ALL NOVEL Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Medea's Call
[Lucian's PoV]
As I slowly descended the steps to my unnamed basement, which I would later decide a name for, I tried to ignore the chaos unfolding outside. It was inevitable, of course, once everyone discovered Luke was now considered a traitor.
Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with it directly—Percy was handling that mess since he was the one they saw follow Luke into the forest. Unfortunately, it brought an early end to the celebration.
I grabbed a chair, flipped it around from the desk, and sat down, leaning forward against the backrest. Silence enveloped me as I pondered.
Things had grown more complicated than I would have liked. Luke had been hiding his newfound powers exceptionally well—whatever they might be. I hadn't been able to learn much about them since Thalia had intervened. Not that I blamed her.
Without realizing it, I began biting the nail of my thumb. The fact that Luke now possessed the Card of Blasphemy worried me deeply. If he'd shared it with Kronos, it would strengthen Kronos's forces in two devastating ways.
First, it would enhance their abilities, granting them powers from the sequence and boosting their strength exponentially.
Second, and far worse—they'd become disposable monsters. By willingly or unwillingly drinking additional potions without fully digesting the previous ones, they'd transform into creatures beyond recognition.
I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to slam it on the desk. I'd never wanted to punch my future self more than I did now. Why did he have to make everything so frustratingly complicated?
To make matters worse, the ones most affected would be Hecate's children. From what I remembered, her children made up a significant portion of Kronos's forces. She had been devastated by their deaths before—how would she react now, when she learns that most of them were transformed into monsters?
I had to convince her that joining Kronos wasn't worth it. Blowing a raspberry with my lips, I ruffled my hair in frustration.
"I just had to get myself attached to that idiot," I grumbled, grabbing the headrest of the chair and shaking it back and forth.
"Can this day get any worse? What a way to end my birthday of all things," I muttered, dragging my hands down my face.
Almost on cue, my ring began to emit a crimson glow. I knew instantly—I was getting a call.
Looking up toward the ceiling, I sighed. "Three Fates, that wasn't a challenge, alright?"
Pointing my ring forward, I activated it. A crystal ball materialized and expanded. With a snap of my fingers, the fog within cleared to reveal my mother, radiant as ever.
She tapped the surface of the ball and called out, "Lucy baby, can you hear me?"
A soft smile spread across my face. "Loud and clear—"
"What's wrong?" she interrupted, her brows furrowing.
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Don't worry about it. Things are just a bit complicated on my end, but I can handle it."
Her suspicious gaze bore into me, even through the crystal ball. It felt like she was searching for a lie.
After a moment, she sighed. "If you say so... Just remember, if you need advice, call me, alright?"
I gave her a thumbs-up. "Got it. So, any reason for the call?"
She placed her hands on her hips and replied, "What? A mother can't check in on her baby?" Then she turned slightly and muttered, "Always wanted to say that."
I rested my arms on the chair's headrest, smirking. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with that."
Her hands fell to her sides. "Well, actually, there is a reason I called..."
I rolled my eyes slightly. So much for that earlier statement.
"You see, I forgot to inform you of a few things while you were here. I was just so excited to see you that they slipped my mind—whoops!" She gave an embarrassed smile, scratching the back of her head. "But since you just got this crystal ball, I thought, 'Why not test it out and let you know now?' And hey, it worked!"
Her enthusiasm was infectious. I puffed out my cheeks slightly to suppress a laugh. "So, what's up?"
Her smile broadened—a little too much. I suddenly felt nervous.
"You see, while Sally—Percy's mother—was here, I kept her company. She's such a lovely woman. I can see why Poseidon would be smitten with her. Anyway, we became friends during her short stay, and we started talking about our children and the challenges of raising demigods..."
She continued enthusiastically, completely oblivious to my growing sense of dread.
I knew I should've been happy that she had made a friend, but I couldn't shake the growing dread in my stomach. Somehow, I just knew I wasn't going to like where this was headed.
My unease was clear as I voiced my concerns, "Mother... I'm going to stop you right there. I don't like where this conversation is going."
"Oh, pish posh. Now don't interrupt me again," she said in a deadly serious tone that left no room for argument. For once, I decided it was best to keep quiet and let her continue.
Her bright smile returned as she went on. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Sally and I were discussing raising our children, and the topic of schools came up."
"Absolutely not." My voice was firm. I didn't care if I was about to get scolded again—there was no way I was going back to school. I didn't die and claw my way back from the afterlife just to endure that nonsense again.
"SHUSH!" she hissed loudly, the sound so sharp and commanding that I involuntarily jumped. I hated how much power she still had over me, even from a distance.
Clearing her throat, she continued as if nothing had happened. "As I was saying, Sally was surprised to hear you'd never been to a proper school. She couldn't believe that, aside from the homeschooling I provided, which ended when I passed, you haven't had a formal education since you were seven."
"But—" I tried to interject, but her glare shut me up instantly.
"The more we talked, the more points she made that I agreed with," she said matter-of-factly. "You need a formal education. I want my son to be praised as a scholar, to graduate at the top of his class, and to present me with his diploma. Make a name for yourself outside of this supernatural world. It could be quite good for you."
"I would rather rot in the deepest part of Tartarus than go ba—than go to school with some muggles!" I blurted, catching myself mid-sentence and hastily throwing in a distraction.
It worked.
"Muggles?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Non-magic people," I clarified, "those unaware of the supernatural."
"Ah," she nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. Then, her gaze turned icy again, fixing me in place.
"Lucy baby, there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding here." Her voice was calm but laced with an unsettling edge. "You appear to be under the impression that you have a say in this matter."
Her humorless smile sent a shiver down my spine.
"No, baby. No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "You seem to have forgotten that I am your mother. If I say you're going to school, then you are going to school."
She placed a hand over her mouth, her black eyes gleaming coldly as she let out a soft chuckle. "How cute~ You really thought I was asking for your opinion, didn't you?"
Leaning closer to the crystal ball, she rubbed the screen as if affectionately stroking my face.
"Baby, one of the main lessons I taught you was to read between the lines. Context clues are important. If you recall, at the start of this conversation, I said I had something to inform you about, not that I needed your input~"
"..."
"YOU EVIL WITCH!" I hissed venomously, my voice dripping with frustration and disbelief.
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