The Silver Ring (PJO)

Chapter 29

A/N-I've read lots of your comments for a longer chapter. So, here you go, my longest chapter yet . . . two words!

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As I stepped into the throne room, the combined aura of the primordials didn't get better. Instead, it got worse. It took effort not to sink to my knees, and I shuffled to the nearby wall so I could use it as support. 

Chaos was sitting on the center throne, while all the primordials sat on their respective thrones. Nyx was on a pitch black throne that seemed to get darker every second, while Gaea was on a throne that was the color of . . . dirt. Very pretty dirt. 

I took a deep breath as Chaos started to speak, trying to make It seem as though I wasn't on the verge of collapsing. "Do you know why you're here, Percy?"

I merely raised an eyebrow in response, partly because it was a stupid question, but mostly because I was pretty sure I couldn't talk without stuttering.

"I guess not," Chaos muttered, then proceeded to explain. Only, I couldn't really pay attention.

Over the course of a few seconds, all of the primordials' auras increased significantly. The air seemed to compress me from all sides. My head started to feel lightheaded, and my ears started ringing. My breath started to come out in short gasps as their aura leaped in power even more, making it seem as though my body was going to implode and explode at the same time.

The primordials stared at me with a foreign emotion, but I didn't know right at that moment, since my eyes involuntarily started brimming up with tears. I was slowly losing control of my body as my nerves sent white, hot, searing pain into my skull.

I yelled out in pain as I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath and writhing in pain, unable to think of anything. My mind was clouded by pain, but I thought I saw a cloaked figure enter the room and immediately drop onto the floor, out cold—or even dead.

As if somebody turned a knob, the aura increased to unimaginable amounts, making me feel as though I was getting stabbed by a poisoned blade on every single level and cell. I was so overloaded with pain that I didn't even know if I was screaming anymore.

Then, to my relief, the world started to darken, and my vision went black.

~~~

I woke up to quiet voices whispering. My body felt numb, as though my nerves were destroyed, but at the same time I could feel that I was laying on a soft, silk comforter of a bed. My head immediately started pounding as though something was trying to escape, and it took all my effort to quell the pained groan that almost came out of my mouth. I tried to open my eyes, but it felt as though there were lead weights on them, making my effort futile. 

Where am I? What happened? 

Just then, the whispers stopped, allowing me to hear the clacking of somebody's heels as they walked. A new voice entered the fray. "How could you!" a female voice raged, sounding furious. My sensitive ears winced at the volume of the shout. 

Then, a familiar masculine voice responded, one that I almost recognized, but was unable to recall fully, like a puzzle with one piece missing. "Listen, End, it was a test—" he began in a pleading tone.

"It doesn't matter, Chaos!" End exclaimed, sounding upset. "A 'test' doesn't almost kill someone!" Her voice was approaching closer to me, increasing the need for my stubborn arms to cover my ears before they exploded with pain.