Sacrilege

Chapter One: Just what have I gotten myself into?

I didn't know how long it had been since we'd boarded the bus and left Yancy behind. It felt like an eternity.

Which, coming from me, doesn't mean much, considering I have about the nastiest ADHD you could imagine, but…

Does that really matter? I was still bored.

I would've talked to Grover about something, but my friend was snoring away in the seat next to me, his face pressed against the window glass. It was a funny sight, but not one that entertained me for very long.

I leant back into the seat and sighed.

We were, currently, on our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the rest of our obnoxiously annoying class.

The reason for that, was that our Latin teacher - a brown-haired guy in a wheel-chair called Mr. Brunner - had promised that he would show us mythology beyond just the classroom.

Mr. Brunner… was just about the only good thing at Yancy.

He was the best teacher I'd ever had. He took his time explaining things if someone didn't understand them, never got angry, and did cool things all the time.

One time, he'd brought in an entire collection of ancient weapons, proudly demonstrated it to us and even shown how to use them.

Apart from that, his classes contained more lessons about history than the ancient - and in my opinion, rather useless - language that was Latin itself. It accommodated me quite well, seeing as I'd been struggling with dyslexia ever since I could remember.

I still didn't like his class, but that was mainly because school was - at the end of the day - school.

You probably would've gotten a heart attack if I ever showed you any of my report cards. Those things were - truly - papers of pure disappointment.

The only person who didn't seem to think so was my Mom.

A smile found its way onto my face. She was the nicest, kindest, and most caring person in the whole world. How she had lived the life she had and still turned out that way was absolutely beyond me.

She was an anchor in the chaotic mess that was my life.

Whenever she heard the newest way I messed up, she never raised her voice. Instead she would sit down by my side, give me a warm, comforting smile, make me a hot chocolate, and ask me how I was feeling.

My Mom was the epitome of kindness.

But that was also a double-edged blade.

Years ago, she had married my step-father Gabe. A stinky, good-for-nothing drunk who worked part time on construction sites, and ordered my Mom around whenever he felt like it.

My Mom's nature… made her comply with him. Gabe abused her kindness, and my Mom did nothing to stop him.

I still didn't understand why she had married the shit-bag in the first place, and asking her why she didn't just get a divorce always led to her giving the same answer.

It has to be this way, Percy. One day, you'll understand.

Obviously, those words had done nothing to satisfy my conscience, but I was powerless to change anything else about the situation. Changing my Mom's mind had been futile, and going against Gabe one on one was nothing more than a surefire way to assure me a trip to the emergency room.

It was frustrating, so much I wanted to tear the world apart sometimes, but in the end… What use would being angry be?

I was away from home most of the time, jumping from Boarding School to Boarding School ever since I'd been nine, and as such I was rarely ever able to see my Mom anyway. I did my best to show her my love whenever I was with her, and I know she appreciated it more than words could tell, but what else was there I could have done?

Not much. At least as long as she insisted upon giving me the same answer to my questions over and over again.

I sighed. I was grateful for all I had, especially my Mom, but sometimes I couldn't help but feel angry at life and the hand it had dealt me.

The other kids attending Yancy had rich parents, didn't struggle with dyslexia and ADHD, didn't have an abusive, stinking step-father, and… had friends.

Even though my Mom more than made up for all that… I still felt jealous. Why couldn't I just have my real father back? Why couldn't I have a stable life for once?

My thoughts wandered here ever so often, but in the end it always brought nothing more than headaches. I knew I had to make the best of what I had and not wonder what could have been. But my ADHD-addled mind had never been the best at following up on my rational thoughts.

Fortunately, I was forced to open my eyes and dive back into reality, as the bus came to a halt.

Mrs. Dodds - my unpleasant maths teacher, who had insisted on accompanying us to the trip - got up from her seat at the front of the bus, and raised her shrill voice.

'We're here! Get out, all of you!' she cried.

I sighed and nudged a sleeping Grover's shoulder. My friend's eyelids fluttered open, and his brown orbs stared at me in a mixture of disorientation and confusion.

'Perce?' he murmured.

'We're here,' I told him, as I reached for the backpack between my feet. 'Come on, we need to get out.'

Otherwise, Mrs. Dodds would probably assign us detention for delaying the trip… or something. I handed Grover his crutches and helped him out of the bus seat. Not soon after, we made our way out of the vehicle, Mrs. Dodds shooting us the evil-eye as we passed her.

'Miserable woman,' I muttered under my breath.

We were the last to join the circle of students which had formed around Mr. Brunner. As the man noticed me among the crowd, his beard twitched upwards, as if to shoot me a smile, before he opened his mouth, addressing the group around him.

He told us some stuff about the Museum - I honestly didn't really listen - before urging us to follow him inside.

Sluggishly, I followed my classmates up the stairs, paying attention that Grover didn't fall in the process. I had never asked him why exactly he was forced to wear crutches - he'd only ever mentioned an unfortunate accident - but I knew that wasn't all there was to the story.

Nevertheless, I had refrained from pressing him on the matter. It was clear he didn't want to speak about it and truthfully, I couldn't afford to scare off the one friend I had.

'Faster!' Mrs. Dodds urged impatiently behind us.

I ignored the compulsion to turn around and deck the woman in her ugly face, and gave Grover a hand.

'Come on.'

Quite quickly, we arrived at the top of the stairs and headed into the lobby, where Mr. Brunner gestured for us to wait. He rolled over towards the counter, exchanging words with the clerk, before returning with a handful of tickets.

Once they were distributed amongst the class, he led us into the exhibition.

As per usual, I didn't pay too much attention during the first part of the tour. Mr. Brunner was quite obviously in his element - surrounded by ancient artefacts, statues, and paintings, but me personally? I couldn't find any enjoyment in the wonders of art, and my ADHD made it even harder to focus than it already was.

Of course, that eventually cost me.

'What do you think, Mr. Jackson?' my teacher's curious voice tore me out of my blissful haze.

We had stopped in front of a large painting, depicting an evil-looking man in golden armour, who seemed to be in the process of swallowing a handful of smaller people.

That's Kronos eating his kids.

Mr. Brunner was giving me a questioning look, something between encouragement and curiosity. I felt my heart slip into my stomach, and sighed.

'Sorry, sir. Could you repeat that? I wasn't paying attention.'

Snickers echoed around me, and I bit down on my tongue, not wanting to give my classmates the satisfaction of a reaction - Contrary to Mr. Brunner, who gave me a look which practically exuded disappointment.

'I asked,' he repeated. 'What we can see depicted in this picture?'

I smiled. For once I actually knew the answer to a question I was being asked - which was a rare enough occurrence, truth be told.

'That's Kronos - the Titan King - eating his children, isn't it, sir?'

Mr. Brunner's expression brightened. 'Very good, Percy. And do you remember why Kronos ate his children?' he pressed.

I waited for a moment before answering. 'Well… From what I remember; In his dying breaths, Ouranos - Kronos' father - prophesied that his own children would usurp him one day, the same way it had happened to him. When Kronos' wife Rhea bore their first child - Hestia - Kronos was consumed by fear and decided to swallow her whole, wanting to make sure that his father's prophecy would never come true,' I answered.

Mr. Brunner nodded encouragingly, gesturing for me to go on.

'Kronos and Rhea proceeded to have five more children. Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus - all of which he decided to swallow. But he ended up making a mistake. Rhea, disgusted with Kronos' actions, managed to trick her husband and gave him a stone to eat, instead of their youngest Son, Zeus. Later, Zeus, seeking revenge for his siblings' fate, managed to infiltrate the Titan Palace and gave Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine to drink, which ended up in the Titan King barfing up all of his previously swallowed children. Afterwards, the newly freed Gods fled the palace, and declared war on their father and his forces. This marked the beginning of the Titanomachy - the war between the Gods and Titans - during which the Gods eventually emerged victorious.'

I was rather surprised that I had managed to keep my voice straight and not stuttered like I usually did. Even Mr. Brunner seemed to be impressed, as he nodded his proud approval.

'Smartass,' I heard Nancy Bobofit's voice mutter behind me. 'Like we're ever going to use this in real life… What are we learning all of that for anyway?'

I refrained from turning around and indenting her face, continuing to smile at Mr. Brunner. The man's eyes darkened for a brief moment, before he turned towards me once more.

'And why, Mr. Jackson - to paraphrase Ms. Bobofit's excellent question - could this knowledge be of use in day-to-day life?'

Nancy reddened, and a wave of deep satisfaction overcame me. I stopped myself from sinking into the feeling though. After all, I still had a question to answer.

What could we learn from Kronos' story? Nothing good, that was rather apparent. But that didn't mean there wasn't some kind of wisdom hidden in between the lines of the tale. There always was, with these ancient myths.

'It teaches us that we shouldn't let our fear rule us, sir,' I answered, looking up at Mr. Brunner. 'Kronos brought about his own downfall, because he was afraid of being betrayed by his children. Acting in fear, he ended up creating a reason for his children to usurp him.'

Mr. Brunner positively beamed at me. 'A wise answer, Percy. One, which I believe more than excuses your inattention,' he smiled. 'Now then, let us continue with our tour, shall we?'

I followed Mr. Brunner's lead and noticed Grover queueing in by my side. He gave me a bright grin.

'That was awesome, Perce. Nancy's face was redder than a tomato,' he whispered excitedly.

I smiled back. Nancy had caused more than enough grievances for both Grover and myself in the past. And even though we rarely got a chance to get back at her, when we eventually did get payback, it made the satisfaction taste just that little bit sweeter.

'I know, right?' I rounded a corner, still looking at Grover . 'I-'

Suddenly, my foot got caught on something and I stumbled forward. Flailing my arms, I desperately tried to avoid ramming into the students in front of me, and for a brief moment, delight filled me - I had succeeded.

That was, until I registered that I was now on direct path of collision with an ancient-looking Greek vase the size of my torso.

'Uahhhh!'

I had barely enough time to notice the intricately painted stars and snowflakes which adorned the jar, before smashing into it with a loud crash. My heart slipped into my shorts, as I felt the brittle terracotta shatter under my impact, and saw fragments of clay fly everywhere.

An unnatural, bone-chilling coldness seeped into my very core, blending out all noise for just a second. I felt as if I was at the bottom of a freezing lake in the middle of Canada, surrounded by glaciers, ice bears, and penguins all at once. I could see my breath turn into mist in front of me.

Then the sensation faded, gone as quickly as it had come. I winced as Mrs. Dodds' screech filled my ears.

'PERSEUS JACKSON!' she shrieked. 'WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?'

I turned around, my face flushing redder than Nancy Bobofit's hair, and looked down to the ground in absolute embarrassment. The class positively howled with laughter, as Mrs. Dodds snatched me by the ear and dragged me away from the mountain of shards.

My eyes flickered upward, and I saw Grover shoot Nancy one of the most evil looks I had ever seen on his face. The girl in question couldn't have looked more smug. I felt cold anger wash over me.

She tripped me.

'Jackson! With me, now!' Dodds' growled.

I would've liked to punch her in the face right then and there, followed up by Bobofit… But I couldn't risk another expulsion - I couldn't do that to my mother. I bit down on my tongue so hard it drew blood, and grit my teeth.

I listened as Mr. Brunner tried to come to my assistance, but his attempts were futile. Mrs. Dodds wouldn't hear any of it. She took every chance she could get to punish me, and I had delivered another one to her on a silver platter. I gave my Latin teacher a grateful smile and shook my head.

As Mrs. Dodds turned away - probably to locate the nearest interrogation room - Mr. Brunner adopted a grim look, before reaching into his pocket and throwing something at me. Almost automatically, I caught it.

'Take this, Percy. Keep it safe for me,' he whispered. 'You'll know when to use it.'

I glanced down to see an unremarkable pen with a casing made of bronze resting in my palm. Greek letters were embedded into its side, spelling ANAKLUSMOS. Inbetween it all, I almost missed that the man had just called me by my first name.

But before I could formulate any of the million questions that flooded my mind, I felt Mrs. Dodds seize me by the arm and drag me away. The last thing I saw before we vanished around the corner was Grover, a look of pure, unadulterated fear on his face.

I didn't quite recall for how long I was pulled through the museum by Mrs. Dodds' side, but eventually we headed through a door which read Forbidden Gallery, and I felt my heart slump even further.

More exhibition pieces exposed themselves to me - paintings, artefacts, busts, statues. I would've preferred another hundred of Mr. Brunner's questions over what came next.

'Your time is up, Perseus Jackson!' Mrs. Dodds hissed. 'We are no fools!'

For a moment, I could have sworn that her eyes turned a sulphury yellow. I stared at her, eyes wide open like a goldfish's, and mouth dry as the desert.

I swallowed. 'Of- Of course not, ma'am.'

Wrong Answer. Her eyes turned into yellow saucers and I felt her nails draw blood as they embedded themselves into my arm.

'Where is it?!' she shrieked.

I felt fear overwhelm me. Where was what? What was happening? Instinctively, my hands tightened around Mr. Brunner's pen in my pocket.

Mrs. Dodds released a primal scream and I tore myself free from her grasp. I could only stare in horror as her fingers stretched into talons and her black jacket melted into a pair of large, leathery wings.

Suddenly, I was back at the bottom of the lake in Canada. All-encompassing frost filled my veins and I saw Mrs. Dodds' monstrous figure moving to attack.

Then everything went black.

I woke up with a massive headache.

My eyes were closed. I was lying on cold, hard ground, my back aching and muscles sore. I groaned, and pictures started to flood my mind.

What-

I shot upwards with a gasp, my eyes opening in alarm. I was greeted by the sight of a destroyed gallery - ruined paintings, shattered statues, and destroyed artefacts. Grains of sand… No. Golden Dust littered the ground, and as I drew a breath, the smell of sulphur and evil filled my lungs. I scampered to my feet.

What had just happened?

The last thing I remembered was Mrs. Dodds transforming into a… a monster of some kind, the freezing sensation from earlier overwhelming me, and then… nothing.

Was I hallucinating? Was this all a strange, nightmarish fever dream?

I pinched my arm, but everything felt as real as it always did. Perhaps the mushroom soup I'd had for lunch had contained some less than legal ingredients? I shook my head.

For some unexplainable reason I knew that everything I remembered had really happened. Seeing the chaos around me, cold horror washed down my spine.

What if someone found me? I was sure to get arrested, or even worse - expelled. Where even was Mrs. Dodds? My eyes widened. What if she was still here?

Paying no mind to my tattered clothes and gold-littered shoes, I hurried back the way I had come from and stumbled back into the exhibition area. Thank God there was no one else in sight.

With brisk steps I searched the corridors of the museum. I passed through sections of all eras - Greek, Medieval, Roman - but I couldn't find anyone.

After about ten minutes of panicked search, my adrenalin-flooded mind realised that the museum had probably closed.

Going stiff as a board, I turned around and ran out of the museum, ignoring the clerk still standing behind the counter, as he shouted for me to come back. I broke through the large doors just in time to see my class board the bus at the bottom of the large staircase.

I sprinted down the steps, crying out for Mr. Brunner to wait for me. To my utter relief, he turned around and noticed my approaching figure. I came to halt in front of him, my lungs begging for air.

'Percy,' he addressed me by my first name once more. 'Thank God, you're here. What took you so long?' he asked.

What? I frowned. 'Sir?'

He shook his head. 'Well, no matter. On with you. The journey back to Yancy is long enough. We don't want to keep the other students waiting, do we?'

I stared at him, absolutely flabbergasted. Was he senile? Why wasn't he asking what had happened to Mrs. Dodds? Or where I had been? I didn't know what to say.

'Come on,' Mr. Brunner urged with a smile.

I shook my head in disbelief as I felt my feet carry me inside the bus. My confusion only increased as I passed Nancy Bobofit without receiving another smug look.

Had everyone just forgotten about what had happened?

I located Grover near the end of the bus, and sat down in the empty seat next to him. Just like everyone else, he looked at me as if nothing had happened, but there was… something in his eyes.

'Perce?' he asked.

I turned towards him. 'You remember what happened too, don't you?' I almost demanded.

My tone came off harsher than I had meant. I fixed Grover with a pointed look, as I waited for his answer.

'I- I don't know what you mean, Perce,' he stuttered.

He was lying. I could tell. 'So you don't remember me breaking that vase and Mrs. Dodds dragging me off for a scolding?' I snarked.

Grover feigned a look of confusion. 'Are- Are you alright, Perce? Did you hit your head or something? What vase, do you mean? And- eh, who's Mrs. Dodds?' he stumbled over his words.

I looked at him in disbelief. 'You mean to tell me that you don't remember Mrs. Dodds - who's been our maths teacher for almost a year now? The evil hag who has it out for us?'

Grover bleated. 'I- I don't know what you're talking about, Percy. You're scaring me. Are you sure you're alright?'

Anger washed over me. Of course I wasn't goddamn alright! My maths teacher had just transformed into an evil hag, attacked me, I had lost consciousness and woken up surrounded by ruins! Then there was this stupid vase and the supernatural coldness! And now no one remembered anything!

I wanted to shout at my friend, scream at him until he finally relented, but the moment I opened my mouth, I felt a strange, accepting cool seep into my throat. I felt my mouth snap shut and simply sat back down.

'Alright.' My tone was clipped, and I noticed Grover flinch by my side. I exhaled. 'Alright.'

That same night, I had a strange dream.

I was sitting on a throne, at the end of a large hall, made entirely out of ice. Cold, blue torches illuminated my surroundings, bathing them in an illustrious hue, which made everything look as mysterious as it did beautiful.

The throne room was a work of art.

My eyes wandered over glacial tables, chairs, statues, and even gates, as I stroked my clean-shaven skin in satisfaction. I had always liked the cold, but ever since my brother had crowned me King of the North, it had only grown on me.

With a content smile on my face, I waited for the gates to swing open. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Just about now.

A cold, high knock echoed against the ice.

I smiled. 'In,' I commanded, my cold, smooth voice reverberating against the walls.

There was no doubt in my mind that the messenger had heard me.

Almost immediately, the gates opened, exposing a tall figure wearing an intricately crafted pair of grey, luxurious robes made of the finest silk. Likely a product of that granddaughter of Asteria's so many of my kin liked commissioning.

His eyes were the colour of glowing amber, and he exuded an aura of confidence and calm. Folding his hands, he offered me a short bow.

'Uncle,' he greeted me.

'Nephew,' I smiled coldly. 'What brings you to my noble Kingdom?'

The man smiled. 'Let us not act as if we don't know, Uncle. We both share the same domain, do we not?' he asked.

I nodded in agreement. 'Very well, nephew. Nevertheless… please state your matter,' I reiterated easily.

The messenger bowed. 'Of course, my Lord. Your brother asked for my services to deliver you a message. He insisted that we were dealing with a rather urgent matter.'

'Oh,' I feigned surprise, enjoying the hint of frustration forming on my nephew's face. It was so rare that I ever got to play these games anymore. I had almost forgotten how fun they were. 'Really now? Please do go on.'

He nodded. 'Of course, of course. During a recent drinking contest, your brother suffered an attempt on his life. By his own Son, no less. Fortunately, said attempt wasn't successful, but at the same time… it did result in the King's other children being… released,' he concluded carefully.

My cold laugh echoed against the walls, and my nephew flinched.

Released.

What a very trivialising way to state things. My brother had swallowed his own children, in his maniacal fear of the Prophecy our Father had once uttered. And now that he had finally received his due payment and barfed them up, he was seeking my help.

Yes, I had no doubt that the Gods would want to wage war against their father, and truthfully, I couldn't fault them for it. I was once proud of my younger brother - the brilliant, and courageous man he had been - but I knew well enough that there was nothing left of that person.

All that remained of Kronos now was a cruel, fearful shell.

'And what, dear nephew, would my brother have me do?' I asked.

He swallowed. 'He requests you to join him, my Lord. He wants you to take up arms by his side once more, and to help him crush the rebellion that his children plan to undertake.'

Of course I had already known the answer. My fingers glode over the smooth skin of my chin as I pondered the request. Involuntarily, my eyes flickered upwards, towards the enchanted ceiling, where the star-lit, northern sky graced my sight.

Would my brother win? I exhaled, as I awaited the Universe's answer.

My palace faded, replaced by the image of a towering mountain - Othrys, the home of my brother. Kronos stood atop a ledge, clad in his golden battle armour, and his infamous scythe in hand. A malicious, victorious grin littered his face as he stared down on the God lying at his feet, raising his weapon to strike the killing blow. The picture faded as quickly as it had arrived.

I took a deep breath, before giving my answer. 'Very well, nephew. Notify my brother of my agreement. I shall join him in his effort to subdue this rebellion. Tell him that it will have a price. But for now… return to Othrys. I will await further instruction.'

His eyes widened in surprise, as he nodded. 'Of course, my Lord. I shall leave immediately.'

With a flash of grey, he faded from sight, and I was left alone in my throne room once more, left to ponder whether I had made the right decision.

I had woken up, even more confused than I had gone to sleep.

Half-heartedly, I had fought my way through classes, my thoughts circling back to the dream over and over again, but in the end… I had decided that it had perhaps been just that - a weird dream.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Over the next couple of days, the dreams continued. I was always in the same skin, and only after the third day, I began to understand what I was seeing. I was witnessing the Titanomachy - the war between the Titans and Gods - from the eyes of a Titan.

I wasn't sure what his name was, as I wasn't that well versed in the mythology of old, but I knew that it was the Titan Lord of North, and that he was one of the Elder Ones.

I saw myself speaking to the King of the Titans, gathered around a war council, sitting next to my brothers. I witnessed as the Titan forces moved into battle, decimating the Gods' army with practised ease.

But as more time passed, and the dreams continued, the momentum started to shift.

I watched as the Titans lost the first battle a few decades into the war. Zeus, along with his siblings, had managed to free the Cyclopes - and subsequently been rewarded with godly weapons the calibre of the Titans'. Combined with their rapidly improving skill in the arts of war, they had managed to strike a heavy blow at a battle near Athens, sending both Pallas and Prometheus to reform in Tartarus.

Afterwards, Kronos had doubled his efforts to crush the rebellion.

But as the amount of battles increased and time went on, I watched as the Titans only began to lose more and more often. Their practised ease which had dominated the first part of the war had faded, replaced by a constant struggle against a generation of immortals that they believed themselves superior to.

Kronos only grew more angry, and eventually, everything came to a close at the final battle.

Mount Othrys laid under siege, and against all odds, the Titans' forces had managed to strike the Gods down. I had watched as they fell down the cliff of the mountain, with Kronos standing on the ledge - bringing the same image I had seen during the first dream to a pass - but to everyone's surprise, things went wrong.

Kronos was about to strike the killing blow, intent on finally reaping his descendants' souls, when a defiant, grey-eyed woman had raised her shield, deflecting the Titan King's scythe and knocking him off his feet.

Slowly, the other Gods had raised from the ground, charging at the Titans with renewed vigour. I watched as the elder deities were forced to retreat into the halls of their palace, and as Zeus raised his Master Bolt to end the war.

The blast hit Kronos right in his chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing into his throne, as the entire palace collapsed. His allies could only watch as a victorious Zeus seized his father's scythe and proceeded to cut him up in a thousand pieces, scattering him into the wind like ash.

I witnessed as the Titan who's eyes I saw through was subdued along with his brothers, led through the land until they stopped in front of a large pair of silvery-black doors.

The Gods had convened and discussed the Titans' incarceration and the same woman who had deflected Kronos' scythe, had pointed her fingers at me and muttered words decreeing my danger and subsequent demise.

I had woken up from the dream just as I had felt Kronos' scythe glide through my skin like butter, wielded by Zeus himself.

And that had been the last of the dreams. They had concluded exactly three nights ago, but I had never managed to tear my mind free of their strangeness. Those had not been mere dreams, no matter what I would have liked to tell myself.

They felt more like… memories. But for the love of god, I couldn't understand why I was seeing them.

I knew the occurrence was somehow related to the weird day at the museum - crashing into the ancient vase, the coldness enveloping me, and Mrs. Dodds transforming into a vicious beast - but just what the nature of the connection was, I couldn't grasp.

I was dealing with things way beyond me.

I really tried to pay attention in classes, but my ADHD-addled brain didn't allow for a moment of rest. The desire, the need to find out about the cause of things was becoming more urgent by the minute, and I could do nothing to stop it.

Even now, as I sat in Mr. Brunner's class, desperately trying to listen to the man's lecture, I failed miserably. And to my further embarrassment, the man eventually noticed.

'Mr. Jackson?' he inquired carefully, eyeing my sluggish figure.

I knew I looked awful. I hadn't gotten quality sleep in over a week and even Grover was worrying about the bags under my eyes repeatedly, his eyes shining in concern.

But I hadn't said anything. I wouldn't even consider it, unless the git finally admitted to the fact that Mrs. Dodds was a real person, and that I had stumbled into that vase at the museum.

I forced myself to look up from the desk and met the worried expression on my teacher's face. 'Yes, sir?' I asked tiredly.

Mr. Brunner's eyes softened. 'Are you sure you're alright, Percy? Perhaps you should pay a visit to the nurse,' he suggested.

I immediately shook my head. Mrs. Shluga was a nightmare of a nurse, and she hated me almost as much as Mrs. Dodds had. There was no way I would be voluntarily visiting her, especially when I knew she couldn't help me. A defeated sigh escaped my mouth.

'I'm sorry, sir. I've not been sleeping too well.'

The class snickered, but Mr. Brunner silenced them with a sharp look. One I rarely saw him direct at anyone, and was glad not to be the recipient of. He turned back towards me and smiled.

'That's quite alright, Percy. All of us have our off-days, after all. Nevertheless, perhaps you can still contribute to the lesson. We've been gathering the names of all the Titans, and there are only a few left which haven't been written on the board yet. I remember you being quite knowledgeable in Greek mythology. Do you think you might be able to think of one?' he asked encouragingly.

Well… I could at least try, for his and my grade's sake. Narrowing my eyes into slits, I desperately tried to make sense of the sea of letters that flooded the blackboard. It took a moment, but to my own surprise, I managed to make out the words. I only needed the fraction of a second to formulate an answer.

'The Titan Lord of the North, sir,' I replied, my thoughts drifting back to my dreams.

Mr. Brunner nodded in approval. 'An interesting choice. Correct, Percy. Do you know his name?'

I didn't. I searched my mind, the dreams for any semblance of the name, but for some inexplicable reason it wasn't there. Desperation gripped my senses, as I could feel myself being set up for another embarrassment, but then - suddenly - I felt a familiar coldness wash over me, and heard a whisper echo through my mind.

Koios… Koios… Koios… Koios…

I looked back up at Mr. Brunner, my eyes tentative. I almost didn't dare answer. 'K-Koios, sir. The Titan of Farsight, Foresight, Intellect and Knowledge,' I answered, nearly stumbling over my words.

The cold sensation faded from my senses.

My teacher's eyes brightened. 'Very good, Percy. Yes. Koios, elder brother of Kronos and Titan Lord of the North.' He rolled over towards the blackboard, where he listed the name amongst the others, before facing the rest of the class again.

'Any other suggestions?'

I exhaled in relief, and slumped into my chair. I didn't know what had happened, but my sleep-deprived brain didn't have the energy to think about the strange voice, as it seemed.

The day continued as usual - dragging myself through classes at Grover's side, and doing my best to pay attention while miserably failing. During dinner, my friend confronted me once more.

'What's wrong with you, Perce? Seriously, man, I'm worrying about you. Are you sure you aren't sick or something?' he asked worriedly.

I would've shouted at him, had I not been so tired. 'No. No,' I muttered. 'Really, I've just not been sleeping well. The whole thing with the museum and Mrs. Dodds, and-'

Grover stiffened, guilt filling his eyes.

I sighed. I was so sick of it all. 'For how long will you continue to deny her existence, Grover? The other kids seem to genuinely not remember anything. But you? You're a terrible liar. I honestly don't even know how we're friends anymore.'

It was only half true. I was speaking out of frustration, but Grover's act of obliviousness had only been the cherry on top of all the other things I'd been forced to live through in the past week. I felt like there was no one I could turn to anymore. I knew my Mom would have listened, but summer break was still over two months away. Until then, there was no chance I could see her, unless I managed to get myself suspended - something that I couldn't do to her, especially not on purpose.

Grover swallowed. 'Listen, man… I-' he hesitated. 'I'm sorry, alright? I know I've been lying to you, and I can only try to understand

how much you've got to hate me for that. You're right. But… You- you don't understand. If I talk to you about this, it will only put you into more danger. You managed to get away once, but that doesn't mean-'

My eyes snapped upwards. Had I heard that right, or had my deteriorating mind just made all that up?

My friend lowered his head. 'Listen. I promise I'll explain everything once the year ends, but until then it's just too dangerous. I'm supposed to protect you, Perce, and I can't do that if I'm the one putting you into danger. I'm still your friend, Percy, I promise, but I can't give you any more than I've already said.'

For what felt like the millionth time this week, a frown found its way onto my face. 'What- What do you mean? Why are you supposed to protect me? You're just my friend. And how can I understand anything if you refuse to speak with me?' I asked him exasperatedly.

Grover shook his head guiltily. 'I'm sorry, Perce. I- I'll talk to you once the year is over. I promise.'

I shook my head in disbelief. The rest of my dinner tasted like ash. The school food was repulsive enough on its own, but accompanied by Grover's disappointing confession the mudpamp on my plate reached new heights of disgust.

At least I could now be certain that I wasn't imagining things, even if his words had given me more questions than answers.

Once we reached the dorms after dinner, Grover had offered to play some games with me - as a peace offering, most likely - but I had frostily declined, opting for sleep instead. I desperately needed some, after all.

Perhaps I would finally get the rest I needed tonight.

But that wasn't the case. The moment I fell asleep under my covers, and the dark ceiling of my bedroom faded to black, I returned to the vivid landscape of dreams.

I stood at the foot of a glacial bridge arching its way over the plains of a frozen river.

Wind howled in my ears, irritable cold made my cheeks flush red and my limbs shiver, and I watched as my breath turned into dew before my very eyes.

In the distance, I could make out the outline of… something grand. The snowstorm raging around me made it hard to see clearly past a few feet, but I could tell that whatever it was - it was waiting for me at the other end of the bridge.

My eyes glode down my body and froze in horror as I noticed that I was wearing nothing but a pair boxer shorts. Wait…

I was wearing boxer shorts?

My eyes widened. I hadn't noticed it for the first few seconds, but this wasn't anything like the other dreams. I had seen the entirety of the Titanomachy - watched memories. But I wasn't seeing anything right now.

I wasn't fixed in perspective.

Tentatively, I willed my hands to ball into fists, and to my delight - they did. The dream was lucid. I was in my own skin.

For a moment, that revelation was enough to distract me from the unyielding storm which harrowed around me. But it took only a fraction of a second, before the shivering cold claimed my attention again.

My eyes drifted to the grand structure in the distance once more. There was nothing else in sight, but the bridge, frozen-over firs, snow, ice, and frost. It almost felt as if I was in some kind of white hell. I shuddered at the thought.

Taking a deep breath, I set foot on the bridge.

The snow crunched under the weight of my steps and I could feel my limbs growing more numb by the second. But there was nowhere to go but forward. I buried my face in my arms, trying to shield it from the merciless wind as best as I could.

Keeping my eyes closed, I took one step at a time, gritting my teeth, and fighting my way through the storm.

Crunch… Crunch… Crunch… Crunch… Crunch… Crunch… Crunch…

How long was this supposed to continue? I-

All sound quieted, and the burning sensation of the arctic winds blowing against my skin faded. I opened my eyes to see that the blizzard had… vanished. I was still standing atop the glacial bridge, and I certainly still felt cold, but the worst part was… gone.

My eyes widened.

A few hundred feet away stood a gigantic palace made of ice, with glacial towers, sky-high walls and massive gates, the latter of which marked the end of the bridge. It looked… familiar - almost as if I remembered it from somewhere.

Disney's Frozen?

Snorting to myself, I closed the gap to the gates. I almost slipped a few times - courtesy of my bare feet and the frozen floor - but in the end, I reached them unharmed.

For a few seconds I simply stared at the monumental doors, expecting them to swing open. When nothing of that nature happened, I shrugged to myself and knocked.

The sound was barely audible, and I was almost certain that there was no way anyone inside had heard me, but to my surprise it seemed that I was wrong.

The glacial gates gave way, exposing the interior of a grand antechamber. Torches lit with blue fire illuminated the hall, and statues made of ice stood at either side. Slowly, things began to dawn on me.

This was Koios' palace, wasn't it? The one I had seen in the first of my dreams.

I stepped inside and heard the gates slam shut behind me.

One of the countless statues suddenly moved from its designated spot. Rooted in place, I watched as it closed in on me, and raised its sword, gesturing to my left, where a long hallway awaited. The knight motioned for me to follow.

I was led through halls of ice, turn after turn, and staircase after staircase, until - eventually - the animated statue came to a halt in front of another pair of massive gates. It was quite apparent what expected me beyond them.

The throne room. I swallowed.

Taking a moment to brace myself, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp air surrounding me.

I knocked thrice, the gates swung open, and the picture which presented itself to me eliminated any remaining doubts I'd had.

This was the same throne room I had seen in the first of my dreams. The throne room of a Titan Lord.

'Perseus Jackson.'

A familiar, smooth, cool voice echoed across the glacial chamber, reverberating against the blueish walls of the palace. It wasn't hostile - calculating, careful maybe - but it did not indicate any danger. I felt a wave of calm wash over me.

At the end of the room, on the throne, sat a tall man clad in a grey suit, with clean-shaven skin, trimmed snow-white hair, and ice-blue eyes. There was no doubt in my mind who this was.

'Your attire is rather unfitting, isn't it?' Koios asked.

I looked down, and remembered that I was only wearing my boxershorts. I reddened in embarrassment, trying to give the Titan my most winning smile.

A chuckle escaped him. 'No matter.'

He flicked his hand and a white pullover materialised on my chest. Then a pair of Jeans appeared on my body, and I felt socks slip onto my feet. For a moment, I was lifted from the ground, and when I fell back down, I was wearing a pair of brown shoes.

I stared at Koios in disbelief. It only seemed to amuse him more.

'I assume you know who I am?' he asked.

I swallowed. 'Koios. The Titan Lord of the North and brother of Kronos. The Titan of Foresight, Farsight, Intellect and Knowledge.'

He smiled, as he rose from his throne. 'Yes, that's me. You may relax, there is no reason for you to worry.' He motioned for me to sit down on the large table which occupied the middle of the chamber. 'We are equals here, after all.'

I didn't know what to say; I simply did what was asked of me and sat down on the left side of the crystalline table, watching as Koios moved to take a seat opposite me.

'I assume you have many questions,' he stated.

That didn't even begin to describe the situation. After my trip to the museum last week I'd thought things couldn't get any weirder. But I really couldn't have been more wrong.

'Ask away,' Koios encouraged.

It took me a moment to respond. 'W- Why am I here?'

The Titan closed his eyes and brought his pale hands up to his temple. A low chuckle escaped him. 'Of course you had to begin with the most difficult question. There is too much to explain to express it in a single sentence. A different question please.'

I rummaged my mind, trying to pick one of the millions others which ran through my head. Eventually, I managed to settle on one.

'The- the reason I was having these dreams is because of that vase I destroyed, isn't it? The one I crashed into at the museum.'

Koios gave me a slow nod. 'Correct. The jar housed a part of my immortal essence. When you destroyed it you… absorbed the energy stored within. The dreams were a part of the consequences.'

I closed my eyes, shaking my head. 'Immortal essence?' I asked breathlessly. 'What- what even is this? Witchcraft?'

The Titan's mouth twitched upwards. 'That would be more of my granddaughters' domain, I believe.' He paused. 'But perhaps I should explain some things. It's necessary, after all. Now… how to go about this?' he pondered, briefly glancing up at the ceiling.

I have a very bad feeling about this.

Koios smiled. 'Ah, yes,' he exhaled. 'To state it simply, Perseus; The Greek myths of old are… real. And the Godly world you have been taught about in tales continues to exist to this day.'

I stared at him in utter disbelief. It was quite easy to tell that my reaction amused him, but I couldn't help myself. I stared at him as if he had just told me Spongebob was real.

I exhaled a wisp of cool mist. 'Oh. Really?'

He sighed. 'I suppose you would find the idea rather… difficult to accept. You have been kept in ignorance after all. But my words are true, I swear it on the Styx.'

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and my brows constricted into a frown. Koios smiled thinly.

'It's a sign that my words were truthful. Breaking an oath sworn on the Styx comes with… unpleasant consequences. The kind which no one likes to accept, especially not for something as trivial as this,' he explained.

An oath on the Styx…

I tried to consider his words. Really tried to consider the… possibility that there was an entirely separate world existing alongside the one I knew. The world of gods. My thoughts circled back to the day at the Museum, and the image of Mrs. Dodds, with her sharp claws and monstrous wings suddenly hovered before me. It reminded me of something. A… Fury.

I took a deep breath. Because… even if I wanted to deny it - I could believe his words.

'I… I believe you.'

How could I not? There needed to be an explanation for all that had happened to me, and even against my better judgement… what Koios had told me sounded plausible.

'Oh?' The Titan raised an eyebrow in intrigue. 'Is it really that easy?'

'I suppose I could draw things out for a while longer,' I replied. 'If it makes things easier for you,' I added with a snort.

Koios smiled. 'I like your humour, Perseus. But very well, let us proceed. I'm sure you have more questions.'

I didn't have to think for long. 'What happened with Mrs. Dodds? I remember an icy sensation envelop me just before I drifted into unconsciousness. Did you have anything to do with that?'

The Titan grimaced. 'I did. The fact that I intervened is also responsible that it took so… long for us to meet here. Taking over your body caused me greater strain than I had assumed, and I was forced to rest.'

My eyes widened. 'You took over my body?'

Koios nodded decisively. 'Yes. You would have died had I not. I do not yet know why the Fury attacked you in the first place - a Kindly One at that - but I know that had I not slain her in your stead, we would both be dead. We were lucky the centaur provided you with a sword,' he replied.

I frowned. 'The centaur?' I asked confusedly.

'Your teacher,' Koios clarified. 'Mr. Brunner was his name. The pen he handed you was an enchanted weapon - a sword to be precise. I used it to decapitate the Fury.'

I stared at him, wide-eyed. 'What?' I exclaimed.

He sighed. 'Your Latin teacher is a centaur. He is hiding the horse-part of his body in that enchanted wheelchair of his. I assume he has been watching you for quite a while, and was already expecting you to be attacked.'

I was flabbergasted. 'What?' I repeated. I was feeling dumber by the moment. 'Why would he be watching me?'

Koios pinched his eyebrows. 'I am not certain. Let us leave the assumptions for later. For now… we should revisit the part where my immortal essence merged with you. It is the only reason we are sitting here in the first place.'

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. 'Okay…' I exhaled a cloud of mist. 'Okay.' I paused. 'So… what exactly does it mean - me absorbing your essence?'

Koios waited a moment before answering. It seemed as if he was carefully considering his words. 'I assume you remember what happened to me…' his lips thinned. 'After the end of Titanomachy?'

It took me a moment to recount, but I did. I vividly remembered the grey-eyed goddess and the feeling of being cut up by Kronos' scythe. But nothing after that.

'The gods… scattered you, I think was the word?' I asked carefully.

The Titan nodded grimly. 'It is. Scattering an immortal is essentially the closest thing to killing them there is. It entails cutting a deity up, so it takes centuries or sometimes even millennia for them to reform in the depths of Tartarus. It is a cruel act, and one rarely ever considered, even for people who deserve such a fate.'

I nodded in understanding. 'And the gods decided you were to be scattered,' I said.

Koios' lips were pressed into a line now. 'Yes. But compared to my… brother-' He uttered the word with such bitterness it surprised me. 'The gods decided that merely scattering me would not be enough. They feared that if I were to reform… I would lead my brothers out of Tartarus. My genius was well-known amongst the gods, and they wanted to prevent me from ever putting their reign at risk again. So they invented a way to permanently put my existence to an end.'

I didn't say anything. It was rather clear that Koios had absolutely no desire to talk about this.

'Athena suggested for part of my remaints - my essence - to be sealed away in an artefact, which would then be stored on Olympus, guarded by only the best of warriors. I have to admit that it was a clever idea. With a part of myself incapacitated this way, I would never be able to fully reform.'

I frowned. 'So what happened?'

His lip curled upwards in distaste. 'I don't know,' he answered.

It sounded like the phrase was foreign to him, as if he had never once uttered it before in his life. I figured it made sense, considering he was supposed to be the Titan of Knowledge. Admitting something like that had to sting.

'I assume the artefact was stolen, and… eventually ended up as an exhibition piece in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But it is not of much consequence. More important is, what the implications of you breaking it were.'

'It led to me absorbing your… essence,' I recounted from earlier. But what exactly did that entail? I supposed Koios was about to enlighten me.

'Yes,' he agreed, his lips curling into a cold, satisfied smile. 'Which makes it seem like Athena made a crucial mistake.' His icy-blue eyes caught my own. 'Can you figure out why?'

For a moment I was sure I looked like a goldfish again. But I collected my thoughts, and the gears inside my mind began to rattle. Silence enveloped the throne room for almost a minute, until I finally looked up from the table again.

'Did I absorb the… entirety of your essence?' I asked carefully. 'Even the part which wasn't stored in the artefact.'

Koios smiled. 'Yes. In anchoring part of my essence to a physical object, Athena created a way for me to escape my fate, should the part of it inside the artefact ever be released.'

Suddenly his expression darkened.

'Normally, I would have simply been free of my incarceration the moment the artefact broke, but since you were there… things weren't that easy. Through you, I was granted a corporeal form, and that led the rest of my scattered remnants to be… drawn towards you. You absorbed them without any effort.'

I stared at him. Silence filled the space between us for a few seconds.

'So you're now essentially stuck inside my body?' I asked.

Koios nodded grimly. 'Yes.'

'Is there a way for you to be freed?' I asked, horrified not only for him, but also for myself.

He grimaced. 'I… do not know.'

'But- That's terrible,' I blurted. 'I- I'm sorry.'

Leave it down to me to crash into a vase and end up imprisoning a Titan. Those were the kinds of things which only happened to me. I would've laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, had it not been so serious at the same time.

Koios shook his head. 'It is not your fault, Perseus. If it eases your spirits… It is rather nice to have a full consciousness again. I prefer it over the never-ending turmoil that my fruitless attempts of reforming were. I do not know what would happen if I were to try and separate from your body - or were you to die. It is possible that I would cease to exist entirely, and that is not something I wish to risk.'

I looked at him. 'So we really are stuck with each other.'

He nodded. 'Yes. From now on, I will consider it my primary interest for you to survive. And truthfully, there are worse fates than sharing a body with a Demigod. Witnessing life through your eyes might prove… refreshing.'

'I… guess,' I said lamely. ''I mean-' I paused in thought. 'Wait, what did you just say? A Demigod?'

Koios nodded. 'Yes. You are a Demigod.'

What? That wasn't possible, was it? But considering everything I had just learnt… My heart slipped into my pants. It was possible.

'How do you know?' I asked, more curious than upset.

The Titan stroked his chin. 'An entirely mortal body would never be able to house my divine essence. It would have crumbled to dust under the attempt. Since you are partially mortal, and not a monster, you must be a Demigod - a rather powerful one, if how easily you absorbed my essence is any sort of indication.'

I coughed. 'Easily? I've been feeling like absolute shit for a week. That's also your doing, isn't it?'

Koios raised an eyebrow.

'Not that I blame you,' I added quickly. 'We're both victims here, after all,' I grinned apologetically.

He cracked a smile.

'Indeed… And circling back to your question from earlier. I assume that your Latin teacher - the centaur - is here because he knows of your divine heritage. I should probably also mention that your… friend - Grover - is a Satyr, and likely the one who picked up your scent in the first place.'

This time there was neither surprise nor disbelief marring my face. I wagered it was because I had already learned so much ludicrous stuff today, that I had become numb to the strangeness of it all.

I frowned. 'Grover is a Satyr?' I asked.

That… made a lot of sense, actually. It explained why my friend always wore long pants, even when it was eighty degrees out, and why he always ran around with his infamous pair of crutches. I felt a stab of pity for him. Fitting hooves into a pair of shoes must've been rather uncomfortable.

Koios nodded. 'Yes. Satyrs are renowned for their excellent sense of smell, and are - from what I understand - regularly deployed in schools to spot out Demigods.'

'Smell?' I asked.

'It's a rather abstract concept,' Koios explained offhandedly. 'Most creatures - Satyrs and other Monsters - are able to differentiate between the scents of mythological beings. A Demigod's scent is usually rather strong and attracts Monsters. Satyrs try to locate Demigods before the Monsters do and bring them to safety.'

'To safety?'

He nodded. 'Yes. In Ancient Greece, there was a camp for Demigod heroes, who were - now that I think about it - trained by a centaur. A nephew of mine, I believe. Chiron was his name.'

Everything was slowly starting to make sense. 'Mr. Brunner is Chiron then?' I asked.

'That would be prudent to assume,' Koios agreed. 'But you cannot let either him or your friend know that their covers have been compromised. It would be difficult to explain.'

'Obviously,' I nodded.

I hadn't planned on doing that anyway. Certainly not after how Grover had treated me for the past week.

Stupid… Satyr.

Suddenly, another thought came to my mind - one that I would've expected to break forth way earlier. But it seemed that amongst all the chaos I had completely forgotten about it.

My Mom.

If I was a Demigod… that meant that my father had to be a God. Did she know? She had to, right? Otherwise it would've been all different kinds of messed up.

'Does my mother know that I'm a Demigod?'

To my surprise, the Titan nodded without hesitation. 'Undoubtedly. I assume that she married your… step-father to conceal your scent from the Monsters.'

Smelly Gabe.

My eyes widened. Everything clicked into place. I groaned. Just what calibre of mess had I found myself in?

At least Koios seemed amused by my exasperation. 'Worry not, Perseus. I shall help you remove this…' his voice was thin as ice. 'Stain when it is time. But for now, you have to be patient.'

I swallowed down the anger in my chest, and felt cold acceptance settle over me. He was right.

'Thanks,' I told him. 'And if we're gonna be stuck together until we die… call me Percy.'

He gave me an amused smile. 'I shall, Percy. Now… is there anything else you wish to ask me before you head to your well-deserved rest?' he asked.

I pondered it for a moment. 'Yes. Do you know why Mrs. Dodds - the Fury - attacked me? You mentioned my scent, but I've never had an encounter with a Monster before. Was that just a coincidence?'

Koios pursed his lips, and eventually shook his head. 'No, I do not believe so. I recall her demanding something from you - asking where it is. I do not know what she meant, but judging by her words and that she was a Kindly One - a servant of Hades himself, I can only assume that there was something more to the situation than just a Monster trying to kill you. But to find out more, we would have to venture to the camp I mentioned.'

I quickly shook my head. 'No. I can't just leave without talking to my Mom.' It wasn't that I needed answers from her, but rather that I couldn't have her worry about me. I already gave her enough trouble.

Koios was quick to eliminate my concerns. 'Of course not,' he agreed. 'I wouldn't have even suggested it. After all, you are in dire need of a more in-depth introduction to the Godly world anyway. One which I will be all too pleased to provide.' He smiled a cold, satisfied smile.

I could only respond in kind.

'I assume you would be rather knowledgeable in those matters, being the Titan of Knowledge and all,' I mused.

Koios smirked. 'Indeed. Now… If there is nothing else, I would recommend that you get some sleep. Tomorrow may be a Friday, but I can promise that you will not be lazing around. I have much to teach you, after all.'

I took a deep breath and cracked a grin. 'Alright.'

Author's Note:

Welcome to Sacrilege. I'm Redd.

Some of you may already know me from my two Harry Potter fics (which update way too rarely). This is my new story. A take at a Percy Jackson Fic.

There were a few inspirations for this story - all ahead TBR's "A Flower for the Soul". I liked the idea of Percy having a Titan inside his head and settled on Koios.

Now, that being said, I want to make it perfectly clear that there will be no Update schedule. The second chapter is finished, and I'm working on the third, but I won't even consider posting more until the same time next month.

Why? Unfortunately, my job currently doesn't allow for too much writing and as such, it's difficult to pump out words for me. My goal is to at the very least post a Chapter every two months. Everything else is a bonus.

Maybe this puts you off, maybe it doesn't. I'd like to write more as well, but I just don't have the time right now.

What can you expect from Sacrilege? A good question. As you have likely already noticed, this Percy isn't a mirror of his canon personality. That's intentional.

Beyond that, I can't tell you all that much. Some parts of the story are planned out, some aren't. The pairing isn't set in stone yet, though there is a closer selection already.

My goal is to create a good balance between humour, a feel-good vibe, but also darker settings. That's about it, I think.

If you have any more questions, feel free to just join my Discord and ask. I promise I won't bite. The link is on my profile page (on FFN), or right here for all ao3 readers:

/zwpshsfKJn

Since nothing else comes to mind, I'll end the dreadfully long AN here. For all my HP readers - I'll try to post the next ESOS chappie in November, but I - once again - can't make any promises.

Last, but definitely not least I want to express my deepest gratitude to Jupiter - my beta, multitalent and all-around genius. He's helped me along a lot with storyboarding, ideas and is quite essential. Without him this wouldn't be half as good.

Cheers.