The Sun Without Stars Solangelo

The Departure

Nico's POV

While her attire appeared rather mortal (jeans, a belt, a black top with ruffles, and a beige coat), Nico could guess it was Nemesis from the even rhythm of her steps, each balanced like a tightrope walker and lighter than those of a fox. 

"You need to get out of here. NOW," Nemesis urged, grabbing Nico by the arm and practically dragging him through an entrance that hadn't existed mere seconds ago.

"What about Nyx?" Nico asked as he stumbled through the opening, almost reluctant to leave this shithole for the next one Nemesis would introduce him to.

Is it a trap?

"Don't you want to leave?! Stop stalling or she'll find us," Nemesis implored. She looked terrified, her body shifting and reforming.

"Leave me here," he insisted, plopping on the floor as if to visually demonstrate that he refused.

"No can do. I fear this time my mother has found a way past the rift that once stopped her from emerging in the mortal realm and bringing upon it a calamity it will be unable to fight against. For years, now I have watched you, Nico. You have always set off the stability of every environment in the mortal realm you travel to. The closer you are to her, the stronger a disturbance you become to their world," Nemesis explained, her eyes darting right and left for any sign of her mother.

Her fingernails sunk into his arm, causing blood to drip down his fingers.

"This is the only thing I can do to amend what my mother has done. You are dangerous. I would have you killed, but something tells me that you've already become her vessel; you've accepted her power." Her face seemed pale and sickly and her body shifted often, unable to keep one form.

What does she mean?

"I know a door out of here that leads to Hades' domain. However, ever since the doors became mobile again, I can't be sure of where you'll exit. Once there, I beg of you to leave." Nemesis stopped abruptly while dragging him out, nearly causing Nico to trip.

"Leave FAR from any other being. Trust me when I tell you that you can only bring them misery. I have seen it happen before so, if you care at all about them, you will LEAVE THEM ALONE."

Her pace quickened and they traveled in silence, other than the wails and groans of nearby monsters who thankfully kept their distance from them, most likely smelling Nyx's aura on the both of them. The air smelled strongly of sulfur, its gasses getting stronger the closer they got to whatever destination Nemesis was dragging him to. 

The looming trees dripped an acid-like substance that smoked when it touched the material of his clothes, burning holes in his shirt and burning through his skin wherever it could touch. When one dripped onto his palm, he saw the skin turn red and blistered, finally becoming an ugly shade of purple.

Nico raised his grimy free hand and held it over his mouth, trying to inhale as little as possible; however, it did little as he would often fall into coughing fits, sometimes finding blood in his hand from his throat which had not ingested real water for weeks or perhaps even months.

When their steps slowed down, Nico took the time to gaze at the places where the acid had touched his skin. When he saw that the places had begun to rot, he wished he could crawl out of his own skin.

Coming to a clearing, Nemesis relinquished her grip on Nico, his arm numb from her nails.

"See that ridge?" Nemesis pointed to a path of a width of only a foot or so. even with the low visibility, on the right and left side, one could see the floor slanted downwards steeply so far down and so clouded with the sulfurous fog that the ground below wasn't visible.

"This is the only path that most monsters tend to avoid when making it back to the surface," Nemesis informed him in a rushed manner.

"I wonder why," Nico scoffed. He could barely feel his limbs and felt like a leaf in the wind: so easy to topple over. He could barely feel the pain in the rest of his body, though, compared to the pain in his stomach that seemed to be progressing from his chest to his shoulder as if it were spreading.

"This is where I leave you, Nico di Angelo. I urge you to take my words of advice seriously as you continue on your journey." As quickly as she had come, she disappeared, leaving not even footprints in the muck.

What about mam-Nyx? She needs me...

Nico realized, now, that he had no other choice but to continue as told. Nyx would assume that he'd run off, and he couldn't very well sell out Nemesis to defend himself.