It was all-consuming. Luke couldn't bear to move his body, or even open his eyes. But what was worse was inside. He felt unbearable pressure, a presence pushing against his skull. He tried to pull away, but found himself trapped.
This would be easier if you stopped resisting me, my boy.
Luke froze, at first thinking that someone else was in his room speaking to him. But as he tried to use his voice to reply, the voice interrupted him.
Don't bother. I am in your head now, and soon our bodies will be one. We will soon complete the transformation.
Luke's blood ran cold. He recognized the voice, from his dreams and visions. Kronos? What's happening? Even his voice in his head sounded a bit panicky.
Why, what we were always planning. I am rising again, and you are going to be my vessel.
A violent shiver ran through Luke's body. No, he began to think, but before he could respond another wave of pain overcame him and he passed out, drifting in wonderful oblivion.
The next few weeks he drifted in and out of consciousness. He was aware, mostly, of his physical body, but felt outside of it. Like he had no control anymore. He watching himself walk around, speak to Atlas and Krios, and give orders to some of the half-bloods under his command. He watched as they obeyed him fearfully, not completely understanding what had happened.
They know I am in you, but I am still weak due to the constraints of your body. Do not worry, my soldier. Soon, we will never know defeat again.
Luke did not have the energy to reply to the thoughts projected at him. He sensed what Kronos was doing, pushing his consciousness to a small corner of his brain. Eventually, it would become so small that Luke would simply disappear.
Once this occurred to him, he began to fight back. He pushed against the mental barriers, and stopped them from going any further. Slowly he gained area, and felt as Kronos doubled over in pain in Luke's body. Just for a few seconds, in this agony, did Luke resurface back to the world. Time had passed quickly. He'd taken a dip in the Styx, Ariadne's thread had been located to navigate Daedalus' maze, and plans to overtake Olympus sat on a table in the corner of his tent.
He struggled to force his body, which now seemed very foreign and heavy, to walk over to them. As he read the words and battle lines, faces flashed in his mind. Annabeth, and her pleading grey eyes. Thalia, who stood by him all those years ago and gave her life for his, now ready to destroy him. Chiron, who took him in. Hermes, the dad who rejected him, ignored him, left him to fend for himself. But Artemis, who was so different from his father. And finally, his mother, driven mad and still waiting for her little boy to return.
Luke's throat clenched, but he already sensed that he was not alone. Ah, your mother. A shame, her fate. Just another life destroyed by the Gods. Kronos hesitated, and Luke waited for words of comfort. But the titan simply said I think you have had enough time by yourself, boy. It would be wise for you to not try this again, for I will not be so lenient next time.
With that, he was forcefully pushed out of reality once again. Yet, Luke wondered how he had been able to regain control in the first place. Maybe the fleece had not fully healed the titan, or Luke's body could not fully hold him. This gave him a little hope. He knew that this should be what he wants. For Kronos to rise and to destroy the gods- despite all costs.
But, Luke had a strong sense of self preservation and a nagging feeling that maybe, just maybe, this was the wrong thing to do. So he fought quietly, not pushing again Kronos but not letting himself be crushed, either. Instead, he bided his time.
The moment to fight came, unsurprisingly, during the Battle of Olympus.
He gained awareness as Kronos lost focus, trying to fight too many battles at once. Luke passively observed their stalemate and retreat, and then the sinking of their naval forces. He felt a twinge of regret, thinking of the half bloods he had trained for months now swimming in the Hudson.
But Luke felt panic, not his own but that of Kronos, when the children of Ares arrived. He knew the prophecy, that they were the only ones who could slay the drakon. And that is exactly what Clarisse did. She fought like a whirlwind, but Kronos did not stay to watch. In Luke's body he left, scaling Mount Olympus as quickly as possible. He- they had to reach the throne room before Percy and Annabeth and Thalia arrived. For a split second, Luke remembered each of them vividly. He was regaining control.
Kronos did not realize in his haste to reach the top. Some followed, Ethan Nakamura and others loyal to him trailed behind. And, they made it. The throne room stood before them, ransacked by still magnificent with its towering seats and marble columns.
Kronos began to laugh, raising Luke's arms. "Finally! The Olympian Council- so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?'
Their demigod opponents crept in, and Kronos watched them through his golden eyes. "Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" he asked, to with the son of the sea god yelled a snarky reply.
Kronos sneered and prepared to fight, but Luke's attention was diverted completely to Annabeth. She gasped, looking at the titan's weapon of choice. She spouted a line of prophecy, which Luke caught the words cursed blade and reap. He looked down at Backbiter, but Kronos was already advancing. He began to fight Percy, but things went downhill quickly when he was hit in the face and fell. That was when Annabeth stepped forward.
The titan tried to stop her but she caught the strike on her dagger hilt. "Luke, listen," she said. "Your mother saw your fate. The prophecy: it applies to you."
Luke heard her words blurrily, as if underwater. Kronos shoved him back, looming over Annabeth. But he saw her beneath him, bleeding. Promise. And he remembered, anger surging through him and momentarily overwhelming the titan in his mind and body. Luke fell to his knees, gasping. "The knife.." he wheezed, reaching out.
After a tense moment, Percy handed it to him, hilt first. Shakily, Luke unlached the side of his armor and in one smooth movement stabbed himself under his left arm.
Kronos howled and the throne room shook, filling with hot, blinding energy. Then, with a flash, it was gone. Luke lay flat on the ground, Percy and Annabeth a few feet away from his prone form.
"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."
They stayed like that, him on the ground and them standing above. Luke felt his life force drifting away, and the world became undefined. He barely noticed the flashes and the Olympians returned to their destroyed throne room. They took in the scene silently, and then Athena stepped forward.
"Daughter, explain," she commanded Annabeth.
The blond girl raised her head, tears in her eyes. "Luke sacrificed himself, and destroyed Kronos for us. The war is over."
Hermes gasped, and pushed his way to the front of the gods. "Is this true?" he asked, directing his question to Percy, who nodded somberly. The god walked over to his son and dropped to his knees. "Luke, I am so sorry."
Luke grasped his father's hand weakly. "I know, dad. Just don't let it happen again."
Above, thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. Everyone turned to Zeus, who shrugged like don't look at me. The sound only became louder, until even the gods were forced to cover their ears. Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
"You can all look at me now, children," a voice boomed, seemingly coming from all sides. It sounded amused. Through his narrowing eyes, Luke glimpsed a swirling darkness that almost took the shape of a woman. He didn't have enough energy to wonder about this new arrival. Thankfully, Zeus did it for him.
The leader of the gods stepped forward, then fell to his knees to the shock of the other Olympians. "Chaos. What are you doing?"
"Rise, skyshaker. I am here to change prophecy, and create a new one. It is not this one's-" she pointed a shadowy finger at Luke, "time yet. In fact, he will prove to be vital to the survival of Olympus, eventually."
With that, she turned away from them at walked to Luke's side where Hermes and Annabeth drew back. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she leaned close.
"This is your second chance. Do not make me regret choosing you to be my champion." Suddenly, Luke felt a searing sensation on his arm, and watched in fascination an emblem of a sun appeared on his skin. However, as the pain in his arm dissipated, so did the ache in his side. Chaos smiled down at him almost warmly.
"I will be here, when you need me." And addressing the gods and goddesses she nodded politely and stated, "Until we meet again. it will not be long." Then, as quickly as she came, she was gone. That left twelve immortal beings, one satyr, and three injured half bloods on Mount Olympus, still frozen in shock.
"So, party to celebrate?" suggested Dionysus.