The Curse of Chaos

Molten Gaze and Raw Fury

A/N: what a happy Chapter title 🥳

As quickly as they came, the golden eyes Luke had melted back into his sky blue, and any power that had rippled through the air was gone. Chaos looked confused, but the citizens watching hadn't noticed anything, and now was the most important time for the Elite. They couldn't be seen as disorganised or weak. No, Chaos had far too many enemies to let them look anything but perfect.

Luke smiled reassuringly at Chaos. The moment Chaos blessed Luke, the Elite were surrounded by a golden bubble, excluded from the rest of the crowd. The people watching outside were frozen in time, mindless statues powerless at the whim of whoever.

Inside the bubble was ... well, all puns aside, chaos.

"Luke, what is this?" Chaos asked, a troubled look in his eye.

Luke shrugged. "I don't know. I don't control Kronos."

Chaos grit his teeth, obviously aggravated. "Try to control him for a while longer. This isn't the time nor place."

Luke shrugged nonchalantly. "I can try."

Before Chaos replied, Luke's eyes shifted to gold, and the air thickened with an ancient power, pulsating within the golden bubble. A silken voice spoke up out of Luke's mouth. "Darling Chaos, who said now is not the time? I have all the time in the world."

Chaos clicked his fingers, and Luke's eyes turned back to blue. "That was rude." Luke piped in.

"As I said, now is not the time."

As quickly as it came, the golden bubble disappeared, and time ran its course once more.

"People of Levine, I present to you: Kairos!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd, but Luke's playfulness had gone, and he simply walked back to where he was stood beside Percy.

Percy, on the other hand, was a picture of calm and collected. On the inside though, he was both panicking and excitedly fidgeting.

He stepped forward, locking arms with Chaos. Nothing happened at first, before a sea-green haze covered both Chaos and Percy. The whole place smelt of salt and the sea, and if you listened hard enough, you could practically hear the waves lapping against the shore.

Percy's inside felt like they were being torn apart. It was worse than the Styx; it felt like his very cells were being torn and remade, like his whole body was being reprogrammed. His back burned. He scrunched his eyes shut, forcing himself to stay conscious. He couldn't fall unconscious here.

By the time the hazey light died down, Percy's skin was smoking and his breath came out in sharp, painful pants.

And yet, even through his pain, he stood in front of the crowd and smiled, grateful for their uniforms. It gave him some sort of familiarity, an anchor back to reality. A cover to hide behind, especially when all he could feel was pain, and the searing burn of his back.

Chaos' voice was louder and clearer than it had been before. "The New Leader of the Elite, the General of your Army, Acheron!"

The cheers were deafening, and they only threw Percy more off-balance. Black dots danced in his eyes, and he forced them back, just until Chaos was done. His head pounded and it felt like he was suddenly back on a boat; only this time the swaying was nauseating and not thrilling. By the time Chaos' speech was finished, Percy was ready to pass out.

Which is exactly what he did the moment they entered the palace.

Percy body hit the floor with an all-too-familiar thud, sending the Elite into instant panic.

Chaos simply pinched the bridge of his nose, waving a hand and transporting them back into the infirmary. Except, every one of them was in a bed, not just Percy. "The blessings take up a lot of energy and stamina and stuff. You guys need rest. I'm not surprised he passed out, just mildly concerned. I'll get Miss Thezïl to come and check up on all of you, but for now, sleep."

Luke opened his mouth the protest. "But-"

Chaos sent a withering look his way. "You and I need to have words, mister. I'd advise you to get your rest while I'm being merciful. Also, I'm completely exhausted and cannot deal with anyone right now."

It was only then that the Elite noticed the way Chaos' body way swaying, slowly swinging infinitesimally left and right. It was eerily similar to how Percy had been minutes before he fell unconscious.

Silena's gentle voice carried through the infirmary. "Chaos, how about you get some rest too? You look tired."

Chaos absentmindedly nodded to her Charmspeak. "Sleep." He agreed. He then proceeded to curl up and lay down on a cushioned chair, instead of a bed and fell asleep.

"I doubt he's going to be very happy about that when he wakes up." Jason said.

Silena shrugged. "I didn't have a choice. He may be all powerful, but I get the feeling that the blessings take a lot more out of him then he lets on."

"Luke." Achilles' voice, ever charming, ever perfect, and only more powerful, slid through the falling silence.

Luke shifted guiltily. "Yeah?"

"What was that? It was Kronos, was it not?" His gaze was piercing - accusing.

Patroclus reached over to place a hand on Achilles'. "Love, be kind."

Luke bristled. "It was Kronos." He said stiffly, through gritted teeth.

"It's unsafe for us to have a Titan half possessing you." Achilles snarled, blatantly angry.

Luke gaze flickered gold, and again the air thickened with raw power. "I do not simply possess the demigod. This accursed soul of mine has broken, and my essence has latched onto his life force. I am nothing if not inconvenienced by this, Achilles, so bridle your tongue."

If Achilles' voice was powerful enough to make you follow his every command, Kronos' would barely need to reach your ears and you'd have fallen to his feet in worship. His voice was silken and soft, his tone even and his volume almost inaudible. And yet, if someone had screamed into a million microphones, it would not have given off the same fury in Kronos' voice.

It had them both shivering, and frozen in place. It was different to Chaos' power. 

Chaos was dangerous, reckless, but his power was always gentle. It felt kind. The power that emanated from Kronos was deadly, and sharp, feeling almost as if they were on a trapeze of ice above a lava pit. Like any moment they'd fall into deep, deep trouble. Like the already shaky edge they were balancing on would melt into an inferno any second. 

Michael, who was in the bed next to Luke, tugged on Luke's (Kronos'?) sleeve in a bout of immense courage. "Chill. Get some sleep and Chaos will deal with your 'inconvenience' in the morning."

Luke-Kronos tugged his arm back. "Don't presume you can tell me what to do, mortal." Still, the rogue Titan Lord obliged and with a snap of his fingers the lights switched off and the room fell into fitful silence and stolen sleep. 

It would be a morning for the legends when the Elite awoke.