Please welcome the Ghost king, Nico di Angelo, at Hogwarts

Chapter 9

Yeah, I just realised... some part of this chapter (the part in italics) maybe is a bit triggering? Like with depression and everything? Sorry I'm totally clueless.
Well just know that it's a nightmare and Nico's friends say pretty mean things.

I internally smiled at what Aphrodite did. It's so Aphrodite-like, but for once it was at least cool.

'You're a couple?'

Except for the fact that now everyone knows about us.

I prepared my most threatening voice, because if there was an asshole here, and he had the guts to say something in front of teachers, I am sure to kill him or her.

'Yeah, got a problem with that?'

'Yeah! Why didn't you tell us?' I noticed it was Ron, who had, lately, started to warm up on us. We were kind of friends. Like, we were on friendly basis.

'It's not like we weren't being totally obvious.'

'Huh?'

'What we mean is, you really didn't notice?' I was starting to find this conversation quite funny, surprisingly.

'Well, no!'

'My dear Ronald,' some students snickered at his name and I glared at him. You don't insult my friends, even if it's only laughing and they're not really my friend. 'Firstly, you knew we are both gay, secondly, you saw us kissing multiple times.'

'Yeah, but I though you were just really close friends, like Dean and Seamus.'

At least thirty people in the Hall face palmed, including me. The two boys in questions tuned beet red. 'People are gay, Ronald.'

I'm certain some people have problems with us being gay, but they didn't show it. At least, not yet. Not in front of teachers.

Not that I care. If I did I would already be dead. Actually, it's more like, if I did, people would already be dead.

'Well, as touching as it was, I'm going to bed.' I took Will's hand and lead him out of the Hall, not looking at him. Alright, it's true. The great Ghost King was a bit embarrassed. A freaking goddess just exposed my life to the whole school! Sorry if I'm not entirely happy about it.

I intended on sleeping this night. I know, crazy. But, me being me, had to have nightmares. You would have nightmare too if you went to Tar- that place. And, me being me, meaning me being a son of Hades, saw the real Tartarus.

The thing is, when a demigod not son of Hades, like Percy and Annabeth, goes to That Place, his or her mind cut some of the horror. It's still the worst place ever, but when a son of Hades goes to That Place, he sees everything. Every little bits of horror. And horror is in the definition of That Place.

I wish no demigod has to go there ever again. Percy and Annabeth barely made it, and they are some of the strongest demigods ever.

Everything was dark around me. Only darkness, like a curtain before my eyes. Then, blood red, and a voice.

Tartarus. He laughed, an evil, cruel laugh. I didn't see him, only heard his laugh. That horrible laugh, that send chills down your back...

Bianca. Hazel. Will. Percy. Jason. Reyna. All my friends...

They were screaming. Screaming in pain, in agony. I couldn't move, I was stuck in place. Stuck watching, watching them die painfully.

In between cries, they opened their mouths. Yelling that it was my fault, that I should have died, not them...

I don't deserve love, I don't deserve friendship, I don't deserve to live.

I was crying silently, not a sound leaving my throat. I watched as they turned to dust, becoming only one person. Bianca, then my friends one after the other... Will. He hates me. And the others too.

They all hate me. Maybe I should have died in that jar. Or died in Tartarus, or died with my mother! Or maybe I should never have been born.

I'm a mistake, and that's why I'm stuck in Tartarus.

That's where I belong. With the monsters.

'Cause I'm a monster.

I'm a monster, I don't deserve my sisters, my boyfriend, my friends...

'You should just have killed yourself!'

'We should have killed you when we still could!'

Walls. They weren't walls, before. The jar!

And still the voice are here? Where are they? Why don't they help me get out?

Maybe because I don't deserve to be left out.

Do I?

No, no I don't, it obvious.

I cried louder, and this time words left my soar throat, mixing with the insults from my friends like a song of misery.

Finally, their song merged into only one voice, repeating one word. One single word, always the same, always the same...

'Die, die, die, die,...'

I can only cry, stuck in my jar. Cry for help, shout for my friends, yell for freedom.

There isn't much air, in this jar. My lungs are burning, begging for just a single breath...

I wasted my breath, crying for my friends who hate me. I shouldn't. Now it's all black again...

And yet the voices are still here.

'Die, die, die, die,...'

'Nico!'

This voice seems more real. Like someone is scarred. Really, really scarred. I'm scarred.

Scarred beyond everything. Like the voice, or maybe it was desperation.

A cry for help.

'Nico!'