IMPORTANT: I went back and revised this chapter a bit. If you're rereading this chapter, you should know that the only major change is that I reverted the prophecy back to the original one in the books. I did this for a couple of reasons. The first is that when I started this story, I really only wanted to change one thing and see how it snowballed. That change being losing his mother. The original prophecy was ambiguous enough to allow me to work with that. The second reason was that I only have a general idea of how this series will end, and even that may change. For now, it's safest just to keep the original prophecy.

To his credit, Tyson only knocked over one expensive-looking vase as we made our way to my room, which was a lot better than I was expecting. He wasn't the most graceful of Cyclopes.

When we got to my room, I held my keycard up against the door and heard the lock click. Tyson looked on in fascination as my stateroom was revealed. A stab of guilt ran through me. Last night, while I'd been partying it up with Coca-cola and Cheez-Whiz, my half-brother had been alone, trying to sleep in a rain-soaked cardboard box off of 42nd Street.

I set the package containing Medusa's head down on the kitchen table and shrugged my pack off my shoulders. I noted with a degree of amusement that I hadn't actually needed any of the things I'd hastily packed that morning.

Tyson's jaw hung open in awe as he moved around the room, asking about some of the things he found. Apparently, he'd never heard of a Playstation before. I resolved to play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 with him as soon as we had some free time, but at that moment, we had more pressing matters to attend to. Notably, the stone head currently resting in my hands.

As I stared at Smelly Gabe's horrified face, I realized that I didn't feel anything. No remorse, but no satisfaction either. And that terrified me. Sure, Gabe had been a monster to my mom and I for years, but that didn't change the fact that I had just taken a human life. Was it supposed to be this easy?

I shook myself out of that train of thought. Before Nemesis had revealed her true identity to me, I had told her to forget about Gabe and move on. I figured it would be best for me just to do the same.

I called out to Tyson to follow me. He put down the DVD case he was staring at and stumbled after me, a look of child-like wonder still written on his face. I readjusted the heavy stone in my hands (seriously, how had Tyson been carrying this all day?) and headed for the door. When I opened it, I froze.

Luke was standing in front of me, hand raised into a fist as if he was about to knock. Backbiter was in his other hand, prepared to strike. He quickly lowered it when he saw me.

"Oh, hey. You're back," he said. He looked surprised for a moment, but he quickly masked it. "I… wasn't really expecting to see you again."

He looked like he just rolled out of bed. His sandy blonde hair was all messed up and his eyes were half lidded and groggy. He had a blindfold pulled up against his forehead and wore a pair of fancy silk pajamas. He glanced up and down the hall, as if wary he was being watched.

"I heard some commotion out here, and some heavy footsteps. Thought we had an intruder." He gestured to the shards of ceramic currently sitting at the base of the pedestal Tyson had bumped into. "You drunk or something?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Um, actually—"

Only then did Luke seem to notice the 6' 7" one-eyed giant hovering over my shoulder. He recoiled, his eyes flashing, and suddenly I was yanked forward by my arm and shoved out of the way. I fell onto the carpeted hallway, the head I was holding rolling away and slamming into the wall.

Luke raised Backbiter and prepared to lunge. Tyson screamed.

"Wait!" I cried, scrambling to my feet. Luke hesitated, and Tyson slammed the door shut, locking himself in my room. I anchored myself in the doorway between them. "Don't hurt him," I told Luke.

Luke looked back and forth between me and the doorway, his lips parted and a wild expression on his face. "What?" he asked.

"I found him in New York. His name is Tyson, and he's my half-brother."

The door opened a crack, and Tyson's one eye peered out at us. Luke scowled at him. "Well, what's he doing here?"

"He wants to help us."

He looked at me as if I'd grown another head. "Help us…? N-no! He's a Cyclops, Percy! They can't be trusted. He'll eat you as soon as he gets the chance."

I felt my fists clench involuntarily. I couldn't believe Luke was being so rude. I didn't even think Tyson had the capability to lie, much less attack me while my back was turned.

"What's your problem?" I shot back. "Tyson saved my life. He's completely trustworthy. You said we need recruits, right? Well, here's our first."

Luke levelled a glare at me and held it for a few moments, deciding what to do. His grip on Backbiter tightened, and just when I thought he was about to run both me and Tyson through, his shoulders sagged.

"Fine," he muttered. "He can stay. Cyclopes are great at forging, so I'm sure we can find something for him to do."

I sighed in relief, taking my hand off the pen in my pocket.

"But he won't be living up here!" Luke added. "He'll be down in the regular cabins, where I won't have to see him every morning. Got it?"

I pressed my teeth together. Tyson wasn't that ugly. I wanted to ask Luke what he had against Cyclopes anyway, but I figured now wasn't a good time to push him. Not while we were already on such thin ice. I'd take whatever I could get, and having Tyson stay in the lower cabins was better than not having him here at all.

Luke relaxed a little bit and leaned against the door opposite mine. "So," he began. "Did you… uh… you know…" He made a little stabbing motion with his sword.

"Oh, right."

I stooped over and picked up the stone head where I'd dropped it against the wall. Holding my hands out, I presented it to him like some satanic version of kindergarten show-and-tell.

"Luke, meet my stepfather, Gabe."

Warily, I approached the golden sarcophagus for the second time that day. The menacing presence that crept up my spine as I got closer was now starting to become a familiar sensation. I could feel Kronos's presence bearing down on me.

Luke took a seat on one of the plush couches in the center of the room, keeping an eye on me. He had been rather insistent that Tyson not come with us when we spoke to the titan king, so I put on a movie for him in my room while we were away. He didn't seem to like Luke much anyways, which seemed perfectly understandable to me considering Luke had nearly introduced him to the edge of a sword, so he was perfectly fine with staying behind.

I put the head down at the bottom of the dais and knelt. Taking a deep breath, I spoke.

"Lord Kronos."

The casket thrummed with power, bathing the room in a golden light.

"I, uh, completed the task you gave me, and brought you the head of the mortal Gabe Ugliano."

It was a little strange talking to a golden box, but I waited patiently for a response. For a moment, the room was silent, and I was worried that Kronos would reject my offering. But then the ground began to rumble, and his voice came from the depths of the earth.

"Hmm… A rather hideous bust, but it does qualify as mortal… I must admit, I had my doubts that you would succeed, but you have laid them to rest. Well done, Perseus."

I bowed my head. "Thank you, my lord."

"Do you know why I asked you to kill a mortal?"

I looked over my shoulder towards Luke, remembering the words he said to me before I left that morning.

"To test my resolve," I said. "You wanted to see if I was fine with getting my hands dirty."

The voice hummed in affirmation like the world's largest subwoofer.

"Yes, merely a test. Contrary to what my children may tell you, I do not hate mortals. As much as I loathe my brother Prometheus for not aiding me in the war to end my father's tyranny, I believe creating humans was the one thing he did right. Unlike the fools on Olympus, I see the value in mankind. Under my reign, the mortals of this realm will see an end to starvation and pestilence, and I will usher in a new Golden Age of peace and prosperity for mankind. This, I promise."

My eyes widened. Ending world hunger? Curing cancer? Establishing world peace? Woah. That was... an enormous promise to make. Could the titan king really accomplish a feat such as that? And if it really was possible, why hadn't the gods done it yet?

"The task I gave you was necessary to assure me of your commitment to our cause and prove that you have the stomach for bloodshed. In the war that is to come, you will face many enemies, mortal and immortal both. It will not be the same as killing monsters, and you must be prepared for it when the time comes. That is why I asked this of you."

I remained silent. I still wasn't comfortable with the fact that I may one day have to fight against other half-bloods. The entire reason why I decided to join Kronos's army was to save them from the gods. Hurting or even killing them would defeat the entire point of why I was here. I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Kronos's voice continued to pervade the room. "And unlike the gods, I reward those who serve me well. Once you have pledged yourself to me, I will bestow upon you my blessing and reveal secrets the gods have kept from you your entire life."

I glanced up at the sarcophagus once more, my curiosity piqued. "Secrets, sir?"

"I'm sure that by now, you've heard of the Great Prophecy."

My eyes widened, mind reeling. Was it possible that the titan king already knew what the prophecy said? Did Luke know it as well?

"I don't know the details, but I have a feeling it involves me," I said.

"Typical of Zeus, to try and control the Fates by hiding the prophecy from you. In the end, however, it seems he has only sealed his doom by turning you to me. Swear yourself to me, boy, and I promise not to keep matters of such importance from you."

Once again, I turned back to Luke and met his hardened gaze. He nodded, and I steeled myself.

"What should I say, my lord?" I asked the sarcophagus.

Kronos spoke inside my head, his metallic voice sounding like it was echoing off the walls of a massive cavern. I found myself saying the words in unison with him, as if the words were being directly uploaded to my brain.

"I hereby renounce the Olympian gods and swear allegiance to Kronos, lord of time and king of the titans. I will see to it that he rises from Tartarus and reclaims his rightful place as ruler. I will grow and train his army, and will aid his brethren in battle against the Olympians. When the time comes, I will see Olympus razed, and the false thrones of the gods reduced to dust. I swear this on the River Styx."

Thunder shook the hull of the ship. The sarcophagus glowed brightly, and before my eyes, a small chunk of something… fleshy rose from the floor and phased through the lid of the casket. I tried to hide the wrinkled expression on my face, even though I wasn't sure if Kronos could actually see me.

"For every new recruit in my army, a piece of myself returns from Tartarus. You have brought me one step closer to being whole again, and for that I am grateful."

I didn't know how to explain it, but Kronos's voice sounded more… present. Like it wasn't coming from so far beneath the ship anymore.

"Now, I promised to reveal the gods' great secret to you. To give you the answers you seek. But I warn you, boy. You may not like what the prophecy has to say."

I braced myself. This was my one chance to finally hear the prophecy which was apparently so horrible that even Chiron could not tell me. "I have to know, sir," I said evenly.

"Very well. Listen closely, and remember this well:

A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze."

I was silent for a long time, my brain picking apart each line as my heart hammered against my chest. So, the prophecy really was about me. There weren't any other children of the elder gods in existence that anyone knew of. Thalia had turned into a tree, so I couldn't see how this would apply to her. Did she even age in there? Was she even technically alive?

Tyson… probably didn't count. There were droves of Cyclopes already alive, working for Poseidon in underwater forges. There must have already been plenty that turned sixteen since the prophecy was first uttered, so it couldn't be a Cyclops. That left only me.

I'd reach the age of sixteen… and then I'd die? My soul would be reaped? What kind of a prophecy was that? 'Yeah, you're gonna turn sixteen and make this huge decision that determines the fate of Olympus. Oh, and bee-tee-dubs, you die at the end.'

I tried not to focus too hard on that little detail, but it really isn't easy to distract yourself from the fact that you're living on a timer. I had three years at most..

The only line in the prophecy that I couldn't make any sense of was the one about seeing the world in endless sleep.

"Do you see now why you are so important to our cause? If I have been interpreting the prophecy correctly, a single choice of yours will change the outcome of the entire war. You have sworn allegiance to me, and therefore I will see to it that you are protected at all costs. Rise now, hero, and place your hand on my sarcophagus."

I did as I was told and made my way up the steps of the dais. The air surrounding it seemed frigid and still, as if it was frozen in time. I placed my hand on the lid of the casket and resisted the urge to recoil as a chill ran up my arm. It was colder than ice.

That icy feeling spread throughout my veins, chilling me to my very core. Time seemed to slow around me. I turned toward Luke and watched in astonishment as his eyes slowly drifted shut and reopened seconds later, a blink that lasted impossibly long. Hugging my arms to myself, I stepped away from the dais, and just like that, the frigid feeling left. I steadied myself, feeling like I'd just been trapped in a glacier.

"Do not be afraid, Perseus. I have granted you my blessing, something I do not give lightly. Even Luke, my First Lieutenant, has not had the honor of receiving it. It will protect you in battle. Use it wisely."

When my wits finally came about me, I knelt once more, a residual shiver arcing down my spine. "Th-thank you, sir."

"There is one more thing," Kronos's voice rumbled. "Speak to my grandniece, Hecate. She will have another gift for you."

I found I couldn't speak. I wasn't used to receiving so much attention from immortals. All the gods I had met so far acted like I was an inconvenience to them. Like everything would've been better if I didn't exist. But here, I was valued. Maybe they were only trying to win me over because of the Great Prophecy, but I realized I didn't care. It was more than the gods had done for me, anyhow.

"Luke."

Behind me, Luke got up from his spot on the couch and took a knee beside me.

"Yes, my lord?"

"I leave it to you to continue Perseus's training, alongside your task of growing my army. I trust you will be able to handle both?"

The corners of Luke's mouth curled downwards, but he nodded his head. "You can count on me."

"Good. I grow weary from this conversation and must rest. You are both dismissed."

"Sir," the both of us said in unison.

It didn't register in my mind that I was now officially a member of Kronos's army until we entered the hallway. Luke and I were sworn allies now. The chill that had spread throughout my body was gone, and I found my head clearing. I turned to Luke, grinning.

"Looks like I made the team."

He stared at me for a moment, contemplating. Then he scowled and shouldered his way past me. Unlocking his door, he said, "Meet me on the Promenade at 6am sharp. And don't even think about bringing that Cyclops."

He retreated into his room, and the door slammed behind him.