Nico gasped.
In the little stream of moonlight, he looked like a ghost, with his pale olive skin and dark clothes. His sword was on the ground and looked like nightmare. Faint echoes were coming from the tunnels of the labyrinth. But he wasn't scared.
The ghost in front of him smiled with what looked like kindness. But it wasn't. It was a smile full of loathing and revenge. And of evil satisfaction. After all, he had made that silly boy remember his misfortune.
Nico's mind was reeling. For these few months he had tried to stuff the memories of his sister in the most forgetful corner of his mind, but that only made it more remembered. Bianca, he thought as nausea spread through him. A sudden attack of memories came again and he found himself living those moments of grief again.
Back in Italy, they played in the grounds of their mansion. Bianca, a little girl, ran around and Nico, a toddler, struggled to stay on his feet. Maria laughed, sitting on a bench while watching her children. Nico, getting tangled with his feet, fell down, bruising his knee. Maria and Bianca came running to him and Bianca carried him to the house while Maria got the medicines. Nico would cry all the time when Maria tried to put some ointment on his knee but Bianca whispered words of encouragement in his ear. He was grateful for her.
Bianca held Nico close to her when the lawyer escorted them to a casino. He had no idea why he was there. He didn't know where his Mama was. All he knew was that Bianca was the only one he had. And that he was the only one Bianca had.
Nico was sitting in the Hermes cabin with a very grumpy mood. How could she? She was his only family, how could she leave him? How could she leave him for a new family? Leaving him all alone? Yeah, maybe she was sick of him. Maybe she was too tired of taking care of him and decided he was to be treated as an abomination. But after all they had been through? After all he had been through? After all that happened to him?!
He…..couldn't stay there anymore. Bianca, his only family and support. His beloved sister. She…..left him…..In this horrible world…All alone….He hated Percy. Why didn't he sacrifice himself for Bianca? He had promised to Nico. He broke his promise. Nico's hero…..broke his promise. And Nico knew that nobody now would accept him. His own father had never communicated with him. Maybe even he had not accepted him the way he was….only Bianca did. And she was gone. Forever. Even Percy wouldn't accept him….What could he do now? There was no place for him in this world. No place for a child of Hades…yeah, he knew his godly parent…that godly parent who refused to talk with him. There was no place for him in camp. No place anywhere. No place for what he was. And he ran off.
Nico shook his head and thought, Don't. Dwell. In. The. Past.
He looked up to the ghost in front of him who had been watching him all this while. He knew he shouldn't trust the spirit. It was untrustworthy and had an evil past with a gruesome death. But Nico had no other choice but to let the ghost stick with him. It was the only way he could bring Bianca back. But that didn't mean the ghost could have control over him. It should be the other way round. He had already made the mistake of letting his guard down. And now he was suffering as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. But when he spoke, his voice was cold and deadly,
"Go away to the Underworld now, Minos. Your services are not required at the moment."
The ghost, Minos, huffed, but internally he was growling- You foolish boy! How dare you order me around like that?! I am the king of the ghosts. You are simply a pawn in my game. You are the one who is doing me service. But nevertheless, I will go…..Might as well keep up with your delusion. And with a voice resembling an innocent man at the mercy of an executor he said,
"Yes, as you say, my Lord." And he vanished.
With a heavy heart and swollen eyes, lonely Nico lay down on the cool black-tiled floor of the Labyrinth and submerged in sleep.