Nico

Sleep failed to visit me tonight. Shivers tingled down my spine despite adjusting to the coldness of the underworld. The dark figures walking past the walls around me appeared viler than comforting as I have always seen them when I travel in shadows. The thought of adjusting well to the underworld felt disturbing these past few days, and so was the feeling of everything around me. All went their usual way in the underworld, yet there was something amiss… as if this sense of normality is trying to pierce its way through the blanket of mystery. I sat up and wiped my brow. It was difficult to tell the time in the underworld and the ambiance was always quiet in the house of Hades. All heard of were the distant footsteps of the skeleton servants and their chatter, which was a weird noise considering it was just the clink of bones. There was something that kept me up at night recently. I had dreams much vaguer ones that I usually got back when we were fighting Kronos. These were dreams that were calling for me, trying to lure me in. A voice kept telling me to find him, but the voice was deep and taunting. It was an unfamiliar voice, always coming from a figure in the shadows. He mentioned Bianca and the possibility of bringing her back, and I immediately tried to bolt toward him in my dreams, yet my subconscious self could not move. Responding to my questions about his whereabouts, he simply asks me to find him as I would know where. But I do not know where. Every time I woke up my heart throbbed faster and harder in my chest. The thought of Bianca always makes me feel anxious and the figure knows my fear and even my wishes. It would bother me all day as I searched for the door, a little quest of mine that I kept hidden from father. He would not approve of me going into the passages of the underworld, attempting to outsmart death. But if this voice is trying to give me a glimmer of hope to save Bianca and maybe undo what has happened to her. I could no longer feel her presence after what she chose to do after the war. The feeling of being alone in the underworld only worsened the grief. I have to find a way to bring her back… she's the only one I have. Except for… Percy, but he does not know that, and he will never know that.

My feet got cold (as was the usual thing to happen in the underworld) so I get out of bed and slipped them into my wool slippers. Persephone was adamant to get me fuzzy killer bunny slippers. I don't know if she's being a nice stepmom or she's trying to give the ghosts a ticket to laugh at my footwear. I slowly opened the door anticipating its creak. I stepped outside onto the obsidian hallway lined with golden torches. Everything was quiet now as the servants retreated into their quarters. That or they decided to have fun by the River Styx again. Still, I looked at both corners of the hall. Nothing. I advanced towards the left wing, wondering if I could get some fresh air (which are very cold gusts of wind in the underworld). The servants used to bring me cold milk during the evenings. I asked Hades to stop ordering them to serve me milk at night because I was "no longer a kid." Dream-ridden nights would make you miss such luxuries. I paced towards another hall and stopped immediately. I heard voices and this time; it was a familiar one. The smooth and lacy voice of death slightly echoed across the adjacent hall. Leaning on the wall, I slid slightly towards his direction, trying to get a glimpse of where he stood. Slightly poking my head at the corner I saw his dark and lean figure propped against the frame of the hall's window. His dark wings hung from his back against the window, glimmering in shades of black, purple, and blue. Honey gold eyes looked at the empty space before him. I could see it was empty but I felt that a presence was surrounding me, other than that of Thanatos. Another voice confirmed my thoughts.

"You say he is finally awake?" Thanatos asked with a distant look.

"I am sure he is. Don't you think I could sense it brother when someone awakens?" brother, so this must be Hypnos, the god of sleep.

"I do not doubt you even if you are full of folly, it is just that-"

"You are concerned she may also be awake?"

Thanatos gave the empty space a sterner look. "No, I mean if Hades knows of this…"

"Oh, I am sure your master knows of it, but to the extent of where or who awakens, that he may not know clearly. The primordials had tightened their grip on him trying to protect him. We do not know if he can remember Hades anymore or his mother or the events that happened before he fell asleep."

"And I know you cannot sense that, we only know of these facts and nothing more. I continue to where he could have gone off, his resting place remains empty according to the rivers."

"I thought you would have been the wiser one among the two of us, Thanatos. Do you think they would let him wander around in the same place he was attempted to be killed?"

"We both know that he can't be killed Hypnos. It is strange to me how they work and how they intend him to be. I wonder if we could interfere…"

"I know you are concerned, and I am as well, but these are things that are beyond what we know and may not have full control of. He would find answers to what he seeks if his memories have been truly lost. All paths will lead him here. We could intervene if we can but yet is to be known about that. Now let us talk about this some other time, brother. I have to sleep now."

"You know it baffles me how you could sleep in such times"

"I'm the god of sleep! Cut me some slack."

"I know that you are, but I'm the god of death have you heard me say 'I'm going to die now' as an ending remark?"

"You know, sometimes I wished I had just strangled you in the womb maybe by then that statement would be true. I will talk to you once I wake up again," with that, the voice seemingly vanished.

"Hmm… I am sure mother would take interest in this," Thanatos gave a resolute glance at the vacant space and left the hall.

I kept my head against the cold obsidian trying to process everything they have said. I hated that I do not know who 'him' was; it was like playing a game of puzzles. I somehow connected the dots though. Whoever this mystery deity was, his awakening coincided with my dreams. Yet, he was not around, no traces of him in the underworld as they had said. I stared at the ceiling as if answers were to be found there. It may be actually. If he is not here, then he must be above ground. There was only one place right now where gods tend to go. I slipped into my room again and retrieved my backpack from under my bed. The beaten-down rucksack was with me whenever I traveled to camp. I unzipped it and was about to put it in my Jacket when I saw it again. The mythomagic Hades figurine. Percy had given it back to me. It was a bitter reminder of Bianca's death, but it was the last thing she clung to. I held it and run my thumb over it – the plastic was warm. I'm going to bring you back, I promise. Whoever he was, I was ready to take the risk. With a determined sigh, I went to the corner and slipped into the shadows once more.

Hello! Finally uploaded the Nico chapter hehe. It's been a long time since I updated T^T it took me some time to figure out how this chapter would be. Big moments would happen soon so stick around ;). Let me know if you like this chapter. Please do leave a review! Have a great day y'all!