𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐋𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈

✦ 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 ✦

PERCY, NICO, AND MRS. O'LEARY FOUND THEMSELVES IN CENTRAL PARK, with Mrs. O'Leary showing signs of exhaustion. Nico revealed the existence of another entrance to the Underworld, the Door of Orpheus, which requires music to open. When Percy failed to reach Grover through their empathy link, he concentrated harder and located Grover sleeping under a tree. Grover explained that he had been put to sleep for two months by Morpheus, the god of dreams.

Concerned about Morpheus potentially working for Kronos, Percy, Nico, and Grover decided to proceed with their plan to enter the Underworld. Using Grover's reed pipes, they successfully opened the Door of Orpheus, revealing a tunnel leading into the Underworld.

Upon entering the Underworld, they encountered Cerberus, Hades' three-headed guard dog, who seemed more interested in playing with Mrs. O'Leary than attacking them. Continuing their journey, they reached Hades' palace where they were confronted by the Furies and eventually Hades himself.

After a dramatic turn of events, Percy soon found himself trapped in Hades' dungeon, feeling hopeless and isolated. His dreams took him to Rachel's beach house in St. Thomas and then to St. Louis, witnessing the destruction caused by Typhon and the chaos it brought to the mortal world. The realization that Zeus' Master Bolt had been unleashed and was not stopping Typhon added to his worries.

Suddenly, Percy was jolted awake by Nico's presence in his cell. Their tense conversation revealed Nico's intention to help Percy escape, claiming he was deceived by his father, Hades. Nico used his powers to put the skeletal guards to sleep as they navigated through the dungeon.

However, Nico's exhaustion was evident, with Percy having to support him as they made their way to the Fields of Asphodel. Just as they thought they had escaped unnoticed, alarms rang out from the castle, prompting Nico to suggest they run.

Running with a drowsy child of Hades was more like doing a three-legged race with a life-sized rag doll.

Percy lugged him along, holding his sword in front of him. The spirits of the dead made way like the Celestial Bronze was a blazing fire. The sound of gongs rolled across the fields. Ahead loomed the walls of Erebos, but the longer they walked the further away they seemed.

Percy was about to collapse from exhaustion when he heard a familiar "WOOOOOF!" Mrs. O'Leary bounded out of nowhere and ran circles around them, ready to play.

"Good girl!" Percy said, "Can you give us a ride to the Styx?"

The word 'Styx' got her excited. She probably thought Percy meant sticks. She jumped a few times, chased her tail just to teach it who was boss, and then calmed down enough for Percy to push Nico onto her back. The raven-haired boy climbed aboard and she raced towards the gates.

She leaped straight over the EZ-DEATH line, sending guards sprawling and causing more alarms to blare. Cerberus barked, but he sounded more excited than angry, like: Can I play, too?