Book9:

The Twisting Maze

Chapter 144:

Class Dismist.

"Another explosion happened in midtown New York. Nothing is known about survivors but we have news that the local law enforcers managed to regain control over the situation.

But listeners, keep in mind that a solution is still far out of reach. Mayor Caroline Crystal promised to stop an end to this reign of terror caused by these monsters yet is unable to even controll her own city, what could this mean for the future? What's the sinister purpose behind this campaign of terror that has been plagueing the nation? And who can stop this wave of fear and madness? More on that-"

My mom turned the dial on the dashboard. Turning off the buzzing of the radio.

I slightly tried to relax in my seat. But Nyx's legs were getting in the way.

Subtly, I tried to maneuver my legs so I had more leg space but Nyx caught on. Without looking moved her legs to block my own. Claiming the big part in the middle for herself.

I let out a sigh.

So far the drive to my new high school started relatively normal. It was just your summer Thursday; just a regular demigod and the Primordial of the night sitting in the back of a prius.

"You drive lovely." Nyx complimented my mom.

"Thank you dear," Sally started to smile.

"I am truly amazed, you haven't hit a single pedestrian yet." Nyx continued to elaborate.

I thought my mom would surely react to that but instead she just shrugged; as if Nyx's comment was anything but abnormal.

"Oh well, I guess it comes with experience." She answered.

Nyx continued to ponder that statement.

I hoped Nyx realized that lack of experience was not her main problem. Seeing how she was much older than my mom, I doubted it was that. Maybe it was just…well, Nyx being Nyx.

'My mom can drive,' Hemera chimed in on my thoughts.

'Thanks!' Nyx sent me a glare.

'She can drive you insane.' Hemera added.

Nyx pouted.

Now, you might wonder why Nyx was tagging along with me checking out my new high school. And that was a good question.

I, myself, was also curious for the answer but one had yet to be given to me.

Nyx just showed up at my door this morning, announcing that she was coming along to see the 'Mortal place of suffering' I spent my off-duty time at.

My mom went along with it, no she seemed even to be happy with it. Praising Nyx for taking the time to help me out on such a big day.

Nevertheless, I had already spent several years in this school in my previous life.

And that's the story of how my leg space was taken over and claimed by Nyx.

Strangely, she wore somewhat regular clothes today.

Pretty Gothic still, mostly black stuff, but definitely more mortal-ish compared to her usual dress and all.

I was surprised to find out that mortal clothes even made her look better.

"What?" Nyx asked.

I blinked.

"You were staring at me? Did I leave anything on my face?" She brushed her hands against her cheeks, checking for irregularities.

"No, I was just thinking." I said.

"You sure, no blood or anything?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Can't you just use the Mist to fix anything you want already?" I pointed out.

Nyx shook her head. "Nonoo, that won't do. I need to make a good impression for that guy Paul Joyfish."

"Blofis." Mom corrected.

"That's what I said."
I shook my head, wondering how much longer this was going to take.

"You should follow her example," Sally said with a smirk. "Did you even wash your face this morning?"

As she saw my aghast expression, both the Primordial of the Night and the eternal Darkness and my mom began to laugh in unison.

Things never change, do they?

We arrived at Goode Highschool without any issues.

From outside the school was looking exactly the same as I remembered.

A big brownstone building overlooking the East River.

The parking lot was filled to the brim with cars, people, festivities and other noisy things that made focusing on it too much of a headache.

There were food stands with students offering food, there was a small stage set up where a few people were doing a performance and there were balloons everywhere.

In front of the entrance, written in letters so big a blind person couldn't miss it, hung a banner that read:

Welcome to Goode Highschool.

So Good, You'll never want to leave!

All things considered, very standard highschool hell.

I mean, all of this in June? I bet no one really wanted to be here. But you know, at Goode Highschool we start early to excel later. Or something.

I turned to Nyx. She watched the festivities with mild fascination.

"Now Percy," my mom began.

"I'll try not to blow up this one." I said.

She raised her hands, "I just want you to be safe. That's all."

She gave me a stern look. "I don't understand or grasp half of what you are doing. But whatever you do, try to stay alive."

She momentarily gazed down. "Paul…he knows. If things go wrong, you can call on him."

I felt touched, my mouth felt dry. "-Mom…"

"And you!" She turned to Nyx. "You protect my son, okay."

"I swear it on my mother's grave!" Nyx formed a fist and touched her chest. "I promise, this one will not get out of my sight."

'Why on my grave?' Chaos complained. 'I'm not even dead.'

"Thanks." My mom smiled at the both of us. She looked so proud. So happy.

I immediately felt so grateful to have her as my mom.

"Now, get out of the car." She motioned towards the door, making a shoving motion. "I'm having a meeting with my agent about a possible book deal and I do not want to be late."

Nyx and I hurried out of the car.

"Do you ever think about how you never told her you actually died?" Nyx asked as the prius was speeding away.

"Gods, Olympus would shatter if she knew." I mumbled.

Nyx chuckled.

We entered the school.

The insides were much the same as the outside. Too loud music. People everywhere. Teachers and students with smiles that said; please, let me enjoy my vacation!

The abundance of confetti, balloons and other decorations made the entire place feel like one colorful mess.

"Hmm," Nyx said thoughtfully, "I never imagined highschool would be like this."

She almost drifted off, towards a vending machine with her favorite drink.

I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away and through the crowds.

One random student offered me a flyer with an invitation for the chess club.

A group further ahead was trying to gather members for the Swimming Pool Club.

I was very interested in that.

"Percy Jackson!" A woman's voice called out.

From behind us. Walking out of a history classroom came a woman.

She was around Paul's age. Had long black hair tied in a ponytail, glasses and green eyes.

Her clothes were almost formal. But not quite yet. Her suit was just the right combination between classical and casual.

She walked towards me. "I heard much about you."

Nyx pouted. "You haven't heard much about me?"

The woman frowned. As if she was confused by the question. "Uhm, miss Night right?"

"Yup, that's me! Anything bad about me?"

The woman's scowl deepened. "Nothing that I can recall? Just average grades and performances."

Nyx scowled. "Average?"

'Why does she know your name?' I asked Nyx.

'Why am I average?' Nyx meandered.

The woman shook her head. "My name is Evelyn Green." She offered me a hand. "I'm a friend of Mister Blofis. I teach history."

I lamely shook her hand. "You already know me."

"Yes. Percy Jackson," her eyes narrowed. "Your reputation precedes you."

I swallowed.

Maybe someone else would see this as an honor. But for me it was anything but that.

"Why am I average?"

'Also, seriously? Night as last name?'

'What's wrong with that?'

"How about I give you two a tour of the school." She smiled. "Make sure we get to know each other."

"Sure." I said, wondering where this was all going.

I briefly wondered if she was a monster in disguise. But quickly dismissed that idea.

She was indeed weird, a bit creepy and definitely giving off bad vibes. But every highschool has multiple of these kinds of teachers.

Nyx and I followed the woman through the school. She started talking about all the different classes, introduced us to a few other teachers and gave us some tips.

I saw Nyx actually scribbling notes in ancient Greek on her notepad.

There wasn't anything remotely interesting about the tour. Both because I had seen everything, and because my thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

My eyes flashed around, trying to catch a glimpse of something red.

When we were back in the main hall, standing on the balcony I spotted it.

At the end of the hallway, hidden away in a corner and surrounded by a sea of students I saw the would-be-Oracle of Delphi.

From the looks of it, she was as uncomfortable as I felt.

"So, what are the rules on bullying?" Nyx asked Evelyn with a serious expression.

"We have strict anti-bullying policies." Evelyn answered with equal seriousness.

Nyx wrote something down. "Good to know. So what constitutes bullying? For example, hypothetically of course, how far can you maim someone before I get expelled?"

I took another look at Rachel.

By pure chance, our eyes met. Her eyes lit up. As if she had just seen a kindred soul.

I waved my hand.

'Maybe I should go to Rachel, talk to her,' I thought to myself.

However, it seemed that it wouldn't be necessary. The red haired girl walked towards me, cutting through the crowd like a knife through butter.

At first her pace was subdued but it quickly turned into a hasty walk.

She came to a stop in front of me; a surreal expression in her face. As if she couldn't believe I was real.

"Hi." I said.

"Hello."

…

Silence.

"What are you two doing here?" Rachel asked. She desperately tried to sound at ease but failed.

"We are here because of the Freshman Year introduction, or at least I am." I answered dryly. "She just followed me." I pointed at Nyx.

Nyx pulled her gaze away from the woman and looked at Rachel.

"Hi."
"EEEP!" Rachel suddenly backed away. Her right hand tracing the railing while the other covering her mouth.

Nyx tilted her head as Rachel looked at her with a horrified expression.

"Oh." Nyx said with a small voice. "You can see through the mist, can you?"

I looked at Nyx.

It had been quite a while since Nyx came barging into my life. I had grown completely used to her looks, attitude and presence. But I was reminded that she was in fact not mortal.

And her eyes definitely didn't try to hide it.

"Relax," I tried to take a step towards Rachel. "She's not going to hurt you."

'Well, let's not make any promises.' Nyx murmured, though she didn't say it out loud.

"What's going on?!" Rachel asked. Her breathing started to grow erratic. Her eyes were scanning and moving all over the place. Never staying still for one second.

"You know what's going on?!" She suddenly demanded.

"Yes!" I said, happy to find something I could help her out with.

"You can explain why I can see monsters!?" She asked, she took a deep breath. "Please tell me! I need to know what is going on! Why are her eyes glowing!" She pointed at Nyx. "Why can I see things others can't? Why are we the only ones here!?

I nodded calmly, trying to reassure her.

"Look, everything will make sense." I raised my hands, showing I was harmless. "You can see monsters because they are hidden by the Mist. Normal people can not see things that are hidden by it. But you are special," I pointed at Nyx. "She is a friend of mine; her appearance is also masquaraded by the Mist-"

I froze. "Wait, what did you say about being alone?"
"Why are we the only ones here?" Rachel repeated impatiently.

I scowled. "What do you mean with 'we are the only ones here?'"

Rachel looked me straight in the eyes. "Wait, what are you seeing?"

I pulled my gaze away, "What am I seeing? I am seeing an entire crowd of people, students everywhere. Confetti and cake."

Suddenly, Rachel lurched forward and grabbed my face. Putting her head between her hands.

"Now, don't get too enthusiastic lady," Nyx jumped in.

Rachel ignored Nyx. "Don't you see it?!" She hissed. Practically our foreheads were touching each other. "There is no one but us three!"

I wanted to say that was a load of crap but just as I was about to I realized something had changed.

The constant background noise of chatter and loud music, the bright festive decorations, the crowds.

I blinked.

They were all gone.

Slowly I took a look around. The entire school was empty. The hallways, the class rooms. The stairwell.

The sounds, they were all gone. All of a sudden there was a deadly silence.

"What the fuck." I mumbled as I blinked again. My mind was failing to catch up with my eyes.

I tried to look for Miss Green. For the sound stage. For any of the props that covered the wall.

The school was completely empty. A hollow shell.

"What is going on?!" Rachel asked. "PLEASE TELL ME."

All of a sudden, a femine laugh echoed through the hallways and the main hall.

I could practically feel a presence fill the school as the sound expanded.

The laughter continued. Coming from everywhere around us.

Nyx drew her daggers and moved closer to me.

I turned my eyes to the exit.

There!

What is going on? The voice mocked. It sounded dreamy and regal. A subtle disdain for us interwoven with the words. I tried to locate it but I found myself unable to.

It was everywhere.

I tried to spot the exit.

The doors were only a few steps away from the stairwell.

With a heavy slam all of a sudden the doors closed themselves. The sound echoed throughout the building.

Other doors in the complex followed. One by one, every door began to swing itself close. One after the other. Forming a chorus of screeches and explosions.

Lightbulbs began to snap, glass rained down from the ceiling.

The darkness slowly began to spread around the school. Expanding from the corners.

What's going on is very simple. The voice mocked. You just ran into a trap

A/N And there's another chapter done! I had this scene in my head for over years, so glad I finally got to write it out!

So yeah, a new book begins. The second part of the Labyrinth book.

In case you still want more Champion of Hope, but this story just won't update (Glares at Author, oh wait, that's me), consider reading the spin off fic that is written by CaptainMoonShine.

She wrote a fic called No More Heroes; I heard it's pretty interesting and if anything, more stuff to read and help you forget.

Anyways, that's all I got for you lot today. Please consider leaving a review or favoriting this story. It helps me show that people are actually interested in this stuff.

Bye

-Moonhorse96-