The Nature of a Demigod

Lost no More

[Y/N's POV]

I felt sick. Kronos had taken form. He took Luke's form.

I hated the guy, more than a lot, but that wasn't right. The titan king roared in anger as Rachel steered us away from the traps, with no clear destination in mind. We just needed to get away from that dark mountain. We ran until we couldn't run anymore. Percy was moving so fast even I could hardly keep up.

I had to almost carry Annabeth away from the mountain. She was distraught. Luke was a horrible person, but he was one of her first friends. He was one of mine too. It hurt to think about, that he had gone so far as to give himself up completely to the resurrected Titan.

We finally came to a halt in a tunnel of white stone, like it was an actual cave. I couldn't hear the army still chasing after us, but I also couldn't get comfortable. Kronos was back in a body. And he wanted mine. I couldn't stop shaking. Those unnatural golden eyes glaring a hole through my soul. That could've been my eyes he stole. My body he was controlling.

If I had been caught in the labyrinth...

That very thought was stuck in my mind. Would my friends have been staring in terror into the eyes that used to be mine? Would my body be forced into fighting them? Would I have to... would I have to kill them?

"I can't go any farther," Rachel gasped, hugging her chest. Annabeth had been crying the entire time we'd been running. Now she collapsed and put her head between her knees.

Her sobs echoed in the tunnel. I ran my hands through my hair frantically, trying to dry the cold sweat that was sprinkling from my scalp. I stumbled and crashed on my butt next to Nico and Percy. I wanted to comfort Annabeth, but what was I supposed to tell her right now?

Was I supposed to just blurt out and ask, 'Hey, remember that guy we both used to be really good friends with a few years ago? Well, now his body is the host for the evil titan king that wants to kill us all! Sucks, don't it? Anyway, how are you doing otherwise?!"

I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore. I'm too confused to even have another panic attack right now. I don't think I can even really process the idea of what just happened. Luke... a guy I got to learn from, a guy I respected...

He's gone this far... to turn himself into the body for the thing that could end the world... he's set Kronos' rise into motion... I can't believe it.

Nico dropped his sword next to Riptide, and I let mine dissipate into shimmering particles of silver.

Nico took a shaky breath, and said, "That sucked," I let out a strangled laugh. Wasn't much sure what else I was supposed to cobble together. 'That sucked' was pretty much a spark-notes of the last two months for all of us.

"You saved our lives," Percy said. Nico wiped the dust off his face. "Blame the girls for dragging me along. That's the only thing they could agree on. We needed to help you or you'd mess things up."

"Nice that they trust me so much," Percy shined my flashlight across the cavern. Water dripped from the stalactites like a slow-motion rain. I cleared my throat, fighting in vain to catch my breath.

"Look, man, we've known you long enough to know that any plans that you come up with fall apart near instantly. Annabeth thought quickly. I was gonna go in after you alone, but I got punched a couple times for even suggesting that."

Nico smiled sadly, and rubbed his fist where he punched me again. Percy's face turned worried. "Nico... you, uh, kind of gave yourself away." he said. I just now realized what had gone wrong. "What do you mean?" he asked.