Chapter 3

I tried to make some sense of my surroundings. I was in a lake, precisely an underground lake. As the one where Bilbo Baggins met Gollum in "The Hobbit". It was quite large with a yet to be discovered color. The searing pain was gone, numbed and discarded in the corner of my mind as I tried to take a measure of my surroundings. Events hurtled across my minds, fascinating as I watched my life story played in front of me. I saw my first quest, Grover and…Annabeth. Our perilous journey to the sea of monsters, my fight with Ares, holding the sky, Zoë Nightshade, the new constellation, huntress running free across the sky, battle of the labyrinth, my first kiss, explosion of princess Andromeda cruise ship, Beckendorf, the dip in the Styx, the battle of Manhattan, Luke's final choice, August 18th. Each event increased the stupid lopsided grin on my face as I remembered the good times. Then the scenes shifted. Those two arrogant brats: Jerric and Alex, Annabeth and Grover's betrayal, my horrid time at camp, the feeling of being used, silence from dad, my mom's death, and then searing pain from the accident, the soft voice…the vision.

Nooooooooooo…..My mind screamed, desperately trying to dispel the torturous images from my mind as panic began to creep upon me. Fear, dread, loss, desperation, rage, helplessness…..feelings raged through me like a kaleidoscope. This cannot happen. I will not let this happen.

"All you can do is fight and then die." The same voice whispered in my mind.

Startled, I whirled around, trying to pinpoint the source. But there was no one. I was alone. Fear begins to grip me.

"Who's there?" My voice sounded like a dead frog. If frogs can croak after they die, that is.

"I am the supreme force of this universe. Your creator, the Father of all beings. The adhesive force that joins this universe. I am the devil. I am the angel. I am the manifestation of good and evil. I am the last judge. The last supernatural power and ultimate being. I am Chaos, father of the universe."

Theatrical much ha, the sarcastic part of my brain responded. The intelligent part settled with a tiny "oh".

I heard the thunder boom as the voice laughed.

"I have to admit young hero. You are humorous."

"Aaah…thanks. I guess."

A pin drop silence spread throughout the…..whatever place this was. I tried to be as patient as I could be, rocking back and forth, until the ADHD finally kicked in.

"so… where am I?"

"You haven't guessed yet. Hmmm, I expected better from the hero of Olympus. You are at center of the world. The meeting point of the five rivers of underworld."

I quickly wracked my brains for one of Nico's crazy emo lessons.

"Styx? Acheron? Cocytus? Phlegethon? Lethe?"

"Hmmm….. So you remember them. You're not that hopeless after all. Yes, Styx-the river of the Brocken and discarded dreams and oaths. The river of pain Acheron, the river of fire Phlegethon, the wailing river Cocytus and the river of forgotten memories Lethe. The five great rivers of underworld, the five greatest challenges of human spirit. The lake where you just bathed is the focal point of these rivers. The beginning where all the rivers meet. Just like I am the beginning of the universe."

I trembled at the information. No wonder Nico ever got past Styx and Lethe in his lecture.

"And I am here because…."

"Why you died of course. You met your end. So I brought you to the beginning. This is the place where I started the creation of your planet. Where I brought forth my daughter Gaia, and where she brought forth Uranus, and from them the Titans. And from them…"

"Ya ya I get it. I don't want the entire genealogy."

"Hmm… that seems quite a complex word coming from you. Anyways, coming to the point, I brought you here because you intrigue me."

"Gee. Thanks. Intriguing someone truly makes my day, really makes me feel appreciated."

"You're quite good at sarcasm" the voice smiled…..or so I guessed from its tone. "Returning to my point, I've always been intrigued by your race. They are …different from all other races throughout the universe. I can't pinpoint the exact differences. It…puzzles me. Your kind never seems to do anything expected. Judging from your nature, you should have butchered yourself to extinction, yet here you are: still alive, still prospering, still moving forward. I don't understand. And it annoys me to no end."

"Oh..."

"You have no idea, how annoying it is…" the voice continued hurriedly, anxious to get the stuff of its chest I suppose.

"I should be concentrating on the entire universe, but I feel drawn to your civilization. It reached to the point where I can't stand it anymore. So I've decided to end this issue once and for all."

"Uh…..sorry to interrupt but doesn't once and for all sounds too sinister?" I asked not liking the way this conversation was going. We were hardly able to defeat the Titans. I don't think I have much stomach for the supreme being of the universe thing.

"Perhaps…..it is for you. Anyways, back to the topic. I've shown you a vision of the future. And from you reaction, you realize it isn't pleasant."

I shuddered as fresh wave of panic and fury razed through me.

"But we can change it, right? I mean that's why you showed it to me, so I can stop it from happening. You know, prevent it from happening and all that." My voice sounded small and scared, even to me.

"And how do you plan to change it? You don't know the nature of this threat. I assure you it's not me. What will you do to prevent it? Go to the Olympians? They are arrogant fools who are so desperate for their own destruction that I am surprised that they manage to hang for so long. Especially after having that stupid brat for a king, Odin was far away a better ruler and I'm not even comparing his lightning powers to Thor's. Will they listen to you? Did they listen when you retrieved the lightning bolt? When you saved Thalia's tree? If they had listened they wouldn't have been in the mess they're in. what make you think they will listen to you? They practically ignored you after you fought their war for them. Discarded you away like garbage, to be replaced by arrogant fools like them. Will you go to your centaur? Some teacher he is, mistreating the student who respected him the most. Tell me, young hero, how you will stop the next Ragnarok. The Norse gods met their end and it was kind spectacular and so entertaining you have no idea, maybe it's time for the Greek gods to share the same fate, and whatever happens the earth will still be there…more or less but without any human being"

Each word hurtled into me like a ten ton truck. Striking me where it hurts the worst. The voice was right. What can I do to save the future? Does the future even deserved to be saved the vision flashed in front of my eyes again. I shuddered. No. no matter how messed up this world is, it doesn't deserve that fate. It's worthy to be saved.

"Maybe, maybe so tell me hero what will you do now. You can't go to the Olympians or to another god from a different mythology. You can't go to your precious camp. What will you do?"

I had no answer to that.

"Hmmm. I'll give you a chance, young hero. Do what you think is the best to do. Try what you want to try. Let this be another journey for you. You are the beginning. See this through to the end. In your struggle lies my answer Perseus Jackson. I give you a chance. Change the future."

Thunder boomed. Earth quaked causing ripples to form across the calm waters of the lake. There was a bright flash of light. A sword, a bow and a shield appeared. Examining them closely, I observed that they were made of same materials, a transparent metal, like fragile glass. The weapons looked so delicate and fragile, like they would shatter at the slightest touch.

"They are made of the void metal, that which can absorb everything. They will keep you alive. See you through the end that is. Keep you alive till I get my answers."

While looking at the weapons, an idea took form in my mind. First taking the sword, I walked slowly to the colorless Lethe. The river brimming with the memories of the greatest heroes of the ages, as they bathed in the river to prepare for the rebirth. The sword soaked up the heroic memories shining bright white with power. Next I picked the bow, and dipped it in Phlegethon, the river of fire. The bow turned bright red, and then crimson as the fire rushed through the celestial weapon. Next I took the heavy shield and dipped it in Acheron the river of pain, and watched fascinated as the shield turned golden.

"Hmmm. Interesting, maybe I underestimated you. What will you do now?"

I took a deep breath. I will change the future. Steeling my resolve, I said in a determined voice "lead me to the surface. I will fight for the future and flame of the humankind. If we are destined to fall, then we will go down fighting"

The voice laughed with anticipation as a darkness surrounded me. My mind blanked out. The last thing I heard was a soft whisper.

"I will be watching you hero"

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