Chapter 14

Nobody could have expected it. The day started out like any other across the realms. As far as anybody knows, there had been no dark whispers, no great revelations. None had divined what would happen that day. But when the Venom of God loosed his light spears on Kyoto, then on Beijing, Chongqing, Kolkata, São Paulo, and New York, I think our ignorance was a mercy. We could, at least, excuse ourselves from the hell that followed.

-Excerpt from Azazel's unpublished memoir, Fallen into Paradise

Crossing her arms, Tiamat gazed down at the sight below her. She felt her lip twitch.

This was not what she'd been expecting to find when she came back to New York. Not in the least because she hadn't felt Sun Wukong's presence in the city.

More, actually, because it appeared that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven seemed to be lecturing Percy rather than confronting him. They were seated in a grassy clearing in Central Park, not far from the lake Percy had led her to during their first meeting.

Neither of them looked ready to fight. In fact, they looked downright relaxed.

What had she missed during her time away? The Great Sage was part of Indra's orbit, just another piece of what made Mount Meru such a formidable force. So why was he here? Had Indra sent him? If so, to what end? Indra was known for keeping his distance from mortals. She was sure he found humans repulsive. Did Sun Wukong share those sentiments? That, she didn't know. Tiamat had only met the Great Sage once, and their exchange had been brief.

Answers would not be found in the sky. Tiamat didn't need clairvoyance to see as much. She tucked away her wings and let herself drop. She landed a dozen feet behind Sun Wukong, using a quick touch of magnetism to control the speed of her descent.

"I was wondering when you would come on down, Dragon King," Sun Wukong said lightly, without turning to face her.

Percy opened his eyes and looked around. Tiamat approached them while dropping her cloaking spell. "I felt it would be rude to interrupt such a peaceful scene. It's not often I get to see this one's"—she gestured at a bewildered Percy—"face without his typical brooding expression. A fine job you've done, Buddha Victorious in Struggle."

Sun Wukong waited until she rounded his side to glance in her direction. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, and his smile was enigmatic, but she could see the way his muscles tensed with her arrival. "You and Percy…?"

At that, Percy stood up, patting his thighs to get the blood flowing back into the rest of his legs. "We're friends," he assured the Great Sage.

"You never mentioned her," the Great Sage said dryly.

"Didn't think it was important," Percy said with a shrug. He turned to Tiamat. "What's up?"

Tiamat could have laughed at how casual his greeting was in the face of an increasingly bemused Sun Wukong. In fact, that's exactly what she did. She laughed. It was so refreshing, she realized, to be just one of many who Percy could easily throw off-balance with his glibness. She and the Great Sage should have been above that kind of casual dismissal. Percy had a habit of bringing people down to his level.

"Quite a bit is up these days with me," she replied with a half-hidden smile. "It seems I can't catch a break when it comes to you, can I? First, there was… that business… now there's this. Seems leaving you alone invites all sorts of trouble."

Percy actually chuckled at that. "You're not kidding. On the bright side, that means I never have to go looking for trouble. It'll find me sooner or later. Case in point, you found me, so what's the trouble?"

"There's no trouble. I have good news, instead."

He lifted an eyebrow. "That's a first."

"Isn't it?"

Percy glanced at the Great Sage. "Hey, Kong, you mind if we cut it short today? I'll do double duty tomorrow."

Sun Wukong, who had been watching them quietly, stood up, graced with a more placid smile. "I have no problem with that. We've made incredible progress these past few days. I can see you put in extra work when I'm not around."

"Well, I've got nothing better to do…"

"Fair enough," the Great Sage said. Then, he lowered his sunglasses to look at Tiamat properly. His eyes were dotted with spiraling galaxies. "Can I entrust my disciple to you, Dragon King Tiamat?"

"Entrust his what, Great Sage Equal to Heaven?" Tiamat switched to speaking Dzongkha instead of English. "His health? You need not worry, in that case. He is capable of handling himself. Tell me, instead, why I should entrust him to you. What is he to you, sage?"

Sun Wukong pushed his sunglasses back up his nose again. He replied in Dzongkha as well. "He is to me what he is to you. An outsider. Somebody who should not be here. That is what I have come to realize after these last four days. He should have been the dawn of something new. But he—as the dawn itself—has faded. His day has passed."

"Say what you mean."

"He is twilight on the cusp of dusk. I wonder, though, if perhaps I am mistaken. Dusk and dawn are so similar. Is it possible that I mistook this blue hour? Only he can answer that question, and I need to know if my night can finally come."

"Do you tire of life already, Great Sage?"

"Truthfully, yes. But I cannot go into my night without first seeing a new dawn. At my end, I wish to close my eyes and still see light." The Great Sage broke out into a wan smile and took a breath. "And what of you? Do you think he is a fading twilight—the coming dusk? Or is he the coming dawn? Or, perhaps, did you see something I failed to see."

Tiamat reflected on the Great Sage's words, despite already knowing her answer. "He is neither of those things to me. Percy is special, true, but only due to the circumstances surrounding him, not because of who he is. He is decidedly human, you know. But at the same time, he is... a wound. He came from a time and place beyond our reckoning. Our reality was never meant to contain Percy. I suppose you might call him a keystone of our universe for that very reason."

"Interesting you should say that."

"What makes it interesting?"

The Great Sage took a moment to consider his words. "It would seem that, despite viewing him in different ways, we both understand the possible danger he poses." Oh, yes, Tiamat knew full well. She knew because she had already been affected. The Great Sage must have seen that on her face. He rubbed his chin and asked, "Dragon King, how long have you known Percy for?"

"A month and a half," she said.

"And what exactly is the relationship between you two?"

"We're a team. Partners. I help him with some things, he entertains me. He's certainly provided me with a few novel experiences already."

"Is that so? Partners in what sense?"

"Pardon?"

"Well, partners is such a vague term. It can mean a few different things. So, in what sense are you partners? Surely you have been sharing the immense wisdom you have gained over your countless centuries with him. I can hardly think of a better way to show your partner the respect he deserves."

Tiamat blinked. "I provide him with small favors here and there. And, should I deem it appropriate, I do impart my wisdom unto him. That's all. I never had the desire to do anything more."

"Is it not our duty, as the old guard, to see the new guard receive the tools they need to continue our work? As ancient as you are, do you feel no desire to pass the torch?"

Tiamat glanced at Percy from the corner of her eye. The boy had apparently lost interest in their indecipherable conversation and had instead taken to staring up at a roosting owl.

An avid bird-watcher, he was not, as he quickly lost interest in the owl and started fiddling with Riptide in pen form.

Passing the torch. Tiamat almost chuckled wryly. I already tried to do that.

She hadn't failed, per se, but as most of her children were now dead, well, she couldn't call it a wholly successful relay. Still, her defeat had been necessary. With it, and with the death of Kingu, she had fulfilled her destiny.

Strange, though, that she still lived. When Marduk struck her down, he should have torn her apart, leaving her energy to return to the Earth and the cosmos. That she still drew breath was… odd.

More than that, it was wrong.

Of course, she knew Marduk had not spared her out of kindness. She doubted he had ever understood compassion. He had spared her to make a point: Marduk did not fear her, and thus, had no need to kill her.

How very poignant.

She had never managed to personally thank Samael for killing Marduk. A shame what had happened to the angel, too. Now he was the Venom of God in more ways than one.

Once upon a time, she would have expected Yahweh to pass the torch to Samael. That it ended up being Michael was no great surprise, though she couldn't help feeling like there were better options.

"In that regard, I have already done my duty. Now I have a duty to my whims more than anything else," Tiamat said.

"I see. Regardless, my duty remains to the changing of the guard. If Percy is part of the new guard, that means my duty lies with him," the Great Sage said.

"I don't even want to entertain the idea," Tiamat muttered, "but you wouldn't try to place him on the path to buddhahood, would you?"

"Would I try? Of course I would. However, he will not become a buddha. If he were to resolve himself to become a buddha in my presence, I could not confirm his future buddhahood. Moreover, if he placed himself on the path and became a bodhisattva, I am sure he would fail to reach the final, irreversible stage. Not even Gautama Buddha could uplift him."

"What a shame."

"Not necessarily." The Great Sage switched back to English. "I prefer it this way. Now, it seems that we have nothing further to discuss. I'll take my leave." He smiled and dipped his head at Percy. "See you tomorrow, lad. Take care until then."

"For sure," Percy said bemusedly.

With that, the Great Sage departed.

Percy shook his head and turned to Tiamat. "Okaaay. What was that all about?"

"The Monkey King and I were only debating philosophy. Nothing to concern yourself with."

"I'll take your word for it," he said.

"Say, how did you come to meet the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What does it matter how I met him?"

She rubbed her chin in exaggerated thoughtfulness. After a moment of her mock contemplation, she answered plainly: "I prefer to be kept in the loop."

Percy blinked at her. Then, a small smile quirked his mouth, replacing cold fatigue with something much warmer. "Huh, me too. What a coincidence."

"Destiny, maybe?"

"Ehhh, let's not go that far. I like the coincidence angle much better."

"Let's go with that then," she agreed with an easy smile of her own. "Oh, but I still want to hear about what happened while I was away. Surely something led to your involvement with the famous Sun Wukong."

"There's definitely some backstory. Well, it all started with my late-night craving for some gyros…"

Tiamat listened to his recount. By the time he finished speaking, a headache had wrapped her in its vice-like grip. She massaged her temples and took several deep breaths for the sake of inner peace and retention of her sanity.

Unfortunately, it still felt like she was going crazy.

No, I must already be crazy. It's too late to go back now.

Her rationalization tempered the headache. Soon, she felt well enough to reopen her eyes so she could deadpan stare at her partner.

She licked her lips and spoke slowly. "Percy Jackson."

"That's me."

She gestured for him to get closer. When he complied, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him against her side. She held him tight as he squirmed. Her voice dropped an octave. "Are you telling me… that you were attacked by a blood-earth secondborn, survived, and are now learning Sun Wukong's off-shoot of Chan Buddhism from the Great Sage Equal to Heaven himself? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Percy shrugged. Or he tried to. Her arm prevented his shoulders from rising too far. "Well, uh, more or less. It's not really Chan Buddhism though, it's more like… Never mind, I can't explain it."

"Do you know how many people would kill to be in your shoes?"

"I hope you're not one of those people," he said, glancing at their proximity with a wary eye. "Besides, how many people would actually want to be attacked—at random, remember—by the likes of Thanatos and a secondborn?"

"Hmm. Fair point." Tiamat released him and frowned. "Your luck is both fantastic and abysmal. I'm not sure how that works."

Percy massaged his shoulder, giving her a sidelong look. "I have great luck. Problem is that it comes in bursts. Like, when I'm lucky, I'm super lucky, but I'm not always lucky."

She shook her head woefully. "I'm only going to accept that explanation because I like you." Sighing, she said, "I wish you would have consulted with me before moving forward with Sun Wukong's proposal. We're a team, right?"

He gave her a flippant shrug. "You weren't around, so… I did what I had to do. Wukong was right there practically begging to help me."

That was fair. She wasn't going to begrudge him since it was her own fault for not being around. Still, she asked, "And it didn't occur to you that he might have ulterior motives?"

"Of course it did," Percy said defensively. "I just figured I could handle myself if something went south."

Tiamat pursed her lips. "The Great Sage is part of Indra's circle. You know—Indra, the legendary Vedic storm god? For all intents and purposes, Sun Wukong is an extension of Mount Meru, the most powerful faction in the world. You may as well hold a neon sign over your head that says 'Very Important Person' and break down the doors of each religion's seat of power; that would net you less attention than becoming Sun Wukong's disciple."

"You're exaggerating," he protested.

"I am," she admitted, followed by, "but my point stands. Even if the Great Sage didn't come to you on Indra's orders—which you can't know for certain—don't think that means you're excluded from factional intrigue. You didn't join forces with Mount Meru. To those within the coalition, you reap the benefits of association without the responsibility. To those without, you are a piece to be poached or disposed of. Few stay neutral in this world for long."

Percy seemed more interested than worried. "I don't think Wukong wants to get me to join his faction. He never even mentioned it. Besides, it was Gabriel who asked him to meet me, not 'the legendary Vedic storm god' Indie-Raw."

"And you think that makes it any better?"

"Uh… yeah? I mean, it's Gabriel."

She rolled her eyes. How could one be so naive? "You must think highly of her if it never crossed your mind to suspect that this is just her own way of manipulating you."

"Gabriel wouldn't do that," he said.

"She's hardly the innocent angel you perceive her as. Have you any idea the amount of suffering she's brought upon the people she was meant to protect? At her creator's command, no more, but that's hardly an excuse."

"That… That's in the past," he said, sounding unsure.

Maybe so. Still, it was worrying that he didn't even want to entertain the possibility. "If you were feeling pressured to join a faction or die, which would you run to first? Perhaps—and this is only a guess—Heaven would be your first choice? You already know two of Heaven's leaders. Joining them would be preferable to dying, wouldn't it?"

Percy waved her words away. "Been dead. Been not dead. Gotta say, neither bother me all too much."

Tiamat raised an eyebrow. In hindsight, it all made sense.

Small wonder he was as reckless as he was.

Percy didn't care whether he lived or died. He took personal risks because he didn't see a good reason to avoid them. She didn't think he wanted to die, and he obviously had some sense of self-preservation, but he was willing to tackle issues others would avoid because…

Well, because he was stupid. Very, very stupid. And, more than that, he was selfish.

His mindset was childish.

Unfortunately, it was also familiar.

"Also," he continued, "I just want to point out that I'm following your advice."

"My advice?"

"We don't need a good reason to do things," he said.

Oh.

She supposed there were worse ways of interpreting her wisdom. Still, she wrinkled her nose at his crude phrasing.

"Well, believe what you may and trust who you want; only time will tell if your decision was mistaken." She scratched her cheek. "Have you at least learned something from the Great Sage?"

Percy pointed at her in acknowledgment. "I have, actually. Now that I know about the five phases, I've got a new trick up my sleeve."

"The five phases?" Tiamat had some passing knowledge about wuxing. The conceit was somewhat similar to the Western idea of the four elements, except in Chinese philosophy, the phases were metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. "You must be a fast learner."

"I just have a knack for water."

"I would have thought you had water all figured out. What could the Great Sage possibly teach you about your own element?"

"Hey, I'm a demigod, all right? Some stuff was harder for me than it'd be for dragons, gods, and buddhas," he said.

She took note of his phrasing. "Was?"

"Is," he corrected. Then, he smiled crookedly. "With more practice, it'll be was. You guys are gonna have to make room in that exclusive club for me."

His confidence was electrifying. It was a small wonder he could continue to excite her with words and promises alone. There was something to be said about his charisma, to be sure.

She matched his crooked smile. "Some people might not take kindly to you joining them. It's a very exclusive club."

"They'll learn to live with it. If not, well, that's their problem."

This was the irreverence that she couldn't help but find attractive. Percy's particular brand of faux-conceit had been built on the foundations of something she couldn't quite pinpoint. Still, it was an oddly tempered style of pomposity that she'd come to appreciate despite her initial criticism of its existence.

Maybe it helped that he was—as the term went—easy on the eyes. Especially when he let loose that charming, roguish smile.

"I look forward to that day, then. It should be interesting enough," Tiamat said.

"We'll see. Anyway, didn't you have good news?" he asked.

That's right, she had almost forgotten her reason for coming. "I do. Ajuka thinks he can wake the Leviathan girl with my help. He wants us to meet him."

Percy's eyes widened. "Finally! Didn't he say he'd get in touch after a week? It's been three. What was the hold-up?"

"He is one of the leaders of an entire species," Tiamat reminded him.

"Huh. Fair enough. All right, are we going?"

In response, Tiamat created a magic circle beneath their feet.

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Tiamat breathed a sigh of relief as they entered Ingvild Leviathan's room.

Somehow, Percy had refrained from being exceptionally disrespectful to Ajuka. It must have taken all of his self-control to keep from making off-handed comments. She would give credit where credit was due. While Percy was clearly far from pleased at having been made to wait for nearly two weeks past Ajuka's self-set deadline, he had enough foresight to accept Ajuka's apology for the delay without complaint.

Maybe he was just smart enough to not antagonize the person who had volunteered considerable time and effort into doing him a favor.

And, since Percy's behavior vaguely reflected on her, it was a pleasant surprise to know she wouldn't have to apologize for his attitude later. That was good for both of their sakes.

"Now," Ajuka said as he closed the door behind him, "you're probably wondering why I asked the two of you to meet me instead of waking her up as soon as I drew my conclusions."

Percy glanced at the sleeping girl in the bed. He looked back at Ajuka with a frown. "You mean it wasn't a courtesy?"

"It was, in part, a courtesy," Ajuka agreed. "More importantly, though, it was because I needed the two of you. Or, at least, I needed two people like you. Did Tiamat tell you about Ingvild's Sacred Gear?"

Percy shook his head. "We came straight to you."

Ajuka cleared his throat and went to the Leviathan girl's bedside. "Ingvild has a rare Sacred Gear called Nereid Kyrie. It has ties to water and dragons. I asked the both of you to stop by because I remember Tiamat mentioning she sensed a strong connection to the sea within you."

"Uh-huh. I think I'm starting to get the picture. I'm just not sure how this all connects. Why, exactly, do you need us?"

"My main theory right now—if I work off the assumption that there is only one cause for Ingvild's past awakening—is that her Sacred Gear did, in fact, manifest a month and a half ago. However, it matured improperly and is undergoing transformation into a sub-species."

"A sub-species is essentially a different version of the base Sacred Gear, correct?" Tiamat asked for Percy's sake.

"Yes, exactly," Ajuka said. When he saw Percy's still-confused expression, he elaborated, "For example, Nereid Kyrie has ties to water and dragons, but a sub-species of Nereid Kyrie may also gain ties to spirits, ice, or anything else really. Or perhaps its ties to water and dragons simply become stronger. A sub-species Sacred Gear is almost always an upgrade from the base form."

"Okay, we're on the same page," Percy said.

"Good. Now, if I'm right, when Nereid Kyrie began its transformation, it temporarily lost its manifestation." He clasped and unclasped his hands multiple times. "Think of it as a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis into a butterfly. Right now, her Sacred Gear may well be in a pupal stage, readying itself for the final transformation. When that transformation finally occurs, she'll wake up again, just like she did the first time."

Percy crossed his arms. "The only problem with that is we don't know when the final transformation will happen, right? I mean, it could take another hundred years, or it could take another twenty minutes."

Ajuka nodded. "Precisely. Therein lies the reason for your attendance today. I want to use sympathetic magic to form a correspondence between you, Tiamat, and Ingvild. Creating a deep magical connection will hopefully influence her Sacred Gear and coax its final manifestation as a sub-species."

"Which will wake her up," Percy concluded. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Is it dangerous?"

"With you here, the risk of harm is quite low," Ajuka said. "While Tiamat acts as the main current of magic, you'll act as the resistor, and I'll be the conduit. That said, as with any sorcery, one must always consider the possibility of catastrophic failure. While low, the chances aren't zero."

"What does catastrophic failure mean in this scenario?" Percy asked.

"One or more of us receive more magical energy than our bodies can regulate, leading to a rather ashy demise."

Percy looked at Tiamat. "You'd take that risk?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Sorcery is rife with inherent danger. Both Ajuka and I are more than comfortable with channeling magic, so the odds that we fail to perform our roles are minuscule."

"But what about me? I'm not going to mess with your mojo, am I?"

"Your role is the easiest. Just stand there and don't use any of your powers. I assume Ajuka wants you in the circuit because you and Ingvild are both semi-human. Your part in the correspondence is to filter my essence into something more manageable for her. Ajuka will fulfill the role of the devil. That should allow for a cleaner meld."

"That's exactly right," Ajuka said. "Your task, Percy, is simple but also integral."

Percy grimaced. He glanced over at the Leviathan girl. For whatever reason, he hesitated. Something ate at him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

In the end, he agreed with a silent nod, carrying doubt all the while.

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It took Ajuka less than ten minutes to prepare the procedure, which was no small feat given how complex the magic he was weaving had become.

Tiamat couldn't follow the threads of sorcery as they blended and waved between mandalas. Symbols aligned themselves within the mandalas, languages old and new, a story of how this magic would coalesce ideas from across cultures. It was, after all, a predominantly human sorcery Ajuka was using, with subtle elements of devil magic interspersed throughout the woven working.

This was why Ajuka was considered to be one of the most dangerous people alive. Kankara Formula, the ability unique to Ajuka Beelzebub, was one of supersedure. He could interpose his sorcery within the manifest procedure of another at will, essentially allowing him to tamper with the outcome of all sorts of magical phenomena.

"Now, are we all ready?" Ajuka asked once the spell was ready.

Nodding, Tiamat said, "Of course."

Percy replied, "Always ready."

"Then let's begin. To summarize, the network I've created will establish a sympathetic link between Ingvild and the two of you. Tiamat's magical signature is what we're mainly after, so she'll be poking and prodding the nexus with her power in order to feed the link. Percy, as the dampener, will only need to keep his signature at a constant level. The link will first connect you two and then move through me and connect with Ingvild. Any questions?"

As expected, Percy leaned over so he could whisper a comment to her. "Was that supposed to be his version of layman's terms?"

She snorted at how concerned he sounded. "They were layman enough for me."

Percy clicked his tongue, then looked at Ajuka. "Uh, no questions on my end, but I think Tiamat wanted you to go over all that again."

"No, no, I said no such thing," Tiamat denied. She pointed at Percy. "He was the one who didn't understand."

"Me? No way. Stop trying to make me look bad."

"You don't need my help in that department."

Ajuka chuckled. "Well, if there's nothing to go over…"

The humor melted from Percy's face as easily as it had come. Three chairs had been placed by Ingvild Leviathan's bed. Tiamat took a seat by the lower end of the bed, Percy took the centermost chair, leaving Ajuka at the head of the nexus.

Would Ajuka's theory prove correct? Tiamat couldn't say either way. While she had faith in Ajuka's intelligence, he wasn't all-knowing. She wondered who had helped him identify the Leviathan girl's Sacred Gear in the first place. If it was obscure enough to elude Ajuka's substantive font of knowledge, who could he possibly turn to for answers?

Only one name immediately came to her, but the idea seemed ridiculous.

Well, no matter.

Focusing her attention inward and outward, Tiamat first familiarized herself with the woven sorcery that was Ajuka's spell nexus. A million threads presented themselves to her eyes. They glittered brightly in the dim room. Nodes soon became apparent, large misshapen knots of coalesced magical energy signifying important aspects of the spell, essentially acting as the organs of a primed Frankenstein's monster.

As Ajuka had instructed, she reached out with her power to start the spell. The nodes took in what she fed them, thrumming with an audible whine.

Suddenly, as if a threshold had been reached, dozens of threads snapped to Percy's body. He shuddered and looked around but clearly couldn't see the threads as she could, which wasn't necessarily surprising considering Tiamat could sharpen her sensitivity to magic as she pleased. Something she doubted Percy could do.

Even so, he obviously felt the sorcery connect to his body.

With the first two steps done, Ajuka introduced a bare hint of his own power, drawing from the nodes that Tiamat had been feeding.

The nexus flared.

Tiamat felt a great jolt as the final connection crystallized. A bridge formed between Ingvild Leviathan, Percy, and Tiamat, opening the promised sympathetic link. Everything had proceeded smoothly.

Now there was but one thing to do.

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Fire filled Ingvild's blood. She was being boiled alive.

Something immense wrapped around her. Pressure the likes of which she'd never felt before squeezed her at every angle. Her bones creaked. Her breath left.

The fire burned hotter. The pressure grew stronger.

She was going to die.

An arrow struck her just below the ribs.

A scythe ran through the small of her back.

This was death.

Except it wasn't.

Dying meant being useless forevermore.

So, she would not die.

There was still something she wanted to do.

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Ingvild welcomed the whiff of salt and algae as it touched her nose. It was the same smell again. The ocean never seemed to drift far from her senses.

Slowly, feeling returned to her body. Her arms and legs buzzed angrily as if filled to the brim with bees and ants. A lingering heat smoldered in her stomach, losing strength by the second.

God above, but did her throat ache.

The dream she'd woken from scampered away into some dark corner of her mind.

Voices began filtering through the transient wall of her post-rest haze. They were muffled and unintelligible, but they were there, providing her a measure of comfort. She was reminded of times when she listened to her parents talking from another room while she lay in bed and drifted off to sleep.

Better times. Easier times.

She dwelled on those memories for longer than she ought to have before opening her eyes and rising from the bed. Once again, she was met with an unfamiliar sight.

Where… am I? This isn't Percy's room.

As unfortunate as it was, Ingvild found herself becoming familiar with unfamiliar places. She was becoming an accomplished globe-walker at this rate.

The room she found herself in was barer than Percy's own. Her bed and three foldable metal chairs leaning against the wall were the only awarded pieces of furniture. There were two doors, one to her immediate left and another in the corner of the room which had a small window in it.

Ingvild rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes and got out of bed. She was still wearing the clothes Dragon King Tiamat had allowed her to borrow. Her feet met cold wood, and she broke out in a shiver. Her head spun as she stood up.

Gathering her wits once more, she wandered to the nearest door on unsteady legs, pushing it open with a limp hand. She was met with a plain bathroom. Ingvild gladly accepted the luxury and went to the sink, where she washed her face and took small sips of cool water. The faucet left a metallic tang on her palate. She would have liked to bathe, but not knowing whose room she was occupying didn't set her fancy for that kind of commodity. It would have been horribly presumptuous.

"Ingvild?"

She turned upon hearing her name. Taking a breath, she left the bathroom.

Three people were now gathered in the room where she'd been sleeping. Two, she recognized—Dragon King Tiamat with her otherworldly beauty and Percy with his thoughtful frown—alongside one she did not know. The third was a man with neatly combed green hair, as tall as Percy, his expression distant and inscrutable, wearing elegant clothes that reinforced her belief that he was above her station.

Ingvild wilted under their stares. Still, on the inside, she was relieved. If Percy and Dragon King Tiamat were still with her, then she couldn't have lost everything all over again.

"Well," the green-haired man said, "it seems we can chalk this up as a complete success."

Percy gave them man a vague smile. "Guess so." Then he turned to Ingvild. "How are you feeling, Ingvild?"

"Um… a little hungry…" she answered honestly. Something about the way he was looking at her turned the relief cold. "What's happening? I mean… um… where are we?"

"You fell asleep on us. It's been a month."

A month?

Ingvild felt her heart sink into her stomach. So it had happened again. Not for a century this time, but a month was still… still far too long.

Was this going to be how she lived the rest of her life? Would she constantly worry about what surprises her next sleep would bring, occasionally losing days, months, or years to her disease?

The thought was enough to make her sick.

"When you didn't wake up, well, we figured it was that sleeping disease kicking in again," Percy continued. "Neither Tiamat nor I knew how to deal with that, so we brought you to the Underworld…" He gestured to the other man. "This is Ajuka Beelzebub. He helped us wake you up. Tiamat suggested we ask him for help since he's a pretty smart dude."

"And because I trusted him to be discreet," Tiamat added.

Beelzebub? Beelzebub… Beelzebub… The name was familiar. Yes, now she remembered. During her lessons with the Leviathan family retainers, the Underworld's political situation had been brought up a few times. Her family name, Leviathan, meant she had something of a birthright for power. Or, she would have, if not for the new Devil Kings who had taken the old historical names for their own uses. Beelzebub was one of those names, and Ajuka Beelzebub was one of those new Devil Kings.

She clutched the hem of her blouse and took an involuntary step back. Even though this man had helped… weren't they supposed to be enemies? She, the true blood descendant of Leviathan, and he, the man who had slain her ancestor and shattered the stability of the Leviathan clan.

Of course, she held no contempt for Ajuka Beelzebub. Ulestar had been very clear in describing Tsufaame, the Leviathan that Ajuka had killed, as a dangerous warmonger who cared more for her pride than the well-being of those around her. And despite Tsufaame being family… well… Ingvild had never met her ancestor and had very little positive sentiment for the Leviathan clan in general. Her real family had not gone by that name.

Mostrøm was all she'd known herself as for seventeen years. Ingvild Mostrøm.

Oh, God. What was she doing here with these people? Who was she if not Ingvild Mostrøm? Leviathan? There was no way. A devil?

A devil? Her?

God above. She was human, for God's sake. She'd been human for seventeen years. Since when could she be considered a devil? When had this burden been placed upon her? Why did she have to stand shoulder to shoulder with people like Percy, Dragon King Tiamat, and Ajuka Beelzebub? She was just seventeen! What use was she on a battlefield? What use was she in this grand game of politics? What use was she… period?

If only she hadn't been a devil. This illness of hers only affected devils, after all.

Why had God forsaken her? What had she done wrong?

"I know I'm putting my faith in you when we're practically strangers, but just from the time we've spent talking, you strike me as a good person. That's why I'm asking you to do this. You can help people, Ingvild. I'm sure you can."

She felt sick.

Percy knew nothing about her. If he did, then he wouldn't put his trust in her so blindly. She truly wished to be the person he believed her to be.

But she wasn't.

And she almost resented him for putting those hefty expectations upon her.

Still… he had saved her life. It was her choice to repay him for that, despite knowing that he hadn't helped her for a favor. In other words, it wasn't fair to resent Percy, as she had been the one to place expectations upon herself.

Once more, that meant she could only resent herself.

"Thank you for your help," Ingvild said numbly, finding her mouth moving on its own as she addressed Ajuka Beelzebub.

The forefront of her mind focused on the outside world while the back of her mind wrangled with her intrusive thoughts. She was out of her depth anyway, so what was the point in trying to do anything but follow the flow of the others?

"You're very welcome," Ajuka said politely.

Ingvild nodded at him, then looked at Percy and Tiamat. "What happens now? Do I… stay here? My illness is… um… inconvenient for you both, I'm sure. So if you want me to stay with Ajuka, I would understand."

"Woah, wait, slow down Ingvild. We're not asking you to stay," Percy said, holding his hands up to stop her. "Your illness should be…"

"Suppressed," Ajuka chimed. His eyes locked onto hers. "Our working theory is that your Sacred Gear manifested itself around the time of your first awakening—before you met these two—and went dormant again as it slowly morphed into a different type of Sacred Gear called a sub-species. We believed your Sacred Gear's full manifestation was what suppressed the suspension, so we performed a small ritual to speed the metamorphosis. Thus far, our theory has proven correct, as now that your sub-species Sacred Gear is fully realized, you are once more awake."

Ingvild grasped at what Ajuka was saying, but the meaning flitted from the cracks of her fingers. Though she had many questions, only one made its way to the forefront of her mind: "Does that mean I'm… cured?"

Ajuka frowned. "I'm afraid it isn't quite that simple. We don't know what causes this illness in the first place. It stands to reason, then, that we don't know how to cure it. That said, we hope that as long as your Sacred Gear remains manifested, you won't succumb to the suspension. Your case is a special one. It's setting a precedent all its own."

So there was no precedent. In other words, they were pioneers in the great unknown.

"That aside," Percy said, "just because we're living on a prayer doesn't mean we want to dump you off with Ajuka."

"Especially not after I'd gone through the trouble of mentally preparing myself for the headaches having a pupil would bring me," Tiamat added dryly. She caught Ingvild's questioning gaze and crossed her arms. "Yes, I mean you. That you lack even the slightest hint of self-reliance is quite—" The Dragon King snarled in surprise as Percy pushed an elbow into her ribs. Her glare could have melted steel, but with Percy appearing unfazed by it, she could only clear her throat and amend herself. "To survive in the world you've found yourself awakened to, Ingvild, you'll need strength. Power. Those things take many shapes. I will help you help yourself."

"Hey, how come you never offered to teach me stuff?" Percy suddenly asked.

"I would have done so eventually. First, though, I wanted to see you as you, without my hand dipping too far into the pond and muddying the waters." Tiamat frowned and rubbed her head. "Now that the Great Sage is involved, though, I feel like I'm being cheated."

"Are you jealous?" Percy's question was tinged with smug humor.

Tiamat deigned to respond with only a snort of denial before turning back to Ingvild. "Of course, the decision is yours."

Percy nodded, suddenly serious. "She's right. We aren't here to make those kinds of choices for you. I know we're asking a lot, but I want you to know that you can turn away from this at any time. Even if it seems like you don't have a choice… well… you do."

"Isn't the only other option… death?" Ingvild asked.

"Yeah. But death is a valid option." Percy said as much without a hint of sarcasm.

"Um… I—I think that's where I have to disagree with you," Ingvild muttered.

"Don't listen to Percy. He's prone to saying stupid things," Tiamat said.

Percy accepted the insult with a graceful nod. "True enough. Still, the choice is yours, Ingvild. Do you still want our help?"

Ingvild didn't understand why he was asking her that. She didn't understand why, for all his strength, he needed her input. She didn't understand why… beneath his easygoing expression… he was anxiously awaiting her answer.

And why, she wondered, did she find comfort in his vulnerability?

It took thirty seconds to change the world. Before even the last building collapsed under its own weight, our fates had been sealed. We often forget that, despite humanity's unmatched capacity for compassion, so too do they harbor an unmatched capacity for hatred. Was it any real surprise then, when they pointed a gun at the head of our shared world and threatened to pull the trigger? It shouldn't be. They volunteered us for their suicide pact with the same reckless abandon humanity is wont to practice.

-Excerpt from The Human Hive Mind: how a collective of seven billion became the Earth's one true god by W.P. Abbadon

Author Note: Thanks for reading.