NPOV
A few hours ago
Despite how long it took me to accept it, I think I knew when I first came in that this would have to happen. I knew that for the binds keeping Percy stuck between the worlds to be broken, I'd have to first let go of my hold on Camp Half-Blood and let the darkness take me—after all, in the shadow realm, the only way is forward. Holding onto Camp Half-Blood means trying to reserve it as an option to go backward. The shadows will never allow me to move if I can't obey the rules of this dimension.
So my only choice is to sever my grip on Camp Half-Blood—then when it starts to get me, if I'm lucky, I can quickly grab Percy and somehow find a way out.
The problem is, I know that the only reason Percy is still alive is that he is still connected to the mortal world. If I take him away from that and can't find a way out, he will die, and I will have failed.
Another problem is that to be honest, I am terrified of getting stuck here forever. I'm the only one that can control the shadows, so no one will be able to help me... It will be just like the bronze jar so long ago, but this time, I wouldn't have any gifts like the seeds to help me. I would be on my own.
I say a quick prayer to my dad in the hopes that if it doesn't work out, he can help me. But I know he won't be able to, just like he hadn't been allowed to save Bianca. Or my mother. I take a deep breath and let my focus shatter. Almost immediately the swirls of the shadows start to try to entangle me and trap me here forever—shadows wrap around my throat and try to strangle me. I frantically look for Percy. As soon as I had let go, he was pulled completely in, as planned, and is now floating in the darkness away from me.
I can only see in monochrome—that's probably because I severed the connection to reality. As far as life on earth is concerned, I no longer exist. The shadows believe I belong with them, in the underworld or in this liminal space.
I fight my way towards him. The darkness tries to strangle me, or pull me back, and small amounts of the shadows seep into my mouth. Tiny doses of poison. Not enough to kill me, but I have to make it closer to Percy, or we'll both consume too much of the shadows to ever get out of here.
When I'm close enough, I grab his wrist.
I'll get you out of here Percy—it's what I came to do.
I try to focus on getting to Camp Half-Blood again, but it is suddenly much harder to remember what reality looks like. Where am I even trying to go? I vaguely remember that people are waiting on my return, but the details are hazy and dark. Shadows pry open my jaw, and more shadows pour down my throat.
Dread is concrete in my stomach as I realize I am not going to make it out of here.
But that doesn't mean Percy can't.
I leaned in and whispered, ignoring the shadows that seep down my throat near-constantly now. "Percy, focus on where you want to go. The shadows will take you there—you can only move forward."
The poison tastes thick, like tar. Any more than I've already consumed, and I won't be able to breathe.
To my surprise, Percy groans, "Nico, no."
"I'm too far gone, Percy," I whisper. "I've swallowed too much—" As I say it, my tongue is coated with the bitter darkness again, and I shudder at the taste. "I don't—I don't remember what reality is anymore. I'll never make it out. If you try to wait for me to remember, you're going to start to forget, too."
His body shivers, and a sob shakes him, but he caves in. He wants to live, and we both know it. There is no possible way for me to get out, but he has a chance. "I'll tell them how brave you were," he whispers.
He embraces me warmly for a moment. We had grown to be pretty close now—like brothers. We used to joke around and every time he got me to laugh, he would point it out, and I would pretend that it never happened. It became a challenge for him, getting me to laugh and admit it.
And then I push him off me, using my last bit of energy to send shadows to go listen to his orders. His eyes are haunted as the blackness tears me away from him.
Then, he turns around, and he moves forward, and as I watch him drift away, I can't quite place a finger on who he is—if I ever knew him in the first place. The shadows are starting to taste a little sweeter, and I don't mind that some more of it pours down my throat.
Soon, the strange man is gone, and I am alone in a world by myself, drinking something sweet and feeling so tired.
Percy's POV (A/N: Fancy, right?)
I gasp for air as soon as I make it through. I am on an infirmary bed again, and I hear sobs. I open my eyes and find Will Solace looking like he's been through Tartarus. His head is in his hands, and he's shaking from crying.
For a brief moment, I expect that Nico is going to fall through the shadows of the wall, having found a way out of the shadows with me after all. But no one comes through—and no one can get back in to save him.
How am I supposed to tell Will and Hazel that Nico is dead? That their loved one couldn't remember them in his final moments? If they ask what happened, how do I describe the way he fought through shadows that pulled and choked him, force-feeding poison down his throat? How do I tell them that he used his final amount of energy to send shadows to follow my directions back to reality?
Will looks up at me. I think he knows that Nico is dead, and I can't figure out how until it hits me like a truck. He's Nico's soulmate—he's seeing the world in monochrome again.
"Everyone thought you were dead." Will says quietly. "Annabeth stopped seeing in color. How did you come back?"
I can't look him in the eyes. I feel like the most selfish person alive. I should have argued with Nico more—I had just been so afraid to open my mouth and risk more of the poison going down my throat. "I never died. I was unconscious at times, but not dead. I think—I think Nico did something that brought us close to death, though. I stopped seeing colors for a little while, too."
His expression suddenly fills with hope, and I am so ashamed. "Is Nico alive too then? He could still come back? He is going to be in so much trouble! He scared m—"
But he cuts off at my pained expression, and there is no way to put this into words. This is an impossible thing. Will slowly turns from me again to stare at the door instead. "Oh."
"Will," I try—because I owe it to him to at least try to put this all into words. "Nico... He didn't make it. He had consumed too much poison." I pushed tears off my cheeks. "He was very brave—he was fighting so hard to get us both back, but he realized—" My breath catches as I try to retell this story and am hit by a wave of grief. I try again, and my voice won't raise above a whisper. "He realized that he couldn't get back anymore."
Will sinks back into his chair and whispers, "I was afraid you were going to say that."
"I'm so sorry for this, Will. He didn't deserve it. H-he..." I break down. Now both of them, Nico and Bianca, have sacrificed themselves for me.
Having a person sacrifice themself for you is an awful thing. It means I carry the blood of not only those I kill, but also those that die so that I can keep on fighting. I don't get to mess anything up if someone has laid their life down for me. I don't know what I'm doing—why do others have so much faith in me that they're willing to die for me? How are they so sure that I'll even succeed? Currently, I feel like all I ever do is fail.
"He should have had a perfect life. He tries so hard to do the right thing for the camp—he's always willing to help, even if it puts himself in danger. Even if he knows the camp will never thank him for it." Will stood up, and he keeps his face turned away from me. I think he might be crying. "Excuse me. I need...I need to go tell Annabeth that her soulmate—" His voice breaks, and his shoulders hunch forward briefly before he tries to put up a professional front again, straightening his posture. He still won't let me see his face. "Well, I need to tell her that her soulmate is alive."
I think I might try to console him, but I'm so exhausted, I'm already slipping into sleep again—this time, filled with dreams of Bianca and Nico and death and sacrifice.
And when I wake up, Annabeth is there by my side.
Word count: 1673
KEEP READING, IT GETS BETTER I PROMISE!
Okay I'm officially caught up in my editing to the point where I disappeared for six years! Now I'm ready to give you all an end to this story. Thanks for sticking with me :)
Yours,
Sunny <3