𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒 | privation; a state in which things that are essential for human well-being are scarce or lacking.
Esmerelda had suffered through some pretty awful summer vacations before like that one time she was nearly sacrificed to a world-end...
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▬▬▬ CHAPTER ELEVEN ▬▬▬
THERE'S ANOTHER ESSIE FIC!
It's called "happy ending" by actuallyjackie (in Quotev). Since Wattpad is a meanie when it comes to links, I'll comment the URL off to the side -->
Anyways, here! A cute lil Nico centered chapter for all the people who kept requesting for more Nico content 😊
I hope you like it!
NICO COULD TELL THAT HIS mother was going to pass out any minute now. Her breathing came out in wheezes, she was shivering erratically from her fall in the River Cocytus, and her whole body was stiff as if her joints were all locked.
He slowed down to a stop and glanced back. They had been running for miles nonstop now, and he couldn't see any of the giants or the Nemean Lion in sight.
And he couldn't see Ethan either.
He tried to tell himself that the older boy was probably trying to catch up with them, but he couldn't help but wince at the pang of guilt that struck him. What if Ethan... didn't survive the fight? He was going against two giants and a vicious monster after all, not to mention all the other monster attacks they went through before that.
A sickened feeling crawled throughout his stomach as he imagined the son of Nemesis laying lifelessly on the ground.
It was his fault that they were all down here.
Stop it, he mentally punched himself in the face. He was being an idiot. Ethan was an amazing fighter. The best in camp, just second to Percy. There was no way he would get killed by two giants and a monster. He was too good for that.
But he was already so injured before they came, the annoying voice in the back of his head reminded him. He was tired, exhausted, and hurt. More easier to kill.
Ethan's smart, he told himself. If he couldn't fight, then he would find a way to escape them instead. He can't be dead. There's no way he's dead.
Because if he was dead, then he would be the first person to realize it. He had a close bond with him after all, almost as strong as his bond with his mother (not that he would ever admit it). If Ethan had been killed, he would have felt the same pain he felt when Esmerelda and Bianca died.
Esmerelda suddenly collapsed to her knees, catching his attention.
"Mom!" He exclaimed in alarm and knelt down beside her.
"I-I'm sorry, but—" Her voice was raspy and her breath came out in heavy pants. "But I need to stop. I can't go any longer."
Nico looked around. All around them were streams of water. To their left was a dark river full of pollution—the River Styx. Seeing it made him shiver, memories of what Percy went through flashing through his head before he pushed it all away. Beyond it was the River Lethe, a pitch black river with smooth currents that reminded him of flowing ink.
