Flying away from the workshop, Nico can sense Daedalus’s life force, which tells him Daedalus survived the fight. Annabeth sends an Iris message to Chiron, who needs their help back at camp. Rachel secretly convinces a chauffeur to drive them around by using her famous father’s name. From the highway, Rachel spots the Daedalus’s mark on a mine entrance. They enter the Labyrinth once more. As they walk, Rachel and Annabeth talk about architecture, while Nico confides in Percy that he feels like an outcast. They get an uneasy feeling at the next crossroads because one tunnel seems to lead to the Titan’s palace on Mount Tam/Mount Othrys. Percy goes down the tunnel alone, hoping to stop Kronos from fully forming.

Using Annabeth’s Yankee’s cap for invisibility, Percy finds Kronos’s golden sarcophagus with Luke inside. Before Percy can strike, Ethan Nakamura pledges himself to Kronos and gives him a newly forged scythe. Luke—who is now Kronos—sits upright and takes the weapon. Percy tries to run, but Kronos’s power makes him feel like he is running in a dream. Nico and the others burst into the room. Rachel stuns Kronos by throwing a hairbrush in his face and Nico summons a huge pillar of rock that blocks the Titan’s exit.