POV Nico

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I'm so tired... I've been walking for hours. I don't even have any idea where I am, I can't walk anymore. I'm gonna faint and I know it. I need to find a place to rest. But where? It's only miles and miles of freeway from here. I continue walking and start thinking.

Should I shadow travel? I'll get dehydrated if I don't do something quick. I can only hear Will nagging in my head. "You idiot! Why didn't you make sure you had water?" he would say. Now what's worse: shadow traveling or dehydration? I pick dehydration.

I focus. A few times ago when I left camp, I stumbled across a cheap, demigod friendly crummy motel not far away, in about 150 kilometers (AN: a little less than 100 miles for my fellow Americans) away. I focus on it, the same cashier that's there every time and asks me about my life. Lovely person. And after a few moments, I am there. "The 21 Roses" motel. I think to myself. Here we go again.

I walk up to the lobby, and as she sees me, she smiles a sad smile. "Hey Nico; what happened?" she asks. I smile back. Most lobby-working water nymphs aren't this nice. "Umm... well, Casey, it's basically what happened the last time; I met a hot amazing guy, found out I really like him, he's straight and I don't want to deal with it." I say and she smiles again and pats me on the shoulder. "Room 21 as usual?" she asks.

I nod and she hands me a key. I smile, thanking her, and rush to my room. I've been here I think 5 times, she doesn't let demigods stay without them telling her why. As I enter, I stick my head under the tap and gulp down as much water as I can. When I finally stop feeling thirsty, I take off my shirt to take a good look in the bathroom mirror (it's a classic motel bathroom y'all.)

I lost weight. Quite a large amount. I'm also paler. I have dark eye bags under my eyes, and I have markings all over my arms and body that I only now notice, lines breaking up my body into smallish areas. 20 drachma on an area in my arm, 10 on each rib... they were planning on butchering me?! That's horrible! And also a complete rip-off, I'm way too skinny for 10 drachma per chop.

I take a shower, washing the stress and marks off my body, feeling refreshed after more than half a day walking. I put on one of my pares of clothes and lock the door behind me, collapsing on my bead.

Sleep comes within seconds, and obviously doesn't last for long; I have that dream again, the one where I'm in Tartarus and all my friends turn on my. But this time Lauren's voice kept saying things like "I wanted to push you off that tree you were so pathetic!" or "I can't believe you thought anyone gives a damn about you."

I wake up, shaking and hugging myself, and for a second it felt like Will pulled me into a hug again, burying his face in my hair... but he's not. I'm alone here. And I will be alone forever. So I have to get over this damn love. I pout at my own stupidity. I actually repeated my Percy case, about 2 days after finally getting over it. Good job, death boy, I say to myself.

And then,

I finally get something I've wanted for years.

Something blessed.

I drift off into a dreamless sleep.