The next day, Nico was walking along the line of cabins, trying to forget that voice. He was getting used to hearing it, but the mention of Will made him anxious. Did he really break Will's heart by not telling him the truth? Just then, he got dizzy again. His vision got blurry and he struggled not to fall. Having nothing to cling onto, he tried his best to stand up and pretend nothing was wrong.
"Nico, you haven't broken Will's heart. You've shattered it to pieces," whispered the voice menacingly. It let out a harsh cackle. Although his vision cleared up and the dizziness vanished, Nico seemed to feel worse. During breakfast, he saw Will talking with Kayla Knowles, another girl from the Apollo cabin. He glanced at Will and they looked at each other. For a moment, time stopped around them. Then, Will turned away and Nico had a bad feeling he knew why.
"Will, wait!" Nico called, grabbing Will's wrist.
"Whoa!" Will yelped. Nico winced.
"Sorry. Um, you don't hate me, right?" Nico asked hopefully. Will raised his eyebrows.
"Um, Death Boy, is this some kind of joke? Are you saying we're done? Because I will judo throw you if you're breaking up with me," Will replied. Nico shook his head.
"Nothing. We're not done. Um, I love you," Nico pecked Will on the cheek and walked off, trying his best not to hum in joy. Then, the ground opened up and many campers stared at Nico. But they knew it wasn't him as the ground made to swallow him up.
"Nico!" Will yelled, running over. Nico panicked and waved his arms frantically. Will rushed over and pushed through the crowd. Percy, Annabeth and Grover were trying to pull Nico out. Unknowingly, Will pushed through them and Nico got swallowed by the ground. Nico let out a blood-curdling shriek and the ground closed up as it was before.
"No!" Annabeth shouted in despair. Will dropped to his knees. Although he knew Nico was probably in the Underworld, there was no telling if he'd suffocate or get captured. Hades wasn't exactly one to leave his children alone. Will started to cry silently. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Kayla approached him.
"Come on, Will, we should get to archery class. Cheer up, we could, um, beat the Athena cabin again!" Kayla murmured. Annabeth's ears perked up.
"A challenge! Yes, that'll keep our minds off things. Nico's sure to return by the end of class," Annabeth replied. She tried to sound happy, but the group knew she was nearly in tears. Will nodded sadly and trudged to class.
Down in the Underworld, Nico was confused. He didn't make the ground open up. He remembered the nauseous feeling he had and that cold, harsh voice.
"You're going home? Away from your love? You don't love him at all. You could've run away from that crack and now you would feel his arms wrapped tightly around you, his angelic voice comforting you. But you didn't run. You don't love him at all, Nico di Angelo," the voice laughed. Nico tossed and turned in the small confined space that he was in. Then, he dropped onto the Underworld floor.
"Dad?" he called, walking up to the castle. Alecto was there, sitting on the castle gates.
"Hello, Nico. Here to see your father?" Alecto smiled. Nico nodded.
"Where is he?" Nico asked.
"In the castle, as usual. Beware of Persephone," Alecto warned. Nico sighed.
"Same as always, Alecto," Nico muttered. No matter what Nico did to please Persephone, she'd always come flying at his neck. Though he knew it was useless, it was irritating.
"Nico Darkstar di Angelo! How dare you step on my plants!" Persephone exclaimed in fury.
"Persephone, the whole pavement is flowers. How else am I supposed to talk to my father?" Nico retorted. Persephone made a wall of flowers that covered the castle door.
"Then don't!" she yelled, walking through the wall like thin air. When Nico was sure Persephone wasn't on the other side of the wall, he took out his Stygian iron sword and slashed through the plants.
"Oops," he muttered. Alecto cackled behind him and he smirked.
At the throne room, Nico appeared before his father and smiled casually.
"Hey, Dad. The ground swallowed me. Was it you?" asked Nico. Persephone was there and gasped.
"Kneel! Speak to your...father, with respect!" Persephone instructed, saying the word "father" with difficulty. Nico made to touch a plant and glared threateningly. The moment he touched it, the plant would wilt. She cleared her throat and swept out of the room while Hades sighed, resting his elbow on the armrest and putting his head on that hand.
"No, it wasn't," he said. "Are you still with that sun boy?" Hades questioned.
"Yes, Father, I love him, and I won't leave him for anything," Nico said in a monotonic voice. He'd said the same line nearly a hundred times. Only the first few times was filled with emotion. Hades groaned.
"Not even for Bianca?" Hades offered. Nico rolled his eyes.
"Bianca chose rebirth. She's..gone," Nico said, trying not to cry.
"I'm the Lord of the Underworld. I kill whoever I please," Hades replied.
"Bianca preferred being dead before and I trust she prefers being alive now," Nico sighed. Hades closed his eyes in boredom.
"Go back to camp. Your sun boy is probably in tears," Hades mumbled. Nico murmured a "thanks" and walked off.
"Your absence has shattered Will's heart and crushed it to powder. He's moving on," the cold, harsh voice laughed maniacally.
Author's Note: So, how do you like this chapter? PM me your ideas or theories about this chapter, I'd love to see what you guys think happens next! Two reviews for a third chapter!