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SORRY FOR NOT POSTING YESTERDAY MY COMPUTER WAS BROKEN SO IM GOING TO POST TWO CHAPTERS TODAY,
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Chapter 29: The Weight of Olympus
Percy's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted down the marble halls of Olympus, the sound of his boots echoing in the cold, empty corridors. He had been this close to leaving—this close to escaping the chaos—but as always, he couldn't walk away from Artemis. She was more than just his girlfriend. She was his anchor, and Zeus was tearing them apart with every word he spoke.
The argument had escalated so quickly. Zeus had been furious the moment he'd found out about him and Artemis. Percy had tried to hold his ground, tried to explain that his love for Artemis wasn't something that could be dismissed or erased just because it didn't fit in with the gods' expectations. But Zeus wasn't listening. No one was.
The moment Poseidon had stepped in, trying to reason with Zeus, Percy had felt a wave of relief. His father had always been the calmer one between the two brothers, but that didn't stop Zeus from threatening both of them. Percy had been sure that the next words out of Zeus's mouth would have been to strike him down, or worse—banish him forever.
And then—then the gods had all turned their gaze to him as if waiting for him to shrink under the pressure, to run away. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.
I'm not running away this time, he thought, pushing himself harder as he neared the throne room. His mind raced, his pulse quickening with each step. I'm not leaving Artemis.
As he rounded the final corner, he burst into the throne room, gasping for breath. The sight that greeted him was a frozen tableau: Artemis stood, her posture tall and defiant, while Zeus glared down at her with an expression that could burn the very heavens. Poseidon, his trident raised slightly, stood between them, a looming figure of calm amidst the brewing storm.
Percy took a deep breath, his feet sliding to a stop as he approached the group. His chest tightened with a surge of frustration, his voice coming out ragged as he spoke. "You don't get to do this."
Every eye in the room snapped to him. Artemis's silver eyes softened when they met his, but she didn't speak. Her father was still too dangerous to challenge directly, but Percy knew he had to. If he didn't, Artemis would pay the price for his silence.
Zeus's eyes flashed with renewed fury as he locked his gaze on Percy. "And what exactly do you think you're going to do, mortal?"
Percy clenched his fists, standing his ground despite the weight of the gods' gazes pressing down on him. "You're threatening her, Zeus," he said, voice steady but with a razor-sharp edge. "You're threatening both of us. For what? For love? For being together? You think that just because I'm a mortal, I don't have a say?"
Zeus's face contorted with anger, his voice booming through the hall. "You have no say in anything, Jackson. You are beneath us! Your love for my daughter is an insult to everything we've worked for. You—you have no place here!"
"I love her," Percy snapped, taking a step forward, refusing to let Zeus intimidate him. "And you can't just take that away from us. If you think I'm going to let you tear us apart, you've got another thing coming."
The room seemed to tremble under the weight of Zeus's rage, and for a moment, Percy was sure he would strike him down where he stood. The air crackled with energy, thick and charged, and every god in the room stood poised to react.
But then Poseidon's deep voice rang out again, calm but firm. "Enough, brother."
Zeus whirled on Poseidon, his expression murderous. "Enough? You would defend this mortal? You would let this happen?"
Poseidon didn't flinch. He stood tall, his trident gleaming at his side, the force of his presence keeping the storm at bay. "Percy Jackson has proven himself time and time again. He's saved Olympus more times than I care to count. And he's not here by accident. Artemis chose him. Not you. Not anyone else. She chose him."
The gods looked between each other, their whispers barely audible over the tension in the room. Percy glanced at Artemis, his chest swelling with both fear and pride. He couldn't believe it—Poseidon was defending him. He wasn't alone in this.
Zeus's eyes narrowed, his anger palpable. "You're both fools. This is disgraceful."
Percy didn't back down. "She's not a trophy, Zeus. She's not some prize you can control. She's her own person. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with her. If you think you can just get rid of me, think again."
Zeus's stormy expression didn't soften. Instead, he stood, his form towering over them all, his voice turning cold. "You will never be one of us. You will never sit at the table of the gods. And if you threaten the balance of Olympus, I will have no choice but to deal with you—severely."
Poseidon stepped forward, his voice low but laced with finality. "You won't touch him. Not while I stand here."
The tension in the room hit its peak, like a wire stretched to its breaking point. The gods watched, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Percy's heart was in his throat, his breath shallow, but he kept his eyes fixed on Zeus.
After what felt like an eternity, Zeus's stormy expression softened ever so slightly. "Fine," he said, his voice low but laced with venom. "You may stay. For now. But know this: You are not welcome here, Jackson. You will always be beneath us. And this love you speak of? It will never be accepted."
Poseidon let out a breath, his trident lowering ever so slightly. "We shall see, brother. We shall see."
Artemis moved beside Percy, her silver eyes meeting his with a quiet, reassuring strength. She didn't say anything, but the way her hand brushed against his gave him all the reassurance he needed. They were in this together. No matter what Zeus said or did.
Percy took a deep breath, glancing at Poseidon, then Artemis, then back at Zeus. "We'll make it through this. Together."
Zeus looked at him one last time, his eyes cold and unwavering. "We shall see, Jackson. We shall see."
As the gods began to disperse, Percy felt the weight of the room lift slightly. The storm had passed—for now. But he knew that the battle wasn't over. Zeus had made it clear that the path ahead wouldn't be easy. But as long as Artemis was by his side, Percy was ready to face whatever Olympus threw at him.
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