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“Foolish demigod, when will you learn? Existence is misery, and misery is eternal.”
Percy couldn’t understand the mechanics of his brain. It was biologically wired to protect him from harm, yet it conceived nightmares, as if it wasn’t enough that he had lived through them. Most nights, it was benevolent, granting him dreamless, peaceful sleep. Some nights, it was still considerably merciful, forcing him to relive moments where he stood on the precipice of death. He was numb to it, never feared his mortality before and gambled with his life on more than one occasion as if it weren’t his own. Death is inevitable. For as long as Percy remembered, he was its most loyal companion, traversing blindly the very path it dictated for him to take.
But there were a rare few nights where it psychologically battered him. Nights such as now.
“You might have escaped me once, but you will never be rid of me. Misery is sewn into the very fabric of your soul. I will always be a part of you.”
She was right. Of course, she was right. If that wasn’t the case, then how else was he to explain her presence?
Dread pooled in his chest as he realized where his mind decided to take him tonight. It was as he remembered – the earth crumbled away in uneven, sharp contours, the soil dark and brittle, marked by a network of cracks. Poisonous flowers, their petals tinged with unnatural hues of violet, orange and green, clung precariously to the edges, their stems curling like serpents seeking purchase. Even in his dreams, he remembered their sickly-sweet fragrance, masking the underlying stench of decay.
In the center of the pit, there she loomed – her mouth split into a menacing grin, her decaying teeth stained with her blood. Her image was long ingrained to his memory, haunting him like a demented soul lingering along the graveyard of his sanity.
“Years, I’ve waited for our next encounter. I have… a favor I must return,” Akhlys rasped, shuffling as she encircled him.
“There’s no need,” Percy said through gritted teeth.
“Oh, but I insist,” she hissed. “If you don’t accept it, then I can only give it to your… friend. Nico, isn’t it? That child, he bears so much sorrow and pain. Fine, little specimen, he is. He would make a perfect champion – my champion.”
Percy’s anger was palpable as he emitted an animalistic growl, his rage evident in every guttural sound. He might belittle the value of his own life, but Nico’s was priceless in comparison. He would knowingly murder a goddess and bear the consequences of his actions if it meant ensuring his safety.
“Touch him, and I’ll kill you,” Percy warned coldly. “I’m not afraid to finish what I started.”
Had it not been for Nico’s reasoning back then that they could not afford to fight a war on multiple fronts, Percy would have killed the goddess. However, Nico wasn’t there now to stop him. No amount of reasoning could stop him from drowning Misery in misery.
“You’re afraid,” Akhlys coughed as the flowers underneath her feet withered to dust, the fumes flowing towards her.
“You’re afraid of death – his death. But you can’t save him. Not forever. Not when the only escape is death,” the primordial goddess cackled in delight, even as she gagged, her talons raking across her throat, clawing at the sickly skin.
“I’ll be there. When he eventually dies, I’ll be there. I’ll bear witness to your misery, and you’ll know that I’ve won from the start!” Akhlys sneered. She dropped to the ground, exploding into maniacal laughter while choking on the poison flowing through her system. Percy almost pitied her, if it wasn’t for the fact that she brought this upon herself.
“It’s your loss,” she whispered as life dimmed in her sunken eyes, and her body sagged and slowly disintegrated to dust.
Percy jolted awake, his breathing heavy and erratic. Sweat dotted his forehead, and his eyes darted around the darkened bedroom, still caught in the remnants of his nightmare. Beside him, Nico stirred, sensing his distress even in his sleep. He reached out gently, his touch a soothing anchor in his turbulent reality.
“Hey, it’s okay…” he murmured, his voice a comforting murmur in the quiet of the night. “It was just a bad dream.”
Percy’s trembling hand reached for his, fingers intertwining tightly as if seeking reassurance that Nico was indeed there, and that the nightmare was just that: a nightmare. He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing, letting Nico’s presence wash away the lingering fear.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Nico asked softly.
“No,” was Percy’s breathless yet firm response. Tartarus already had as much grip on Nico as it had on him. He didn’t want to tighten that hold any further. Besides, his mind was a dangerous playground he didn’t want Nico to explore. Instead, what he wanted was for Nico to feel safe and at peace, even at the cost of his own.
Lying back down, Percy pulled him close, his arms enfolding him in a protective embrace. Nico naturally leaned against his chest, feeling the gradual steadying rhythm of Percy’s heartbeat against his ear. “Just stay with me like this, please.”
“Of course. Whatever you need, I’m here,” Nico promised, lifting his head to press a gentle kiss along his jawline. Percy wordlessly nuzzled the curve of his neck in return, breathing in the scent that was so distinctively Nico’s.
It was a dangerous promise, Percy mused as Nico’s fingers ran carefully through his hair. What he needed, he couldn’t say out loud because it wasn’t morally right. His admission might chase Nico away, and he couldn’t afford that to happen. He needed Nico with a desperation that bordered on madness.
“You’re all I need. So don’t leave me,” Percy pleaded, his voice thick with the sense of despair suffocating him. Nico couldn’t– shouldn’t leave him. He just needed to be where Percy was, where he was safe. “Promise me that you’ll stay with me always.”
“Always,” Nico promised. “Unless you tell me to go, I’ll always be with you.”
That was never going to happen. Not in this lifetime, or any lifetimes they were fated to exist. He would never let Nico go.
Together, they laid in the quiet of the night, finding solace in each other’s presence until sleep reclaimed them, this time undisturbed by nightmares.