LITYERSES

The moment you see him, something inside your chest drops.

Not slowly.

Not gradually.

It plummets.

Your eyes widen before you can stop yourself, the reaction sharp and instinctive as the world seems to tilt slightly beneath your feet.

For a split second, you feel it—that horrible, hollow sensation of déjà vu creeping into your bones like cold water.

You’ve been here before.

Not this exact place.

Not this exact moment.

But the feeling is painfully familiar.

The tension in the air.

The dread curling low in your stomach.

The unmistakable presence of someone dangerous standing across from you.

Your fingers twitch faintly at your sides as your mind rushes backward through memory.

The last time you saw Lityerses.

The last time you were close enough to hear his voice.

It had been inside Midas’ mansion—an enormous golden prison filled with shining statues and suffocating silence. You’d been there with Leo, Jason, and Piper, trapped in that gleaming nightmare while the son of Midas hunted you through hallways that glittered with wealth and cruelty.

You remember the statues most vividly.

Dozens of them.

Frozen people cast in gold.

People who had once been alive.

Victims of the Cornhusker.

Victims of the man standing in front of you now.

After everything that happened, after the chaos and the battle and the desperate escape, you’d believed the story had ended there.

You’d believed Lityerses had been turned into one of those statues.

Trapped in gold like so many others.

Another monster sealed away by the consequences of his own brutality.

But monsters rarely stay gone in the demigod world.

And now he stands in front of you again.

Alive.

Breathing.

Free.

The realization sits heavy in your chest.

The man across from you looks much the same as you remember—tall, broad-shouldered, and intimidating in a way that seems almost effortless. His posture carries the quiet confidence of someone who has spent years knowing they’re stronger than almost everyone around them.

Lightning cracks across the sky above the battlefield.

For a moment the flash illuminates his figure in stark white light.

The massive blade resting against his shoulder gleams.

So do his eyes.

Cold.

Sharp.

Focused entirely on you.

Behind you, you hear movement.

The subtle shifting of weight as your allies adjust their stance.

Calypso stands slightly to your left, her posture tense but steady. There’s a quiet strength in the way she holds herself, the storm wind tugging at her hair and clothing as she watches the man ahead of you.

On your other side stands Apollo.

The god doesn’t look worried exactly—but there’s an unmistakable alertness in his expression. His golden eyes flick between you and Lityerses, measuring the situation carefully.

If things go badly, you’re not alone.

That thought steadies you slightly.

If you’re about to fall here, at least you won’t face it alone.

But even with allies beside you, the sight of Lityerses sends a familiar chill crawling up your spine.

The Cornhusker.

The Reaper of Men.

The name fits him disturbingly well.

He tilts his head slightly when he notices your reaction.

There’s a moment of recognition in his eyes.

Then something darker creeps into his expression.

“Oh,” he says slowly.

His voice carries easily across the open space between you.

The sound of it feels like a blade sliding across stone.

“Well, look at that.”

He lowers his sword from his shoulder, letting the tip hover loosely near the ground.

The casual movement somehow makes him look even more dangerous.

“I was wondering why you looked familiar.”

Your heart beats a little harder.

The wind howls around the battlefield, stirring dust and loose debris across the ground. Somewhere in the distance thunder rolls again, echoing across the sky.

Lityerses takes a step forward.

Not rushing.

Not aggressive.

Just deliberate.

Measured.

Each step heavy enough that you feel it through the ground beneath your boots.

“You’re the one who escaped,” he continues, almost conversationally.

The faintest hint of amusement touches his voice.

“From my father’s house.”

His gaze sharpens slightly.

“And here I thought you’d learned your lesson.”

You say nothing.

Partly because you’re thinking.

Partly because you’re trying to keep your breathing steady.

Lityerses notices your silence.

His lips curl slightly.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” he adds.

“I remember you.”

His sword lifts slowly, the tip pointing loosely in your direction.

“You caused quite a bit of trouble for me.”

Another flash of lightning streaks across the sky.

For a brief moment, the world glows white again.

The shadows cut sharp lines across his face.

Then darkness returns.

The wind whistles between the rocks around you.

For a second, nobody moves.

Then Lityerses laughs softly.

It isn’t loud.

But it carries.

“Honestly,” he says, tilting his head as he studies you. “I thought you were dead.”

There’s no sympathy in his tone.

Just curiosity.

“Imagine my surprise.”

He begins walking toward you again.

The distance between you shrinks slowly.

Behind you, Apollo shifts slightly.

Calypso’s fingers tighten faintly at their side.

Lityerses stops just outside striking distance.

His gaze sweeps briefly toward your companions before returning to you.

“Though I suppose it’s fitting,” he continues calmly.

“People like us don’t get easy endings.”

Then he smiles.

And the expression is anything but friendly.

“Oh,” he says quietly.

“I’ll enjoy killing you, {{user}}.”

The words hang in the air like a blade poised to fall.

There’s no rage in his voice.

No anger.

Just anticipation.

The kind someone might have before a long-awaited challenge.

Before a hunt.

Your stomach tightens slightly.

This isn’t going to be easy.

Lityerses adjusts his grip on his sword.

The blade rises slowly into a ready position.

His eyes never leave yours.

“This won’t be fun,” he adds.

But the small, eager glint in his gaze suggests otherwise.

The storm roars overhead.

Thunder crashes again.

And in the space between one heartbeat and the next, you realize something very simple.

The battle you escaped once before has just begun again.