PERCY'S POV

The best way to describe it was panic. Percy was breathing heavily and shaking harder than he ever had in his entire life. His whole world crashed around him and the room spun. Percy shakily got down onto his knees and frantically looked around, but Zoe was no where to be seen. However, as he was looking, he saw something he hadn't noticed before.

A note.

Percy scooped it up shakily and read it. There was only a single word. Darkness.

What did darkness have to do with Zoe's disappearance? Percy looked outside and, sure enough, it was still dark. Something told Percy that there was a deeper meaning to the word.

Percy got to his feet and ran out of the cabin. As much as he didn't want to, he knew he had to tell Nico about Zoe's disappearance. They had raised Zoe together; it was only fair.

Percy slowed when he got to Nico's cabin. He knocked frantically on the door, but there was no answer. Confused, Percy tried to peer through the window, but it was too dark to see anything.

That's odd, Percy thought. After he and Nico had started dating, Nico's cabin had been brighter than ever. Now, it was like a cloud of shadow had fogged up all the windows.

Then, the realization hit Percy like a splash of icy cold water. Darkness. Had.. Nico taken Zoe? He remember the determination flashing in Nico's eyes right before he had left. Almost like he was planning something.

Anger flushed through Percy. How dare Nico steal Zoe? He had no right! Plus, Zoe could be in danger. Nico had been rash about making decisions lately. What if he had killed her? Horror at the thought made Percy's stomach feel sick.

Percy fell to his knees and gagged. He fought back the urge to upchuck all the contents from dinner. Pain and betrayal stabbed Percy's heart. Until this very moment, he had loved Nico. Now it felt like he had no trust in him left. Exhaustion coursed through the son of Poseidon, but not the sleepy kind of tired. The wanting to give up, the pain without feeling. The numbness of loss and the stabbing of heartbreak.

"How could you!" Percy screamed to the sky. He didn't even care who heard. He had never felt so hurt in his life, not even when Annabeth had broken up with him. He wanted to die, he wanted to feel his life ebb away into an endless void of pain and screaming.

Then he remembered Zoe. Her giggle, her excitement at everything, her smile, and the way she had sat next to a complete stranger at the park. His lips curled into a smile at the thought.

--FLASHBACK--

"Daddys, watch me!" Zoe squealed as she went down the slide. Nico laughed, his smile lighting a fire in Percy's heart. Nico had picked up Zoe and spun her around gently.

"Weeeee!" Zoe squealed. Percy smiled warmly at his boyfriend and daughter. Everything seemed so right. Nico set Courtney down and let her play in the sandbox, then walked over to Percy and intertwined their fingers together.

"Life is so great," Nico mumbled, looking at Percy through his bangs. "Thank you for saving me." Percy had kissed the top of Nico's head.

"Of course kitten. You are my light. My life wouldn't be the same without you," Percy had said softly, his lips ghosting over his lover's forehead. Nico had gently pressed his hand to Percy's cheek and guided his lips slowly down to Nico's. They kissed gently, their lips moving in perfect sync. Sparks erupted in Percy's belly. They had been together for so long, but he still managed to feel the frantic fluttering of butterflies in his belly.

Percy gently pulled away and looked at Zoe. She was sitting next to a stranger, luckily a female. Nico moved to warn Zoe, but Percy gently held him back.

"Let's see what she does," Percy had said softly. The girl Zoe had sat next to was very tall and looked to be about sixteen. Her hair was a deep brown and she was sitting by herself, lost in thought. Her olivey green eyes were very pretty (although he still thought Nico's were prettier) and she looked as though something was troubling her.

Percy and Nico were close enough to hear the conversation. The girl was smiling gently at Zoe with a sort of love in her eyes. Not a creepy type of love, but the type you get when you see a sunset or a beautiful waterfall or a kitten. The kind when you see something lovely.

Zoe was holding a Dorito in her hand. Percy had completely forgotten that they had given Zoe some Doritos to snack on. Half expecting her to cram the entire chip into her mouth, Percy watched, ready to spring if Zoe started choking. Instead, she did something remarkable.

She held out the chip to the stranger.

The girl's eyes lit up, and a smile slowly spread across her face. Any traces of sadness had left her completely, and she was looking down at Zoe with a look of admiration.

"Awh, thanks. What's your name?" The girl asked Zoe. Zoe took a couple of excited breaths.

"Zoe, what's yours?" Zoe asked. Percy felt tears begin to well in his eyes at the sight of his and Nico's daughter. Percy intertwined his fingers with Nico's.

"Sarah," the girl replied. Her smile made Percy's heart warm with happiness. He loved seeing what an impact Zoe had on others. She truly made everyone happy.

Sarah glanced up and saw Percy and Nico smiling. A look of panic crossed her face.

"I-I'm sorry, is she yours?" the girl stammered. Percy nodded.

"Yes, she is. Don't worry though, we didn't think you were a pedophile," Percy laughed. Sarah sighed in relief.

"Well, she's really sweet. Do you mind if I get a picture to send to my girlfriend?" Sarah asked. Nico and Percy nodded together. Sarah took out her phone and took a picture of Zoe holding a Dorito and smiled down at her phone. It was amazing to see what an impact Zoe had on others.

"Well, I have to go, but your daughter is so lovely. Oh, and you guys are a super cute couple," Sarah said with a wink and ran off. Percy leaned over and kissed Nico's cheek. The world was truly a beautiful place.

--FLASHBACK ENDS--

Determination settled in Percy's belly. Percy kicked open Nico's door, desperation to see Zoe again coursing through his veins. The door opened at once, as though it weren't even locked. Percy stepped inside and was surprised to find that it actually had been unlocked, and he could've just opened the door. Percy shrugged it off and immediately began looking around for clues.

Nico's room was a mess. Clothes were thrown everywhere, all of his drawers were opened, and books were lying open on every desk and empty bed in sight. Papers were torn and tossed everywhere as well. What a waste of trees.

Percy opened a few of the papers in hopes of finding any clues, but all of the writing on them was smudged and impossible to read. Percy then turned to Nico's desk.

A green journal sat closed on it. Percy tried to open it and found it impossible to open. Probably bound by magic or something of the likes. Percy picked up the journal and moved it aside.

What was under the journal made Percy scream.

It was a razor blade, soaked in blood. It was black, from what Percy could see from the specks not soaked in blood. Upon further inspection, Percy could see that there was blood all over the room and he just hadn't been able to see because of the massive amount of clothes everywhere. It was almost as if he'd cut open Zoe... Disgust at the thought made Percy shudder. Next to the bloody razor blade was another note. Shadow.

This confused Percy. Shadow? What could that mean? Percy found it hard to think. His head was spinning and his stomach was churning. He needed to sleep.

Percy shoved the newest note into his pocket and collapsed onto Nico's old bed. The world began to spin.

If Nico wanted a game, Percy would play. He would keep playing until he had his daughter back in his arms.