Children of Olympus

Prologue

Molten's POV
I was observing the Theme Park, a place of wonder and excitement, making sure that everything was operating as it was supposed to, when an odd sensation tingled at the back of my mind. It was an instinct, a sixth sense developed over years of tending to this fantastic realm. Something was definitely amiss with the portal. Quickly, I left my little observation "post" and forged a determined path toward the source of the anomaly. As I hurried, I noticed Lefty, one of the skilled park employees, had caught sight of me and was following my hurried steps. He called out, concern evident in his voice, "Slow down! What's going on?" "Something's wrong with the portal," I replied, not wasting a second. "I'm going to see what's happening." "Can I tag along?" Lefty asked, a mix of curiosity and bravery in his eyes. "Sure," I agreed, knowing an extra set of hands might be helpful in resolving the issue. As we reached the portal room, a dreadful sight greeted us. The once familiar, pulsating gateway was now glowing with an eerie, unfamiliar hue. "Well, that doesn't look good," Lefty pointed out, echoing my own thoughts. "No duh," I retorted, trying to keep my focus. I approached the controls, hoping to shut down the portal and contain whatever disturbance had arisen. My mechanical fingers danced across the console, but to my dismay, the portal wouldn't respond to any commands. "Well, that's not good.." I mumbled in frustration. "What's wrong?" Lefty inquired, his eyes darting between me and the enigmatic portal. "The portal won't turn off," I confessed, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. Just then, an inexplicable force seemed to grip both of us, yanking us toward the unstable gateway. The ground beneath us was trembling, and the portal roared as if demanding to be fed with more energy. Panic set in as we struggled to resist its pull. "No no no! Shit!" I cursed, desperately reaching for anything to hold onto, but my attempts were futile. The irresistible force of the portal dragged me closer, and I noticed Lefty too was being inexorably pulled in. With no other choice, we embraced the unknown and were engulfed by the portal's swirling energies. Inside the chaotic vortex, a surreal transformation began to take place. I felt my body shrink, as if time itself was being compressed. The sights around me blurred, and a disorienting darkness enveloped my senses.