The Seventh Child

Chapter 11

Third Person POV

As the massive lightning bolt traveled through the air, no one couldn't have stopped what was going to happen. Artemis only managed to glance at the bolt before it struck through her chest, making her body numb.

At the same time, Percy was in the midst of battle when it happened. A massive piercing and sharp pain struck his chest, the same time it struck Artemis. The life drained out of Artemis instantly, as the ground next to her motionless body exploded, sending debris and everyone else to the air before they sprawled on the ground with a rough landing.

"NO!" Apollo shouted as he made her way towards the body of his twin sister. He tried to heal her, and yet it was too late. He could only heal injuries, he couldn't revive dead bodies.

The pain in Percy's chest was getting stronger. He was about to die. He slammed his fist to the ground, unleashing a thin, golden wave of power that enveloped everything. Time stopped. The pain in his chest stopped increasing, but it was still there. Percy made his way towards where Artemis lay still, in Apollo's embrace. His heart clenched tightly at the sight of Artemis's pale body. Everything was still as Percy froze time.

Then, he was about to do what was considered the ultimate crime against the Ancient Law. Something that even Kronos, or even Chronos didn't have the guts to do.

He was going to turn back time.

Everyone, including Titans and Primordials, have to respect the laws of time, including those who have influence over it. You can make time go faster, you can stop time in its tracks, but you can't turn back time. The world was designed to keep moving forward, to keep spinning in the same direction. Either you can make it spin faster, slow it down, or make it stop spinning. No one can make it spin the other way around. No one should have that kind of power, or either use that kind of power.

Percy didn't care. If it meant saving Artemis, he was going to do it.

Percy muttered the incantation, something that has been created, but never spoken. Slowly, things backtracked themselves. This was the hard part. If Percy lose concentration of this incantation, who knows where they will end up in the time line. This was one of the reasons why it was forbidden. It could alter the timeline as well. As far as the Fates knew, none of the people that existed now would exist later should the incantation failed. That was how dangerous turning back time was.

Things started to happen backwards. Any casualties were undone, any attacks were pulled back and every deaths were cancelled. Percy reversed time until to the point where Zeus was about to launch his master bolt to Artemis. If you want to know how it feels like, it felt like having a universal remote control in your possession, but every time you use it, you have to stab yourself a million times.

Percy released his grip on time and rushed towards Artemis. He quickened his pace, running as fast as he could, weaving through people and ducking under weapons. Percy heard the thunder rumbling in the skies. He spotted Artemis next to Athena and Apollo. Without hesitation, he tackled all three immortals aside from where they were standing as the lightning struck where they'd been standing.

Confused at what just happened, the battle stopped. The other side effect of turning back time, is that the people affected will know that time has reversed itself. They know that things isn't the way it's supposed to be.

"Wh-What happened?" Artemis asked as she looked all over the place. Apollo was just as confused as she was.

"I-I thought you were dead," Apollo said. "Zeus's bolt struck you, and you . . ."

"She was," Percy said, sighing in relief and taking in the fact that the spell actually worked through. "I just turned back time."

Their jaws dropped. "You, what?!"