To Tartarus and Back (A Solangelo Story)

Escape Art

DISCLAIMER I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND OC'S!!! ALL RIGHTS GO TO RICK RIORDAN!!!

TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️⚠️⚠️: Self Harm, mentions of r@pe and abuse

Nico's POV 

Fight. Train. Sleep. Repeat. 

That's the schedule I followed for five days straight. Monster after monster, titan after titan, they just kept showing up to camp. After the third day, camp's protective barrier pretty much disintegrated, letting anything that wanted to come into camp in.

I made a pact to myself to avoid the infirmary unless I was in inch from death, which thankfully, I haven't gotten close yet. I still had a slight concussion from the first attack, and a few cuts on my arms here and there, but nothing too bad. 

When I wasn't training or fighting, I was in my cabin, rethinking the fight I had with Will. Would I be at camp if it wasn't for Will? Am I that reckless that I'm stupid for trying to protect the ones I care about?

That's the only thing I thought about for a long time. I regret this, I regret letting Will in. I regret falling in love with someone who ultimately broke my heart. 

I started cutting again too. When Bianca and I were little, I asked why people would do such a thing to themselves? Bianca said 'they're escape artists, Nico. They use it as an escape from their own world.'

I didn't understand what she meant when she told me, until I became an escape artist too. It brought pain, but it also brought a sense of control I haven't had since I was ten. So kept escaping from the real world, never getting better, but it helped.

Until I met Will. He showed me the good aspects of the real world. How it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Naturally, i believed him. But then the real world got worse. I would cut whenever I wasn't fighting, whenever I regretted my decisions. Thank the gods for long sleeves.

I thought of what Silas said one night before dinner. "I'll be here if you need me, okay?" 

Gods, I had no reason to trust him. The only thing I know about him was his semi-traumatic hunter life. But I thought 'my life can't get any worse than it already is.'

I grabbed my duffel bag, grabbed a change of clothes, my sword, and left.

I left camp, being cautious to make sure no one saw me. Thankfully, no one did. Either that or they were just used to me leaving camp when I'm pissed.

I cleared my mind, and had one destination in mind. I shadow travelled, thankfully ending up right in front of a hut. I got dizzy though, landing on the ground with a loud thud. 

"Ow." 

My vision was blurry, but I saw the hut door open, revealing a white haired boy with a black tank top.

"Nico!?" He exclaimed, rushing up to me. 

"Hi." I mumbled, still on the ground.

"Gods kid, what are you doing here? I thought camp was in trouble."

He helped me up, and I soon realized I was too dizzy to stand on my own. 

"Okay, come on. We're going inside. I'll get you something to drink."

He led me inside, keeping an arm around my shoulder as I leaned on him. He sat me down on a bunch of pillows and got me a bottle of water. 

"Thank you." I said as I rubbed my head. 

He sat down next to me. "So what's got you here? I thought camp was under attack." He lowered his voice after seeing that my head hurt.

"It is. A lot's been happening." I said through the pain.