When I dropped onto the sidewalk in Vegas, a gift box in my hand, no one paid me much attention. Trust me, there were much weirder things happening in the middle of the street than a girl walking out of the shadows.

I stared at the box in my hand, sure that it hadn't been there when I left the Underworld. But I saw the little tag that read "Father" in Hades' elegant handwriting, and I knew he'd given me the box. Judging from its size, I figured there was a gift for both Nico and Bianca in there.

As I walked into the Lotus Hotel and Casino, I was immediately greeted by one of the bellhops, dressed in a green suit with gold epaulettes, reminding me of Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya De la Rosa Ramirez from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Yes, I committed his entire name to memory.

No, I'm not sorry about that.

Anyways, the Esteban look-alike smiled at me, revealing his perfect teeth. I want in on these guys' dental plan, seriously. He even tipped his green cap at me before producing a silver and green Lotus Cash Card from his jacket. Luckily for me, I'd been here enough times that he didn't need to say anything, merely stepping aside and gesturing to the game room behind him.

Despite having been here a couple times, the game room managed to take my breath away. There were five different water slides than ran the length of the entire room, which was about the size of five football stadiums put back to back. Every type of video game filled the floor, something that would've made every single Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Busters green with envy.

There was a huge dance floor, too, the floor itself made of these white bricks that lit up in time with the music's beat. Pressed against the wall were more classic card games, each semicircle taking up a good chunk of space. Everywhere you went, you'd bump into people dancing or playing games, generally having a good time, completely ignorant about the fact that time was speeding by outside the building.

I promise you, in the fifteen minutes that I've been here, a day has already passed by in the mortal world.

Clutching to the box so it wouldn't get knocked out of my hand, I jostled my way through the crowd, making sure no one spilled anything on the nice wrapping paper. I smiled down at the wrapping paper, surprised that Hades had actually taken an idea of mine to heart.

See, the first time I'd been sent to bring the di Angelos a gift from their father, Hades had wrapped the box in blood red wrapping paper with the Furies covering the paper, their fiery whips creating a pattern that resembled barbed wire.

"Do you think they'll open something that looks like this?" I had asked Hades, staring at the wrapping paper in horror and disgust. If someone gave me a present wrapped like that, I'd dispose of it ASAP.

"Do children not like Furies anymore?" Hades asked, genuinely curious. I bit back a laugh at the look of his face. He had been sure that he'd picked out the perfect wrapping paper.

"Not necessarily, my lord. Maybe something a little less frightening, perhaps?"

"And what do you propose?"

"Cartoon ghosts?" I shrugged. "You can't make them that scary, and it still represents you."

Hades has stared at me like I was crazy. I tried to explain the concept of Casper to him, which only resulted in a severely confused god and my trying not to burst out laughing. He'd then sighed and snapped his fingers, the paper melting into a generic stripe pattern, much to his chagrin.

The box I currently carried had the ghost wrapping paper I'd suggested, the ghost itself resembling the ghost emoji, which didn't exactly make sense in this timeline since the iPhone wouldn't be invented and sold until next year.

Whatever, it's not like I'd be able to use a phone anyways, I thought to myself as I got into the elevator, pressing the button to go up to the penthouse suite. Nothing but the best for the last remaining children of Hades.

I walked out of the elevator, directly into the living room, just like in the show Jesse. If you haven't noticed by now, I literally grew up with Disney channel back home. Anyhow, the living room was set up basically the same way, except there were playing cards, sorry, Mythomagic cards strewn all over the floor.

From the kitchen, I heard Nico trying to explain attack points to Bianca, who must've been trying to learn how the game worked for the sake of her little brother. I don't know exactly who introduced the son of Hades to Mythomagic, but I really wish they'd been more subtle about it. But if the kid was happy, I didn't really care all that much.

"Knock, knock?" I said, pushing the door to the kitchen open, where Nico held two different figurines in his hands while gesturing to a rule book. Bianca merely stared at her brother, nodding along aimlessly, clearly having zoned out a while ago.

"Andy!" Nico exclaimed, setting down the figurines and getting up from his seat, throwing himself at my legs.

I laughed at his enthusiasm, ruffling his hair, earning an annoyed whine from him. He reminded me of Percy when he was younger with his hyperactive antics. It was almost enough to distract me about what his future was going to hold.

"Welcome back," Bianca said kindly, her Italian accent still lingering in her voice, though it had faded considerably over the past few years. "How have your travels been?"

"They've been great," I said, smiling at the young girl's politeness. Maria had done a great job raising her kids, even if only for a few short years. "Guess who has gifts?"

"Yay!" Nico cheered, tearing the box free from my grasp and running it over to the dining table.

"Nico," Bianca chastised, shooting her brother a look. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Andy!"

"Don't thank me," I laughed, watching as Nico tore through the wrapping paper, unaware of the mess he was making. "They're from your father."

"Really?" Bianca questioned, glancing at the box with newfound interest.

Nico made a noise of excitement as he finally ripped open the box, pulling out plastic containers that held ten Mythomagic figurines and a new set of Mythomagic cards, the tropical edition. He squealed like the fanboy he was, clutching his new Mythomagic toys to his chest in joy.

Bianca reached into the box, pulling out an olive green cap that had the word Venice stitched across the front in white lettering. There was also some colored pencils and a new sketchbook, which brought a small smile onto the daughter of Hades' face.

"How did Father know about these?" Bianca asked, gesturing to the colored pencils and Nico's Mythomagic stuff. She then wrung the green cap in her hands a few times before finally putting it on. The color suited her.

"Your father has connections everywhere."

"You mean you told him?"

I smiled at her deductive thinking. "Precisely. Really, it's a pleasure to work for your father, and he wants you to know that he loves you both very much."

"Then why doesn't he visit?" Nico asked, setting down his new gifts. "He cared enough to bring us here and to send you. But what about him?"

"He's constantly working," I told Nico, which technically isn't a lie. I'd seen the mountain of paperwork that Hades had to fill out on a daily basis, and this was alongside many souls who used to be secretaries, who were excellent at this type of thing. Dying was messy. "He would love to visit you, trust me, but I'm the most he can do."

"Will we ever meet him?"

"Maybe one day you will. But until then, know that he loves and cares for you with all his heart."

I then switched the topic of conversation, not wanting to upset the siblings or reveal anything accidentally. Nico didn't seem to mind all that much, picking up in his explanation of Mythomagic to Bianca, who had audibly groaned and put her head down on the table.

I told Bianca she could go draw if she'd like while I played with Nico. Her dark eyes shone with joy as she picked up her new pencils and sketchbook, dashing into the living room while Nico took a deep breath, having forgotten to breathe during his explanation.

For the next few hours, I played Mythomagic with Nico, who unsurprisingly managed to beat me every time. This reminded me too much of D & D, something I swore I'd never play again after it nearly ended up with someone dying. But I pushed my own memories aside, trying my best to be as enthusiastic about the game as possible while being as lost as Bianca was.

Finally, Nico looked up and glanced at the clock, his smile threatening to split his face in half. "It's time!" he cried, setting down the figurines of a Cyclops and Poseidon. "Come on, Andy. You don't want to miss this!"

We walked through the living room, where Bianca was sleeping peacefully on the couch, her sketchbook and colored pencils neatly put away on the seat next to her. She wasn't peaceful for long, though, as Nico literally jumped onto his sister's lap, causing the older girl to shriek with fright before glaring at her brother. Nico began to laugh, clutching at his sides as Bianca pushed him off of her, causing for him to land on the floor.

"That's not funny," Bianca said, rolling her eyes at her little brother's antics. However, she still offered him a hand up, showing that she wasn't upset.

"You should've seen your face, B," Nico said between breaths, his face red from how hard he was laughing.

"Ignore him," Bianca muttered, watching as Nico continued to laugh as he walked out onto the terrace. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. That's why he woke me up?"

I didn't know what Bianca was talking about until I heard the explosion behind me. I whirled around, prepared to slit someone's throat, only to notice the nighttime sky fill up with light. There was a few seconds hesitation before another boom rattled the building, another burst of light following it.

Fireworks, I mused, relaxing my stance as to not worry Bianca.

"You'd think he'd get tired of them after living here for a week, but no." Bianca pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in exasperation. "Come, he'll be wondering where we are."

I followed Bianca out onto the terrace, where Nico was standing on a chair that was precariously balanced against the stone wall that prevented someone from falling to their death. Bianca scolded Nico for doing that, telling him to wait for her to return with a stool from the kitchen.

"Don't bother," I told her, getting down to a crouch. "Nico can sit on my shoulders."

"Oh, that's not really necessary."

"I want to do it!" Nico said, clapping his hands together. Bianca was chewing on the inside of her lip, clearly uncomfortable with the idea.

"He'll be safe, Bianca. I promise." She nodded, and Nico hopped onto my shoulders, oohing and awing at the sight of the fireworks.

We were so high up, it was as if all I had to do was stick my hand out, and I'd be able to touch the fireworks. Except there was the minor fact that I liked having both my hands, so I didn't do that. I made sure Nico kept his hands within the terrace, which wasn't that hard as he had them clasped around my shoulders.

The fireworks continued on for another fifteen minutes, the bright colors filling the sky the entire length of the road we were on. When we finally went inside, our clothes reeked of gunpowder, causing for Bianca to send Nico up to take a shower.

Of course, he pouted, but a stern look from his older sister and he was dragging himself up the stairs, muttering something about having a no fun sister. Bianca heard this, her lips pursing together in a fine line as we heard a door close upstairs.

"One day he'll understand," I told Bianca reassuringly, eliciting a sad nod from the eldest child of Hades.

"I just wish I didn't have to be a big sister twenty-four seven." Bianca sighed sadly. "I try my best to raise Nico, but I'm only ten. In what kind of messed up world does a ten-year-old girl raise her eight-year-old brother inside a hotel? We haven't gone to school ever since I was six! What kind of childhood is that?"

I shook my head, pulling in the younger girl for a hug. I knew the answer to all of her questions but was unable to speak a word. If she truly was ten, she'd learn the truth in two years, when Hades would send his children to Westover Hall in Maine. There Grover would alert Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth about the children, pulling them into the chaos that is the godly world.

"Would you like an education?" I asked Bianca as she pulled away from the hug.

"Very much. I get bored here very easily. The games downstairs are enticing and all, but I hate the amount of people. If I lost Nico…I don't know what I'd do." She seemed very interested in the carpet on the floor, looking absolutely miserable. "He's all I have left."

"I know." I began drumming my fingers against my thigh, my ADHD beginning to kick in. "Next time I visit, I'll bring you some textbooks, if you'd like."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. Just because I work for your father doesn't mean I don't care for you both." Bianca gave a weak smile at that. "Plus, you're like the younger siblings I never had."

"Glad to know that you're willing to carry my burden."

She then stood up, smoothening out the knots that had formed in her ebony black hair while she had slept, tucking her sketchbook and colored pencils under her arm. "I've got to go tuck in Nico. Wait up for me?"

"Take all the time you need."

As Bianca ascended the stairs, I took out the new book I was reading, Legend, waiting for Bianca to return. And before anyone attacks me saying that that book hadn't been published yet in my timeline, let me explain something. Salina knew of my love of reading long before she revealed herself – she'd owned a bookstore and had me work there, after all. So when I came over here, she also enchanted my bag to give me access to every book that had been published up until 2018, the year I left.

I figured that out after wanting to reread The Hunger Games and realizing that it wouldn't be published for a few years. Then my charm had started to heat up, and I looked inside, surprised to find the whole trilogy inside along with a note from Salina, who gave me the same explanation I gave you.

I managed to finish the chapter I was on by the time Bianca came bag. She had changed into her pajamas as well – blue and red flowers on her bottoms and a loose fitting gray t-shirt as a top. Her hair had also been pulled out of the braid it was in, falling around her shoulders like a black curtain.

For lack of a better word, Bianca, to put it simply, was beautiful. Her olive skin was flawless, standing out against her dark hair and eyes. Her cheeks were always a dusty pink, like she was stuck permanently blushing, giving the impression of her wearing makeup. She was just as pretty, if not prettier, than some of the Aphrodite kids I knew, because her beauty was all natural.

"Sorry about the wait," Bianca chuckled nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Nico refused to go to bed until I read him a story about pirates. Peter Pan seemed child friendly enough."

"He likes pirates?"

Bianca scoffed. "Like you wouldn't believe, Andy. He can run on about pirates much longer than Mythomagic."

"Huh." I blinked, making a mental note to take Nico to see the Pirate of the Caribbean movies when they came out. "That's impressive. I love reading book series, but I don't think I could go on for that long about the characters." Total lie. I could and would talk about a series until my voice was gone.

Bianca nodded in agreement. Then she asked, "Could you tell me about Father?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything and everything."

I sighed and took a deep breath. This was going to take a while.

Bianca fell asleep around eleven while I'd been answering one of her questions about Hades. After checking that she wasn't going to stir, I picked her up bridal style and walked up the stairs that led to the rooms.

I opened all the doors, frowning when I saw that most of the rooms were untouched. One of the rooms even had a missing bed.

That all made sense once I found the room Nico was in. Nico's bed was pushed to one side of the room, while on the other side was the missing bed from the other room. Bianca's sketchbook and colored pencils were resting on the nightstand the two of them shared, to the right of the lamp, closer to her bed.

I tucked Bianca into bed, turning off the lamp she'd left on after tucking Nico in. The son of Hades disappeared amongst the blankets as he was curled up in a cocoon, only his face peeking out from the tangle of blankets. I smiled softly at the sight, wishing them both sweet dreams as I silently closed the door.

Afterwards, I shadow-traveled myself back to the Underworld, finding Hades in a good mood. He was busy with his paperwork, as per the usual, but he was smiling softly, an expression I've only ever seen him wear a handful of times.

I wordlessly took a seat at the foot of his throne, one of the shades handing me my own stack of paperwork and pens. Hades usually had me streamlining applications for rebirth as it was a simple task and didn't involve death.

We didn't talk, enjoying each other's company while we worked. Wow, I never thought I'd see the day where I could say I liked spending time with the Lord of the Underworld.

It took me a couple of hours to finish my paperwork, but once I was done, Hades told me I was free to go for the rest of the day. The only rule was I couldn't leave the Underworld, but I didn't mind much. I knew where the least depressing parts of the Underworld were, so it wasn't the worst punishment to be kept here for the time being.

After the Olympians found out I disobeyed Apollo, they thought a fitting punishment was to send me to the Underworld for a month. Apparently I was supposed to learn some discipline under Hades' time with me. Clearly, they didn't know of my friendship with Hades, because if they did, they would've sent me to work the fields with Demeter, who drove me bonkers. Don't get me wrong, I love working the fields, but hearing Demeter prattle on about every type of cereal in existence is enough to make anyone consider pouring molten lava in their ears.

I decided to walk into the Fields of Asphodel, wanting to test a theory of mine. The Fields of Asphodel wasn't the most depressing part of the Underworld, but it was still really sad. There were so many souls here, wandering around aimlessly for all of eternity. Some of them even tried to approach me, but the only noise that they could make was muffled whispering that I couldn't decipher. Once they realized I didn't understand them, they turned away and joined the rest of the crowd.

Pale white poplar trees dotted the whole of Asphodel, the leafless trees giving off a very ghostly vibe. Black stalactites just a little longer than the length of my arm protruded out of the ground, having fallen from the ceiling of the Underworld, which was over fifty miles above where we were situated. At least, that's what Hades told me. The dead didn't seem too worried about falling stalactites. It's not like they'd be hurt anyways, merely hissing like a deflating tire while their souls reformed elsewhere in Asphodel.

This is going to take forever, I thought, glancing under another poplar tree. The dead outnumber the living 1,000,000:1, so to find only one soul was going to be nearly impossible. But I could definitely make my search easier.

I summoned my Stygian iron hunting knives, the souls nearby hissing at the presence of the infernal metal. I made sure the blades weren't going to suck in the souls of the dead I was going to pass by. Hades wouldn't be too pleased to find out I'd absorbed the dead into the gifts he'd given me.

Sure enough, the dead parted for me like the Red Sea, allowing me to pass through without too much of a headache. Subconsciously, my knives were guiding me, taking me deep into Asphodel, much farther inland than I've ever been before.

Abruptly, the vibrating in my hunting knives stopped. I looked around, watching as a soul began to approach me, completely unfazed by the Stygian iron. Making out the edges of a soul is pretty hard when you don't know what you're looking for, but to me, this girl was perfectly clear.

I sheathed my knives, not wanting to accidentally hurt her.

She had dark brown curly hair like my own, except her curls were smaller and more closely coiled together. Her skin was the color of chocolate; her eyes as gold as the Apollo cabin back at camp. She was wearing a white nightgown and matching slippers, giving the appearance that she had died at night, which she had.

"Hello?" she asked softly, her New Orleans accent still thick despite the amount of time she had been dead. "Can you see me? Can you hear me?"

"I can."

The girl's face morphed into one of surprise, probably not expecting me to be able to hold a conversation with her.

"I am Hazel Levesque," she said, smiling weakly as she introduced herself.

"Andy Collins," I replied. "It's nice to meet you, Hazel."