18 || ⵊɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Vᴏɪᴅ

I closed my eyes for my end, but it never came. I don't know why, I felt a sudden boost in my energy, my one eye turning Black, and one eye as bright as the sun -including my Pupil, Iris and Eyeball-, I blasted the squid off me.

Zoe looked up, and her mouth remained open, not believing what just happened.

I felt my powers strengthening to the power I held when I was battling the Gods. I shot a bolt of Darkness at the gigantic Squid, which made it fall, and then I shot a beam of Light, which burned through the skeleton and flesh of the Kraken, that it made a big hole vertically, and due to some luck, the hole's lane passed its heart, making it the killing blow.

But the newly recovered power faded back into lockup, and I fell onto the ground, unconscious.

-OO-

Perseus woke up in the same room as before. The same setting, no changes, but a feeling of oddness never left him.

He looked around, his eyes scanning every object in the room with perfect sync. He looked to every corner, every hole, every opening, but it went to no avail.

Just before he was about to fall back asleep, an object lay on the ceiling. A package floated above his head, a mail directly from the one-and-only, Tartarus.

Percy grabbed the floating mail, and looked around it. It looked somewhat... normal. He could sense no magic on the floating envelope, but he could sense godly signatures. He opened the seal, and flapped the covering.

He spotted a letter inside it, he took it out, before starting to read it:

Hey Perseus,

Its Uncle Tartarus, the Primordial council has heard about your match with Gerlos, and we are going to be viewing it live. The council has voted and decided that Gerlos being stronger than many of us, we will lift the lockup for your powers, temporarily though. Hope you can win, give us a good fight, Nephew. We haven't been entertained in years.

Sincerely,

Tartarus

That's fucking fantastic. Now he may have a chance at destroying Gerlos. Wait, what if I take her powers. Send her to the void, if I take her abilities, I can take her connection away from the Void, and her powers. So, if I take them away, I will get them, and I can give them to people who are worthy enough for it. Perfect!

I came out of the room, and looked about. It seemed as if it was empty, but I could feel the shadows luring around the corridors.

It was my last fight in the arena, I would win, or I would lose. One outcome, could I do it with a flashy entry? Yes! A grin appeared on my face, before I summoned the shadows to me. It felt as if I was reborn, as I could control my powers and domains to their full extent again.

Shadows came out of my surroundings, and enveloped me. I teleported to the middle of the field, shadows started leaving my body, till I was left standing. A cheer rippled through the cloud, but was stopped from the glares of most monsters, as they supported the all-time champion, Gerlos.

"I see you came, Perseus."

"I did indeed." I looked up at my wife, and friends. Each of the mortals looked malnourished, while Zoe lazily stared at me. She was in a shocked state, which got her to be unresponsive. I hid the worry from showing on my face, and turned back towards the throne.

With a sly smile, I walked towards the throne, "When are you going to fight me, Gerlos?", while subtly sending shadows towards them to heal them. I felt shadows using their cold as healing factors for the demi-gods, while Zoe was looking towards me, with a small smile on her face, though the worry could clearly be seen on her face.

I smiled back at her, "Gerlos, why don't you come down? We can start the fight from there?"

"Sure, Perseus." She jumped down from her throne, and came to my side.

I materialised Shadow in my hand, while keeping my face straight, and my eyes targeted at her.

Giving a nod, a trumpet blasted sound into the cavern, and we started. She brought out twin swords from her sheaths, which lay on her back.

She lunged at me, bringing the two swords horizontally, to sever my head from my body. But I laid down, as she went behind me.

With a backward lunge, I rotated mid-air, and swiped the sword towards her face, but all it did was get parried, as she brought out her sword, and blocked it.

With a downward sweep, I tried to make her fall, but she jumped back just before my foot was going to connect to her ankle.

While I was distracted, she brought down a vertical strike on my face, I used nearby shadows, and made them into a shield. The strike was blocked, and I had an opening, and I went for it.

I moved forward and slashed at her open leg, thankfully, she was not quick enough to defend it, and a wound opened at her thigh.

I saw a purplish lining on that cut, and knew Shadow had started its job. It was specially made to give pain, and Gerlos fell.

She was vulnerable, so I went ahead and kicked her in the face. She was sent flying into the air, and I chased after.

She stopped mid-air, and focused back at me. I charged simultaneously to her, like Green Lantern -but without a ring-, I flashed light into her eyes, which temporarily blinded her - as it was so bright, plus she was living in Tartarus for so long, which barely has any light-.

In that moment of weakness, I drove my sword straight through her chest, her voice became strained, as she tried to form words. But they were incoherent. As I took the blade out, she was sent flying down to the ground. With a large boom, she met the ground.

Dust surrounded the area, and everything remained unclear for some time. After a few seconds, I went ahead to find her body, still. She lay there lifeless, her gushing wound dripped blood on the floor, as she was enveloped in a pool of her blood.

I walked towards her to find some black dust laying next to her. A large cheer enveloped the area, as the monsters cheered for me as I was the first one in years to win this tournament.

The black dust started to levitate, before getting sucked by Shadow. I felt the energies, powers and domains -some minor even-, pass into my body. The strongest felt of the sky, and lightning.

Gerlos had finally died, and I was tired. It was a good fight, I finally noticed the Primordials in a Void message, as they were clapping for me, even Chaos.

I was so tired that I barely spoke.

"Open the cages."

With a single command, I was about to fall asleep, but before I was to enter the realm of Morpheus, I showed the middle finger to the Primordials, and laid my head to rest.

It felt like morning, when I woke up, but who would know? Day and night were irrelevant concepts in Tartarus.

I felt shuffling beside me, and I saw Zoe, laid beside me. Jason, Leo, Hazel and Frank were on the floor, with comfortable, fluffy mattresses for them to sleep. Frank was snoring -though silently-, I could hear it with my Titanly senses.

Why hadn't they taken my power from me yet?

This question roamed in my mind, as I fell back asleep.

It was around 2 hours later that we were all awake, and were ready to go to the lair of the Leviathans.

"Listen guys, there would be hundreds, no, thousands of Leviathans there, and they could easily kill anyone of us, so take these," I summoned the bones of the righteous in their hands, which were all dipped in the blood of the three bloods of the fallen.

"These are weapons, that are the only way to kill a Leviathan, kill as many as you can, as we don't want to pick up too large a fight, and we should get out after we find the statue. I will teleport all of us out of that place, and in the palace of Tartarus."

Everybody confirmed their thoughts by nodding.

"I will teleport all of us to their lair, and no Zoe, you cannot flash, as it will create light, which would attract their attention towards all of us." She pouted when I said this.

She was about to say it, when I blocked her, as she and Artemis were the independent ones, and did not like others doing their work for them. They had a sense of Pride for this.

With a snap, a nearby shadow consumed us, I felt the others -except Zoe- feeling nauseous, as they were not used to this form of travel.

We sprouted out of a shadow in a room.

"Where are we, Percy?" Jason asked.

"I don't know, Jason. It looks like a storage room."

"How can you see it?! It is completely dark!" Jason exclaimed.

"Don't forget, Jason, I am the Titan of Darkness."

"Oh... uhh... yes... uhh... Percy." He sheepishly replied.

"You guys stay here; I will go and check outside."

"How will you go outside without any of those creatures noticing you?" Hazel asked.

"Don't worry, Hazel, I will be inside the shadows. Nobody except creatures who can control shadows can see me."

"Be careful, Percy." Zoe told me.

"Don't worry, Zo. I will be back in a minute."

I melted into the Darkness, and remained in the shadows, while seeing the area. It was filled with Leviathans, guarding the area, roaming around in pairs.

I went ahead to find the statue of Kronos in chains, it was tied up and held by a building, while the Leviathans protected it with sincerity.

After confirming the path to here, I teleported myself to the storage room, where the others were waiting for me. They were looking around anxiously, when they heard a silent swoop.

With such a silent room, you hear each and every noise made.

"Who is here?" Piper asked cautiously.

"It's me."

"Oh, Percy. So did you find the statue?"

"Yes, but it is very well guarded. Use the bones I gave you as swords, kill them as soon as you see them. I am teleporting you to the top of the statue, so they don't see us, don't make any noise."

They nodded, and I teleported all of us to the top of the statue. The top was very radiant, as it shined bright golden.

With a small effort, I tried to teleport the statue with shadows nearby, but it was to no avail. The chain was surrounded by magic, which restricted teleportation. I would have to break them.

"Guys, we would have to break the chains. They will attack you, kill them without fear, they know how to take advantage of it. Okay? Go!"

After I manifested Shadow in my hand, I slammed it into the chain with a vertical strike, sort of like Thor -I mean come on, I would obviously know about the other Parthenon's-."

With a loud clack, the chain broke, and fell to the ground. Each and every of the Leviathans looked at us, before showing their teeth, and ran towards us.

"Go, kill them."

As the others attacked, I went down and broke every chain wrapped around it, till the feet. I looked up to find all of them were overmatched.

I lunged up, and with a mid-turn in the air, launched shadow spears towards them. With that moment of distraction, I commanded the shadows to consume us, while throwing the Leviathans towards the ground.

With that command, I ordered the darkness to transport me to the lowest level of the House of Hades in Epirus. As it was where the underworld and the earthen plain was closest, it was easier and less energy was used to transport us there.

The moment I reached there, I felt all my immortal energy leaving me, and rendering me mortal. With a quick sigh, and a deep breath, I fell into deep sleep.

DREAM

I was in the Primordial throne room, and there was a heavy discussion going on, and it was most probably about me.

"Father," said Ananke.

I looked towards Chronos, who gave me a wink. Oh, so he is the reason I am here.

"Perseus's power lockup continues to grow weaker, the more immortal essence, powers and domains he is gaining, the weaker the suppression is getting. We would have to take his sword 'Shadow' back to retain the punishment." Ananke pushed her thought.

"We can't Ananke. The bond Shadow has with Perseus, only trusted people can take it, and after what happened last time, he was here in the throne room, and with Gaia threatening his family, I don't think we would be willing to give up Shadow."

"Then we should kill him, and deal with Gaia ourselves."

"Don't talk nonsense, Ananke. Perseus will not be killed, if he is, the House of Night will not be loyal to this council, and a war will take place." Nyx opposed, while Erebus nodded his head.

"Same with the House of Pontus." Supported Thalassa and Pontus.

"Use your brain, Ananke, if we kill him, the domains of Light, Upper air and day would be done for, and the world would fall into an endless night, we can't make a mortal or any immortal one of us. And nobody would take that position, as father has said that he is not going to make any more children. And the gods can't handle the power of a Primordial." Spoke Erebus.

"So basically, half the council is with Perseus." Ananke defeatedly said.

"What about you, Husband?" asked Ananke.

"The House of Time will stay neutral, as you are my wife, and he is like a child to me."

"Then killing him is not an option."

I looked back-and-forth between the Primordials, all were bickering about what to do with me.

"Children, this is enough. Let the thread of Destiny move forward as it is right now, no changes will be made." He narrowed his eyes at Ananke, while she bowed her head.

"Meeting finished."

DREAM

I woke up with sweat littering my forehead, and a hot feeling in my body. We were in a hotel, and I was sleeping alone. For the first time in my life, I felt cold, without any of my wives.

After mustering enough energy, I tried to link my mind to Artemis's, which was successful.

"Percy, heard you went to Tartarus. You dare put your life at risk?!" Artemis yelled.

"Peace, Arty. I am not here because of that, meet me at the Acropolis in Athens, I can feel the base of my mother's power there, meaning that the final battle will take place there, so meet me at the hotel tomorrow. I want to kiss you so much right now, but I can't. So, all I can say is, bye, Arty."

"Bye, Perseus."

Shit! She called me Perseus; she must be really pissed off.

I sat up, and changed my clothes to a fine black V-neck t-shirt, black jeans, and red and white retro Jordans. God, shoes these days are so stylish, I love them.

I walked out of my room, and tried to navigate the corridor. A waiter came out of a room, perhaps he gave them some food, "Excuse me," I called out to him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you know where the cafeteria is?"

"Yes, sir. Go straight, and take a right. Go down two stairs, and to the right, you will find the restaurant."

"Thank you, good sir."

He nodded, before going back on his track. I followed his instructions, and surely, I reached the food court. And... They were sitting right there.

How can somebody love food so much? Whenever I wake up, why are they always eating?!

I pushed the doors open; the chime raised their heads towards me, "Good afternoon, Percy." Piper greeted me.

"Good afternoon, Piper."

"You had a good sleep?" asked Frank.

"Yep. So, what are we discussing?"

"Well, you see, the fates told me in my dream," started Zoe, "that the final battle starts tomorrow, and that we should be ready."

"Hmm, anything else?"

"It will be held in the Acropolis in Athens."

"Yes, I knew that part. I had felt my mother's base energy there, so I called the Titans there tomorrow."

"Good, so what should we do now?" asked Hazel.

"You guys take some rest, enjoy the rest of the day, while also keeping some distance from monsters, it might be the last day for relaxation for a while."

We talked for a few more minutes, before everybody left. I walked to the room I was in, before going back to sleep.

It was 3 in the morning, and Zoe was still not back in the room. I came out, and started to try and sense in which room the others why. They were just beside us, we were in 4 rooms, which were close.

I knocked on the first room, Leo answered it, "Yes, Perce?" he asked groggily.

"Have you seen Zoe?"

"Nope, why? Hasn't she come back from the beach yet?"

"She went to the beach?"

"Ya, she wanted to be relaxed before the battle."

"Shit! Why didn't anybody tell me?" I all but yelled.

"Because... you know... you were sleeping... and we didn't want to disturb you."

"Well now she is gone, and my fucking mind is going off the racks. I will go and check the beaches, you rally the others, if I am not back with her, know that we are going to the battle."

I shadow-travelled towards the beach, and sent shadows everywhere, trying to sense her Titanly signatures anywhere, she was not here. I extended my senses all around the state, and there she was, in the Acropolis.

Those un-honorary bastards.

I teleported back outside the rooms, "Leo!" I called out to the Latino elf.

"Yes, Percy. Did you find her or not?"

"No, Leo. Bring in the others, I am calling on the Titan's."

I went to my room, and used a nearby tap to create an Iris message.

I contacted Kronos, "Kronos!" The Titan was peacefully sleeping.

"Awaken yourself brother, the Giants have taken Zoe. Call all the Titan forces, and meet me in the Acropolis in Athens in 5 minutes."

I dissolved the message with a swipe of my hand and ran out. The whole team was still groggy because they were woken from the sleep, I used the shadows to give them the energy to fight, from which they were suddenly rejuvenated.

"We are going to battle, be ready."

With a snap, the whole world twisted around, and we reached the tampered lands of Athens.

Zoe was in the middle, she was tied in chains, and blood oozed from her head, she was in a sitting position while also being unconscious.

"Porphyrion, you dare kidnap and harm my wife?!" I asked to the shadows in particular.

I could sense a weak connection with the sky, due to having the powers of Ouranos, though at a light level, as my powers were still in lockup.

With a crack of lightning, the giant king Porphyrion appeared.

"Ahh, Perseus. New lesson: Never leave your wife alone."

"You dare!!" I thundered, while the sky rumbled sensing my anger.

I could feel the power of darkness seeking in my anger, and transferring that emotion to extend my power.

"Brethren, come, we shall finally defeat the Titans forever."

With many flashes, the ugly race of the Gigantes came into sight. Each having an army of monsters behind them.

"Kronos, now." I whispered.

With multi-coloured flashes, the Titans too came, while bringing a few demi-gods, as giants could only be killed by a god, and a demi-Titan.

"Should I give you a small shock, Perseus?" asked Porphyrion with a sly smile.

"Try me." I replied courageously.

With a clean swipe, he cut through Zoe's head, and her head rolled till it reached my foot. I and my other wives stared at horror at the disembodied face of my lover.

I gave my fiercest glare knowing she would respawn, but not knowing this could happen, Zoe's body and head began to flicker, I rushed towards her head, and tried to cling to it, "No... no... no... no...no... NO!" I screamed at the sky as her form finally vanished.

"Do you think that only you have a sword that can fade an immortal, this sword, man, it is coated with a special metal that has the capability of fading an immortal. But after you are dead, I will take your sword too, and become much stronger." He laughed like a maniac.

My mind went blank, no statement of his entered into my brain, as my thoughts were only focused on Zoe.

Without knowing my body began to levitate, none of their weapons or attacks touched me, it was as if a protective cocoon surrounded me.

"Enough!" I thundered. The clap of thunder rang around me.

With bright light coming out from my body, godly energy leaked out of my body, as I followed the one thing I learnt from Oceanus, 'Your immortal energy is like a body of water. You cannot restrict it for long, you need to let it flow.'

I let it flow, I pushed and pushed, and let it all out, I let the anger, the sadness, and the guilt break the dam which contained my powers. It finally broke.

-X-

Percy's eye changed colour, from the darkest shade of black, to one being the brightest, one having electric currents pass through it, while many more to count. But it seemed as if Percy wanted blood, as a sadistic glare adored his face, he summoned Shadow, and brought it down into the ground, tendrils of the blackest shadows clawed out of the sword, and penetrated through the ranks of the monsters.

With a launch in the air, Percy brought down arcs of black lightning on the rest of the monsters -especially the ones which could fly- and the giants, he attacked Porphyrion while the other Titans and Giants fought.

With a slash on the leg, Porphyrion leaked ichor, while shadows continuously healed or blocked any attack done on Perseus.

With continuous hits of beams of light, or spikes of darkness, defensive and offensive was increasingly getting difficult for Porphyrion, after a few minutes, Percy got the chance he wanted.

While attacking, Porphyrion attacked Percy's head, he ducked, and launched the greatest lightning any immortal of the sliver or bronze age had ever seen, and with the burning Porphyrion, Percy plunged his sword in the heart of Porphyrion, "That's for my wife, you fucking bitch of an immortal."

He twisted his sword, rotating it in a circular direction, to increase the pain done on the giant king. Within seconds, the giant's form began to flicker, and he faded after some time.

Now for the rest of the giants, they were still fighting the Titans, having difficulty in defeating any, as their demi-children helped them in any defence.

With anger, Percy launched multiple lighting strikes on the Giants, knowing that Percy was very angry, the Titans backed up immediately, except Hestia and Artemis, who tried to go towards Percy, but Alcyoneus, the smartest of the batch, had sneakily brought the sword Porphyrion used, and with the best aim, threw the sword towards the two the girls, the sword passed through both of their bodies, and instantly faded them.

Percy could not bear it anymore, he fell to the ground on his knees, and the thunder strikes stopped, thinking that Percy got weak, the Giants tried to attack, but they didn't know half of what was coming.

Percy got up, one eye black, one eye bright white, each with electricity and red shades passing through them, Percy sent a beam towards the attacking Gigantes, the strongest the Universe had ever seen, and passed it through every giant.

Each giant paralysed, Percy made nearby shadows into swords, and started plunging them into each of the Giants, and twisting them, turning them, dragging them -not knowing that all of their souls had faded from the attack, but just their bodies were left-, all left was the third eldest giant, Polybotes.

The Giant of the sea tried to manipulate the water inside Percy's body, but it was dominated by the raw power generated by Percy.

He used a shadow to hold the neck of the Giant, and threw him into the air. Whenever the giant was about to fall, he was either hit with a giant shadow hand, or a lightning strike, which brought him straight at Mount Olympus. By coincidence, or purposefully, Polybotes crash landed into the large throne room.

"No!" he screamed.

"You will die for this, Perseus."

Nobody knew, but a secret entity spied on the match, he held the sacred sword of Chaos, one of the two other swords, well now three other swords that could fade an immortal.

Going on with the battle, Polybotes was badly injured, he was barely able to stand up. He looked forward to meet the deadly eyes of Perseus, with a swipe, he fell into the wastelands, the junk area.

Percy brought out his hand, and called upon the shadows to start lifting the giant up, as a ball formed around him, he was lifted up, Percy made a crushing motion with his hand, and the shadows collapsed on the giant, crushing his body and soul with it.

Percy was tired, he heard a swoosh, he looked down, and found a sword had pierced his stomach. He looked back to find a stranger, staring at him emotionless, as Percy started flickering, he plunged his sword into the Earth, "Let it be known, only the worthiest of Heroes will be able to lift the sword of Perseus, Shadow."

Percy's body faded out of sight.

IN THE VOID

Percy came to the entrance of a door; he pushed it open to find Chaos standing there.

"Hey, Chaos."

"Hello, Perseus."

"Where am I? What are you doing here?"

"This is the Void, Percy. My creation, and well, you have finally faded. But you have done a lot for me and this planet, so I grant you the best facilities the Void has to offer. Bye, Percy."

He smiled softly, before disappearing a soft glow. Another door lay before him, he once again pushed it open to find his wives sitting on a sofa, "Hey guys." Percy greeted, with tears leaking out of his eyes.

"Hi, Percy." They greeted back.

120 YEARS LATER

Percy was hanging with his wives, they were all having a picnic in their garden, when a soft glow behind Percy engaged him.

I looked back towards the glow to find Chaos, "Guys, I will come back in a minute."

"Okay, Percy." Hestia replied.

I turned towards Chaos, and walked towards him. I folded my hands, "How have you been, Grandfather." I gave a cheeky smile.

"Good, Grandson." He emphasised on the 'grandson' part.

"So, why have you come here?"

"Well... I am sorry to ask you this, but we have another war on our hands, and this time, it not only threatens the Titans, but the entire galaxy."

"And..."

"The world needs you back, Perseus."

"Can my wives come too the living world too?"

"Sure."

"Then... bring it on!" I excitedly replied to Chaos.

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