Small message: I was inspired by a reader and their nice story, which is great for relaxing:
Chaos's Best Friend By: swimboy
The screen lights up again with a morning softness that contrasts with the violence of the previous visions. The manor seems to breathe to the rhythm of its guest's rest.
The Calm of the Sanctuary
We see Percy waking up in black silk sheets. He looks peaceful, his features less drawn. Ghostly servants, silhouettes of silver mist, move about silently. They have prepared a bath whose steam, perfumed with sea salts and amber, fills the room.
Percy gets up and begins to undress.
Cinema Reaction: A Moment of Intimacy
Aphrodite and her daughters lean forward, eyes shining, while Nyx and Chaos stare at the screen with possessive intensity. Just as the last piece of clothing is about to fall...
The screen becomes blurry, censored by an opaque mist.
We find Percy a few minutes later, clean, dressed in a dark and elegant traveler's tunic, his hair still damp.
The Archbishop lets out a small dry laugh in the room:
— "Really? You thought you'd see everything? A little decency, even for gods."
Ares grumbles in disappointment while Poseidon sighs, relieved that his son's privacy is preserved.
The Garden of Infinity
Percy goes out into the manor's garden. It is a masterpiece of impossible botany: flowers that sparkle like nebulae, trees whose leaves sing in the wind, and a colossal aquarium, the size of a lake, where luminous abyssal creatures swim. It is a place of absolute peace, protected from time.
Cinema Reaction: Beauty and Bitterness
Demeter looks at the plants with professional jealousy. "Those flowers... they shouldn't exist here."
Hestia smiles sadly. "This is the home he should have had. Look how he walks without looking over his shoulder."
Annabeth (if present) or the other demigods feel a pang in their hearts. Percy seems to belong to this garden more than to Camp Half-Blood.
The Coffee of Destinies
Percy sits at a wrought iron table. The Archbishop is already there, serving him a coffee whose aroma seems to awaken the soul. They talk like a father and his son, or a mentor and his disciple, sharing a moment of domestic camaraderie that Olympus never offered him.
Cinema Reaction: The Jealousy of the Gods
Poseidon grips his trident so hard it turns white. "He talks to him as if he never needed me."
Zeus fumes. "This 'mortal' has more influence over him than the entire Council combined."
Then, the tone changes. Percy sets down his cup, his gaze becoming serious again.
— Percy: "Tell me... what would happen if I took Tenma's path? Not that I really want to, but I want to know."
The Archbishop sets down his journal. His face becomes like stone.
— "In your case, Percy, it's impossible. Such an act would be annulled by time itself. Chaos is powerful enough to feel, even in a new reality, that something is wrong. She would end up wandering, lost in a pain she wouldn't understand, and would end up destroying everything out of sheer agony."
Cinema Reaction: Chaos's Shiver
Chaos visibly shudders. Her form wavers in the room. "He's right," she murmurs. "I would feel the void where my heart should be. I would tear apart every dimension until I found a trace of what I'm missing."
Nyx adds: "There is no forgetting for us. Only eternal torture if you disappear, Percy."
Percy's Sentence
On screen, Percy slowly nods. He looks at a black rose that withers and is reborn in a loop.
— Percy: "I see... So I forget this path. They don't deserve that suffering."
Cinema Reaction: Relief and Fear
An immense sigh of relief runs through the room, but it is short-lived.
Hades notes: "He said they 'don't deserve' that suffering. He's still not thinking about himself. He's just looking for a way not to break his soulmates."
Athena frowns. "If he can't erase himself... then he has only one option: Embrace what he has become."
The Archbishop stands up and points to the screen.
— "The coffee is finished. Now, Percy is going to ask the question you all dread."
On screen, Percy looks the Archbishop straight in the eyes.
— Percy: "If I can't disappear, then I need to know... Why is my blood that color? Why does it burn the Gods?"
The atmosphere in the cinema becomes almost unbreathable, as if gravity itself increases as the Archbishop reveals the secret mechanics of the gods' hearts.
The Equation of Blood and Desire
On screen, Percy observes a drop of his own blood fall into a basin of clear water in the garden. It does not dilute; it swirls, creating miniature galaxies of red and black.
— Archbishop: "Your blood is the bridge, Percy. Red like mortal passion, black like the primordial abyss. For a deity, you are not a servant, you are a mirror. A human man can love a woman for her simple presence, her gentleness, her beauty... But a divine woman, in 90% of cases, seeks an equal or a superior."
Percy (lets out an ironic sigh, thinking back to his years of quests): "... And Artemis and her Huntresses who spend their time criticizing men and wanting to be superior to them... They can't understand that a man could treat a goddess with the same simplicity as a mortal?"
The Archbishop bursts into frank laughter, echoing throughout the garden.
— "Hahaha! A bit true, Percy. They seek domination where you offer recognition."
Cinema Reactions: The Shock of Egos
Artemis grits her teeth, a flush of anger and shame rising to her cheeks. The Huntresses in the room murmur insults, but the icy glare of Nyx silences them instantly.
Aphrodite smiles knowingly: "He understood the secret of hearts. You don't love a God for his thunderbolt, you love him for who he is when he sets down his crown."
Ares snickers: "The kid puts the Huntresses in their place without even raising a sword. I love it."
The Primordial Mutation
The Archbishop's tone becomes solemn again. He approaches Percy.
— "Chaos is above everything, but she is hungry. Hungry to be loved for the woman she is, not for the power she received at her birth. Nyx, for her part, filled her life with her brother and her children, but it was only a bandage on an eternal solitude."
He places a hand on Percy's heart.
— "Divine soulmates adapt. Your blood has become scarlet red because your body and soul are mutating to match their deepest desires. You have become the host of Darkness for Nyx, and the catalyst of Creation and Destruction for Chaos. You are no longer a son of the sea, Percy. You are the Universe learning to touch itself."
Cinema Reactions: Possession
Nyx closes her eyes, letting her shadows caress the walls of the room. She physically feels Percy's adaptation to her essence. "He is becoming my complement... my balance."
Chaos emanates such a powerful aura that the Olympians' seats begin to crack. "Creation and Destruction... He is capable of bearing my touch without evaporating."
Poseidon lowers his eyes to his hands. He feels the paternal bond fraying. Percy no longer belongs to him at all; he belongs to Infinity.
Zeus murmurs, terrified: "If he adapts to them... he will end up having more authority over existence than all of us combined."
On screen, Percy looks at his hands. He seems to accept, not with joy, but with heroic resignation, that his human nature has been sacrificed to become this "bridge."
The air in the cinema becomes rarefied. The screen seems to project a denser, heavier shadow, that of the depths of the Abyss itself.
The Tragedy of Renunciation
On screen, Percy leans against a column in the garden. His red eyes stare into the void.
— "So, I no longer really have a place among men... nor among the Gods of Olympus."
— Archbishop: "In a way, yes. You are the exception that proves the rule of infinity."
Percy frowns, searching for logic in this injustice.
— "And I'm the only one in this situation?"
— "For now, yes. But for you to understand better... sometimes, the opposite happens. Like in the case of Tartarus's soulmate."
Cinema Reactions: The Silence of the Abyss
Tartarus, who had remained an imposing and silent mass at the back of the room, stiffens. A dull vibration emanates from his body of stone and shadows.
Hades and Nico feel an icy cold rise from the floor.
The Sacrifice of Innocence
The Archbishop continues, his voice cloaked in regret.
— "In his case, Tartarus was the one who had to adapt to her. He was ready to give up everything he had received at birth, his primordial power, his realm of torments... all of that to live a peaceful, simple life by her side."
Percy (gaze dark): "But that's not the case, is it? Since Tartarus is still here and his primordial status is still in effect..."
— Archbishop: "... Yes. She was simple, human. But she possessed a vision. She knew that in the future, a Tartarus without his powers would be the victim of the new rulers. She had seen the Titans and the Olympians even before their birth."
He pauses, looking at the manor's sky.
— "She understood that by becoming a simple human for her, Tartarus would end up under their authority. That he would suffer from their cruelty and their arrogance. She refused to tell me exactly what she had seen... So, she decided to end it. She preferred to die rather than see the being she loved become the plaything of capricious little gods."
Cinema Reactions: The Shockwave
The room is plunged into mute horror.
Tartarus lets out a roar of pure pain that shakes the cinema walls. His fists clench, crushing the stone of his throne. He didn't know. He thought she had abandoned him, not that she had "saved" him from Olympus through her own suicide.
Zeus and Poseidon turn violently pale. They realize that their mere existence, their future birth, was the cause of the death of the Abyss Primordial's only love.
Nyx lowers her eyes, a tear of shadow rolling down her cheek. "She chose eternal silence to preserve his pride... That is an atrocious end."
Chaos stares at the Archbishop with a glimmer of reproach. "You knew... and you let her do it?"
The Weight of the Present
On screen, Percy clenches his fists. The news of this sacrifice hits him hard.
— Percy: "So... either the soulmate adapts and becomes a 'monster' in the eyes of the gods, or the god adapts and ends up being trampled by their own kind. There's no middle ground?"
The Archbishop looks at him with terrifying intensity.
— "There is a middle ground, Percy. But it requires something that neither Tartarus nor Tenma dared to do."
Percy: "And what is that?"
The Archbishop in the room stands up and points to the sleeping Percy, whose red aura is beginning to crackle with black electricity.
— "The middle ground is not to adapt to the world... but to force the world to adapt to you."
The screen takes on a golden glow, almost comforting, contrasting with the darkness of the Abyss evoked earlier. The Archbishop holds out a book with a mother-of-pearl cover, whose title seems to float above the leather.
Universe 1.1 — The Mirror of the Creator
On screen, Percy takes the book. As soon as he opens it, his cheeks take on a crimson hue. His scarlet red eyes widen in surprise and modesty.
— Percy (voice trembling): " 'The Creator finds her way... End of solitude. Percy Jackson and Chaos.' But... it's..."
Cinema Reactions: The Shock of Exclusivity
Chaos sits up straight in her seat, her eyes shining with devouring curiosity. She leans forward, totally ignoring the other deities. "A world where he belongs only to me?" she murmurs with a possessiveness that makes Olympus shiver.
Nyx, for her part, lets out a cold breath. Her shadows stir with discontent. She looks at the Archbishop with a glint of defiance. "Why show us a reality where I don't exist for him?"
Aphrodite lets out a little stifled cry, fascinated by Percy's blushing. "Look at him... he realizes that in another world, he is the Creator's only reason for living."
The Tragedy of Pure Creation
The Archbishop explains in a soft, almost melancholic voice:
— "In this Universe 1.1, the gods are worse than those you know. They are the incarnation of corruption. Chaos there is more isolated than ever. Even Nyx is not the protector you might imagine. There, Chaos is afraid of her own power."
The image shows a version of Chaos in Universe 1.1:
She is sitting on a throne of void, crying tears of dead stars. Every being she creates ends up becoming evil, greedy for power, leaving her in absolute solitude.
— Archbishop: "She thought she was cursed. She thought that everything she touched would turn into a monster... until you appeared. In that world, you are not only her soulmate, you are her moral anchor. You are the only one who does not become evil under her influence."
Cinema Reactions: The Silence of Reflection
Chaos looks at her on-screen version with deep empathy. "I understand that fear... Creating life and seeing only destruction in return." She looks at the sleeping Percy. "Without him, would I have become like her?"
Zeus and Poseidon are pale. Hearing that in other worlds, they are even "worse" strikes them violently.
Artemis murmurs: "She is afraid of her own power... and only a mortal can soothe her?"
The Peaceful After the Storm
On screen, Percy turns the last pages. We see illustrations of a world where peace finally reigns, where Chaos smiles, holding the hand of a Percy who seems to wear a crown of nebulae.
— Percy: "It's... it's magnificent. Even if it was tragic at the beginning, the end is so calm."
He closes the book, a glimmer of determination in his gaze.
— Percy: "So, I can be a source of peace for such a powerful being? I'm not necessarily a poison?"
The Archbishop smiles, a smile full of hope.
— "Exactly. You are the remedy, Percy. But here, in this universe, you have two deities to heal. It's twice the work, but twice the strength."
Cinema Reactions
Nyx relaxes slightly, realizing that if Percy accepts being Chaos's remedy, he will also accept being hers.
The Archbishop stands up and addresses the spectators.
— "You have seen the gentleness. You have seen that love can stabilize Chaos. But Percy does not live in Universe 1.1. He lives here. And here, Olympus will not let him go so easily."
He points to the screen.
— "Percy has just closed the book. He stands up. He no longer just wants to 'understand.'"
The Archbishop takes a step forward, his silhouette outlined against the golden light still emanating from the screen. The book of Universe 1.1 shines with a soothing, almost hypnotic aura, offering a violent contrast to the bloody tragedies of Universe 17 or the Abyss.
— Archbishop: "You have seen a glimpse. A promise of peace where there was only solitude. In that universe, Chaos is not a distant queen, she is a woman who trembles before her own creation... until Percy Jackson becomes her only sanctuary."
He raises his hand, and two globes of light appear above the assembly.
— Archbishop (cinema): "The choice is yours. Do you want to see how one man, without an army and without a throne, was able to heal the solitude of the Creator of Everything? Or do you prefer to skip ahead and return to our Percy's warrior preparation?"
The Vote of Olympus and the Primordials
Chaos: Her eyes do not leave the book on screen. Her voice is a whisper that makes the air vibrate. "I want to see. I want to know how this version of me found peace. I want to see her hands in mine without the world collapsing." (Vote: SEE)
Nyx: She crosses her arms, a glint of jealousy mixed with curiosity in her gaze. "If it can teach Percy how to 'heal' us, then show it. But don't forget that in this universe, I am there too." (Vote: SEE)
Aphrodite: She is practically standing on her seat, her hands clasped. "Oh, by Love itself, show us this romance! A world where tragedy ends in peace? That's all we need!" (Vote: SEE)
Zeus: He growls, nervously tapping his lightning bolt. "Why waste time with 'what ifs'? The kid needs to train! If he becomes a threat, I want to see what he's capable of, not see him holding a deity's hand!" (Vote: SKIP)
Hades: He looks at Persephone, then at the statue of Tenma. "Zeus, be quiet. For once, let's see a story that doesn't end in a massacre. It will make a change." (Vote: SEE)
The Demigods: Nico, Leo, and the others vote as one. They want to see their leader, their brother, finally happy, even if it's in another reality. (Vote: SEE)
Result of the Vote: Overwhelming Majority for "SEE"
The Archbishop closes the red light globe (skip) and makes the golden globe explode.
— Archbishop: "Very well. Prepare yourselves. What you are about to see is not a war of muscles, but a war against despair. Welcome to Universe 1.1."