Chapter Text
MARKS OF RESURRECTION
PERCY
The sky was heavy with gray clouds, as if the world itself mourned what was about to happen.
Kneeling on the ground with his wrists bound by heavy chains of dark steel, Percy Jackson faced the thirteen figures staring down at him with contempt and hatred.
His body was frail and battered, covered in wounds. The eyes that once shone with the most beautiful shade of green any human had ever seen were now dull and lifeless.
“Perseus Jackson.”
The deep, firm voice struck his ears, drawing only a faint reaction from him, though he did not lift his head.
“For your crimes against the house of your father and against the balance of our realms, I condemn you to eternal death. Does anyone object?”
Those words echoed through the enormous hall. Their sheer weight would have been enough to terrify anyone present.
The hands of the other entities seated upon their thrones around the eldest rose one by one, accepting the fate given to the young warrior.
“Then it is decided. Face your destiny, and may the judges grant you what you deserve.”
Both of Percy’s arms were seized by men clad in silver plate armor. They lifted him to his feet, the force on his limbs compelling him forward.
Forward toward the massive gate of white marble.
Forward to meet the eyes of every citizen who had gathered to witness his shame and failure during his final walk.
The moment he stepped onto the main street, he felt hundreds of gazes fall upon him.
Furious voices and screams echoed all around him, calling him things he knew he was not.
Traitor.
Murderer.
Usurper.
His steps carried him toward the wooden platform carefully built to decide his fate.
This isn’t fair. Why should I go through this? I didn’t do anything.
Percy’s mind drifted through his laments and fears until he realized he had reached the place where his journey would end.
His eyes quickly scanned the people lining the street as he was forced to kneel once more.
Among the countless gazes directed at him, one stood out.
Further back stood a young man with albino hair and eyes as cold as snow. A smile of amusement and pleasure rested upon his lips.
It was him.
The one responsible for what was about to happen to Percy.
He delighted in Percy’s agony and suffering.
He savored every second.
Why?
The clouds above tightened even further, forming a dark, swirling funnel aimed directly at the platform.
Would those hateful gazes be the last thing he ever saw?
Would she be somewhere in that crowd, watching him?
Had anyone ever looked at him as anything more than a tool the way she once had?
He wished he could see her just one more time.
His fate was sealed.
A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and struck him with overwhelming force.
Light and heat consumed his body and his existence.
Then everything went dark.
---
When Percy opened his eyes again, there was no light.
Only a vast black silence.
His body floated as if suspended in an endless sea. The pain of his death still burned within his soul, yet the place he had arrived in seemed to swallow all anguish.
It swallowed everything.
Even time itself seemed meaningless within that endless void.
He appeared exactly as he had entered the world—without his mortal clothes, nothing but his body marked by the wars and sacrifices he had made for those he believed to be the hope of his world.
“You seem very impatient, my boy.”
The deep voice echoed around him, making the immense void tremble as if it feared what was about to come.
Percy searched for the source of the voice, wondering what kind of being could cause something like that.
Then he saw it.
Emerging from the depths, an overwhelming presence appeared before him.
A body formed from liquid shadows, enormous eyes shining like the explosion of a thousand stars, reflecting ages of wisdom and destruction.
“W-Who—”
“Who am I? Are you certain you do not recognize me, Perseus? You once carried me in your chest. You fought wars in my name.”
Recognition came instantly.
How could he forget the figure he had represented for so many years?
The sacred symbol of his family.
The god Leviathan.
The supreme ruler of all water in existence—fresh or salt, pure or impure.
Leviathan was his lord.
“L-Lord Leviathan?! W-What do you want from me?” Percy asked, staring at the beast.
Leviathan’s presence was terrifying. The aura emanating from those massive white eyes seemed to pierce directly into Percy’s soul, making every muscle in his body stiffen.
“Perseus Jackson. I must say I have always kept an eye on your actions during your life. You accomplished great things in the name of your father’s house. But due to an unfortunate twist of fate, you were betrayed, your honor stained, and your blood spilled.”
Leviathan circled Percy’s body, coiling around him before hovering above him.
“I do not believe that was fair after everything you did for them.”
“Y-Yes… I think the same. But there was nothing I could do. I had no one beside me willing to fight for me. I destroyed and attacked many of the other houses.”
“Well, you are not entirely wrong,” Leviathan replied. “Your deeds in the human world are recognized by all who have crossed blades with you. One of the most remarkable warriors.”
“I see… But what can you do for me?” Percy asked, instantly regretting his tone as the entire void trembled around them.
“W-With all due respect, of course. What could you possibly do? What happened is already done. I’m dead.”
“I have always observed you, Perseus Jackson. I have always been interested in your abilities. While you were alive, you held a certain fascination with me.”
Recently, we—the guardian beasts of the houses—have noticed that the houses have begun clashing far more frequently.
Even though all thirteen share the same blood, they seem to care little about slaughtering one another.
We believed they would maintain balance between the realms.
But unfortunately, your species delights in war… especially in shedding the blood of its own kind.
So we decided it was time to intervene.
“Intervene? What exactly does that mean?”
“Twelve of the thirteen beasts chose human children to represent them. Their perfect warriors.
But one did not.”
“Only one? Who?”
“Me.”
“Out of anger and complete distrust of humanity, I never named my warrior—the one who would carry my honor into battle. Because of that, collapse came much sooner than expected.
But… I wish to correct that mistake now.”
“And how exactly would you do that?”
“Your death was one of the main reasons the thirteen houses destroyed themselves,” Leviathan explained.
“After your execution, your father became enraged by the decision of his brothers and began a war of his own. The other houses saw an opportunity to bring down the three greatest houses and joined the war with even greater fervor.
Both sides were destroyed.
Only the traitor responsible for your death remained in power.”
Percy understood immediately.
Leviathan wasn’t speaking about a possibility.
He was speaking about something that had already happened.
Even if Percy couldn’t understand it, decades must have passed while he remained in this void—time passing like the blink of an eye.
“And how could that possibly be fixed? It already happened.”
“You do not fully understand our universe, boy.
Everything I and the other beasts see has already happened, is happening, and will happen.
We have limits when it comes to changing history, but time itself has little meaning to beings like us.
We exist above that concept.
And that is why I can give you a second chance.”
“A second chance?”
“That’s right. You will return and walk your path again. Make new decisions. Ensure the houses do not destroy each other.
You must unite the thirteen houses.
And that will only be possible through the thirteen warriors.”
“Wait. But you said there was no thirteenth warrior. If he doesn’t exist, how could I unite them?”
Leviathan moved closer.
“He did not exist.
But in this second chance… he will.”
“I will not repeat my mistake.
And you will have the chance to take revenge on the one who caused your death.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? I could make things better… or far worse.”
“That is true. Having you as the thirteenth hero does not guarantee the best future. Sending you alone is already a risk to the timeline itself.
Because this is my interference, I cannot tell you exactly what will happen.
As you move forward, history will change. You will see a world different from the one you once knew.
You have the chance to create a better future.
So return.
And choose wisely.”
Leviathan rose once more.
“Will you accept this mission, Perseus Jackson?”
Percy looked at the creature with respect and admiration.
A chance to change his life seemed impossible.
But if it meant saving the people he loved, there was only one answer.
“I accept.”
“Perfect.”
Leviathan’s eyes began to glow brighter.
His serpent-like body coiled tightly around Percy.
Despite its liquid appearance, the creature’s strength was solid and crushing.
Percy groaned in pain.
The void around them began to shake like a raging ocean.
“Perseus Jackson, you will be the one who represents me in the human world.
Son of Poseidon.
Praetor of New Rome.
And now… Avatar of the Great Leviathan.
I grant you the chance to change your fate and save everything you know.
You are my avatar.
My ambassador among humans.
Show me that my decision was not a mistake.”
The creature’s body began merging with Percy’s.
The dark mass forced its way into his mouth, unleashing one of the worst pains Percy had ever felt.
The water that had once been his greatest ally now felt like it was trying to destroy him.
Leviathan’s voice echoed through the void like thunder as he spoke words Percy would never forget.
Thirteen crowns locked in mortal war,
Thrones raised in blood and iron.
When the beast within the abyss awakens,
A lost heir shall rise.
Swords in the wind, broken oaths,
Heroes chosen by ancient will.
Under one banner—chaos and reason—
They shall rise for redemption.
But peace carries a heavy price,
Lost loves and lives to be taken.
Only those who dare face destiny
May seal eternal balance.
---
Seconds passed.
Percy opened his eyes.
Above him was a ceiling of dark oak.
His breathing was frantic, yet no one seemed to have noticed.
He tried to move.
His body felt like jelly.
He slowly lifted his hand.
Chubby fingers.
Soft skin.
Pink.
Fingers that had never held a sword.
“What… what is this?”
He tried to speak, but only childish sounds escaped.
“Ba… ba…”
He rolled onto his stomach and tried to crawl across the strangely soft mattress.
No success.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Percy had returned.
As a baby.
“Aaaah!! You’ve got to be kidding me! What the hell was that giant snake thinking?! Couldn’t it at least send me back when I was older?!”
His frustrated whining quickly turned into loud crying.
Large hands gently lifted him.
He was brought against someone’s shoulder.
The scent of lilies filled his nose.
Curly brown hair brushed his face.
A delicate hand stroked him with affection.
This is… my mother.
He remembered very little about her.
In the great houses, women were treated as expendable—mere tools for reproduction.
Many children never even met their mothers.
Percy was one of them.
His last memory of her was when he was four years old.
“Don’t worry, my little one. Mommy’s here.”
Sally whispered softly as Percy nestled into her.
This… is nice.
You lost your mother very early in your previous life, Perseus.
Leviathan’s voice echoed in his mind.
“Thank you,” Percy replied silently.
The reason I returned you to this age was not specifically so you could relive moments with your mother.
But it is a bonus.
“Then why this age?”
Because during the first days of life, every child of the houses faces an important trial.
“The Styx Trial.”
Exactly.
The moment newborns are tested for resilience and may gain a blessing that will aid them for the rest of their lives.
---
Days passed.
Percy spent every moment he could with Sally before the day of the trial arrived.
All thirteen houses had access to a neutral territory.
The banks of the River Styx.
Known as the Valley of Styx.
Every year, newborns were brought there to absorb the concentrated magic surrounding the river.
The goal was simple:
Ensure that the potential heirs of each house grew into the strongest warriors possible.
And the baby who reached the river first would receive the greatest blessing.
Percy watched the valley from Sally’s arms.
And he was terrified.
The air was dense, the ground cracked like scarred flesh, broken weapons littering the terrain.
Toxic vapors seeped from the earth.
“What kind of insane tradition makes babies crawl through a place like this?”
Despite knowing the path, Percy could feel Sally trembling as she held him.
Are you ready? Leviathan asked.
“Yes.”
Sally gently placed him on the ground.
“It’ll be okay, my little one.”
Tears fell onto his arm.
“Mama…”
For a moment, Sally’s face lit up.
She hugged him tightly before letting him go.
Percy began crawling with the other infants.
Leviathan strengthened his body slightly.
Percy avoided the toxic gas vents and razor-sharp blades buried in the ground.
Soon he reached the river.
And remembered its terrifying beauty.
The Styx was not just water.
It was something deeper.
Liquid shadow mixed with spectral light.
Souls whispered from its mist.
“Okay… here goes nothing.”
If you do not enter the Styx, you cannot pass the trials ahead.
Leviathan said calmly.
Percy stepped closer.
Then jumped.
The freezing water swallowed him.
Breathe.
The sea is my domain.
While you are within it, you will not suffer harm.
Percy inhaled.
Water filled his lungs.
His vision faded.
Then—
A light.
A girl appeared before him.
Blonde hair drifting like sunlight.
A playful, challenging smile.
He knew exactly who she was.
His heart skipped.
He tried to reach her.
But she drifted further away.
His eyes snapped open.
The dark oak ceiling again.
You passed the trial.
Leviathan spoke.
“You even reached the river first.”
Percy felt power coursing through his body.
“I also gave you more power than the Styx normally grants.”
“I thought you might die… but something strengthened your resolve at the last second.”
Percy stayed silent.
Thinking of her had given him the strength to endure.
---
Later that night, Percy lay in his cradle.
Sally slept beside him.
Then the nursery door opened.
Someone approached the cradle.
A wooden box opened.
Four small black creatures crawled out.
Red eyes.
Long pincers.
Deadly stingers.
Deep scorpions.
Creatures capable of killing in sixty seconds.
Percy simply smiled.
---
The next morning Sally’s scream echoed through the entire castle.
In Percy’s crib lay the crushed bodies of four deep scorpions.
One still clutched in Percy’s tiny hand.
He had squeezed it to death in his sleep.
Rumors spread throughout the castle.
Security doubled overnight.
But the real story that spread was this:
A baby only weeks old had killed four deadly monsters as easily as a child breaks toys.
And the other twelve houses took notice.
Percy, however, was simply resting in Sally’s arms as she hugged him tightly.
“I think I’m going to like this new life,” he thought with a smile.
As he gazed toward the horizon, wondering whether his second chance would bring despair…
Or hope.