The Chosen Demigods

Chapter 12

HEY!!!!!!!!!!

So, my sister is sitting next to me trying to make me lash out at her, which is really annoying, and she keeps trying to read this. Why are sisters so annoying! Please tell me that people with brothers have it this bad as well! I need to know what is wrong with her! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS!!!!!

Like, I love her and all, but why is it when she's bored, I'm her target? WHY?????

*Exhales.* Sorry about that. Had to vent. Also, OH MY GODS? 400 READS? THANK YOU!!!!!! THIS IS SO COOL!!!!!! *screams into a pillow. And resumes writing.* Anyway...

I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR HEROES OF OLYMPUS!!!!!!

J.K and Rick do. Because they are smart potato's. I am a fried potato chip. *super loud silence*

ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!!

...........

Piper's POV

I stared at the page of the book I was reading, and sighed. I leaned back into the cream armchair I was sitting in, and stared at the ceiling, taking in the musty smell that was associated with unused furniture. 

I was sitting in front of the fire in the Hades cabin, trying to finish this book of Mortal engines from Nico's library. I had spent most of the afternoon with Annabeth and Lacy, catching up with what had happened at camp while we'd been gone. You'd think that after two months something would have changed, but it was mainly the same. And to be honest, I kinda hated it. 

We'd spent the past two months in the Underworld, learning skills from the gods. In the mornings, we'd have breakfast and go to the arena for combat training, and then we'd go to private lessons with one of the gods. We had lunch, and had free time, and then we went to do a task for Hades. After that, coming back to the safety of camp was kinda, I dunno. I'm trying to find any other word except boring. Bland maybe? 

Anyway, I was reading because I needed to take my mind off something. The last lesson I'd had had been with Hecate. Man, that Titan goddess, deity, thing was confusing. At least everything she said was worth listening to, unlike some gods. *cough* Apollo *cough*. 

But she'd said one thing that stuck with me. You and him will meet again. What could she mean? I was hoping she meant my dad, because I hadn't seen him in a while. But I couldn't get over the fact she might have meant Jason. I felt my throat start to burn. I ignored it. I couldn't cry. There was no point. Crying wouldn't bring him back. Before I could stop it, tears started spilling from my eyes. They rolled over the brink of my eyelid, bubbling up and tipping over, falling onto the once dry pages of Nico's book. I bowed my head, and felt myself start to tremble. I couldn't cry. It had been eight months. No point in crying......

But the thoughts were lost as I broke down in the empty room. I clapped my hand to my mouth, but my sobs still rang out, breaking through the suffocating silence, but amplifying it at the same time. I hated myself for showing weakness, but there was a selfish part of me that told me it was okay. I knew it was probably right, and that just made things worse. 

I felt a pair of warm arms wrap themselves around me, and I commanded my voice to stop. I looked up, tears streaming down my face, to see a sympathetic Hazel. She looked at me, and I felt my lips trembling. She kneeled down and I laid my head on her shoulder, still shaking. 

"You know, it's okay to cry." she whispered in my ear, confirming the voice in my head. "It's part of being human. Every human, even the ones that are only half, can cry." That broke through any restraint I had left. I sobbed into Hazels shoulder as the girl rubbed comforting circles into my back, taking in her comforting smell. Hot coco and plums. The perfect way to describe her. I let out a shaky laugh, and lifted my head out of her shoulder. 

"Thanks Haze. Sorry about your shirt." I mumbled. She smiled, her teeth shockingly white against her skin. "No problem. I won't mention it to the others." We both sat on opposite armchairs. I felt Hazel's eyes on me, but I looked away. I watched the particles of dust dance around in the faint beams of sunlight that were filtering in from the windows in the other rooms. I swallowed. It's okay to cry. Hazel's words echoed in my head. Even though she's only fifteen, she was probably the wisest out of all of us. And she's been through more than most of us, coming back from the dead and all. 

Suddenly the door opened, and Will and Nico walked in. Will looking worried, watching Nico, who was adamantly looking at the floor. Hazel stood up, looking worried. 

"Nico?" she said eyes wide. I sat up, arm's on the armrests, ready to get up. What was wrong?

Will looked at Hazel, and the two of them whispered to each other as Nico walked over to the sleeping quarters. I followed him. I stood in the gap between the chimney and the wall, and looked over at Nico's bed. He was sitting on his black duvet, with a pair black headphones plugged into a ipod. His head was bowed with his hair was falling in front of his face as he fiddled with a throwing knife. 

I walked closer until I could almost hear the pulsing beat of his music. Was something wrong? I could usually read people, but this was different. Like something was blocking me out, if that made any sense. Did.. did he have another flashback maybe? 

I stumbled back. Oh gods. Oh gods! I think I'm going insane! Where Nico was a second before, there was this, black light?  Was that even a thing? It was kind of like a void of darkness, shining where Nico was a second ago. Through the darkness, I could make out the silhouette of what looked like a man, just standing there silently while this void spun behind him. A faint whining sound emitted from the void, something that sounded strangely familiar. With a jolt, I realized they where the screams of tortured souls, it had to be! It sounded exactly the same in the fields of punishment. "Nico..." I murmured. This was horrible! Who was this guy?  Where was Nico??? I made out a shape hanging beside the figure. A sword. Nico's sword. 

That was when I almost lost it. Gods, Nico was that thing? The thing was Nico? This isn't supposed to happen! Demigods never just randomly combusted and turned into voids of death! 

"Piper?" I whirled around, still in shock, and defiantly panicking. But I didn't see Will. 

Instead of Will, there was a golden light with a figure that was almost too bright to look at. But it wasn't a warm brightness. It was harsh, and harmful. The kind of light that could blind you. A light that was the opposite of Will's. Will healed, this light hurt. What was happening? I could make out a bow and arrow at the figures side, and watched horrified as it nocked an arrow and pointed it straight at my chest. I turned away. 

"Will! Nico! What's happening?" I stumbled back in confusion as my vision swam. Nothing was clear but the two figures. "Hazel!" I screamed terrified. 

Nothing made sense! Where were Will and Nico? Who were those figures? Where was Hazel? I needed Hazel! She was the only one who was clear right now! Or had she turned into one of them too? Pain shot up my legs as I fell to the ground and clutched my head. Who were they? What were they? Where was Hazel! I felt the boundaries of my mind begin to break. I couldn't handle this! I... I just couldn't. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the blinding light and suffocating darkness still loomed in front of my eyelids. 

"Piper, PIPER!" I heard Nico's voice and felt hands gripping me as I pulled at my hair. The figures, who were they? I can hear my friends, but they're not there, are they? The figures are.

"Piper? PIPER!" I heard a usually kind voice sounding horrified. "Hazel?" I forced my eyes open and caught a glimpse of a green aura shining around a tall figure, as gravity took hold, and everything went black.