The Sun in the Underworld

Nico di Angelo stared at the ceiling of Cabin 13, the familiar weight of darkness pressing against his chest. The nightmares had been getting worse lately—images of Tartarus, of Bianca’s last smile, of the crushing loneliness he had carried for years. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, but the shadows in the room seemed to pulse with their own life.

A soft knock on the door broke the silence. “Nico? You awake?” Will Solace’s voice was gentle, carrying the warmth of a campfire.

Nico grunted in response, not bothering to get up. The door creaked open, and Will poked his head in, his blond hair slightly disheveled. Behind him, Jason Grace stood with an apologetic grin, his electric-blue eyes bright even in the dim light.

“We’re staging an intervention,” Will announced, stepping inside. Jason followed, closing the door behind them.

Nico sat up, frowning. “An intervention for what?”

“For you being a broody mess,” Jason said cheerfully, plopping down on the foot of the bed. “Will says you’ve been skipping meals, and I’ve noticed you avoiding everyone for the past week.”

Nico scowled. “I’m fine.”

Will crossed his arms. “You’re not fine. You’ve got that ‘I’ve been to Tartarus and back’ look again. Which, I mean, you have been, but that’s exactly why we’re here.” He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket. “We’re going to play Go Fish, and you’re going to talk about your feelings.”

Nico blinked. “Go Fish?”

“It’s a classic,” Jason said, already shuffling the cards. “Also, I brought candy.” He produced a bag of jelly beans from his jacket.

Despite himself, Nico felt the corner of his mouth twitch. “You two are ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously awesome,” Will corrected, sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Come on, di Angelo. Deal us in.”

An hour later, the three of them were surrounded by cards and candy wrappers. Nico had won three rounds, which he attributed to luck, though Will insisted he was cheating with shadow powers. Jason had laughed so hard at one point that he’d snorted jelly beans out his nose.

“Okay, okay,” Jason said, catching his breath. “Seriously though, Nico. What’s going on?”

Nico’s smile faded. He picked at a loose thread on his jeans. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s not,” Will said softly. “You can tell us.”

Nico took a deep breath. “I keep dreaming about… the pit. And about Bianca. And about how I pushed everyone away for so long. I feel like I don’t belong anywhere, not even here.”

Will and Jason exchanged a look. Then Jason leaned forward. “Nico, you’re not alone anymore. You have us. And Will basically worships the ground you walk on.”

Will’s face turned red. “I do not—well, okay, maybe a little. But Jason’s right. You’re family.”

Nico looked at them—the son of Apollo with his sunny optimism and the son of Jupiter with his steady calm. They were so different from him, yet they had chosen to be here, in his dark cabin, playing Go Fish like it was the most important thing in the world.

“Why do you put up with me?” Nico asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Will reached out and took his hand. “Because you’re worth it. And because everyone deserves someone who’ll sit with them in the dark until they remember what the light feels like.”

Jason grinned. “Cheesy, but true.” He threw a jelly bean at Will’s head. “Also, you owe me five bucks for making me do this.”

Will caught the jelly bean and popped it in his mouth. “Worth it.”

Nico laughed—a real laugh, rusty but genuine. The shadows in the room seemed to recede slightly, and for the first time in days, he felt something he hadn’t dared to feel: hope.

“Thanks,” he said. “Both of you.”

Jason stood and stretched. “Anytime, man. Now, how about we go raid the camp store for some more candy? I’m thinking sour gummy worms.”

Will groaned. “You’re going to give me a sugar coma.”

“That’s the point,” Jason said, already heading for the door.

As Nico followed them out into the sunlight, he realized something. He wasn’t the same kid who had crawled out of Tartarus. He had friends who cared, a family that chose him, and a future that didn’t have to be defined by his past. And maybe, just maybe, the darkness didn’t have to be so scary when you had two idiots willing to play Go Fish until dawn.

“Hey, Nico,” Will called, turning back. “Race you to the big house?”

Nico smirked. “You’re on, Solace.” And he shadow-traveled a few feet ahead, laughing as Will shouted, “That’s cheating!”