Chapter 52: A Heart Divided

Inside Deno's mind, a malevolent voice whispered, "You know we are the most powerful being in this camp. If you use all of your power, even the gods will have to reckon with us."

Deno clenched his fists, feeling the dark energy swell within him. "Shut up! You're evil."

The voice laughed, a chilling sound that reverberated through the recesses of his mind. "Yes, but I am you—just your malice, your evil side, uncontrolled and multiplied."

With every ounce of willpower, Deno tried to resist. "I won't give in to you."

"Don't resist," the voice taunted. "Just remember how everything was taken from you. Think of our mother—yes, our mother—how she was killed. They made fun of you. You need power. But now that you have it, you don't want to use it?"

"No, that's not it!" Deno shouted, but deep down, the seductive darkness beckoned, promising strength and vengeance. Gradually, the light in his mind flickered and dimmed, consumed by the encroaching shadows.

In the real world, an Ares camper swung a heavy mace at him, but Deno barely noticed. Instead, a smirk crept across his face as he caught the camper's wrist, lifting him effortlessly. With a sickening crunch, he broke the mace in two. Deno swung the camper around and hurled him into a nearby tree with a force that shook the ground. Lena and Terry rushed forward, eyes wide with fear.

"Stay out of it, or I'll come for you!" Deno snarled, his voice low and menacing.

They froze, knowing the Ares camper was a bully but terrified by Deno's transformation. The onlookers gasped, unsure whether to intervene or run. A normal fighter would have been down for the count; Deno was far from finished.

Lena, trembling, reached for her communicator. "Chiron, you have to stop him!"

As the disturbance drew attention, campers began to converge on the scene, their expressions a mix of excitement and dread.

Clarisse, the fierce leader of the Ares cabin, saw her cabin member in peril and rushed forward. "Deno, leave him!" she called, her voice firm but laced with concern. "You might have issues with him, but going any further could be critical for him."

Deno looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh! The great Clarisse, talking like a leader... no, a coward. Come on, defeat me. Let me show you who's the strongest, and then take him."

Clarisse's temper flared, and she charged, spear aimed at Deno's heart. He easily dodged her thrust, still holding the camper as if he weighed nothing. Her anger fueled her attacks; she struck with a flurry of blows—left, right, upward, downward. But Deno moved like water, evading her every attempt, as though he were aware of her intentions before she even made them.

No, she realized with horror, it wasn't merely prediction; Deno was simply faster now. With each clash, the ground beneath them crumbled, torn apart by the fierce energy of their battle.

Desperation led Clarisse to switch tactics. She feigned an attack, then launched another barrage of spear thrusts. Deno mocked her with a disdainful smirk. "Poor girl, this won't work. Haven't you learned?"

In a moment of clarity, Clarisse saw an opening. As Deno leapt into the air, she adjusted her grip and thrust her spear forward with a surge of divine power. The resulting explosion rocked the clearing, sending trees swaying and spectators diving for cover.

Silence fell, and for a moment, it seemed Clarisse had won.

Yet a soft voice echoed through the dust. "How can you be so strong? How were you hiding it?"

As the dust settled, Deno emerged, untouched, with a blue magic shield gleaming around him. "You're useless," he sneered, dismissing her effort with a flick of his wrist. The shield transformed into a spear, which he hurled at Clarisse, sending her crashing away. Before she hit the ground, Percy leaped forward, catching her mid-fall.

"Jackson, be careful!" she warned, panting as she struggled to regain her composure. "Your friend isn't like he was before."

Percy nodded, concern etched across his face. "Yeah, we can see that."

Amy rushed to heal Clarisse, her hands glowing with soft light. As she worked, Percy and the others stepped toward Deno. "Stop it, Deno. That's enough."

Deno smiled, a chilling expression that sent shivers down Percy's spine. "He wanted to test my power. You guys shouldn't get in the way, or you'll get hurt too."

Thalia stepped forward, her eyes blazing with determination. "Stop, Deno, or we'll stop you."

Deno laughed, a sound devoid of warmth. "Stop me? You're delusional. I held back all this time because I didn't want anyone to get hurt or killed, but now I won't."

"Deno, please!" Amy said, stepping between them. "This isn't you. No one here wants to hurt you. We're your friends."

"Then leave, and don't get involved," Deno growled, the dark energy swirling around him like a storm.

Thalia's patience waned. With a cry, she summoned lightning to strike him, but before she could release the bolt, Deno retaliated with a flurry of magical daggers that disrupted her attack, sending her staggering back.

Percy's heart raced. He summoned a powerful wave of water, aiming to overpower Deno's dark magic. At the same time, Chiron charged forward, spear glinting with magic, ready to protect his campers. But Deno was quick, drawing forth a sword of Zeus that crackled with energy. He unleashed a torrent of fire magic, evaporating Percy's water and clashing with Chiron.

The older centaur fought valiantly, but Deno's magic was overwhelming. Chiron's experience allowed him to hold his ground, but the gap between them was widening.

Grover attempted to rally nature magic to aid Percy, but Deno twisted the earth beneath him, ensnaring Grover in vines that wrapped tightly around his limbs.

"Annabeth!" Percy shouted, desperation coursing through him. "We have to do something!"

Annabeth, thinking quickly, employed her own skills, launching a precision assault on Deno. But he countered with a wide-area spell, sending her staggering backward, struggling to regain her balance.

Amy, recovering from the healing, stepped forward again, resolute. "Deno, you've left me no choice. I'll show you the advanced spell taught by Master Alaric!"

As she summoned a cyclone, winds whipped around them, spiraling upward into the sky. Deno, however, merely watched with amusement.

"Commendable, but this is nothing. Watch what I learned from Master—just a hint." He began casting an advanced spell that summoned a cyclone of his own, infusing it with lightning and shifting the very ground beneath their feet.

"Run!" Amy shouted. "This spell isn't something we can fight! Master Alaric said even I wasn't strong enough to learn it. It combines mastery of multiple elements, each at ten times their original power!"

Just then, Mr. D appeared, urgency lining his features. "Everyone, get out! I'll try to hold it off and hope my immortality works." He opened a portal behind him, beckoning them through, but the energy in the air crackled ominously, sparks of lightning dancing around Deno.

Inside Deno's mind, the darkness writhed, but a sliver of light pierced through. Alaric's voice resonated, calm and steady. "Deno, are you there?"

Desperate, Deno shouted, "Master, save me!"

"I can't. This power comes from the orb. I can't interfere, but I will always be with you. Find your father—he will help."

But soon, Deno's eyes glowed red again, the darkness gaining control. "Scram, Master!" he hissed.

Alaric's voice turned stern. "My powers were meant for my disciple, a person of pure heart, not you. Just wait until your demise. You will forget every spell you learned from me, and every artifact you possess will become useless."

The evil Deno cackled, confidence swelling. "But you can't kill me. After all, I'm your disciple, right?"

"Yes, the real Deno is still in there, but soon you will cry out in defeat," Alaric warned, and with that, his presence faded from Deno's mindscape.

The evil Deno sneered, "I don't need your powers. I have the blessings of Silvius."

Back in the real world, the advanced spell he had learned began to wane, his magic flickering like a candle in the wind. The ring on Deno's finger darkened and aged as if it had witnessed centuries of time. With a final cry, Deno collapsed, unconscious.

The campers rushed to Deno's side, lifting him and the unconscious Ares camper, hurrying to the infirmary. Their breaths were labored, hearts pounding with the aftermath of battle.

Later, gathered in Mr. D's room, Chiron's expression was grave. Annabeth, her voice steady but low, explained, "We need to understand what happened to deno, i might know as i faced it before i think ".

Annabeth, with her brow furrowed in concern, took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened with the orb and how it might be affecting Deno."When

Deno activated the orb, it seemed to amplify whatever darkness was inside him," she said, her voice steady yet laced with urgency. "It's as if it's given that part of him a voice, a strength he's never had before. We need to understand its influence if we're going to help him."

"I've seen him struggle with this before," Thalia added, her arms crossed defensively. "But this feels different. If he's not careful, he could lose himself entirely."

Percy leaned against the wall, contemplating. "What if the orb itself is the key to stopping this? We need to find it. It could be the only way to save him."

That night, as Percy and the others watched over the unconscious Deno, an unsettling stillness settled in the infirmary. The glow of the moon cast long shadows across the room, the only sound being the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Suddenly, a chill crept into the air, and they noticed something strange—Deno's body was gone."Where is he?" Amy exclaimed, panic rising in her voice. The group sprang into action, eyes darting around the room."He can't just disappear!"

Annabeth said, urgency flooding her tone. "He must have—"Before she could finish,

Chiron burst into the cabin, his eyes wide with concern. "What's happening? Deno—"But as if summoned by their frantic thoughts, Deno appeared at the entrance, a wild look in his eyes.

"Where is the orb?" he demanded, pushing Chiron aside with surprising force. "That master of mine even deleted its memory!"

Chiron regained his composure, defiance etched across his features. "Even if you kill me, I won't tell you where it is."Deno's gaze hardened. "You think I would—""Stop!" a voice called out, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Deno turned, seeing Amy, Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, and the others standing behind him, their expressions a mix of fear and determination.

"Amy!" Deno's voice cracked, the weight of his actions crashing over him. "You have to understand. "

"Deno, stop!" Amy pleaded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "This isn't you. Look at what you've done!" She gestured to Chiron and the others, who stood ready, protective but wary of the boy they once knew. "You're not a monster. We can help you, but you have to let us in."

Tears began to stream down Deno's cheeks as he took in the scene, the hurt he had caused surfacing in waves. "I'm so sorry, Chiron. I didn't mean to—""Your intentions don't matter right now!" Annabeth interrupted, her voice fierce yet sympathetic.

"You need to let us help you. We can find a way to fix this together.""No!" Deno shouted, a tremor of pain vibrating through him. "I might go out of control at any second! I can't risk it "

"Deno, please!" Amy's voice was a soft plea, yet firm. "We can't let you go down this path alone. You don't have to do this!"

But Deno's desperation clawed at him, pulling him toward a precipice he could not ignore. "I'll find a way to control it! I have to get away."

With an anguished expression, he turned to Amy. "Please, I'm begging you. Open a portal to a place where neither of us knows. I need to find it!"

The room fell silent, the weight of his request heavy in the air.

"Deno…" Amy hesitated, her heart racing. "What if you can't come back? What if you lose yourself?"

"Please," Deno's voice was raw, trembling with emotion. "I can't keep hurting you all. I don't want to hurt anyone else."

With a heavy heart, Amy felt the pull of his desperation. She could see the battle raging within him, the fear of losing control clawing at his soul. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded. "Fine. But you have to promise me that you'll come back. That you'll fight this.""I promise," Deno said, his voice breaking.

With tears streaming down her face, Amy took a deep breath and focused, drawing the energy around them. A shimmering portal began to form, swirling with vibrant colors, reflecting the tumultuous emotions within them all.

"Deno!" Percy shouted, taking a step forward, but it was too late. Before anyone could do anything, Deno stepped through the portal, disappearing into the unknown.