Fatal Flaw: Empathy (Nico di Angelo)

Chapter 24

One Month Later

It's been a month since I heard that voice in the back of my head. It always seemed to be coming from the south-east side of camp, and it always said things I almost remembered. So, it was no surprise that sooner or later, I'd feel something was missing.

"Jin, Namjoon," I greet, sitting down in front of the two men.

"That's the latest morning you've ever had, Nico." Informs Jin. For some reason, I know he's my friend, but I can't remember why. "Have you heard from @/3+#@?"

"Wh-What was that last word, again?" I ask, a head ace shooting to my temples. "I couldn't hear you." Namjoon bumps his shoulder against Jin's and whispers something to him, causing him to giggle.

"You don't remember our inside joke? About a ghost making us become friends?" No, Jin, I honestly don't. And it doesn't seem like Jin remembers either, since he looks so forced about it.

"It's okay, Jin," says Namjoon, smiling widely (a little too widely) at me. "It is an old joke you haven't made in a while."

"That's true. Oh, look! Clarisse!" Waves Jin, talkative as usual. Namjoon and I nod at her, Namjoon with a smile and myself with a confused face.

"What, death breath?" She snarks when I stare into the area behind her too long. "Not enough sleep?"

"Never enough sleep." I mumble, burying my head beneath my (despite the heat) coat-clad arms. "Never."

They laugh and I glare at them through the small opening I made between my arms. I hide my own smile from my friends, confused as to when I became so much more attached to people. Yet for some reason, despite all the wholeness in this group of people, I'm drawing a blank. There's a fuzziness, a lack of something and I don't know what and that really bothers me.

What happened at Olympus last month? What changed?

As the group of people (that I'm apparently a part of) splits apart to do our individual tasks, I retreat to the underworld. I shadow travel past some interesting things, until I land in the underworld, not extremely out of breath, and start munching on some Ambrosia. "Dad." I say, when I feel his presence nearby.

"Nico. Where have you been since last month?" He asks nonchalantly.

"At camp. I don't know when I made friends, but I have them now."

"Hmm." He gums in acknowledgment. "I suppose they're busy today and that's why you're here?"

"Yep, sounds about right."

"I have nothing for you to do either, so how about you go and I dunno..., it's summer, go swim, or sail, or something." The 'mighty' Hades shrugs in the same way as a teenager does before disappearing into the shadows.

Swimming, huh? I guess I could ring up Percy. I shadow travel into his cabin, at a somewhat haphazard time. Annabeth is on top of him and he's holding her waist. "Oh, sorry." I say, ready to teleport out of here and never talk to him again.

"Wait, Nico, it's-!"
"I fell on top of him in the most cliché manner possible," explains Annabeth, helping Percy yo his feet.

"Uh huh, not my problem, but I came to ask if you guys wanna go swimming or something." I ask, standing perfectly still. In my head, I have a sense of hostility towards Percy these days. I'm good at keeping it under control, but it feels like he hurt someone I care about. Has he?

Yeah! He has! A girl named...

And there it is, whenever I'm about to remember something out of place it happens. That hypnotic voice starts singing: Tu sei il mio soldatino,
La reggione per cui vivo,
Non ti Scordar di mei, (don't forget me)
Io vegliero sur di tei...

How am I supposed to remember when every time I'm about to, she starts singing?!?! I groan in annoyance when Percy starts talking again about how today would be perfect for surfing, when I cut him off. "Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're son of Poseidon can we go now?"

Annabeth and Percy lead the way into the water of the beach if Long Island. I sit out of reach of the water watching the two play as I relax myself for a bit. Until the tide rises and I'm soaked from head to toe, and being pulled into the water.

I'd usually mind, in fact I still do. Except that now something feels clear: "go find out what's missing. Go find out what's wrong. Do you deserve to?" A voice echoes bth our loud and in my head.

"Wh-where do I go?"

"Where your heartstrings pull you. If they're not where they should be, i will personally end you for putting her through pain." So, I'm looking for a her...

I nod, losing oxygen in my body from having spoken out loud under the water. I feel a wave like a nod and the crashing of being pulled out of the water. "Nico!"

"Per-Percy!" I stutter, water flowing down my chest. I heave and spit it out,  the water in my mouth. "Percy! Do you know how to sail?"

"That's the stupidest thing to leave your mouth, ever." Says Percy.

"Coming from you, that's rich." I snark. "I need you to take me somewhere. Tomorrow, sunrise, meet me right here." I cough, running back up to my cabin and packing. I proceed to knock at Jin, Namjoon, and Clarisse's doors for help; they gladly accept, Clarisse telling me it was 'about time,' and I thank her before deciding where to go.

Tu sei il mio soldatino,
La reggione per cui vivo,
Non ti Scordar di mei,
Io vegliero sur di tei~...

...wait a second. That voice is in Italian, right? Duh. So this she I'm looking for...

Must be near there, right?