I couldn't even cry my eyes were to tired. William used me, he was one of them; a rebel. What did that mean "I didn't want to jeopardize the mission." I was nothing to him, but a mission. Then he had the nerve to add "And I didn't want to hurt you." He said it like he was justifying his actions, the worst part of it was I still loved him.

"I'm an idiot." I had one rule, one promise to keep for my self; don't fall in love with heroes that will only break my heart. Yet here I was my heart smashed like glass, for a hero who would never love me. I was staring into oblivion, I wanted to wake up from this nightmare; wake up to my life without any of this demigod nonsense. I did that sometimes, pretend I was still in the 1930's, and this world was nothing but fantasy. My eyes were never going to open from this life, I am stuck here; I rolled to my side feeling homesick. I was the common joke of Camp Half-Blood, the boy who would never fit in. I knew feeling sorry for myself would accomplish nothing, but I kept me from thinking about him. He never liked me I was just a weapon in his eyes, like I am in everyone's eyes. I looked at my hands healing quickly, but still ghoulish: with dried blood under my fingernails, dried and cracking, and being almost pure white. I wanted to throw up, but nothing came up just more pain; then someone knocked on the door.

"Your majesty, I'm here with your food." He came in swiftly, then stopped midway. With a look of courage, his lips moved like he was about to tell me something. I looked at him, I didn't want to hear him speck. I didn't even like hearing my voice right now. The courage slowly left his face and was replaced with a cowardly smile; then he rushed out leaving the food. My hand slowly traced the plastic tray my food had come on; it came with a tiny spoon. William worked for them, he would know that I would try to take my life away so nobody could use me. Staring at me was; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a chocolate pudding, and an apple. I pushed it away I rather starve than eat this food, I just wanted to sleep; I looked at the red apple.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." I muttered, my hand laced around the fruit and I took a bite; then the world went dark. No nightmares dared to cross me, only the buzzard ones came to play. The world was losing color, I felt like I was flying, and I was being plucked from this world; my grip on reality slipped. My head felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer, I didn't know were I was anymore. Then my eyes opened.

"Nico wake up." I new that voice, but that's impossible, she has been dead for years.

"Mom." I couldn't comprehend what was happening, how could this happen?

"Nico you were having a nightmare." Tears welled up in my eyes, I missed her so much. I pulled her close in a huge, she smiled and hugged me back.

"I missed you so much." I cried into her, not truly understanding how this was happening.

"You were only asleep for an hour." Her hands ran through my hair, and she began to hum.

"It felt a lot longer that's all." Was my entire half-blood life nothing but fantasy, were all my friends nothing but my imagination playing tricks on me. My mom looked down at me with the sweetest smile, like she was saying I was okay now. I looked on the ground and I saw a book, Greek and Roman Mythology. That's how the dreams started I concluded. I herd more voices, my sisters voice.

"Bianca!" My heart raced.

"Yes, her and your father went out for groceries." I jumped out and ran towards my sister. I jumped in her arms making her drop a bad of food, but I didn't care I had her back.

"Nico get off me." She sneered, she never did like being hugged from me.

"Nico can you please get off your sister." There was my dad he looked like himself, but less powerful; more mortal.

"Sorry." I let go, and picked up the bag and went to the kitchen. I was back, I was home. It was its just like I remember, every detail; and everyone was here still breathing. I stared in awe outside, it looked the way its suppose to.

"Can you help you mother set the table." My mom was working on supper, she looked so elegant without even trying. She moved like a dancer gracefully gliding from place to place, her eyes twinkled, and her hair was black as the night. I begun setting the table, as the world I once knew as home was nothing more than a story on paper. Everyone from the seven to everyone at Camp Half-Blood was nothing, but my own mind playing tricks on me.

"What a grand trick" I though, a single hour mirrored five years in my life as a demigod; all of the pain and suffering, playing out in a futuristic world with mythology and magic following your path. The world I had created in my head was something from a story or maybe old wives' tale, but far from the truth. Looking at my family made me happy, something I thought I would never truly feel.

"What are you so happy about?" I gotten lost in my thoughts once more, I looked at Bianca with confusion in her eyes.

"Just a silly dream I had." She nodded and begun to talk to mum, I had a second chance and I was not going to lose them. When I was done I went to my room, staring at the book my hands quivered as I touched the spine of the book. Greek and Roman Mythology, the words written in black with pictures of both sets of gods graced the cover. The page I was on was about the Underworld and Hades, a chill ran down my spine; this was the same map I saw in the Underworld. All of the details I knew about my father's kingdom was clear in these pages, my mine was trying to comprehend what happed; yet it didn't seem to matter. I looked at the cover once more, Author: Annabeth Chase, Illustrations: Rachel Dare. That explains some of the names, soon all of my friends I once knew were explained: Percy and Jason were based off the original sons of Zeus, Leo was a lion on the page about Hephaetus, two girls and one guy on the "What did they wear?" section that looked like Piper, Reyna, and Frank; Hazel was nothing but a dedication to the friend of the author. Looking at her name made a tear roll down my cheek.

"You were the beat part." I knew I would miss Hazel, but how do you miss a dream; someone not real? They all seemed so real, it felt like I had lost them forever; people who didn't even exist, who felt like they had the largest impact on my life. I looked outside, the world was simple again; yet I knew I would miss the adventure of my dreams. Flipping through the pages seeing all of their faces all of my memories, seemed more unbelievable by the page. Being the son of a God, my sister killed by a giant robot, being trapped in a bronze jar? It sounded like a fairy tail where everything went wrong.

"Nico come for supper!" Called my mom, I genially put the book on my bed and ran to my family.

"You sure love that book don't you?" my mother chuckled.

"When I saw you sleeping it was in your hand, and you were muttering something." I looked at her.

"What was I muttering?" I was starting to get worried.

"Oh nothing, just something about you will. You kept saying: how dare you corrupt my will." She paused and looked at me.

"I thought you meant your willpower, you also kept saying something about a rebellion." I dropped my fork and froze.

"Are you okay son?" He had pity in his eyes, his had was on my shoulder.

"Um yah, it was just a nightmare. Can we talk about something else?" They all looked at me with sympathy, and my mother nodded. As the topics changed I didn't talk much, I mostly just listened to them; I had forgotten how much I missed my mom's voice. Bianca kept looking at me strangely, like she could read my mind. I was happy, I just needed some time to get used to the feeling. My world finally made sense, except one thing; William. How did I create someone like him, and why did I make him betray me? There was nothing even related to William other than the page about Apollo, but not enough to create a person like William Solace. My thoughts were mocking me with these images, but I had to focus on my life; my real life. Pushing away the delusions I focused on my family, and devoured my mom's cooking.

"Someone is hungry." My father chuckled, it was weird hearing him laugh. I could only think of a few people who could make him laugh, but even then it was more of a smirk than a laugh. I smiled realizing this was all based off a silly dream, where nothing made cense. I was like Alice in Wonderland, where my deep subconscious played games; so it would be more like Nico in Olympus. When dinner was over my sister and I cleared the table, I couldn't help but look at her.

"Are you okay? You keep staring at me." She was holding plates in both hands.

"Yah, I'm fine. I just feel a little weird from that dream." I started wiping down the table.

"What happened?" Her eyes filled with curiosity, I smiled.

"Your going to think I'm crazy."

"No I wont tell me." Part of me fought telling her, but why it was only a dream; what harm can a dream do?

"When were done okay." She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but you better tell me." When we were done we rushed to our rooms, it felt like story time. Bianca sat at the edge of my bed, ready to hear what kind of dream made her little brother all shook up. So told her every thing, from start to finish; with some parts it felt more private, like Cupid. As the words fell out of my mouth, I could feel the memories returning like they had just happened. Bianca kept interrupting with questions like:

"We were sent seventy years into the future?"

"I was killed by a giant robot made by a God?"

"You were trapped in a bronze jar?"

"We had a half sister named Hazel?

"Dad was the God of the Underworld?"

"You were fighting a rebellion and the person you were trying to save betrayed you?" I wont lie, that last question stung a little.

"Sounds crazy right." I tried to smile, but I couldn't bring myself to it.

"Well yah it does, but you should wright it down. It makes for a great story, but maybe don't kill me off like that." She put her hand on my shoulder, and smiled.

"So all of that came from that book?" I looked at down to see the cover.

"Yah, strange." I couldn't look at her; I don't know why but I couldn't.

"Well your home now, you don't have to worry about killer robots anymore." I smiled, I really do love my sister; she always knew what to say. I embraced her, and she hugged me back.

"Home" I whispered, and just like that I felt calm. All of my troubles were gone, and it felt good.

"Kids get ready for bed!" called my mom from another room, I had lost all track of time; we had been talking for hours. When I was done washing up my mom tucked me in, it felt silly, but I was ten years old again.

"Good night Nico, I love you." She blew a kiss my way.

"Good night mom, I love you to." My eyes slowly closed, wondering what new worlds I would explore in my head. Hours after I heard a noise, I sat up in my bed.

"Probably dad getting a midnight snack." I dismissed, then I heard voices; my family's voices. I slowly got out of bed, and tried to make as little noise as possible. Peering through the hall I saw them talking.

"I'm just being paranoid." I thought.

"Maybe Banca is just telling them about my dream, or maybe I'm dreaming right now." Sweat ran down my forehead, I could feel there was danger lurking in these halls. For awhile I didn't move afraid I was going to be caught, but slowly I glided closer so I could hear what they were talking about.

"He has no idea; he really thinks it was all a dream?" My mother whispered.

"Yes, he actually thinks this is real." Bianca smirked.

"How are things going upstairs?" My father asked.

"Not good." My mother frowned, only one thing crossed my mind.

"I was dead." The Rebellion killed me, and now I was here. My heart pounded, my lungs were desperate for air, the contents of my stomach wanted out; I wanted out. I was filed with terror, all of my senses left me; I was as exposed as a nerve. I collapse on the floor with a sound of thunder following, they turned there heads towards me and started walking to the mysterious sound. I wanted to scream, but someone covered my mouth.

"Don't make a sound kid, or else you will really be dead." I knew that voice, it was the same one that woke me up on the side of the road. She pulled me into the broom close and shut the door, her hand slipped off my mouth, but she sill had a tight grip on me.

"Persephone." I whispered, she looked so panicked. She looked down at me, and gave a hesitant smile.

"Don't worry I got you."

End of Chapter Seven