Chaos Descends

Where We Try to Save the World (Again)

We spent all night looking for him. I refused to sleep. Absolutely refused to. After Nico disappeared, I cursed the high heavens and asked Hazel to transport us to him, which she did but Nico shadow hoped. He didn't stay anywhere long enough and Hazel had only jumped a few times so she couldn't keep up. We eventually lost his trail and ended up somewhere in the San Gabriel mountains. Since I had tired Hazel out, that was where we spent the night.

We built a fire, ate some food, but I was going out of my damn mind. Why wouldn't Nico let us help him? Why did he have to be so damn stubborn? Percy kept telling me to clam down, that we had another day to look for him. "But then it will be the twelfth night Percy and we don't have any idea where any of this is going to take place!" Percy was quiet.

"I know Violet, come on. Just.. Go to sleep.. We can go to Camp Jupiter in the morning, ask for help.." I sook my head swiftly. We would only be punished for leaving without  permission. Besides, they weren't going to have any better ideas about where Nico was and what was happening.

"No. We can't go to them."

"Well we have to do something." Axel argued. "We need help to save your boyfriend. Clearly, we can't do it on our own." I glared at Axel but he was right. We couldn't do this. I hated to admit because I thought Nico would warm up to the idea of us helping him but clearly he hadn't. He still cared about me then, he didn't want me to get hurt.

"Okay you two. No fighting. Both of you go to sleep. I'll keep watch and wake one of you up to take over when I get tired." Percy instructed. I listened to him. He was still a leader despite me being the one in charge. Reluctantly I laid down to sleep, praying to the gods to have a dream about what was going to happen to Nico.

And boy, did they deliver.

It reminded me of that dream I had back in the sickbay at Camp Half-Blood, the one I woke up screaming from. Instead of running like a coward though, I faced it. I face my dream. I faced my worst nightmare.

So there I was, standing on that familiar ground and in the dark. Again, I was unable to see anything above, below or around me. I could barely make out the outline of my hand when it was right in front of my house and as my innate fight or flight response kicked in, I decided that this time, I wasn't going to run. I was going to hold my ground.

The voices started up. The unknown whispering and the scraping and grinding sounds. I swallowed hard and turned slowly, trying to find a source. Where was it coming from? What direction? All around you. All around me? What did that even mean? It means that I am everywhere and you and your friends can not escape me.

"Who are you?" I called out. "What do you want with Nico!" Laughter, deep rumbling laughter.

I am father of all creatures, creator of the world. I was here first and I shall be here last.

"Enough with the metaphorical bullshit. Who are you" I demanded turning around angrily.

I am Chaos and you will do right by not insulting me. Chaos descends.. That's what the prophecy meant. The primordial deity, the literal creator of everything was trying to come to earth. The darkness faded and from it appeared the man in a dark suit from my previous dream, where he had been talking to Nico.

"What do you want? Did you try to poison me?" Chaos merely chuckled and waved his hand, revealing to me a scene from the coliseum that day Axel and I fought.