Percy had never really been afraid of the dark - at least, not until he realized Hades was his uncle and could probably stalk him through any shadows he wanted.

But this?

This was beyond fear. This was whatever came after fear, like when you knew you had no chance to fight, no ability to weasel your way out of this. Some ancient part of his brain was on fire right now, literally melting as he stared down the second-oldest thing in the universe.

He had a feeling this wasn't supposed to happen to demigods.

"Lady Nyx," Zoe whispered, eyes wide.

The goddess (if she even counted as that) was somewhere around forty feet tall, with huge black wings, a whip made out of stars, and a shadowy chariot pulled by what looked to be some really evil - and really hungry - horses.

Give me the boy, Lady Nyx! The horse on the left snorted, eyeing him like a piece of blue licorice. It would be an honor to kill him!

I say! The horse on the right shouted back. I should be the one to feast on the male! His body would likely be too tough for you to chew, what with all the power coursing through his meat! Satisfy yourself with the girl!

"No, Shade," the goddess called, "Down, Shadow."

Percy blinked. Nyx pulled on their reins, and the horses went silent.

She was almost too much to take in, like trying to comprehend her existence nearly blew a fuse in his brain. Just looking at her gave him a headache, but that might have been the Tartarus air flowing back into his system. She was like a churning figure of smoke, not quite solid, but not quite anything else either. Her dress was void black, mixed with the colors of a space nebula, as if bodies were being born within her body. Her face was hard to see except for the pinpoints of her eyes, which shone like quasars. When her wings beat, waves of darkness rolled over the cliffs, making him feel heavy and sleepy, his eyesight growing dim.

Was space even real? Or was it just some combination of Ouranos and Nyx's domains? Was it their bodies? Did the Moon landing even happen, was that even possible?

His head was filled with similarly confusing and insane thoughts as he waited to see if she was going to smite them for breathing or not.

"Uh, so you won't let them eat us?" He asked, "They really want to eat us."

Zoe's grip around him tightened.

Nyx's quasar eyes burned. "Of course not. I would not let my horses eat you, any more than I would let Akhlys kill you. Such a fine prize, I will kill myself!"

Percy paused at the goddess's phrasing.

"You're going to kill yourself?" Percy asked, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

She lowered her whip. "What? No! I didn't mean it that way! I meant I was going to kill you myself!"

He shrugged lamely. "I mean, you're a bit late to the party then. I don't think Akhlys was very far off from killing me. You probably couldn't have stopped her if I just let her poison us."

"Of course I could have stopped her!" She howled angrily. "I am Night! I am eternal Darkness! I am her mother! She would have listened to me like any good child should!"

Was he really arguing with a Primordial? What had his life come to?

"If you say so," he shrugged, standing back up to his full height. He was still several stories smaller than Nyx. "Why do you want to kill us anyways?"

She leered down at him. "I do not care for the girl, Perseus Jackson. She is irrelevant to me. I want to kill you."

Percy frowned. "What's up with all you people down here trying to kill me? You're like the, what, the fifth immortal I've found down here with a hate-boner for me, what did I ever do to personally offend Night?"

Nyx blinked, and the only reason he could tell was because her quasar eyes flickered out of existence for a second. "What is… a hate-boner?"

Zoe looked mortified.

Percy couldn't help but laugh.

Nyx's eyes narrowed. "Do you take me for a fool, boy? Am I amusing to you?! Answer me!"

Percy was howling with laughter at this point, putting a floaty hand up to try and placate the angry Primordial. He was gasping for air. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he wheezed, "I think this place is just making me go insane, you know? I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at the absurdity of the situation I've found myself in."

Nyx huffed, the tiny action dousing both Percy and Zoe in shadow for a moment. She crossed her arms and turned her nose up at him. "I suppose that makes sense," she reasoned, "Mortals are hardly known to make it this close to Creation. It is understandable that a puny demigod such as yourself would be unable to take the stress of this place. Now what is a hate-boner?"

Zoe darted her eyes around, as if she was attempting to figure out any way to escape. Unfortunately, the ground behind them seemed to disappear into the darkness. It was as if nothing existed in the universe except themselves, Nyx, her chariot, and the ground they stood on.

What a comforting thought.

"A hate-boner is a figure of speech," Percy explained, "It just means you hate me a lot. Like, an irrational hate of me."

Nyx hummed. "I do not hate you, Perseus Jackson," she said, "However, I am going to kill you."

"Why though?" He nagged, "What have I done to offend the great Night?"

"Yes, I am pretty great, aren't I?" Nyx murmured to herself briefly, seemingly lost in her own world before remembering where she was, "You have done nothing to offend me. But you were brought to me as a sacrifice from Akhlys, which means it would be a disservice to her to not kill you. Besides, I am sure my sister and brother would reward me quite handsomely if I were to bring them your corpse."

Well this sucked. Was he really going to die at the hands of a Primordial, and not even the one he was fighting through this horrible place to stop?

He grabbed Riptide. The sword gleamed brightly in the darkness as it was uncapped.

Nyx narrowed her eyes at him with distaste. "Put that thing away, boy."

"If you're going to kill me," he said, beginning to get irritated with this psychopath, "Why should I? Should I just let you rip my heart out?"

She laughed - but not in a 'Wow, that was funny' way, more of a 'You are so stupid it's fascinating' way.

"Child," she began, using the term almost affectionately, "If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so by now. And I would make it much more painful than ripping your heart out. You would beg for death before I had even begun."

Percy swallowed involuntarily. Was she as insane as he was, or did she have some kind of split-personality disorder? She had literally told him she was going to kill him seconds ago. Still, he pocketed Riptide.

"Good boy," Nyx praised, before narrowing her eyes at Zoe, "Unfortunately for the girl, I do not have a need for her. She is going to die now–"

"Don't even think about it!" He snarled, taking Night by surprise. "You want to kill her, you're going to have to kill me first. And beings a lot more self-centered than you have tried and failed to do that, so I'd make my next move carefully if I was you."

"Stop, idiot!" Zoe hissed at him, "If she wishes to kill me then let her do so! It is a small price to pay to increase thy chances of survival!"

"Are you insane?" He breathed out. "Why the hell would I let her kill you?!"

Zoe looked like she wanted to strangle him. "Thou does not have a choice in the matter! Does thou think thou can fight Night on her home turf? She clearly has an interest in thee, so let me die and try to make it out of here! I owe thee my life - it would be an honor to repay thy actions so far by dying for thee."

"Zoe," he said, voice shaking, "Stop. I'm the reason you were down here in the first place. I can't let you die because of me again."

She looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Are thee daft? It was my choice to go on that quest! I–"

"If you two are done," Nyx interrupted, an irritated scowl on her face, "I believe I was talking."

With a wave of her hand, Percy and Zoe were forcibly separated from each other. Zoe didn't even have time to blink before a wave of darkness washed over her, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she collapsed like a sack of potatoes.

"Zoe!" He cried, clawing at the darkness that seemed to hold him back from her. "What did you do to her?!"

Nyx rolled her eyes. "Calm yourself, Perseus Jackson. I did not kill her - yet. If you cooperate with me, I might even let both of you leave my domain alive."

Percy huffed. "Why should I trust you? You were the one who said it would be a disservice to Akhlys to let us live."

"Bah!" Nyx scoffed. "Akhlys is weak if she is unable to subdue a pair of mortals. And while I may curry favor with my siblings if I slay you, who says I need their appreciation? I am Night! I am the eldest of my siblings! Night is eternal, and Night needs the support of no one to survive!"

The way she said mortals rubbed him the wrong way. It was the same way Gabe had referred to Percy in front of his poker buddies - how raising another man's child wasn't natural.

Nyx leaned in close to him, her form shrinking so that she could stand comfortably on the cliff's edge. He could practically feel the heat from the stars in her dress.

"Why do you not fear me, boy?" She asked, leering down at him. She still towered over him, but Percy met her frigid gaze evenly. "For what reason do you protect that failed Titan so?"

"She is my friend," he hissed, "That is all the reason I need."

"Ha! Friend!" Nyx spat the word out with disdain. "There are no friends in this world. Only people willing to support you until a shift of their allegiances brings them greater benefit. Not only will you be alone then, but you will feel the sting of reality much harsher than you should due to your naivety."

Shade and Shadow whinnied in agreement, still eyeing him like a well-done steak.

"I know," Percy responded evenly, "And I don't care. I'm not scared of you because I can't afford to be scared anymore. I can't do anything to stop you. Why should I fear something out of my control?"

Nyx sneered at him, grabbing his smoky face with one hand and forcing him to meet her stare. "You would do well to fear, boy. If you are so brave, so loyal to your friends, let us test that with a deal."

Percy's face was all smushed up by Nyx's hand, and he immediately felt numb all over. He raised an eyebrow nonetheless, and dimly realized that he must have cut a very intimidating figure to the goddess. "A deal?"

Nyx nodded, releasing his face and throwing him to the ground. "A deal. You are attempting to reach the Doors of Death, yes? I recognize the Death Mist when I see it. The only way to the Doors from your current position is through my Mansion of Night."

She picked him up by the back of his tunic, carrying him over to the edge of the cliff. His feet dangled dangerously over the ledge. The void greeted him, but there was a large black marble doorway that sat in between where they were and the endless nothingness of Chaos, a few hundred feet below.

"The abyss of Chaos lies beneath," she explained, "And if you were to miss the Doors your souls would be erased from existence - not even the memory of you would remain. Even if you do make the leap to the entrance, the Mansion of Night is not meant for mortal eyes. If you were to open your eyes and embrace what lies within, you would surely go mad - assuming my children did not kill you for trespassing."

For a brief moment, Nyx let her grip on the back of his shirt slip. He had less than a moment to think before he was in free fall, but she was quick to yank him back to the cliff.

She looked at him in a manner similar to how a child looked at their favorite toy. "So here is my offer, Perseus Jackson. I will let you enter my domain, and I will even return your friend's consciousness - but not her sight. You will have to guide her to the Mansion of Night, through its halls, and away from my children all on your own. I will not protect you, but if you make it through I shall return your friend's vision and you will be close to the Doors of Death - where you will both certainly die."

Percy looked at his feet awkwardly. "Thanks?"

"I am not finished." Nyx offered him a humorless smile. "There is another option, should you choose to accept. I will take you through the Mansion myself, guarding you against my children and the horrors that lie within, and I will personally escort you to the Doors of Death. I will ensure you return to the mortal world - not even my brother would move to strike you with me as your escort."

He gave her an untrusting look. "What's the catch?"

Nyx turned to look at Zoe's body. Her chest rose and fell slowly, the only thing that told Percy she was still breathing. The Death Mist made it look like she was evaporating. "If you choose the second option, I will kill her right now. It would be painless, practically a mercy considering what lies ahead. She seemed eager to die for you before, so I believe this would be the correct option."

Someway, somehow, Percy knew Nyx was telling the truth. She'd take him straight to the Doors if he chose to let Zoe die. He'd survive and she'd be dead, just as she had said she was willing to do.

Fuck that.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he snarled, "I'll take the first option. I'm not leaving my friend behind."

And what of Bob? Would the Titan be damned as well, forced to wander Tartarus's plains for eternity, wondering what had happened to him and Zoe? Would he think he was the reason they were dead, haunted with guilt forever?

Nyx hummed. "Very well. It seems that you are a man of your word." She snapped her fingers and Zoe immediately sat up. She tossed him down at her feet, and Percy grunted as the impact knocked the wind out of him. "But know this, Perseus Jackson - if you hesitate within my halls, I will rend you limb from limb and you will both perish. The Mansion of Night will show you true fear, and you will learn to be afraid."

And with that, the Primordial disappeared. Her chariot of Stygian Iron turned and rode right back down into the blackness, with nothing but a few puffs of smoke and the smell of ash remaining.

"Percy?" Zoe whispered, dragging the demigod back to reality, "Wh-where art thou? What's going on? I–I can't see!"

He was quick to wrap his arms around Zoe, who stiffened briefly at the contact before realizing who it was and returning the gesture. "It's okay," he breathed into her ear, "It's okay. I'm here."

"Percy," Zoe sobbed, "I can't see!"

"I know," he murmured, "It's gonna be okay. You'll get your sight back soon - Nyx said it would return after we made it through her Mansion."

Zoe stiffened. "What?"

Her voice was barely audible, quieter than a whisper, but it echoed across the void powerfully.

"I made a deal with her," he said, "I have to guide us through the Mansion of Night on my own. If we make it through, the Doors of Death are apparently on the other side."

"Thou cannot make deals with Primordials!" She hissed, "Mortals are only a source of amusement for them!"

Percy frowned. "What choice did we have?"

Zoe fell quiet.

He immediately felt horrible. "I'm sorry you keep getting put in danger because of me–"\

She was quick to cut him off. "Don't even think about blaming thyself. If it weren't for thee, I would still be in Krios's dungeon. Thou has taken the brunt of what the pit has thrown at us, you cannot say that this is thy fault."

"But–"

"Let's just get this over with," she continued, "Thou said we have to go through the Mansion of Night, yes? How do we find such a place?"

Oh right. They had to leap to their deaths.

"You're not gonna like it," Percy said, grimacing, "But we're just above it."

Zoe balked. "Did thou say above?"

He sighed. "Yep. We have to jump off the cliff and land on the door."

Zoe was silent for a moment, but nodded in understanding a few seconds later. It wasn't like she had any other option but to trust him.

"Alright," she whispered, "Thou will need to guide me."

"I've got a better idea."

And with that he stood, sweeping Zoe up into his arms once again. She squeaked at the sudden shift, but made no complaint as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

He walked over to the edge of the cliff, staring down at the sea of Chaos that swirled below, and the door that hung just above oblivion.

This might just be it, huh? He'd faced imminent death before, but this felt… different. Instead of being torn apart by whatever monster the Fates had brought to him that day, or being smited by an angry god, Titan, or Primordial, he might just cease to exist.

A quick, clean, and painless death.

It would have been a lot more appealing if Zoe wasn't in his arms, and he wasn't her only hope of surviving (and getting her sight back from Nyx).

Percy took a deep breath and leapt into the Void, praying to every god he could think of that he didn't miss the Mansion of Night.

Time slowed to a crawl. He wondered if he'd die on impact, if they even hit the Mansion.

He wondered if he'd get a nice tombstone.

He wondered if anyone would bring him flowers.

He wondered if anyone would remember him.

He wondered if–

His feet hit solid ground. He hissed in pain as fire shot up his legs, the long fall not killing him but certainly not leaving him unscathed.

"Percy?" Zoe whispered.

"I'm okay," he ground out, wincing as he shook the pain out of his legs, "I think we're in the Mansion of Night now. No matter what, do not open your eyes."

"Like that would do me any good," she huffed, no doubt making that cute pouty-face she always did.

Where did that come from?

Percy shook his head. "Better to be safe than sorry."

Zoe sighed. "I know, I know," she agreed, "I'm just upset that I am forced to burden thee once again."

Percy flinched, tensing at her words. "You're not a burden," he mumbled, "Not a chance."

She pulled herself closer to him. Whether out of fear, guilt, or to show her appreciation for his words, he didn't know. "And yet this is the third time we have found ourselves in this situation."

"S'okay," he said, "I don't mind."

And with that, he set out into the Mansion of Night.

–

He knew there was some ancient phrase about the blind leading the blind, and that it didn't really apply here, but it was the only thing Percy could think about as he carried Zoe through the Mansion.

Percy tried to go quickly, but he couldn't really afford to run through the place. The only way he was able to find his way was thanks to being able to sense the airflow (who knew the Primordial of Night would need such well-ventilated digs?) and his own intuition, which combined to create a really blurry, fuzzy map in his brain that he wasn't sure he was following correctly.

At least Nyx hadn't killed them yet. That probably meant he wasn't screwing up.

For now.

Every once in a while a chorus of whispers would arise as he passed through a new hallway or room, almost certainly Nyx's children. He tried to ignore the whispers, focusing on the world around him that he could feel, Zoe in his arms, and on the impossible quest he was on, and he was mostly successful - but there was one time his cool facade cracked.

"Hello, Perseus Jackson," Someone called from right next to him.

"Gah!" He jumped in surprise, nearly dropping Zoe. "What the–"

The being put a finger to his lips, and wasn't that just the most uncomfortable thing he'd ever felt? Zoe attempted to say something, likely even more confused than he was, but she was similarly silenced.

"Do not speak, children, and keep walking." The woman (he could tell that much) urged. "It is miraculous that you have survived this long, and drawing more attention to yourself will not increase your chances."

Percy just nodded, desperate to get her hands off his face. Her finger withdrew, and he unconsciously let out a sigh of relief as he began his trek along the Mansion.

"I am Nemesis," she said, causing every hair on the back of his neck to stand up, "You may not know who I am, but I recognize the Hero of Olympus when I see him."

"You're Ethan's mom," he couldn't help but whisper in horror.

He knew Nemesis. She and her son, Ethan Nakamura, had sided with Kronos in the last war, with Ethan's pledge being the final sacrifice needed to fully raise the Crooked One back to life. Ethan had told him how they had been disrespected by the Olympians and chose to join with many other minor gods because of the gods' pride.

Percy remembered exactly how he had gotten Ethan to betray Kronos, and the horror on the boy's face as he fell from Olympus and died.

He'd never forget the scared look on his face. He was only seventeen, just like Percy was now.

Maybe his mother had come to serve him the price of Ethan's betrayal.

Nemesis hummed pleasantly, ignorant of his internal turmoil. "I am glad that my son has not been forgotten, and that you went through with your promise to him to recognize the minor gods and their children."

She sighed. "I am saddened that my son was the price to pay for such a toll, but I am no fool. You did me, and many others, a great service. And currently, you are planning on freeing the Doors of Death and returning to the mortal world to fight Gaea and the Giants, correct?"

He nodded, heeding her earlier warning to keep quiet - for whatever reason that may have been.

Nemesis clapped her hands. "Wonderful. I hate them, as some of your comrades in the Seven may know. I can't do much for you now, unfortunately," she lamented, "But I will offer you the only assistance I can. Listen carefully, now, for I will not repeat myself. My siblings recognize your sacrifice for them, but not all of them can think quite as rationally as I. To many, all you are is a trespasser in the Mansion of Night, and one who should be dealt with. One of my siblings has taken a keen interest in tearing you to shreds, and hunts you as we speak."

Percy gulped. Wonderful. What was one more god that wanted his skull for a drinking cup?

"They will attempt to fight you, and will win if you are not prepared," she explained, "The two of you need to remember that, no matter what, you have made it this far because you have been together. A pair. A bond has been forged between the two of you thanks to this place, and both of you will be better off as a result."

Nemesis ruffled his hair affectionately. "I must be off, but I will leave you with one last piece of advice. You have been dealt an unfortunate hand by Fate, Percy Jackson. As the goddess of balance, you have my word that, should you survive the upcoming trials, you will get your happy ending. Everything ends in balance, and I know better than anyone how unbalanced your scale has been. These things have a way of working themselves out, understood?"

Percy nodded. That didn't mean he believed her. He was a hero, and heroes didn't get happy endings. That was just how it was - the longer he lived, the more tragic his fate would become. One day, the Fates would cut his thread and that would be that.

His best days were long behind him.

Without a farewell, he felt Nemesis disappear into the darkness around them.

Zoe held his hand tightly as he carried her through the night.

–

Percy's senses were going into overload.

Wherever he was, it wasn't pleasant. A throbbing sound echoed all around them, as though the Mansion had gained a heartbeat, and he felt like it was only getting worse. The sound filled him with an unending sense of dread, so he figured they were still moving in the right direction.

Smoke filled his nostrils, and he almost opened his eyes on sheer instinct. Smoke meant fire, and fire meant light - why wouldn't he open his eyes?

But then he remembered Nyx's warning - and the fact that they were still within the home of a Primordial. Whatever was in here definitely shouldn't be seen by mortal eyes.

"Keep your eyes closed," he reminded Zoe.

She fidgeted in his arms. "Wasn't planning on it," she snapped, taking him by surprise, "Does thou take me for an idiot? We're in the Mansion of Night!"

Percy scowled. "What the hell is the attitude for?" He spat, "I'm just trying to help!"

Zoe hit him in the chest, causing him to stumble for a moment before he regained his footing.

"Help?" She hissed. "All thou hast done while down here is bring me trouble! I would have been safer in the prison of Othrys! At least there I would have my survival guaranteed and eventually die with honor, now I am forced to rely on a male because my vision was stolen from me through thy own actions!"

Percy didn't know whether to be mad or shocked. Or hurt.

He settled on a combination of all three.

"Shut up!" He growled, "I could have left you for dead countless times down here, don't act like–"

Percy froze, cutting himself off as something in the air shifted imperceptibly.

"Do you feel that?" He whispered.

"The only thing I feel, boy," Zoe spat, "Is your greasy, grubby hands on my body! Put me down!"

Zoe began to actively fight against his hold, and like an idiot Percy almost let her fall.

Almost.

The sound of faint laughter made Percy absolutely positive that something was wrong, even more so than before.

"Stop!" He snarled at the Titan, briefly causing her to relent in her attempts to wriggle out of his grip, "Something isn't right."

"Oh, sure!" Zoe agreed sarcastically, "Because blindly walking through the Mansion of Night with several dozen immortals after our heads is normal!"

"Don't you remember what Nemesis said?" He hissed, trying to stay as quiet as possible, "We're a team. A pair. A duo. We're better than this. We're in this together, and if we start fighting we're just going to get each other killed."

Zoe scoffed, but fell silent.

The laughter stopped.

"We've gotta go," Percy mumbled. Zoe settled back into his grip, clearly irritated, but at least she wasn't trying to actively run away from him anymore.

He barely had a moment's warning before something slammed into him from behind, sending him flying forward and Zoe tumbling out of his grip.

He was up in an instant, Riptide out as he blindly swung the blade. It was practically exploding with energy, and he smiled as he heard someone recoil and hiss at the weapon to his right.

Percy swung the blade at the sound, but hit nothing but air.

"Missed me!" A voice taunted, this time from between his legs. As quickly as the presence had appeared it vanished, leaving Percy little time to react before he was slammed into the floor once more.

"Percy!" Zoe shouted, "What the fuck are thee doing?"

"Shut up!" He yelled back, swinging Riptide blindly into the darkness again. The presence seemed to become acquainted with his sword's power quickly, and the only thing that kept him from losing his head on their next pass was a lucky deflection by Riptide.

"Aw, so close!" The attacker (who also sounded female) whined, "Maybe your friend will be easier prey."

That was their biggest mistake.

Percy sucked in a breath. Everything came rushing back to him the moment he heard the word 'friend' spill from the woman's lips. Why were he and Zoe fighting? They were friends, weren't they? She had done so much to reassure him, she wouldn't lie to him like that, would she?

"Eris," he realized, "Goddess of discord and strife."

Zoe gasped from the sideline as she made the connection.

"Don't forget chaos!" She added happily, "It was too funny watching you two bicker like schoolchildren, but then you had to stop and make me get involved. Where's the pleasure in getting your own hands dirty? It's okay, though - it'll all be over soon!"

She disappeared while she was talking several times, popping in and out of reality seemingly at a whim.

"Die!" She hissed at Zoe, who could barely react before the goddess did something to her in the darkness. Zoe cried out in pain as a sickening wet sound echoed through the room, and Eris groaned as she realized she hadn't killed her target.

Percy saw red. She wasn't going to get a second chance.

Eris's laughter was cut off suddenly as she lost control of her body, her laughter exchanged for a scream of terror as she realized Percy was walking straight towards her.

Eyes wide open.

The goddess's famous serial killer smile was long gone, her lips quivering in fright at the sight of the angry demigod. Her black toga was stained with blood, Zoe's blood, and he growled like a feral animal at the realization. Her left hand was frozen, nails extended like talons and coated in red that contrasted sharply with her pale skin.

His eyes darted to Zoe, who was writhing in pain on the ground, eyes squeezed shut in agony as she held her torso - which had been torn open by Eris - gingerly.

It didn't take much effort to stop the bleeding. He didn't even need to look in her direction to clot her blood, forcing much of it back into the wound, and he knelt by her side as he tore off the majority of the remnants of his t-shirt to dress the wound. It wasn't optimal, not by a long shot, but it would keep her alive.

"Percy," she whispered, eyes clenched shut as he tended to her injury, gripping his arm with her left hand tight enough to crumple metal, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I keep putting thou in harm's way."

"It's okay," he murmured to her, repeating the words she had told him after their fight with Akhlys, "It's okay. It's all going to be okay."

Lie. The moment he opened his eyes he had ruined any chance of things going back to normal for him. Even a fleeting glance would have been enough to drive him mad, and he'd been forced to watch the nightmares that danced around the Mansion of Night for several minutes now.

Percy had seen far too much.

Eris was still locked in place behind them, Percy deciding that her punishment could wait. The ichor that flowed through her veins did not move, frozen at his command. Her eyes tracked him with unconcealed terror as he approached, and her struggles renewed at the unmistakable look of madness within his eyes.

"Plnnn!" She tried to cry, unable to move her mouth, leaving the sound distorted and muffled. "Smmph!"

Percy raised Riptide, eyeing the goddess's body like a doctor eyed a cadaver. "I'm not going to kill you, to show my appreciation to Night," he whispered, enjoying the way the goddess briefly relaxed before struggling even harder at his next words, "But I'm going to leave you a reminder to never attack my friends."

Riptide cut through her left hand like butter, golden ichor spewing all over Eris's bloody toga.

"Next time," he promised, "It'll be your head. Got it?"

He let her go. She staggered away from him, screaming bloody murder all the while, and disappeared into the shadows.

Percy hummed. So that was how she had been moving so quickly. At least none of her ichor had leaked onto him.

"We need to go," he said calmly as he picked Zoe up gingerly, head spinning as the heartbeat of the Mansion began to get louder and louder. He tried to pick up his pace, but he was barely standing at this point. His brain was doing somersaults in his skull.

"What happened?" Zoe tried to ask, the words coming out in short, pained breaths.

He wasn't sure how to answer, but thankfully he didn't have to. The sound of rushing water silenced any attempts to speak that he made, the walls around them opening up and widening as they reached yet another river of the Underworld.

Percy was immediately assaulted by the voices.

Murderer! Kinslayer! Monster!

"A river?" Zoe asked, "Can you sense it?"

Evil! You doomed them! You are no better than the gods - than the Titans! Than Tartarus himself!

He tried to respond, but he was pretty sure all that came out was a pained groan.

"I–I–" he stuttered, to no avail.

He didn't know how, but all he could picture in his mind was the river. The water lapped angrily against the shores, showing Percy victim after victim of his actions.

Bianca! You could have saved her! The river cried. Zoe! You've damned her twice now! She will never be free! Calypso! You tore her heart to pieces and left her alone and doomed!

Castor! Charlie! Lee! Michael! Hermes! Poseidon! Silena! Ethan! May!

"Agh!" Percy groaned.

Their blood is on your hands! The voices insisted. Join us! This is your fault! You killed them all, doomed them, ruined them!

"Percy!" Zoe screamed. "Don't listen to the river! It wants thou to jump in - it is the Acheron! The River of Pain, ultimate punishment for the damned!"

The damned! Killers! Like you!

"Ultimate punishment," he murmured, "Sounds about right for me."

"What?!" Zoe shrieked, "What are you talking about? Listen to me! You need to fight the river's influence!"

LUKE! The voice shot back. NICO! SALLY! MAKE IT STOP!

He was vaguely sure the last scream had come from himself. Was he crying? He felt weird.

The river was right though. He was a monster. He had countless demigod's blood on his hands, too many to name. How many had he sentenced to the Fields of Punishment?

Yes! There must have been another way! You chose violence, you chose murder!

He thought of what the Mansion of Night had shown him. The only thing he truly feared anymore, the thing that haunted his dreams and would likely haunt him for eternity.

Himself. Him killing demigods, mortals, and everything in between. Choking his father to death with his own ichor, slicing his mother and step-father with no remorse as they pleaded for their lives.

Percy Jackson the killer, Percy Jackson the monster that monsters feared. He belonged in Tartarus. He belonged in the Acheron.

"Z–Zoe," Percy gasped, "It hurts. It hurts."

He couldn't tell if Zoe responded or not. He tried to put her down, but couldn't feel anything but his own two feet as they approached the river of their own volition.

The river in front of them exploded. The waters parted.

"What's this?" A masculine voice asked, cutting through the screams, "Two new recruits?"

The being put a hand on Percy's shoulder, grounding him at the banks of the Acheron. He gasped as his body lurched to a stop, realizing just how close he was to walking into the waters.

"Hmm," the man hummed, "You're Phlege's little passion project, aren't you? I recognize his mark!"

Percy gurgled something out, and was vaguely aware of Zoe shouting something too.

The man (Acheron, if he had to guess) lifted them up with ease. "I see, I see!" He chuckled as Percy spasmed in his grip, nearly losing his hold on Zoe again. "Well, can't have my brother's hard work go to waste now, can we? Don't forget about those cabins at Camp Half-Blood, I'm looking forward to seeing how mine turns out!"

The god tossed Percy and Zoe threw the air like human paper-airplanes.

For his part, Percy faceplanted with grace.

The Acheron's screams were quiet now. They were further away, but the booming sound hadn't relented in the slightest.

"Percy!" Zoe threw herself at him, flipping him onto his back and sobbing into his chest. "We're safe! I can see!"

Percy stared up into the sky of Tartarus numbly. After the darkness of Nyx, even the dim red glow of Tartarus seemed blinding.

He wrapped his arms around Zoe as the tears began to flow.

He didn't think he'd ever be sleeping again.

–

A/N: Yeah this story is the definition of "It gets worse before it gets better".

It's still going to get worse. Maybe not for everyone, but definitely for Percy!

My bad.

Hope you enjoyed it! Make sure to review, I enjoy reading all of your comments!