Ascension of the Fallen

Dismal Dreams

AN: Sorry again, was super busy again so I couldn't write unfortunately. I also felt a little burnt out and the single day I felt like writing, I had a massive migraine. From now on, updates will slow down to about one month or 1.5 months between each update, and I'll try to write up longer chapters for you all to read.

Go check out "Crown of Slaughter", prequel to Ascension of the Fallen, this story, it's up on my profile.

Dismal Dreams

Ascension of the Fallen: Chapter 22

The abyss in front of her felt supernatural, powerful even. She peered over the edge, careful to not tip over.

There was no bottom; it was a pit of eternal darkness, powerful and unyielding. She shivered at the malicious aura seeping from the pit. She could feel a force slowly pulling her towards the edge, taunting her, mocking her to jump in. This was Tartarus, there was no doubt about it.

"Daughter of Zeus..."

The voice sounded like nails scraping across a chalkboard, grating Thalia's ears and making her want to cover them. Yet at the same time, it resonated with power beyond imagination, power that could crush her like an ant.

This was the king of the Titans. The Crooked One, Kronos himself. The only reason Thalia even had a clue who he was was because of Perseus' brutal method of forcing her to learn all of Greek mythology. Including every monster, every god, every titan, and even every primordial. At the time, she'd yelled at him, screamed at him, even punched him and tried to put on a puppy face, but he wasn't having it. The god had been adamant that she learn information 'critical to her well-being' as his fancy ass put it, and she had been equally adamant that she already knew the information 'critical to her-wellbeing'. And thus, Thalia was made to sit through a five hour test with her demigod ADHD as the god bullied her into submission with a couple sheets of paper.

"Father of Perseus."

She grinned slightly when she felt the voice's anger rise at the jibe, but her mind paid the price for it as a crushing force began encroaching on the edges of her mind again.

"I will condone that insult as long as you agree to what I have to say. The Olympians are a horrid, abysmal group of rulers. They have plunged the world into a dark age, from which it is just starting to recover. You surely have seen the damages. The children of the Big Three caused numerous tragedies, and a son of Hades started the bloodiest war in history, the one mortals know as the second world war. It was madness, it was insanity. The Olympians have many, many faults, including keeping gods away from their demigod children by enacting the 'Ancient Laws'.

Under my rule, the people prospered. Our age was known as the Golden Age for a reason..."

The Crooked One began showing her images of great, prosperous cities, filled with joyous people and great wealth. Humanity was thriving and so were the titans of Orthys and the rest of the mythological world.

"You can be the herald to a new age of prosperity, an age that will shine so bright that the Golden Age will pale in comparison. All you need do is join me. Join me to destroy the wretched, undeserving, Olympians, and return the world to its former glory."

"I have people that I care about, people who always have my back." She thought to Perseus, to Annabeth, Nico and Bianca, even to the friends she'd made among the campers.

"Why should I join you? You know what the world knows you as? The Crooked One. And for good reason. Your words warp and twist minds alike, bending them to your despicable whims. Each trap set by you is tailored to each demigod's flaw, and you are a master of words. I won't fall for your words, and as the child of the Great Prophecy, I'll make sure that you will fail."