Sneaking onto the Princess Andromeda was hardly as difficult as I expected.
For once, I didn’t need to hide in the shadows or climb the rigging like some kind of ghost. There was no need for elaborate plans or distractions. I simply walked onto the ship.
It wasn’t as if anyone would have stopped me. The crew was distracted—either too drunk or too busy with their own plans to care about a lone demigod slipping past them. And honestly, I wasn’t exactly the type to draw attention to myself.
The Princess Andromeda was colossal, its sails stretching across the sky like the wings of some ancient creature, and the deck was filled with soldiers who looked like they could tear you in half with a single glance. But none of them paid me any mind. Maybe they thought I belonged here. Maybe they didn’t care.
Or maybe they were too intimidated by the name of the ship itself to question why someone like me would be aboard. Kronos’s flagship. The heart of the rebellion.
I walked with purpose, every step echoing in my ears, the salty wind whipping my hair around my face. This was it. This was my chance.
The door to the lower deck opened, and I strode through without hesitation, past the guards, past the murmurs of the crew as they saw me but didn’t stop me. They wouldn’t. No one would. Not after what I was about to do.
I made my way into the belly of the ship, where the air was thick and smelled of salt and metal. There were whispers here too—half-drunk soldiers, grinning at some private joke, making bets on their next battle. But I wasn’t interested in them.
I was looking for one person.
Luke.
It wasn’t hard to find him. He stood in the center of a small room, surrounded by a group of his most loyal followers. But he was the only one I cared about. His golden eyes flicked to me the second I entered.
I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t wait for him to speak. I wasn’t here for games.
“I want to join Kronos,” I said, voice steady, eyes locked on his.
For a long moment, Luke didn’t say anything. He just studied me, his gaze sweeping over me like he was assessing my worth. His followers were silent, waiting for him to make the first move.
Finally, his lips curled into that all-too-familiar smirk. The one that was equal parts charming and dangerous.
“Do you now?” he asked, his voice smooth but with an edge of amusement. "And why would you want that? What’s in it for you?"
I didn’t flinch. The truth was simple, and I wasn’t about to sugarcoat it.
“I’ve got no loyalty to anyone but myself. I’m not a hero. I’m not a villain. I’m just... here. And Kronos? Well, he seems like the only one with a plan that might actually work.”
Luke raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “A cynic, huh?”
“I’m a realist,” I replied coolly. “And I’ve seen enough to know that the gods don’t care about people like me. But Kronos? He’ll change everything. He’ll make the world how it should be. And that’s where I want to be.”
The room was quiet, the weight of my words hanging in the air. I could feel the eyes of the others on me, but I didn’t care. This was about one person.
Luke studied me for a few seconds longer. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to read between the lines. “You’ve got guts,” he said, his voice thoughtful. “I’ll give you that.”
“I don’t need your approval,” I said. “I’m here because I know what I want. And that’s more than most of the people on this ship can say.”
There was a flicker of something—amusement? Respect?—in Luke’s eyes. He pushed himself off the wall, taking a slow step toward me. His presence filled the room, drawing the attention of everyone there, but I held my ground.
“Alright,” Luke said, his tone taking on a more serious edge. “You want in? You’ve got the guts, but Kronos’s army isn’t for the weak. You’ll need to prove yourself. You’ll need to be willing to do whatever it takes. No questions asked. No mercy.”
I didn’t hesitate. “I’m willing.”
Luke’s smirk deepened, but there was something calculating behind it now. He took another step closer, until he was almost right in front of me, his gaze locking onto mine.
“I like that,” he said, his voice low. “Maybe you’ve got more of what it takes than I thought.”
He turned to his followers, who were watching us closely. “Get her set up. We’ll see what she’s made of. You can’t just walk onto my ship and expect to be handed everything. But if you’ve got the stomach for what’s coming, maybe you’ll make it.”
He looked back at me, his eyes glowing with some silent amusement. “Welcome aboard.”
And just like that, it was done.
No grand speeches. No elaborate tests. I didn’t have time for any of that. The path was set. I was part of Kronos’s army now, whether I liked it or not.
But I wasn’t sure what bothered me more—whether I’d made the right choice, or whether I was going to get more than I bargained for.
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