The Gift of Time

5|| The Worst Timing

Percy's POV

~~Dream~~

I'm sitting in a dark abyss with Kronos practicing my powers. He's walking me through most of the big ones and helping me practice controlling them. I'm still not sure that this whole learning in your sleep thing is gonna work, but he keeps reassuring me that all will be fine.

"The more you do this the more it becomes like second nature." He says

"Because I won't have time to think about slowing time, I just have to do it." I say

"Exactly. Now, focus." He says

He summons a water fountain and distracts me by pulling me into conversation. We're talking about stuff when all of a sudden he says 'now.' Before I can think, the sound of the water flowing stops. I look over and see it completely still. I look back to Kronos and see a the ghost of a prideful smirk on his face.

"Excellent job, grandson." He says "It seems I have chosen correctly."

"Thank you." I say

"Now the same thing applies to changing your eyes. We can't have another incident of someone seeing your gold eyes." He says

"Don't you think that telling them and explaining everything is better than keeping it all a secret. Keeping it a secret makes it seem like I have something to hide." I say

"It doesn't matter to the gods. If they find out you're hosting me they'll kill you without a second thought. It's for your safety." He says "Though it might not seem like it."

I nod and we go into a comfortable silence before he stops the dream and I wake up.

~~Dream ends~~

I wake up to the sun shining through my windows. I get up feeling refreshed even though I never actually 'slept.' I walk into my bathroom and see my sea green eyes looking back at me. Progress. It's been a few days since I let Kronos in, and I usually wake up to gold eyes looking back at me.

I get ready for the day before leaving my cabin to go to breakfast. Me and Kronos have been getting along rather well considering everything, and he actually seems to feel bad about what he did. I sit down at my table and, like always, there are eyes boring into me. Lately it seems the gazes are getting more intense.

"It's because they suspect something, Perseus." Kronos says

"If you're going to be in my head for the foreseeable future, please call me Percy." I say

He doesn't reply and I just go back to my food. This whole thing about keeping everything a secret doesn't sit well with me. I feel as though it would be a better if I came out and said 'Hey, Kronos is fading and I'm hosting him to gain control over his domains.' That would likely result in everyone saying 'As long as we don't die in the process.'

"Or they would say 'Perseus Jackson you are condemned to Tartarus for your act against Olympus.'" Kronos says

"Valid point. That is something the gods would say." I say

"Exactly. I'm telling you to keep this a secret for a reason. Once I am gone you can say 'hey I was hosting Kronos and now I have his domains, but he's dead so it doesn't matter.' Then they won't do anything." He says

"Uh huh." I say confused "You seem to have thought a lot about this."

"I have. I picked you for a reason, and I don't want to put you in more danger than necessary." He says

"How thoughtful of you." I murmur. We are silent for a minute before I ask the question that has been hanging in my head since he first possessed me. "How much time do you have?"

"I don't know for sure, but I can say that I will fade by the summer solstice." He says

"That's in 2 weeks." I say

"It almost seems like you'll miss me." He sasses

"Hey. Being sassy is my thing." I say sternly

I hear him chuckle and I go back to my food as to not draw attention. It seemed to work besides the lingering eyes of Jason. He's been keeping a close eye on me since the whole forest incident just looking for a reason to drive his sword through my chest. I can tell he believes me, but he doesn't want to. He wants a reason to be right.

Once breakfast ends, I go about my day teaching swordsmanship class and hanging out with my friends all the while planning out the next 2 weeks with Kronos. These past few days I've grown used to having Kronos in my head and knowing that hell no longer be their in 2 weeks makes a weird feeling grow in my gut. Longing? Dread? Sadness?

Whatever it is it's eating me up, making me unable to focus. Focus is the main thing that's needed in order to keep these newfound powers under control, and me losing said focus is not an option. That would blow my cover and end with me living out my days in Tartarus. Not happening.

The next week and a half was jam packed with my practicing with the domains getting ready for Kronos to fade. Because once he's gone, I'm all on my own. No one to turn to when I get lost or confused.

I make my way to the pavilion for dinner and sit at my table. I'm stuck in my own mind thinking about everything that I could do wrong once Kronos is gone. My mind is racing until I head Chirons hoof hit the table gaining everyone's attention.

"Demigods! In 3 days, the hunters of Artemis will get here for the summer solstice activities. You guys know the drill capture the flag, feasts, campfires, etcetera. Start preparing!" He says before sitting down

Well great. I knew this was coming, but him saying it and it actually sinking in makes it so much worse. If my cover is to be blown at anytime, it would be then. The Hunters, Camp Jupiter, and Camp Half-Blood all in the same place at the same time plus me having one of the most hated Greek entities possessing me is not a good mix.

If they were to find out, I'd be as good as dead.

Kronos is being uncharacteristically quiet as he takes in the gravity of this situation. Realistically, he couldn't have picked a worse time to possess me, but here we are. A week away from the biggest Greek event of the year where EVERY SINGLE GOD comes together for a feast. Someone is bound to notice and I think he knows this. We both stay silent for the rest of dinner before I go back to my cabin and fall into a dream.