บท 121: Facing my destiny (3)

{Tartarus, Unknown POV}

Odysseus POV

NO,NO,NO,NONO,NONONONO!!

Everything had been going according to plan. The poison arrows, the fiery diversion, even Melinoe's soul-harvesting - it was all falling into place perfectly, I was beginning to think I could actually pull it off. I'd managed to thin out Kronos' monster army, giving us a fighting chance against the Titan Lord himself.

But then, Kronos shot the Master Bolt into the air.

The crackling energy split the very fabric of Tartarus, sending shockwaves through the cavernous space. The shadows around me writhed and recoiled as if in pain. I steadied myself, gripping my spear tighter as I watched a gaping hole tear open in the ceiling of our underground battlefield.

And through that hole, like some twisted parody of a guardian angel, descended Kampe. Her face was flushed, probably from exertion and on the other side was a Hekatonkheires, a hundred-handed one of the beings that had once gone against Kronos had now granted him his freedom, damn Fates and their ironies. As Kampe descended her bat-like wings beat furiously, stirring up the dust and ashes of the fallen monsters.

"Kampe," Kronos' voice boomed, filled with satisfaction. "Right on time."

The jailer of the Hekatonkheires sneered, her eyes darting between me and the Titan Lord. "Lord Kronos," she hissed, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. "The path is clear. Shall we depart?"

I tensed, ready to spring into action. But Kronos raised a hand, his golden eyes fixed on me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Not just yet," he said, then addressed me directly. "Cousin," his voice was as smooth as poisoned honey, "perhaps we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I see the power you wield, the control you have over the shadows. It's... impressive."

I narrowed my eyes, not lowering my weapon. "Flattery won't save you, Kronos. Your reign ended millennia ago, and it's not coming back."

He chuckled, the sound reverberating through the cavern. "Oh, but it is. The wheels are already in motion. The question is, Odysseus, where will you stand when the dust settles?"

I gripped my spear tighter, my knuckles turning white. What game was he playing?

"Join me, Odysseus," Kronos continued, spreading his arms wide. "Together, we could usher in a new golden age. Your power, demigod and Titan, sons of Primordials - we'd be unstoppable. Think of it: a world reshaped in our image, free from the capricious rule of the Olympians."

"Lord Kronos," Luke's voice cut in, his tone a mix of confusion and anger. "You can't be serious. He's our enemy! He's gone against us at every turn!"

Kronos silenced him with a look, and Luke's protest died in his throat. The demigod's face paled, and he took a step back, clearly regretting his outburst.

"Now, now, Luke," Kronos said, his voice dangerously soft. "Don't be hasty. Odysseus here has proven himself to be a formidable opponent. And in my experience, the most formidable opponents often make the most valuable allies."

He turned back to me, his golden eyes gleaming with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "Think about it," the Titan Lord pressed on. "No more gods pulling the strings, no more fate dictating our lives. True freedom, true power. It's within our grasp."

For a moment - just a fleeting second - I considered it. The allure of power, of freedom from the whims of the gods... it was tempting. Images flashed through my mind: a world without prophecies, without divine interference, where mortals and demigods alike could forge their own destinies.

But then the Misery Dreams flashed in front of me, I thought of my friends, of the world I was fighting to protect, my talk with Nyx it was all for this moment. I remembered the destruction Kronos had wrought, the lives he'd ruined in his quest for power. And I knew, without a doubt, that his vision of "freedom" was just another form of tyranny.

"Sorry, cousin," I spat the word like it was poison. "I'm not interested in your twisted version of freedom. I've seen what you do to those who oppose you, to those who don't fit into your perfect world. You talk about breaking free from the gods, but you're just offering a different kind of chains."

Kronos' smile faded, replaced by a look of cold disappointment. "You disappoint me, Odysseus. I had hoped you'd see reason. Your potential is wasted serving those Olympian fools."

"I serve no one, however your homecoming is something I'll always oppose," I retorted, raising my spear.

The Titan Lord's eyes flashed dangerously. "Why? I am the savior this world needs. The gods have grown complacent, corrupt. They ushered their own age through treason, they use mortals as pawns in their petty games. I offer a chance to break that cycle, to create a world of true order and prosperity."

"At what cost?" I challenged. "How many lives will you sacrifice for your 'order'? How many cities will burn? How many families will you tear apart?"

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good," Kronos said dismissively. "A concept I'm sure you're familiar with, given your... heritage."

I felt a surge of anger at his words, my mother had sacrificed herself for me, but it was her choice to do so, not a god's or a Titan's. "No," I growled.

"No?" Kronos raised an eyebrow. "We're more alike than you care to admit, Odysseus. Both of us seeking to change the world, both willing to do whatever it takes to achieve our goals. The only difference is the side we've chosen."

"There's a big difference between our goals," I said. "I'm trying to save the world. You're trying to destroy it and rebuild it in your image."

Kronos laughed, a sound that sent chills down my spine. "Destroy? No, my dear boy. I'm trying to save it from itself. The world as it is now is broken, think of it, the wars, the pollution, the addiction. It needs to be remade, purified."

"And let me guess," I said sarcastically, "you're just the Titan for the job?"

"Who better?" Kronos spread his arms wide. "I've had millennia to contemplate the failings of the current order. I've seen empires rise and fall even while in here, watched as the gods squabbled among themselves while mortals suffered. I can create a world of true harmony, of perfect balance."

"Perfect balance?" I scoffed. "You're sounding a lot like Stalin right now."

Kronos' eyes narrowed. "You speak of things you don't understand, child. My rule brought prosperity to the world. It was a golden age, free from the chaos and destruction the gods have wrought."

"Yeah, I've heard the stories from the Golden Age," I shot back. "Funny how none of them mention the very little amount of humans who actually lived through it, I wonder why."

For a moment, I thought I'd gone too far. Kronos' face contorted with rage, and the air around us crackled with energy. But then he composed himself, his expression smoothing into a mask of indifference.

"A regrettable necessity," he said coldly. "One I'm sure you'll understand when you see my finished world, if you get the chance."

I felt sick to my stomach. "Is that all, I'm growing tired of talking. I thought you were the Titan of Time not the Titan of Wasting it."

Kronos sighed, shaking his head. "Pity," he said. Then, to his brothers and Kampe: "Kill him."

Before I could react, Kronos grabbed Luke and began to ascend towards the hole in the ceiling, the Master Bolt crackling with energy around them.

'Oh no, you don't.'

I slammed the butt of my spear into the ground, channeling every ounce of power I could muster. A dome of pure shadow erupted from the point of impact, racing upwards and sealing the exit, the Titans and myself in a dome of shadows, in my Misery Dreams I had failed, now I wasn't.

Kronos paused, eyeing the shadowy barrier with mild annoyance. He raised the Master Bolt, unleashing a searing bolt of lightning that should have torn through my defenses like tissue paper.

It didn't.

The shadows absorbed the energy, crackling and pulsing but holding firm. Kronos' eyes widened slightly - the first hint of uncertainty I'd seen from him.

"Impossible," he muttered, then turned his golden gaze on me. "What trickery is this?"

I grinned, despite the strain of maintaining the barrier. "No tricks, cousin. Just good old-fashioned shadow manipulation. This place won't go down unless I want it to," I called out, my voice echoing in the enclosed space. "Or unless I die. So you're not going anywhere."

Kronos' face darkened. "You think your parlor tricks can hold me? I am the Lord of Time, the King of the Titans! I will not be caged by a mere demigod!"

"Mere demigod?" I laughed, though it came out more strained than I'd intended. Keeping the barrier up was taking its toll. "I'm the guy who's keeping you trapped in Tartarus. How's that for mere?"

The Titan Lord's eyes flashed with fury. He raised the Master Bolt again, ready to strike. But before he could.

"Then I shall grant you your sentence:"

With those words I braced myself for the fight of my life. Kampe unfurled her wings, poison dripping from her curved blades. The Titans Hyperion, Iapetus, Koios, and Krios advanced, their weapons glowing with power. Kronos and Luke still flying above.

Melinoe stood beside me as she nodded grabbing the whistle fiercely, I tightened my grip on my spear, the shadows swirling around me responding to my will. We might be outnumbered and outgunned, but we weren't about to go down without a fight.

"Come on then," I called out, my voice steadier than I felt. "Let's see what you've got, cousins."

As the Titans charged, I really wished I had stayed more time with mom, my dads and especially Thalia.