Chapter 10: Waking Nightmares, Sibling Fights, and a Stupidly Large Whirlpool
The world felt wrong.
Even as the Sirens' song faded into the depths of the ocean, something inside me still clawed at my brain, whispering doubts, urging me to give in.
I shook my head violently, breathing hard. The battlefield illusion was gone. The Blades of Chaos had vanished from my hands. But that feeling—the doubt—still lingered, coiled around my ribs like a snake, hissing its poisonous questions.
Was I really on the right path?
I scowled. Stupid song.
My body was still straining against the restraints I had tied myself into. I struggled against them for a second before groaning. "Alright, someone get me out of this thing."
Nobody moved.
I glanced around.
Clarisse looked shaken but was recovering fast. Annabeth was hunched over, her breathing ragged. Percy was gripping her shoulder, whispering something. Grover was holding onto the mast like it was the only thing keeping him on the ship.
And then there was me.
Tied to the freaking mast like some kind of lunatic, my face drenched in sweat, looking like I had just survived a goddamn war.
"…Okay, real talk," I said, forcing a grin. "Did anyone not have a mental breakdown just now?"
Clarisse gave me a glare that could've melted steel. "You tied yourself up beforehand?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Yes? I like to think ahead. You should try it sometime."
She clenched her jaw and stomped over, cutting me free in one sharp motion. "You're an idiot."
"But a prepared idiot," I said, stretching my arms.
She jabbed a finger at my chest. "Don't think that means you're getting away with this. We still have a quest to finish, and you two—" She snapped her glare toward Percy. "—are still not supposed to be here."
Percy crossed his arms. "You'd be dead without us."
"Yeah?" Clarisse shot back. "Well, maybe I'd prefer that over having you messing things up every five minutes."
Percy scowled. "I don't mess things up."
"You exist, Jackson. That's bad enough."
"Okay, okay," I said, stepping between them before she actually punched him into the ocean. "Let's all take a deep breath before we start a second war on this ship, yeah?"
Clarisse still looked ready to break Percy's nose. "You have no idea how important this quest is to me."
I met her gaze, my usual grin softening.
Actually, I did know.
Ares had given her a personal mission. This wasn't just about the Golden Fleece. This was about proving herself. About proving that she wasn't just some meatheaded war brute. That she deserved to be a hero.
And here Percy was, stealing her moment.
I got it.
But that didn't mean she was right.
I sighed. "Look, sis. I get it. I really do. But let's be real—if we weren't here, you'd be fish food by now."
Clarisse clenched her jaw, her hands balling into fists.
For a second, I thought she'd swing.
Then she huffed and stormed off.
"…She took that well," I muttered.
Annabeth, who was still looking very out of it, finally spoke. "You're lucky she didn't throw you overboard."
I grinned. "Please. She loves me."
Grover groaned. "Can we please get off the ship soon?"
I sighed, stretching. "Yeah, yeah. But first—" I turned to Annabeth. "You okay?"
She didn't answer right away.
Then she nodded, but it was tight. Forced.
I didn't push.
Even without remembering exactly what the Sirens had shown her, I knew it had to be bad.
Instead, I clapped my hands together. "Alright. Who's ready for more death-defying ocean adventures?"
Grover whimpered.
We didn't even get half a day of peace.
Just past noon, the ocean began boiling.
I smelled it before I saw it—sulfur, burning salt, something unnatural stirring beneath the waves.
And then—
The sea exploded.
A massive whirlpool erupted from the depths, sucking in the waves, churning like a goddamn black hole in the middle of the ocean.
And right at its center, something moved.
Something huge.
Something ancient.
Scylla and Charybdis.
I groaned. "Why is it always the worst-case scenario?"
Clarisse fought to keep the ship steady, the CSS Birmingham tilting dangerously toward the whirlpool's edge. The ghostly crew were scrambling across the deck, but this time, they weren't grumbling about mutiny. This time, they were panicking.
"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Clarisse roared.
Annabeth grabbed the railing. "We can't fight that!"
Percy, gripping Riptide, scowled. "Then what do we do?"
I scanned the chaos, heart pounding. The ship was way too big to just steer out of this mess. The whirlpool was pulling us in fast, and if Charybdis decided to really wake up, we were going straight down its gullet.
Think, Lionel. Think.
My eyes flicked toward the mast.
The ropes. The sails. The height.
A very stupid idea clicked into place.
I grinned.
"Oh, I'm gonna regret this."
Before anyone could stop me, I grabbed the nearest rope, slung it around my waist, and launched myself toward the mast.
"LIONEL, WHAT THE HADES ARE YOU DOING?!" Percy shouted.
I ignored him.
I scaled the mast like a madman, balancing on the highest crossbeam, gripping another rope in my free hand. The ship lurched again, tilting even closer toward the whirlpool.
"Alright, big guy," I muttered, staring down into the swirling abyss. "Let's see how you handle getting punched in the face."
I kicked off the mast, swinging down like a wrecking ball—
—straight into the ocean's mouth.
Most people would not willingly dive into a giant, world-ending whirlpool.
But then again, most people weren't me.
The moment I hit the water, I felt it—power everywhere. The ocean churned like a living thing, its currents pulling in every direction.
And right at its core?
A massive, gaping maw.
Teeth the size of ship masts. A body so massive it became the sea.
Charybdis.
She was an entity, not just a monster.
And I had just jumped straight toward her.
I should have been terrified.
Instead, I grinned.
"Alright, ugly," I muttered. "Let's dance."
My Berserker Gauge flared.
[Berserker Gauge: 85% → 100%]
Power surged through my body.
For the first time, I felt the full force of my system, of what it meant to be a Berserker.
Raw strength.
Unyielding force.
And the need to destroy.
I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body screaming with energy.
Then, with a roar—
I punched the ocean itself.