When I was small, I used to think that the heroes always saved the day. They would go on perilous journeys, meet friends along the way, and defeat their evil foes. Heroes were always dependable. They never let you down.

Boy, how wrong I was.

Here I am, knee-deep in the blood soaked earth, cradling my dying sister, fat, blurry

tears streaming down my cheeks, contemplating how everything became so horrendous in a matter of mere minutes. The piercing sound of ringing in my ears, the weight of dread deep, deep in my hollow heart, and the body-littered battlefield around me was my only answer.

"Nico…" Hazel murmured weakly. My little sister is dying, I thought numbly. How could I let this happen?

"Hazel, I'm sorry… I've failed you. I failed you just like Bianca," I cried, dimly aware of the screams surrounding me. The smell of fear, blood, and sweat in the suffocating air.

"No, you didn't fail me Nico. You gave me a second chance at life, and I've enjoyed every moment of it… every moment with you," she coughed violently and winced. Every breath she inhaled looked like it hurt.

I shook my head frantically. This is my fault, it's all my fault. "I should've stayed with you, after what happened to the rest of the Seven…" I trailed off, both of us didn't need to be reminded of the unspeakable deaths our friends experienced.

Percy and Annabeth were the lucky ones. They died together, both impaled by sharp stalagmites that rose from the Earth. It was a merciful death compared to most of the fallen demigods. Jason's string was clipped shortly after Piper's, both overwhelmed by the Earthborne that swarmed them under Mother Earth's command. Leo lost his life trying to scorch the enemy forces; he too was killed somewhere in the sea of chaos. As for Frank, he died valiantly leading his Roman soldiers into battle, but even sons of Mars couldn't make it out of this war. Reyna? I can feel her soul still residing in her body, although I can't make out what state she's in.

Gaea and her Giants are winning. We're all fighting a hopeless war in vain.

No deities from above are going to help us—not now, not ever.

The ringing roared in my ears now, the cacophonous sound echoing, taunting me. Say goodbye, I prodded myself mentally. Before you regret it for the rest of your life. Say goodbye, no matter how much it hurts.

I forced the bile rising in my throat back down. She's too young to die, and yet the daughter of Pluto prepared herself to face death once again, with nothing but love and determination shining in her eyes.

"I love you Hazel. Never forget it, okay? I am so proud of you."

She gave me a warm, sweet smile. My mind tried to capture the image one last time to remember her. She isn't the quiet, shy, and timid girl she once was. She long since grew into the kind, fierce, and powerful Roman warrior that stared back at me. I knew father would be proud.

"I love you too, Neeks. I'll wait for you," she whispered. I saw the light leave her beautiful golden eyes, rendering them a dull copper color—the everlasting shade of her soul.

I wept over my sister's corpse, my blood-stained hands clutching her like a life-line. The Seven are dead. All hope is lost.

I'm next, I realized. Fire ignited in my heart; white, hot, and angry. Gaea and her Giants will pay for every hope, for every life taken, for every loved one forced to say goodbye. I'll kill her, and if she takes me first, I'll drag her down with me.

Little Angel, why do you still fight? Gaea's gentle voice, like poisoned honey, reverberated in my skull. I rose shakily on my feet and reached for my Stygian Iron sword. The ground trembled around me and the shadows cowered in fear.

Mother Earth messed with the wrong Angel. I didn't fall out of heaven, I crawled out of Tartarus.

Now I'm out for revenge.