Our Fates Were Intertwined Long Ago

Γειά σου

Following Percy's arrival into the Sun deity's palace, and his flirting, Percy had cited tiredness so he could gather his conflicting opinions and emotions. Apollo had not lingered seeing Percy's need for solitude which made his heartbeat quicken.

Taking a moment to observe the room he was given, he gazed around in both wonder and amusement. He wasn't sure what he had expected from the palace but it appeared that Apollo's home on Olympus was every bit as flashy as the cabin he had created in Camp Half-Blood.

The room was easily the size of his mother's apartment. Which given New York's proclivity for high rent on small spaces and a God's ability to affect the spatial construction of a room did not say much.

From the entrance, he could observe the golden walls glittering iridescently and nearing on blinding. The room was split up into different areas while maintaining no walls. The entrances led straight to a drawing room which contained white couches forming a circle around a hearth with singular chairs dotted around.

To the left of the drawing room were stairs that led to a platform containing the bedroom and connected bathroom. He felt slightly uncomfortable with the fact that someone sitting in the drawing room could turn and watch him sleep.

Regardless, a California King-Sized bed rested in the centre of the platform from the drawing room's view coated in a soft quilt covering the bed and a surplus of pillows.

Honestly, the room was decorated more like he'd expect of Demeter with the amount of hanging plants and vines that coated the walls and columns that stood where doorways were meant to be.

Thankfully the bathroom extended past the range of sight of those seated in the drawing room. There was a bathtub that was ridiculously sized, more like a mini-swimming pool and the sink was a marble fountain that constantly flowed water . Luckily for his peace of mind, the toilet was a modern day one.

Walking back into the drawing room and heading right, he came across a kitchen stocked with appliances that appeared untouched. It followed a marble theme with delicate hints of gold.

However while he could appreciate the oven, he was less familiar with cooking than baking as his mother always insisted upon cooking meals. It had always been her love language but he supposed he had an eternity to learn.

His heart was wracked with grief at the thought of his mother, she who did everything in her power to give him everything he wanted and to keep him as safe as possible.

Dragging his feet to the bed he allowed himself to sink into the mattress and gather his thoughts for the first time since the incident. He was startled with the realization that he would be unable to experience many things that he had always wanted.

Growing up he had been limited by his mother on what he could do and where he could go in fear of monsters. After his discovery of his demigodness, he was confronted with the reality that he would be followed by danger everywhere. With Godhood came the reality that he would never get to grow old, experience many of the joys of mortality.

His mother had said that life was not worth living if you did not live it yourself. And while he was only seventeen he was quite sure his mother would be grateful for this outcome. He imagined her eyes would fill with tears of grief already mourning her son but she would smile a wet smile and tell him he deserved it. That if anyone deserved it he had.

She would tell him that he had survived his entire life and that now he could live. Now he could breathe. He did not need to be held back. He supposed that was his reason for flirting with Apollo. The Sun God was objectively gorgeous yet that was not the sole appeal.

While the flirting of the moment may have stemmed from him trying to make Apollo uncomfortable and leave, he had also wanted Apollo to reciprocate and let him hide his vulnerability in meaningless sex.

But now, he would be a God. Monsters would not dare approach him in fear of a pointless death. He would have eternity to experience everything that he had ever wished for.

Closing his eyes he allowed his consciousness to slip as his mind calmed and he was swept away into Morpheus' gentle embrace.

He felt himself being pushed and pulled along as if he was floating in the sea and at the mercy of the currents. He did not know where he was, yet he could not bring himself to care. For one of the very few times in his life, he let his guard down and allowed himself to release control.

The lingering of a presence forced him from his jaunt into the faux sea. Opening his eyes, he realized he was most likely asleep by the fact he lay floating in the lake of a cave. There was minimal light yet Percy could see clearly the woman laid staring up at the cave ceiling.

Breaking his musings, he pulled himself out of the water wanting to be closer to the woman. His rational mind pinged that it may be a trap yet he could not control himself. Approaching her, he realized she was awake.

Her eyes were pitch black an empty void staring at nothing and everything. It contrasted her pale, white skin perfectly to make her appear to be an eldritch abomination. She was complete in a toga made of a starry material sparling like the night sky. Yet he could not fear the woman as he detected an unbreakable connection between them.

By her appearance he knew she should be Nyx yet he had met the Protogenoi of Night and this was nothing like her. By the power radiating, he knew it could not be anyone but a Protogenoi but alas his mind was failing him.

His mouth opened yet no sound escaped except his steady breaths being the lone sound of the cave. The woman however seemed to understand and pulled herself up to be seated. She turned to gaze directly at him but did not say a word.

Percy was conflicted by what he should do.

'Bow' his human instincts shivered as it responded to his flight or fight.

Yet he was calm. Most likely due to the Protogenoi.

'Fight' his godly instincts commanded but they too were ignored.

Instead he opened his mouth once more and uttered a greeting with the name that finally crossed his mind.

"Γειά σου, Lady Ananke"

"Γειά σου, childe." she responded in kind, her voice crooning gently against his ears causing him to relax even further.

"I believe we have a conversation long overdue." she smiled kindly with amusement shining in her eyes.