Chapter 9: The Prophecy
Annabeth
Long ago, there were endless wars… a constant struggle between the Titans and the Olympians who fought for power and their rights to be rulers over the Greek empire.
Millenniums passed but conflicts still plagued the burning world.
It wasn't until every Olympian, demi-humans, and mortals united and joined forces did they finally managed to cast every titan into the pit of Tartarus.
Peace finally arrived in the realm.
Societies underneath the new rule of the Olympians flourished, achieving many great deeds and accomplishments together. For the next few hundred Millenniums, humanity's advancement flew past expectation.
Automation. Advancement in science. The revolution of a computerized world filled with digital data. Cities with skyscrapers touching as high as the skies above.
Gradually, the modern age arrived, and humanity's reliance on the Olympians grew less and less. Dated traditions to worship the Gods and Goddess faded into the background until one day, their immortal existence was turned into stories of myths and legends.
Zeus, the King of Olympians and the ruler of the world, saw this as a betrayal of the goodwill they've passed upon humanity. Among other Olympians who agreed with Zeus, they began to instigate conflicts between nations, turning mortals against one another, and planned horrors unlike anything humanity had ever seen in an attempt to reset the world to their own image.
As a result, the Olympians have truly forgotten their true enemy.
Kronos, the titan leader sealed in the pit of Tartarus, was prophesied to return and bring about death and destruction. In the coming years, both humanity and the realm of the Gods would be destroyed, peace would cease to exist, and time would forever be at a standstill.
Despite the foreboding prophecy, Zeus and a majority of the other Olympians decided to ignore the upcoming threat of world destruction. They believed Kronos couldn't rise again, yet they spared no attention to Hades, the God of the Underworld who warn of the calamity that would besiege the land of the dead. Most Olympians believed Olympus was untouchable, even if their existence was once threatened.
Turning a blind eye to their own foolishness, Olympians grew arrogant, ignorant, refused to see the deteriorating situation as a threat, gave up on humanity, and lived excessive, wasteful lives all for the sake of peace.
Only two Olympians saw the folly of their brothers and sisters. They saw their fellow Olympians' lavish, pleasurable lifestyles as denial for the real truth: immortality made it possible to live for millions of years, but it had also warped the best of mindsets, stripped them of their humanity, their benevolence, and their reason for existence; to properly guide the human world into a better place among the universe.
Meanwhile, the underworld was in turmoil. The Titan of time began amassing forces despite still trapped in the depths of Tartarus, his evil inspiring all his followers to step into the light, fighting a shadow war within Hades realm. Barely kept at bay, Kronos forced Hades into a corner, which led him to plead for support from his fellow Olympians.
Three allied Olympians offered their full support and power, but despite their best efforts, they lost the battle for the underworld. Hades was captured and thrown into Tartarus where Kronos easily defeated him. With their combined strength, the three Olympians retreated and sealed the doors of death, delaying the inevitable.
But that outcome didn't stop Kronos. It was only a matter of time before he escaped from the depth of Tartarus and soon the underworld itself. Even now, Kronos was slowly building his strength, growing stronger every day. Every minute, his armed forces expanded exponentially, waiting for the day when their invasion would put the whole world in a sea of fire, engulfed in flames never to be extinguished.
Just as the prophecy had foretold, our extinction was inevitable, and the end of days is upon us…
However, the prophecy offered a silver lining. As mentioned by the three fates older than even the Olympians, annihilation could only be prevented by a child of a powerful God who would grow to be more powerful than the Olympians themselves, enough to turn the tides of war against the Titans and bring about true peace for the world.
And that child mentions by the prophecy and the fates belongs to—
...
"It is you, Percy." Athena finished the sentence.
With a wave of her hand, the metaphysical presentation was over now… Gone by almost too fast, there was nothing but dead silence in the study afterward. Sally grew worried as she watched the two young teenagers across the table. She gave Athena an uneasy look, then turned back to the boy whom she loved dearly.
"Are you two okay?" She asked and tried to reach across the table for their hands.
Percy didn't respond.
Neither could Annabeth. Her anxiety should have eased being next to the boy she fell in love with, but after what was revealed, she couldn't resist how agitated her body felt. Her fingers absentmindedly dug into the leather chair. Unknowingly, she chewed on her lips, messing up its soft tenderness.
"Sigh… Perhaps I should have asked Lia to take it slower…"
Sally moved off her seat and went to a frozen Percy, "I am sure they will be fine. I know my little sea turtle can handle the truth… right Percy?"
As stiff as a plank of wood, Percy looked sick to the stomach after the explanation and the subsequent reveal about the true nature of his life. He must be freaking out by now, but Annabeth wasn't in a state where she could help him in any way. She was just as shocked after all.
Why? Why does it have to be now?
Annabeth wanted to forget it ever happened, to pretend everything she saw and heard just now was just some nightmare and she would wake up eventually.
"It's not a dream, sweetie…" Athena ruined her only opportunity to dream, "You are very much a part of this world, and I am sorry for hiding it from you all this time."
You are sorry?
Annabeth clenched her teeth...
Suppressing her emotions, Annabeth was aware of what her Godly mother was saying. She heard every word loud and clear, but it didn't mean she wanted to sit there numbly, her legs too weak to move, her torso turned rigid, while accepting her apology like nothing was ever wrong.
"That's not fair…" Annabeth whispered to herself and looked down.
Meanwhile, dull lumping sounds moved from all around her chair in a single direction. Strange tiny marbles were retreating like a pile of sand. Having a mind of its own, they swirled and slitter up like slimes into a single solid sphere levitating above the desk. Much like dense mercury, the liquid-like mass was being absorbed. It was unlike anything Annabeth had ever seen, and she had already seen a lot of impossible stuff tonight.
"Annabeth?" Athena called out, "Are you okay?"
Meanwhile, the building blocks for the impossible projecting presentation finally returned to their original spherical shape. It rotated and levitated calmly in front of Athena.
"O-Okay?" Annabeth balled her fist and stood up, "How can I be okay, mom?"
Athena didn't flinch at her sudden outcry, but everything just felt so impossible and wrong that Annabeth's anger got the better of her. It's been boiling over the lid for a while now.
"Do you have any idea how crazy all that sounded just then? I might have been fine with the Olympian Gods being real… but fighting wars against some other Gods… then all of sudden, the end of the world is coming… the extinction and destruction of our shared world… You know you are talking about actual death, right mom? You are only telling us now that we might die because of some stupid prophecy about…" Annabeth's voice suddenly stuck in her throat and she couldn't finish the last word.
Athena kept her gaze without a hint of emotions. Even after all the remorseless things she said, her mother was trying to stay calm. But Annabeth wasn't done…
"How can you even keep something like that from us?" Annabeth's voice trembled and croaked, "I can't believe you would… W…Why? Why does this have to happen when I felt like my life was just starting to get normal for once?!"
Athena kept her sympathetic gaze at her daughter's outburst, but the feelings hidden behind those mature grey eyes were so complex and out-of-reach that Annabeth didn't bother to make sense of what her Godly mother was thinking.
Tears filled her eyes and rolled off her cheeks, "W…Why didn't you just tell me?"
Athena looked down, "I can't do that, Annabeth. Not when the danger of knowing who you truly are outweighed the risk... It's just not as simple as you think it is. Please, sit down and I'll answer anything you want."
That wasn't what Annabeth wanted to hear from her mother, especially when the truth was so heavy and weighing on her shoulders like a massive boulder. What's worse, it seemed as though there was another secret AI as she explained the long history behind their hidden lineage.
A shudder ran through her body, Annabeth couldn't even fathom what else her mother had been hiding from her. She's been living her whole life in the dark.
This is so unfair…
Driven on pure instinct, Annabeth's eye unconsciously darted toward the other parental guardian beside her. Envy filled her heart and on a deep subconscious level, and she felt really jealous of Percy's relationship with his mom, Sally.
Instead of lecturing her son or overwhelming him with frightening reveals, Percy was having a quiet moment with his mom. Every minute, Percy's raspy voice rang out, asking questions about everything he heard. Sally just hummed each time, her hands reaching around to reassure her son with tender strokes on his hair, smooth rubs on his back. She looked rather sadden even though Percy was getting himself together because of her support.
"Is… Is that why dad left?" There were tears over Percy's eyes as he held her arms tightly, his head buried in her embrace.
Sally pulled away and looked right into Percy's eyes.
"Noo… Of course not! Your father… Your real father… He loves you very much. You wouldn't know how it pains him to not spend his days with you. It's why he entrust me to look after you, because he knew I would take care of you and show you all the love a parent should give to their children. Isn't that right, honey?"
She wiped his tears away. Percy took a deep breath and nodded. It eased Annabeth's heart just to see the boy she loved intensely having such sweet and warm interaction with the one person who was his only family.
But it left her longing too…
As far as Annabeth was concerned, this was exactly what she wanted, the one thing that's missing from her life and her childhood. Sure, her mother- now a Godly being- was always there for her, but it's a far cry from the relationship she wanted.
If only… If only he didn't…
Annabeth shook her head. She really had to pull back that thought this time, or else, it might actually ruin her brain and turn her tears into real sobs for everyone to see. She didn't want that.
"Come on, let's sit down again." Sally pulled away from Percy's hug and turned her warm eyes toward Annabeth. She gestured her to come closer and eventually took her hands in hers. They were quivering anxiously. "I know you feel more comfortable with Percy, so please stay together, okay?"
At her request, Annabeth's seat merged with Percy's and turned into one big, long, and comfortable couch. Shocked, Annabeth didn't even want to question how that's possible.
Instead, she took up Percy's trembling hand and held him close. Percy felt her hands locking with his, it took him a good second to look at her.
"Annabet…th…"
His bitter smile faded when she finally captured his attention. Annabeth tried her best to smile, determined not to show an ounce of hopelessness or despair. Instead, she made up her mind.
"Percy…" Annabeth whispered and brought herself close to his body. Percy didn't move away, so she easily adjust herself until their shoulder touched. She whispered his name again, taking a moment to herself before leaning over and pressing her head on top of him.
"As long as you are with me, Percy…" Annabeth said softly, "I'll be okay."
Those words made Percy's lips pause. He exhaled slowly.
"Me too. As long as you are with me, Annabeth, we'll be okay."
Annabeth nodded. Those words meant more than anything to her because she knew Percy meant it.
Filled with a new drive, Annabeth eventually pulled away when she was comfortable, and Percy let her go when he felt the same way. Of course, she knew their parents were watching, but she didn't care anymore. They both have a new path to journey on, and Annabeth wanted nothing to separate her from Percy through this adventure.
Steeling her resolve, Annabeth turned bravely toward Sally and Athena and stared at them with newfound strength.
"So?" Annabeth proclaimed loudly and moved forward from all her doubts, "What are we supposed to do now? What happens after we know who we are? And one last thing before we move on… Who is Percy's Godly parent?"
Athena shared the reins and gave Sally the chance to answer that question. Annabeth could tell Percy was looking at his mother, his green eyes filled with curiosity but also apprehension.
She squeezed his hand.
"Your father is one of the most powerful Gods in Greek mythology, Percy." Sally pursed her lips, "You are the son of Poseidon, the one and only demigod of the sea."
