was angry, bowed before her. But nothing prepared her for the baby of the king of the gods.

It had only been a month since baby Zeus was born, and now he was an eight-year-old who liked to ask why he couldn’t explore outside the island.

If it weren't for the Kouretes - some men who liked to dance with giant shields, Percy didn't even know they existed until now, she was sure Kronos would have found them long ago because of the sound of Zeus's cries and screams.

Percy underestimated how quickly the gods matured. She knew that the gods didn't grow like humans, but this fast? How could she forget that Artemis helped give birth to her little brother and that Apollo defeated a python just four days after he was born? Athena even emerged as a grown woman directly from her father's head. Childhood simply didn't exist in the growth of the gods. Perhaps that's why they often became arrogant, angry, and filled with a desire for revenge. The bottom line is: that they're annoying because of a lack of emotional maturity.

Including Zeus. Especially Zeus. No wonder he became like that when he became king. The nymphs spoiled him too much!

But somehow Zeus seemed to have decided to spend his time bothering Percy.

That's why she was hiding now, on the east side of Crete Island. Among the high cliffs that were hit by the waves. Lying on one of the rocks trying to enjoy the peace that would -

"Sister, are you avoiding me?"

Percy didn’t need to open her eyes to know who was in front of her.

“No.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Trying to enjoy the peace.”

There was silence for a moment, then suddenly water splashed onto her face. She let out a regretful sigh and opened her eyes, “What?”

In front of her, Zeus frowned in annoyance. His blue eyes shone brighter than they had when he was a baby, and his golden hair glistened in the sunlight, resembling Apollo's color. She could see some of his cousins' features in Zeus' face; the curve of his lips was similar to Jason's, and his eyebrows—especially when scrunched up in annoyance—were exactly like Thalia's.

She missed them. Were her cousins ​​looking for her?

“You said you’d teach me to fight! Why are you hiding?” Zeus grumbled.

“I said I would teach you when you grow up.”

“I've grown up!”

Percy raised her eyebrows, looking at the child in front of her “You’re still small. You’re not even my height.”

Percy tried to suppress a smile as she observed how annoyed Zeus was in front of her. His brow was furrowed, and his hands gripped his white chiton tightly, which was stained with dirt. She was accustomed to her uncle's two moods: annoyed and angry. So, seeing him act like this—without the threat of a lightning bolt—was a source of amusement for Percy.

She closed her eyes again, pretending to sigh, “You’re still weak anyway – “

“WEAK?!” Zeus shouted in disbelief, his face flushed red in surprise.

Oh god, this is so fun. When else could she mock the king of the gods? If her father found out, he would have a heart attack. Suddenly, a crazy idea crossed her mind. An idea that sometimes came to her when she was sick of the gods’ behavior.

She was a big sister now, right? Shouldn’t a big sis teach his little brother good things?

“Yeah, don’t worry. You’re weak now, but I’ll train you.” Percy said casually.

It seemed like Zeus was tired of standing around, as he snorted and sat down next to her. “I’m not weak. Ida said I was the strongest.”

Percy rolled her eyes inwardly, no wonder he was so arrogant. People had started to fawn over him from early on. “That’s what Ida said. I’m your sister, I know better.” She mumbled. “Oh, if you want me to train you. Ask with the word please.”

“Please?”

“Please. The word you use when you want someone to do something for you.” Percy finally said, opening her eyes to see Zeus’ reaction.

Zeus’ face contorted into a mix of confusion and disgust. He looked at Percy and asked, “Why would I say that? I can simply order someone if I want something.”

Percy frowned at his answer. Order? Who taught him that word? She needed to talk to Ida and the others more often about Zeus.

“Yeah, you’re right,” She stood up and looked at Zeus, “But I don’t want to be ordered around by you. So you can’t order me to train you.”

They stared at each other, her sea-green eyes locked onto Zeus’s stormy blue ones. Percy noticed there was still warmth in Zeus’s gaze, a stark contrast to the way he once looked down on everyone as king of the gods. It didn’t matter how much time had passed; Percy was determined not to lose this staring contest. She had always been known as the stubborn one, the only person who could argue with Zeus without getting struck by lightning. If she could handle that when Zeus was a god, this would be nothing.

Zeus finally snorted and looked away. “No way I say that.”

“Whatever”

“You’ll still train me.”

Percy smirked, kicking Zeus’s leg next to her, “When you’re taller than me, I’ll train you.”

“Sister, do you feel different? I don’t know, maybe… shorter?”

For the thousandth time, Percy wanted to strangle the person in front of her.

The little boy who always scowled when he demanded things from him was gone. In front of her stood a teenager, young and radiant with power. A chiton with gold embroidery edged his broad shoulders. His hair had grown long, reaching down to his neck. He grinned widely, his blue eyes shining with arrogance as he looked down at Percy. She wondered if she could slap Zeus and say, “You shouldn’t be arrogant,” as his first lesson.

It’s only been two weeks, two damn weeks, and he’s already taller than Percy.

Damn it, godly genes.

But Percy wouldn’t be outdone, she held her head high, staring at Zeus,

“Nope, I feel just as amazing as ever.”

Zeus looked at her with an insulted look, “What? That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what? You didn’t say it clearly.”

“You said…you would…” Zeus stuttered, as if embarrassed to express his desire.

“Hmmm…?”

“You said you would train me once I was taller than you! Well, I’m already taller than you, in case you didn’t notice!” Zeus shouted, his face turning red as he looked away. He struggled not to glance at Percy, who was grinning widely in front of him.

“Oh, you’re right! How could I forget that?” Percy sighed, she tilted her head “But, I think you forgot something?”

“I forgot something?”

“Yeah, wasn’t there…another condition?”

Percy enjoyed the moment the realization dawned on Zeus’ face, he snorted loudly, his arms folded across his chest as he said, “There was no other condition, I’m sure of that.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” Zeus said with deep conviction.

“You forgot….. that word?” She tried to bait her brother once again.

“That…word?” Zeus paused, “No, I don’t know what you mean.”

Finally, Percy sighed, she turned around, trying to make the Himaiton woven by Neda and the others flutter, hoping to give the effect that he was leaving Zeus, "Too bad," she said, while walking "Even though you said you wanted to be the strongest. I can't - "

"Please, sister."

Percy's steps stopped. The words were spoken softly, too soft that she wouldn't have heard them if it weren't for her sharper hearing. Honestly, she didn't expect Zeus to actually say please. The idea was just a joke. She knew her uncle/brother was too arrogant to say that. So, hearing him say it, came as a surprise to him. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

This wouldn't change anything. Zeus would still be an arrogant god with a high ego in the future. But, for some reason, Percy felt happy.

"Good. Your training will begin now."

"What - "

Percy didn't wait for Zeus to respond. Instead, she turned and charged straight at him. She swept her right leg with her foot, causing him to stagger. Spinning around, she elbowed him with her shoulder while pulling with her other hand, using all her strength to execute an Annabeth-style judo flip. However, Zeus was already fighting back, his hand gripping Percy's elbow tightly. Changing her strategy, she spun again, using the momentum to throw Zeus ..........toward the sea.

Her body froze as she saw her brother's body float for a moment before disappearing into the waves.

What the fuck?

She looked at her hand. Did she get…..stronger?

A gasp caught her attention. She turned, meeting Adresteia's gaze not far from her. Glow faintly among the trees. Her brownish green eyes widened and a basket of fruits fell at her feet. They stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Perseas, did you just…. Kill your brother?"

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Oops?

“Again!”

Zeus shouted as he rose from the crashing waves, leaping over the high cliffs to back to his sister.

He had been thrown into the sea thirteen times, his body had crashed against the slopes of Mount Ida five times, and trees had fallen on him twice. Yet, his sister still stood tall in front of him.

Zeus glared at Perseas, who looked at him with sparkling eyes. Her light blue chiton, adorned with gold and silver embroidery, fluttered at her knees—clean, unlike his chiton, which had turned brown and soaked with dirt and water. Her straight black hair cascaded down to her waist.

Her eyes like the ocean shone with amusement as she asked, “Are you sure? Of course, I could do this all day, but you…”

“No,” Zeus was approaching Perseas, filled with anger. “We’ll stop after I throw you into that damn mountain!”

“That damn mountain is where you were born, in case you forgot,”She gracefully jumped back, dodging Zeus's blow as she spoke. “and if you keep attacking me like that, are you sure you’ll beat me?”

His annoyance was growing. “Shut up!” he shouted as he continued to advance, aiming a punch at his sister's stomach. However, she easily blocked his attack. Every move he made, Perseas managed to dodge. She ducked and spun, occasionally using her feet to create more distance between them. Several of his punches and kicks landed, but they didn't faze her. The best he could do was deliver a kick to her stomach before his own body was thrown against the rocks at the foot of the mountain.

As he spun again, he couldn't react in time before his body slammed into the ground, causing it to tremble. For a brief moment, everything was a blur. When he blinked, he found himself looking at his sister's face, her sea green eyes twinkling with amusement as she glanced down at Zeus.

Her smile was absolutely infuriating.

"I hate you"

"Love you too"

Perseas chuckled, "Stand up, we're done for today." She said as she held out her hand.

"You suck," He grumbled, but still grabbed her hand and stood up.

Perseas rolled her eyes, "In case you forgot, you asked for this." She said as she straightened her chiton, which was still neat after their fight. “Besides, this is just the beginning. You said to me that you are strong. Prove it.”

Zeus would prove that he was truly strong when he managed to throw his sister into the sea. Just like she had done to him many times before.

 Although his sister was kind to him, she could be insufferable at sometimes. She often annoyed him, especially in moments like this, but that feeling never lasted long.

Perseas, his sister, was the second person he saw after his mother when he was born. After his mother left, Perseas was the one who was with him in the cave.

But, sometimes his sister confused Zeus.

There were times when they would explore the island together, wandering through the forests and along the beaches. Zeus often asked many questions because he was eager to learn everything he could. His sister would answer him, and their exchange sometimes led to arguments. At night, if he wasn't with Ida and Adresteai, he would spend time with Perseas. During other times, she would hide, and this became a game for both of them. His sister would find the most remote places to hide, while he searched for her all over the island.

“I will beat you up later,” He growled, “You'll see.”

“I can’t wait for that,” Perseas replied casually.

Zeus knew he was destined for something greater than being trapped on this island. This is why he often questioned why he couldn’t escape. Ida often told him that he was a strong child. His mother, on the rare occasions when she visited, would remind him that his destiny involved much more than this. She told him he was meant for something bigger and that he should stay with his sister, as Perseas would help him. They say many thing about him, but very little was said about his sister.

No one had ever said his sister would be this strong.

And that annoyed him.

“Mother and the others never said you…” Zeus held back his words. He didn’t want to admit, not ever, that his sister was stronger than him.

“What? Did you say something?” His sister teased him.

“No.” He disappeared, starting to walk away. “Forget it.”

“Oh? Really?” Persea stepped up beside him, her black hair fluttering as she turned to him. “Are you mad that I beat you up?” She asked in amusement.

Zeus didn’t answer, he just kept walking. His sister followed, her laughter never stopping. Her steps were light in contrast to Zeus’ annoyed steps.

“Don’t worry, this is just the beginning. I will train you until you can be as strong as you claim.” Persea said. Her words, although sound like a joke, carried a strong conviction.

Yes, Zeus would find a way. He knew there were still many secrets hidden from him, and he would uncover them. He would escape this island, and he believed it would lead to something greater than ever.

And his sister would be there to see it.

It seemed Zeus decided it wasn't enough for only him to bother Percy.

“And who is this?”

Percy had to blink a few times because in front of her was the largest eagle she had ever seen.

Perched on Zeus's shoulder, the giant eagle towered over him. Its feathers were a golden brown, while the white feathers on its neck glistened oddly. The eagle's beak was sharp, and its claws curved menacingly on Zeus's shoulder. Although its wings were folded, Percy was certain that if the creature were to spread its wings, they would likely span five meters or more. Its sharp eyes seemed to be contemplating something as it stared at her.

Percy had a feeling this creature would give her as much of a headache as it did her brother.

“I found it,” Zeus said and Percy could detect a hint of pride in his voice.

“You found him?”

“He was circling on the east side and came towards me when I came in.”

Percy raised an eyebrow at that. This was… unexpected. Did her brother get a pet?

“And why is he with you now?”

“Because he’s mine,” Zeus explained, lifting his chin.

Percy rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her mind was busy sorting through Annabeth’s stories, trying to find a Greek myth that had something to do with eagles –

Wait, is this the eagle that will become Zeus’s sacred animal in the future? The eagle that kidnapped Ganymede and took him to the sky? Her eyes glanced at the eagle’s claws. Yeah, with claws like that it shouldn’t be hard to kidnap a human.

Was this Zeus’s first encounter with his sacred animal? No long, convoluted backstory full of tragedy? Just Zeus suddenly finding an eagle and deciding it would be his?

Soo fishy.

But forget about that. As long as the eagle didn’t grab Percy and take her to the sky, she wouldn’t care.

“What’s its name?”

“Name?” Zeus asked, his expression turning to confusion.

“Yeah, how do I call this… thing.”

Percy waved her hand at the eagle in front of her. He couldn’t just label it as an eagle; she was convinced that eagles shouldn’t have existed at this time, just like other birds and animals. It finally dawned on her that most animals hadn’t been created yet. That’s why there were no birds flying overhead, no insects buzzing about, and no fish swimming in the water.

"You're right, I should name it something," He paused for a moment. "ἀετός Διός, That's its name."

"Pppftt.." She wasn't fast enough to hold back the laugh that escaped her mouth. ἀετός Διός, Zeus' eagle. What a... creative name.

Zeus looked at her in disbelief,

"You're laughing at its name!"

"Who? Me? No."

"You're bad at lying," Zeus muttered in annoyance.

"Don't mind my words," She said, "Be proud of the name you gave it."

"Do you want to hold it?"

Percy immediately stepped back, "Nope, get it away from me." It seemed like the wrong thing to say when Zeus grinned, his eyes sparkling as he stepped forward, “Sister, are you scared?”

“No.”

“ ἀετός “

Percy didn’t have time to dodge as the eagle flew toward her. The wind from its flapping wings ruffled her hair. She glared at the eagle that had somehow perched on her arm. They had only met for a few minutes, and this creature was already as annoying as its owner. Percy knew she had to set some boundaries for the sake of her sanity.

“Listen to me. I know you’re smart and can understand,” She began, “If you act as annoying as your owner – “

“Sister! What do you mean by that!”

“I will personally pluck your feathers so that you become an ugly eagle that can’t fly.” She finished. Looking at the eagle in front of her with a serious gaze. Somehow the eagle seemed to understand because it turned its head towards Zeus.

Percy followed its gaze as well, meeting the gaze of her brother with a confused and disbelieving expression.

“Did you… just threaten my eagle?”

Chapter Text

“Mom said she met you here.”

Percy didn’t answer her brother’s question right away. She kept her eyes closed, letting the warmth of Helios’ sun on her face. Ever since Rhea came today and talked about telling Zeus everything that happened, she knew this conversation would happen. She was just preparing herself, okay?

“What did mom tell you?” She asked without opening her eyes.

There was no answer from Zeus for a moment, then he said, “Mother said you weren’t born like me and the others, she met you here. On this island. That’s why He didn’t eat you. He probably didn’t even know you existed.”

Percy just hummed in response.

“Don’t ignore me!” Zeus grumbled in annoyance.

Percy opened her eyes and saw Zeus standing in front of her with his arms folded across his chest. “You heard it from Mom,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t know either. I just woke up here without knowing where I was, and all I remembered was my name. Then I met mother and I knew she was my mom. And then you were born—an ugly little baby.”

“Please, you don’t have to bring that up.”

Percy chuckled, enjoying the annoyance in Zeus’s words. He always annoyed when he was reminded of when he was a baby. “I’m sure mom told you everything. So, what do you want to ask?”

Silence was the answer to her question. Zeus would sometimes be quiet when he was talking seriously about something, so Percy just waited for her brother to reply.

"She also said that you knew a lot of things, even before she told you. Like the names of our siblings, who our father is, and about Mount Ortyhs.” Zeus asked again, confusion lacing his voice, “You said you didn’t know anything other than your name, so how could you –”

“Dream.”

“Dream?”

“Hmm, yeah,” Percy said, unsure if gods could dream. As far as she knew, they didn’t actually sleep; Hermes had told her that their sleep was more like closing their eyes and ignoring everything around them. "When I close my eyes, I sometimes see other things, like our siblings and a throne room. I'm just guessing at a few things."

Percy had learned from the god of lies himself that the best lies are those wrapped in truth.

But she did dream. She dreamed about a golden throne and giant creatures, about darkness filled with voices—her siblings. Sometimes, Percy wondered what it would be like to be trapped in the darkness of Kronos’s stomach for an extended period. She was still traumatized by elevators after her experience in Tartarus. Did Cronides have a fear of confined spaces as well?

“Why are you so curious?” She asked, “Don’t you want to know something else? Our siblings? Or about our father who –“

“I don’t want to know about them! I want to know about you!” Zeus snapped. Using the ‘I want it and I’ll get it’ tone that always worked on Ida and the others, but not on Percy. She stood up in annoyance and glared at Zeus.

“Don’t use that tone on me, Zeus.” She said.

“Or what?” Zeus replied. His blue eyes glinted as he stared at Percy, making her even more annoyed.

Percy frowned and approached Zeus. “What else do you want to know? Well, I’m different from you guys. I see things I shouldn’t. Do you have a problem with that?"

Percy didn’t understand. What on earth did Zeus want? Was he mad that Percy was different from what he thought? Or because he didn’t know about it? Zeus was always curious about everything.

Zeus was silent, his mouth tightly shut but his face showed an annoyed expression. Percy waited, but her stubborn brother didn't say a word.

"Answer me." Percy said again.

Zeus was still silent.

"Ze-"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?!"

Zeus's shout surprised Percy. She took a step back, her eyes widening at Zeus in front of her.

"What - "

"Why didn’t you ever tell me about it? You seem to know everything, but I don’t know anything! Is it a secret? You always seem to avoid me!” His voice boomed around them, filled with anger and, was that doubt? Gradually, the anger faded, replaced by a small whisper. “Do you not like me?!”

To say Percy was shocked was an understatement.

She froze, her mind racing as it processed Zeus's words. Did she not like him? What did he mean by that? She hadn’t shared his dreams because she didn’t think they were that important; after all, demigods dream about many things. Yes, she often avoided and hid from Zeus, but she needed her own peace. Plus, it still felt strange to have her uncle follow her everywhere she went. Why should he be angry because—

Oh…

“Stupid.”

Zeus gasped, his blue eyes widening in confusion, “Stupid? I’m not stupid – ouch!!”

Percy’s hand reached out to grab Zeus’s ear and pulled him closer to her. He grumbled as he leaned towards Percy – the advantage of being shorter than him, and cursed, “Sister! What the hell!”

Percy smirked, “You idiot! Do you think I’m avoiding you because I don’t like you? Honestly, you’re annoying – “

“I don’t – “

“Shut up!” Percy cut him off, “Listen to me.”

Zeus snorted but kept his mouth shut and stared at her.

“I’m avoiding you because sometimes I need some alone time to think, okay? I just need some ……. Peace. Mother specifically asked me to ‘take care of my siblings’ and that includes you. So, don’t worry about me hating you and – “

“Who said I was worried?!” Zeus stuttered with a golden blush.

Percy’s eyebrows shot up at Zeus’ reaction. Was he… really worried that Percy didn't like him? She had expected her brother to be upset because she had been avoiding him. But this?

Percy could feel a smile spreading across her face. Wow, this was good blackmail material. But that was for the future. Now she had to deal with her brother who was going through his first crisis of confidence.

A sudden thought crossed her mind.

If being with Zeus was this tiring, what would it be like with the others? Hestia? No problem—she was the best aunt. Demeter? She didn't seem so bad. With Hades, at least Percy was sure her uncle had a soft spot for him. Poseidon? Percy hoped all the rumors about him from the past weren't as bad as they seemed. And then there was Hera—her aunt who had kidnapped her for half a year and wiped her memories. It felt overwhelming to think that they were all going to be her siblings.

Finally, Percy realized one thing:

Having gods as siblings was going to be a real pain in the ass.

He did it!

Zeus stared at his hands, his breath still ragged as he tried to comprehend what had happened.

He had defeated his sister!

After countless fighting, he had been thrown into the ocean and tossed into the mountains more times than he could count. The pain throbbed throughout his body, turning his annoyance into a burning desire to prove himself worthy, just like Perseas. Finally, under the light of the full moon, he emerged victorious and defeated Perseas!

His eyes widened as a burning joy filled his chest.

“Perseas! See? I told you I could defeat – “

Oh. How could he forget? His sister.

Zeus immediately ran through the forest towards where he had thrown Perseas a moment ago.

His sister was lying in the middle of the rubble of rocks. Her neat chiton was already dirty with dirt and the bottom was torn. Her eyes looked at Zeus with an annoyed look but there was a slight smile on her mouth. He couldn’t help but feel happy as he smiled widely.

“See? I can defeat you”

“Hahhh, you used all your strength.”

“You said I had to use all my effort,” Zeus said, remembering his sister’s shout during their fight.

His sister sighed, “Fine, you’re right. Your win.” She held out her hand, “Now help me up.”

“You really don’t have to pretend to be sick. I’m sure you can get up on your own,” Zeus muttered mockingly as he pulled her up anyway. “Shall we continue? Or can you—”

His words were cut off as she turned around and showed her back to him. Zeus frowned as he saw the cut below her neck. Why… why was it...red?

“I guess we’re done for today.” His sister said, turning back to him. The strangely colored cut immediately disappeared from Zeus’ view. His sister's hands were on her hips as she looked at him in amusement, “So I guess you managed to defeat me. Is there anything you want?”

Zeus blinked, “What do I want?”

“Hmmm, because you finally defeated me.” Perseas smirked, “Come on, when else do I offer something this good?”

Zeus merely snorted at his sister’s mocking tone. What did he want? Honestly, he couldn't think of anything. Defeating his sister was enough to make him happy. The adrenaline was still pumping through his body after their intense fight. They had exchanged punches and kicks, and he lost track of how long the battle lasted. Finally, his sister let his guard down for just a moment, and that was when Zeus seized the opportunity to defeat her.

“I don’t know.” He replied, “Or we could fight again? I’ll definitely – “

“No. My back still hurts.” His sister snorted in annoyance. “Oh. I think I have an idea. How about we get off this island? I want to show you someplace”

Before the time travel, if someone had told Percy that she would be spending her time hiking with the king of the gods, she would have laughed its ass off. Saying that it was a crazy hallucination and that she was more likely to die than spending time with her uncle.

And now she wondered if this was karma for laughing at something like that.

“Sister! How much longer are we going to walk!” Zeus grumbled not far from her.

Percy took a breath and exhaled. Trying to calm herself with the question that had been asked a million times since they got off the island. “You said you wanted to explore after you got off the island!”

“I know! But we kept walking and you didn’t even tell me where we were going!”

“This is a surprise.”

“You told my eagle but you didn’t tell me! Why did you have to keep it a secret!” Zeus grumbled in annoyance.

“I need him to find where we’re going and as for you, didn’t I tell you this was a surprise?” She said.

Percy knew she needed Aetos to locate the highest point in mainland Greece—Mount Olympus. The real one. She was determined to find the real mountain but had no idea where it was, which is why she had asked the eagle for assistance. Percy didn't want to accidentally change the entire Greek history just because she got lost.

She had lost track of how many days they had been exploring since they left Crete. They had ventured through various landscapes, from beaches and cliffs along the coast to forests, grasslands, and unnamed mountains. There were no animals, humans, or any signs of life, yet everything felt vibrant and charged with an invisible power. Guided by Aetos, they continued on their journey toward the highest land in this plain.

"And why does this have to be a surprise?" Zeus asked, walking over to her.

"Really, can you at least pretend to be surprised later? I need some entertainment here." Percy said in a mocking tone, nudging her brother next to him.

Zeus just snorted and quickened his pace in front of Percy.

She looked at Zeus, wondering how he wasn't cold with just the chiton he was wearing. Percy had worn three layers of cloth - the chiton and two layers of scarves to cover her body. But during this journey she had missed her pants and jacket. How did the Greeks travel long distances in something like these skirts?

Sometimes, she wondered if jeans were even made long before the American industrial revolution.

She snorted, trying not to laugh. The thought of the Greeks wearing jeans was too funny in her mind.

"What's so funny?"

Percy lifted her head and chuckled, "Nothing. Just thinking about the clothes I'm going to make later."

Zeus raised an eyebrow, "You don't even know how to weave and you're thinking about making clothes?"

"Don’t make fun of me," Percy said, annoyed. After returning to the past, she realized that weaving disgusted her. Rhea and Hagno had been patient in teaching her, but the thread always broke in her fingers, and even the loom she used ended up breaking. Frustrated, she decided she didn’t have the patience to weave and stopped trying to learn.

Zeus grinned and chuckled, and then he stopped walking and looked up at the sky.

Percy also stopped in her tracks, "Zeus?"

"Aetos said we were close."

Percy turned her head away, and her breath caught at the sight before her. A wide green meadow stretched out, with tall trees towering above. Colorful flowers bloomed among the grass, and on the west side, a river shimmered blue in the sunlight. At the end of it all was a row of rocks, the most prominent of which formed a semicircle that seemed to touch the sky, covered in a blanket of white as if dusted with scattered snow.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air around her. Percy was accustomed to the polluted air of New York, so every breath here felt refreshing. However, the air felt different—it was almost too pure. The wind tickled her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It wasn't fear, but something else. This place felt like her Olympus—the one on top of the Empire State Building. No, that was wrong; her Olympus felt like this place.

Percy had never been to the real Mount Olympus, but somehow she knew he was in the right place.

“Perseas.”

A small whisper caught her attention. She turned to look at Zeus who was standing next to her. His pinky finger touched Percy's fingers, the only form of closeness Zeus had done. She just realized how Zeus' eyes were brighter than usual. His shoulder-length blonde hair fluttered in the wind.

“Where are we?” He spoke, “Where… is this?”

Percy couldn't help but smile, “Surprise?”

His brother's gaze turned to annoyance, “What?”

She chuckled and stepped forward, pointing her hand at the line of snow-covered rocks far ahead. Turning her head to look at her brother, she said, “Look over there, Zeus. At the top of that mountain is where our home with our siblings will be.”

“Do you know why he wants to ate us?”

Zeus turned to his sister. The two of them were sitting on the highest rocks, in their new home, Olympus, his sister had said. He liked it here, maybe more than his home island. Being here, somehow made him feel more alive. Standing at its highest point, he felt like he was above the clouds, seeing the world around him and even the sea in the distance.

Zeus didn’t know how his sister found this place, but she said it was from a dream, and Zeus believed her.

“Because of the prophecy?” He replied confused, didn’t Perseas already know? “About me overthrowing him from his throne?”

“That’s one reason. But there are other things.”

“Other things?”

His sister hummed as her eyes looked into the distance, “What if I told you we are different? We are not Titans, not like our mother, not like her and the others. We are a new breed. That is why father fears us.”

Zeus paused to think about his sister's words. They are a new breed? That made sense. Every time his mother talked about the Titans, something inside him felt uncomfortable. As if saying he was different from them.

“Then, what are we?”

His sister just stayed silent and shrugged, “I don’t know either, but what I do know,” Perseas turned to him, her green eyes sparkling with a million things Zeus wanted to know, “Each of us has a power. Just like the Titans, let’s say something like a territory. A power that will be a weapon as well as a responsibility in the future.”

Zeus’ eyes widened hearing that. Sometimes he liked to imagine having a power like his mother often talked about. “Power? You mean I have power?”

“Hmm, yeah. Mother told me to train your power, but I’ll be honest about one thing. I don’t even know what to do.”

“Huh?” Hearing Perseas not know about something felt like a comfort to him, “You don’t know?”

His sister snorted, “I told you I don’t know anything. I don’t even know what my power is.”

Zeus tried to hold back his disappointment, “Then what do we do?”

Perseas stood up and looked at Zeus. Her green eyes sparkled and her smirk gave Zeus goosebumps. His sister always had that expression before she beat him in their fight.

“We’ll do it my way!” She said cheerfully.

Perseas’ way meant pain for Zeus.

“No?”

“No? No refusal.” His sister chuckled, “Come on, where’s my brother who always said he’d be the strongest?”

Zeus groaned regretfully and stood up, “Fine, what should I do?”

“Stand there.” She pointed to one of the towering rocks not far from them.

He followed her instructions and climbed up the rock. “Then?”

“Your power should come from within you. It defines who you are. Who will you be in the future. To discover your power, look inside yourself; I cannot help you with it.”

Zeus just stared at his sister in confusion, “Huh?”

Perseas rolled her eyes. “While you’re standing here, try to think about everything—who you are and who you want to be in the future. Feel everything around you.”

Zeus couldn’t believe his ears. “Wait. So I just have to stand here? Do nothing? No training or fighting – “

“Oh? If you want I can push you off the cliff and – “

"No," Zeus said, shaking his head immediately. The idea of falling from the top of the world was unappealing to him. He cared deeply for his sister; he was second only to their mother in his life. However, he sometimes wondered if Perseus took pleasure in ‘beating’ him up. Zeus preferred being on Olympus and did not want to experience pain during his time there.

 “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“You can do it, I’m sure,” Perseas said confidently, “and one thing, you can’t move from there until you find your power.”

The confidence that had been burning inside him quickly faded, replaced by confusion. What did he mean he couldn’t move? Zeus was still unsure of what to do. He froze when he saw Perseas walking away along the cliff. Did he really need to understand his power before he could take any action?

“What’s that supposed to mean!” He shouted in annoyance.

“You can do it! Fighting!”

Fighting?! What the heck is that?

.

.

.

“SISTER!!!”

Patience was something she had never associated with Zeus before.

At first, the entire "finding power" training plan seemed like complete nonsense. She had no idea what to do. Seriously! How did the first generations of gods gain their powers? There was no mention of that in all of Greek mythology, especially about the first Titanomachy. The only story she remembered was about the Cronides freeing the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires from Tartarus. Other than that, she was completely in the dark about what happened during the war. To make matters worse, Percy didn’t even know how long the war had lasted.

Having Zeus stand still on the peak of Olympus felt almost like meditation. She hoped that as Zeus got closer to his future domain, he would become more connected to the sky. She just hadn’t expected him to remain standing there for so long. He was still there, groaning occasionally but not moving at all. Honestly, the longer he stayed, the more she suspected that Zeus was just being a jerk and acting annoyingly in the future because of his age.

Getting old sucked. Especially being immortal.

Percy felt an inexplicable fear about himself—an identity crisis. If Annabeth were here, she would define it that way. She had come to terms with the fact that she had somehow time-traveled thousands of years into the past. She had finished mourning her mother, her family, her friends, and her favorite blue cake. But there was one thing that still made her feel uneasy:

She was afraid that she was no longer human.

Humans—mankind—did not exist in this era. Moreover, she was the daughter of Rhea, a Titan, and was technically supposed to be a goddess, just like the other offspring of Cronus. But Percy refused to accept this fact. She also tried not to focus on the color of her blood, still unable to face the possibility that her red blood could turn to gold.

The thought of living for a long time, witnessing all the stories she had only heard. Immortality didn't sound scary for now, it just felt... strange. She's not ready for that. She was too used to the possibility of death her entire whole life. In her time she could reject immortality, but here?

"Perseas, I'm sure this won't work." Zeus's complaint distracted her.

“Hmm..are you hoping to gain your powers quickly?” Percy hummed in response. Not mentioning how her method seemed to work for her brother. The air around him already felt different, smelling of ozone and he could swear he could feel small electric shocks on his skin. Similar to when she was close to Zeus in the future.

“Well, no. But – ” His words trailed off for a moment, “Who is it?”

“Who?”

“There’s….someone..”

Percy stood up from where she was sitting and narrowed her eyes. Her brother wasn’t wrong. There was someone in the distance who seemed to be approaching them.

“Have you told mom about this place?” Zeus asked in confusion.

Percy shook her head, “We haven’t even talked to mom yet.” She replied.

“You stay here, I’ll go check.”

“What? I can –”

It only took one look from her to silence Zeus. He huffed in annoyance but didn’t move from his spot. Percy chuckled as she jumped over the cliff to descend the mountain. Her feet touched the grass that was still damp with dew as she walked closer.

A woman.

Before her stood a woman dressed in a white and gold himaiton, adorned with a red shawl. Her hair was intricately braided around her head and decorated with a golden ornament, the name of which she did not know. She was certain that the woman before her was a titan. An unmistakable aura radiated from her, something familiar, yet she couldn’t quite place who it was.

“Who are you and what do you mean by setting foot on this land?” She finally spoke, putting some distance between them.

The woman stopped in her tracks and raised her head. When Percy saw the color of her eyes, a light gray that glowed with wisdom, she knew immediately who was in front of her.

“I am Metis,” the woman said, looking directly into her eyes, “I come here to bring poison for your father.”

Percy blinked.

Damn it, her brother was going to eat this woman in the future.

Chapter Text

The darkness had been Hestia's friend for a long time.

Before she was trapped here, before her father ate her, before everything went to Chaos, Hestia remembered it all: her mother's hug and laughter, her father's golden eyes, the view from the throne. She was there when the prophecy was delivered in front of her father.

After that, there was nothing but chaos.

Screams everywhere. Her father's booming voice and her mother's screams. The next thing she knew was pain all over her body. Her body felt like it was being torn in two as her father's hands crushed her. That with her mother's cries were the last things she saw before the darkness swallowed her.

She remembered crying non-stop as her body healed itself. Screaming for her mother and wondering to her father why he did it. In the darkness, the echo of her cries became her only companion. Her cries transformed into a burning hatred and eventually faded into exhaustion. She had no idea how much time had passed, surrounded only by the darkness and the sound of her own voice.

As she wondered if she would be trapped here forever, her first sister came. Demeter with her mother's green eyes and brown curls hair. Then came Hera, her blonde hair shining in the dark with cries that echoed in the darkness. Hestia would hug them, calm them when they were in pain, and teach them words.

Hades was her first brother. What worried Hestia was that he didn't cry; he just remained quiet, with black eyes that seemed to understand what was happening around him. Then there was Poseidon, who had green eyes reminiscent of the ocean in Hestia's memory. He was the most passionate of the five siblings.

At first there was only her. Now she had her four siblings, huddled and whispering in the darkness.

In those moments, Hestia despised herself. She felt powerless and unable to do anything. She longed to share light and warmth with her siblings—anything to counter the cold darkness surrounding them. She would gaze at her palms, envisioning the flames that flickered on the walls of her father's palace, attempting to replicate the fire's heat and the glow it produced.

Then one day, a fire lit up in her palms. Small, warm, and glowing in the darkness. Hestia cried in Demeter's arms when it happened.

Since then they have sat in a circle with the fire burning in Hestia's hands.

She would tell stories about the outside world, Demeter would complain, Hera would nag about their father and Poseidon would respond to everything they said. Hades was always quiet, but she knew his brother was listening to all their conversations.

One day something strange happened.

“It’s a rock.” Demeter asked in confusion.

“Did he become stupid and eat rocks?” Hera said sarcastically.

“Father can’t be that stupid,” Hestia said quietly.

The five of them stood around a rock. The rock that had fallen between them.

“That should be our brother,” Poseidon suddenly said, “Father only ate us as his children, that means…”

“Mother tricked him by giving him a rock and he ate it.” Hades finished his brother’s sentence.

They all fell silent.

“So you mean – “

“We have another sibling, and they out there.”

***

“This won’t be easy, you know?”

Zeus ignored his sister’s words as his gaze fell on the Titan palace that towered atop Mount Othyrs. The palace glowed in the darkness of the night—the place where Kronos, the ruler of the Titans, and his father resided.

“You know, I can do it if—”

“No” Zeus quickly cut her off, “I will do it. Give him poison and free them.”

He had to do it. Metis had given him the poison that could free their siblings from the Titan king’s stomach. Zeus only needed to be trusted as the king’s cupbearer. When the time was right, he would mix the poison with the wine, and Perseas would help with their escape route. Another reason for his decision was that Zeus didn’t want Kronos to meet his sister. According to Metis, no one knew about Perseas’ whereabouts, and Zeus wanted to keep this a secret for as long as possible.

“Are you ready?” a third voice called out. Metis was not far ahead of them. “We have to get in soon; the gates of Othyrs only open at certain times.”

“I’m ready.”

He turned to his sister who was leaning against a tree. Her green eyes glistened in the darkness of the night. With a smirk on her face, she said, “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, are you worried about—”

“No, no way,” Zeus hissed. This was the first time he had ever been separated from his sister. And honestly, it made something in his chest feel… strange. But he would never admit it. Never. “Just… don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

Perseas chuckled, she stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about me,” she said. “Focus on yourself. For once I ask you to keep your head down, don’t draw attention to yourself. Do you remember all the Titans I told you about?”

Zeus nodded silently. He had gone over his plans and the names of the Titans he might encounter countless times. Honestly, Zeus was ready to enter Othrys and face his father. He just wasn’t ready to leave his sister behind.

“Don’t worry Perseas, I’ll take care of him there,” Metis spoke, stepping closer to her.

“Do not put yourself in danger, Metis. You are my mother’s friend, I do not want her to be sad if you get hurt.”

“You forget who I am, dear,” Metis chuckled as she straightened up and looked at him. “Come, Zeus. The party will start shortly.”

Zeus nodded and glanced at his sister one last time before turning away. As he walked off, Perseas spoke again, “I will be here when the moon disappears from the sky if you wish to see me.”

Zeus did not respond. He clenched his fists tightly and kept pace with Metis, whose graceful steps seemed to make her dark blue himation shimmer and float above the ground.

“Aren’t you very close to your sister?” Metis finally said after a while.

Zeus didn’t want to admit it so he replied, “She can be annoying sometimes.”

Metis laughed, her voice higher than Perseas's, yet soothing in tone. After a pause, she asked, “I’m really curious. Rhea mentioned that she knows a lot of things she shouldn’t know—things that happened even though she wasn’t there to see them. Do you think she shares something in common with the king?”

Zeus disliked the idea of his sister being connected to their father. Recently, Perseas had started talking about her dreams more frequently. Zeus loved listening to those stories, but sometimes he suspected that some of the events had not happened yet. He trusted his sister's words and wanted to avoid linking any of them to the time lord's abilities.

“I don’t know,” Zeus finally said, “But I trust her.”

Metis sighed, “I’m just warning you to watch her. You can’t let the king know about her. Imagine what would happen if he found out he had a daughter like Rhea but with his powers.”

Zeus refused to think about what would happen if they met.

“We have arrived.”

Zeus’ steps stopped and he looked up.

Before him, shrouded in mist and shimmering in the dark night, Othrys loomed larger than the cliffs of Creata. Its walls were constructed of black stone arranged in an intricate pattern. Gleaming black pillars supported the massive structures above. The outermost wall—known as the rampart, as Perseas had taught him—extended far beyond what he could see. A towering gate, many times his height, trembled as Metis approached and swung open with a loud bang.

As the gate opened wide, an invisible force enveloped him. It sent chills down his spine and seemed to compel him to submit. The sensation filled his senses to the point of suffocation. While being on his home island had calmed him and standing on Olympus had made him feel alive, here, in front of the Titans’ castle, he felt overwhelmed.

Zeus loathed this.

A small cough from Metis caught his attention. Standing in front of the gate, she spoke. “Welcome to Othrys. Bow your head, and begin the planning to save your brethren.”

Percy's bored. Again. So, of course, she ended up doing something stupid exactly as her brother had predicted – sneaking into Othyrs.

Of course, she wanted something to do while Zeus was gone. Besides, she had to prepare an escape route after Zeus freed their siblings. Only, yeah, once again her plan ended spectacularly. And now, she was stuck in front of a Titan who had caught him.

And by the way, he’s naked.

“You’re not Rhea.”

Percy bowed deeply, trying to avoid looking at that, and answered, “No my lord, the Queen left a while ago.”

The Titan remained silent, and Percy’s mind began to race. Whoever stood in front of her was neither Atlas nor Hyperion. If it had been either of them, Percy would have been torn in half moments ago. Now, the first thing she needed to focus on was finding a way to escape. Percy wasn’t foolish enough to confront a Titan in their strongest place.

In truth, she was prepared to face and maybe even fight a Titan. She just wasn't ready to encounter one who was completely naked.

Dammit, Greeks and their naked fetish.

"This isn't where the Queen usually spends her time and I've never seen you before." The Titan spoke again. The voice was familiar, but Percy didn't dare guess who it was.

"The Queen took me from my island," Percy said, lowering herself even further. She had never bowed this low to anyone before, but it was necessary to save her head. "I accidentally got separated and got lost. I apologize if my presence bothers you, sir."

Silence was the only answer she got.

Okay. Now Percy was starting to panic.

Slowly she began to feel the Titan's power surrounding her. It didn't feel evil, it was just more like... probing her. As if it was peeling back layers to see Percy's true inner self. Wait, could a Titan actually do that? Now she was getting goosebumps. If that was the case, did this Titan already know the purpose of her visit?

“Go north, where the Queen often spends time with her sisters,” The Titan suddenly said, “Avoid the south if you don’t want to be used for fun by the king and the others.”

Percy took a deep breath, her stomach churning. Okay, the South was off the table. She didn’t need to know what Kronos did for fun.

“Yes, my lord, thank you for the warning. I’ll – “

“Oh, one more thing,” he said, his tone casual, “there’s a ruined part of the fortress to the west, near a cliff and covered in trees. You can use that if you want to escape.”

.

.

.

What?

Now she was scared.

Escape? Why did he suddenly say that? Did he already know Percy's intention to sneak into Othyrs? Damn it, was she going to die here?

Calm down, Percy, she said in her heart, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "You've managed to deceive a Primordial; this Titan in front of you is no big deal. Use your rusty brain!"

"My lord," she said softly, lifting her head, "really, why would I run away from such a beautiful place—" She stopped speaking when she noticed that no one was ahead of her.

Percy blinked in disbelief. Did the Titan disappear? All of a sudden?

She directed his attention to their surroundings. Although she couldn't see anyone, that didn't stop the goosebumps from rising on her skin. Even with the Titan gone, its presence could still be felt. She didn't like the unsettling feeling that, even in solitude, it seemed as though everything around her was watching her.

"What...what are you doing here?!"

Percy froze.

Oh no. She closed her eyes, silently pleading that the voice behind her did not belong to someone she not wanted to see. Slowly turning around, she sighed at the sight of the person behind her.

It was her brother, who now had brown hair and wore different clothes—which were, in Percy's opinion, too short. He looked at her with an angry and annoyed expression. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, letting out a regretful sigh.

“I knew you were going to do something stupid. But…not this stupid.” He glared at Percy, making her take a step back, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU, TO SNEAK IN HERE?!”

Percy swallowed hard, holding back Zeus’ anger. She raised her hand and greeted,

“Uh…hi?”

Watching the 60-foot-tall Titan lord vomit was one of the most unpleasant experiences for Percy to witness.

It had been four months since Zeus had entered and two months since he had caught Percy sneaking into Othyrs. Percy was now hiding in the shadows, watching one of the most important events in Greek history, when the king of the Titans vomited his children. If anyone had asked Percy what she thought, she would have said only one word. Disgusting.

Also, seeing Kronos in his true form – not Luke’s face, which still haunted her sometimes- was strange. Kronos's appearance was a perfect blend of Poseidon, Apollo, and Zeus’s future self. From his face, eye shape to his shoulders he was a copy of Poseidon but with Apollo’s golden eyes and hair. The way he carried himself, from his walk to his leaning on his throne was exactly like Zeus in the future when he was deciding whether to kill Percy for the umpteenth time.

Okay, forget that. She had more important things to do now.

Her gaze settled on the five bodies sprawled in front of the throne—her siblings. Not far away, a giant golden cup lay on the ground, surrounded by spilled wine. The Titan king himself, in his colossal form, was leaning back on his throne with his mouth hanging open oddly with his eyes closed.

Clearly, even vomiting up his children was too much for the Lord of Time.

But why wasn’t Zeus moving?

Worry began to grow inside Percy. They couldn’t stay here for long. Anyone could come and they weren’t ready to fight. Hell, she had to admit that even being so close to Kronos made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

She quickly walked over to her siblings. One of them, a girl with curly brown hair, was struggling to stand. Percy immediately went to her side and helped her up. She froze when she saw the forest-green eyes similar to Rhea’s. Before she could think, her mouth reacted instinctively.

“You’re Demeter, aren’t you? Welcome back to the world!”

Demeter blinked, “What?”

Percy could feel her face burning with embarrassment. That wasn’t what she wanted to say!

 How was she supposed to greet someone who had just been freed from the darkness of being eaten by their father for years?

“Sorry.” She mumbled and let go of her hand, “I’ll explain later. We have to get out of here.”

Without waiting for an answer, she quickly stood up and walked over to Zeus. “What are you doing? We have to get out of here!”

Zeus gasped at her words, “I did it! Our plan… worked!” With a shaky voice, he looked at Percy with his sparkling blue eyes. “We freed them.”

What did he mean we did it? Of course, it would work… Percy blinked as she realized what Zeus meant. Did he think the plan wouldn’t work?

Percy sighed and smiled then patted her brother’s head, “Of course, it will work, good job! But I’ll be happier if we get out of this place.”

Zeus blinked, as if realizing something. “Oh, right! Of course,” he said. His gaze shifted to Kronos, who remained in his giant form, passed out on the throne. “I don’t want to stay here any longer,” he whispered.

Percy looked at Zeus and nodded in agreement. She didn’t want to stay here any longer either. “Remember the part of the fortress I showed you the other day? You should know the way there, right?”

Zeus nodded, “I know most of the way here.”

“Good. You’ll lead them. I’ll be at the back.”

Zeus looked at her in surprise. “What? But – “

“Zeus,” Percy interrupted him, began to feeling a strange and uncomfortable sensation in her stomach. “I don’t want to argue right now.”

Zeus’ expression darkened, but he nodded, “Fine. But don’t get too far from us.”

“Don’t worry,” She said, glancing at the others, “Help the others. This must be confusing for them.”

Zeus looked at her in disbelief before huffing in annoyance and turning away. Walking over to Hades – Percy hadn’t greeted him yet, but she knew it was Hades. She had to do something too, she couldn’t stay still like this. She didn’t know how long it would be before the other Titans found out that their king had been poisoned and Percy didn’t want to try her luck if they ran into someone like Atlas.

“Who…who would dare – “

Percy froze. She…she recognized that voice. No Way….

“I’LL KILL YOU! TREATOR! WHO – Oh?”

Percy’s entire body was still as if something were holding her back, and she knew exactly what it was. The voice wasn't in her ears; it was screaming in her mind. It was the same voice she had heard in her dreams all those years ago. She had thought she would feel scared, but now that she was hearing it again, Percy felt even more annoyed.

“You… your time… is mystifying..”

Percy sighed loudly, trying to move her body. It would be a waste of time if she had to listen to the words of this Titan.

Percy blinked as someone approached her. He was younger and his green eyes were brighter, but she would know his dad anywhere. Poseidon frowned, “Why are you stand there?”

“I cant move, Someone is holding me back,” she replied curtly.

Poseidon’s gaze then shifted to Kronos and paled, “What should I do?”

“Help me move. My body feels heavy”

They both froze as they saw Poseidon’s hand slow down as it approached her, “What..what happened? Why does my hand feel heavy?”

Percy cursed inwardly. Kronos was manipulating time around her body, that’s why she couldn’t move. “Fight it! Pull my hand!”

“Time also chooses you” The voice boomed again in her mind.

“Don’t be arrogant,” Percy taunted, continuing to try to move her body, “You think you’re the only one favored by The Time?”

For just a brief moment, Percy felt her body sway before becoming still again. Poseidon’s hand was now holding her arm as well. If the way to win Kronos in this battle came down to words alone, then Percy was confident; after all, that had always been her specialty.

“I heard you were the master of time. Where is your famous power?!” Percy asked in her mind. “And can you shut up?”

“Who dares to order a king around! Who are you..”

Percy shuddered and closed her eyes as the churn in her stomach intensified. It felt similar to being near the waves—smoother yet harder to control. She disliked this sensation, but she was determined to escape her crazy grandfather/father. Focusing intently, she tried to sense the invisible force surrounding her. With a deep breath, she reached out and gave it a strong yank.

“Arghh! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”

Honestly, Percy didn’t understand what she was doing. However, her body immediately felt light. She staggered and grabbed onto Poseidon’s arm, who was staring at her in shock. Quickly, she turned to Kronos. His body was already glowing gold. Whatever Percy had done, it was starting to wake him up.

“Shit. RUN!!!!!”

This is fun!

Poseidon couldn't help but grin as he ran past the black pillars and tall green trees. His feet felt ticklish as he stepped on the damp grass, and he squinted at the sunlight shining from the sky.

He had always hoped that one day someone—his sibling—would free the five of them, given that the stone was a trick set by their mother. However, he never expected to feel such happiness. Even the fear of finally facing his father, who had eaten him, couldn't diminish the joy that burned inside him.

“I know you’re happy. But save your smile for when we get out of here!”

Poseidon turned his head, looking at Perseas, his new sister who was behind him. With a smile on his face, he said, “Can’t you let your new brother have some fun?”

Perseas snorted, “The scenery here is nothing compared to the outside.”

“Really? What’s it like…out there?” Poseidon asked. He had heard stories from Hestia, but he could never imagine them all exactly.

“The grass is greener than this with colorful flowers.” His words stopped as he pulled Poseidon to hide among the trees, “White sand and sparkling blue sea.”

“ Sea?” Poseidon became excited. Hestia also sometimes told stories about the sea. “Is it a lot of water in one place? Hestia told me that a few times!”

Perseas’ green eyes sparkled, “Hmm, yeah! It’s huge! I’ll teach you to swim there.”

“Swim? What’s that?”

“You don’t know? Swim is – “

“What are you talking about?” Someone cut him off. Poseidon turned to Zeus, his new brother with golden eyes was frowning at the two of them. He was standing in front of a rocky ruin. “Hurry. We have to get out of here!”

Although disappointed that his conversation was interrupted, he kept his mouth shut and walked over the rocks that were scratching his skin. Just before going down, he turned to see Perseas talking to Zeus who looked down and patted his shoulder.

“I can’t believe it…we…we’re free.” Hera’s voice distracted him.

Poseidon looked at his siblings standing close together. Hestia was in Demeter's arms, Hera was standing in front of them, and Hades had his back straight but Poseidon knew he was also happy to be behind the three of them.

"Those are trees and they are green." Demeter's voice sounded amazed, "And that is the sky! They are blue like you told me, sister!"

Hestia replied with a chuckle mixed with sobs.

Poseidon approached Hades. Under the sun, he realized that his brother's hair was more gray-silver than black.

"Where are they?" He asked.

"They are talking about something," He replied.

"When you said someone would free us. Honestly... I didn't believe it." Hades paused, "But it happened and now we have two new siblings. We should thank them."

"Of course, Perseas even invited me to swim - "

"Oh, are you talking about me?"

Perseas' voice made them turn. She was walking with Zeus behind him, "Oh, you must be Hades. Zeus said you kept frowning."

“The sunlight is too bright for me.”

Perseas laughed softly as he continued to walk towards Hera and the others and spoke to them. Zeus, whose hair was now golden walked up to the two of them. A hesitant expression was on his face.

“You are the one who freed us?” Hades asked.

“Hmm, yeah. I put poison in his drink.” Zeus replied.

“Woah, you’re so brave!” Poseidon said excitedly, “Thank you.”

Zeus’ face turned golden as he turned his head away. Poseidon frowned. Did he say something wrong?

“You guys think this is amazing?!”

The three of them turned their gazes towards their sisters. In front of Hera, Hestia, and Demeter, Perseas stood. She looked at them all with a confused and surprised look, “The view here is nothing to other parts outside here!”

“She sounds excited.” Hades said.

Zeus sighed, “Perseas is always excited about everything.”

“We still have to travel away from here and avoid the Titans. But don’t worry!” Perseas said excitedly, “We will show you all the beauty of the world!”

Chapter Text

Percy was embarrassed to admit it. But, the reunion between Cronides and Rhea when they met was truly touching.

After they returned to Create Island, Rhea was already waiting for them all. She was wearing a simple chiton, her curly hair flowing without any decoration. But what warmed Percy's heart was her expression. Her expression was the same as her mother's when she finally met Percy after months of being kidnapped by her crazy aunt who was now her sister. She remembered the warmth of her hug, her mother's cries, and her mother's voice after months. Her kidnapping and all the adventures against Gaia alone lasted for months and it had hurt her mother.

How would Rhea feel not even being able to hug her children since they were born?

Percy stepped back as Rhea embraced her children. Hestia was the first to shed tears; her aunt, always calm in front of the fire, was crying like a little girl. A small laugh broke the moment as Rhea lovingly combed Hera and Demeter's hair with a look of admiration. Meanwhile, Poseidon and Hades stood nearby. Although she couldn’t see their expressions, Percy knew they were just as happy as the others.

Truly, the scene before her was something worth painting in the future.

“Sister.”

She turned her head hearing her brother’s voice. Zeus was beside her, his hand gripping Percy’s fingers. She just realized Zeus looked younger than before he disguised himself in Othrys. His golden hair looked duller.

“You’re okay?” She asked.

“Hmmm..” Hummed was Zeus’s only reply. His eyes that were looking at the others looked unfocused.

Percy raised an eyebrow at that answer, “Don’t you want to tell me anything? You never told me what happened in Othyrs.” She asked. They had met twice in Othyrs, but Zeus hadn’t told her anything that happened while he was in disguise for months.

Zeus glanced at her as if he was about to say something but stopped and looked away again. Now Percy wondered what was wrong with him. Her brother had become more quiet since they returned. She squeezed Zeus’ hand.

“Come on! Why are you so sad?” She nudged his brother’s shoulder. “Our plan worked! Good job, Zeus.” She tried to cheer her brother up. Reaching out and ruffling Zeus’ hair.

“Really?” Zeus’ voice and the way he looked at her, made her flinch. It was exactly like how the little kids at Camp Half-blood looked at her after she complimented them during sword training in camp.

“Of course,” Percy replied. “I was worried about you at first. But I knew you could do it. I was right, right?”

A mocking smile appeared on Zeus’ face, “Of course I can do it. Are you underestimating me?”

“Whatever.” Percy replied cheerfully, “I praised you. Take it before I beat you up again.”

“Oh? Are we going to train again after this?!”

Percy looked at Zeus in confusion. Why did he sound excited? Didn’t Zeus always nag at ther during training? “I guess we can postpone training for now. Don’t you want to get to know your siblings?”

“What?! But – “

“You must be tired after Othyrs. I’m not that mean to force you to train again.”

Zeus snorted, “I thought you were having fun while we were fighting.”

Percy rolled her eyes in amusement. She was about to say something but was cut off by someone’s shout.

“Zeus! Perseas! Come here!”

Their mother’s call prompted both of them to turn their attention to where the others had gathered. The remaining six were watching them with a mix of expressions. She glanced at Zeus, who wore an uncertain look. Seeing him was reminiscent of observing the expressions of new kids at camp after they had been acknowledged and were preparing to join their brothers and sisters.

Percy struggled to stifle a laugh; if the future Zeus found out he was being compared to those kids, he would certainly be furious.

She smiled and pulled Zeus’ hand, “Come on, let’s go greet our siblings.”

Hera didn't expect to have two more siblings.

When the rock fell into the middle of the five of them, they all, including herself, assumed that they had one more sibling. After that, there was a debate among the five of them, about whether they had a brother or sister. Talking about it was more fun than thinking about the possibility of someone freeing them.

So, when they were freed, Hera was surprised. She didn't have a brother or sister, but both of them.

And now she was watching the two of them walking towards her and her siblings who were with their mother for the first time.

Her brother, Zeus, had golden hair that reached down to his neck, similar to their father's hair color. He was nearly as tall as Hades and had light skin. As he approached, the color of his eyes became clearer, a striking blue reminiscent of the sky that Hera had just seen. His face scrunched up with uncertainty as he walked alongside their sister.

Perseas, her sister, resembled their mother quite a lot, but her hair was straight, black, and interwoven with strands of silver. She was shorter than her brother, roughly the same height as Demeter. What surprised Hera most was that Perseas's eyes were the same color as Poseidon's, shifting between green and blue. Perseas smiled as mother took her hand.

"My kids, introduce your siblings," Rhea said. Her voice felt warm to Hera, "Perseas. Zeus."

She glanced at her siblings, but none of them spoke. They glanced at each other. So, she decided to step forward and ask, "I didn't think we would have two more siblings."

"Oh?" Her mother looked at her confused, "Why?"

"There is only one stone," Demeter joined in, "When Posei said that the stone was a trick from you, we all assumed that meant we had one sibling."

Her mother blinked before answering, "You are not wrong. The stone trick was only meant for Zeus."

"What do you mean mother?" Poseidon finally entered the conversation. "If the stone is a trick for Zeus, then how about Perseas?"

Her mother laughed in response. Then turned to Perseas, "Sweetheart, why don't you explain your situation to them yourself?"

Their gazes all turned to Perseas who was shocked, “Eh I… mother didn’t give birth to me. I was born here, on this island.”

.

.

.

“WHAT?!”

“Mother didn’t give birth to you?!”

“What do you mean you were born on the island?”

“Calm down! Let me explain!” Perseas raised her voice, “I don’t know how it happened either! All I know is I woke up on the beach here and met mother. I was just as confused as you guys when it happened!”

Hera blinked at the strange explanation. “Is that… possible?” She asked.

“Although it sounds strange, it could happen.” Her mother also explained, “I fought with him after Poseidon was born. We had a big fight, hurting each other. I even slapped him – “

“Wow..” Poseidon’s amazed whisper was heard by everyone.

“ – I think we got hurt and our ichor fell into the sea on this island. That’s how Perseas was born and met me.”

There was silence after that as each of them thought about their mother's words. Demeter finally sighed, "It's weird."

“As strange as it may sound, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. When we overthrew my father, my brother chopped his body up with his weapon, and one of his body parts, his genitals –“

“Ewwww…”

“Poseidon.” Her mother scolded him momentarily, then continued, “Anyway, those body parts fell into the ocean and someone was born from them. It was a woman, according to my brother. But no one knows who she really is. They say she was too beautiful to set foot on land.”

“Your birth was weird, sister” Hera sighed after hearing all that.

“I’m still confused by it myself.”

“So,” Hades cleared his throat and asked, “Does that mean you were born before Zeus?”

“Oh, yeah!” Perseas chuckled, “I was even there when he was born! The baby who –“

“Sister!” Zeus finally spoke, shouting, his face glowing golden as he tried to cover Perseas' mouth with his hand, "I told you not to say that again -"

Hades' snort was heard, accompanied by Hestia's laughter. But all of it faded from Hera's mind as she focused on her thoughts.

Perseas had been present when their mother gave birth to Zeus. She couldn’t help but compare her situation to her own. What would it have been like if her father hadn't devoured her? Would her mother's embrace have been warm? Would Hestia have looked at Hera with joy on her face instead of with smiles mixed with tears?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She should have been happy now, yet a strange feeling stirred within her.

"Hera, are you okay?" Demeter's voice brought her back to her senses. She looked up, meeting her sister's gaze. "You've been quiet the whole time."

"It's okay," Hera shook her head, "Just thinking about something."

Demeter still looked at her uncertainly, but Hera smiled reassuringly, not wanting to worry her sister or mother.

“So,” Hestia who had stopped crying said, “have you guys been living on this island all this time?”

“Yes, but recently we went somewhere else.” Zeus answered, “Perseas took me to a mountain on the mainland. He called it Olympus.”

“Olympus?”

Perseas nodded, “We’ll take you there later. But how about we explore this island first?”

“Explore?” Hades asked.

“Hmm… This island is big. How about we go around it first? We can take a bath in the waterfall.”

Waterfall? Take a bath? What’s that?

“Waterfall?” Zeus asked in disbelief, “What do you mean that waterfall?”

“Of course? Doesn’t it sound fun?” Perseas said cheerfully.

“But… that – “

Hera noticed Zeus who had an annoyed expression on his face. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but stopped when his mouth was tightly closed. Hera frowned, why did he look upset?

“A bath? That sounds like a good idea,” Her mother said, “Perseas, why don’t you take them there?”

“Of course, mother,” Perseas said as he stood up, “Come on, you’ll gonna love it.”

Hestia stood up with Perseas' help, who was immediately approached enthusiastically by Poseidon. Hades followed behind them, stopping for a moment to talk to their mother. However, Hera just realized that Zeus still hadn’t moved since earlier, standing beside their mother with a strange expression on his face.

“Hera, come on! A bath sounds like fun!” Demeter exclaimed excitedly.

Finally, Hera got up to follow her sister. Honestly, she still had many questions about her mother and her siblings. But a bath—whatever it was—seemed like a good idea. However, her steps halted when she met Zeus’ gaze. His eyes had changed. The clear blue of the sky was already gone; now, they were a dark blue surrounded by dark grey.

It's stunning but she doesn't like it.

Hera turned her face away and continued walking.

Hades was a pessimist, and he admitted it. So, when his brother said that a sibling would come to free them, he didn’t believe her. He didn’t dare express his doubts, especially when Poseidon became more excited and the fire in Hestia’s hand grew.

Even now, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that they were not truly free. He watched as their mother sat among the grass, chatting and braiding Hestia’s hair, while Demeter picked flowers nearby. Hera stood on the beach, observing Poseidon and Perseas playing in the waves. Their laughter carried to where he sat beneath the thick leaves.

He stopped when he felt someone approaching him.

"You're not coming with them?" He asked his youngest brother.

Zeus sighed beside him. His golden hair - very similar to their father's hair, shone in the sun. If there was one thing Hades did not understand about his two new siblings, it was how different they were. Perseas eagerly approached her siblings, talking to Hestia and Poseidon. As for Zeus, he only spoke a few words and stayed beside Perseas or their mother.

“I… don’t like the ocean.”

“Oh?”

“Sister. She often threw me in there every time we trained. Many times.”

That answer made Hades lift his head and look at his brother. Zeus had a pensive face as he looked towards the ocean where Perseas and Poseidon were.

“She trained you?” Hades asked.

“Yes, she trained me to fight. Beat me up.” Zeus answered although it sounded curt, but Hades felt a hint of pride in his words. “She also taught me many things, especially about the Titans.”

Hades began to get some enlightenment about his new sister.

“Not mother?”

Zeus blinked and looked at him confused, “Mother isn’t with us. He would suspect it if she disappeared for too long.”

Of course, how could Hades not realize that? Did that mean Zeus was always with Perseas? Hades couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be with his siblings if he hadn’t eaten them. He tried to suppress the strange feeling that was rising in him.

“Thank you.” He finally said.

“For what?”

“To free us.”

Zeus snorted, “I only did what my mother and sister told me.” He said, looking away again.

Hades found his brother truly confusing. He decided to keep quiet and refrain from asking any more questions. In silence, they both looked at their family. Hades really wanted to be with his mother, but he sensed that Hestia needed her more.

How much longer would they remain like this before the peace was shattered? Hestia had explained to him why they were swallowed by their father. A prophecy foretold that the son of the Titan king would overthrow him from his throne. Now, he and his siblings were free. Kronos would undoubtedly attempt to kill them, especially after learning of his wife’s betrayal—according to their mother’s story about how she sacrificed a stone rather than Zeus to the King.

Just the thought made him shudder.

Even after time passed he still remembered his gaze as he ate him and the words he said “You are my first son…it is a shame I have to do this.” If they were to face each other again…

“How did it feel…”

Zeus’ question caught him by surprise, “What?”

Zeus looked uncertain as he asked. “How did it feel…when you were ... there?

Oh.

Hades didn’t expect him to ask something like that. He paused to think about what to say. Honestly, he didn’t want to remember everything that happened there. The pain of his body being broken and torn apart. The darkness without light all around him. The anger and disgust that he didn’t want to remember anymore.

But, when he glanced at Zeus, for some reason his mouth spoke. “It hurt. So much. My body felt like it was torn in two. Everything was dark -”

…Don’t ask the others.”

Those were the last words of the story his brother, Hades, told before falling silent and turning his gaze away—a clear sign that he had finished.

Zeus knew he shouldn’t have asked such a question. But his curiosity was overwhelming, and he didn’t know how to start a conversation with Hades. After hearing the pain and hatred in his brother's voice, Zeus felt utterly at a loss for what to do next.

Zeus wasn’t sure how he felt about his new siblings.

He knew he should be happy. This was the result of months of keeping his head down and holding back the disgust at the stares and touches he endured. He wanted to tell Perseas, but something inside him was holding him back—especially after Perseas had praised what Zeus had done.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable watching Perseas with the others. She had approached Hestia so easily, struck up a conversation with Hades, and now having fun with Poseidon, while Zeus seemed at a loss for what to do. Why, after months of waiting to see his sister again, did he feel as though they were both drifting away?

He was upset. He wanted to be angry at the others for taking Perseas away from him. His sister had delayed the training that Zeus was supposed to conduct. She had even taken them to their secret waterfall, which was meant to be just for him and Perseas to enjoy after their grueling training. He longed to scream at his sister that it was supposed to be their secret.

Then he saw Hestia crying in their mother’s arms. He noticed their expressions when they first dipped their feet in the water and how Demeter's eyes lit up when Perseas showed her a flower.

He wanted to hate them. But, he…he couldn't.

So, he decided to walk away.

Now he stood with Hades under the shade of the leaves. No one spoke; it was quiet, but Zeus liked that. At least with Hades, he didn't have to worry about what he needed to say. Hestia seemed like a quiet and reserved person, while Demeter and Poseidon were talkative and animated. Lastly, there was Hera—sometimes he caught her looking at him, which confused him.

“Oh, they’re done playing.”

Poseidon approached them with a smile on his face. His entire body was wet. “Wow, that was fun!” he exclaimed.

“I guess you would have stayed if Perseas hadn’t pulled you out,” Hades replied.

“I would have stayed if I could,” Poseidon replied cheerfully, his eyes widening as he looked at Zeus, “Zeus! Where have you been? Why don’t you join us?”

“No way, thank you.” Zeus paused as he realized something important. Poseidon strangely resembled Kronos. At first glance, it wasn't obvious, but Zeus had spent much  time around the Titans, especially his father. He noticed that they both had the same golden hair, which was why he had learned to change his hair color. Despite his younger appearance, Poseidon had the same features as the Titan lord.

“Why?” Poseidon asked.

“I just don’t like that.”

“Oh? But, Perseas said she liked it! She said she never did that with you. What have you been doing with sis all this time?”

Zeus fell silent.

For the first time, Zeus understood what anger was. How dare Poseidon say something like that?! He had trained with Perseas until his body ached. Memorized all the Titans from his sister’s stories. And he compared it to himself playing around with Perseas?

“Shut up.”

Poseidon flinched, taking a step back, “Zeus – “

Zeus took a breath, his fists clenched tightly to hold back his anger. If he got angry, he would disappoint his mother and sister. “You know nothing.” He said then turned and walked away.

"I thought you had turned into a tree from lying here for too long."

Demeter didn’t need to open her eyes to see her sister approaching her. She had felt it since she had set foot on the forest's edge. A small buzzing in her mind.

“I’m not leaving here.” She said.

“You’ve been gone too long, Hera and Hestia worry about you.”

Had she been here that long? She couldn’t feel how much time had passed since she had lain among the trees.

After parting with their mother, much to Demeter's sadness, Perseas led them to a new place: Olympus. This mountain, located on the mainland, towered impressively into the sky. While the mountain was stunning, what truly captivated her was a forest nearby. This forest was a vast expanse of land filled with tall trees that boasted green and red leaves, small fruits on the bushes, and vibrant flowers. When she first set foot there, Demeter felt something within her change.

What was happening to her was inexplicable. She could feel and hear everything—from the towering trees to the grass beneath her feet. The rustling of the leaves and the fragrant scent of the flowers filled her senses. In that moment, Demeter felt calm and at peace, as if she could melt into the grass, surrounded by the roots of the great trees and colorful blossoms.

“I want to stay here,” She sighed happily, “I will turn into a tree and – “

Perseas chuckled, “Oh, come on! You haven’t even seen the top. Do I need to drag you out of here?”

“You are so mean, sister,” she whined, her fingers stroking the grass around her, “Here… it’s amazing. These trees seem to be connected to me. Oh, I can even feel you when I get closer to the forest!”

“Hmmm, really? How about we try something?”

“Try something?” Demeter who was finally curious opened her eyes and sat down beside Perseas.

Perseas smiled excitedly as she took Demeter’s hand and led her to place it on the ground. Slowly, Demeter felt an energy flowing into her hand.

“What is that?!” Demeter gasped in surprise.

“You feel something?”

“Hmm, yeah. It’s warm and…cold? But…soothing.” Demeter frowned as she searched for the right words to describe what she was feeling now. “I can’t explain it.”

“It’s okay. Now try to close your eyes. Whatever you feel, try to make it a part of you. Or…” Perseas paused and groaned, “What am I saying? Just…do what you think is right. I think your power is related to this forest.”

Is her power related to this forest?

Demeter didn’t fully understand what Perseas was saying, but she stayed focused. She let the invisible tendrils surround her and allowed herself to drift, reflecting on what happened to her. She felt a sense of freedom from her father, joy in meeting her mother, and excitement from getting to know her two new siblings. She was thrilled to finally see the world that Hestia had described to them, experiencing a mix of happiness, sadness, and curiosity.

Demeter channeled her energy, connecting herself with the forest around her.

“Demeter! Look! Look what you did!” Perseas shouted excitedly.

Demeter opened her eyes and was stunned by what she saw.

In front of her, a plant grew from the ground, resembling grass but beginning to grow larger, surrounded by a greenish-gold light.

Demeter couldn’t contain the joy that surged within her, “I..I grew that!”

“Yes! Yes! Keep doing what you’re doing. Focus on the feeling inside you.”

Feeling more confident in what Demeter was doing, she focused all her energy. To her amazement, she saw the plant in front of her grow taller. This plant looked different from the trees and bushes surrounding it. It resembled grass but was much bigger—almost as tall as Demeter herself. Its stem was slender yet tall, adorned with thin, elongated leaves. Small grains clung to the end of its stem, along with what appeared to be tiny thorns. The plant was a vibrant yellow, almost golden, with a greenish hue near its roots.

That’s….

“That’s fucking awesome!”

She immediately turned to Perseas who shouted in awe. Her green eyes shone with the widest grin on her face. She turned to Demeter with a proud look in her eyes. “You did it Demeter! Look what you did!”

Her body was still shivering for no reason, the satisfaction of successfully growing something and the happiness of her sister made her unable to hold back a smile.

“Perseas, I did it!” She went over and touched the plant. Feeling a tingle in her fingers.

“This plant is… unique,” she mused, “it’s different from the trees or flowers you taught me about.”

“Of course, this plant is different, sister,” Perseas sat down beside her, “You created wheat!”

“Wheat?”

“Yeah! Wheat.” Perseas explained excitedly, “See these grains? We can use them to – “

Suddenly, the ground around them shook violently. Demeter lost her balance and immediately grabbed her sister’s hand. The shaking stopped, and then a loud explosion was heard. They both stared at each other in shock.

“What – “

.

.

Then in the distance, someone shouted.

“Maybe because Perseas likes me better than you!”

Chapter Text

Poseidon didn't know if he had done something wrong. But he was sure, very sure that his brother, Zeus, hated him.

Hated him that much.

At first, he saw his brother as someone who was more quiet than Perseas. He always stayed away from everyone, only being near Perseas or their mother. His shining blue eyes would watch them all silently. Even when they walked to Olympus, Zeus would be at the very back. Although a little disappointed not to be able to get to know his brother, he tried to be patient. Maybe his brother needed time to open up to them all.

It turned out not to be like that.

As time passed on Olympus, Poseidon attempted numerous times to approach his brother, Zeus. Each time he tried to talk, Zeus would walk away without engaging. When Poseidon pulled him toward the beach in hopes of a conversation, Zeus would promptly dart away. Even when Poseidon struggled to climb to the top of the mountain and found Zeus hidden among the high rocks, Zeus would quickly leap into the air and vanish among the clouds.

He didn't even know his brother could do that!

And now Poseidon wondered if Zeus didn't like him. At least with Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, his brother had talked to them a few times. Heck, he even caught Zeus standing side by side with Hades once! While with himself, Zeus would always avoid him, not even looking at his eyes.

Poseidon didn't know whether he should be angry or sad.

After putting up with his brother's unreasonable behavior, Poseidon decided to take action.

He dragged his brother towards the beach.

"Poseidon! What is the meaning of this!" Zeus's screams thundered around them.

Poseidon stays silent, he only focuses on pulling Zeus' struggling hand. He was afraid that if he let his guard down for even one moment, his brother would disappear again and he would lose his chance to talk.

"Poseidon! Answer me!"

"No! Shut up!" He shouted back, throwing Zeus towards the wet sand from the seawater and glaring at his brother. "We will talk!"

Zeus snorted loudly and stood up. While trying to brush the sand off his body, he glared at Poseidon. "What the fuck is this?"

Around him, the waves began to churn. Poseidon tried to take a breath, calming himself down. He wasn't sure what he was feeling right now. In front of him Zeus who was slightly taller than him stood tall, his expression annoyed but for some reason, his eyes always looked the other way.

Okay. Now or never.

"Do you hate me?"

"Huh...what do you mean?"

Poseidon stepped forward, approaching his brother while saying "You. Do you not like me? You hate me?"

Zeus' eyes widened, and he took a few steps back while averting his gaze, "Hate you? Me? Why would I do - "

"You don't even want to look at me!" Poseidon cut off his brother's words, "See? That means you don't like me!"

"You're just making it up." Zeus answered shortly.

Poseidon snorted. Zeus's blatant denial seemed to confirm his suspicion. In front of him, his brother appeared ready to move away, his gaze fixed on the nearby forest.

“Oh? Then why have you been avoiding me all this time? you never talk to me?” Poseidon asked again, “You talk to the others, but when I approach you always move away? Do you think I don’t notice – “

“Shut up. This has nothing to do with you.”

Poseidon fell silent hearing Zeus’ voice.

“Realy? Because I’m sure whatever your problem is, it has something to do with me.”

“You know nothing.” Zeus snorted in annoyance.

“Yeah, maybe because I’ve been trapped in our father’s stomach all this time, so I don’t know anything?” Poseidon mocked, “Not all of us have a sister who can teach us and take us on trips to see the world, right?”

“Don’t drag Perseas into this.”

Poseidon raised his eyebrows seeing Zeus’ annoyed gaze directed at him. His eyes narrowed, the usually bright blue now becoming darker. Around them, the wind became stronger.

Poseidon slowly realized something. All this time, when they were discussing Zeus, his brother seemed to want to avoid this conversation. But when Poseidon started to mention their sister, Zeus started to react. Poseidon narrowed his eyes –

“Is this about Perseas?”

“POSEIDON.” Zeus finally shouted. He finally walked closer to Poseidon. His eyes glinted as they stared at each other. “You have no right to talk about her.”

“Huh? Why? Isn’t she my sister too? Do you think she’s just your sister? Because she’s always with you?” A sudden realization dawned on Poseidon. He quickly concluded the problem he was experiencing. “You always stare at me when Perseas is with me. I could feel you watching us both from afar when we were on the beach. Zeus…. Are you – “

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as his body slammed into the sand behind him. He lifted his head, staring at Zeus in shock. His brother’s face glowed golden. His brows furrowed in anger and his hands clenched into fists. Above them, the sky turned gray. The sound of the waves crashing grew louder.

There was only silence between the two of them for a moment.

“Zeus. Are you jealous of me? Because Perseas has been with me lately?” Poseidon asked in disbelief.

Zeus turned his face away, “Perseas can do whatever she wants. I don’t care.”

“Oh, yeah?” Poseidon stood up, not caring about the sand that stuck to his body, “Then why are you mad at me? Because Perseas is rarely with you now?”

Now, Zeus’ body was shaking with anger. Even with the distance between them, Poseidon could feel the hatred from his brother. It made him annoyed but also uncomfortable. He didn’t want to fight with his brother like this.

“Are you feeling arrogant because Perseas is often with you, Poseidon? Don’t be too happy, maybe she’s just helping you get to know the world.” Zeus said, his arms folded across his chest.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean Zeus? I’m sure Perseas is having fun with me. As for you? Aren’t you spending time with her just to train?”

“Shut Up!”

Poseidon dodged just in time as Zeus charged towards him. “Really?” He shouted, “You’re fucking mad at me just because of a trivial matter like that?”

“A trivial matter?! You stole Perseas from me! You were just having fun – “

“Stole?! She’s also my sister! Not only yours! What’s the big deal about me having fun with her?!”

“We should be prepared! Father could attack at any moment! And what are you two doing – “

“Oh, bullshit,” Poseidon rolled his eyes in annoyance, “Just say you’re jealous that Perseas spends more time with me.”

“Okay, Fine! If I’m jealous, then what? Are you going to show it off in front of me? Happy that Perseas spends more time with you?” Zeus’ voice boomed. He tugged at Poseidon’s chiton roughly, causing him to stagger. “Perseas is just being nice to you. Don’t feel like you spend more time with her!”

Poseidon slapped Zeus’ hand away forcefully. He pushed his brother away. Lifting his head, he glared at Zeus. “Oh, yeah? Are you sure? Or is there another reason?”

“Another reason?” Zeus said, narrowing his eyes.

Poseidon stood his ground, despite the strong winds swirling around him. What had begun as annoyance was quickly turning into anger. He found it ridiculous that Zeus was jealous simply because Poseidon was close to Perseas. What was the problem with that? Hadn't Zeus been with their sister all this time while Poseidon and the others were still trapped in their father’s stomach? Besides, Perseas had taught him many things, especially about the ocean. It wasn’t Poseidon’s fault that Perseas had fun while sharing that knowledge.

Anger was burning inside Poseidon. Everything around them was shaking. The waves had soaked him up to his ankle. He didn't have time to think before saying. "Have you ever thought that Perseas doesn't like you?"

The anger on Zeus' face was gone. He stared at Poseidon with a blank stare. Under the dark clouds, his brother's eyes looked too bright. "Shut up. Of course, Perseas likes me."

"But why would Perseas like to spend time with me?"

Once again, Poseidon was slammed into the sand with a loud explosion. His ears rang as his vision blurred for a moment. A strange sensation was felt throughout his body as the sea water hit him.

“Shut Up! You don’t know anything! You’re annoying and took Perseas away from me!”

Poseidon’s anger was at its peak and he shouted.

“Maybe it’s because Perseas likes me more than you!”

Sibling fights are such an annoying thing.

Percy was acutely aware of this, especially since she came from a problematic family filled with endless drama. Whether it stemmed from the gods or her friends at camp, she had witnessed siblings fighting with each other countless times.

Especially, with the gods who couldn't control their tempers and made everything even more annoying.

The world of Greek mythology was just a big family full of drama with the power to destroy the world.

The most famous conflict was between her uncle and father: Zeus and Poseidon. Every conversation they had inevitably ended in an argument. Regardless of the topic, their discussions would always devolve into two main issues: Grandma Rhea's favorite child and Poseidon's schemes to overthrow Zeus for the thousandth time. Sometimes Percy wondered if they ever grew tired of their fight after thousands of years. It often seemed to her that their arguments were a form of brotherly affection. Perhaps they felt they would wither away without blaming each other. Maybe it was simply a form of entertainment in their otherwise dull eternity? Percy didn’t know for sure.

Damn, she just didn’t expect to face that problem this early.

“Did…did they fight?” Demeter who was beside her asked in disbelief.

Percy sighed, lamenting her life in her heart. No matter in the future or in this time, she had to face a problem like this. “I’m too old to face something like this.”

“Perseas?”

Percy turned and faced Demeter. Her sister looked confused and unsure. “Can you go and find the others?” She asked.

“Are you sure? I can help you calm them down.” Demeter was silent for a moment, “Although, I’m not sure what they’re fighting about.”

Percy nodded, “I’m sure. It’s okay, I’ll talk to them.” In fact, with just one shout from Poseidon, Percy had guessed what the fight was about. Just thinking about it made her dizzy.

Demeter stared at her for a few moments then sighed softly. “Okay. But I’ll bring the others here if they’re still fighting.”

“Okay. Thank you, sis.”

She walked away from her and disappeared into the forest. Percy noticed that the grass grew thicker wherever her sister had stepped. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of how Demeter had just created a giant version of wheat. She had never been closed to his aunt in the future, and the only thing he knew about her was her fondness for wheat and cereal. Now, she was starting to wonder if there was a special reason behind it.

"You're an asshole!"

Percy turned around just in time to see Zeus' fist slam into Poseidon.

.

.

Damt it, these kids.

Percy took a breath and stepped into the chaos of the rainstorm and the waves crashing against her feet. They were still arguing about something that Percy couldn't hear because of the strong wind. Poseidon and Zeus didn't seem to notice her. So, she walked over and made a small cough.

"What the fuck are you two doing?”

Honestly, it was funny how they both froze and turned to Percy. A mixture of shock and fear was evident on both of their faces. Percy had never imagined she would see such expressions on the faces of two mighty gods. Oh, this would make for some fun blackmail material in the future.

“PERSEAS!”

They both shouted simultaneously, moving away from each other. Poseidon even stumbled and fell far into the sand.

Percy raised an eyebrow, “I wonder what you two are talking about to cause this – “ she stopped her words and turned her gaze to their surroundings. The dark clouds in the sky and the thunderstorm, strong winds, huge crashing waves, and the tremors that were still felt at her feet, “mess.”

Zeus and Poseidon exchanged glances with different expressions. For a moment neither of them said anything until –

“We didn’t – “

“This isn’t –“

“Poseidon, shut up! Let me – “

“What? Why do you have to explain – “

Percy couldn’t believe what was happening. Were they still fighting? With her standing here?

“Hah… you guys…sit!”

It was strange how they both immediately obeyed and followed her words. Stop their fight and sit on the sand, avoiding each other’s gaze. Zeus’ head was raised high, indicating his insecurity. While Poseidon’s arms were folded across his chest, with a sullen face he looked at the waves rolling not far from them.

Okay Percy, calm yourself. You become their sister now and then there’s a chance she’ll face something like this again for thousands of years.

Fuck, that sounds annoying.

“Okay. So… what do you mean by Perseas likes me more than you, Poseidon?” Percy started the conversation, looking down and staring at the two of them.

No one answered.

“No one wants to explain?”

.

.

.

“Who do you like more, Zeus or me?” Poseidon then asked, directing a challenging look at Zeus.

One question that was asked confirmed her suspicions. No explanation was needed to know what was going on. But it still felt weird how they were fighting about who Percy liked more. Zeus usually say he will kill Percy everytime they met before.

Percy already know the best answerd for this question.

“Why should I choose who I like more?”

Poseidon snorted and pointed at Zeus, “He’s jealous that you like me more than him.”

“What! I don’t – “

“Zeus?” Percy turned her gaze to her brother who looked down, his face glowing golden avoiding Percy’s gaze. “Are you jealous of your brother?”

Zeus pouted, “You…..you’ve been with him lately! You don’t even train with me since the last time!” He exclaimed loudly. “Don’t you like me anymore?”

Percy gasped at Zeus's shout. Maybe this was worse than she had thought. How could she forget the possessive nature that every god possessed? Especially Zeus, who had always been with her since birth. Was he still uncomfortable with his siblings?

"Hahh... It's not like that." Percy said, "It's just..."

"What?! You like him more than me?!"

"No! No! It's not like that!" Percy shook her head, wondering how she would solve this problem. Maybe it was her fault too. She just realized that he hadn't talked to Zeus at all since freeing their siblings. Percy had been too focused on teaching the Cronides things, especially about their powers. As for Poseidon, well, she was biased, but it felt good for Percy to finally connect with something familiar from her old life.

It seemed like she had forgotten about Zeus who had been with her all this time. Even though they seemed to look like an adult, it was clear that her siblings still had the emotions of teenagers going through puberty. It was clear that Zeus felt abandoned by Perseas and took out his anger on Poseidon who had been with her a lot.

She sighed and sat down on the sand.

"It's stupid if you ask me who I like more between the two of you."

"Stupid? Why?" Poseidon asked.

"Because if I choose one of you, you'll fight for eternity and it seems too tiring to deal with all that," Percy complained. "Besides, you're both my siblings and I love all of you."

Beside him, Zeus snorted.

“But I guess I have to apologize to you, Zeus.”

Zeus turned his head to her so quickly that Percy was afraid his neck would snap. He stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

“Don’t look at me like that. Do you think I can’t say sorry?”

“Our conversation usually ends up with you throwing me into the sea, sister.”

Percy frowned. Zeus was right, her relationship with her brother had always involved at least some violence. Worry rose inside her, had she accidentally made Zeus into a masochist?

“My fault.” She sighed. “But honestly, are you upset that we haven’t been able to spend time together lately? I’ve been too focused on spending time with the others. I’m sorry I’ve been forgetting about you lately. I thought you were training on your own so I didn’t think much about it.”

Zeus’ head was down, his face covered by his hair when Percy heard him whisper. “It’s..okay. Don’t worry.”

“Perseas!” Poseidon was suddenly beside him, holding his hand. “But he’s still avoiding me! Zeus hate me!”

“I told you it’s not like that!”

“Shut up you two. After this, we will spend some time together. It seems like it is time for me to teach you to fight. How about – “

Zeus who had been calm all this time suddenly shouted. “I will defeat you Poseidon! Perseas will like me more than you!”

“What! Of course, I will defeat you and – “

Percy thought she was a patient person all this time. But right now she was ready to choke her two brothers and throw them into the deepest hole. Maybe this is time to teach them about 'timeout'.

“One more word and I will throw you in a cave until you can talk like a good brother.”

.

.

.

“Good.” Percy sighed in satisfaction as she clapped her hands. The problem was solved. For now. “Now how about we meet the others first – “

“Oh, isn’t this interesting?”

.

.

Percy froze.

They were not alone.

She looked around in panic, searching for the source of the strange voice. Then she stopped when she saw something—no, a man—stepping out of the sea. Percy immediately stood up and positioned herself in front of her brothers. The hair on the back of his neck stood up because, even from a distance, he could feel the power radiating from this person.

The man's skin was greenish, adorned with scales on his neck and waist. Most of his body was covered in cloth and something look like seaweed—thank goodness he wasn't naked. His hair resembled a thick black liquid that moved and dripped as he walked. A crown made of shells and claws rested on his head. He appeared all-powerful, strong, and... ancient. Just by looking at where he emerged, Percy already knew who was standing in front of him.

Wasn't this a shitty coincidence?

They still couldn't face a titan now! She wanted to scream at fate or whoever caused this. At least, this titan didn't seem like he was going to kill them.

He was getting closer and Percy knew she had to do something. Something that didn't involve fighting or their deaths.

"Isn't this a pleasant meeting?"

The man blinked - not like a human, more like the blinking of a crocodile that Percy had seen in a documentary. His eyes were also strange, shining as he looked at Percy with an interested look.

“I assume you already know who I am?”

Percy stood up straight. Feeling her brothers stand behind her. She took a breath, hoping her guess was right.

“This is just a guess since we have never met before. Greetings Oceanus, Titan of the Sea. Am I right, uncle?”

Zeus hated that laugh.

He tried to pull his sister away. His heart was pounding at the sight of who was in front of them. He had only seen this person once during his time on Mount Othyrs. But he knew exactly who it was. How he stood tall and the power that radiated from him. Oceanus, the oldest of all the Titans.

Oceanus moved closer to Perseas. Zeus tried to pull his sister closer to him. But, she doesn't move at all.

“Aren’t you an interesting little titan? I suppose my sister has taught you many things.”

“I already know many things.” Perseas’ voice was firm.

Zeus was starting to dislike where this conversation was going. He knew nothing about Oceanus. He had never been to Othyrs. To him, this titan was a mystery. Zeus didn’t know what he might do.

“Zeus.” Beside him, Poseidon whispered, “Is he – “

“Father’s sibling,” Zeus answered shortly. There was still a sense of annoyance in him, but that didn’t matter in front of their enemy.

“Aren’t you a mysterious person, Perseas? Am I right?” Oceanus said with a smile. “No one would have thought my brother would have another child. Besides the one that turned into stone.”

Zeus’ grip on Percy’s hand tightened as he felt Oceanus’ gaze sweep over him and Poseidon.

“I guess I like being mysterious.” Perseas shrugged. Though her tone was calm, Zeus could tell his sister was now on guard.

Oceanus chuckled again. His hair moved strangely as he laughed. “You guys are getting attention, you know? My brother is having a tantrum right now. Over the top, I think. But Kronos has always had a talent for overreacting to everything.”

Zeus had had enough of this conversation, so he stepped in front of Perseas. Raising his head and looking at Oceanus. “What do you want?”

“Oh, aren’t you the famous Zeus? Surprised Rhea actually went through with that plan. Tethys wouldn’t stop talking to me about it.”

The mention of his mother caught Zeus off guard. He couldn’t say anything as Poseidon stepped up beside him.

“How did you find us?” Poseidon asked in a tense tone, “Are you going to tell him?”

The grin on Oceanus’s face vanished as he stared at Poseidon, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. Zeus felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. Had they been discovered? Would their father know their whereabouts?

As Zeus’s mind raced with the potential consequences of their situation, another voice broke through the tension.

"Don't you think you all stand out a bit too much?"

He immediately turned his head quickly. Panicked looking around them. The voice sounded familiar to him.

His gaze halted when he noticed a man emerging from the forest not far from them. The man walked towards the three of them, his body glowing faintly. A red scarf wrapped around him fluttered in the wind, and his curly hair was golden brown. As he drew closer, Zeus was able to clearly see who was approaching—someone he knew very well.

Prometheus.

A quiet Titan who often visited Othrys, Prometheus rarely engaged in violence like the others. However, he seemed to know everything happening around him. Whenever Prometheus was near, Zeus felt an unsettling fear that his disguise would easily be uncovered. Zeus's heart stopped for a moment at what happened next.

Prometheus stopped in front of Perseas. With a strange smile on his face, he bowed and said. "Isn't it a surprise that we meet again?"

Meet again?!

What is this?

He looked at Perseas who had a shocked expression. His sister's face was pale as she took a step back. Zeus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Meet again? His sister had met Prometheus before?!

Why didn't he know this?!

Prometheus continued his words, "I don't think I introduced myself. Prometheus. Nice to meet you."

Perseas' hand was shaking in his grasp. But her voice was still calm as she spoke. "Perseas. But I think you already know."

"You stirred up quite a chaos in Othyrs, Perseas," Prometheus said, his tone unusual and unsettling, even for Zeus. "That's something that rarely happens. No one has ever dared to act like that before."

Zeus, feeling disgusted by the situation unfolding before him, stepped in and positioned himself as a barrier between Prometheus and Perseas. "Step away from my sister," he commanded.

Prometheus raised his eyebrows and chuckled, he took a few steps back. “Wow, okay. I guess I was right all along. Don’t worry, Zeus.” He smiled a little, “I don’t plan on doing anything right now.”

That wasn’t the answer Zeus wanted.

Percy patted Zeus on the shoulder and stepped up beside him. “I think this is not a coincidence that you all came here?”

“You guys attracted attention,” Prometheus replied. “Of course, I had to come see it. But, you’re lucky Oceanus is here; everyone thought this was his doing.”

“I came here only because this storm caught my attention,” Oceanus said. “It’s quite surprising to find something interesting here.”

The storm that was brewing caught Oceanus' attention. Zeus looked around, realizing that his fight with Poseidon had nearly exposed them. He should have been more aware of his surroundings!

He also couldn't comprehend what was happening in front of him. Why did these two titans talk to them so casually? Why didn't they just defeat them and take them to Kronos? With Oceanus in the sea and Prometheus heading toward the forest, the three of them are trapped. Zeus was hesitant to risk fighting them, leaving him uncertain about what their next move should be.

"I don't understand what you want to do here," Poseidon suddenly said, "Are you going to capture us and take us to him?"

Zeus was ready to kick Poseidon if only they weren't in a tense state.

Oceanus tilted his head, a grin on his face showing sharp teeth. "Oh, are you guys ready for us to defeat you and take you to my brother?"

Zeus's hair stood on end feeling the ancient power radiating from Oceanus. The ocean behind her stopped moving, making him look even more dangerous than before. He wanted to say something, but the words were stuck inside him. He hated feeling something like this.

Perseas cleared her throat, “I would have preferred it if you hadn’t, thank you. Besides, we would have been in Othyrs a long time ago if you had come to capture us.”

Zeus couldn’t see Perseas’ expression, but it seemed to amuse Oceanus. He laughed, the sound booming around them. The sea rippled as his laughter rang out. Beside him, he could hear Poseidon’s uncomfortable sigh.

“You’re quite observant, little titan. I was thinking of getting away from this mess, especially after meeting you in person. But, who knows?” He chuckled, then turned his gaze to Prometheus, “And what are you going to do Prometheus? Are you going to do something?”

Compared to Oceanus, Prometheus was completely silent. His mouth was tightly shut as his eyes scanned Poseidon, then Zeus, and finally settled on Perseas. For a moment, only the sound of the rain could be heard. A power that felt more subtle than Oceanus's waves seemed to envelop the three of them. Zeus straightened himself, determined not to appear weak. He also knew he had to protect his sister if anything happened.

Finally, the power that had enveloped them disappeared. Zeus unconsciously sighed.

"I will keep you a secret for now, the future still looks unclear."

What did he mean by that?

"Yeah, isn't this lucky for you?! You won't die for now." Oceanus continued his words. He straightened himself and Zeus just realized that now he looked bigger than before. "But this will be your only luck. From now on, your heads will definitely be lost no matter who you meet. Your power is nothing compared to... us."

Zeus growled. Angry because his words were true.

“Don’t scare them, Uncle,” Prometheus said as he started to walk backward away from Perseas. “There’s always the possibility that the new generation is stronger than the last. Isn’t that what happened to the elder?”

Oceanus, who was walking back toward the sea, paused in his tracks. He looked at Prometheus, and for a moment, tension hung in the air. Then he sighed and replied, “You always say things like that, Prometheus. Be careful if the others hear you.”

He then walked back towards the sea. Turning towards them and specifically looking at Perseas and Poseidon with a grin. “Don’t die too soon.”

Then he disappeared.

His body dissolved into the ocean, leaving behind foam that disappeared into the waves. The ocean moved again, feeling more alive than before. Even though he was gone, his power was still felt around them.

“He makes me feel suffocated,” Poseidon whispered.

Zeus in his heart agreed with that statement.

“Yeah, I guess it’s time for me to go too. Can’t spend too much time here.” Prometheus said after a moment.

Right. Go. Zeus couldn’t stand the way he looked at Perseas.

Perseas said something instead of staying silent. “Should I thank you for keeping this meeting a secret?”

Prometheus chuckled, waving his hand. Zeus glared at his sister who lowered her gaze. Why did Perseas react like that?!

“No need. I did it because I wanted to.” He stopped and turned his gaze to Zeus and Poseidon, “Just show me you can fight them. Anything can happen in the future.”

After that, like Oceanus, he disappeared. It was as if the rain obscured him, disappearing among the drizzle. Only the twinkling gold indicated his presence. As the titan was gone, the tension in the air also slowly disappeared.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The rain slowly eased, and sunlight began to appear behind the black clouds. The fear that had been enveloping Zeus disappeared. He took a breath trying to calm himself. He turned to his sister, about to speak when something happened.

Perseas collapsed down onto the sand.

“Sister!” Poseidon was the first to react.

He knelt down beside Perseas, frantically hugging her. Perseas was slumped in his arms. Her face was covered by her black hair that was wet from the rain. Her body was shaking and her breath was coming in short gasps. Seeing her like that, Zeus felt like he couldn't breathe.

“Perseas! What..what happened?!” Zeus shouted, immediately approaching his sister.

Perseas shook her head, “It’s nothing. It was just…. Too stressful.” She sighed. “Two titans at the same time? How lucky are we?”

Zeus sighed, not laughing at Perseas’ joke. “Don’t joke like that. You’re freaking me out.”

“Zeus is right. It’s… weird seeing you like this. It scares me,” Poseidon muttered.

Perseas lifted her head. Although her face looked tired, her green eyes shone. She chuckled. “Oh, are you worried about me? Happy to hear it.” She leaned against Poseidon, reaching out and ruffling Zeus’ hair.

Zeus could see Poseidon looking at him in amusement. But he bit his lip, holding back the words he wanted to say. An argument was unnecessary right now.

“But don’t worry, it’s nothing,” Perseas said as she stood up. She tidied her hair and brushed the sand off the chiton she was wearing. “Yeahh… now isn’t it surprising that your fighting attracted unwanted attention? Quite an impressive storm, I say.”

Zeus frowned. His sister was right. Lately, he had noticed that his powers were also connected to his emotions. Like the wind would blow faster when he started to angry. That was another reason why he avoided Poseidon. Aside from being upset that he seemed to steal Perseas, Zeus himself was also unsure of his own emotions.

“I’m sorry,” Poseidon whispered. “I was angry and… I didn’t know what I was doing! The sea was raging on its own and –”

“Okay-okay,” Perseas cut Poseidon off, “Calm down. At least we know you’re somehow connected to the ocean. What we need to do now is train your powers so that you don’t cause chaos when you two fight. Again.”

Zeus just snorted as Poseidon glanced at him.

Perseas sighed as he put both of his hands on his hips. Looking at Zeus and Poseidon then towards the forest. A wide grin appeared on his face. A grin that made Zeus shiver because he knew what his sister would do next.

“We’re dead.” He mumbled.

“What?” Poseidon looked at him in confusion.

“Yeah, isn’t it time we started training? I don’t want to feel weak when we face our father.” Perseas started walking into the forest. “I guess I should  talk to the others first before we start.”

Zeus could only hope that Hades and the others could survive the torture – Perseas’ training. Just thinking about it made him feel an invisible pain all over his body. Still, even though he didn’t want to admit it, he missed training with his sister.

Suddenly he felt a small nudge on his shoulder.

He frowned at Poseidon who was walking beside him.

“What?”

“I will defeat you, remember that.”

“Ppft… never”

Chapter Text

“How…how did you find it?”

Why did Perseas sound…scared?

Hades looked at her, unsure of what to say. He had discovered this pit by accident while exploring a cave not far from Olympus.

At first, he didn’t know how long he had been exploring, making his way through the rocks in the darkness. But Hades liked it; he needed some peace after hearing Zeus and Poseidon’s constant bickering. It was a nice break after Perseas had been beating him up nonstop.

When Perseas said they would begin training to face their father, Hades was secretly excited. At first, the training was fun. However, things took a turn when each of them had to face Perseas in a fight. Eventually, Hades discovered why Zeus had appeared so pale, as well as the truth behind his claim that Perseas had been training him all along.

Perseas defeated them all with ease. She didn’t hesitate to attack her siblings. He still vividly remembered the pain that coursed through his body when he was buried under the rubble after his sister kicked him.

Perseas was truly terrifying.

When Hades wasn't training, he often spent his time exploring alone in the darkness. However, during his latest exploration, he stumbled upon something new that halted his journey: a pit.

It was a large hole deep underground, where darkness swallowed all the light that seeped through the cracks in the rocks. A chilling gust of air surged forth, and a black mist obscured his view of what lay beyond. In the past, Hades would have pressed on, unbothered by the darkness ahead. But this time, he felt compelled to turn back.

Whatever—no, whoever—lurked behind that darkness was powerful and ancient, even older than his father. So, he decided to return, planning to bring Perseas along to show this to her. She possessed knowledge of many things, and he hoped she could shed light on what lay beyond the shadowy pit.

He just hadn't expected Perseas to be so terrified at the sight.

"Perseas! What do you mean? Do you know what this is?"

“Hades! Answer me! How do you know this place?” His sister shouted, fear evident in her voice.

Her expression was strange, unlike the usual Perseas, who would mock Poseidon and Zeus, smile while in the company of Hera, Demeter, and Hestia, or enjoy the rare moments when she slept next to Hades.

“I found it while exploring,” he replied quietly, slowly approaching her. “You know what this is, right?”

Perseas remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together as her gaze stayed fixed on the darkness before them. Her green eyes, which usually glowed even in the dark, were now hidden. Hades watched her in silence for a moment, captivated by something unseen, until Perseas suddenly jerked back and bumped into him, who was standing just behind her.

Hades then realized that his sister's body was trembling.

Frantically, he hugged her and pulled her closer to him. Perseas's head hung low, her breath hitching. Panic began to rise within Hades.

"Perseas!" he shouted, "What's wrong? Why are you—"

Perseas shook her head, taking a breath, "I'm… okay. Let… let me lean back for a moment. Please?"

Hades frowned. His sister had never said anything like that. This wasn't like Perseas. She always smiled, laughed, mocked, and occasionally shouted in annoyance. But he had never seen her afraid like this.

He couldn't refuse Perseas's request, so he remained standing as she leaned against him.

Hades had so many questions for Perseas. Did she know what the pit was? Did she know who was in the darkness and why she felt so afraid? Despite his curiosity, he held back his words. Didn’t dare to ask a single question as Perseas’s hand, held in his, shook violently. Her expression was obscured by the hair falling across her face.

Unsure of what to do, Hades tightened his embrace and pulled his sister back into the cave. He used the shadows—something he had only recently learned to manipulate—to obscure their view.

After a moment, Perseas sighed and released herself from Hades’s embrace. Her body swayed for a moment before she stood up straight.

"Let's go back," Perseas whispered. "Show me the way; I can't see anything here."

"Okay."

He suppressed his curiosity as he began to walk back into the cave. The darkness didn't hinder his vision as he guided Perseas through the rocks, ducking between the large crystals. He slowed his pace when he realized Perseas was walking slower than when they had come.

"Don't you...wanna ask about it  ?"

"What?"

“That place. You must be curious,” Perseas said softly, her voice echoing in the cave.

Hades considered what to say. “I am curious. Very much. But, you are afraid of it,” he paused. His gaze remained fixed ahead; he couldn’t see his sister's expression behind him. “You didn’t have to explain it to me if you don’t want to.”

“Oh…”

Hades reached out, pulling Perseas's hand along as they reached a crossroads illuminated by the light of the colored stones. They were getting closer to Olympus. The echoes of his siblings were growing stronger in his head.

He stopped when Perseas cleared her throat, “What you found…it was an entrance. A gateway to somewhere, or…someone.”

That answer made Hades frown. He turned to Perseas, who was staring at him. Her glowing green eyes were unfocused, as if staring at something unseen.

“Someone?” Hades asked.

“Someone that powerful. Ancient. Older than our father,” Perseas replied.

Ancient? Older than the king of the Titans himself? Several names flashed through Hades’s mind. As he opened his mouth, about to guess what it was, Perseas’s hand covered his mouth.

“Don’t say the name,” Percy said, shaking her head. “Names have power. Remember that.”

Hades swallowed hard and nodded.

 He looked away as he continued walking. “Hurry up, Zeus and Poseidon will get annoying if I take you too long. I’m not patient with their fights like you.”

“You don’t have to be so pushy, Hades,” Perseas said, then chuckled, “But… yeah, you’re right. I guess I’m spoiling them too much.”

Hades snorted at the thought. Spoiling them? Perseas had thoroughly beaten Zeus and Poseidon every time she trained them. Hades even caught Poseidon crying in frustration at a waterfall on a coastal cliff; his brother had threatened him to keep quiet about it. If there was one of the five of them that Perseas spoiled, it was Hestia. She was gentler with her training.

They finally reached the cliff where the cave began. Perseas gracefully leaped over the cliffs while Hades used his shadow to find the safest path. A golden sky greeted them, accompanied by the gentle rustle of the wind. It wasn’t long before Poseidon’s shout was heard. With a grin on his face, he ran over to Perseas.

“Perseas! Where have you been?”

“Shut up.”

Poseidon gasped, his eyes widening in shock, “What—”

“Sorry Poseidon, I don’t feel like talking now,” Perseas interrupted him, “No training until tomorrow. I want to be alone, don’t bother me.”

A stunned Poseidon and a bewildered Hades didn't react quickly as their sister dashed off and soon vanished into the trees.

"Perseas! What do you mean? Are you—"

Hades grabbed Poseidon's arm just in time to stop him from chasing Perseas into the forest. He turned and glared at him, "Hades! Let go! What's that supposed to mean?!"

He could only shake his head, "Leave her, I think she wants to be alone—"

His words were cut off by a loud bang. They both turned to see Zeus—once again, plunging from the sky. Something he'd been doing a lot lately. A look of confusion was evident on his face as he approached.

"Why did I see Perseas running out of the forest?" Zeus asked, approaching them both.

Poseidon shrugged, "Don't ask me. She didn't even want to talk to me earlier."

Hades sighed tiredly as the two of them stared at him suspiciously, "Don't look at me like that. I don't know exactly what happened either."

"What! But you just spent time with her!"

“Yeah, I did take him to a place I found while exploring the cave. I thought Perseas would know what it was. But when we got there… yeah, she didn’t react well.” Hades tried to explain.

Poseidon frowned, “What do you mean?”

“She… froze, and her body was shaking. I think Perseas was afraid of what I showed her.”

There was silence for a few moments as his brothers tried to process what he had said.

“Perseas… scared?” Poseidon asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. She didn’t explain anything either. The only thing she said was that the place—or that person—was more ancient than father.”

The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of leaves. A rare silence fell between the three. Hades watched Zeus, who looked pensive, his fingers playing with the hem of his chiton. He seemed to want to say something, but a look of hesitation was visible on his face.

“Maybe… maybe it has something to do with her visions.”

“Her visions?”

“Sister. She… she sees things.” Zeus said quietly, “The Titans, certain events, places. That’s why she knows so much. Some things seem to… scare her? Perseas never told me, but sometimes she seems distracted. I don’t dare ask her, so…”

This was probably the first time Zeus had explained something to them. Hades finally understood why Perseas always had that all-knowing look. Her sea-green eyes always looked older than all of them, even though she was still as young as Zeus. A worry slowly grew in Hades. His sister was the strongest among them. If she was afraid of whatever it was, what about…

“If Perseas was afraid, so what?”

“Poseidon—”

“Shouldn’t we just protect her from whatever it was?” Poseidon said, his green eyes gleaming as he approached, “Oh, or are you afraid? Are you being a coward, Zeus—”

Zeus gasped, glaring at Poseidon angrily, “Me?! Of course not! Why should I be afraid? I’m the one who will protect Perseas—”

“Didn’t you say you were going to deterrone our father? So I guess I should be the one protecting Perseas—”

Hades rolled his eyes at the argument in front of him. Why should he be afraid when he had his siblings to rely on? He would protect them all, including Perseas. Even if Perseas was the strongest, it would be better if someone looked after her. Let Poseidon and Zeus bicker over who would protect her; Hades would be content to stay in the back and watch any threat that might harm his siblings.

Besides, he would also make sure Perseas had a shoulder to lean on if things got too much for her.

Hestia was worried about her sister.

Helion sun had risen for the second time, and Perseas hadn't been seen since she disappeared yesterday. Hades said their sister had become worried about something after he'd taken her to a place he'd discovered while exploring. Zeus added that Perseas would disappear for a while if she were preoccupied with something.

But that didn't ease Hestia's worries.

So, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, Hestia followed her sister's warm trail. She walked the meadows and carefully jumped over cliffs with crashing waves. She didn't know how far she'd gone, but the longer she walked, the more worried she became. For her sister's fire felt weak, almost fading.

Then, she saw her.

Beneath a waterfall on a cliff by the shore, Perseas sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, her entire body wet, water dripping from her black hair. The sunlight shining through the waterfall cast a rainbow around her sister. Drops of water sparkled in the air. The sight should have been breathtaking, but as Hestia looked at Perseas, she sensed sadness and exhaustion radiating from her sister.

Although her steps were slow, Perseas still flinched, indicating she recognized Hestia's presence. She remained silent as she approached her sister and sat down behind her. Slowly, Hestia reached out and touched Perseas's hair, gently combing it with her fingers.

She said nothing. Hummed quietly as she parted the strands. Sadness welled up within her as she felt Perseas's body tremble. So, she reached out, made a flame that radiated warmth, and let it hover beside them.

"You know, Perseas," she spoke softly, "When I was there, I almost forgot about the light and the warmth of the sun. It was all drowned in the cold darkness. When the others… came, I hated myself because the only thing I could do when they cried was hold them."

Hestia paused, noticing that Perseas had stopped trembling. Her hands began to braid Perseas's hair in a simple braid. Something she often did to comfort her sisters.

“I kept hoping to bring them warmth. To show them what light is in the darkness. Then one day, this fire appeared in my hand—”

“Are you afraid?”

Hestia’s hand stopped for a moment. Perseas whispered so softly, she almost didn’t hear her.

“Afraid?”

“…when you were there, or now. Are you… afraid of him?” Perseas asked.

Hestia paused for a moment, reflecting on her sister’s words. Afraid? Of course she was. She thought about her father’s gaze, the darkness, and the silence— the anger, the dread, and ultimately the exhaustion. She didn't want to experience that again. She didn’t want to see her father. She didn’t want to feel trapped in that place once more.

“Of course, it would be better if we never saw him again. However, she knew that sooner or later they would encounter their father again. The anger emanating from the King of Titan was palpable in the air. “But…”

“But what?”

“I think it’s okay if I'm with all of you, especially you, Perseas.”

Finally, Perseas moved, turning to face her. Hestia stared at her, who looked tired, her eyes lacking their usual sparkle, no smile on her lips. It hurt to see her like that. She preferred Perseas smiling brightly as she showed her the world. Like an older sister who was leading Hestia through a world she'd forgotten.

Hestia knew she was the oldest of her siblings. She had carried the responsibility of looking after them ever since she had welcomed them into the darkness. The burden weighed heavily on her, and worries plagued her mind. However, with Perseas, she felt like she could forget it all. Perseas seemed to guide her after they had been freed from their father. He had reunited the five siblings with their mother and taught them many things.

At times, Hestia felt that Perseas seemed older than she was.

So, perhaps it was the understanding of being the 'eldest'. Or perhaps it was simply Hestia's concern; she knew her sister needed help.

"Honestly, I'd prefer we didn't have to deal with him. You've never seen him when he's angry," she said. Recalling the king's moment of anger upon receiving the prophecy, "But, as I said... I think it's okay to face it together."

Hestia watched her sister, who was staring at her uncertainly. Strands of silver hair obscured her face. When there was no response, she decided to continue. She reached out and took Perseas's hand, which felt colder than usual.

"You're thinking about something, and I don't know what it is. You... don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Hestia said calmly, "Just... remember, we're with you. You're not alone, Perseas..."

"I'm... afraid."

"... Afraid? Father?"

Perseas shook her head, "No. A place. I see it, sometimes." She paused, "I think we'll go there. But I don't want to go..." Her voice began to tremble, and she sobbed, "I... I don't want to, Hes. I'm scared. But..."

Hestia immediately went to hug her.

Perseas's body shook violently as her head rested on Hestia's shoulder. The sound of his sister's sobs echoed around them, and her heart ached at the sound. She tightened his embrace, wanting to reassure her.

"It's okay to be afraid," She whispered. "You have us. You have me. You're not alone."

Hestia spoke not only to comfort her sister but also to reassure herself. In the past, with her other siblings, Hestia had felt the obligation to protect and look after them. But with Perseas, she felt no such compulsion. She was capable of protecting herself; she was strong—perhaps even stronger than Hestia herself. Yet, it seemed that Perseas needed someone to listen to her sorrows.

Hestia was sure she could be that person for her sister.

"I'm just... tired..."

She tightened her embrace.

Her sister seemed to have been through a lot.

So Hestia let her cry on her shoulder. After a while, Perseas's cries slowly subsided, but she didn't move from her embrace. Hestia didn't mind it. She hummed softly as time ticked by. The sun shone brighter and brighter in the sky. Others might have wondered where they were, but Perseas was more important right now.

Until she heard the sound of falling rocks.

She lifted her head, searching for the source of the sound. Not far from them, behind a cliff, two figures were peering down. Poseidon and Demeter. They stared at Hestia and Perseas uncertainly, as if arguing about something. Then, after a moment, Demeter moved, followed by Poseidon. The two of them slowly approached.

“Sisters. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Demeter said quietly, “But… someone has come to visit. And she wants to speak with us all.”

“…and for that, you must have weapons.”

Poseidon wasn’t sure how he felt right now. Weapons…sounded impressive. But it didn’t ease the worry he felt inside.

He glanced at Perseas beside him. His sister had been acting strangely lately. It all started when Perseas yelled at him after she returned from her trip with Hades. Poseidon was too shocked to react. After that, Perseas disappeared for two nights. This morning. Hestia went looking for her, worried. Last, when Demeter and he found Perseas crying in Hestia's arms, he knew something was wrong.

Seeing Perseas cry…made him feel uneasy. Her cries sounded so pitiful, it broke something inside him. And it seemed his siblings felt the same way.

They were all worried about Perseas.

“Weapons? Isn’t that too soon?” Perseas asked hoarsely. His sister looked disheveled, with dull eyes and a hunched posture. She didn’t even greet them when she returned with Hestia.

Metis, who had come to visit them, gave Perseas a strange look. It seemed she also sensed something was wrong with their sister. Shaking her head, she replied, “The sooner you get weapons, the better. Besides, the king has already started mobilizing the Titans.”

The thought of their father made Poseidon shudder. He exchanged glances with Hades, who was standing nearby.

“Weapons,” Hades said, “Should we make them or—”

“No. You won’t be able to make them. Weapons aren’t just tools. They’re symbols, channels of your power. A weapon can’t be made carelessly.”

“Then how—”

“Cyclopes.”

They all turned to Hestia. Metis nodded at their sister’s answer.

“You’re right. The Cyclopes. Arges, Steropes, and Brontes.” Metis said, “I suppose you know about them. Skilled ironclads. Imprisoned in—”

“Tartarus.”

Poseidon blinked at Perseas’s voice. His sister’s tone sounded hollow, but he sensed something deeper within her feelings. Although he struggled to understand what she was experiencing, it seemed connected to their current discussion.

Unsure of how to respond, he nervously reached out and took Perseas's hand. She looked up and met his gaze, and Poseidon squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Wait," Zeus exclaimed, "Are you referring to the abyss? That place? Where father imprisoned the Cyclopes and—"

"Zeus, Tartarus isn't merely a place," Perseas interjected. "Tartarus is an entity in itself, one of the oldest. It is the beginning of everything. The entire place serves as its body. The ground consists of sharp rocks that will stab your feet, the water feels like fire, and the air is poison. There is no light, only darkness, accompanied by a cold that will burn your skin."

Everyone fell silent at Perseas's words. Poseidon didn't like what he was hearing. The lightless darkness reminded him of the time he was trapped in their father's stomach. Also, how does water feel like fire?

"You know many things, Perseas," Metis said.

Perseas snorted, “There are many reasons why I didn't like that place.”

Then, Poseidon began to realize where this was going. “The plan is to have us go to Tartarus and free the Cyclopes.”

“Well, I think you get my drift.”

“Honestly, I don’t like that plan,” Hera grumbled, “Going to a place where the air is like poison—”

Poseidon fell silent. He didn’t like the plan either, but he understood why Metis suggested it. Having weapons would strengthen their fight against the Titans. Additionally, if they could enlist the help of the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, it would be a significant advantage. They needed every possible resource to fight their father and his army.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Perseas squeeze his hand.

His sister seemed to know a lot about Tartarus. Had she seen it through visions like Zeus had described? Was that why she knew about the burning water and the poisonous air? Could the place Hades had taken Perseas be one of the entrances to Tartarus? Was that why she had been so afraid and acting strangely lately? It all made sense to him.

“The lightless darkness reminds me of that place,” Hestia whispered, bringing Poseidon back to the conversation around him.

“But we have to do it anyway, don’t we?” Hades, who was standing under the tree, spoke calmly.

“Weapons… would be very important to them. Imagine what it would be like if we could free them and win them over to us.” Poseidon proposed his idea.

“You’re… right,” Demeter sighed, “I don’t want to do that either. But—”

“I guess… this means it’s decided?”

 Perseas’ hoarse laughter ended their conversation. Looking down, she chuckled, “Yeah, I guess this can’t be helped.”

“Perseas, if you don’t like that place. We don’t have to—”

“I’m fine, Zeus. I don’t like Tartarus; it gives me nightmares. But we must go there anyway. We need weapons, as well as more allies, to fight Father. The journey there won’t be easy. It will be painful, to be honest.”

Poseidon hated the tension that had built up immediately after Perseas’s words. Hera and Demeter had worried looks, and Hestia looked upset. Hades, meanwhile, was pensive, and Zeus had an uncertain look on his face. Even Metis took turns looking at them each with a doubtful look.

“Of course, we can do it, right?” Poseidon said enthusiastically, trying to lighten the mood. “Enter the Primordial body, find the prison, and then release the Cyclopes. Sounds easy! What’s there to fear?!”

Perseas snorted. Poseidon couldn’t help but smirk when he saw the small smile on her lips.

“Oh, it’s okay if you’re scared, Perseas! You just need to stay close to me and I’ll protect you—”

“Ppftt..”

Poseidon immediately glared at his brother, Zeus, who was holding back his laughter.

“What?”

“Nope, just… how can you protect our sister if you still lose to her every time we train?”

Poseidon could feel the burning shame welling up inside him. He looked away, but didn’t release his grip on Perseas’s hand. “So what? I’ll still protect you, sis. Oh, and the rest of you, don’t worry!”

Poseidon was well aware of the power gap between himself and Perseas. When his sister first suggested training them, Poseidon had been excited. He couldn’t wait for the training Perseas would teach him, only to be faced with a horrifying reality. Perseas was powerful and had beaten Poseidon and the others mercilessly. But what annoyed Poseidon was how, during training, Zeus would always smile and mutter,

“Finally I’m not alone….”

Thanks to Zeus’s annoyance and the pain he felt all over his body because of Perseas, he wasn’t angry with his sister, ever. Poseidon sometimes hid in a waterfall on a cliffside far from Olympus. Besides healing himself, it was the perfect place to mourn. He wondered how he could become as strong as Perseas.

Even if his sister was stronger, didn’t she need someone to protect her, too? Poseidon sometimes thought that. Especially when he realized that Perseas was afraid of Tartarus. Poseidon didn’t need to know why. Did he need a reason to protect his sister?

Slowly, the tension around them dissipated. A small snort came from Hades while Hera rolled her eyes. Perseas chuckled, met with an annoyed sigh from Zeus. Metis finally cleared her throat.

“Very well. I assume you all agree?” she asked.

No one said anything, but they all knew the answer.

“Before that, there’s something I must give you,” Metis said, pulling something out of thin air. How could she do that? In her hands were several pieces of cloth. They were large enough to be a cloak, woven roughly in shades of gray and brown. Yet even from a distance, Poseidon could feel a warmth radiating from them—a warmth reminiscent of their mother, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time.

Demeter sighed, "Are... are they from mother?"

Metis nodded with a small smile. "Rhea made them for you. She wanted to keep protecting you."

Demeter stepped forward and took the clothes into her arms. "Thank you. Could... could you tell her we miss her?"

"Of course, Demeter. Rhea misses you too. Don't forget Rhea always loves you all."

Poseidon could feel the relief and warmth radiating from his sisters. The mention of their mother calmed them. Even Perseas' hand in his felt more relaxed.

"Thank you, Metis, for coming here," Perseas said. "Your help is much appreciated."

Metis laughed softly, “Of course. Oh, and I have a message for you, too. He said you would understand immediately when I delivered it.”

“Message?”

“Find where the river of fire starts. Below the tallest rocks, in the deepest part, there is. Don’t let the limits defeat you.”

Poseidon frowned at the words he had just spoken. Was that a… hint? Who had given the message? Whoever this “he” was seemed to already know what they were going to do.

“Limits?” Zeus murmured, “Perseas, do you understand?”

Perseas finally released his hand from Poseidon’s grasp. She stood and nodded, “It’s a hint, I guess.” His sister looked at them all, her eyes still red from crying, and her body slightly hunched. Despite everything, a small smile appeared on her face—a glimmer of hope after several days of worry. “Very well, then. I suppose we should prepare ourselves. There’s a terrible place we must visit.”

In that moment, Poseidon resolved that he would do anything to keep that smile on his sister's face from now on.

For the first time, Zeus felt useless.

After Metis left, Poseidon pulled Hades and himself aside for a conversation. He shared his suspicions about Perseas' fear of Tartarus. When they both looked to Zeus for confirmation, he, too, realized he didn't know.

What was his sister afraid of?

Was she afraid of Tartarus?

Why hadn't he known?

Zeus had been with Perseas since he was born. He knew that Perseas often had "visions." Some of these visions seemed ominous, which caused his sister to spend her time alone, hiding beneath the cliff, and Zeus would always seek her out. It was a little game they played while they were still on the island of Crete. Now, Zeus realized something important: he had never asked Perseas about her troubling visions.

Why did it feel like he didn’t truly know his sister, especially regarding her fear of the place they were heading to?

"Perseas, Are you sure about this? If you were afraid, we wouldn't have—"

"Zeus, for the thousandth time, I'm fine." Perseas sighed.

"B-but…"

His sister chuckled, “Even if I’m afraid, I have you guys, right? Besides, Poseidon promised to protect me.”

“Of course!” Poseidon, walking ahead of them, called out, “You can’t be far from me, sis!”

Zeus snorted in annoyance at the cheerful tone in Poseidon's voice. How could he be so relaxed as they approached the entrance of a place older than their father? The cave alone disgusted him. There was no light, and the air felt strange. He couldn't understand how Hades could see and guide them all in the darkness.

He reached out and pulled Perseas close, “Why… why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Perseas turned to him, “Hmmm?”

Zeus looked down, hesitantly saying, “About what you saw. About Tartarus.”

.

.

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

Zeus’s eyes widened at his sister’s answer.

“Mother always said you would free our brothers and sisters and fight Father. I didn’t want to add to your burden by telling you what I’ve seen all this time. Also, Tartarus isn’t a good story for me to tell you.”

Perseas didn’t want Zeus to worry about her, but he truly cared about his sister. What did it mean to be a burden? Their mother had said it was his destiny, something he had to do, not a burden at all.

“Besides, I only had occasional visions of that place. I didn’t really care about it—until Hades took me exploring this cave. If I told you, or anyone else, you’d be scared. I didn’t want that to happen.”

Zeus lowered his head. Was he scared? It was much scarier to see his sister like this. He felt a deeper fear about not knowing anything regarding his sister than about facing something older than their father. Why did Perseas think he wouldn’t take her story well? Did she still see him as the little Zeus from the island of Crete, the one who didn’t know about the world? The one she needs to protect and take care of?

Zeus frowned, "I…I'm not a kid anymore."

"Huh? Of course. You're growing up too fast—"

"Then why are you looking at me like that?!"

Perseas' eyes widened in shock, "Zeus! What—"

"I'm older! Stronger! Isn't that why you trained me so I wouldn't be afraid of anything? Why…why did you keep things a secret from me? Weren't we in this together?!"

.

.

.

Zeus bit his lip. He…he shouted at his sister. A strange new feeling arose within him. Slowly, he let go of Perseas' hand and backed away. He shouted…at Perseas. Would she be angry? Would she scold him? They were on an important journey. Why did he have to say something like this—

“That’s not what I meant.”

“…what?”

“I didn’t keep it from you because I treated you like a child. It’s just…” She sighed, “Mother asked me to look after you, look after all of you. Besides, with the whole matter of facing father and training you, I didn’t think the matter of my vision was worth discussing.”

The matter itself wasn’t worth discussing? But Perseas was important to them; she was important to Zeus. It hurt to see her like this. Perseas had done so much for him. What had Zeus done for his sister?

Nothing.

“Don’t say things like that! Your problems are important too. You should tell me! Don’t I always share everything with you!?” Zeus grumbled in annoyance. Remembering their time on Create Island, and Zeus always having a new story to tell his sister.

“Oh? If I told you, what would you do?” Perseas asked, raising an eyebrow, a small smile playing on hier  lips.

What could he do? He wasn't a smooth talker like Hestia or a jokester like Poseidon. As he thought hard about the situation, he imagined what he would do if Perseas told him something like this again in the future. He came to a troubling realization: he would most likely confront anyone who had frightened Perseas. They would end up fighting, and Perseas would probably beat him senseless for doing something so recklessly.

Zeus shook his head, trying to dispel the thought.

"I'll do something! You just have to tell me! I'm already grown up now and can handle anything!"

For a moment, Perseas just stared at him. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, then she chuckled, "Okay, fine. Zeus, my already grown—"

"Hey!"

"—I'll tell you about my strange visions. I can't promise anything, but I'll try. What do you think?"

Okay, that was enough for now. Perseas might not have promised, but she said she would try. Zeus would ask again after they returned from this crazy plan.

"Fine." He sighed in resignation.

“You could have told me too!” A third voice replied from within the cave.

Zeus gasped in surprise, turning around and glaring at Poseidon, who was leaning not far from them.

“What are you doing here?”

Poseidon shrugged, “You’ve been talking too long. Someone should show you the way.”

Zeus was about to say something when Perseas’s hand covered his mouth.

“I don’t think it’s the time to argue here, do you?” Perseas said, “Let’s put the matter of my vision aside for now. Hades has likely been waiting for us for too long.”

Zeus bit back his words and followed Perseas back. Poseidon approached them and nudged him on the shoulder.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who cares about Perseas.”

Zeus rolled his eyes in response. Did Poseidon think he didn’t see how much everyone cared about Perseas? Lately, Zeus felt as though he was competing with Poseidon for Perseas’s attention, which he thought was foolish. However, he didn’t want to lose to his brother.

“Oh, you’re finally here.”

Hades' voice greeted them as Zeus ducked through the rocks. The narrow path in front of him widened into a large stone chamber. In the center stood a deep pit that emanated a terrifying aura. Even from a distance, it sent shivers down his spine. The remaining light in the cave seemed to vanish into the darkness of the pit.

"Is… this the place?" Zeus asked hesitantly.

"Hmmm." Perseas nodded. "You must have sensed it, haven't you?"

Zeus nodded, shuddering as he felt a powerful energy envelop him. This presence was different from the power of the Titans. It felt heavy, older than anything he had ever experienced—more so than even the king of the Titans himself.

Hera approached the pit and leaned in to see. "We have to go to… this?"

"That's the plan."

Demeter sighed, pulling Hera away. "This is scarier than I imagined."

The seven of them stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing into the endless darkness below. A cold breeze surged from within, chilling their skin. Someone touched his shoulder; it's Poseidon, but he didn’t feel like arguing at that moment. So he allowed his brother to rest a hand on him while he continued to stare into the abyss, wondering what lay beyond.

Suddenly, a fire appeared, hovering in front of them. It emitted a bright light, yet its glow couldn’t penetrate the darkness of the pit.

"So, how do we get down there?"

"We jump."

Zeus winked at Perseas. So did the others, who were staring at their sister in disbelief.

"...jump?"

"Yeah, how else are we going to get down there?" Perseas joked.

"Isn't that...dangerous?" Hades asked hesitantly.

Perseas waved a hand toward the pit. "Just coming here is dangerous. There's no other way in but to jump."

"I guess you're right, Perseas. But..."

"Are we going to do this or not?" Perseas asked, raising an eyebrow, “It’s okay to be afraid. We’ll do this together.”

Zeus wasn’t afraid. He just…

“Together?”

“Together.”

Zeus looked at the others and then at Perseas. His sister's face looks pale, so he reached out and took her hand. Whatever was in there that frightened Perseas, Zeus was determined to face it. Perseas had been protecting him all this time; perhaps it was time for him to start protecting his sister.

Perseas was the first to step forward. She grabbed Zeus's hand and jumped, followed by the others. For a moment, it felt as if he were floating—as if he were flying. Then something seemed to pull him, and the seven of them plunged into endless darkness.

If future Greek poets had asked what the first generation of gods did when they went into the Tartarus, Perseas would have answered honestly.

They screamed, loudly and uncoolly.

“AAAHHHH!!!!!”

“When…when will this end!!”

“Zeus! Zeus, do something!”

“I can’t! The air here is weird!”

They continued to fall into absolute darkness. The wind howled around her. The air felt cold and hot at the same time. Her siblings shouted around her.

The first time she fell with Annabeth, all she felt was a burning fear inside her. Now, what she felt was anger—anger at having to return to this place, anger at having forgotten the part about Zeus and the others entering Tartarus to free the Cyclopes, and anger for causing her brothers and sisters to worry.

She hadn’t meant to worry them! She simply couldn’t control her emotions when Hades showed her the hole that led to Tartarus. The next few moments were a blur, and she found herself crying in Hestia's arms. Then, Metis confronted her with the fact that they needed to free the Cyclopes to obtain the weapon. It all culminated with Zeus declaring that he was no longer a child and that Perseas should keep no secrets from her.

Truly, a rollercoaster of emotions he shouldn't have experienced before plunging into hell itself.

If Will had heard this, he would have given her an hour-long lecture on mental health.

"Perseas," Hestia's voice rang out clearly beside her, "Do you know how long—"

Suddenly, Perseas felt something far below them..

"Zeus!"

"I told you I can't control—"

"Damn it!" Hades shouted, "Do something or we'll crash into that!"

Everyone looked down simultaneously. Below them, as if emerging from the darkness, lay a new world. It wasn't merely a cave, for there seemed to be no end in sight. A vast black plain, larger than New York, was shrouded in red clouds. In the distance, the silhouettes of towering mountains with jagged peaks loomed. To his right were cliffs leading to an endless abyss. They were rapidly falling from the place above.

"Zeus!" Perseas shouted a second time.

Her brother seemed to finally understand the gravity of their situation. A moment later, a strong wind surrounded them. It felt like they were in the middle of a storm, only the air was hot. Her surroundings seemed to spin, and her vision blurred. Someone gripped her hand tightly, but Perseas couldn't see who it was. Suddenly, their bodies floated slowly, for a few seconds before sliding down and crashing hard into the rocks.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

BANG!!!

For a moment, Perseas saw nothing. Her entire body felt like it was being sliced open by tiny objects.

“I hate flying. Never doing it again.” Poseidon’s scolding was the first thing she heard.

Perseas silently agreed.

She crouched down and took a breath, coughing as the air felt like burning acid searing her lungs. It was not too different from the time she and Annabeth had fallen, but this time, there was no river to freeze her to the bone.

“Sister…are you okay?”

She looked up to see Zeus crouching before her, a guilty expression on his face. “Sorry, I tried to control the wind so we wouldn’t crash into anything. But…the air here feels different. I can’t control it.”

“Hmm,” Perseas simply mumbled as she accepted Zeus’s outstretched hand and stood, “at least thanks to you, we didn’t get smashed to pieces here.”

She winced as she felt sharp rocks dig into his feet. She felt the pain spread and cursed the lack of shoes.

“Ughhhh…”

Perseas turned quickly when she heard someone groan. Beside her, Demeter was hunched over, holding her stomach.

“Demeter! Are you okay?” Hera, who was not far from them, approached her.

Demeter shook her head, “It’s okay, just… the air here is suffocating me.” She replied. Her body hunched over as she gasped for breath.

This concerned Perseas, who had just come to a realization. Did Demeter appear so ill because she was far from the forests of Olympus? The gods were always connected to their realms; that connection was the source of their power. Being in Tartarus meant being cut off from those realms and their strength.

Perseas began to wonder if being in Tartarus was worse for a god than for a demigod.

Hades, Poseidon, and Hestia approached them as well. Hades walked with a limp, displaying golden spots on his right foot. Poseidon had some abrasions on his body, and Hestia looked as pale as Demeter.

“I finally understand why you hate this place.” Hades muttered, “I like being in the darkness, but this…”

“You haven’t even seen anything yet,” Perseas grumbled, helping Hera lift Demeter. “Did you hurt your leg? Are you okay?”

Hades glanced at his leg, “It’s not that bad. I can handle it.”

Perseas didn't believe it all. But she didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"This reminds me of that place," Hestia sighed, "but... different. Like something..."

"...or someone watching us," Poseidon said.

Everyone exchanged glances in silence. No one wanted to mention the unsettling idea of something watching them. Perseas bit her lip, trying to push aside thoughts of the entity that haunted her in the darkest corners of her dreams.

"Yeah, I think we can all agree that we don't like this place," Hera said, breaking the silence as she scanned the surroundings. "Can we just hurry up and get out of here? I suppose the highest rock refers to the mountain? How can there even be a mountain in what should be a cave?"

Something absurd struck Perseus at that comment. How can you guys live in another's stomach? Welcome to this ridiculous world of mythology. Perseus sighed, her sanity beginning to waver.

"The river of fire. The message said something about a river of fire. Is there a river here?" Poseidon asked. And for the first time, Perseas heard him say something seriously.

“I think… There is,” Hades murmured as his eyes narrowed into the distance.

Perseas narrowed her eyes in the direction Hades was looking. In the distance, beyond the red mist, a winding line could be seen, stretching until it disappeared into the darkness.

With a weary sigh, Perseas imagined walking endlessly until they reached a river, most likely the Phlegethon. At least they wouldn’t have to play hide-and-seek with the monsters. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but emptiness and silence. There were no millions of monsters gathered, quarreling with one another.

Perseas began to wonder which would be worse: being watched by the monsters or being observed by something that was the essence of this place.

“I think we know where we’re going? Wouldn’t it be better to start walking to get out of here faster?” Perseas said, straightening herself. Fear still gripped her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, her mind telling her to look behind her. But she wanted to go through with this plan. Somehow, they freed the Cyclopes and Hecanthonicheires and got out of here.

“Perseas is right, we shouldn’t waste time here,” Zeus said calmly.

“For once, I agree with you, Zeus,” Poseidon said.

Hestia reached out and made a flame float between them. Its light shimmered in the darkness. “Don’t be separated. I will maintain this flame as long as I can.”

Hera reached out to support Demeter. “Demeter. Can you walk? It looks like we’re going to be on a long journey.”

Demeter nodded slowly as she stood up, though she looked unsteady. "I can handle it. Let's finish this and get out of here," she said.

Perseas tried to suppress a smile. Seeing them like this, the six of them resembled a family—siblings who cared for each other, rather than a broken family filled with resentment and distrust.

She straightened herself and adjusted the robes that Rhea had made for them. The fabric felt rough against her skin, but she could sense its power. It glowed softly, providing a warm, protective feeling. Then she followed the others toward the place that had haunted her nightmares on certain nights.

Perseas took a breath, calming her pounding heart.

Ahhh, shit, here we go again.

Chapter Text

Demeter didn't want to admit it, especially not to her siblings, but she felt that being trapped in her father's belly was better than staying here any longer.

The journey through the endless, rocky valley was painful. Every step burned her legs. As far as she could see, there was only darkness and red mist with distant silhouettes of mountains on the horizon. She didn't even know how long they had been there. The presence of her siblings and the cloak her mother had made were the only things keeping her going through this dreadful place.

She had thought the journey alone was terrifying, but that was nothing compared to when they met the jailer.

Kampe.

A being that had left her speechless the moment they first saw it.

The child of Tartarus and Gaea, their grandmother. So they were somehow connected to this monster, Perseas explained. Hearing it made her feel uneasy.

The monster was so large that she had to lift her head to look at it. Its lower body had four massive legs that made the ground shake as it walked. Its hide was tough, and it had a long, curved tail tipped with poison. Large wings with claws were perched on its back, and each sweep of those wings created a suffocating rush of air. Her upper body resembled that of a titaness, but instead of hair, tiny creatures wriggled in place. Her glowing yellow eyes never blinked.

Furthermore, the two giant swords in her hands, along with the poison in her hands, made defeating her seem impossible.

“Ah… this is bad.” Demeter sighed, massaging her feet with her hands. The longer she stayed here, the more she felt like she was losing herself.

Her siblings looked just as bad as she did. Hera's hands were full of scratches with golden spots. Hades's legs full of bruised and scraped, were more concerning than hers. Only Poseidon seemed relatively unscathed. Even Perseas, the most powerful among them, was leaning on Zeus for support.

They were hiding on a cliff not far from the mountain where Kampe was, having successfully severed one of her legs. Even after such a feat, Kampe’s movements hadn’t changed much. Her angry roars could be heard clearly around them. The stomping of her feet caused strong vibrations.

“Is she… speaking?” Hera glanced over the cliff.

“Hmm, yeah. An ancient language, I’m think.” Perseas replied, “Don’t ask me. I don’t understand either.”

“Are we going to keep doing this?” Poseidon finally asked, “Going for his body parts one by one? It’ll take a long time if we keep doing it like this.”

“We’ve attacked her four times and only managed to cut off her leg.” Hades grumbled, “I think we’ll run out of energy before we defeat her. Not to mention, we have to figure out how to get them out of that prison.”

The prison was their ultimate goal—a place beyond the mountain, guarded by Kampe. Zeus, Hades, and Demeter had sneaked in to inspect it. Inside, they found a giant cave with bars made of black stone. Demeter could see silhouettes moving within the prison.

Hestia, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up. “I don’t want to worry you, but I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this fire going.” She pointed to the flickering flame. “If it goes out, things will only get worse.”

Everyone fell silent. Hestia’s fire was what had kept them going. Being near her felt like it was replenishing their energy. The wounds inflicted by Kampe were healing, too. Even when they took more time to heal. Demeter didn’t want to imagine what would happen if the fire were to go out.

“Final move?” she suggested.

“I agree.”

“I can’t take much longer.”

Suddenly, Poseidon pointed in the distance at a towering cliff. Even the Kampe appeared small beneath it. "If we can lure her down there, I’m sure we can destroy the cliff to trap her. It will make it easier for us to defeat her."

“We should attack her together,” Perseus said. “Zeus, Hestia, can you lure him there?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Zeus said. “This time, I’ll follow your words, Poseidon. Don’t ruin your own plan.”

Poseidon snorted. “Demeter, can you help me with the cliff? As for his tail—”

“Hades and I will take care of it,” Hera replied, glancing at Hades. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Hades simply shrugged. "That's fine with me. I'll find another way to hurt her whenever I can."

Then Demeter realized something. “Perseas, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to take down the wings.” Perseas said, "I'll do it myself, don't worry about me."

No one spoke after that; they all knew how strong Perseas was. She was the least injured among them and had even managed to wound Kampe's tail all by herself. It was truly impressive to watch her leap and dodge gracefully, evading Kampe's attacks before they could inflict harm. Sometimes, Demeter wondered if she could ever become as strong as her sister.

"I suppose it's decided?" Poseidon said, "Once the cliff collapses, do whatever you can to kill it."

Her sisters nodded. The atmosphere was heavy, oppressing Demeter. They had to do this. Kill Kampe as quickly as possible and free the Cyclopes. Demeter was confident that she and the others could do this.

 "Why are you worried? We can do this, can't we?" she said, smiling even as her heart raced.

"Of course we can. I have faith in all of you," Perseas said calmly. Her sparkling green eyes scanned them each with a look she'd never seen before. "We'll meet again after that monster is gone."

Perseas's words clearly had an impact on them all. Hades stood straighter as he put his arm around Hera's shoulder. "Be careful," he said before they both disappeared into the shadows.

Zeus seemed to be getting excited, too. "Don't get hurt."

"You too, don't overdo it," Poseidon sneered, then took her hand. "Come on, Demeter, we have a cliff to break down."

Demeter took one last look at Perseas before turning and following Poseidon. Every step she took was crushing her body. But there was a renewed sense of hope within her. She could do this. They could defeat Kampe.

And get out of here as fast as they could.

If being on Minatour's when she was twelve felt like a rodeo, being on Kampe's back felt like an earthquake.

Only the earthquake was accompanied by poison that pierced her skin, acidic air that burned her lungs, and sharp thorns that stabbed her feet. In short, it was painful.

"YOU ANNOYING LITTLE CREATURES!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!"

Kampe's roar pierced her ears as she desperately clung to the giant rock on the cliff. Her vision shook violently, and she could only catch flashes of Hestia's flames in the distance. With great effort, she managed to leap off the cliff and grab onto the thorns beneath the creature’s wings. The heat around the monster was already beginning to burn her skin.

Kampe was one of those rare monsters she had never fought before. But Perseas had seen firsthand when Briares fought her. And she could swear, Kampe wasn't this big back then. Back then, if she attacked in this current form, the half-blood camp would be crushed in two steps.

"Arrrghhh!! You damn monster!" She screamed, struggling to keep herself from falling and being stomped on horribly.

It was obvious that screaming was a bad idea. Kampe let out a roar, her body shaking, causing Perseas to lose her balance.

"Perseas!" Zeus shouted in the distance.

"I'm fine!" Perseas replied, her heart racing, "Just focus on your job!"

Okay, Perseas. Don't forget about your job, too, she muttered to herself. How many thousands of monsters have you killed, Perseas? One more won't be that hard, right?

Ah, she misses Riptide.

If only she had her sword with her, she could just stab it through the damn thing's wings and slash it. Now what could she do?

Taking advantage of Kampe's movement, Perseas leaned in close and jumped. Her landing was rough, and her skin scraped as she crouched on the back where the wings were. Green smoke immediately filled his eyes, making them water.

Think, Perseas! You have to do something! What could she do now?

From her vantage point, she could see everything happening around her. Zaus, whose body was larger than usual, flew nimbly, dodging the swords while Hestia's fireballs continued to rain down on Kampe. Meanwhile, she noticed the small figure of Hera jumping, occasionally grazing Kampe's tail.

Her power. She still had power. How could she forget that?

Water! She needed water! She looked around and cursed. Damn it. No water. No rivers as far as she could see. Liquid, whatever it was!

Then she realized something.

Blood.

Blood also a liquid.

Monsters have blood, too, right?

Her heart was pounding. Could she control blood? She lowered her head and focused her thoughts, strengthening her power, and gasped. This monster was a ticking time bomb. She could feel the blood boiling beneath her hands—like an uncontrollable wave, as if it could explode at any moment.

She couldn't help but smile; hurting this creature would be easy.

The surroundings shook again, but Perseas wasted no time. She stood, desperately wrapping her arms around the base of one of Kampe's wings. Focusing her strength on that area, she could feel the blood snaking from her back and spreading into the wing.

Could she do this?

There was no time to think about it.

Tightening her arm around the leathery, twitching wing, Perseas pulled with all her might, rupturing the blood within.

Bad idea.

Just as the scaly wing was severed with a sickening sound, a green liquid gushed out, drenching her body. Poison. The blood of the Kampe was poison itself.

She bit her lip hard, holding her scream. Damn it. It hurt. The poison burned through the cloak Rhea had given her, dripping directly onto her skin. This was even worse than bathing in the River Styx. She could even hear the poison sizzling against her skin!

“PERSEAS!! WATCH OUT!”

Hades’s shout made her look up just in time. Her gaze met with yellow eyes filled with rage, the snakes on their heads hissing loudly.

Damn it.

She dodged just in time as the curved sword swung in front of her. Leaping back and ducking as the second sword sailed overhead, she dashed forward toward the half-hanging wing. Spraying green liquid, she pulled hard until it was completely severed from the spiked back.

Kampe roared in rage, her focus now completely on herself.

“ARGGGHH! YOU’RE GOING TO DIE!”

She didn’t even have time to dodge when the other wing slammed into her hard. Perseas could feel her body being thrown far away. She screamed as she slammed into the cliff rocks.

“Damn it, I really need a weapon after this.”

With her back cracking, Perseas opened her eyes. Just in time, a giant foot was about to hit her. She rolled away, feeling the thump ripple through her body. Her eyes widened again as the sword whizzed toward her. She threw herself away, staggering as her shoulder hit the rocks.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and a loud rumbling sound rang out. It was so loud that Kampe stopped her movement. Both of them turned toward the source of the rumbling. Perseas then realized something.

She was right below the cliff Poseidon had planned to bring down to trap Kampe.

Yeah, fuck.

Then she saw someone in the distance.

“HADES!”

Then, everything happened so fast. Hades embraced her, and they vanished just in time as the massive cliff collapsed. Rocks larger than a school bus crashed down on Kampe. She roared as Poseidon plunged in, wielding the largest, sharpest stone, and stabbed Kampe's back. At that moment, a giant fireball struck her other wing, causing the monster to stagger and fall with a loud thud.

Her siblings weren’t finished yet.

Demeter appeared, helping to crush one of Kampe's legs. Just then, Zeus landed a powerful strike to the snakehead's face. Perseus realized that Kampe's scorpion tail had vanished. Had Hades and Hera managed to cut it off?

Kampe roared again, but her screams were cut off when Poseidon stabbed her a second time, right where a human's heart should be. Zeus made the final move, smoothly cutting off Kampe's head with just his hand. The head remained in Zeus's hand, its snakes writhing.

It should have been disgusting, but Perseas couldn't contain the joy that surged through her.

For a moment, there was only silence, the sound of the burning fire, and the rumbling of the rocks on the cliff.

Perseas was still trying to believe what had just happened before her.

“Hahh... hahh... did we... do it?” she asked.

She could feel Hades' body trembling behind her, “I think... so. We defeated that.” He whispered in disbelief.

Even though her bones felt broken and her skin burned, Perseas sighed gratefully. They really did it.

“Perseas! What... what happened to you!”

Hades's screams distracted her. She looked down, realizing that her cloak had been completely burned, as had the thin chiton she wore. Most of her body was exposed. But modesty was the last thing on her mind right now.

“Poison, Kampe's blood is poison itself. It burned through mother's robes,” he replied, nodding gratefully as Hades draped his cloak over her shoulders. She looked around, searching for the last person she hadn't seen yet.

“Where’s Hera? Aren’t you—”

Then she saw her.

Is she...

No…no…NO!!

Perseas staggered, freed herself from Hades’ embrace, and ran. Her entire body was burning, but she focused her thoughts on the figure lying nearby. Her sister. Hera.

Her heart stopped when he saw her.

Her sister lay pale on the ground. Her eyes were strangely open, as if glaring at something. A large gash ran across her body, starting from her shoulder and extending to her mid-chest. But what was most strange was the brownish-green liquid seeping from it. The liquid, along with her golden ichor, soaked her chiton.

“Hera!”

Perseas was brought back to her senses by Hades’s alarmed cry. Her brother knelt and scooped Hera into his arms. “What happened? Hera…she was fine when I saved you.” Hades whispered.

Did that mean it wasn’t Kampe who injured Hera?! Then…what was going on here?!

Hera had never had a good relationship with her as a goddes. She was one of the gods Perseas disliked, especially after she kidnapped her, erased all her memories, and sent her to Camp Jupiter. However, as a sister and a young goddess freed from Kronos's spell, she couldn’t bring herself to hate Hera. Although Hera rarely smiled and sometimes seemed mocking, to her, it felt like a disguise for someone hiding their fears.

To Perseas, Hera was now just a girl hiding her fear.

Seeing her motionless, with her eyes strangely open, with wounds for no reason, a new fear arose within Perseas.

“She bothered me, so I gave her a little punishment.”

She froze. The voice… sounded familiar. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The voice seems familiar. Perseas turned and saw who had spoken.

Akhlys.

All the myths being, why must it be her?

Perseas wanted to laugh at her fate.

“Akhlys. I never expected to see you.” Perseas stepped in front of her siblings.

“Oh?” Akhlys tilted her head. “You know me?”

Akhlys looked different from when Annabeth and she had first encountered her. She crouched low, her body glowing faintly and blinking occasionally. Her hands, with long, crooked fingers, were wrinkled and aged. Her hair flowed like a greenish-black liquid, dripping onto the ground. Only her upper body remained solid; from the waist down, she dissolved into a reddish-black mist.

“Of course. Proteganos of Misery and Poison. Keeper of the Death Mist, Daughter of Nyx. Am I right?” Perseas asked back.

Akhlys’s form flickered brighter as she floated closer, “Of course, you must know me! I am Akhlys! Ruler of the Death Mist! Child of Nyx herself!”

“So, is that you?”

“What?”

“Were you the one who hurt my sister?” Perseas asked quietly.

Akhlys paused, tilted her head, and grinned, “Why? Did you—”

“Stay away from my sister.”

In the blink of an eye, someone else was standing in front of her, Zeus. So were the others. Poseidon was standing beside her, and even without looking, he knew Hestia and Demeter were behind her, along with Hades.

Akhlys’s grin widened, and a strange sound escaped her lips. The poison dripping from her hair began to form a steaming pool. Small flowers started to appear around them, oozing sap with a pungent odor. A terrifying aura and a pungent odor emanated from the creature before her.

Worry and anger began to rise within her. They had just defeated Kampe, and now they had to deal with this? Her body still burned, Hera was wounded behind her, and it was clear Akhlys was about to do something. Perseas’s patience was wearing thin. She wanted to scream, cry -anything to relieve the feeling of something threatening to explode inside her.

It would be so easy to destroy Akhlys. Her entire body was composed of poison, and Perseas could sense it as easily as she could feel the waves of the sea. But if she did that… what would happen to her siblings? If they witnessed her take such action, would they be afraid? She swallowed, recalling Annabeth's words: "Some things aren't meant to be controlled."

Perseas shuddered. She didn't want them to see her with such fear.

She had to do something before this got worse.

"Who are you! What are you doing here?!" Zeus shouted.

"Zeus," She stepped forward and placed her hands on her brother's shoulders, "Let me—"

Time seemed to stand still as she saw what was happening before her.

Zeus crouched down, his body trembling violently as he clenched his hands around his throat. He bent over, a painful choking sound escaping his lips. Beside her, Poseidon knelt, black liquid flowing from his eyes and nose. Silently, he stared at Perseas with fear in his eyes and whispered, "Sister..."

Perseas' heart stopped in her chest.

Don't let those limits destroy you.

She lifted his head and looked at Akhlys, who was smiling widely. Tilting her head, she chuckled softly, "Oh, why are you looking at me like that? Are you scared, little one?" she asked in a hoarse voice. "I'm going to have fun with you. It’s going to be fun!"

This damn thing...

 Perseas was going to kill her.

Something exploded inside Perseas.

.

.

"Do you think this is funny?"

***

Zeus thought he had become stronger.

He had survived Orthys and freed his brothers and sisters. He could fight on equal terms with Perseas. He could fly at will and easily make the wind move freely among the clouds. He could also summon lightning and play with it between his fingers. He even defeated Kampe and his brothers and single-handedly beheaded the monster!

But why did he feel so helpless now?

As the strange woman grinned, Zeus knew something was wrong.

The pain had started too quickly. Something filled his throat with a burning heat. Hotter than the poison dripping from Kampe's sword. Zeus couldn't move as he felt a stabbing sensation in his neck. His lungs burned, and he choked as the liquid filled his mouth. His hands moved to his neck, trying to numb the pain.

It hurt.

He had never felt pain like this.

Had he been the one who had hurt Hera? Who...who was this woman?

"Oh, why are you looking at me like that? Are you afraid, little one?" He asked hoarsely, “I’m going to have fun with you guys. It’s going to be fun!”

Who was he talking to?

He then remembered who was behind him.

Perseas. His sister.

No! Zeus had promised himself he would protect Perseas, no matter what. He promised he would protect her. Wasn’t that what he had told Perseas before they entered Tartarus?

Why couldn’t he do anything now?!

Anger burned with pain within him. He was sick of always being confronted by something stronger than him.

“Sister…” He said, shakily trying to stand, “Go, I’ll face—”

“Do you think this is funny?”

Suddenly, everything around him felt cold.

Perseas' voice was hoarse. Zeus froze as his sister stepped past him. Her whole body looked terrible. Her skin was red, scarred, and smoking. Green liquid dripped from the wounds. Despite this, her sister stood tall. Her steps were firm and graceful as she walked past him.

“Oh? What are you doing? Protect your siblings?”

“Of course. Mother asked me to.”Surprisingly, her sister's voice was calm. “Why? Afraid I'll kill you?”

“Afraid? Me?” The woman chuckled hoarsely, her hunched body trembling. “Why should I be afraid? I am Akhlys! Child of Nyx, the night itself! Master of poison—”

“Then what if I take your poison?”

“Take my poison? What do you mean—”

Suddenly, the woman, Akhlys, froze. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Her eyes widened as she glared at her sister.

“Oh? Why are you so quiet? You said you were going to have fun?” Perseas asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. “How about I have fun?”

Just then, something happened. Akhlys’s body convulsed violently, and she bent over with a choking sound. Her hands went to her neck, choking herself. “Wh…what are you…doing—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence as the poison from her hair filled her mouth. Thick liquid poured from her eyes, flowing down her face, which bore an expression of fear, pain, and disbelief.

She let out a loud wail and collapsed to her knees in the pool of her own poison. A sound like a tree breaking rang out from her body. The purplish-green liquid emitted steaming bubbles with a hissing sound. Slowly, it spread to the figure in the center, moving as if it were responding to an unseen command. Each poison bubble emitted an acrid scent mingling with her despair, creating a haunting of sorrow and inecitability.

Zeus’s eyes widened as he saw Perseas step forward. “Sister! Don't go -”

His fears were unfounded as Perseas stepped into the pool of steaming poison. Nothing happened; there was no sign of pain from her. She casually walked over the poison covering her feet and stood before Akhlys.

“You… you… —”

Perseas chuckled. Although Zeus couldn’t see her face, he knew his sister was smiling. “You were right. This is fun. So controlling your poison is that easy?”

A second snapping sound rang out. Akhlys’s head was now tilted upwards in an awkward position, while her body remained bent downwards.

“The poison is mine!” Akhlys screamed, “You can’t—”

Perseas laughed again, her body shaking as she did so. She bent down over the screaming Akhlys, “But didn’t I say I would take it?”

Perseas then reached out and strangled Akhlys.

The woman wailed loudly, but her sister didn’t let go. The poison continued to rise, covering her body. Her body struggled even more, choking and clawing at the air.

“Zeus… brother. Are you alright?”

Poseidon’s hoarse voice brought him back to his senses.

She turned to see his brother, Poseidon, looking just as badly as he did. Traces of black poison still lingered under his eyes. Then, he realized the burning pain in his body had disappeared. “What… how?”

“Perseas,” Poseidon said, standing up, “She controls the poison. Poison is a fluid, just like water. But I can’t control it. As for Perseas…” He let his words trail off as he watched the scene unfold.

They both stared at the scene before them. For once, Zeus knew he couldn’t intervene. Perseas was still strangling Akhlys, the poison surrounding her unharmed. Twisting and moving as if following his lead, his sister glowed with a greenish-gold hue, bright in the darkness of Tartarus. She radiated power, both cold and hot at the same time, overpowering Akhlys’s repulsive aura. Zeus was familiar with her power, yet there was something different about it—it felt new.

“Akhlys, master of poison. But Perseas tortured her with her own poison,” he said in awe, “Isn’t that…amazing?”

He watched as the poison engulfed Akhlys, while Perseas stood motionless. It was the first time he had seen his sister like this. He had never considered before that Perseas could use her power to torment someone. Was there anything else she was capable of?

Yes. Zeus couldn’t help but agree with Poseidon’s words. Perseas had always been so admirable.

“Perseas!”

Zeus saw his sister walking toward them. Akhlys’s last groans could still be heard faintly from the pool of poison behind him. There was a small grin on her face, an expression he had never seen before. What surprised Zeus were her eyes. His sister’s green eyes shone brightly. But this shade of green was different. It was darker, like a never-ending vortex of poison.

“Do you control her poison?” Poseidon asked eagerly. “How?”

“When she hurt you, I was just...mad. Her poison isn’t much different from water. It’s easy.” Then he fell silent, the light in his eyes dimming as he crouched down. “Aren’t you…afraid?”

Zeus blinked at that.

Afraid?

For what?

“Why be afraid?” Poseidon asked, confused.

“I control her poison?” Perseas replied hesitantly.

So why should they be afraid? He didn’t understand why his sister would worry about something like that. She could torture Kronos and the other Titans, and Zeus would happily stand by her side.

“No? I think it’s cool! Can I do it? I know Zeus wouldn’t do that—”

“Hey!”

“Ah…” Perseas chuckled softly with a smile, “I’m just worried about something—”

“Sister! Hera…she won’t wake up!” Demeter’s screams made Zeus flinch.

Hera! What about his sister?! Is she hurt—

His words died in his throat when he saw what had happened. Hera lay pale, her eyes wide open. A large gash marred her body, green poison dripping alongside her golden ichor. What… what happened? Did Akhlys do this?!

“I…I can’t heal her!” Hestia, who was holding Hera, shouted, “The poison! It’s blocking my powers—”

“It’s okay, Hestia,” Perseas said, kneeling beside her, “Let me do it.”

She reached out her hand, and with it, the poison in Hera’s body began to move. The thick liquid moved, snaking out of the open wound. Hera's body, cradle.  Then her eyes slowly closed as if she were sleeping. After a few moments, the poison escaped her sister's body, lingering between them with a pungent odor. 

"I think it's all right now. It should be." Perseas sighed. She waved her hand, sending the poison away from them.

Her words lifted the tension in the air. Dameter sighed, leaning against Hades. Zeus's worries also vanished. As long as Perseas was around, anything bad would surely pass easily.

"That woman, did she do it?" Demeter asked in a mellow voice.

"Akhlys. Is that her name? I think I know her..." Hades muttered.

"Akhlys. Protegenos of Misery and Poison. Daughter of Nyx." Perseas answered, "I forgot she was here. I don't think we met her by chance."

"She's here?" Zeus frowned, “Who would want to live in this place?”

“Oh, they’re siblings.”

“What?” Poseidon shouted in disbelief. “That poison woman is a sibling to… This?” He waved his hands around.

“Yeah. What? Why are you so surprised?” Perseas asked, then chuckled, “Don’t worry. She’s no longer a problem. Hera should be fine, too. Now we just need to—”

Perseas suddenly halted, her eyes widening as her body went rigid. Panic surged within him. What was happening?! It appeared that the others had also started to grasp the situation. When Zeus stepped forward to inquire about what had happened, her eyes suddenly closed, and she collapsed into his arms.

***

Perseas was too exhausted to feel afraid. So when she opened her eyes and found herself floating in darkness, she could only sigh.

She had just fought and defeated Kampe, tormented Akhlys with a manic laugh, and control poison to heal her sister. So much had happened in such a short time. If her final task involved Tartarus, Perseas simply wanted to get it over with quickly.

“Tartarus, I know you did this,” Perseas said to the darkness, “Just say what you want.”

She continued to stare into the darkness, waiting for something to happen. Then, slowly, a hum of power surrounded her. It felt heavy, dark, and ancient. It enveloped her skin with a familiar sense of dread.

“Aren’t you an… interesting creature?”

A voice echoed around her, coming from every direction. Just hearing it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

“Glad my presence has caught your attention,” Perseas replied sarcastically.

“My attention? You’re demeaning yourself, Perseas. Even Chronos came to his senses after so many eons because of your presence.”

“Kronos?” she asked, confused.

“Why did you mention that lowly creature!?” Tartarus grumbled, which would have sounded funny if the situation weren’t so tense. “Chronos. Time itself. Your presence has caught his attention.”

Perseas then realized. Chronos. The Primordial of Time. She was attracted to her?!

Was this good news or bad news?

The power of Tartarus felt increasingly oppressive around her, seeping into her very bones. It didn't feel like anger; instead, it felt more like curiosity. A cold seemed to caress her skin, making her shiver. Truthfully, the last thing Perseas wanted to feel at that moment was an inappropriate touch.

But then the darkness shifted, coalescing into a figure. It appeared to be a man, or something resembling one. He had four enormous wings, stretching vast and mighty, larger than Kampe's. Two large, curved horns crowned its head. However, what made Perseas step back was the figure's face—a face devoid of a nose or mouth. Instead of eyes, there were only deep, hollow sockets that ignited an unsettling glow. Showing only a swirling mass of glowing darkness.

How could darkness glow?!

The figure floated closer, making Perseas step back again. She would rather face a raging Tartarus, screaming to kill her, than anything like this. Something like this, she didn't know how to face it.

"And you...you made me wonder…”

Tartarus’s figure disappeared, then reappeared right in front of her.

“I never knew you. This is the first time you have come here. But, you already have my mark deep in your soul. So…tell me, Perseas. Who are you?”

Mark? In her soul? Did he know this wasn’t her first time in Tartarus?

“Those you call your siblings are different from you. However, something happened after you had your fun torturing her, something I am witnessing for the first time.”

Okay. She was in big trouble. Perseas knew something inside her had changed the moment he healed Hara. Controlling poison felt too easy. She could even feel the ichor of Zeus and the others, flowing warmly through their bodies.

Now she was facing a primordial being ready to tear her apart to learn her secrets.

She swallowed hard, straightening herself. “I…I don’t know what you’re saying.”

Tartarus tilted his head and said, “You lie.” Perseas felt frozen, unable to move as Tartarus approached her. His wings unfurled around them, creating an aura of silence and emptiness. She couldn’t take her eyes off his face. Then, Tartarus reached out his hand and it… entered her head.

Perseas could feel her life flying away from her.

The hand had truly entered her head. She could feel it enveloping her brain. Tartarus's form was still before her, but somehow, he felt as if he were inside her, standing in her mind.

The gods could read his thoughts. But Tartarus, this Primordial, had entered her mind.

"It will be so easy to see your secrets. To see your deepest being." Tartarus's voice echoed in her mind. Perseas's entire body screamed in pain. "You killed my child. Torturing you is necessary."

Perseas knew she was still motionless, but she could distinctly feel the blood pouring from her eyes and nose, filling her mouth. Something sharp felt like it was stabbing into the inside of her head. Her heart, supposedly a human heart, had stopped beating, and her breath felt trapped in her lungs. She tried to move, to escape the grip of Tartarus.

She didn't want to die here.

"But torturing you would be boring."

As quickly as the torture had begun, it was over. Perseas was alone in her thoughts again. She blinked, then pushed herself away. Her heart pounded again, and she gasped for breath. The pain of the recent ordeal was still vivid, lingering within her. Then she noticed something dripping from her nose.

Blood.

No. Ichor.

Is she ascending?!

All fear vanished, replaced by panic. She realized that something within her had begun to change since facing Kronos while freeing the others. She had always avoided thinking about it, but now, after battling Akhlys, she wondered: had she truly lost her mortality? Had she become immortal? Would she live without the prospect of death?

.

.

“So I will wait.”

The echo of Tartarus's voice brought Perseas back to her senses. She looked up and saw him staring at her, his face devoid of expression. Yet, Perseas could sense that he viewed her as a source of amusement, perhaps because, for someone immortal, life could become rather dull.

“Waiting? I will never come back here again,” Perseas whispered.

“Oh, we’ll meet again, little goddess.”

Perseas decided not to think about why he’d called her a goddess, not a titan.

“Why did I come back here? To let you torture me? No, thank you.”

Tartarus continued to stare at her with those oddly glowing eyes. Then, he blinked. His blink was so inhuman that it sent shivers down Perseas’s spine.

Slowly, her vision began to spin, and her entire body felt heavy, causing her to stagger. She looked at Tartarus, only to realize that the Primordial was growing larger. Its four wings spread wide, and its eyes seemed to pierce her very soul. For the first time, she understood that there was little chance she could defeat it.

“What…what are you…doing?”

“You know, Perseas? You’re an interesting little creature. I’ll let you off this time. You’ll come back to in the future. After all…anyone who have my mark will surely come back to me.”

***

Perseas still hadn't woken up.

Poseidon looked worriedly at his sister in his arms. Her body had been limp since she'd fainted moments ago in Zeus's arms.

"Someone put her to sleep on purpose," a booming voice said behind him. Steropes, one of the Cyclopes they'd freed, stood behind him. He dragged a giant bone he'd just ripped from Kampe's wing.

It turned out that freeing the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires was the easiest part of their journey to Tartarus. They tore down the giant black stalagmites at the cave entrance and, using Hestia's fire to melt the chains, successfully freed the prisoners.

When he saw the being Perseas had told them about, he'd be lying if he wasn't surprised.

The Cyclopes were three brothers named Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. They had giant, rough-skinned bodies and massive hands capable of breaking rocks and bones with ease, just as Steropes had done recently. Each Cyclops possessed a single eye, located in the center of their foreheads, which was always open and watching the Cronides.

"How did you know?" Poseidon asked.

“You cant sense his power? He’s watching us.”

There was no need to say a name to confirm Poseidon’s suspicions. Ever since Perseas had fallen unconscious, the feeling of being watched had been growing stronger around them. He tightened his grip on Perseas. The sooner they got out, the better.

He glanced at Zeus and Demeter, who were conversing with the other two Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, a giant the size of Kampe with too many arms and heads. Poseidon occasionally looked their way, wondering what it would be like to have so many heads.

It was amusing how Zeus always tried to take the lead when Perseas couldn't. However, Poseidon didn't mind this arrangement. Zeus seemed to enjoy being in control, and Poseidon preferred not to dwell on troubling matters.

“What did you take that bone for?” Poseidon glanced at the bone dripping with a greenish, foul-smelling liquid.

“This would make a great weapon,” Steropes said, dropping the bone with a loud thud. “Isn’t that what you want? A weapon to defeat the Titan king who’s keeping us here?”

Poseidon could hear the clear hatred in his voice.

“Our father locked us in that place because he feared our power. So did our own brother, who had previously promised us freedom. Tell me, Cronides, would you do the same after we helped you?”

“No.”

The Cyclops turned to him, his lone eye staring at him with intense intensity. But Poseidon held his head high, staring directly at their future ally.

“We know what it’s like to be locked in darkness. Unable to see the outside world and trapped in one place. We wouldn’t do that to you,” Poseidon said confidently. “Besides, our sister would surely beat us to death if she heard that idea.”

Poseidon didn’t know why he said that last part. But he did, and he was certain Perseas would give them a long lecture if he heard that ridiculous idea.

Steropes stared at him silently for a moment, then looked away. “Keep your word, Cronides.”

Poseidon nodded. Then he felt Perseas stir in his arms, relief welling up inside him.

“Perseas! You’ve—”

His eyes widened as he saw his sister choking. Ichor leaked from her nose and mouth. Her body shook violently in his arms. With her eyes still closed, Perseas groaned in pain. Panic surged within him.

What was happening?!

Suddenly, Steropes let out a loud growl, causing Poseidon to look up in surprise. As he glanced around, his attention was drawn to the Heteronicheres, who were clearly agitated. Their hands fidgeted, and their heads turned frantically in all directions.

“What…”

“He’s here.”

Him? Who is he…

Then a name came to his mind.

Tartarus.

.

.

“Zeus! We have to get out of here now!”