Percy Jackson And The Fates

The Lost Soul of A Hero

Annabeth saw an Iris message from Hades, Lord of the Underworld. She shivered, it looked like a heated battle between father and son.

"Nico, he's a lost soul. It's very common"

"What if he's still alive?!"

"NO! Nico, he's dead. I felt it. Thanatos even went to collect it, but it just got lost and out of his hands"

Annabeth could tell that Percy's death affected even the Lord of the Underworld.

"I can't talk to him?"

The Lord of the Underworld shook his head and the Iris message cut. Then Nico turned to me, he looked horrible. He looked so dull almost like..fading. He had crying marks all over his face, bloodshot eyes, and his hair was messed up badly. He noticed me examining him, and he tensed up.

"What do you want?"

He had a pained tone to his voice.

"Just checking up, you okay?"

"I'm fine." He grumbled.

"So we can't talk to Percy?"

"No, 'cause he's a lost soul" he looked the other way while saying that.

"Oh ok," that broke her heart even more. "You're not gonna eat?"

"No."

She didn't wanna push him, so with that, she left.

Later that night...

"You ok, Annabeth?"

Jason ran up to Annabeth before she stepped into the Poseidon Cabin to sleep. Chiron allowed her to.

"Yeah"

She looked so broken, it pained Jason.

"Oh ok, sweet dreams"

"Not so sweet"

Jason laughed, and Annabeth smiled. That was probably the first one of the day. But she quickly went back to frowning.

"Good night," she said.

"Yeah"

She went into the Poseidon cabin.

Later that night...

Nico was sleeping soundly in the Hades cabin. Hazel was worried about him, he looked so pale and dull. Will said he was shadow-traveling too much. Hezel lay on the bottom bunk next to Nico's double bunk. Hazel decided to stop worrying and go to sleep. She closed her eyes, silently crying about Percy.

Nico was sound asleep, but that just meant nightmares. He was in a pitch-black place, all he could see was himself. Suddenly, a figure appeared, he had a camp half-blood shirt, and jeans, and his face was dark so Nico couldn't see his face. I reached for my sword that wasn't there. The man smiled, and he reached out his hand. I stepped back. The man frowned but smiled again.

Please, Nico. Trust me.

He showed no hostility towards him, but what hugged him was that his voice was so sleepy and raspy. He hesitated but took his hand. Then a dark energy surrounded him and sucked towards the man. He couldn't move, as the energy transferred to him, he felt lighter. Like all his pain and darkness were being taken away. The man tightened his grip on my hand as he clutched his head. Nico's pain was being transferred to him, who was this man. After all the energy was gone, he was still clutching his head, but it was too dark to see his face. He let go of my hand and put on a smile. But I knew it was fake.

It's OK, Nico. Your pain and guilt are mine, I will bear it. Rest easy.

Then memories slid into his mind. Painful memories. He screamed to stop and cried. Then he saw the image of Percy falling into Tartarus and someone called,

Nico! Nico!

Hazel shook Nico as he gasped for breath.

"Are you okay?!"

"Wha- what?"

"You were screaming and crying"

A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek.

"Just a nightmare"

Just then a cry came from the Hephaestus Cabin.