Will's funeral was a sad affair, to say in the least. Nico could barely understand a word anyone was saying and dissolved into tears, sobbing loudly into one of his friends' arms. He didn't know who's. He didn't care who's.
As Will's shroud, ironically decorated with little suns, burnt, Nico wretched his arm away from Jason, wanting nothing more than to join Will, may it be in the flames.
'Let me be with him!' He cried as someone tugged his hand to stop him from jumping in, 'Don't do this to me! Do you not want me happy?'
'Nico.' Jason said, his voice sounding close to crying, 'Please.'
The Son of Hades dropped to his knees, screaming at somebody, he didn't know who. He didn't feel like he'd ever be able to get up again.
'Nico.' Jason repeated, but Nico ran away from the funeral, not being able to take this any longer. Will was gone.
The air was thick with the scent of burning wood and the cloying smell of incense that did nothing to cover the harsh reality of the Underworld's embrace. The mourners watched him retreat, their eyes filled with pity and grief that mirrored his own. He didn't need their sympathy. He needed Will.
Nico's legs carried him through the shadowy corridors of the camp, each step feeling heavier than the last. His heart was a lead weight in his chest, dragging him down to the very core of the earth where he belonged. He stumbled into the cabin he had once shared with his soulmate, the emptiness echoing in his ears like a taunt. Will's lyre lay on the bed, strings snapped from its last played melody—a silent sentinel to their shattered love story.
The walls seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with memories of laughter and whispers in the night, of the warmth of Will's arms and the gentle stroking of his hair. The bed looked cold and uninviting without the golden glow of Will's presence to warm it. Nico's eyes fell on the photograph they had taken together, smiles frozen in time, forever trapped in a moment that could never be recaptured.
He picked up the lyre, the wood feeling foreign and heavy in his hands. He had never been much of a musician, but Will had been a maestro, bringing life to every note. Nico's fingers hovered over the strings, trembling with the effort of holding back a flood of tears. He didn't know how to play, but he felt compelled to try, to connect with Will in some way, even if it was just through the echoes of his ^
Overwhelmed by the memories shared in the cabin, Nico picks up Will's lyre, feeling the weight of their lost moments. He attempts to play despite his lack of skill, seeking a connection to Will through his soulmate's music.
The first chord was a disaster, jarring and off-key, making Nico's ears ring with its discordance. He bit his lip and tried again, this time more gently, feeling the vibrations resonate through his body. The second attempt was better, a soft melody that seemed to drift through the air, a whisper of what once was. He closed his eyes, letting the music fill the void in his chest, a temporary balm for his soul's ache.
Outside, the camp remained eerily quiet. The usual sounds of demigod training and laughter were muted, a testament to the impact Will's death had on everyone. The silence felt like a cocoon, isolating Nico from the world that had moved on without his permission. He played for hours, the tunes becoming more complex, the emotions more raw with each passing moment. It was as if the lyre was speaking for him, sharing his sorrow and anger in a language that didn't require words.
As night fell, the shadows grew longer, reaching out to him like ghostly fingers, beckoning him to follow. He knew what he had to do. He had to see Will again, to apologize for not being able to save him, to tell him how much he was loved. Gripping the lyre tightly, he made his way to the banks of the Styx, the river that separated the world of the living from the dead. The water was inky black, reflecting none of the moon's silver glow, and the surface was as still as his own heart.
The whisper of the river grew louder in his ears, a siren's call that promised peace and an end to his pain. He took a deep breath, the cold air burning his lungs, and stepped into the icy embrace of the water. It washed over him, filling his nose and mouth, the taste of death and regret coating his tongue. He let go of the lyre, watching as it sank into the murky depths, a symbol of the joy they had shared now lost to the world above.
As he descended, the waters grew colder, the pressure building until it was unbearable. Yet, the thought of Will's warm smile was the beacon guiding him, urging him forward through the darkness. The river's current grew stronger, pulling him deeper into the abyss where the dead awaited. The faces of those he had known in life swam by, their eyes filled with sorrow and understanding, a silent chorus of condolences.
The world above grew distant, replaced by the eternal night of the Underworld. Nico's lungs burned for air, but he ignored the desperate need, focusing instead on the warm light that grew brighter as he sank further. It was Will, he knew it, waiting for him with open arms. The darkness enveloped him completely, and he felt the weight of his own lifeforce slipping away, replaced by the sweet embrace of oblivion.
The moment he had dreamed of for so long was here, and yet, fear gripped him. What if he didn't find Will? What if this was all a cruel trick of the gods? But he had no time to ponder these thoughts as the light grew closer, and suddenly, it washed over him, filling him with a warmth that seemed to chase the cold from his bones.
Nico's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself standing in a meadow of eternal twilight. The grass was a deep purple, and the sky above was a swirl of fiery oranges and reds, a stark contrast to the endless night he had just left behind. He could feel the presence of his soulmate nearby, the bond between them pulsing like a heartbeat in his chest. He took a tentative step forward, the grass whispering under his feet, and the warmth grew stronger.
The meadow was filled with the souls of the dead, but none paid him any heed. They moved in slow, graceful movements, lost in their own worlds of memory and sorrow. Nico felt a pang of guilt for disturbing the peace, but the promise of seeing Will again was too strong to resist. He walked through the field, each step feeling like an eternity, until he reached the edge where a single tree stood, its branches heavy with golden apples.
Under the tree, he saw Will, sitting with his back to him, his lyre in his lap. He looked just as Nico remembered—his hair a brilliant gold, his eyes closed as if lost in thought or a silent melody. Nico's heart raced, and his breath caught in his throat. He took another step, and Will looked up, his eyes widening in surprise and then filling with joy. The sight was almost too much to bear, and Nico felt his own eyes welling up with tears.
"nico?" will asked.
Nico's legs felt like they would buckle under the weight of his hope. "Will," he breathed, his voice barely audible. "I've come for you."
Will's eyes searched Nico's face, the disbelief fading into a warm smile. He stood, dropping the lyre to the ground, and they rushed into each other's arms. The warmth of Will's embrace was more than Nico could have ever imagined, more than he had ever felt in his life. It was as if the sun itself had wrapped around him, banishing the eternal cold of the Underworld.
"You shouldn't have come," Will murmured into his ear, his voice a gentle caress that seemed to resonate through Nico's very soul. "But I'm so happy you did."
Their reunion was a symphony of touches and whispers, a dance of souls reunited. Nico felt the warmth of Will's breath against his neck, the strength of his arms holding him tight. It was as if the world had stopped spinning, and all that existed was the two of them, together again. But the joy was bittersweet, tinged with the knowledge that this was not the reunion they had hoped for—not in the sunlit meadows of Elysium, but in the shadowy lands of the dead.
"I couldn't stay without you," Nico confessed, his voice choked with emotion. "The world above was just...empty."
Will pulled back, his eyes searching Nico's, a mix of love and concern. "But you can't stay here," he said gently. "You're not supposed to be here."
"im dead. will. this is my place now." nico said with a sad smile.
Will's grip on Nico tightened, his eyes reflecting the fiery sky above. "No, Nico," he said, his voice firm. "You're not meant to be here. Not like this."
Nico's smile faded, confusion clouding his features. "But if I can't be with you in life, I want to be with you in death."
Will's eyes searched Nico's, filled with a fierce determination that was as bright as his own divine parentage. "You don't understand," he said, his voice laced with urgency. "There's still hope. You have to go back. For me, for us."
"will. im as dead as you. i cant!" Nico exclaimed
"You can," Will insisted, cupping Nico's face in his warm hands. "You have to. I've seen it. There's a way out of this. A way for you to live, to keep fighting."
"no, not without you," Nico whispered, his voice trembling.
Will's grip on Nico's shoulders tightened. "You have to," he insisted, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "I'll be with you, always. But you can't give up your life. There's so much more for you to do, so much more for us to share."
"but we shall never share it will!" Nico sobbed, his voice desperate. "You're gone!"
"Trust me," Will said, his voice filled with conviction. "You're not like the others. You're the son of Hades. You can find a way."
"will, we survived two wars together, we survived taterus. im not giving that up. not for anyone. not even the gods." Nico's voice was a tremble in the stillness of the meadow.
"Nico, please." Will's voice was a whisper, a caress in the quiet. "You're not just anyone. You're the son of Hades. You can do this. You can find a way back to me. To life."
"no. will." Nico whispered, the finality of his decision settling like a cold stone in his chest. "I can't go back. I can't face a world without you."
The warmth of Will's touch grew more insistent. "You can," he said, his eyes shining with a fierce determination that mirrored the flames of the Underworld's sky. "You're a son of Hades. You control the very fabric of death. Use that power to find a way back to me. To life."
"i have no will to live! my will to live is here." Nico said with a pained expression.
Will's eyes searched Nico's, filled with love and a silent plea. "Nico, don't do this," he whispered. "There's so much more for you."
"will. please. let me be with you!" Nico's voice was a desperate wail as he leaned into Will's embrace, the warmth of the other boy's arms the only thing keeping him tethered to the shreds of his sanity.
But Will's grip grew firm, his eyes burning with an intensity Nico had never seen before. "You will go back and live. if not for yourself then for me. doctors orders."
"Doctors orders?" Nico repeated, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips despite the pain.
the memorys of will saying that to him flooded back.
"How can you even talk to me like that? Don't you know I can summon zombies and skeletons and-"
"Right now you couldn't summon a wishbone without melting into a puddle of darkness, di Angelo," Will said. "I told you, no more Underworldy stuff, doctor's orders. You owe me at least three days of rest in the infirmary. Starting now."
tears flooded nicos eyes from the memory.
"will, i cant. i need you. i need to stay here with you." nico cried.
Will's grip on Nico grew gentle, his thumbs wiping away the trails of tears that streaked down Nico's cheeks. "You don't need me to stay in the dark," he murmured. "You need to go back and live. For us."
Nico's gaze searched Will's, his soulmate's eyes filled with the warmth and light he had been craving since that fateful day. "But what if I can't?" he whispered, his voice trembling with doubt.
Will leaned in closer, his breath a gentle breeze against Nico's skin. "You can," he said firmly. "You have to. For both of us."
Nico felt the warmth of Will's words seep into his very soul, filling the cracks that had formed with love so potent it was almost tangible. He took a deep, shuddering breath, feeling the weight of the decision he was about to make.
With a tremble that started in his toes and worked its way up through his entire body, Nico stepped back, breaking the embrace that had been his only source of comfort in the cold embrace of death. "Will," he whispered, his voice shaking with the force of his resolve. "I will go back. I will live. For us."