Nico closed the door of his cabin with a curt motion of the wrist and he laied on his mattress of his bed. And he did not anything. He limited himself just to breathe, also he wanted to stop doing it, too.

He only wanted to be able to stop every single things that clinged him to his life. Why living? Nico knew he hadn't a purpose. Everyone had one. Percy defeated Kronos. Luke became an hero. Even that Leo had the annoying purpose to be damn irritanting. And Bianca died to contribute to the mission. But he has never had one. He didn't have reasons to continue to live, and he was thinking about it seriusly. Percy made those dozed off memories that he had hidden in his heart's deep, to not face them again. He only wanted to forget them. But Percy had an amazing talent, he could make him suffer also without seeing it.

He understood he was crying just when he tasted his tears. He heard a sob pervaded the room. And in that moment he hated Percy. He was suffering because of him. Not quite satisfied about the pain that he coused to him every time he kissed Annabeth in front of him, Percy had to twist the knife in the wound. The fault was just on that idiot.

Because of him Nico felt that lancinanting pain at his chest avery time that Percy talked to Annabeth. And because of him Nico wanted to die in that moment.

And it wasn't enough for Percy. No, he had to smash him totally, reminding him his sister's death, like the pain was never enough.

Nico asked himself why, just why. Why he was the one who foundered in the darkness without seeing the light again? His life became a misfortune since he met Percy. He had lost his sister, and he had founded that he was born during the forties. And than he was in love with an idiot who would have never replied his feelings, and without any hope to forget him.

He was soabsorbed in his thoughts that he boggled when he felt the door opening.

:-Nico, are you here? I've just...Nico!-exclaimed his sister, seeing her brother crying on the bed. -Nico, what happened?

:-Nothing, Hazel-Nico said, wiping his face that was red for shame. -Nothing, it's all right. Go to sleep.

:-No, it isn't-Hazel said, sitting next to him. -I'm not stupid and I'm not blind. What's happened?

:-Nothing, nothing happened-repeated Nico stubbornly. He wanted to be alone. He was ashamed because he was crying.

:-It was the punishment, isn't it?-Hazel asked sweetly, caressing his dark hair. -What did Percy now? And, please, do not tell me that you're good, or I'll load you on Arion and I'll let you fall from the Mount Olympus.

:-Ok-exclaimed Nico, exasperated. -It's true, I've...I've had a quarrel with Percy, I think so.

:-What's happened exactly?

:-We were...we were washing dishes and he started to speak...he started to speak about her-stuttered Nico, breaking down and crying again.

:-Gods, that Jackson is so stupid-she told him, smiling. -Someone should sew his mouth and clean his brain from seaweeds.

:-I hate him-Nico said. -I only want him to leave me in peace, and he does the exact opposite. Does he feel a perverse pleasure in making me suffer?

:-Listen at me Nico. I know you're angry-Hazel started to explain, without stopping to caress his messy hair. -And you're right, but I'm sure that Percy didn't want to hurt you, but just to apologize. You know, probably he's feeling guilty. Percy is a good guy.

:-I know it-Nico admitted. -But although I told him to not apologize, he continues to talk about her, like if I hadn't suffer enough. Yes, I miss her, but I don't want to talk about Bianca. It makes everything more real and it's not easy to bear.

:-Thanks to Gods, I had a mother next to me, a mother who took care about me. But she changed and she died with me. I didn't live the same affairs of yours, but, believe me, I know how you feel. And it's not good, I know this-replied Hazel. -I know she was and is the most important thing. Unfortunatelly, I know I'm not her, and I don't want to replace her. But I love you. And I'm worried if you're not happy. I would like you to be.

:-I know it, Hazel-Nico retorted, wiping the tears again. -And you're my sister, too. I love you, too. But you shouldn't be worried. I'll be ok.

:-Are you sure about it, Nico?-Hazel asked to him, uncertain. -I don't believe you. You shouldn't close you in yourself. I'm here and I'll always be here for you.

:-I swear you, Hazel, I'll be fine-Nico answered. -Even the pain is forever.

Hazel nodded, unconvinced, but she didn't insist. She knew that Nico didn't want to continue to talk about it in that moment. He needed time.

So they staied in that way for a long time, and Nico, lost the energy because of that difficoult day and the tears that drained him, was going to fall in a light doze, while Hazel was caressing his dark hair.

Than Nico started to talk, amazing Hazel.

:-Hazel, can you stay here to sleep with me?-asked the son of Hades with a sleepy tone that was almost infant.

Hazel couldn't keep a smile and nodded. She lied next to him, and she waited that he was felt asleep. And after a little while Nico felt in a deep sleep.

"Nico was in front of the bathroom, waiting for his turn. He was at the Camp just since few days and he was still able to feel his nervousness and his excitement running in his veins, two feelings faster, stronger and more intense than the blood. The idea of living there, with his new friends, galvanized him. Everything was true, as he had always whished. Monster, Gods of his game...they were all true! Maybe Zeus really had all those attack points...

But he felt like he missed something. An empty in his life. A constant of his life had disappeared, that one he needed.

Bianca. He missed her, also he was trying to not make his friends see it. He was trying to distract himself. He used to follow every during training followed by the Cabin 11, he explored every place of the Camp. But it was never enough.

He was worried. Bianca hadn't gone to pick strawberries in the strawberries camps of Chiron and Dyonisus. She had gone on a quest, and she could lost her life in every moment. Whatever, any monster could kill her.

Nico shaked the head, chasing his thoughts. Percy promised him to protect her. And the boy used to trust him.

Yes, Percy. He was a strange boy, Nico had to admitt that. He infiltrated his school, and he saved the son of Hades from a monster, Mr Thorne, who had tryied to kidnap him and his sister during the prom. And they had been saved by the Hunting of Artemis, who had taken Bianca, too. And he was alone. If he had never known that boy with tanned skin and those green eyes that were deeper than the Ocean, nothing would've happened. Maybe Nico would've staied with his sister in that school, maybe he woudn't ever discovered to be a demigod. Maybe he could've had a different life, as he couldn't. Could he have died?

The truth was that the son of Hades didn't know that. But surely it would've happened, surely because of that monster, Mr Thorne. His ex-headmaster.

Altought his life had changed so drastically because of the son of Poseidon, Nico didn't hate him. Also everything was cool and amazing, he missed the school life, and he missed bianca.

But he didn't hate him. Nico was sure about it. He didn't hate Percy. He trusted him. He was so handsome, so brave so...awesome. Percy would've solved that situation, he was sure about it. The son of Hades believe in him. Percy was his own hero. And he would've made Bianca come back to him. Because he needed his big sister. She still had to teach him too much think. She had to explain to him what was that strange close to his stomach that he had felt since he met Percy at the first time. And she had to be his guide, his light in the darkness.

But it wasn't right, Nico was wrong. Because when he came back, Percy told him everything.

And than he hated Percy.

And he started to run. He had to go away. Who could he trust? Nico didn't know it. He just know he had to run away. He had to go.

And he did, with tears at his eyes. And he cryied untill he drained them, too. Because Bianca was died, and she would've never come back to him. He would've been alone forever".

Nico woke up, screaming. And he started to cry, he wasn't able to keep the teardrops. That dream, that memory, again. He repeated himself that it was just a bad dream to quiet himself, but it didn't work. He knew that it had really happened. He felt her sister's arms twisting around him, and her curly hair pinching his neck.

:-One other nightmare?-Hazel asked to him very softly, caressing his hair again. Hazel really loved Nico, he was his family. The boy nodded, sobbing.

:-Do you want to talk about it?-Hazel said. Nico shaked the head. He couldn't talk to her about Bianca. He could hurt her. And that dream, that memory, was horrible.

:-Be quiet, Nico-said hair. -Everything will be all right, it is right now. It was just a bad dream, a nightmare.

The boy relaxed slowly, trying to think it had been just a bad dream. But it hadn't. It had been just a memory of a nightmare, of that dark nightmare with no sense that was his life.

But Hazel had become a new good costant of his life. She was always here, for him. She had never abandoned him. Was it the purpose of the girl? Was it the reason why finding Hazel in the Underworld had seemed to him too easy? Was it destiny?

Nico didn't know the answer. But he really hoped it to be, because Hazel wasn't the new Bianca. She was only Hazel, and he loved her. He couldn't lose her, too. He hoped that he wouldn't be alone again.

But what was his purpose? Nico had often asked it to himslef. The worst was that he hadn't an answer. But he was feeling like at home for the first time after a very long time. He was feeling like a part of something.
Nico was tired of his darkness. He wanted the light. Because everyone has a purpose. And he decided he would find his.

And mabye he could accept his past. And maybe he would forget Percy.