Okay, this is my first attempt at a CotT fanfic, so bear with me. Weird things start happening when an mysterious person casts a spell on Jay. What will happen? Read on to find out!

Chapter 1: A Silvery Situation

The clock read 11:15. Only Jay was still awake, waiting for Theresa to get back from the school. She'd left at eight for a session with Persephone, and hadn't returned yet. Through the partially open window, a small man with wavy, jet-black hair watched for a moment before ducking down below the sill.

The man chuckled, his red-edged black robes pooling around him. The gold crescent moon on his shoulder clasp glittered.

"And so it begins," he murmured. A silver ball of light glowed in his hand as he

spoke. "Upnos, oneiropolos, til eleuirmenos ap ihn avapc."

Inside the dorm, Jay's eyes turned silver, and he lay still. The book he had been reading slipped from his hands and fell to the floor. Beneath the window, the little man chuckled to himself. Abruptly, he stoped as he heard footsteps aproaching.

"Blast!" he muttered, the silver glowball disappearing. He swirled his black cloak over his left arm, knocking the clasp from his right shoulder as he did so. He vanished, but the gold clasp fell to the ground.

Theresa heard it hit as she passed, and looked down. Picking up the little crescent moon, she studied for a moment, then continued up the steps into the dorm, putting it in her pocket. Seeing Jay on the couch, she started toward him.

"Sorry, I'm late," she said. "Persephone kept me extra late, and – " she broke off, seeing the silver glow in Jay's eyes. Kneeling beside him, she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Jay?" There was no response.

λ

Through a pool of water, Cronus watched Jay and Theresa, the black-robed man

beside him.

"You did well," Cronus said. "How long will the spell last?"

The little man smiled slyly. "How long do you want it to last?"

λ

Theresa still knelt beside the couch, trying to wake her friend. "Jay, can you hear me? Wake up!" She leaned back, watching him for a moment, then spotted the PMR on his belt. Picking it up, she pointed it toward him.

"Trust me, this is for your own good." Pressing a button, she winced as a bolt of electricity shot into Jay's arm. He blinked, the silver glow disappearing from his eyes, as he gasped and sat up.

"What – whoa!" he rubbed his arm where Theresa had zapped him. "What was that for?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, standing up. "What happened?"

Jay swung his legs over the side of the couch, standing as well. "Theresa, what are you talking about?" he replied, giving her a strange look. "What do you mean 'what happened?'"

Theresa looked down at the PMR in her hand, confused. Jay watched her for a second, then looked up at the clock.

"It's getting late. See you in the morning." He left the room, heading up to the second floor, leaving her watching after him, worried.

Cronus watched as Jay suddenly sat bolt upright, the silver glow gone. "What?" Furious, he turned on the black-haired man who was inching backwards away from the irate god.

"What. Happened." Cronus demanded, biting out each word.

The little man cringed. "He must not've been under the full influence of the spell. I didn't have time toweave it completely before that girl showed up, and – " He let out a yelp as Cronus seized the front of his robes, lifting him into the air.

"I don't like it when people fail me," Cronus said darkly. The little man gurgled, barely able to breathe. "However, I'm willing to let you try again." Letting go, the little man plummeted to the floor, Cronus looming over him.

"And this time, make sure you do it right."

Λ

In the main foyer of the school's secret wing, the young heroes (minus Jay) stood near the statue of Zeus. Theresa sat on the statue's baze, legs crossed, relating the events of the night before.

"Then, when I tried to wake him up, I couldn't. It was almost like he was . . . unconscious."

Odie frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm. That is strange."

"There was this too," Theresa added, taking the gold crescent moon from her pocket and holding it up. "I don't know why, but I fell like it's connected somehow."

Behind the others, footsteps sounded, Jay appearing. Theresa quickly pocketed the moon clasp. Jay stopped on the edge of the group, noting the looks they were giving him. He looked around.

"What?"

The doors to Hera's atrium opened, Hera, Persephone, and Hermes coming into the foyer.

"Good morning," Hera greeted them, coming toward the group. The three gods stopped at the base of the statue, glancing around that the seven teenagers.

"Did we miss something?" Hermes asked, trying to ease the tension.

"Of course not," Theresa was quick to reply. There was a pause.

"Well, in that case . . ." Hera said, " We've called you here because a new room has appeared, here, in the secret wing." She gestured to a black stone door. A golden crescent moon was centered near the top.

"Where does it lead?" Atalnta asked as everyone looked over at the tall stone slab.

"We're not sure," Hermes answered. "But that moon up near the top. It's the sign of Morpheus."

"Morpheus?" Herry repeated, tilting his head to one side.

"Morpheus controls the dream realm,"Persephone clarified. "But until we know why this door is here, avoid it" Morpheus has always been a trickster, ad this could be one of his pranks."

"Also keep an eye on each other. If you start having strange dreams, tell us immediately," Hera warned. "Otherwise, stay close to school and the dormitory."

Theresa glanced sideways at Jay. He turned, looking back at her, and she moved her gaze away.

Who is the man working with Cronus? It's a little obvious, but you'll just have to find out in the next chapter!