Chapter Eleven

The island of Ogygia was just as the legends said.

Incredibly beautiful. Rich with green foliage, brightly colored flowers, the rich scent of sweet cypresses combined with sea water and soil. Birds of all species, some even extinct in the rest of the world flew over head, and I caught glimpse of an airplane trail in the clear blue sky that indicated the island would soon be moved to another part of the world to avoid being spotted once again.

I appeared on the hot sandy beach, instantly loathing my stupidity to conjure a black leather jacket. I touched it and the jacket vanished, and my shirt was replaced with a black spandex turtleneck with no sleeves, and an armored vest. I lowered my hand and started across the beach, kicking up white sand and heading toward the rocky mountains that sat at the center of the island, coated in thick vines and fluttering purple flowers.

I summoned a holster with a short sword and a dagger in my palm, starting my trek through the forest that looked like it'd seen better days. Judging from the wreckage, a hurricane had passed through not too long ago and had uprooted several trees and buried holes in the earth to create new ponds with the sea water that had been carried over.

If the Moirai, the Fates, were on this island, they were bound to be somewhere nearby, probably the mountain. Calypso generally made her home at the base of the mountains, which would mean the Moirai were probably at the top somewhere.

I paused to tilt my head up, staring at the mountain past the blindingly bright sun. I couldn't see any signs of life, but reaching out with my powers, I sensed people on the island. I started forward again and approached the mountain, only to slow down when I heard voices. It sounded like arguing at first, and it sounded like it belonged to a couple of women.

"I told you to stay away from my home! This island is mine!" A woman shrieked, her voice echoing through the trees and scaring a flock of birds into flight. I recognized the woman's voice instantly as Calypso's. I'd met her twice in my lifetime and both experiences had been extremely unfortunate.

"And I told you that I have nowhere else to go! Take pity on me, precious cousin! Let me pop a squat for at least a dozen years and then I'll be on my merry way." Another woman's voice drawled. I frowned, unable to recognize it, but there was something about her cadence that put me at unease. It was... seductive, throaty. It made my blood burn.

Wanting to see exactly who I was dealing with, I turned from my spot behind the tree to peer around and spot the women standing near the large extravagant entrance to a mansion that was built into the side of the mountain.

Looks like Calypso has upgraded since 2000 B.C.E.

Calypso, in all her glory, stood two heads taller than the stranger. She was about six foot four with long curly dark hair that resembled Atlas's greatly, and it fell down her back to her waist with silver glitter sprayed all over it to match her sequined halter top and short cut off jean shorts, bare feet stomping in the sand.

The stranger was shorter, but didn't have Calypso's cute little island girl look at all. She looked more like a seductive succubus wearing a red and gold designed bikini top and a matching bikini bottom with a long transparent black skirt hanging around her waist shorter on the left than the right that dipped down to her ankles that were decorated with gold bands to match the ones on her wrists and throat. Her skin was considerably darker than Calypso's, meaning she was used to the island life. And her silky black hair was done in tight curls in an ancient Grecian bun on her head, and she wore enough make-up to supply Macy's.

I recognized her the moment I realized she was giving me an erection.

Circe.

As if Calypso wasn't bad enough, Circe made things ten times worse. It was like two of the oldest goddesses from the myths.

Both of whom had run into Odysseus and sired children with them. I was beginning to think Hades set me up, the sick bastard. Then again, what better place to hide than with two goddesses even Zeus avoided like the plague?

Shit.

"What's that smell?" Circe demanded suddenly and I tensed, ducking back into my hiding place.

Double shit.

While Calypso innocently lured Odysseus into her clutches by singing and acting like a sweet angelic gift to the world, when she was actually a she-devil in disguise, Circe had lured Odysseus and his men in through seductive, offering them rich food and wine, and then she turned around and turned them into animals, her favorite of which being pigs. To say Circe was a misandrist would be the biggest understatement of the year.

And being part of that particular hatred, I was in no mood to run into her.

I started to move from my spot, but when I turned to leave, I froze at the sight of a sleek black panther standing there, staring up at me with the most human blue eyes I'd ever seen on an animal. I didn't move a muscle, didn't even take a breath as I stared at it and it stared back. It growled low in its throat and I waited for it to jump me, but instead, it trotted to me and nudged its muzzle against my palm and rubbed against my pant leg. I scowled, confused for a moment before my eyes widened and I jerked my head up to see Circe standing there with her arms folded over her chest and Calypso watching with a murderous glare.

"You," She shrieked wrathfully, "How dare you step foot on my island after what you did to my father!" I gave her a deadpan stare.

"Gee, sorry about that." I replied sarcastically. Yes, I am so, so sorry for ruining your daddy's life. I am just one awful wretch. How dare I imprison him for eternity in the mountain range named after him and making him hold the heavens. Because that was so my fault.

"Who is he? He's... kinda hot." Circe commented, biting her bottom lip and scanning me from head to toe. The gesture made my cock harden to the point of being painful and I clenched my teeth, hissing as the panther rubbed against it and I shoved it back, making it whimper.

"Come, Bacas." Circe ordered, and the panther slunk over to lay at her feet submissively and I narrowed my eyes in realization. Another one of her victims.

"He's my uncle," Calypso sneered the title out like a curse word, "It's his fault my father is cursed to uphold the heavens. It should've been your job. You're the hybrid by-blow." Circe's eyes widened excitedly, and she clasped her hands together tightly.

"Ohh, a hybrid? What pantheons? Greek and...?" She asked.

"Atlantean." Calypso seethed in frustration. Circe's expression reminded me of a child's on Christmas, and it made my gut tighten. Not wanting to put up with their reactions to my presence, I snatched my short sword out and swung it out toward them, making Calypso bare her teeth and her fangs elongated menacingly. Circe smirked and whacked Calypso in the chest, making her hiss at her.

"Calm yourself, baby cousin. How about we make a deal?"

"I don't make deals with gods."

"If I can get rid of the hybrid for you, how about you let me stay here for twenty-four years?

"Twenty and you've got yourself a deal."

"Aye, good enough," Circe declared, then smirked at me seductively, holding her hand out towards me, "Come, little hybrid, put the sword down and come here. You look like you could use a good meal and some wine." I narrowed my eyes on her. Oh, please.

"The only meal I want is your innards." I responded, tightening my grip on the sword. Circe shuddered as if my words more than delighted her and Calypso looked at her, disgusted.

"Did that seriously just make you--"

"Oh, yes, it did. His voice and his accent-- Gah! Fine, if you won't come to me, I'll make you." Circe said, looking back at me with a wicked smile and waved her hand out toward me. I stepped back, waiting to see what would happen. I could feel her magic twisting and churning through the air, trying to wrap around me and coax me forward, but I didn't budge. Circe made a noise of dismay.

"What the hell is this?" She demanded. Calypso curled her lip.

"Looks like even your magic can't touch him." She mocked. Circe shot her a dirty look, then pinned me with a menacing glare.

"No one gets the best of me. I am a goddess of magic and sorcery and I will have whatever it is I wish and I wish for a hybrid," She sneered, then paused as a smirk curved the corner of her lips, "Ah, I see. Okay. How about a Greek and Atlantean... Leopard? Yes, I can see you with nice pretty dark spots, sinewy muscles under silken fur, a nice long tail for me to play with. How about it, hybrid? Want to be my kitty cat?"

"Fuck off." I stated, then flung the sword out at her and she shrieked, sidestepping it so it sank into the panther, making it choke and gurgle on blood. It flashed from a black panther to a man with dark skin and blood and sweat soaking his flesh and dark hair. He died after twitching for a few seconds and Circe wailed.

"No! Bacas! You bastard!" She screamed, whirling around to come after me. I flung my hand out and sent a blast of fire at her, but she waved her hand and it dissipated, her eyes flashing menacingly.

"You pathetic lowborn piece of--" She never got a chance to finish. A screaming sound made our heads snap to the side to see a cloud of black smoke launching through the trees at us. Circe went to attack it, but Calypso caught her arm and pulled her back with a smirk as she looked at me.

"Never mind, Circe. Looks like someone else is after the hybrid."

"Not fair!" That was the last I heard before the black smoke grabbed me. I snatched for my dagger, but the moment I pulled it out to defend myself, I was teleported somewhere else. I cursed under my breath as I vanished from the island and reappeared in some kind of... glass box? I lowered my dagger with a frown as I scanned the room I was in. It was a giant glass box with black drapes hanging down between each glass pane that looked out over a golden cloudy field. Everything was ridiculously bright, aside from the black drapes and black marble flooring.

At the center of the glass room was a strange old black well. I took one step toward it, then hesitated at the sight of swirling white mist inside black liquid that rippled as if it sensed my approach. And to the side of it was a large ancient loom, brittle and peeling with age, and white threads weaving in and out, and the threads seemed to pulse, as if they were alive. And dangling on the loom by a hook was a pair of golden scissors, large and incredibly sharp, and it, too, seemed to pulse with life.

I frowned, confused for a moment before it dawned on me how I'd arrived.

"Welcome." Three voices spoke at once and I tensed, stepping back and gripping my dagger, then hissed as it became so hot that I couldn't hold it anymore and I dropped it, looking down to see it melt into a gold puddle before it slid across the room and fell into the well. I clenched my teeth and looked up this time to see three women standing on the other side of the well.

Three devastatingly beautiful goddesses with skin like rich dark chocolate.

The one on the left was the smallest with her black hair coiled into braids that coiled up into a high bun, pulling back from a pair of gold eyes speckled with white, red, and blue, almost like a star that exploded in the middle of dark space. Her black make-up was done with a forked flick at the corners, branching out and disappearing into her hairline. She wore a gold evening gown that pooled at her feet and bore a dragon eye gem as the broach to keep the single sleeve clipped over her shoulder.

The one on the right was slightly taller with shaved black hair, her eyes the same eerie glittery star pattern, with pale blue makeup done around her eyes and black flicks that spiraled up on the top, then down in a curl on the bottom toward a black beauty mark. She wore a heavy gold and blue wide necklace that scooped down over the halter top of her long pale blue Grecian gown that fell in neat pleats down to her feet.

The center one wore her waist-long dreadlocks that were laced with strips of red pulled up into a high ponytail that still fell down her back. Her red makeup made her eyes appear redder and heavy black eyeliner made it almost demonic. She wore a red Grecian gown that swept down to her ankles, with sleeves that opened wide over her biceps, then came closed at her elbows.

"Well, well, well," The one on the left mused, drawing a long gold fingernail to her bottom lip as she scanned me from head to toe, "Look who's finally come to pay us a visit. I was wondering when the infamous hybrid would come to us." The one on the right curled her lip, folding her arms over her chest.

"The only one with an infinite lifespan. And the only one who's thread nearly broke my sister's sheers. You ought to be grateful hybrid. Men have been begging us not to cut their threads since the beginning of time." She added. Her words set my temper on fire and I glared at her.

"And you must be the three witches who wouldn't fucking let me die." I returned angrily. Her starry eyes flared and she flashed a pair of fangs, but the sister in the middle touched her arm.

"Silence, Clotho. We cannot blame him for a destiny he never chose." She said calmly. Clotho shot her sister a dirty look, but said nothing as she shrugged off her touch and folded her arms back over her chest. The sister on the left smiled.

"Atropos is right," She commented, coming off the dais to come up alongside the well, dragging her nails across the stones there, "It's not your fault your destiny's been tampered with. You know, we pride ourselves on the destinies we give people. And yet, only one god has ever been able to change the destiny of another." I frowned.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. The one I assumed was Lachesis hesitated, fingering her bottom lip again as Clotho smirked.

"Remember, sister, he lost his memory. The god still holds it in whatever filthy hovel he occupies." She mused. I glared at her.

"I asked what you were talking about." I said menacingly, getting fed up with their games. I felt the heat of anger swelling up through my veins. I didn't have time to deal with this. I came in to get answers, not riddles.

"Calm yourself." Atropos stated and waved her hand. Instantly a strange calm settled over me. It reminded me of the way Lea had tried to subdue me. Panic replaced the anger as I tried to banish the spell from my body, but to no avail. Lachesis appeared thrilled with the spell, though, and came sweeping over to link her arm with mine and I wanted to shove her off, but the spell wouldn't let me control myself. Anger blasted through me, joining the panic and I managed to shrug Lachesis off me, withdrawing from her enough to touch one of the glass panes.

I hissed suddenly at the icy coldness of the glass. It was so cold it burned. I yanked my hand back, the pain of it breaking Atropos's spell long enough for me to grasp my arm in pain.

"Oh, should've mentioned that," Lachesis said with a grimace as she came back over to link her arm with mine so she could draw me toward the well, "We're at a dangerously high level, puddin'. It's icy cold out there." I glared at her, frustrated before I looked at Atropos, who watched me with an eerily silent stare. Clotho stepped off the dais to approach my right side and I tensed at her approach, and even more so at her cold touch on my skin.

"I came here for a reason." I said at last, looking back up at Atropos, trying to ignore the way Clotho and Lachesis made my skin crawl in disgust at their touch. Atropos's eyes flickered and suddenly, her expression went from stoic to sad.

"Aye, you did," She agreed with a regal nod, her hands folded in front of her as she stepped off the dais and came to stand across from me on the other side of the well, "But you will receive more than what you bargained for, Hannibal... You sought us to ask whether or not the prophecy your mother recounted to you was true or false. What you will receive... is the truth, the whole truth and nothing, but the truth. So help me." I frowned, confused by her words as she dipped her hand down into the black liquid that hissed and bubbled around her arm. I tried to step back away from Clotho and Lachesis, but they held me fast as Atropos pulled out a squirming black thread.

I narrowed my eyes at it before Clotho reached out with the reflexes of a cat, grabbing my mouth while Lachesis slid up behind me to wrap her arms around me. Instant rage and panic rocketed through me and I writhed against them, but oddly enough, I found it extremely difficult, like trying to move steel.

And had no time as Atropos moved around the well, stood in front of me and dropped the thread into my mouth before covering it with her hand. I squirmed, gagging as the black thread writhed around in my mouth... then dissolved on my tongue with a bitter flavor. I blinked rapidly as a strange sensation settled over me.

It was like... I was floating. Hovering?

I blinked again and suddenly the Moirai were gone and I was standing in the glass room absolutely alone. I froze for a second, then looked around quickly, but there were no sign of the sisters. I cursed.

What the hell was that? What happened to them?

If you tell me I just risked everything to come here for a black gummy worm, I'm gonna be more than pissed.

"Moirai!" A shrill voice screamed. I spun around to see a woman run into the room from one of the glass panes, like she just walked right through it and into the room. It took me a moment to recognize her with the strange ghostly white aura that surrounded her and her long red robes that trailed on the floor behind her. My eyes widened as I realized it was Lea. Her long black curls fell down her back, some of it still pulled into a bun, her eyes red from crying... and her belly swollen in pregnancy.

I stiffened, waiting for her to say something when she saw me, but she walked right through me to the well, looking around in a panic.

"Moirai! It is I, Atlantean goddess of curses and battle, Lea! Please, heed my words! Come forth and speak prophecy to me!" She called breathlessly, looking around, but not seeing me at all. I frowned curiously and stepped forward, trying to reach out and grab Lea's arm, but my hand passed through it. I looked down at my hands, going still at the strange ghostly aura that surrounded me. I looked up as the air rippled and pulsed with power before the three sisters appeared on the dais, all wearing ancient Grecian gowns in shades of gold, red, and blue.

"Lea," Lachesis gasped at the sight of her, "What are you doing here?"

"Are you mad," Clotho agreed angrily, "You are with child in our chambers! Have you any idea how dangerous that alone is for your infant?" Lea sniffed helplessly.

"Please, Moirai. I have to know why is it that Atlan seeks the death of my child. He believes the child is destined to cause misery and woe wherever he goes, but that can't be true. He's my baby. A child! A child cannot destroy so much!" She exclaimed. Clotho scoffed.

"Oh, please. You obviously are forgetting Cronus's castration of his father." She drawled, making Lachesis wrinkle her nose.

"And Cronus eating his own children."

"I care not for the Greeks," Lea snapped impatiently, then sniffed and wiped at her eyes before looking up at Atropos, "Please, just tell me why Atlan seeks the death of my child." Atropos frowned for a moment, then glanced at her sisters, who shared her intense stare. They stepped off the dais, closing their eyes and reaching their hands out to interlock in a fierce grip. They stood there for a moment in silence as Lea took a step back, swallowing hard and placing a hand over her stomach.

I stared at her belly in silence.

That was me? She wanted to know about me?

What's going on?

A low hum began from Lachesis's throat, then Clotho's, then Atropos's. The hums started low, then rose higher and higher, gliding together in an ominous drone, then repeated over again, growing louder and louder each time. A strange chill crept through the room and the clouds outside the glass room began to darken and icy bullets of rain began to shower down on the box so it was filled with the eerie singing of the Moirai and crackling of water on the panes.

Lea swallowed nervously, looking around before looking back at the Moirai. The water in the well began to ripple and pulse, the white mist inside swirling around faster, and faster. The white mist began to fade, turning red, a deep bloody red before the threads rose up out of the water and twisted into a strange shape. It looked like a sketchy image of a person starting out small... an infant, growing and changing, the threads slicing through the image over and over again, obscuring it until the person fell back into the red, then rose back up again with a second red figure. They clashed in an explosion of red and the image fell back into the pool, turning white again.

The clouds outside settled down until they were white and fluffy again with a golden hue to them, and the rain ceased, the well settling. Clotho opened her eyes first, her expression grim. Lachesis came second, then Atropos's eyes fluttered open slowly, and a tear fell from her starry eyes.

"A warrior. A beast. A man. A god. He carries the blood of two of the most powerful pantheons currently in existence. With this comes a great deal of power, enough power to help him on his journey. But the two parts of him will be at constant war. He will become either warrior or monster... King or beast." Atropos murmured. Lea swallowed audibly, tears welling up in her eyes again before sliding down her cheeks. Atropos appeared dazed now.

"He shall rise from the darkness of the battlefield, soaked in blood, and he will fight Atlan in battle, and he will take the Atlantean throne for himself." She murmured. Lea's eyes widened.

"What?" She stammered. Atropos pursed her lips in a tight line.

"Or he will become the greatest weapon Atlan has ever had." She added softly. Lea paled.

"B-But... No," She managed helplessly, "No, please. Look again. Please. I don't want my child to carry that burden."

"It doesn't matter what you want," Atropos replied monotonously, "It is the will of the Source." Lea made a noise of agony and rage as she came forward, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Okniya! I will not allow it! I want the Source to leave my baby alone!"

"There is nothing you can do now, Lea," Clotho said, looking surprisingly saddened by Lea's reaction, "His destiny is carved into the bowels of the Source. He will either become the greatest king the Atlanteans have ever had... or he will become their worst nightmare. It is up to you to bring him to that stage." Atropos said nothing. Lea screamed in outrage.

"Never! Leave my baby and I alone or so help me I will cut you three whores while you sleep!" She vanished in a spiral of red smoke, leaving the room. Atropos said nothing. Clotho and Lachesis shared wary stares before turning back to their sister.

"What didn't you tell her?" Clotho demanded.

"We are forbidden to lie." Lachesis agreed. Atropos glared at them, clenching her hands together in front of her.

"It is no lie to omit things that she cannot stop." She responded coldly. Clotho curled her lip.

"What did you not tell her, sister?" She demanded. Atropos's eyes darkened and turned away from her sisters to lock on me where I still stood in stunned silence. Atropos's starry eyes became stormy, the color fading from them and, slowly, the rest of the room with it.

"That she will not be there to protect her son. It is the will of the Source. It is the one act that will put his destiny, and hers, into motion." She murmured. Clotho and Lachesis paled, but said nothing as they stared at each other, then at the well in the middle of the room, apparently not seeing me like their sister did before they shut their eyes tightly and came forward to hug Atropos tightly as Atropos shut her eyes and clenched her teeth.

"I am sorry." She whispered.

The image rippled and twisted until it melted before my eyes and I hissed, stepping back. I blinked repeatedly as the Moirai faded from the room and I was back in... current time. Clotho and Lachesis had stepped back from me, looking ill and Atropos stood on the other side of the well now, staring at me and meeting my eyes while her sisters refused to meet my eyes. I glared at her.

"You knew Atlan was going to... going to what? Take me away from Lea? Is that what happened?" I demanded. Atropos swallowed for a moment, dropped her eyes, then lifted them to meet mine once again. A vein pulsed in her neck as if this conversation was more than inconvenient for her, and I couldn't agree more.

"In the dead of night, on the eve when you were to reach your fifth year in existence, Atlan broke into Lea's temple, snatched you from the bed she had to share with you because she was so terrified of losing you. Atlan dragged you through the jungle until he reached a tear in the veil between worlds and used his powers to try and kill you. His powers clashed with yours and resulted not only in the loss of your memory of everything in Atlantis, but corrupted your powers. You lost your ability to learn languages, you lost your ability to retain large portions of information. You lost the light powers that were supposed to protect you. Making matters worse, Atlan cursed you to become the Atlantean god of blood lust and chaos, and the beast inside you fed on it and fed on it."

An icy chill crept over me and I took a step away from her.

"You're lying." I said automatically. Atropos frowned.

"How dare you," Clotho accused angrily, "We never lie! It is against our laws! Against truth and justice and all that we stand for! You arrogant--"

"Clotho, silence." Lachesis whispered nervously, moving closer to her as they backed away from Atropos and I. I glared at Atropos, who stared at me blankly.

"You're lying," I said again, leaning on the stones of the well and clenching my fists against them, "Lea brought me to Iapetus on my fucking birthday and left me on Iapetus's doorstep almost ten thousand years ago. She wanted to get rid of me because I reminded her of Iapetus's attack on her, because she was a pure-blood goddess and I was a hybrid by-blow she wanted nothing to do with." Atropos's eyes darkened.

"Lea would've sooner slit her own throat before ever causing you any harm," She responded stonily, "Her exact words the day you were born and she held you in her arms and wept with relief that you were whole and healthy." I shoved away from the well, breathing hard as a flare of panic erupted inside of me.

No.

Absolutely not. It couldn't be true. Lea got rid of me... She...

You always believed what Iapetus told you, Xenon's voice echoed at the back of my mind, you were so fucking terrified of him that you let him actually chain you to a post. A stupid pair of iron shackles kept you, Hannibal, prisoner. A pathetic Greek Titan only had to look at you and you'd shrink back into submission. He had you wrapped around his little finger and you told everyone it was because you had nothing better to do.

Chills coursed through my veins and I suddenly felt like the weight of the world crashed down on top of me and I hit the floor on my knees, trying to prop myself up on my hands. Lachesis started to take a step toward me, but Clotho yanked her back. I could smell her putrid fear permeating the air, Lachesis's concern, but nothing from Atropos as she stared at me.

"Lea didn't get rid of me?" I asked after a long pained silence. Atropos shook her head.

"No. She loves you."

"But, Iapetus--"

"Iapetus used fear and degradation to control you." More painful spears cut through my chest and I felt like I was going to vomit. I could just fear the burn of bile rising steadily in my throat. My heart was pounding so hard that I think I was probably going to puke that up too. Sweat created a sheen on my skin and I suddenly felt hot and suffocated.

"No one blames you," Lachesis offered quickly, making me look at her in confusion as she took a step back nervously, "You were a child. You were supposed to be raised with your mother. She was supposed to be the one who helped you. Iapetus was the test sent by the Source to lure you toward the side of darkness. It was your destiny."

"Getting dumped on his doorstep was my destiny?" My voice didn't even sound like my own anymore; it sounded like a trembling growl, and Lachesis gulped audibly.

"That came out wrong." She stammered.

"Getting beaten every single day of my life and tortured and raped and killed repeatedly? That was my destiny," I demanded angrily, then slammed my fist so hard into the marble floor that a huge crack shot across the floor to the space between Lachesis's legs, making her yelp and leap back, "You're telling me that no matter what fucking happened, I would still have suffered over nine thousand years of complete and utter agony?!"

"I'm sorry," Lachesis managed, "I just-- I wanted--"

"Lachesis, enough," Clotho whispered, then shot me a warning glare, "Back down, hybrid. It isn't Lachesis's fault. Your destiny was paved from the moment of your conception. The moment Iapetus stumbled across Lea that night beneath the moon on the island of what is now Crete. The moment he held her down and forced himself upon her and the moment his seed reached her egg, your fate was sealed into the only thread that we have never, ever been able to cut since then." Her words infuriated me.

"And why couldn't it be cut?" I snarled.

"Because of me," Atropos replied, making Clotho and Lachesis gape at her, obviously not knowing what Atropos was about to say, "It's my fault that you haven't been able to die." I pinned her with a merciless glare.

"I beg your fucking pardon?" I demanded. Atropos narrowed her eyes.

"I knew Atlan would try to kill you. He tried to kill you that night he kidnapped you from Lea, but I couldn't let it happen. Your destiny was to dethrone Atlan or become his weapon. With his actions, he sealed his doom, your fate, and I was not going to let Atlan destroy the only hope Atlantis had to a future... So as Atlan left you dying in the jungle that night, I came to you and the moment I touched you, I sealed the curse."

"Wait, you?" I asked. Atropos's eyes glowed.

"I was the one who cursed you to immortality. I was the one who brought you to Iapetus." She said emptily.

"Oh my god." Lachesis gasped, covering her mouth and Clotho quickly retreated from Atropos as if she had some kind of virus.

"Atropos..." She started, but she cut off to gasp as I shot to my feet and vanished from my spot on the floor to the spot behind Atropos, moving to shove my fist through her chest, but she vanished and reappeared on the other side of the well. A scream of utter rage and agony tore my throat and threw my hand out to blast her, but my blast was redirected and shattered the glass windows in the room, allowing icy cold wind to lash through the room, whipping the Moirai's dresses and hair, my hair flying back from my face as I faced Atropos, breathing hard while she stared at me.

"You stupid bitch," I shouted and threw another god bolt at her, but it bounced off an invisible shield, "You-You--"

"I'm sorry, Hannibal," Atropos said softly, her starry eyes sad now, "I couldn't let one of my oldest friends suffer because of the Source. Not again. Not after what happened to Xiphrus and his siblings. Atlan had hurt enough people. You were the last hope Atlantis had... still has. Until we meet again, Hannibal... King of the Atlanteans." She vanished in a swirl of gold smoke and shot into the air overhead, taking Clotho and Lachesis with her. The sacred objects in the room all vanished and the wind tore the steel beams off the glass room, screaming around me as I glared up at the sky that was cast with silvery glowing stars.

"You stupid bitch! I am not, nor will I ever, be the King of those fucking Atlanteans and you can all rot in Tartarus for all I care!" I shouted up at them. I shut my eyes tightly and vanished from the room that was being torn apart by the angry lashing winds.

I teleported from the room back to the penthouse in hell. The moment I did, I slid back down onto my knees, breathing hard as I leaned over until my forehead touched the cold floor.

"No." I seethed, reaching up to wrap my arms around myself, sinking my nails in my skin to alleviate the pain coursing through my veins. I felt like I was being burned from the inside out. Unbelievable agony spread through me as I gasped for breath. It was the same heart-wrenching pain I felt when Akin had slammed the door shut in my face, the same pain I felt when I woke up two weeks later to him leaning over me with a teary face, whispering helpless apologies.

No.

No, no, no, no.

This can't be happening to me. This can't be real. I'm dreaming. It's a nightmare. Another nightmare because I ate too much chocolate chip ice cream with Akin while watching cheesy horror movies on the sci-fi channel... And yet, the pain was too real, too there. I could barely breath and I felt like my chest was ripping apart.

I just wanted to know if the prophecy Lea gave me was true.

I just wanted to know if she was lying to me, to know whether or not I should run away or hit her, and now I couldn't do either one because the truth had just stared me straight in the face with starry night eyes.

She loves you.

Lea loves me? She's always loved me? What happened to it being impossible? What happened to only being loved by Akin? What happened to everything being so simple? No one else mattered, except Akin... and then Raven... and then Arikos. Even Xenon, damn the fucking bastard, had managed to gain my protection without even asking for it. The moment I heard about Atlan's betrayal to Xenon, and seeing Xenon's face when he told me, against the cold stone wall I'd built up around myself, I still managed to feel a twinge of pain for him.

Because I knew what it felt like to find out your father was nothing, but a rotten two-faced bastard.

But now Lea... She never wanted to get rid of me. She never hated me or blamed me or wanted to use me. She told the Moirai to leave her alone, told the Source to stay away, and risked her alliance to Atlan to protect me... Jesus Christ, she even made me sleep in the same bed with her as a child, and for some odd reason, that caused more pain to rip through me. I felt like I was going to be sick.

I found enough strength to shoot to my feet and run to the guest bathroom, dropping down in front of the toilet and heaving up all the contents of my stomach. I choked, gasping for breath and wiping drool from my mouth as I fell back against the wall by the toilet, drawing my knees up and resting my arms across them as I tilted my head back and stared up at the ceiling.

King of the Atlanteans.

Or Atlan's weapon.

So either way, I was screwed. Screwed harder than a bitch in heat. I would have to fight Atlan either way and if I won, I gained possession of a sick twisted pantheon I wanted nothing to do with... But if I lost, I would end up becoming Atlan's strongest weapon, a weapon he would use to destroy everyone and everything who didn't obey him. Atlan was a god of the Source, and according to Xenon, one of the very first gods that came into existence. His powers were endless, unknown and dark and deadly and dangerous.

It was those powers he used to try and kill me, but because of my mixed blood line, not only did I not die right away, but... I absorbed his powers? That was what corrupted my own. It was the source of the monster inside me. And his curse... The fuel added to the fire. The reason why I struggled to maintain my calm, the reason everything went red when I drew blood, the reason I was angry all the time.

It was the chaos inside me.

I was a ticking time bomb.

I was the bomb that would make or break the war.

Sick to my stomach, I dragged myself to my feet and stumbled into the kitchen, breathing hard as I grabbed the land line and dialed Akin's cell phone number.

"Hannibal?! Hannibal, baby, is that you?" Akin's frantic worried voice speared me like a hot lance as I swallowed and slumped against the counter.

"Akin, I am so sorry."

"Where are you?! Are you okay?! What happened?!"

"I... Master, I don't know what to do. I need you to come to the penthouse."

"You're at the penthouse? Okay, okay, sweetie, I'll be right there. Don't you move, baby. I'll be right there, okay? Just... Please, tell me, are you at least all right?" Akin asked tearfully. Guilt purged me as I swallowed, resting my elbow on the counter and resting my head in my hand.

"No. No, master, please. I need you." I managed. Akin choked on a sob.

"Okay, baby, it'll be okay. I promise. I'll be there in five minutes tops." He promised.

"I love you." I whispered, clutching the phone tightly.

"I love you too, baby. I love you so much. You're gonna be okay, Hannibal." Click. I took a deep shuddering breath, hanging up the phone and moving to hang the phone up when something bashed me so hard upside the head I couldn't even manage a gasp of pain as I slammed into the counter and hit the floor, breathing hard as I reached up with a numb hand to sink my hand in my hair that was soaked heavily with blood. The stench of it permeated the air and left me breathing hard as I blinked against the dark blurriness that obscured my vision.

For a split second, my vision cleared and revealed Arikos to be standing over me with a grim stare.

"I'm sorry, Hannibal." He murmured, and my vision turned black and I slumped back against the floor, passing out.