Absolute Torment

The Ending of Agony

Here you are, my lovely readers!

Point of View: Third Person

They can hear the screaming.

His tortured screaming.

The demigods all gathered in a single, massive cell. Annabeth is crying as she whispers to herself and prays for Percy, knowing no god or goddess will help him. The gods abandoned their children and their friend.

"He's been down there for days." Jason slumps against the bars of the cell door, on his knees as he grips the bars.

"To only be screaming now is a feat of its own." Reyna says firmly. "He is at the hands of the Primordial of Pit and Punishment. He was bound to scream eventually. Do not let it bother you, that is its only purpose."

"He's suffering!" Annabeth snaps at the praetor and everyone stares. "It is worse than before. I know. It's not even close. Before, he only screamed after the first few months, but they were only to keep me safe, they weren't real. Whatever Tartarus is doing now..."

Reyna pales.

"Time passes differently up here on the surface than it does down in the Pit." Nico whispers and wraps his arms around his knees as he pulls them to his chest. "What was a day up here, was a month down there. And Tartarus can bend the time in his own dimension. He could have made it a year for Percy, a hundred years, a thousand. Percy is far older than any of us and you can see it in his eyes. He's too strong to scream. He is in so much agony, probably threatened with our lives to get him to make noise." Nico puts his head down. "The worst is yet to come."

The screaming stops and they all sigh in relief.

When the door to the dungeon opens, Percy is tossed in front of the door, rolling until his back hits the bars. Annabeth rushes to Percy's side and cries over him. Tartarus smirks, knowing he did the job.

"We came up to share the fun." Tartarus informs them and all but the rest of the Seven, Nico, and Reyna back away. "You, boy," Tartarus looks right at Nico and Nico slowly looks up, feeling the malicious intent directed towards him. "Come over here."

Nico does as told reluctantly, coming to settle next to Annabeth and placing a hand on his friend, barely breathing straight.

"Every time you answer wrong, Perseus will feel the worst pain in the world. Every time you answer right, he will be spared." Tartarus explains.

Nico's eyes widen and his world comes crashing down. All of a sudden, his friend's sanity is in his hands. "I have no idea what you're going to ask..." He breathes.

Tartarus chuckles. "Then let's give a demonstration, shall we? An incentive to get it right." His gaze turns down to Perseus and the son of Poseidon screams, worse than before.

"No! Stop!" Annabeth begs. "Percy! Percy, I am right here."

Jason looks horrified.

"Please, I'll answer. Just stop." Nico implores with Tartarus, fearing for his friend.

Tartarus removes his gaze and the screaming continues for a little while longer before he snaps his fingers. Percy drags in air and groans. "Will you answer honestly in every question?"

"Yes!" Nico exclaims. "I swear. Please, don't hurt him."

"Then tell me, do you know where the gods are?" Tartarus questions.

Nico shakes his head slowly, frowning. "No, I don't. I don't know why they up and vanished either. They just left us as far as I am concerned. If anyone here has the information, it is not me. We're just their soldiers, they don't really tell us much."