Sun kissed - Apollo.

54: Hades left a message.

The might felt cold, a sky clear to see all the stars twinkle like little balls of fire in the sky. Freshly fallen snow lays on top of the field of green grass. A forest of pine trees line the horizon in the distance. No buildings in the near sight. No signs of civilisation. Nothing, no humans nor animals.

The wind blows coldly through my clothes, my checkered blue pyjama pants along with a white tank top with a golden sun. Making me shiver in the cold, something i had never experienced before during my dreams. Or in my nightmares.

"Hello?" A voice called out.

I turn around to come face to face with a young boy, it takes me a second to see his face clearly, to make out he had black ruffly hair and dark brown eyes. His face getting clearer and i begin to recognise him. Before i can fully understand who is in front of me, i have an armful of a young boy.

"Nico." I breathed out.

I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders and pull him tightly against me. I felt his frame shake and shiver. Big wet tears spilled on my shoulder as he cried. Clinging to me like a little kid being left alone in a dangerous world.

"Daphne!" He cried. "I thought you were gone!"

I felt my heart breaking for the boy that i had left in the Lotus Casino without saying goodbye or anything else. A boy i had later found out had been a child of Hades, along with his older sister. A boy I had known for just a little bit, had been worried about me, saddened of my disappearance from the Lotus Casino.

"it's okay, I'm here now." I told him.

He didn't budge, he didn't let me go. holding me tighter around my waist and cried. I didn't understand why he had been so sad or why he cried so much but I didn't question it.

For almost one and a half years I had been anticipating a call from Hades to tell me they are out of the Lotus Casino, or some satyr to tell Chiron that there are campers found, a brother and sister. but none had been found, at least no new campers had been brother or sister and none had looked like Nico.

But Hades hadn't come to me about his children, hadn't told me that they had been taken out of the Lotus Casino. They must be out of that Casino for Nico to share his dream with me.

"What happened? Where did you go?" Nico questioned.

I wished i had an answer for him, that i could tell him that he is a son of Hades or that he is a half blood but all i can is make sure he is consoled. That he feels same and protected. That he and his sister make it safely to Camp half-blood.

I rubbed my hand over his back, trying to bring the boy some form of comfort.

"I'll explain this soon, i promise." I told him softly.

Nico shook his head. "No!" He cried. "I thought you were gone!"

"I'm sorry for that, Nico." I told him. "I really am, but right now I can't tell you much. It would put you in danger."

He shook his head again. "I don't care!"

I pulled him away from our hug, i gently grab his shoulders and bend over to come eye to eye with him. I had grown a lot the past half year. I had gotten as tall as 5ft6 and still going strong as my mother had called it. So i had to bend down to come eye to eye with Nico.

"I understand, I really do, Neeks." I told him, I rubbed a thumb over his shoulder. "But for your safety, i can't really tell you much right now. It would put you and your sister in danger. But i promise when I see you in person, i will tell you everything. Everything you want to know."

"But when will i see you?" Nico asked.

"I'm not sure, but it can't be very long now." I told him.

He nodded his head defeated, leaning forwards to hug me once more. "Alright," Nico said, sounding like he wanted to say more but didn't.