Prologue

The pains started when he was eleven, a year after he lost his sister, and two years after he lost his mother. Nico kept it to himself, however, because he knew that his sister and mother had had the same pain in their stomachs before they died. He didn't want to die.

He had been too young to understand at that point, and thought that if he ignored it for long enough, it would go away. And he really believed that. So, he kept it a secret, even after his half sister came to live with them. It wasn't even that bad at first. It only hurt when he ate, and that could be controlled. Besides, he needed to focus on his school work. He was going to go to high school, soon, after all.

When he was thirteen, it got worse. The only food he could eat was chicken broth, and the only thing he could drink was a pink herbal juice he had found at the store. For some reason, it had spiked his curiosity, and it looked familiar. It was good, and it didn't bother his stomach, so that was all that he drank. He didn't mind, really, especially because those were the two things that got him through eighth grade, and graduation. He was okay for the moment.

Too bad his luck always ran out.

It was the summer before freshman year, and his father was getting married to a woman named Persephone, who was nice, but seemed too motherly for Nico. He didn't like the idea of her replacing his mother. It just wasn't right.

"Nico, you coming?" Hazel knocked on his bedroom door. "We're helping them plan today, remember?"

Nico cursed in between labored breaths, trying to get his breathing under control. He was curled up on his bed, his arms wrapped tightly around his torso. The pain was almost unbearable, but he knew if he told his father, he would be taken to the hospital, and he would probably never come out. He had seen it happen twice to the two people he loved.

"Nico?" Hazel pounded harder. "Should I come in? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm-" Nico stopped, tensing up even more as another wave of pain rocketed through his body. Every instinct in him told him that he was dying, but he ignored them, instead focusing on making it stop. He just needed it to stop.

Hazel opened the door, closing it behind her. As soon as she saw Nico, however, she ran to his bedside, dropping down to her knees.

"Nico, what's wrong? Do you want me to get dad?!" Hazel asked, concern written all over her face.

"No!" Nico choked out. "It'll go away. Just don't get him."

"Nico, is it your stomach?" Hazel went to move his arms away, but he refused to let her. "I'm just trying to help you."

"Hazel, did dad ever tell you about Bianca and my mom?" Nico asked, a random question in Hazel's view.

"Well, yeah," Hazel answered. "The doctors never found out what they had, but it was always this horrible pain in their….Nico, what are you saying…? It could just be a stomachache! You don't know that it's -"

"Stomachaches don't last for three years!" Nico answered, his grip on his stomach lessoning as the pain died away, little by little.

"Oh, Nico…." Hazel looked at him sadly. "Why didn't you tell somebody?"

"And have them take me to the hospital? I'm not stupid, Hazel. They would just keep me there and run tests for the rest of my life." Nico answered. He sat up slowly, reluctant for it to come back. "It's better for right now, Hazel. Come on, dad will worry."

"Nico, you're laying back down." Hazel said sternly, standing up to look at him. "You looked like you were in labor. There's no way I'm letting you go like that."

Nico laid back down on his bed in defeat. "Just don't tell dad, alright?"

"Alright." Hazel agreed. "And, a tip for stomach pains. A hot bath helps."

And then she was gone.

Nico sighed, too exhausted from the pain to even worry about his sister knowing. Quickly, he fell asleep, spread out on his bed. Hazel let him sleep through lunch, and then dinner. At about four in the morning, however, he awoke to the same unbearable pains. He took her advice and crawled to his bathroom, difficultly turning on the hot water. When he managed to get in the tub, the hot water helped enough to allow him to think, but not enough. The pain still shot through his body, causing him to tense up so bad his legs would be sore the next day. Each time this happened, it seemed to last longer.

What was happening to him?