Book 1: The four tainted minds

Feelings, revised.

So, back to just the memory trio and the boy... does this count as full circle? In like, a writing style sense??

Νικο

The phlegethon irradiates a suffocating sort of heat, and its surface bites to the marrow, but the water heals all damage instantly, and the smell keeps most monsters away. It reminds Nico of Leo in an un-stabilizing way, even when it's different, and it is.

Because standing next to Leo had never made him feel like every breath was a battle, like every step weighted triple, even adrenaline seems no match for the river's influence. Leo was warm instead, thawing every part of him Nico wasn't aware had been frozen, and he was sure he'd do the same with the ones he safeguarded, time willing.

He'd thought of it back when they first met, and again on their last, terrified and exited in spades. And he had pushed it back the first, so much so that even the name of the boy was gone, only for it to return full force.

Now, biting back pain and exhaustion, now the uncertainty is his anchor.

The possibility.

The hope.

A sound not dissimilar to a balloon being popped, followed by a gooey substance hitting the ground, pulls him out of his head to watch a monster starting to come out of one of Tartarus' pustules. So Nico runs.

He runs because he's been running on fumes, because he needs any extra energy for the tougher fights awaiting him further in, and because he has something to come back to. Runs until the river starts gaining strength, and barely manages not to drop with it.

The abyss before him is not like the one he's fallen to already, the darkness there is much older, and much more dangerous. Even with his affinity, it would doubtlessly rip him apart, drive his spirit to madness, leaving nothing but a mania.

Such is the nature of chaos.

In the distance he sees the phlegethon's light resurfaced, but the ravine is large enough to fit every giant and still have space. And he doubts he'll find any bridges.

No, Nico will have to find a different way across.

Πάιπερ

If anyone asked, Piper would say the fastest part of their journey was the trek to Mount Diablo, not because it was easy, but because all the fighting and running made it go in what felt like seconds.

And, the cherry on this very confusing, exhausting, and frankly terrifying cake, they'd managed to free her father, after Jason had become a human lightning rod, how he was still breathing was a wonder.

Piper should be, like, devastated by the whole risking his life thing, right? Or well, she is, really, but not in the way she's supposed to be, if that makes sense?

Because, and here's what's throwing her off balance, she's supposed to be in love with him, or something. So shouldn't the distress she feels thinking of his death be similar to the one she feels for her dad?

Like, piper would definitely mourn him, like a missing limb if she had to draw comparisons, but she doesn't think it'd change her, doesn't think it would stop her. And isn't that terrible? That she feels this detached from someone who's supposed to have her heart?

Unless, kicker of kickers, the thought of herself liking Jason romantically is just as fabricated as every other aspect of their relationship before the Grand Canyon. Because well... this isn't the only thing where she doesn't feel as much as she ought to for him.

An unusually warm hand settles on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality, and she sends a grateful smile Leo's way before finally moving to check on Jason and her dad. She wonders, briefly if she had appeared shocked to him, the way she was supposed to be.

And couldn't quite decide how she felt about the answer.