Learn Italian With Nicolo di Angelo!

Running Away

The woods blurred into a kaleidoscope of greens and browns as Nico ran, his lungs burning, his legs screaming in protest. He didn't care. He just needed to get away, to put as much distance between him and Will as this cursed connection would allow.

Tears streamed down his face, a mix of hurt and anger stinging his eyes. Will's words, his careless disregard for the fragile bond they'd nurtured, echoed in his head. "Why in Tartarus did I ever want to marry you?" They felt like a betrayal, a cruel reminder of the vulnerability he'd allowed himself to show, only to have it shattered so carelessly.

Not only that, but Nico had been through Tartarus, 3 times. One of them was with Will!

He finally stumbled to a halt, collapsing against the rough bark of a giant oak. The familiar scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, the comforting presence of the ancient tree, did little to soothe the storm raging inside him.

Nico buried his face in his hands, the choked sobs returning with renewed intensity. He loved Will, fiercely and with every fiber of his being. But love, he knew all too well, was a fragile thing.

He remembered his mother's gentle warnings, whispered as he lay awake at night, yearning for a normalcy that always seemed just out of reach. "Love, Nico," she used to say, her voice laced with a bittersweet sorrow, "is a powerful thing. But it can also be a weapon, capable of inflicting wounds deeper than any Stygian iron."

Those words echoed in his heart now, a painful truth he couldn't deny. He loved Will, but could he trust him? Could he risk opening himself up again, only to be hurt in the same way?

As the forest slowly succumbed to the twilight, casting long, eerie shadows around him, a new resolve hardened in Nico's chest. He would not let Will's careless words define him. He would not let his own longing for love overshadow his self-worth.

He pushed himself up, wiping the tears from his face. The remnants of the eclipse lingered in the dusky sky, a dark reminder of the chaos that had brought him and Will closer. But there was another aspect to the eclipse, a promise of renewal, of darkness giving way to light.

Nico took a deep breath, the cool night air filling his lungs. The connection with Will still thrummed beneath his skin, a constant reminder of the bond, broken but not severed. He closed his eyes, focusing on the familiar shadows that danced around him, his birthright, his solace.

He didn't know if he would ever forgive Will, or if they could ever rebuild the trust they'd so carelessly broken. But he knew one thing – he would not let this define him. He would face whatever came next, alone if he had to, with the strength that flowed through his veins, a son of Hades, lord of the shadows.

With newly found determination, Nico turned his back on the setting sun, his gaze fixed on the sliver of moon peeking through the darkening sky. He would find his own light, his own path, even if it meant walking it alone.