A Game of Promises

Chapter 31: My Fault

Media belongs to Viria. The feels!!!

Nico's POV

Bianca's gone and it's all my fault.

I had the chance to save her again and I failed. My last chance to save her and I failed.

Bianca is gone.

Everyone is giving me space. No one knows how I feel. No one ever has.

I see Will out of the corner of my eye. I immediately look at the ground, tears stinging my eyes.

Bianca is gone.

Zoë comes near me. I look up and see her eyes are red and puffy.

"I am sorry about your sister. She was a good Hunter. She was..." She gets choked up on the last word. Zoë ducks her head before I can see her crying.

"Thank you," I say. "She was more than I ever could be."

Zoë leaves me alone. I stare into the emptiness.

Bianca is gone.

The spot next to me becomes occupied. I don't even bother looking over. No one could make me feel better.

"That's not true, di Angelo. You're a great person too."

It's Will. Oh my gods it's Will. What do I say? What do I do?

"You don't even know me," I spit at him.

"Shows how much you know," he teases. I tense up and his voice softens.

"Look, Nico, I know that you just lost your sister. I know that it must be hard. But there are people who care for you, other than your sister. There are people who care about what happens to you, okay?" Will's voice hardens with emotion. "But you keep shoving them away from you. No one is ever going to get close to you if you won't let them. You don't let anyone get close to you. Why, Nico? Why?"

"Will, stop."

"Why don't you ever let anyone be your friend? Why are you always alone? Why, gods tell me why!"

"No one wants me, Will! Did you ever think of that!" I scream at Will, pouring all of my emotion into it. "I'm a freak, a son of Hades. No one wants me! I'm an outsider, I always will be! Nothing will ever change that! Most definitely not you."

Will's eyes harden with an emotion that is almost unfamiliar to me. It's anger, but with something else that I have only seen in Bianca's eyes.

"You think you're unwanted, huh? You think no one wants you. Well guess what, Nico. You're wrong. People do want you, people need you. Like Hazel, like-" he stops and looks at me in the eye. His eyes are red, yet determined. "Like me."

I close my eyes and his words play again in my head.

"I need you, Nico."

Before I can reply, a scream comes from the woods. Hazel runs towards me.

"It's Zoë!" She yells. "Zoë went out to hunt and that was her scream! We have to help her!"

I nod and grab my sword. Will is right next to me.

We run into the trees, following Hazel. She seems to know exactly where Zoë went.

I see a fallen body under a standing one. The one who is standing has red hair and a knife in her hand. She sees us and smiles a twisted grin.

"Look who it is, the little friends of dead Hunter. I can easily take all of you down. Who's first?"

Before anyone can move, a knife impaled itself into the girl's throat. She makes a sound of surprise before toppling over. A cannon booms in the distance.

Zoë moves ever so slightly, her hand red with blood. She was the one who threw the knife.

Hazel runs to her side first. Will follows and I bring up the rear.

"I may be able to heal her. I just need-"

"No. Thee is brave for wanting to try, but my time has come. I suspect that it already has, right Nico?"

I give a slight nod to her.

"Wait, what does she mean it already happened? What's going on?" Will says with confusion.

"I am sure that Nico will explain it to you later. But it is time for me to say goodbye to everything the Earth holds. The sky, the grass, the animals, the tree, the stars. And all of you. You were all good allies. I give you the best of luck."

Hazel stifles a sob. She hasn't seen this as much as I have. I give her a reassuring hug.

"Remember me, heroes. Remember me when you look at the stars."

Her eyes become distant and then they don't move at all. Another cannon shot rings in my ears. I grab both Hazel's and Will's hand and I run with them back to where Frank should be coming back from gathering food.

The sun sets and the stars come out. The demigods who have fallen today are displayed on the sky. The girl who killed Zoë, Claire, daughter of Hephaestus. And then Zoë. Her image seems to dissolve into the stars.

I look up at the dark sky. If there's any time to end my misery, it's now.