Chapter Text
It’s not fair. He didn’t deserve to die, even with all he did to hurt us.
I never wanted to admit it, but Luke’s anger towards the gods made sense to me now. He hated fate and had every reason to. Who would have thought that the person who would save Olympus would be Luke himself?
“PERCY JACKSON!” my dad yelled. Why did he have to be so loud?
The talking in the chamber died down, except for the sound from the fireplace. Everyone’s eyes were on me, and I shifted uncomfortably. I never enjoyed being the center of attention. Despite my nervousness, I walked up to the middle of the throne room. I looked around and made eye contact with Hestia, who smiled at me. Her presence really helped me calm down.
Regretfully, I bowed down to “oh so great Zeus”, then my dad. Even though these people were my “family”, I hated it when people like the gods acted as if they were above us. I knew if nothing was done, we’d fall into the same cycle we are already in.
I won’t let them forget us. I won’t let them ignore Luke’s sacrifice.
“Rise, my son,” my dad said.
I forced myself up, trying to hide my hands from shaking.
Poseidon looked around the room, like he was studying everyone’s face. I felt annoyed that he felt the need to “protect me”. “A great hero must be rewarded,” Poseidon said. “Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?”
I really thought at least someone, especially Athena, Zeus, or Ares, would say something. When have the gods ever agreed on anything? Like, look at all the mythology stories. I was so ready for them to turn me into some sort of fish instead of giving me my “wish”. I knew plenty of the gods hated my guts.
Surprisingly, no one protested. “The Council agrees,” Zeus said. “Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods.”
I hesitated. I didn’t expect to get an actual “gift”.
“Any gift?” I asked.
Zeus nodded, his electric blue eyes filled with regret. “I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson- if you wish it- you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father’s lieutenant for all time.
I started at him. “Um… a god?”
Unsurprisingly, Zeus was unimpressed.
He rolled his eyes. “A dimwitted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever.”
I glanced at Ares. His agreement seemed so out of character for him.
“Hmm,” Ares pondered. “That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he’ll just keep coming back for more. I liked this idea.”
Oh great, I thought to myself. I always wanted to have beef with Ares for the rest of eternity.
I waited for other gods to protest.
“I approve as well,” Athena said, but her eyes weren’t on me. They were on Annabeth.
I tried to meet Annabeth’s eyes. She was trying not to look at me, and she looked really pale. I thought back to all we went through. I thought for sure she was going to accept the pledge to become a Hunter of Artemis and become a Hunter. Honestly? That seemed like the scariest thing ever. I didn’t want to lose her to immortality. I almost had a panic attack because, I mean, I loved her. I was terrified I was about to not be able to stay with her. Annabeth’s face reminded me of my own that day.
I looked down and thought back to my experience with the Three Fates. The day I saw all of my life flash by. If I took this offer, I’d never age, never die; I’d be a teenager forever… Powerful like the gods, never sick, immortal, and serving my dad for the rest of my immortal life. I really could see why it’s so hard to say no to that. I mean, who couldn’t? I looked back at Annabeth. Looking at her, it reminded me of all the people who died throughout all my time at camp and my quests. Charles Beckendorf, Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, Ethan Nakamura, and now… Luke. The memories of their deaths gave me my answer.
They clearly didn’t expect that. The entire room was silent. I was sure they were on edge, ready for me to accept the offer.
“No?” Zeus asked. “You are… turning down our generous gift?”
The tone of his voice made me feel uneasy, but I knew what I wanted.
“I’m honored and everything,” I told them. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s just… I’ve got a lot of life left to live. I’d hate to peak in my sophomore year.”
I hoped my joke would have made at least one of them laugh, or make them feel relieved, but instead they were glaring at me. I looked back at Annabeth, and I saw her hand was covering her mouth. Despite that, her stormy grey eyes shone with happiness. I knew I made the right choice.
I looked back into Zeus’s eyes. I knew what I wanted. They’re gods, after all.
“I do want a gift, though,” I said. “Do you promise to grant my wish?”
Zeus’s electric blue eyes seemed to think about this. “If it is within our power.”
“It is,” I told him. “And it’s not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx.”
I could feel the room tense the moment I mentioned the River.
“What?” Dionysus said, his voice strained. “You don’t trust us?”
I looked at Hades. I was thankful that at least one of the gods taught me something helpful.
“Someone once told me you should always take a solemn oath.”
Hades didn’t deny that he was the one who told me the advice.
“Guilty,” Hades said, shrugging.
“Very well!” Zeus said, voice filled with annoyance. “In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power.”
I heard the other gods swear the same oath under their breath. The room shook with the sound of thunder, confirming the deal was set.
I smiled, looking up at Zeus. “From now on, I want you to properly recognize the children of the gods. All the children of all the gods. And to prove your word is true, you’ll bring back the real one who saved Olympus.
The room was silent.
“Percy,” my dad said, his voice filled with disbelief. “What exactly do you mean?”
I tried to mask my annoyance. Even my dad didn’t want to believe the words I just said. I thought back to the moment when Luke was on the edge of death.
Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don’t let it… Don’t let it happen again.
I remembered his eyes, filled with anger, but he begged me for help to make this wish come true. After everything, I understood why he stood with Kronos. I wouldn’t forget what I promised him.
“Kronos couldn’t have risen if it hadn’t been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents,” I pointed out. “They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason.”
I looked at Zeus, mustering all the courage I had. His face was red with rage; his eyes flashed like lightning, and his nostrils flared.
“You dare accuse-”
“No more undetermined children," I interrupted. "I want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive.”
"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo tried to interject, but I didn’t let him.
“And the minor gods,” I said. “Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe- they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades—"
"Are you calling me a minor god?" Hades interrupted.
I forced myself not to roll my eyes. "No, my lord, but your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. And to prove you’ll be true to your word, you’ll give Luke Castellan a second chance on this plane. That is my wish.”
Zeus laughed. He obviously thought this wish was unbelievable. “Is that all?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but my dad spoke first. “Percy,” my dad said, "you ask much. You presume much.”
This time, I didn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. They deserved it.
“I hold you to your oath,” I said, looking around the room. “All of you.”
I could feel anger in the room. To my surprise, out of all people who would have talked first, Athena did. “The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Though, the wish for mercy for Luke…”
Her voice trailed off. I knew the wish about Luke was a stretch, but I’m not one to back down.
“We can’t pardon demigods who betrayed and attempted to destroy Olympus,” Zeus said.
Anger rose in me. The gods weren’t listening to me again.
“Luke was the one who stopped Kronos. If it wasn’t for his sacrifices, we’d all be dead,” I pointed out. “You want to stop this from happening again? If we just go on and have you claim them at thirteen, and that’s it, they’ll still feel forgotten. Neglected. If Luke comes back, not only will it be proof the gods have love and mercy for their children, but it will avoid a war like this happening again.”
The room went silent. I won’t lie, I was pretty nervous. It wouldn’t be hard for one of them to turn me into a tree or something. I just hoped that the oath would keep me safe.
I turned to Hermes. “I didn’t forget the time when you asked me to save your son. I didn’t believe you at first. Now I know you’re right.”
I knew if I could convince anyone, and help me convince others, it would be Luke’s dad. I knew he really did love Luke.
I turned back to Zeus. “Well?” I asked. “You promised.”
For a moment, there was only silence. I tried hard to mask how scared I actually was. Who wouldn’t be? I’m challenging a bunch of gods who could smite me at any moment.
Hermes’s voice broke the silence. “I agree with him.”
I felt all the eyes that were on me turn to Hermes. Even I did. I didn’t expect him to actually listen to me.
“You dare agree with the boy?” Zeus said angrily.
Hermes didn’t flinch. “He’s my son. I am aware of what he did. Percy is right. If there’s no proof, history will repeat itself.”
I looked at the other gods in the room. Two against all the rest of the Olympians wasn’t the best odds, even if Hermes’s was a pretty convincing guy.
“You dare agree with the boy?” Zeus said.
“I do,” Hermes said, his voice unmoving.
For a moment, nothing was said. Then Mr. D burst into laughter.
“This is some show!” Mr. D laughed. “I want to see how this goes.”
Zeus’s eyes flared, and I heard lightning strike in the distance. I started to wonder if Zeus was like a mood ring but with lightning.
“You dare insult me and agree with the boy?” Zeus bellowed.
Mr. D continued to laugh. “Agree? What are you going to do? Make me stay in the camp longer? The boy is right, and it’ll just be more of a show for me.”
Mr. D pulled out our popcorn and started eating it. I’m not sure how he got it. I didn’t know the god of wine was also the god of popcorn and could appear it into existence.
“His mother went insane from the curse Hades placed on the Oracle,” Mr. D said. “If anything, it’s our fault.”
Zeus’s eyes flared. “You dare-”
“Dionysus and Hermes are right,” Apollo interjected, his voice quivering. “I remember that day… It’s our fault. It’s the least we could do.”
Hestia stood. “Luke needs a home,” she said. “Brother, please, listen to him. To us. No one deserves to be forgotten.”
Honestly? Seeing Hestia, Hermes, Apollo, and especially Mr. D come to my defense was the last thing I expected. I mean, Mr. D has said my name right, like, once? This all feels like a dream and a nightmare at the same time.
Athena glanced at me. Her piercing grey eyes on me felt like she was studying me, trying to find the one weak spot where she could smite me into a pulp. Instead, she sighed.
“Percy Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps,” she glanced at Annabeth, and then spoke as if the words had a sour taste. "Perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept the boy's plan.”
Zeus’s eyes widened. I think he’s never experienced so much pushback from the other gods before. I imagined Zeus being the popular kid at some school, and the other gods standing up to him were the underdogs who spoke up to their bully.
Zeus was silent. It felt like hours had passed. “Humph,” Zeus said. "Being told what to do by a mere child.”
“This child has done more for our children than any of us ever have,” Hermes said.
I waited for Zeus to turn Hermes into an aardvark or some other animal. Instead, he sighed.
Zeus turned and looked at Hades. “Is it possible to bring the boy back?”
I looked at Hades. I didn’t consider the idea that they couldn’t bring a dead person back to life.
“It is,” Hades confirmed. “I can bring him if we fulfill Perseus’s wish.”
Zeus sighed. “Then do so.”
I looked at Zeus. I was sure there was a catch.
“But if the boy acts erratically, then he will return to the underworld. The other part of the will shall be fulfilled in full.”
For a moment, I celebrated internally. Then I realized what this could mean. Zeus made it clear he hated the gods. If he returned and was in front of every single one of them, and didn’t know how he came back, his temper could make my attempts fail. I looked back at Annabeth, hoping for reassurance. The look she gave me told me she was as nervous as I was.
Please, Luke, I pleaded. Please don’t do something stupid.
"All in favor," Hermes said.
All the gods slowly raised their hands.
"Um, thanks," I said, trying to hide my nervousness.
A dark black mist filled the room. It had been a while since I felt the “deathly” feeling of the Underworld. I shivered from the cold.
“Cover your eyes,” I heard Hades say.
I covered my eyes with my hands. I remembered that looking at a god’s true form could kill me. I felt the godly power fill the room, and despite covering my eyes, the flash of bright light felt like I was blinded by a really powerful LED lightbulb. Soon after, the feeling faded. I uncovered my eyes and blinked, trying to have my eyes recover faster from the flash. I looked in the middle of the room, and standing there was Luke Castellan. He looked like when I first met him. Nineteen years old, with unruly hair, and the scar he had gotten from the dragon still ran down the left side of his face. The only difference was that his left eye glowed golden like it did when Kronos controlled him. I pulled out Riptide on instinct.
“Luke?” I asked, warily. “Is that you?”
For a moment he didn’t say anything. I was terrified my wish had accidentally brought back Kronos, not Luke. From the looks the gods had on their face, they felt the same.
“Where am I?” Luke said, his voice cutting through the silence.
Luke looked around. He seemed confused, like he had just woken up from a deep sleep. His eyes landed one me, then Annabeth, then Hermes. I tensed, ready for him to yell at his dad. Instead, he looked at me.
“What did you do?” he asked.
It was a fair question. He did die. For once in my life, I felt speechless.
I forced myself to find the words. “After you killed Kronos, the gods asked me for a wish.”
I explained my wish to him the best I could. I told him how his dad, Hestia, Mr. D, and Apollo all came to his and my defense, Luke took this information in silence. Then he laughed.
“You’re always full of surprises, Jackson,” Luke said.
I couldn’t help but laugh in relief. I turned Riptide back into a pen and put it away.
“There are no more chances after this, Castellan,” Zeus growled. “You’re lucky Jackson can somehow be convincing.”
“Fine,” Luke said.
I could tell Luke was uneasy, but otherwise his expression was unreadable.
“And the other part of my wish?” I asked.
Zeus scowled. “You will see when you return to the camp.”
It annoyed me that he didn’t show proof that he was going to be true to his word, but I knew there was nothing else I could do.
“Fine, are we done here?” I asked.
“Yes,” Zeus confirmed. “Leave before I regret agreeing to any of this.”
I waved at Luke to come with me. He looked surprised, but followed. Tyson, Annabeth, Grover, Luke, and I quickly left the room. As we left, for once, I felt hope for the future. Maybe the gods would finally change, and all of those who are unclaimed would finally find a home.