Silence of the Heart

Out of the Darkness

This is it. The end. Finite. Major character death. If you cry send me your tears so that I may feast upon them.

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Previously

Nico was lulled to sleep by Percy's heartbeat. And woken by a gunshot.

Nico jolted up from his awkward position on the cement floor, disoriented. He whipped his head around scanning the room. The first thing he saw was Hades, smiling victoriously. There was blood spattered on his front. Blood that wasn't his. Nico's terrified gaze slowly traveled to the ground, dread coiling in his stomach. His eyes finally found the blood's source and he choked back a scream.

Percy was lying in a pool of his own blood, a hand gun in his limp fingers. His eyes were blank and empty, staring into space. Even from here Nico could see the entry wound under Percy's chin. His hair was darker and shiny with blood. There was blood, so much blood. Too much blood.

His Percy was certainly and utterly dead.

Nico slowly came back to himself, hearing Hades' laughter. He spun and launched himself at the god but was thrown back against the wall and held there spread eagle. Hades swaggered over, still grinning like the damn Cheshire Cat. Percy's blood was splattered across his entire front, causing Nico to feel even more cut off. Percy was dead. He killed himself. But how had he gotten the pistol?

Hades let out a snicker, face twisted into a sick grin. He leaned toward Nico.

"He asked for it, little boy. He asked for me to blow him away, like so many leaves. So I mearly provided." Hades gloated.

"Kill me. Just do it. Kill me now." Nico growled, glaring daggers. Hades tapped a finger on his lip, mock pondering.

"How about...no," Nico's face dropped and Hades laughed. "I think I'll let you survive. Let you suffer a bit longer." Blackness suddenly surrounded Nico, wind whistling past his ears.

=•••=••=•=

When Nico opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the fresh air. He gasped, drawing in as much as he could. The second thing he noticed was his surroundings. He was back at Camp! He looked around a bit more, discovering he was only a foot or two away from the fire pit. No one was around but he could hear the muffled rumble of voices and footsteps and concluded the campers were coming to the fire.

He set to the task of propping himself up, desperately trying to ignore the screams of his body. He had just managed to get up on one elbow when the first campers arrived. Jason was in front, laughing at something Frank had done. His laughter turned to a gasp when he spotted Nico, and he sprinted the rest of the way to him. Jason kneeled next to him and gingerly picked him up before running back, in the direction of the infirmary. Nico let out whimpers and cries with each step aggravating his numerous injuries. The campers silenced abruptly when they saw Jason but soon started to talk loudly, not believing their eyes. Chiron was soon galloping alongside, face grim. Nico passed out seconds before they got to the infirmary.

Three years later...

Nico was completely healed, physically. He still had numerous scars and a tremor in his left hand but his body was fine. His mind was not.

He had night terrors nightly. He had flashbacks in the middle of the day. He now had panic attacks. He was not okay.

That night, as Nico sat writing, Chiron was checking on the horses. There was a set of reins missing. Blackjack's old pair. He thought nothing of it.

The next morning, the reins wrapped around Nico's neck were the only things Chiron could think about. His note lay at his feet.

Camp Half-Blood,

I am sorry to put you through this. But I simply cannot continue. I loved Percy. Still do. The rumours were true. And I am sorry that they were. Their truth got Annabeth, Percy, and Blackjack killed. They are dead because of me. I see them everywhere. Their weight have rested on my shoulders for three long painful years. So what's one more, really? My death won't matter all that much. You'll move on. So this is goodbye. Thank you for being so good to a screw up like me.

I can't wait to see him again.

Nico DiAngelo

End

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Welp. That's folks. The end of Silence of the Heart. Big thanks to those who stuck with it. Official Author's Note coming up next so stay posted. Until then, tell me your thoughts. I love you all!