Percy's PoV

"Welcome, Demigod! Welcome to the House of Night!"

"What is this place?" Thomas shouts.

"Do not open your eyes under any circumstances!" Annabeth warns them, "What you would see would be deadly to anyone!"

"What wise words, daughter of Athena." Says the voice of earlier.

A voice that I would have preferred never to cross again.
"Nyx, what do you want from us?"

The goddess laughed before answering. A cold, icy, cruel laugh.
"Me? Nothing. But my brother on the other hand, I think he has a grudge against you."

"Let us go," said Annabeth, in an authoritative tone.

"Ooh, dear, I'm afraid that's impossible."

"What's in it for you? Don't make me believe you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart."

"Oh yes, of course I'm getting something out of it. I want to wash away the humiliation you made me go through during your last visit! I was ridiculed in front of my children!" roars Nyx.

"Percy, what is she talking about?" Thomas asks me.

"It's a long story. But during our crossing of Tartarus, we told Nyx that we were following a tourist route and that she was not on it. Then we took advantage of the general bustle between her and her children to escape."

"Yes, and I inquired, figured it out! There is no tourist route," says Nyx.

Annabeth grabs the pole that the goddess was holding out. She may have been a primordial, Nyx was naive, and Annabeth intends to trick her again.

"Perhaps you've misinformed yourself? Perhaps you looked in the wrong place?" she said to her.

"Lies! You are trying to trick me again!" Nyx replied, but a slight change in tone of voice made me think her curiosity had been piqued.

"Why would I lie? In any case you kill us. I think you just looked in the wrong place." Annabeth continued.

"You... you think?" Asked the goddess, hesitantly.

"Yes, of course! Maybe we could redirect you to someone competent who can tell you what you're looking for?"

I can feel the goddess biting. But everything ran out as soon as hope was reborn.

The ground began to shake, and a deep, cavernous voice spoke.
"Don't let yourself be fooled a second time, sister. Stick to the plan, and everything will turn out the way you want it to."

Thomas came closer and asked me whose voice it was, whispering in my ear.

"You can ask me directly, little demigod."say the voice.

I feel Thomas startled. This person had incredible hearing.

"Who... who are you?"

"I am Tartarus. And to answer your next question, I am everywhere at once, you are in myself, in the end."

"In myself ? Ah, to Tartarus." Understand Thomas.

"But none of that matters any more. You are going to die." Tartarus continued, in a quiet voice, the same voice one would use to greet a friend and ask after him.
"I await you impatiently, half-blooded."

I feel an icy shiver and the presence fades away. Not to extinguish, that would be too beautiful. Just go away.

"My brother is right. I must accomplish my task." Said Nyx, breaking the silence that had set in.

"He's manipulating you." Tried to make her understand Annabeth.

"No. There is something in it for everyone. Now shut up and let me kill you without flinching. Except for the two who have already come. Tartarus wants you."

"Count on it." I said, raising my sword.

"Because you think you have a say? Don't forget the gap between us, little demigod! I am a primordial!" Nyx shouted.

On these words, I feel a strong gust pushing me backwards little by little. Hearing the groans of others, they also suffer this forced retreat.

"HANG ON!"

But it was impossible, especially with my eyes closed. My feet were left with nothing to support them, as if the ground had slipped away from under my feet, and I fell.

The fall lasts a long time. The landing is going to be short, but painful.
I think I will land as we were taught at the camp but with my eyes closed it is impossible to define when to do the rotation.

I scream when I land.
A cry of surprise, not of pain.
Something soft to cushion the fall, something like a mattress.

I hear others falling, grumbling.
"You can open your eyes," says Newt.

I look around me. Everyone gets up slowly, but something is calling out to me.

"Annabeth?"

No answer.

"ANNABETH?" I shout

Still nothing.

I start running among the others, jostling them as I pass, looking for Annabeth with my eyes.

"Where is Annabeth! ANNABETH!"

"The master has made different plans for her. But don't worry, when it's all over, you'll find her," said a voice.

I turn around and see a woman, whom I recognize as the one who sent Teresa to the Maze.

"You!" let go of Thomas.

"Me," she said in a tongue-in-cheek tone.

Seeing that Thomas was ready to pounce on her, I put a hand on his shoulder and look the woman straight in the eyes.

"Why did you do that?"

"There was no choice. We have to find a vaccine for the virus. You are that vaccine. We don't know why, but you're immune."

"What virus? What do you mean immune? Why create the Maze?" Minho asks.

"The Embers virus. Everyone outside is on fire. If we put you in the Maze, it is to study what makes you different."

"The Embers virus? But we just came back from the outside world, everything is fine!"

"Please excuse me, I haven't made the introductions." said a voice.

Nyx appeared behind the woman.

"You see, this dear mortal here is convinced that the world is going badly, and so are her collaborators. In reality, it's all lies. Human brains are so simple to manipulate," she said.

The woman looked a little lost. But her face immediately returned to her worried and pensive expression.

"We're going to find a cure that will save everyone. WICKED is good."

Nyx let out a small laugh.
"Even now that she's just heard the reality, that the virus isn't real, she still believes it. It's amazing how you can turn your back on reality sometimes."

"To what end?" I ask, looking at Nyx. "Why did you manipulate these people?"

Her expression became distant.
"I... why did I do this?" She whispered to herself. Then her expression became vague and attentive. I knew that expression. Ares had the same expression when Cronos had manipulated him.

Nyx looked at me. His face regained anger and hatred.
"Well, Perseus Jackson, there's no particular reason. I just wanted to have fun, and I must confess that I was not bored! To see these poor mortals working on such a crazy project to create a cure for a non-existent disease! Besides, I had the right to wash away the humiliation you made me suffer!"

"You are being manipulated."

"Nobody manipulates me! I am Nyx, and no one manipulates the night!"

Then Nyx let escape a wave of darkness.

"GET DOWN!"

Unfortunately, the manipulated mortal was wrong, she did not have the reflex, and she fell, the life having left her before even touching the ground.

I turn my gaze away from this macabre scene and look at the others. Fortunately, everyone had fallen in time.

But Nyx was not finished.
"I'm going to kill you. ALL OF YOU TO THE LAST! Then it will be the turn of the two miserable camps gathering your friends!"

She raised her hand and projected a ball of dark energy in my direction. Just before it made contact with me, a sword of intense darkness blocked it, and it was sucked up by its stygian iron. I look up and see Nico Di-Angelo standing in front of me.
He had just saved my life.

"Nico, what are you doing here?"

He looks at me, but before he can answer, he is cut off by Nyx who utters a loud cry of anger.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL!"
And, as she is about to release waves of energy, someone stands right in front of her.

"That's enough now. We need to talk."

Nyx calms down instantly.

"Listen to me, Mom."

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Alright Demigods !

I hope you are all doing very well! First of all, I would like to apologize for the long period without a new chapter.
I apologize.
Secondly, I sincerely hope you like the way the story turned out. Feel free to share it with me as a comment!

And then if you like it, vote and share, it motivates me even more!

Anyway, we'll see you soon for the next chapter, where we'll find out why Nico is here and who is the person who calls Nyx mom !
See you soon, stay cool demigod!

Word count :
1488