"I'm… sorry," Selena apologized with tears in her eyes as Silva took the bracelet with the scythe charm from her.
"I didn't know what to do at the time… Luke was kind and gave it to me as a gift once and had me say some things to others about you. I didn't want to do it, but he managed to convince me.
And after it was revealed that he was on the side of monsters, I wanted to stop giving him information. But then he threatened to tell everyone about what I did," Selena confessed while bowing her head.
"It's alright, but next time make sure to tell it to Chiron at least. He would have handled the rest. But for now, let's forget about it. You don't need to say this to anyone. I will handle the aftermath," Silva replied as he took the bracelet and figured out how it worked.
Selena nodded and then went back after wiping off her tears. Silva felt a bit better about what he found, as it would prevent the future where she would have died at the hands of the Drakon in the final battle in Manhattan after dressing up as Clarisse.
Selena was not part of a great prophecy, but her actions had indeed appeared in a few minor ones — that was when Rachel had told Percy about her dreams. So Silva had the power to control her fate in the world for now. According to what he remembered, Selena was supposed to be attracted to Beckendorf during the Sea of Monsters, and later his death while bombing Luke's yacht was what led her to attempt a suicidal attack on the Drakon all on her own.
"Let's make sure Luke doesn't get a chance this time," Silva spoke to himself as he activated the communication bracelet.
"Selena, what's the matter? Have you got any information we can use to infiltrate the camp yet? Or has Silva left the camp?" Luke's voice came from the bracelet, signifying that he wanted Selena to find ways to attack the camp while the barrier was down. So that might have prompted Selena to contact him just a few moments ago.
"Selena has given me this bracelet, Luke. You can never control her again," Silva replied decisively, making Luke fall silent on the other side.
"All because of you," Luke's voice came from the other side of the communicator. But unlike before, when it was filled with a tired tone, this time it was filled with bone-chilling rage and anger. But it did not faze Silva even a little bit.
"Yes, but don't forget who started it in the beginning," Silva said, as the curse and the fight between him and Luke had started because Luke had made him Athena's enemy at the time.
"What do you think would happen if I revealed that you are a Roman? Isn't that why your parent was not revealed even when you were so strong? I remember Thalia having a brother who went missing when he was a baby. Are you that child?
Is that how you escaped from the oath? You only mentioned their Greek names within it. Imagine what would happen if it is revealed to Zeus. Do you think you will be able to survive!!!" Luke screamed out at the end, as if daring Silva to fight against him.
"Are you sleeping well, old friend?" Silva calmly replied, earning a full-blown scream from the other side. As the person who put the curse on Luke, he knew Luke's current physical condition. Luke had been under a lot of stress by now since the curse Silva put on him would never allow him to relax ever again.
Seeing that Luke was screaming profanities at him instead of conversing, Silva decided to break the bracelet. But before he did, another voice came through the bracelet.
"Oh, you managed to make my champion angry within a few words, I see," a voice cold as ice came from the other side. Silva was able to feel the temperature around him fall into the negatives because of the voice alone.
"Titan of time," Silva replied as he began channeling the power of the forests through him. He knew he could not allow Kronos's presence to overpower his surroundings, as that might lead to Kronos having control over Silva's existence, even by a little bit.
Silva knew that demigod dreams were extremely random and weird, plus Kronos had shown again and again that his power to manipulate dreams could even affect gods like Ares.
So Silva believed it was better to not even say the titan's name while speaking with him.
"Hmm, cautious, aren't you, to not even speak my name? Good. It makes me wonder why such a smart demigod still plays around with the Greek demigods.
Your strength clearly signifies your future growth, which will surpass even Heracles. So why don't you join my side, boy? I can give you anything you desire. And I can say for sure that even if you somehow manage to stop us, the Greek gods will give some hollow reward in return for your efforts," Kronos gave his pitch to Silva, but he got his reply within a second.
"Not at all tempting, I would say. And it's not 'somehow' — we will win. At the end, the Greek demigods will stop your plans, and until then, I will make sure to guard them from your slimy hands," Silva said as he crushed the bracelet in his hands.
At the same moment, on the other side—
"Hmm, spirited child — the easiest of them to manipulate. Wonder what would happen if I revealed your origins to Zeus," Kronos's spirit muttered and then turned to Luke, who was panting and sweating from the energy he expended moments ago.
"This won't do. I guess I'll have to call in a favor from the daughters of Atlas to find the remedy for this curse. And while I'm at it… let's see how he will guard those children when he's running for his life," Kronos said with a menacing chuckle.
A/N — Hope you like it.