Born To Die

I take my final bow

The days dragged on like an endless storm, each one darker than the last. I stayed in my room as much as possible, avoiding Kronos at every turn. Even when we crossed paths, I kept my head down, my words clipped and cold. I didn't let on that I knew Luke was still in there. I couldn't risk it—not when Kronos's wrath loomed like a shadow over us all.

But the knowledge gnawed at me. Every time I looked at him, I searched for a sign of Luke. His posture, his expressions—they weren't his anymore. He walked with Kronos's arrogance, his voice filled with ancient malice. But sometimes, just for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of something familiar. A hesitation. A softness. And it left me more torn than ever.

The crew continued to prepare for the final battle. Plans were drawn, weapons sharpened, alliances secured. Kronos moved among us, commanding and calculating, his golden eyes cold as he outlined our strategies. He was confident, smug even, as if victory was already in his grasp.

I kept my distance, standing at the edge of the meetings, silent and observant. My presence was tolerated—barely. Kronos didn't speak to me directly, but every now and then, I caught him watching me. I couldn't tell if it was Luke, trying to reach out, or Kronos, assessing me like a piece on his chessboard.

I spent my nights staring at the ceiling, replaying their argument over and over in my head. Luke was still fighting, but for how long? How much longer could he hold on before Kronos consumed him completely?

And then there was me.

I couldn't shake the feeling that this was it. The end of the road. The final battle was looming, and I couldn't see a way out. I'd chosen this path—chosen Luke—but now I wasn't sure if I'd survive it.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of the life I'd left behind. Camp Half-Blood. My friends. My dad. And Luke, the real Luke, before all of this. Before Kronos.

Had it all been worth it?

The question haunted me as the days passed, and I found myself withdrawing further and further. I barely spoke to the crew, and when I did, it was only out of necessity. Even Heavenly and Sadia gave me space, sensing the storm brewing inside me.

I wondered if Kronos noticed. If Luke noticed.

Maybe they did. Maybe it didn't matter.

As the ship sailed closer to its destination, the weight of what was coming pressed down on me. The final battle. The end of everything.

And as much as I tried to steel myself, a part of me couldn't help but wonder: would this be my final fight? Would this be the last time I stood on this deck, the last time I breathed this air?

I shook the thought away, gripping the railing as the sea churned below. No. I couldn't afford to think like that. Not now.

But as the days turned into hours, and the hours into minutes, the feeling lingered.

This was it. One way or another, everything was about to end.

The hours leading up to the Battle of Olympus were filled with a tense stillness that seemed to hang in the air like a storm cloud waiting to burst. I could feel it deep in my bones, the quiet before the chaos, the weight of the end pressing down on everything around us. I couldn't bring myself to look at Kronos anymore—couldn't bring myself to even think about Luke.

I kept my distance, moving through the camp like a shadow, barely speaking to anyone. My mind was filled with the uncertainty of what was to come, but beneath that uncertainty was something darker, something more insidious. The knowledge that the only thing Kronos feared—his only weakness—was me.