Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Poseidon
Darkness.
That was all Poseidon knew as he drifted in the void.
He remembered the battlefield, the clash of gods and titans. He remembered Coeus—his overwhelming wisdom piercing through every attack, every strategy, every trick.
His humiliating lost.
And then, nothing.
He was swallowed by Hades' darkness.
But perhaps something had gone wrong.
A force beyond even divine control twisted time and space itself, he feels like his body was getting ripped apart.
And then—cold.
The crushing weight of the deep.
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Water.
An endless abyss.
Poseidon's unconscious body drifted through the ocean's depths, swallowed by the vast unknown. His divine aura flickered, barely holding against the endless pressure.
Just then, there was light.
A soft, shimmering glow in the dark abyss.
A figure approached.
A woman with flowing teal hair, skin like polished pearl, and deep, curious eyes that shimmered like the sea itself.
A nymph.
She hesitated before reaching out, placing a gentle hand on his chest. Power surged through her fingertips, encasing him in a sphere of shimmering light.
With a graceful motion, she guided him through the abyss, past coral forests and through underwater valleys, toward a magnificent structure hidden in the deep.
A golden palace.
****
Poseidon's eyes fluttered open.
The first thing he noticed was the ceiling—vast, adorned with seashells and glowing corals, shifting with an ethereal light.
The bed beneath him was unlike anything he had known—woven from kelp and embedded with pearls, yet softer than silk.
He groaned, sitting up. His head still pounded from the battle.
"You're awake."
Poseidon's gaze snapped to the side.
Standing at the doorway was the same woman who had found him.
She stepped forward, her movements fluid, almost as if the water itself responded to her presence.
"Where am I?" Poseidon asked, his voice rough.
She tilted her head slightly. "The palace of my grandfather, Oceanus."
Poseidon froze.
Oceanus.
The eldest of the Titans. The boundless sea itself. The one who had chosen to stay out of the war.
A Titan.
Poseidon's muscles tensed, but before he could speak, the nymph continued.
"He wishes to meet you," she said. "He is waiting in the throne room."
Poseidon's sharp eyes narrowed. "And who are you?"
She met his gaze, unwavering.
"Amphitrite."
A sea nymph... and granddaughter of Oceanus.
Poseidon hesitated. He was in enemy territory. If Oceanus chose to strike him down now, he had no allies here.
But something in Amphitrite's expression was... calm. Not hostile.
He exhaled, standing up. His body was still sore, but his divine power was slowly returning.
"Fine," he said. "Take me to him."
****
The palace corridors shimmered with bioluminescent light, the walls carved from coral and gold. Schools of fish darted past open archways, and sea currents flowed naturally through the halls, moving with the palace rather than against it.
Then, the corridor widened.
Poseidon stepped into a vast chamber, the water shifting around him like a gentle tide.
At the far end of the room, seated upon a throne carved from the bones of leviathans and adorned with deep-sea pearls, was a figure that radiated power.
Oceanus.
His presence was overwhelming.
His beard was long, flowing like waves in an eternal current. His skin shimmered with the depth of the sea, and his piercing eyes held the weight of ages.
Despite his immense presence, there was something ancient, something... steady about him. Unlike Cronus, who wielded power like a weapon, Oceanus' power was calm, vast, and beyond comprehension.
Poseidon clenched his fists, steeling himself.
"You are awake," Oceanus said, his voice deep, resonant, like the rolling tides. "Good."
Poseidon held his ground.
"I did not expect to wake in a Titan's home," he said cautiously.
Oceanus studied him for a moment before giving a slight chuckle.
"I suppose you didn't."
Poseidon felt Amphitrite glance at him before stepping back, allowing the two deities to face each other.
Poseidon exhaled, taking a single step forward.
"Why did you help me?" he asked. "I thought you want nothing to do with the war?"
Oceanus regarded Poseidon with an unreadable expression before finally speaking.
"I don't. But I'm curius. Tell me, god of the seas... what happened in the war?"
Poseidon hesitated for a moment before straightening his posture. Even though Oceanus was a Titan, he remained neutral.
And he can also be regarded as Poseidon's superior.
"We were ambushed," Poseidon admitted, his voice level. "Cronus struck before we could fully prepare. The battlefield was chaos. I fought a Titan called Coeus.... And I lost."
For a moment, silence filled the chamber.
Then—laughter.
Deep, rolling laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Poseidon stiffened as Oceanus' booming voice echoed through the throne room.
"You... lost?" Oceanus repeated, still chuckling. "You, who possess a fragment of my authority over the sea—the strongest authority there is—lost to a Titan like Coeus?"
His laughter faded, his gaze hardening. "Unacceptable."
Poseidon flinched slightly at the sudden shift in tone.
Oceanus leaned forward, his presence growing more intense. "A god of the sea, defeated by a twig like Coeus. Do you understand how disgraceful that is?"
Poseidon's jaw tightened. His pride burned, but he could not argue. Coeus had defeated him. That was a fact.
Oceanus scoffed. "You have the sea at your fingertips, and yet you let a Titan whose strength lies in wisdom and intelligence bring you down?"
He shook his head in disappointment. "Pathetic."
"...it's not my fault!" Poseidon gritted his teeth, "He was reading all my attacks and countering them! He played me like a child! If I have the same strategic mind as that titan, I would've have won!"
"You fool!" Oceanus bellowed, "You would've won if you had been strategic!? You could've won even if you're an idiot! So what if you're not strategic? So what if you rely on instinct? The seas aren't meant to be logical! It is wild and untamed! You're being outsmarted? Then drown him! Drown him in the depths of the sea! Make him feel the despair of getting pulled down into the abyss! What can an intelligent man do if they are being crushed by the wrathful waves of the ocean!?"
Poseidon said nothing, his pride wounded, but he knew he couldn't defend himself.
Oceanus sat back, his sharp gaze never leaving Poseidon.
"I already knew what happened," he said. "The creatures of the sea are my eyes and ears. I saw the battle unfold."
Poseidon's breath hitched slightly. "Then why did you have to ask..."
He almost lied just to save himself from embarrassment.
"Your brother, Hades, tried to save you all," Oceanus continued. "He used his darkness to bring you and the others to the Underworld. But the temporal storm messed with his coordinates. Which is why you're here, in my domain."
Poseidon exhaled sharply. So he had his brother to thank. If he didn't try to save him, he would've been erased from history.
Oceanus observed him for a moment before sighing. "Regardless, what's done is done. You are here, and I have no intention of keeping you."
Poseidon looked up at him warily. "Then what will you do?"
Oceanus waved a hand dismissively.
"Rest, recover. Once you're healed, get off my territory." His eyes narrowed. "I will take you to the Underworld and reunite you with your siblings. But after that, I want nothing to do with this war."
Poseidon remained silent for a moment before giving a nod.
Oceanus leaned back into his throne, his piercing gaze never faltering.
"Do not waste the power of the sea again, Poseidon. Next time, fight like you deserve it."