Peri's POV

I gripped my left wrist, my hands shaking violently. The pain had passed as quickly as it had come, but the black tattoo remained permanently seared into my skin. The symbol of the omega marked me, emblazoned on my forearm forever.

But then did that mean-?

"No!" Octavian muttered.

I stole a glance away from my new ink to look at my new friends. They appeared as shocked and confused as I was. And was that... fear in some of their eyes? Octavian was pacing back and forth across the room, shaking his head as he muttered to himself. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" His words seemed more to himself than anyone else.

Everyone else was staring at me, dumbfounded and awestruck.

"W-w-w-what just happened here?!" Frank stuttered out, his knees shaking as much as his voice.

I opened up my mouth to tell him 'I have no idea, man', but Octavian screamed out.

"No!" He was messing around with the stuffed entrails of his ruined teddy bears, his voice shrill. "Unacceptable! This is UNACCEPTABLE!"

Despite the situation, I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

Is Octavian about to have a mental breakdown right in front of me? Score! Front row seats!

"Octavian," Jason reached out his hand tentatively. "Do you know about... this?" He gestured towards me, specifically my left arm. I didn't really appreciate the way he called me a this, but I held my tongue. I wanted an explanation just as much as anyone else.

The scrawny blonde growled and opened his mouth like he was going to say something. Instead, he made a strange sound; some strange crossover between a choke and a squeak. Without warning, he lunged for the big book in front of us. Almost desperately, he flipped through the pages. Sweat visible on his brow, he tore through the pages, searching for something.

"Octavian?" Reyna sounded worried for his mental health.

Octavian started muttering to himself again, but all I could make out were bits and pieces. "She can't...How can this be?... Please don't..."

Leo and I glanced at each other at the same time. He was confused, yet curious, and I'm sure my own face mirrored that.

"No!" I heard Octavian shriek. I turned to look back at him, and my jaw dropped.

It was happening.

Again.

Golden tendrils curled and moved rapidly over a previously blank page of the book. Shining letters formed shimmering words on the white surface. I watched, entranced by the spectacle before me. The golden ink slithered around, magically creating a hand drawn illustration next to the paragraphs of glowing text. Finally, the words curled to a stop.

"This happened again?!" Piper screeched, fear evident in her voice.

"Another prophecy?" Frank prodded the book cautiously with his index finger.

Looking around, I noticed everyone had backed up from the enormous book. I was the only one who hadn't recoiled in fear. I drifted closer to the dusty old work.

"Peri?" Leo questioned, concerned.

I kept making strides toward the book, almost like a magnetic pull.

I was drawn to it.

The text sat right in front of me now, and I had an even better look at it now. Titling the page was one word written in huge golden letters.

ANASTASIOS

What's an Anastasios? And why do I feel so...connected?

I reached out my hand to touch the shining ink. Just before my fingers connected with the page, the book whipped away from me. My head jerked up sharply, and I saw Octavian had snatched the book away. He clutched it closely to his little chest. "No!" He hissed.

"What are you doing?" I growled.

He dropped the book with a plop. As soon as it hit the ground, the pages began magically flipping to the one entitled ANASTASIOS. "It can't be you..." he whispered quietly. "The Omega-Blood can't be you."

I glanced down at the tattoo on my forearm, and all of a sudden everything seemed a lot more real.

I'm the Omega-Blood.

"Octavian. Answers. Now." Reyna commanded.

Sighing, Octavian picked up the book and started to read.

"Anastasios," he began. I took note of how his voice was somehow... velvety when he read. It was smooth and pleasant- not at all like his personality. But there was a strange contrast as the fireplace's light caused his face to glow eerily.

"Anastasios?" Leo interrupted. "Wasn't that a Disney movie?"

Piper sighed deeply, as if she was used to hearing these types of comments. "No, Leo, that's Anastasia!"

Octavian glared at them before continuing. "Anastasios is the god unknown, a child of Hera and Zeus whose power is that to rival Zeus himself."

"The god unknown?" Bonnabelle whispered. "Just like in the prophecy!"

"Now, I've met most of the gods," Percy began skeptically, "And I've never heard of any Anastasios."

"Well of course not!" Octavian spoke to him like he was talking to an irritating child. "He's had his reasons for staying under wraps, and if you'd let me finish-!"

"Alright, alright!" Leo waved his hand dismissively. "Don't get your panties in a twist!"

Octavian grumbled a bit more before reading again. "Long ago, the Fates decreed that one day, a child of Zeus would have the ability to surpass him. After hearing this, Zeus became determined not to birth any more children. However, his wife Hera greatly wanted a child to call her own. Zeus refused her immediately. Desperate, Hera decided to create a child on her own terms, so she went to the one person who could create anything."

"Hephaestus," Leo whispered.

"Correct." Octavian nodded. "Hera begged Hephaestus to make her a child, and after being showered with gifts, Hephaestus agreed. The plan was to make the most lifelike automaton of all time. Knowing Zeus would be outraged if he found out, Hera gave Hephaestus specific instructions to keep the situation a secret. Hephaestus scoured the entire world to gather supplies for the biggest creation Olympus has ever known. He melded together all of the most precious metals, adding in various mystical items to give the automaton different characteristics. Finally, he encased the glowing, hot liquid potion in a giant, golden egg."

"And it just turned into a baby?" Hazel asked, confused.

"I'm getting to that," Octavian nodded. "On the outside of the egg, Hephaestus wrote an inscription. It told of how the egg would hatch when it made it to its mother, Hera. After that, the most realistic automaton ever would be born. Hephaestus was incredibly proud of his handiwork. He had, in a sense, created life. However, it seemed as though he counted his eggs before they hatched, so to speak."

"Boo!" Leo shook his head. "Your pun was bad, and you should feel bad!"

Octavian ignored him. "When Hera eagerly took the egg from Hephaestus, nothing happened. He told her to take it home and wait. She did as she was told, but still nothing happened. Hera waited and waited and waited. A hundred years passed, and the golden egg found itself hidden in a large, heavy chest out of sight. The egg was still as golden and pure as the day Hera received it, but it seemed as though Hephaestus's creation was a failure. In those hundred years, a lot had happened. Greece had been taken by Rome, for instance."

Octavian paused to look up at us, as if to see if we understood yet. He sighed and continued reading. "As such, feelings and personalities of the gods change. And Hera - or should I say Juno - thought that maybe the Fates had changed as well. She decided to inform Jupiter of the golden egg she had hidden away. Finally after a hundred years, Juno revealed the mystical golden egg to her husband, Jupiter. To her surprise, Jupiter became outraged. He screamed and thrashed at his wife's stupidity, storm clouds raging in the sky. He brought forth his famous lightning bolt and sent it flying onto the egg."

"Zeus sent his lightning bolt on a poor, defenseless egg?" Piper gasped.

I shushed her and turned back to Octavian expectantly.

This story's getting good.

Octavian continued. "Jupiter stormed off" - Leo groaned at the pun. - "just as the egg came crashing to the ground. Tears streaming down her face, Juno got down next to the egg. It was cracked and broken in several places, but somehow not smoldering ashes. To her surprise, the egg started shaking. The rest of the broken egg shell went flying across the room in a blast of shining light. In a puddle of shimmering liquid, lye a smiling baby boy. He had hair and eyes the color of Imperial Gold and his skin was of soft Celestial Bronze. She gasped and picked up the healthy baby, brought to life by Jupiter's strike of death. She named him Anastasios, meaning 'resurrection.'"

My eyes widened. "Whoa..." I murmured. Everyone was staring at me expectantly, which I didn't get. It's just story time, it's not like this had anything to do with us specifically, right? Right?!

Wait. Was this "Anastasios" character my-?

"Juno rushed the baby away from Mount Olympus," Apparently, Octavian wasn't finished. "She left the baby with the kind naiads at the foot of Mount Olympus where she knew they would take good care of him. She swore on the River Styx that she would return for him. In the meantime, little Anastasios grew up with the naiads as his family. He was a courageous, witty, adventurous child who was often caught up in mischief. Things were going well, until he turned 18 and decided to join the cavalry. As he auditioned for a spot in the army, he picked up a weapon for the first time in his life. As soon as he touched the Imperial Gold, strange things started happening. First off, his sword glowed brightly and grew five times its original size. Then, everyone else's weapons melted to liquid Imperial Gold. The liquid Gold sank to the ground, slithered its way to Anastasios, and surrounded him in a full body armor."

I gasped.

"The other naiads stared at him, shocked and confused. Then, a bright, glowing light filled the sky. Juno herself descended from the steps of Mount Olympus. To his surprise, she strode up to him and embraced him like family. Which he was. She took his hand and led him up the stairs to Mount Olympus, recalling the story of his life to him on the way. Juno lead Anastasios to Jupiter, and she in turn informed him of who Anastasios truly was. Jupiter grew outraged and quickly reached for his lightning bolt. Jupiter declared that he would 'End this once and for all', determined not to be surpassed. Anastasios reached his hand up at the last moment, grabbing Jupiter's all powerful bolt with his bare hands. Anastasios spoke to his father with a mischievous grin, 'I don't want to surpass you, Dad. I just want to be here with you, my family.' At first, Jupiter didn't believe such kindness and humility existed, but he soon realized that Anastasios was one of a kind. Now, Anastasios lives on Mount Olympus alongside Jupiter as an equal, living by his own rules."

Octavian finished, closing the book. He looked around at us, especially me. He stared, as if he was trying to read my mind.

"So..." Leo spoke in the awkward silence. "What does this have to do with us..?"

Octavian rolled his eyes and facepalmed. "You really are 32 different flavors of stupid, aren't you?" He asked Leo, who only shrugged his shoulders.

"Anastasios is the son of both a Greek and Roman era." Octavian spoke slowly, making sure we all understood. "He is the ultimate; the Omega."

"It's me," I whispered. I looked down at the tattoo on my arm for the millionth time in the last few minutes.

"Anastasios is my godly parent!" I said loudly as the realization hit me.

"Yes, and the world needs you," Octavian nodded. "Whether to save it or doom it I am not sure." He added the last bit softly, more to himself than anything.

"Well, what does all this mean?" Percy asked. He was trying to understand it all, and it looked like his brain was completely fried.

"It means," Bonnabelle looked on me with new found respect. "Peri is a key role in stopping Gaea and uniting the two camps once and for all.

Leo turned to look at me full on as if he were seeing me in a whole new light. "Whoa."

I grinned proudly. "Alright! I get to whoop up on Gaea!" I pounded my fist into my open palm. "Hardcore!"

"Okay," Reyna stood, stretching. "I think we should all head to bed. We're going to have a lot to recap at breakfast tomorrow."

I cocked my head to the side. "Does that mean I can stay?"

Reyna smiled.

Wait, what?! A smile?!

She nodded. "I think you've proven yourself quite enough."

Grinning, I hopped up. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Reyna!"

She went completely rigid. "Too. . . much . . . touchie!"

Everyone laughed hard at her discomfort, and I let her go.

We all exited the mess hall, heading towards what Hazel called the Fifth Cohort, which was where she slept. She started talking about where I could find a change of clothes and other stuff. I heard her only faintly. My mind was swimming with all the events that just transpired today. I can't believe that just yesterday morning was at St. Mary's.

Now, I was here, living the life of a demigod.

The life I was born to live.

Yeah, definitely not getting any sleep tonight.