(Credit Rick Riordan for PJ and Heroes of Olympus)

Chapter 7 - The Test of Wills

Bob and I had just stepped out of the Hidden Body, the massive library behind us fading into the shadows of Tartarus. The air was thick with the usual, oppressive silence of this place, but there was something else now. A spark. A fire in my chest that hadn't been there before.

I didn't waste any time.

"Kronos!" I called into the void, my voice breaking the silence with force. "I'm coming for you. I'm going to defeat you. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

For a moment, the only sound was the echo of my own voice, bouncing off the walls of Tartarus. Nothing moved. It felt like the world itself was holding its breath.

Then, the shadows shifted.

Out of the darkness, monsters began to materialize—slowly at first, then faster, until the air was thick with their presence. Their eyes glowed like embers in the night, cold and unfeeling, as they surrounded us.

A massive beast, its body like molten rock and armor of jagged stone, stepped forward, its mouth pulling back into a grin. "You dare challenge Kronos?" it rumbled, its voice low and mocking. "Do you even know what you're asking?"

I didn't flinch. "I know exactly what I'm doing," I said, my voice steady. "I'm going to defeat Kronos. No more games, no more tricks. He's going down."

The creature's grin faltered, and the other monsters murmured in disbelief. "You think you can defeat him?" the rock monster sneered. "He is the lord of time. What could you possibly do to stop him?"

"I don't care who he is," I replied, my hand tightening on the hilt of Riptide, the faint light of my sword casting eerie shadows on the stone floor. "I'm going to take him down."

The monsters paused, exchanging looks, confusion rippling through their ranks. Then, without a word, the largest of them turned and started to walk deeper into the shadows. The others followed suit, but none of them touched me. They simply kept their distance, guiding me to the heart of Tartarus, where Kronos awaited.

Bob stayed close behind me, his presence a quiet reassurance, but I was focused. This was my fight. I wasn't backing down now.

We walked deeper into the labyrinthine corridors of Tartarus, the darkness pressing in around us, thick and suffocating. The ground underfoot felt alive, pulsing with an ancient energy. Every step felt like it was leading me closer to something monumental.

Eventually, we reached the threshold of the Pit. The air seemed to vibrate with power, and the monsters stopped, standing in a semi-circle around us.

I took a deep breath, my eyes narrowing. This was it.

"Kronos!" I shouted again, my voice stronger this time, echoing into the dark. "I'm here. I'm going to defeat you. And you won't be the one to decide how this ends."

The monsters didn't respond. They simply turned and vanished into the darkness, leaving me standing at the edge of the Pit.

I was alone now.

But I wasn't afraid.

Kronos had no idea what he was about to face. And when I stepped into that Pit, I wasn't coming back until it was over.

The silence that had enveloped me as I stood at the threshold of the Pit shattered the moment I stepped inside. It was as if the very atmosphere was alive, pulsing with dark energy, vibrating in anticipation of what was to come. The massive doors behind me groaned shut, sealing me in.

I squinted against the sudden burst of light that illuminated the vast, circular arena before me. The ground was a jagged mix of stone and cracked earth, its surface stained from countless battles fought by monsters long before me. The stands stretched high above, filled with shadowy shapes—monsters of every shape and size, their glowing eyes fixed on me. The air was thick with their jeers and whispers.

I could just make out Bob sitting high up in the stands. His massive form was hunched low, but I could feel his presence, calm and steady, even from this distance. It was the only thing keeping my nerves in check.

I stood in the center of the arena, feeling the weight of every creature's gaze pressing down on me. The bloodshot eyes of a hundred monsters bored into me, hungry for the spectacle, eager to see how this would play out. It felt like the entire world had come to a standstill, all attention focused on me.

And then the gates opposite me began to open with a groan, slow and deliberate.

From the shadows beyond the gates, Kronos emerged.

The Titan Lord stepped forward, towering and imposing, his form flickering and shifting like the sands of time itself. His massive armor seemed to hum with ancient power, and his face, though mostly a mask of rage and contempt, carried an unsettling calmness. Time itself seemed to bend around him, warping the very air as he stepped into the light of the arena.

"You really think you can defeat me?" Kronos's voice rang out, deep and resonant, echoing across the arena. "You, a mere mortal, challenging a god?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I sized him up, feeling the weight of his presence as if the air itself were pressing down on me. His power was palpable, like a shadow that lingered just at the edge of my thoughts. But none of that mattered. I needed to get Kronos off balance in any way I could in order to stand a chance of survival - and I knew just the way.

I stood tall, holding Riptide in front of me. "Oh, I'm not just any mortal," I said, my voice rising, loud enough for the monsters in the stands to hear. "You should remember that. I've beaten you once before. What makes you think you're any different now?"

Kronos's expression darkened. "You were lucky last time," he snarled. "But luck won't save you now."

I couldn't help but grin. "Lucky? That's rich coming from the guy who's been around for how long? Eons? You'd think you'd learn how to fight better by now."

The monsters in the stands rumbled with murmurs, but I wasn't done.

"And don't forget," I added, my voice dripping with confidence, "I'm the one who ended your little 'perfect plan.' I cut you down once. What makes you think I won't do it again?"

Kronos took a step forward, his eyes flashing with anger. His voice dropped low, dangerous. "You may have defeated me once, boy, but that was a different time. You've walked into my domain now. You will fall, just as all mortals do."

I didn't flinch. Instead, I squared my shoulders and taunted him further. "You sure about that? 'Cause last time I checked, you were the one who got trapped in a pit, remember? It's not exactly the first time you've lost control."

Kronos roared in fury, his hands crackling with dark energy. He raised them toward me, and for a moment, I thought he might unleash some catastrophic wave of power. But I stood my ground, my stance steady.

The monsters in the stands went wild, some of them howling in fury, others excited by the tension of the moment. But none of them moved. Not yet.

I raised my sword, Riptide glowing faintly in the dim light. "Come on, Kronos," I said, my voice defiant. "Let's see what you've got this time. You're not the same Titan you used to be. And you're definitely not the lord of time that you think you are."

Kronos snarled, his power swelling in the air like a gathering storm. His eyes locked onto me with such intensity that I could feel time itself bending beneath the weight of his rage. But I wasn't done. I was taunting him for a reason. Every second I wasted, every insult I threw his way, was buying me more time.

He lunged forward, the ground trembling beneath him. I was ready.

The battle had begun.

The moment Kronos lunged, the air itself seemed to freeze, as if time itself was holding its breath. His massive form surged toward me, his long arms swinging with the force of a storm. I barely had time to react before his fist came crashing down, a blur of motion that was almost too fast to track. I threw myself backward, barely avoiding the full brunt of the attack as his fist slammed into the ground where I had been standing, cracking the stone beneath it.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart racing, but before I could steady myself, he was on me again. The air around him hummed with the power of time—unpredictable, unrelenting. He moved faster than I thought possible for someone his size, a blur of golden energy. I barely managed to deflect his next strike with Riptide, the sword vibrating with the force of his blow. The impact reverberated through my arms, and for a split second, I thought my bones might snap.

"You cannot escape me, child," Kronos rumbled, his voice low and dangerous. "You may have defeated me once, but I am the Lord of Time. You are nothing but a fleeting moment in the eternity I control."

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my footing, but every strike sent shockwaves through my body. His blows were too strong, too fast. For every time I blocked, he was already moving again, a blur of motion, forcing me back with relentless strikes.

I had to keep my head in it. I couldn't let him take control. Not this time.

I ducked under a swing that would have decapitated me if it had landed, then rolled to the side, just managing to avoid a massive foot that slammed into the ground where I'd been a moment ago. I breathed hard, sweat dripping into my eyes, but I wasn't done. I couldn't let myself give in.

I darted forward, aiming for his exposed flank, swinging Riptide with everything I had. The blade met his armor with a sickening metallic clang, but it didn't even leave a dent. He turned toward me with terrifying speed, his hand coming down again, this time grabbing me by the throat and lifting me off the ground.

For a second, the world tilted, and I felt the cold grip of death closing in. Kronos's hand tightened around my neck, and I struggled, gasping for air, the pressure building as my vision blurred. I knew I was stronger than this. I knew I wasn't going to die here. Not like this.

I focused on the blade in my hand. Riptide. It wasn't just a weapon; it was a part of me, a piece of my will. And I wasn't going to let this Titan crush me. I pressed the blade against Kronos's arm, the cold steel grazing his skin, and with a mighty push, I used everything I had left in me to break free.

I fell to the ground, gasping, my neck burning where his grip had been, but I was still alive. Still fighting. And Kronos was just standing there, glaring at me, looking almost surprised.

"You're stronger than I gave you credit for," he sneered. "But you still have no chance of survival!"

I wiped the blood from my mouth, glancing up. The monsters in the stands were roaring, watching this battle unfold with bated breath, but I wasn't thinking about them anymore. I was thinking about one thing: I had to win.

Kronos took another step forward, his eyes narrowing. He moved to swing again, but this time, something changed. The air around him wasn't just warping from his power; it was vibrating. Like the very fabric of time itself was shaking in response to his fury. He was losing control.

I could see it now, the cracks in his composure, the way his strikes weren't as fluid as they'd been before. He was becoming too angry, too consumed by the desire to crush me. And in his rage, he was opening up a weakness.

That was the opening I needed.

I dodged his next swing, stepping into his reach instead of away from it, and I swung Riptide straight for his leg, aiming for a joint in his armor. The blow connected, and this time, there was more than just a clang of metal. I felt the shudder of his body as the sword bit deeper than it had before, and I saw the flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

It was enough.

I pressed the advantage, stepping forward with more confidence. Each time he moved, I was there—dodging, blocking, countering. He couldn't keep up with my rhythm, the way I anticipated his every move. He was powerful, but his arrogance was blinding him. He was losing himself in the fight, consumed by the need to crush me, and I was using it against him.

With each strike, each swing of Riptide, I pushed him back. His movements became more erratic, his attacks slower, more desperate. I could feel it now, the shift in the balance. His power wasn't as overwhelming as it had been at first. The arena itself seemed to grow quieter, the monsters in the stands murmuring in disbelief as Kronos faltered for the first time.

I locked eyes with him, a fire burning in my chest. "You can't win, Kronos. Not like this. You're just a shadow of your former self."

His expression twisted, a dark snarl creeping onto his face. "You think you can defeat me? I am Time itself. I have no end."

But I wasn't afraid. I wasn't a child anymore. I was fighting to end this. To end him.

I moved faster now, each blow purposeful, each step measured. And with every moment, Kronos seemed to lose a little more of his footing. The battle had shifted. It was no longer just about power—it was about will. And I was going to break his.

I gripped Riptide with everything I had left and, with a final, decisive strike, I drove it deep into the chink in his armor, straight into his chest. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through the arena, and for the first time, I saw it—the fear in Kronos's eyes.

I took a step forward, every fiber of my being focused on the final blow. Kronos, staggered and weakening, could barely lift his sword to defend himself anymore. His breaths were shallow, ragged, and I could see the realization finally sinking in—he was losing. The battle was slipping from his grasp, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

With one swift motion, I lunged at him, my sword cutting through the air. Kronos raised his arm to block, but it was too late. My blade slammed into his side, pushing him back as he stumbled, his legs buckling beneath him. He collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud.

Before he could react, I was on him, my foot pressing firmly into his chest as I shoved the point of Riptide through his armor and directly into his heart. He gasped, his mouth opening in shock, but there was no scream—just a breathless wheeze as the blade sank deeper.

Kronos's eyes went wide, and for the first time, I saw true fear in them. He tried to move, tried to rise, but I pressed down harder, pinning him to the cold stone floor beneath us. The ichor pooled beneath his body, a golden stain spreading across the arena.

I leaned down, bringing my face close to his, feeling the pulse of his fading heartbeat beneath my hand as it touched his forehead. His golden eyes glimmered with a mixture of rage and disbelief, but also, for a moment, a flicker of desperation. I could see it—the fear of something bigger than him, something he had never been able to control.

"You thought you could control time," I said, my voice low and steady, almost a whisper against the chaos that had consumed the battlefield. "But you never could, Kronos. Not when the world was made to move on. Not when it was always going to change."

His lips trembled, and his breathing slowed, but I saw that glint of defiance in his eyes—he wasn't going to go quietly.

Then, the battle of wills began.

The weight of Kronos's will hit me like a tidal wave. It was a pressure unlike anything I had ever felt before, deep and crushing, wrapping itself around my mind, constricting tighter with each passing second. The power of a Titan—ancient, vast, unyielding—pressed against my thoughts, and for the first time, I faltered. My breath quickened, my hands trembling as I tried to hold onto Riptide, to maintain my grip on reality.

I could feel him inside my head—his thoughts, his anger, his desire to control. It was overwhelming. Kronos wasn't just fighting for his survival; he was fighting to return. To remake everything in his image. And in that moment, I understood how fragile I truly was—how fleeting the strength of a demigod could be against something like him.

I had no experience with this. No training for this kind of mental war. Kronos's will flooded my mind, filling every corner, drowning my thoughts with the sheer weight of eternity. His anger, his frustration, his centuries of imprisonment. He lashed out, not just with power, but with sheer force of personality, forcing his presence to dominate mine.

I staggered back, the pressure too much, my vision flickering as I tried to hold on. I gasped, my chest heaving, my grip loosening on the sword as I struggled to push back, but Kronos was relentless. The Titan's laughter echoed in my mind, a low rumble that shook me to the core.

"You cannot stop time, Percy Jackson. You cannot stop me," his voice boomed in my mind, a deep, terrifying whisper of certainty. "You are nothing. A boy, a fleeting mortal, caught in the flow of time's unending tide."

I wanted to fight back, to scream, but I couldn't. My thoughts were drowning, my will splintering under the pressure. I could feel my own sense of self slipping away. And in that moment, I realized—if I didn't do something, I would lose myself completely to him. I could already feel my body growing cold, my senses fading. Kronos was winning. He was taking over, inch by inch, thought by thought.

I could hear his triumphant laughter now, louder in my mind, as he loomed over me, his power consuming everything. But then something inside me snapped. Something deep within me, something stronger than fear.

I couldn't let this happen. Not like this. Not after everything I had fought for. Not after all I had lost.

In a final act of desperation, I made a choice. With a violent twist of my hand, I yanked Riptide from Kronos's chest, my sword dragging through his flesh as I severed him from this world. I drove the sword deeper, aiming for the core of his being, the center of his power. And when it pierced through him, I felt it. His soul entered straight into my body like a tidal wave.

The instant it entered me, it felt like an explosion—raw, primal, chaotic. The pain was unbearable. My limbs went stiff, as though they had been frozen in place, and my body was no longer mine to control. I could feel Kronos's essence thrumming through me, his rage and hatred lashing out with every heartbeat, every breath.

I couldn't move. I tried to scream, to fight it, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate. My mind, however, was still there, still aware, and I could feel Kronos clawing at my consciousness. His will pushed against mine, overpowering it in an instant. His thoughts, his memories, everything he had ever been came crashing into my mind all at once.

I fell to my knees, gasping, my body convulsing as the fight between us raged on. It wasn't just physical anymore—it was mental, spiritual. Kronos wasn't done with me. He was inside me, fighting for control, forcing his power into every crevice of my being. I couldn't think. I couldn't focus. His will was suffocating mine, his anger boiling over as he raged against his defeat.

The arena exploded in chaos. Monsters screamed in fury, realizing what had just happened. They could see the battle within me—the way I was spasming and twitching, unable to control myself. I could hear their roars, but they felt so distant, muffled by the war that was happening in my mind. I couldn't make sense of anything. Time, my senses, my very self were warping under the weight of Kronos's presence.

"NO!" I wanted to scream, but the word never made it past my lips.

I couldn't even register when Bob jumped into the arena. He was a blur of motion, his large form charging toward me. He scooped me up without hesitation, his strong arms wrapping around me as he lifted me effortlessly. I was nothing but dead weight, my body convulsing, spasming against his grip. My hands clawed at his arms, trying to break free of Kronos's hold on me, but I was too weak.

"Hold on, Percy," Bob's voice broke through the haze, though it felt like I was underwater, everything distant, muffled. "We're getting out of here."

The monsters roared behind us, the sound of their pursuit growing louder, their feet pounding the earth. Bob didn't waste time. He ran, fast and furious, navigating the arena as if he had lived here his whole life. I could barely comprehend what was happening—I was too consumed by Kronos's soul thrashing around in my head. It felt like my very mind was being torn apart. His power, his presence, was too much for me to withstand. I could feel him trying to dominate me, to force me to kneel before him, to give in to the tide of inevitability that he represented.

I fought back with everything I had left. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, swirling with Kronos's wrath, but I clung to the one thing I knew: I couldn't give in. Not like this. I had fought too hard, survived too much to let this Titan control me now.

But the fight was exhausting. I could feel my body weakening with every step Bob took. My mind was splintering, my vision flickering in and out. I couldn't keep my eyes open, couldn't keep the world in focus. All I could hear was Kronos's voice, his booming laugh, his dark whisper: "You are nothing. You will never be free."

Bob didn't slow down, though. He kept running, his pace unrelenting, carrying me through the chaos. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his determination fueling every step. But I couldn't tell where we were, couldn't even see the path clearly. I was too lost in the battle happening inside my head.

The chase was a blur of motion, a chaotic rush through the shifting shadows of Tartarus. I was barely conscious, my body still wracked with spasms as Kronos's soul fought for control. Every step Bob took, every powerful movement of his legs, felt like an eternity. I couldn't even hold my head up, my neck limp, my hands twitching with futile attempts to resist the power inside me.

We rounded corners, the rough stone floor beneath us feeling like it was pressing up into my chest with every step. The walls around us were jagged, twisted, and alive with the eerie glow of the underworld. I could hear the monsters behind us—heavy footfalls, growls, and shrieks that reverberated off the stone. They were gaining ground, their pursuit relentless. I could feel the vibrations in the floor, the rumbling of their footsteps, but all I could think about was the war inside me. Kronos's presence was suffocating, pressing into my mind like a vice, cracking and splitting my focus with every passing second.

Bob leapt over debris, his massive form moving with unexpected agility. He didn't stop to look back, didn't pause for a second. His focus was pure, his body pumping with the force of someone who knew exactly what he had to do. He gritted his teeth, holding me tight against him, every breath steady as if he were used to this kind of frantic escape.

I could feel the cold wind of the chase pressing against me, the rush of air that came with every turn Bob made. But my mind, my body, was fighting against me. Kronos's soul was relentless, drowning me in a dark torrent of power and fury. His voice was like a constant drumbeat in my head, demanding that I submit, that I give in to the inevitability of his rule.

"You cannot outrun me," he would whisper, his voice like gravel against my mind. "I am Time. You cannot escape me. You will break."

I could feel myself weakening with every passing moment. The pain of the battle of wills was taking its toll. My muscles were trembling, my breath ragged, and every step I took felt like it was being dragged out of me against my will.

Bob kept running, though. He didn't flinch, didn't hesitate. We rounded another corner, and I could hear the Doors of Death ahead. The sound of their ominous groan filled my ears, but it sounded so far away. My vision was blurring again, the edges of the world fading into a tunnel as Kronos's grip tightened. It was becoming harder to think, harder to hold on to myself.

But I couldn't give up. I couldn't let him win.

The monsters were closing in. I could hear them now, their growls and roars echoing through the halls of Tartarus. Their numbers were growing, a sea of darkness behind us, but Bob didn't falter. His pace didn't slow. He was a force unto himself, and he carried me like a sack of stone, unshaken by the chaos around us.

The Doors of Death loomed ahead. I could see the faint shimmer of their entrance through the darkness, the promise of escape just within reach. But the monsters weren't going to let us get there that easily. I could hear their footsteps growing louder, the thud of their approach sending tremors through the floor beneath us.

Bob pushed himself harder. His breath was labored now, but his determination never wavered. I could feel him shift his grip on me, his arms tightening around me as if he knew we were almost there.

But then—something—snapped.

Kronos's presence surged inside me, a tidal wave of power crashing against my mind. I could feel my body losing control again, my hands spasming, my limbs jerking in different directions. My vision flickered in and out, everything becoming a blur of darkness and light. I could feel Kronos's rage building, his presence suffocating, and my mind—my soul—felt like it was being torn apart.

I gasped, choking on the air, feeling the weight of his power pushing me down. The monsters were almost upon us, I could hear their claws scraping against the stone. But Bob wasn't slowing down. He was running faster than I thought possible, his movements fueled by desperation.

Finally, with a sudden burst of energy, Bob reached the Doors of Death. Normally, they would have been guarded by legions of monsters but the guards were off duty so they could watch the duel. Lucky for us.

The Doors of Death loomed before us, massive and foreboding, their dark metal etched with swirling patterns of chaos and entropy. They stood like a gateway to the unknown, a boundary between worlds. At their center, an ominous lever gleamed faintly, the mechanism that would activate the passage to the surface. It was salvation and damnation all in one.

Bob didn't hesitate. He ran straight for the Doors, his massive hand reaching out to press against the cold metal. The monsters' roars echoed behind us, closer now, their hunger palpable. I was barely conscious, slumped in his arms like a lifeless doll, my mind still a battlefield where Kronos raged, trying to seize control.

Bob pressed his forehead against the door for a brief moment, muttering something I couldn't quite hear, before wrenching it open with a deafening creak. Inside was an ancient elevator, its walls lined with obsidian, the floor inscribed with faint, glowing runes. It looked both impossibly sturdy and unnervingly fragile, as though it had been cobbled together from the remnants of the universe itself.

"Bob… no," I croaked, my voice barely audible. My limbs twitched uselessly, too weak to stop him. But I knew. I knew what he was about to do, and the realization hit me like a blow to the chest.

He stepped inside and gently set me down on the elevator's floor, leaning me against the back wall. His golden eyes, so full of warmth and quiet strength, met mine. He knelt down beside me, his large hand resting on my shoulder.

"Percy," he said, his voice steady but tinged with something bittersweet. "You must go."

"No… no, you're coming too," I mumbled, my hands weakly gripping his arm. I tried to pull him toward me, to anchor him, but I might as well have been tugging on a mountain.

Bob smiled, the faintest curve of his lips. It was a sad smile, but full of resolve. "I cannot, my friend. Someone must stay to hold them off. The Doors—they will not close themselves. If they stay open, Kronos's monsters will follow. You know this."

"No!" I managed, my voice cracking. The pain in my chest was unbearable, both from Kronos's relentless assault and the realization of what Bob was saying. "You can't—you've done enough! We'll find another way!"

"There is no other way," Bob said softly. His gaze flicked to the dark corridor behind us, where the monstrous horde was now visible—an endless tide of teeth, claws, and fury, barreling toward us. "But it is all right. Bob is glad to help."

Tears blurred my vision. "Bob… please…"

He shook his head, his expression calm, almost peaceful. "You have a world to save, Percy Jackson. A place to fight for. Bob… Bob does not belong there. This is my place now. My choice."

I tried to argue, to scream, to fight, but my body refused to cooperate. All I could do was watch as Bob stood, towering over me like the guardian he had always been. He gripped the lever, his silver spear clutched tightly in his other hand, ready to face the oncoming storm.

Before he pulled it, he looked back at me one last time. "Tell the stars hello for me," he said, his voice soft but firm. "And remember: Bob is your friend."

With that, he yanked the lever. The elevator jolted, its mechanisms groaning to life. I felt it lurch upward, the runes on the floor glowing brighter as the Doors began to seal shut.

"BOB!" I screamed, summoning the last of my strength to reach out, but the doors were already closing. Through the narrowing gap, I saw him turn to face the horde, his silver spear shining like a beacon in the darkness. The last thing I heard was his battle cry—a defiant roar that echoed through the depths of Tartarus—as the Doors sealed completely.

The elevator surged upward, leaving the chaos behind. I slumped against the wall, my chest heaving with sobs, my heart aching with the weight of what had just happened. Bob had saved me. He had saved us all. But I couldn't shake the hollow feeling that came with it, the pain of leaving him behind.

"Goodbye, Bob," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "I'll tell the stars."

The elevator creaked and groaned as it ascended, the ancient mechanisms grinding against the weight of the universe itself. The runes etched into the floor glowed steadily, a faint hum vibrating through the confined space. Every second felt like an eternity, every breath a struggle against the storm raging inside me.

Kronos's soul lashed out, a tempest of hatred and malice, clawing at my mind with the fury of a thousand lifetimes. I could feel him trying to take control, to bend my will to his. His voice was like thunder, roaring in my head, dripping with disdain.

"You think you've won, little demigod? You are nothing—a fleeting spark in the endless void of time. You cannot contain me!"

My body convulsed, my hands clutching at my head as if I could physically wrench him out. The elevator swayed slightly, and I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air. My thoughts were a blur, a chaotic swirl of pain and memory.

Bob. Nico. Annabeth. The faces of everyone who had fought, who had sacrificed to get us this far, flashed before my eyes. Each one was a reminder of what was at stake, a tether keeping me anchored to the world I was fighting for. But Kronos's presence was suffocating, his power overwhelming.

"You are weak, Perseus Jackson. A mere child playing hero. Your body will fail. Your mind will break. And when it does, I will rise again—stronger, eternal."

"No," I whispered through gritted teeth, forcing the words out. "You won't."

The elevator shuddered, its ascent growing steadier as the oppressive weight of Tartarus began to lessen. I felt it—a subtle shift, like a chain loosening around my chest. The further I rose, the quieter Kronos's voice became, the less power he seemed to have.

I clung to that hope like a lifeline. He was bound to the pit, to the raw chaos of Tartarus. Up here, in the mortal world, his strength would wane. He wouldn't be able to control me, not completely.

The runes on the floor flared brighter, signaling that the end of the journey was near. I staggered to my feet, leaning heavily against the wall, my breath ragged. The memories of everyone who had fought to bring me to this moment surged in my mind once more. Bob's voice echoed in my ears: "You have a world to save, Percy Jackson."

As the elevator slowed to a halt, the hum of the runes faded, replaced by a cacophony of sound from outside. Roars, screams, the clash of metal against metal. My heart pounded as the Doors creaked open, spilling blinding light into the chamber. I shielded my eyes, squinting as I took in the chaos before me.

We had emerged on the surface, but it was far from a safe haven. A battlefield stretched out before me, a sprawling clash of monsters and heroes. The crew of the Argo II was there, scattered across the rocky terrain, fighting with everything they had. Jason's lightning bolts streaked across the sky, illuminating the battlefield. Piper's charmspeak rang out, commanding a group of cyclopes to turn on each other. Leo darted through the chaos, wielding flaming tools as he fought off a horde of empousai.

In the distance, I saw Frank and Hazel holding the line against a massive drakon, its scales gleaming like molten bronze. And above it all, the Argo II hovered, its ballistae firing relentlessly, covering the battlefield in bursts of fire and celestial bronze projectiles.

The Doors of Death had opened into the heart of the battle. My arrival hadn't gone unnoticed. A nearby pack of hellhounds turned their glowing red eyes toward me, growling and baring their teeth. But before they could lunge, a streak of golden fur barreled into them.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" I gasped. She wagged her massive tail once before diving back into the fray, snapping at the monsters with ferocious determination.

I stepped out of the elevator, gripping Riptide tightly. My body trembled, the battle with Kronos far from over. But for now, his voice was faint, a distant hiss at the back of my mind. The chaos of the battlefield grounded me, giving me something tangible to focus on.

I stumbled as I left the elevator, barely able to stay upright. My legs felt like lead, my arms shaking as I raised Riptide. The battlefield surged around me, a chaotic storm of violence and desperation. The monsters were relentless, and I could barely keep myself standing, let alone fight. But I had to try.

I swung Riptide at the first monster that charged me—a snarling dracaena with a jagged spear. The blade connected, and she dissolved into golden dust, but the effort left me gasping. A second monster, a brutish telkhine, lunged at me, and I barely had the strength to block his strike. My counterattack was sluggish, but it was enough to send him crumbling into ichor.

Each step I took felt heavier, my vision blurring at the edges. Kronos's soul stirred within me, his malevolence sapping my strength. His whispers were faint now, but they were still there, needling at my mind, feeding my doubt.

"You're too weak, Perseus. You can't save them. You can't save yourself."

I gritted my teeth, swinging wildly at another monster—a harpy that screeched before bursting into dust. But my body wasn't listening anymore. My movements were slow, uncoordinated. A manticore knocked me off balance with a swipe of its tail, and I barely rolled out of the way as it pounced.

The battlefield seemed to blur together. My friends were still fighting valiantly, but there were too many monsters, too much chaos. My gaze darted to the Doors of Death, towering and imposing, their blackened metal shimmering with an unnatural aura. Chains as thick as tree trunks anchored the massive doors in place, tethering them to the ground.

That was it. The doors. They were the key.

I staggered toward them, ignoring the chaos around me. My heart pounded as I realized what needed to be done. If I could sever those chains, if I could break the doors free, this nightmare would end. The monsters wouldn't have a way to escape from Tartarus anymore. The war wouldn't end, not yet—but this would stop the flood.

A hulking hellhound lunged at me, blocking my path. I raised Riptide, but before I could strike, a bolt of lightning struck the beast, sending it tumbling away in a charred heap. I glanced up to see Jason hovering above, his sword crackling with electricity.

For a moment, he froze, his eyes wide as they locked onto mine. Relief, awe, and disbelief flickered across his face, clear even through the chaos. "Percy?" he called out. "You're alive? How—how did you escape?"

I didn't have the breath to answer. The others must have seen me too, because I caught glimpses of their reactions. Annabeth, standing in the midst of the fray, momentarily froze, her gray eyes wide with disbelief. Piper gasped, her knife faltering mid-swing. Even Leo, perched on Festus, let out a stunned "No way!" that I could hear even over the roar of battle.

Their amazement rippled through the battlefield like an unspoken wave, their renewed determination palpable. But there was no time to explain.

"Cutting… the chains," I panted, forcing myself forward.

Jason's eyes widened in realization, but he was quickly swarmed by a pack of empousai, forcing him to retreat. I stumbled to the base of the massive chains, each one pulsing with dark energy. Raising Riptide, I brought it down on the first link.

The impact sent a shockwave up my arm, and the blade bounced off with a clang. The chains didn't even scratch. My legs buckled, but I forced myself to stand again. This had to work. It was the only way.

I raised Riptide again and swung with everything I had. This time, the celestial bronze bit into the chain, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the metal. I gritted my teeth, ignoring the searing pain in my arms, and struck again. The chain groaned, the cracks widening. With a final, desperate swing, it shattered, the link exploding into shards that evaporated into black smoke.

The doors shuddered, their ominous glow flickering, but they held firm. Three chains remained.

My vision swam, the world tilting around me. I could barely lift my sword, but I forced myself to the next chain. Another swing, another jarring impact. I could feel Kronos's soul writhing inside me, his rage palpable.

"Stop this! You'll doom yourself!" he snarled.

"Shut up," I muttered, driving Riptide into the chain again. The second one shattered, and the doors groaned louder, their glow fading further.

Monsters were turning toward me now, realizing what I was doing. But my friends—my family—fought harder, holding the line. Grover's reed pipes echoed through the battlefield, vines erupting to entangle the beasts. Piper's voice rang out, sending monsters scattering in confusion. I couldn't stop now. Not when they were fighting for me.

I moved to the third chain, my movements sluggish and unsteady. It took four strikes this time, each one draining more of my strength. When it finally broke, I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air. The fourth chain loomed above me, mocking me with its impossible weight.

I pushed myself up, my entire body screaming in protest. With a guttural cry, I swung Riptide. Once. Twice. Three times. Each strike chipped away at the chain until, finally, it gave way, shattering into nothingness.

The Doors of Death trembled violently. The black glow faded entirely, and with a deafening roar, they disintegrated into ash. The monsters froze, their eyes widening in terror. And then, one by one, they began to retreat, their cohesion breaking as panic set in. The battlefield was emptying, the tide turning in an instant.

I swayed on my feet, barely registering the cheers of the Argo II crew. My vision blurred, and I felt the world tilting. The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was Jason, Annabeth, and the others rushing toward me, their faces filled with relief and fear.

And then, nothing.