Nico sat atop a tall building, the crown of darkness resting in his palm. It was an object of great weight—both figuratively and literally. He could feel its dark energy emanating from the smooth black surface, a subtle hum vibrating beneath his fingers. It was a strange feeling, as though the crown held an ancient force that far exceeded anything he had ever experienced, even more than the powers his father, Hades, possessed.
'Father was truly weird today,' Nico thought, the memory of his encounter with Hades lingering. His father had been unusually open, uncharacteristically warm even. Normally, Hades was a figure of cold, distant authority, but today he had been... different. Why had he given Nico this artifact? It was one thing to give his son power, but something as powerful as this? It didn't sit right with him.
'Why would he give me something like this?' Nico wondered again, inspecting the intricate, dark design of the crown. The blackened metal seemed to absorb the light around it, and the small embedded gems flickered like distant stars. It felt like it had a life of its own, the crown pulsing gently in his hand, almost as if it were waiting for something—waiting for him to place it upon his head.
The more he examined it, the more the crown felt too powerful, as though it was connected to forces far greater than his father's realm. Nico's mind raced with questions. 'This is too valuable, isn't it? Too powerful for me to wield. And it feels like it has more power than even Father. Or am I just imagining it?' He clenched the crown in his hand and stared at it, feeling an unease settling within him. There was a deep, lingering sense of danger about it. But at the same time, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was meant for him, that it was something he needed.
'Father wouldn't hurt me,' Nico thought, trying to reassure himself. 'I visit him often, and he's always protective. I can check with him later if I have any problems. But right now, I need to understand this... why did he give me this power?'
Nico closed his eyes, running his fingers along the crown's surface. It was as though he could feel the ancient magic running through the veins of the crown, reaching out to him. He could hear whispers in the back of his mind, low and guttural, but they were not threatening. Instead, they seemed to call to him, beckoning him to discover more.
'Maybe he gave it to me because of the new threats... the prophecy of the death of the old order,' Nico mused. He had heard the ominous whispers about the end of an era, the collapse of the old power structures that had kept the world in balance for centuries. Perhaps this crown was meant to help him face whatever was coming, to give him the strength to stand against whatever challenges lay ahead.
'Or maybe he just wants me safe. I can wonder all I want, but only Father can tell me why he gave me this,' Nico concluded. His mind was still swirling with questions, but a sense of resolve began to form within him.
He slipped the crown onto his head, his fingers brushing the smooth, cool surface. As soon as the crown made contact with his skin, a rush of power surged through him like a bolt of lightning. The connection was immediate and intense—almost overwhelming.
'Such power,' Nico thought, feeling the energy swell within him. It was a strange sensation, like the crown had melded with his very soul. His mind was filled with visions—images of battles, of destruction, of worlds being torn apart and remade. The power coursing through him felt infinite, as if there were no limit to what he could do now.
'I feel invincible,' Nico realized, his thoughts sharpening with the clarity that came from the overwhelming strength flooding his body. His muscles tensed, and a dark energy surrounded him, as if the very air around him had thickened with the weight of this newfound power.
He felt unstoppable, like nothing in the world could challenge him. Yet, somewhere deep down, a part of him still questioned whether he was truly ready for the consequences of wielding such immense power.
'Let's try it out,' Nico thought, his resolve hardening. 'First, let's see if I can close the gate. That should be a good test.'
With that, he stood up, feeling the energy of the crown guiding his every movement. The darkness surrounding him seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat as he focused on the task at hand. He could feel the gate nearby, the rift that had been left open for far too long. He focused, directing the power surging within him to the tear in the fabric of reality.
As the energy gathered, Nico's senses heightened. The world around him seemed to fall away, leaving him with nothing but the task before him. Slowly, he reached out with his will, commanding the rift to close. The dark energy responded, swirling around his fingers like smoke, and with a wave of his hand, the rift was sealed.
The power was immense, but it felt natural, as though it had always been a part of him, waiting for the right moment to surface. Nico stood there for a moment, his breathing steady, his mind clear.
'I can do this,' Nico thought, the crown of darkness resting comfortably upon his head. 'I will rise to whatever challenges come my way. I will not be the same as before.'
Neptune stood silently in the grand hall of his undersea palace, his dark eyes narrowed in thought. 'What is Zeus up to, giving such artifacts to children?' The question had been gnawing at him ever since he had heard of the gifts being distributed to various demiimmortal children. Normally, Zeus was a force of authority, a figure of unwavering dominance, so why was he suddenly empowering mortals in such a way?
'It makes no sense. Is he trying to compensate for the misdeeds he has done?' Neptune mused. It seemed highly unlikely, and the thought left him feeling unsettled. Zeus, after all, was not one to show remorse. Yet the evidence was clear—artifacts were being given to children, and there was no rational explanation for this sudden shift in behavior.
'No, that couldn't be. I refuse to believe that. He must be planning something.' The more Neptune considered it, the more certain he became. Zeus was up to something, and Neptune was tired of being a passive observer to his brother's schemes.
'I am really getting tired of his plays. With this, it is final. I shall take him down soon,' Neptune resolved. He stood, his form rising to its full height, and with a snap of his fingers, he vanished from the undersea throne room.
In a quiet, dimly lit room at the Roman camp, Percy Jackson was preparing for bed. The events of the day had worn him thin, and his thoughts were hazy with fatigue. As he settled onto his cot, a sudden presence filled the room—a feeling that was both familiar and strange. Percy turned, blinking in surprise as he saw his father, Neptune, standing in the doorway. The massive figure of the sea immortal exuded an aura of power and mystery, but there was something almost... tender in his demeanor.
"Father?" Percy's voice was a mixture of surprise and confusion. He had not expected to see his father—at least, not like this.
Neptune's expression softened. "Yes, my son. It has been some time since we saw each other, and I am sorry that I can't return your memories. But do not worry, as they will return soon enough."
Percy stood in stunned silence for a moment, still processing the gravity of his father's words. The knowledge that his memories were gone had always been a silent weight on his heart, but hearing Neptune speak of their eventual return was something he hadn't dared to hope for.
"I see…" Percy muttered, his voice heavy with a mixture of sadness and curiosity. "Father, why are you here? I was told only important tasks or something like that would be worthy of your presence." There was an edge of frustration in his tone—he didn't like the feeling of being kept at arm's length from his divine parent.
Neptune's brow furrowed slightly, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "I am sorry, my son. But that is not under my control. If it were, I would spend much more time with you." His gaze softened as he walked closer, lifting his son into a warm embrace. For a moment, it felt as though nothing else mattered, and Percy leaned into the hug, the sensation of being cared for enveloping him like a warm tide.
"But I'm here now because I must give you a gift. It is called the Aqua Ring. With it, you will have power over water that you cannot even begin to imagine. But be warned," Neptune added, his tone taking on a more serious edge. "Do not wear it. Keep it close, perhaps as a necklace, or in your pocket. Only use it when real danger comes, and there is no other choice. The power it contains is immense and dangerous."
Percy's eyes widened as his father placed the ring into his hand. The ring was a beautiful deep blue, etched with designs of twisting water dragons, each scale glinting like it was alive. He could feel the raw power contained within it—faint but undeniable.
"I will be careful with it," Percy said, a serious expression settling on his face as he held the ring close. "Thank you for caring enough to warn me. Would you like to stay for a drink, or something?"
Neptune gave a soft smile, his expression filled with both love and regret. "I cannot stay, my son. There are matters I must attend to. But soon… soon, we will have all the time in the world to be together. You have my word."
Before Percy could say anything else, Neptune kissed him on the forehead and, just as swiftly as he had appeared, vanished. The room was silent once more, leaving Percy standing there with the Aqua Ring in his hand, a mixture of emotions swirling within him.
'Why now? Why this ring?' Percy thought as he carefully tucked the artifact away, not yet fully understanding its significance. 'And what's going on with Zeus? Why is everyone acting so strangely?'
Neptune, too, had his own concerns. As he moved through the ether, heading back to his domain, his mind was clouded with the growing unease he felt regarding Zeus's actions. Something was off—he could feel it in the currents of the sea, in the whispers of the wind. Zeus had started acting strange over the past month, ever since that massive surge of energy had been detected. And that was something Neptune couldn't ignore.
He knew the time for action was coming. And when it did, he would be ready to confront his brother. The fate of Olympus was at stake, and this time, Neptune would not sit idly by.
In the quiet, dimly lit hall of Mount Olympus, Hestia sat by the hearth, her gaze lost in the flickering flames that cast their warm glow upon the room. Her mind, however, was far from the tranquility that the fire usually brought. For three long months, she had been trapped here—imprisoned not by chains or bars, but by an unseen force, something she could not fully comprehend. All she knew was that her little brother, once a person she had cared for deeply, had cast her aside with cruel disdain, turning his back on the very essence of what she stood for.
'Why did this have to happen?' she wondered, her thoughts swirling in turmoil. The kindness and purity she had always tried to embody felt like a weakness now, a fatal flaw that had led to destruction. 'History is repeating itself. Zeus is heading toward something even worse than Father. How could I have been so blind?'
Her heart ached as she recalled the lives that had been lost—those people who had trusted the immortals, trusted in the righteousness of their cause, only to be killed in cold blood. Hestia had tried to hold onto her faith in her family, in the divine order, but each betrayal chipped away at her, each act of violence in the name of power left her soul more fractured.
'Did my kindness kill those people? Was it the reason that more will die?' she questioned herself, the weight of the world bearing down on her fragile heart. 'I had trusted them to make the right decision, but they even killed that person. Such a pure soul, one I have never seen before. I should have acted sooner, but I made excuses and didn't want to cause conflict.'
The guilt gnawed at her, relentless and unforgiving. The flames in front of her danced, but all they did was highlight the vast emptiness she felt inside. She had been passive, hoping that others would step in, but it was all slipping beyond control now. She could feel it—an unseen force, a sense of dread growing stronger with each passing day.
'Now it seems to be snowballing out of control,' she thought bitterly. 'He is out there—his existence calls out to me. The sense of dread is increasing. Why haven't the others felt it?'
A deep, painful sigh escaped her lips. 'Was kindness so wrong? Was I wrong in my inaction?' Hestia's voice trembled, the words thick with emotion. She had always believed in the goodness of people, in the power of love and compassion to bring change. But now, as she looked at the destruction that had unfolded, she began to wonder if she had been naive.
'Why did you have to come here, mysterious soul?' she whispered to herself, the memory of that presence—so pure, so overwhelming—haunting her thoughts. She had wished for a meeting, had desired to see this soul, but now, in the wake of all the chaos, she feared what his appearance might bring.
Her mind raced, desperate for an answer she knew she could not find within the walls of Olympus. 'Is there a way I can leave this cage? I have stayed here for three months now. I need to act—even if it is just a little bit.'
Hestia rose slowly from her seat, determination hardening her features. She had always been a being of peace, of stillness and warmth, but inaction had only led to further tragedy. She could no longer remain idle.
With great effort, she focused her will, pulling a piece of her soul from deep within her being. It was a painful process, and her body trembled as she forced the energy to break free, but she knew she had to do this. The only way to act, even if it was a small step, was to break free from the constraints that had kept her bound for so long.
The effort left her gasping for breath as she stumbled back, clutching her chest in agony. But even through the excruciating pain, a peaceful smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
'At least I managed to act,' Hestia thought, her eyes closing for a brief moment. The smile lingered on her face, a quiet sense of triumph amidst the chaos. She had done what she could. Now, it was time to take the next step, whatever it might be.
As the energy of her soul flickered out from Olympus, she knew this was only the beginning of a larger journey—one that would take her far from the safety of her hearth, to the heart of the storm that was quickly approaching.
She had chosen her path. And now, no force could stop her from walking it.