The door opened to reveal a rather normal-seeming waiting area. To the left there were two low black leather couches, a coffee table with scattered magazines, a few potted trees, and multiple clocks on the wall demonstrating time zones for key cities, including New York, Rome, and Athens. On the wall directly before the door on the far right side was two metal doors closed together, likely being an elevator. To the right of the room was a pedestal that stood higher than the boy.

However, as lovely as the room was, it was the patrons inside that terrified him.

Squeezed together on the couch or randomly scattered around the room were transparent beings. They stood and sat motionlessly and stared off in no particular direction. They were abroad in gender, age, and race. That which alarmed him the most was a mother holding a baby in her arms by the elevator. Her face was expressionless and she had a completely clear hole the diameter of a dime in her forehead. Her baby had a sack over its head held down by a thin rope.

Nico's stomach churned in disgust at the sight. This room, possibly this building, was populated by ghosts. The cold aura that he felt when he first approached made perfect sense. The rumors about ghosts were true. The left a chilling sensation when in their presence, some even said their passing through humans caused shivers down the spine.

He needed to get out of here. Cautiously, he began to back out of the room to make quick escape out the door. When he reached back to feel for the handle, he felt something else; something warm.

"Wow, kid, I like you, but not in that way." Hypnos said with this classic smirk. He put his hands up as a show of peace. "I'm all for exploring your sexuality, but there's a time and place for that."

Nico's face burned with embarrassment. He wanted to punch the sleep god right then and there. However, the back of his mind advised against it. There was still that whole "all-powerful" wild card thing he had kept to every person he had met so far and would meet on the way along. He decided it was best to try slipping past Hypnos before making a break for it. He ducked under the other's arm and reached for the door bar that would push outside. But, before he could even get a whiff of the mucky Los Angeles air, someone grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back.

He hacked and struggled helplessly. He reached back to try and pry the hand from his collar, but it made little difference. He was dragged backwards across the room. His heart pounded against his chest, adrenaline burning his veins like corrosive acid. He looked briefly over his shoulder to see where he was being lead. Hypnos dragged him towards the high pedestal. He heard someone groan over his rapid heartbeat. A figure slowly emerged from behind the pedestal and stood over them.

The man had dark skin that reminded Nico of something he could not name. He wore a fine white suit with a black undershirt and a striped tie. He wore dark sunglasses which completely hid his eyes. His hair was dyed blonde and slicked back. Over his left breast he had a pin which had words on it that his dyslexia could not comprehend. He narrowed his eyes to hazily make out something that looked like: "Charon" When his eyes lifted to look back at his face, he swallowed hard. Despite not being able to see the man's eyes, he could feel his glare.

"Who's this bugger?" The man demanded. His voice was deep with an Australian accent. He tilted his head down and his eyes peered from behind his sunglasses. His eyes were black vortexes with glittered black spots, like dying embers.

Nico felt a shiver go down his spine at the deadly stare.

"He's the one your boss-man is waiting for." Hypnos answered calmly.

Charon sneered at the sleep god as if he was a maggot who had crawled into his food. He rested his arms on the pedestal and leaned over it.

"I don't give a damn who he is." He said flatly. "He can pick a number and wait until I feel like taking him like the rest."

Nico frowned and looked up at Hypnos. Why would he be brought here if it was not already assured? Or did the sleep god just bring him here on a whim? He was fully aware the other had some sort of gain from this or he would not have done it in the first place, let alone standing in this ghost-filled waiting room arguing with this terrifying man.

Hypnos looked back at the boy and gave him an assuring smile. As he turned into look back at Charon, he smirked casually and strode up to the pedestal. He leaned against it casually. His eyes looked off as if he were bored by this semi-fight.

"Listen, Charon." He said smoothly. "Why don't you consider this a favor to me? I'll owe you one."

Charon sneered down at Hypnos. He leaned further down on the pedestal. "I don't give a damn about this kid, or you. I don't care if his daddy's Ouranus; he don't pay, he don't get in! Besides, I know you better than that, Hypnos. You don't keep your debts, not even to your brother."

Nico was alarmed. Charon and Hypnos were brothers? He looked between the two and saw no resemblance. Not only in skin colour and eyes, but any notable facial features. He raised a brow at the accusation but kept his mouth shut.

Hypnos glared at Charon. He slammed his fist into the pedestal and the wood splintered under the force. The loud bang made the boy jump. Hypnos was allot stronger than he looked. He was full of surprises and it was absolutely terrifying. The god stomped back towards Nico and his glare softened somewhat.

"Do you have any drachmas?" He questioned. When Nico stared at him dumbly he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Drachmas, ancient gold coins; currency of the gods. Did that camp teach you anything?"

Nico remembered the odd gold coins that sat at the bottom of the black money pouch that the man in the park had given him. He pulled the pouch out of the pocket of his ripped jeans. He pulled one of the shining drachmas out and showed it to Hypnos. It felt

"That'll get you knocked into Styx if that's all you got." Charon said harshly. "And don't you give me any crap about convincing the boss to give me a raise. You demigods are notorious liars."

Hypnos rolled his eyes and snapped the pouch out of Nico's hand. He peered inside and his eyes widened. The boy could see the god's eyes almost reflected the weighted coins.

"This is more than mom's ever given me…" he said in a whiney tone. His lips pursed in a childish pout. From the corner of his eye he shot an envious glare in Nico's direction.

He pulled out a handful and showed it to Charon. The blonde's eyes widened in interest at the coinage. They were hungry, like a starved dog's when its owner held up a juicy steak. The sleep god placed the money on the pedestal. Charon snatched it up like he was afraid he would lose it. He counted the coins carefully. When he finished, he eyed the pouch.

Hypnos tossed it to Nico. He fumbled but managed to hold it. Charon turned a sharp eye to him. Hypnos, however, made the gesture to pocket the rest of the money. He found himself a lot more afraid of the sleep god that his brother.

"You can get the rest when you take me where I need to go." He said with a forced bravery.

Charon sighed and stepped down from the podium. He walked towards the elevator and the ghosts all snapped their head to follow him with their eyes. Hypnos led Nico along, close behind the other. Charon pressed the down-pointing button. The ghosts around became restless. They rushed towards the door, all waving what looked like tickets. Charon shoved them back as he pushed into the elevator, Hypnos and Nico close behind. The ghosts rushed inside. The pushed and shoved each other to get past the doors.

Charon growled in annoyance as he shoved through the ghosts the close the door. The elevator dinged and the doors began to slide shut. The ghosts on the outside gave sharp, desperate cries as they reached inside. When the doors finally closed and cut their arms off, the limbs vanished into thin mist.

Nico glanced around the dark room and noticed something that also scared him. Charon's clothes had changed completely while he was no looking. The fine suit became a dark, shrouded cloak. His once rich skin was now transparent and showed a grinning skull under the large hood. He glanced and found he was no longer standing on a shiny metal floor, but old, dark wood boards. His head snapped up. He was no longer in a confined elevator, but a boat; a boat that drifted along a murky river in a dark realm that choked the lungs with an evil air.

He realized where he was. He was on the dead's ferry that traveled down the infamous River Styx. He was in the Underworld.

The boat rocked softly along as it cut through the water like a knife. Charon held the long paddle and pushed along at a steady pace. Nico stayed close to Hypnos who remained perfectly calm. The sleep god stared out at the demonic realm with boredom, as if he was just waiting for the boat to dock. The boy could see his head bob slightly. He began to lean over to edge of the boat. In three more bobs, Hypnos was fast asleep and snoring softly.

Charon lifted the paddle slowly out of the water. He carefully slipped it under Hypnos's body. With one jerk, the god was in the water. Nico gasped and peered over the edge. Hypnos's body was left floating face down. Bubbles rose around his head in pauses. The god was alive, fast asleep, and still snoring. He looked back up at the ferryman. For the briefest moment, he thought he jaw the skull grin just a bit more.

The boat slid next to a dock. It slowed to a halt. The ghosts rose from their seats and filed from the boat one by one. Nico watched them depart before standing up to follow them. He felt a hand reach out to grip his shoulder and cause him to jump. He looked over to see the human persona of Charon. Wordlessly, he held his hand out to him.

Nico stared at him with a dumb expression. When Charon curled and uncurled his fingers, it clicked in. The boy dug into his pocket and handed the ferryman the pouch of drachmas. He accepted it and pulled it open. He turned the bag upside-down and pocketed the gold. He offered the pouch back to him. The boy blinked, clearly confused.

"She's going to want that back." Charon told him at last. "I'm still on the clock, but you seem to have all the time in the damn world so make yourself useful."

Nico frowned and looked at the dark pouch. He departed from the boat and followed in tow with the souls which headed forward. Through their transparent forms he could see an odd gate ahead. It reminded him of the entrance of an amusement part. Although what peered past did not seem all that amusing. Three lines to three gates rolled in tow. One line moved quickly while the other two moved at a snail's pace.

On the far left side, parted from the other gates, was an odd-looking one that no line filed into. It was a lined in dark iron. The doorway was completely black. A shadowy mist spilt out from it. It licked the ground in slowly movement, never straying far. The doorway warped in dark shades. It mixed and churned randomly. Above it was a sign in ancient Greek which was the only language he could read fluently. The gateway was named Erebus.

He frowned at the foreign word. His Mythomagic game had taught him many of the elements in the death realm and yet he could not recall such a place. He knew the places where all souls were sorted: Tartarus, the Fields of Punishment, Asphodel, Elyse, and the Isles of Bliss. Everything was organized accordingly; so what could possibly be in Erebus?

He saw a form slip from the edges of the darkness. It was a woman. She was tall and beautiful. Her hair was black as a starless night, pulling back into a loose bun. Her skin was paler than the moon with lips painted red as blood. Her black dress hugged her curved-shaped body and cut down the side of her leg, the bottom of it glittering with white specks like stars. She held a long French cigarette holder and it's end burned with white hot embers

Her eyes were intent on him and her red lips curled into a familiar smile. Her eyes broke from him briefly to address someone else. It was a teenaged girl who ran straight towards her. The girl had brown hair tied back into a ponytail that waved as she ran. He could make out that her purplish shirt only covered her right arm. She wore tight pants that changed from black to red halfway down her thigh and marked with a black over her knee. She was barefoot and Nico swore he could see red on the soles.

The girl tried to rush into the gates of Erebus but was stopped by the women. She pointed a long finger at the boy and said something. The girl looked briefly over her shoulder. Nico could feel her cold stare pierce him like a dagger. She shrugged the women's hand off before marching inside. The women frowned before looking back to the boy. She smiled again, politely waved, before following the girl inside.

Nico's frown deepened as he stared at the empty gateway. Who was that women and why was she so intent on him? It was scary in a way. He felt the line continue to move along and he was forced to fall in tow. The line was starting to move quicker. Unlike the other lines, this line did not stop. Though it was not something to run to keep up, it did not pause for a moment.

He paused briefly for a moment. A cold sensation shot up his spine. His head slowly craned to look up. He saw something circle overhead. At first, he thought it was a large bird or bat. The creature began to decrease its distance. He could see the large, veiny bat wings beat at a steady pace. The body of it was not an animal, nor was it human. It seemed like a mix of both. The creature held the body of a withered old woman. However, the snarl of jagged yellow teeth gave another opinion.

The ghosts around him began to scatter at the sound of fleeing bats. The line was no more as the souls of the deceased hid. They gathered in large groups at the sides of the gateway. They all looked to the sky in fear. Nico wanted to cover his ears before he figured out the creature's target. He large, demonic eyes were focused on the only living thing in the area; him.

He turned on his heels and made a run for it. He could hear the sound of the large wings flapping behind him. The wind was on his back. Maybe if he got past the gate the creature would leave him alone. He made a beeline for the gate which more ghosts moved through; entitled E-Z Death. Adrenaline rushed in his ears, deafening him. His heart thumped against his chest. He felt its burn in every vein in his body.

Before he could scream, he was snatched into the air by large claws. The creature's talons looped around his arms. They did not crush him, but they were far from a gentle hold. He grabbed onto the creature's ankles and held on for dear life. The ground was far below him. He could see the dark ground rolling onward. The sight would be impressive had he not been so terrified.

The creature reared to the left towards a menacing building. A tall building made of black spired nestled into the rocks that encased the realm. The creature steadily began to descend along the long black bridge. The path of black stone lead into the jagged maw of a gateway. Two guards stood on either end of the gates holding spears upright. They wore Spartan armour and stood tall as he and the creature approached. When past them by with a gust of wind, he noticed their skin was translucent, even more so than the spirits in Charon's waiting room. As the creature flew by, he noticed more of the soldiers in an array of armour and holding an arsenal of weapons.

The creature began to descend lower. Nico held his feet up so they did not drag along the ground. He could see the room coming to an end. From the long hall, the creature took him into a large room. It rectangular in shape. Long, thin windows stretched to kiss the high roof. They were fragmented like monochrome stain glass. In the centre, introduced by a long carpet, were two thrones. One was made from bark and entangled with spring flowers. Despite the cold weather above the hell, the flowers bloomed brightly in an array of colours. The larger next to it was the absolute opposite. It looked like it was made of a fusion of bones, mainly skulls. Both thrones were occupied, by beautiful young woman, and an older, darker man. Both of them were watching him and both of them did not look pleased.

The monster set the boy down oddly gently. He stumbled a step, but quickly regained himself. The beast took off and landed gracefully on the back of the death throne. The withered old hag's eyes glowered at him intensely, brimming with intelligence. She did not look hungry, but thinking about the best way to cook him first. His gaze slowly lowered to the two occupying the thrones.

The woman had her arms crossed and her glare was far more terrifying than that of the hag. She had an arrogant way of sitting. Her legs were crossed and she leaned against the side of her earthy seat. Her hand tapped the armrest with obvious agitation. It seemed the last thing she wanted to see was Nico in her throne room. The man next to her wore a mask of indifference. He sat tall and strong; the posture of an authoritarian and the dark aura that surrounded him only solidified it. He was wrapped in dark cloaks that the child swore he could see faces moaning out in distress sewn into the fabric.

Nico swallowed hard as he met the man's harsh black eyes. He swallowed hard and stood his ground. He had to have been brought here for a reason. His heart began to pound again. This was the place he was to get his answers, but it was a wild card to know if that was a good thing or not.

The man gave a hefty sigh. The boy swore he saw a smile crack on his pale lips.

"It has been a long time, son."