When I woke up, Nico was popping a grape in his mouth. The second he noticed that I had moved, he seemed conflicted between drawing his sword and helping me up. He decided on the latter and soon I was sitting up, eating strawberries.
"What was that?" Nico asked.
"How long was I out?" I asked, refusing to answer.
"Three hours according to your watch" Nico answered. I looked around our little camp and was glad that the ghost wasn't there anymore.
We sat in silence for a few minutes before I spoke up again. "I'm sorry"
Nico remained silent. I examined his neck and guilt washed through me when I saw the red marks of the vines against his pale skin. There were some bruises too, but none looked at bad as the lines across his neck.
"Oh shit" I whispered to myself, keeping my eyes on his neck. My eyes began to prick and water, but I blinked the tears away. "Nico I am so sorry, I didn't know- that's never happened before, Gods I-"
"It's fine" He said.
I shivered, even though it was relatively warm in the maze. I had seen what I could do. And it wasn't anything pretty. I was a danger to myself and everyone around me. I thought now that I was with a demigod, that maybe my panic attacks would go away, but that clearly wasn't the case. If anything, Nico deserved to know.
"I'm sorry" I repeated, I could've said it a hundred times and still feel guilty. "I... It was a panic attack" I told him.
His dark brown eyes drifted to mine. He did a look spooked, but more sympathetic. That's something I didn't want- sympathy. I now realised that the panic attacks could hurt others. I couldn't stay with Nico any longer.
"I'm sorry, I get them quite often" I confessed, suddenly my fingers seemed very interesting. "I don't know why, but I got my first one when I was ten"
Nico listened and for that I was grateful.
"Apparently, focusing on emotions is bad" I looked at the blue campfire. "When Luke... I was scared okay? I was very scared and c-conflicted. That wasn't the Luke I remembered, this Luke was more determined and scary to say the least"
"It's fine Vi" Nico said. "I'm fine"
"No you're not, I hurt you..."
"It happens to everyone" Nico assured me. "Most demigods' powers depend on their emotions, I once made a huge crack in the dining pavillion at camp"
"W-what happened?"
"Percy had just told me that my sister..." Nico took a deep breath. "I was angry and sad, and I hated myself"
"The trick is to control your emotions and not let them control you" He finished.
"Emotions are scary things"I nodded. "I just- what if it happens again?"
"I shouldn't have come here at all. I'm sorry, but I don't want to hurt you or anyone" I told him.
"Just tell me what to do if it happens again" Nico lay his hand on mine. He didn't seem a very touchy feely person, so I was honoured.
"Next time?" I scoffed. "There's not going to be a next time, because I'm leaving"
Nico frowned. "How will you get to camp?"
"I'm not going to camp, I can't..." I sighed. "I'm too dangerous and unstable"
"You mean you're going to stay alone?" Nico asked and I nodded. "Do you know how dangerous that is? There are so many monsters and-"
"I know that, but maybe..." maybe I am better off dead. "Maybe I'm better off fighting monsters on the streets than killing a camper"
"Instead of that, why don't you try controlling your powers?"
"I don't want to hurt you dumbass"
"You'll hurt yourself if you go off alone"
"Maybe it's better off that way"
"Do you want to die?"
"Maybe I do, what's it to you?"
We would've bickered some more but Minos cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should continue our journey"
"Your journey" I told Nico.
"OUR Journey" Nico argued.
"Why do you care what happens to me?"
"I care because maybe you're the only one who cares what happens to me" He said in a pained voice. I could see the regret flash across his face as soon as he said it. But he meant it, and because of that I blinked in surprise.
There was a short silence in which I almost let myself smile. Maybe we could be friends. "Fine, but you need to teach me how to control my powers, and in return... we can be-"
"Partners?"
"Friends" I corrected, offering him my hand.
"Friends" He repeated taking my hand.
"Come on death boy, I have a feeling we should go this way" I pointed towards the left corridor.
With that, we packed up and headed down the tunnel.