Born To Die

I join kronos's army

Isla's POV:

For the next few days, everything felt off. I couldn't look at Luke without remembering his words, "I did it. I got the bolt." Every time he said it, my heart dropped a little further. It wasn't that I didn't trust him—I had, once. But now? Now I wasn't so sure.

His promises echoed in my head like a song I couldn't get out of my mind. "Power. Revenge. Love." Those words wrapped around me, whispering in the quiet corners of my mind, like vines pulling me toward him, pulling me toward something I couldn't outrun.

I told myself I shouldn't listen. I told myself that I was stronger than this, that I wouldn't fall for it. But the truth was, I wanted revenge. I wanted it more than anything. The gods had taken everything from me—my dad, my mother's neglect, Thalia—and now they were playing with our lives like it didn't matter. Like we were nothing but pawns in their games.

And Luke... Luke was my only ally in this.

He kept coming to me, day after day, each time more convincing, more persistent. His eyes were desperate, but there was something else in them too—something I couldn't ignore. It was like he was showing me a version of the world that could be mine, a version where we weren't powerless, where the gods didn't control everything.

"I'm not asking you to follow me blindly, Isla," he'd say, his voice soft, like he was speaking to someone he cared about. "I'm asking you to take back what's ours. We don't have to live in their shadows anymore."

It was hard not to want that. It was hard not to see the way he looked at me, like I was the only one who understood. He promised that we could change everything, that we could take down the gods together, that we could be unstoppable. He promised me revenge—our revenge.

And when he told me he loved me, I couldn't deny the way my heart fluttered. The way it felt like I was the only thing that mattered to him. I couldn't forget the way he kissed me, the way he held me, like I was the only thing keeping him tethered to this world.

But that's what scared me the most. Was I just another thing to be used? Was I just another tool in his plan?

I didn't want to be that. I didn't want to be someone else's pawn. But at the same time, I couldn't help myself. He had always been there—when things were good, and especially when things were bad. And when he looked at me like I was his world, how could I say no?

Every day that passed, the distance between my mind and my heart grew. I wanted to walk away, I wanted to fight back against the pull, but I couldn't. Every time I tried to fight the thoughts, to fight the pull of his promises, he'd come back with more convincing words. More plans. More reasons.

And then there were those moments, when he held me close, whispering things in my ear that made me believe in the impossible. He'd tell me how strong we were together, how much we had already endured, how we could make everything right if we just joined forces with Kronos. He promised me we could change the world.

He didn't have to say it, but I could hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes—we could be more than the gods ever let us be.

I tried to resist. I tried to keep my focus. But it was like I was drowning, sinking deeper into his words. I wanted it. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to make the gods pay for everything they'd taken from me. From all of us.

And then, one night, when the stars were hidden behind dark clouds, I found myself standing on the edge of the decision.

"Isla, please," Luke said, his hand brushing against mine, his fingers warm. "We can make this happen. You don't have to be afraid anymore. You'll be powerful. You'll have the revenge you want. And you'll have me. Forever."

His words were like a drug, and I could feel myself giving in, step by step. The anger I'd buried inside for so long, the resentment toward the gods—it all flared up again, and this time, I didn't want to hold it back. I didn't want to hide it anymore.

I wanted them to know what it felt like to lose everything.

"I'll do it," I whispered, barely able to believe the words coming out of my own mouth.

Luke's eyes lit up, and for a moment, it felt like everything I'd ever wanted was finally within my reach. He cupped my face gently, his thumb tracing my jaw, and I could feel the weight of his touch, the gravity of the decision settling in.

"You won't regret this, Isla," he said, his voice low and full of promise. "I swear it."

And just like that, the pact was made. The choice was final.

I was with him. I was with Luke, and together, we were going to tear down everything that had ever hurt us. The gods wouldn't know what hit them.

I didn't know what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was in control of my own destiny.