❦𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮❦ - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷

𝒳𝒳. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓃'𝓈 𝒞𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒 𝑀𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒯𝓌𝑜 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹

𝓩𝓸𝓮 could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as his daughter, the same cold proud look in his eyes that the hunter sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil. He was all the things Zoe had originally disliked about her name twin, with none of the good she had come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Nightshade demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

The hunter opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

Zoe looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell the brunette something. She motioned her head toward Luke. But all Zoe could do was stare at her, the brunette's eyes burning with tears she was trying to hold back. Zoe hadn't noticed before, but something about the daughter of Athena had changed. Her blond hair was now streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Zoe muttered to Percy, her throat tight. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached them, studying the three demigods. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's find out."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," Percy said.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to the girls.

"As for you, daughters of Zeus and Aphrodite, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. If Zoe didn't want to rip him apart so bad, she would've felt sorry for him. "Thalia, Zoe, you still can join us. Thalia, if you call the Ophiotaurus, it will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to them a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. Zoe could imagine Bessie, the Ophiotaurus, in that pool.

"Do it. Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke..." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"Come on Luke, you know we won't join you. Let Annabeth go before I gut you like a fish," Zoe sneered, the hazy red clearing up and brightening as her anger rose. Her aura pulsed in time with the blood roaring in her ears.