Chapter Text
I stood beside my sister, watching as a group of older villain kids climbed into a van bound for Auradon.
My eyes widened as the van drove across the bridge. Golden magic sparkled around it as it passed through the barrier surrounding the Isle. The shimmering light wrapped around the vehicle before fading as it continued across the bridge toward Auradon.
"Wow," I breathed.
I looked up at my sister.
"Do you think we'll get to go there one day?" I asked.
"To Auradon?" Bianca glanced toward the kingdom. "Maybe."
"Really?"
"Anything's possible, Nico."
I grabbed her hand and smiled up at her.
"Yeah, that'd be so awesome."
Bianca smiled back.
"We should go now," she said. "Father will be wondering where we are. He doesn't like us being gone for too long."
I nodded.
"Okay."
Together, we turned and started walking home. Before leaving, I looked toward the horizon where the car had disappeared on its way to Auradon.
I wondered what it was like over there. What the school looked like. What the people were like.
Maybe one day, I'd find out for myself.
We walked hand in hand until we reached the "Get Lost" sign with a giant skull painted on it. I smiled at the "Beware of Dog" sign, which had a picture of Cerberus, Dad's old dog, from before he had been abandoned on the Isle.
We stopped in front of the gate, and Bianca pulled out her key, shaped like Dad's iconic skull. She slid it into the lock and turned it. After pulling the key back out, she pushed the gate open.
Once we were inside, she locked it again, and we continued walking toward home. As we got closer, we heard the fake barks Dad always played to ward off strangers.
When we reached the old bike out front, we grabbed the helmet lights. Bianca helped me put mine on before putting on her own.
Then, with Bianca's help, I climbed onto the bike. She started pedaling, though she did all the work while I just rode along.
I watched as we rode past the mine cave, its blue lights flashing in the darkness, until we reached the entrance to our cave.
Bianca got off first, pulling off her helmet and switching off the light before helping me down and doing the same with mine.
We walked inside, where the familiar blue glow of our home lit the cave walls. Dad was asleep in his chair, his sunglasses still on despite being indoors.
We quietly made our way down the stairs so we wouldn't disturb him.
Bianca headed over to the record player to shut off the barking sounds, while I walked over to my prized possessions, my Mythomagic cards and figures.
Mythomagic cards and figures were so hard to get on the Isle. Luckily, Bianca always seemed to find them somehow. Now I only needed one more to have everyone, and that was: Hades.
"Well, you guys are late."
We turned to see Dad finally getting up from his chair.
"Yeah," Bianca said. "There were a lot of people who wanted to see the barrier open to Auradon."
Dad walked over and patted her on the head.
"Well, at least you're both safe."
He then walked over to me and patted my head.
"I wish I could go," I said, pouting.
"Then maybe I could complete my collection." I smiled and held up my cards for Dad to see.
"Well, you two are way too young to go to Auradon Prep," Dad teased.
He then looked down at my cards.
"The best ones are always the hardest to find," he muttered.
"Anyways," Bianca interrupted.
Dad turned toward her.
"About the thing you asked me to do, she got there safe and sound from what I saw," Bianca said.
"Who's she?" I asked.
""No one you need to worry about," Dad said.
I crossed my arms and huffed.
"If I ever went to Auradon," my sister started, "I would eat all the food I wanted."
"Oh yeah? Well, I want a dog like Cerberus!" I shouted.
Dad chuckled.
"Are you sure you can handle that?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm strong," I said.
"We'll see about that," Bianca said as she smirked.
"Hey!"
Dad then walked to his chair, where he pulled out a sack.
"Look what I found today," he said.
He then dumped out the sack, revealing canned food and bread.
"No way!"
Bianca ran over to the bread and touched it.
"Oh my gods, it's not even hard. It's like normal bread! How did you find this?" she asked.
"Well, when you're a god, you know where to find the good stuff," he explained.
"If you're a god, are we demigods?" I asked.
"Sure are."
"Cool."
Bianca then went to cook the food over the fire Dad had going, with a pot hanging above it. Once she was finished, we all sat down and ate together.
The next day, I was left alone with Dad in the cave while Bianca went outside to run errands.
I listened to the fake barking as I drew with my messed-up crayons Bianca had managed to find in the junkyard, along with some trashed paper I had managed to find. But all my drawings looked wrong. They didn’t look cool at all.
"Dad, do you know how to draw?" I asked, looking up at him while he lay in his chair.
"No idea. Don’t really need to draw if I’m a god," he explained, not even looking at me.
"Oh. I just want to learn how to graffiti, you know, like the ones all over the Isle," I said.
"Yeah, I know the ones," he said.
"Oh, I have an idea. What if I graffiti the cave?" I said, getting up off the ground.
"What?" Dad said, finally looking at me.
"Graffiti the cave so it’ll look cool."
Dad lay back down.
"Do whatever you want."
I stroked my chin.
"The design has to be cool, and it has to say Hades, like all the other graffiti with the villains' names," I said.
So that's what I did all day, trying to come up with a cool design. Most of my drawings ended up looking like blue blobs.
After a while someone walked in.
A few moments later, Bianca stepped inside carrying some supplies, such as potatoes, sewing utensils, and a couple of bags. She walked over to a stool leaving what she was carrying, then walked to the music player to turn off the barking.
I walked up to her.
"Welcome back," I said.
She turned toward me.
"Nico, perfect timing. Look what I got for you."
She walked to the stool where she had left the bags and opened them, pulling out a brown aviator-style leather jacket made from worn, dark brown leather. A soft fur collar lined the neckline, framing the top of the jacket and adding extra warmth. The leather was slightly scuffed and creased from years of wear, giving it a rugged, well-used appearance. Large pockets sat at the front, and sturdy stitching ran along the sleeves and shoulders. Despite its age, the jacket looked durable, comfortable, and built to last.
"Wow," I said as I took the jacket and put it on.
It was a bit too big for me. The sleeves hung past my hands, and the shoulders drooped lower than they were supposed to. The bottom of the jacket reached almost to my thighs, making it look like I was wearing an adult's coat. I didn't care, though.
"Where did you find this?" I asked.
"Oh, you know that junkyard? The people of Auradon always throw out good stuff, at least if you know where to find the good stuff," she whispered with a smile.
We always had to keep it a secret when visiting the junkyard.
Dad didn't like us going there because it could be dangerous. Huge piles of metal could collapse without warning, old cars were stacked on top of each other, and sharp pieces of glass and rusty nails covered the ground. There were also broken appliances with exposed wires and unstable walkways that could give out if you weren't paying attention.
It wasn't just the junk that was dangerous, though. There were also people there who would fight over valuable items or try to take things from other people.
Luckily, Bianca always knew where it was safe to walk, who to avoid, and when it was time to leave.
I hugged her quickly.
"Thank you."
"It's no problem. I also got myself something," she said, taking out a silver ski jacket.
"Now we can both stay warm while we're here," she said with a smile, putting on the jacket.
Bianca then noticed all my papers and crayons on the floor.
She walked over to them and picked up one of the drawings.
"What are these?" she asked.
"Oh, Nico wants to come up with a design he could graffiti on the cave walls," Dad said, finally speaking from his chair where he had been napping.
"Dad!" I yelled, my face turning red.
Bianca smiled at me.
"Is that so?"
"Hm," Bianca hummed, thinking for a moment.
"Why don't we take inspiration from the other graffiti on the Isle? Let me see."
Bianca took a blank piece of paper and grabbed a blue and black crayon.
"From what I've seen, most people graffiti their parents."
"That's me!" Dad yelled from the back.
"Yeah, we could start with the name," she said.
Bianca then started writing Hades's name in blue blocky letters.
"Don't forget my iconic flames," Dad said from behind us.
We turned to see him standing above us.
"Yeah," I agreed.
Bianca then drew blue flames around the name.
"Oh, and draw a skull at the top in the middle," I said.
And she did just that.
When we were done, Bianca held up the design. The word HADES was written in chunky blue letters outlined in black. Blue flames curled around the edges, and a small skull sat above the name like a crown.
“Cool” i said excitedly
"One of your two's best works," Dad complimented us before ruffling our hair.
"So tomorrow we can draw on the cave walls, right? Right?" I said excitedly.
Dad scratched his head.
"Well, I don't know," he said.
"Come on, Dad. It's not like anybody's going to see it. We're the only people who come in here," Bianca said.
Dad sighed.
"Fine. Just don't make a mess... and don't get hurt," he said.
Bianca and I jumped in excitement.
I stopped.
"Where do we even get supplies for graffiti?" I asked.
"Oh, don't worry. I know where," Bianca said.
The next day, Bianca went out, and I waited excitedly at the entrance of our cave. I finally knew she had arrived when I heard an echo of her voice and her heavy breathing.
Bianca came running in, holding a bag of spray paint.
"Got it," she said out of breath.
Excitedly, we ran out of the cave entrance, past the bike, and stopped at the exit of the cave right by the locked fence door.
Bianca pulled out a blue spray paint can and handed it to me before pulling out her own.
"You ready?" she asked, looking at me.
I nodded.
We went to work painting the design, which looked a little wonky thanks to our inexperience.
When we were done, we were covered in different shades of blue paint.
"Ugh, look at my hands," I said as I showed Bianca my hands.
That's when I got an idea.
I pressed my paint-covered hands against one of the blank spaces on the wall and left two handprints behind.
I laughed.
Bianca, seeing what I did, did the same. She left handprints bigger than mine and laughed.
We wrote our names next to our handprints and continued painting silly drawings with the spray paint.
I painted a silly picture of Cerberus with its tongue sticking out, skeletons in goofy poses, and finally a picture of Dad with his cool sunglasses, though it wasn’t very realistic—more like a chibi version of him. The figures were uneven and a little wobbly, with the spray paint bleeding at the edges, but I liked how it looked anyway.
Bianca, meanwhile, drew a picture of her, Nico, and Dad holding hands, as well as Mama standing slightly to the side holding flowers. Her lines were steadier than mine, and the figures were more evenly spaced. We were all chibi-style, with big heads and small bodies, but hers looked more put together. The hands were actually connected properly, and the faces had clear expressions instead of messy scribbles.
I looked at her drawing. “Wow, you’re way better than me,” I said.
“Don’t worry, Nico, you’ll get better with practice,” she said.
I stared at the picture of Mama. Bianca noticed.
“You miss her. I do too,” she said as she side-hugged me.
To be honest, I missed Mama a lot, but… I don’t really remember how she looked. The most I could remember was her singing a lullaby.
“Yeah, I do,” I mumbled.
The cave felt quieter than before. The blue paint was still wet in places, dripping a little down the rock. Our handprints stood out next to everything else.
Bianca stood up and brushed her hands off on her jacket.
“We should probably go now,” she said.
“Okay.”
Together, we walked to the entrance of our house.
When we entered, we noticed Dad seemed to be fixing where he kept his Ember, the last source of his power. He was so protective of it he didn’t even let me or Bianca touch it.
“We’re finished,” Bianca said.
Dad turned toward us and looked us up and down. “...Well, you two are a mess,” he said.
“Yeah, but it was so fun,” I said excitedly.
Dad turned back to the Ember. “Well, you two better get cleaned up—you’ll get paint everywhere.”
“On it,” Bianca said, walking deeper into Dad’s lair toward the bathroom.
“Nico, you go first.”
“Aw, man,” I said.
After I bathed, followed by Bianca, we both had our clothes cleaned. We looked brand new—well, as new as you can look on the Isle.
After that, we continued painting doodles on the wall from time to time. Dad complained that the cave was becoming uncool, but I think he liked them. I mean, if he really hated them, he could remove them, right?
One day, Bianca went out on errands again, leaving me and Dad alone once more. Currently, I was sitting on the floor playing with my Mythomagic figures while Dad had his nap time again.
It was quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the fake dog barking.
I sighed, looking at the figures and then at Dad.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hm?” Dad hummed from his chair.
I held up the Apollo figure.
“Is Apollo really the god of poems?” I asked.
“Mm-hmm,” Dad hummed.
“Is he any good?” I asked.
“Not really. He sucks at haikus,” Dad explained, lifting up his glasses.
“Oh.” I put the Apollo figure down and lifted another one.
“Is Ares really good at war?” I asked.
“Not even close,” Dad said.
“Why?” I asked.
“He always loses to Athena. That’s why,” Dad chuckled.
I put the Ares figure down and picked up another.
“Is Aphrodite really that pretty?” I asked.
“Can’t answer that.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I say no, she’ll somehow hunt me down, and if I say yes, she’ll never let me forget it,” Dad explained.
I continued to ask questions about each god until Bianca returned with food, where she found Dad sitting on the floor with me holding up my figures of zeus and hera.
“They just make you believe Hera is his mom. In reality, Zeus cheated on her like he always does. They just changed it in the story so he could look like a real hero and not cause scandal. I mean, I only did what I did because Hera told me to, and to be honest, I’m a little—”
Dad stopped, finally noticing Bianca.
“Oh, hi kid. Just telling your brother about the other gods.”
“I can see that,” Bianca said, walking up to us.
Dad slowly lowered himself back into his chair, clearing his throat.
“Food?” Bianca asked, holding up the bag.
“Yes,” Dad said immediately.
I scrambled to my feet. “What did you get?”
Bianca opened the bag and pulled out Ursula’s Fish and Chips. “It’s nothing fancy.”
I leaned closer. “Yummy.”
Dad reached over and grabbed a piece. “How did you make it all the way to Ursula’s restaurant?”
Bianca handed me a portion. “I got lucky. That’s all. Ursula’s daughter and her gang weren’t there, and Ursula herself was having a good day.”
Bianca then grabbed her own portion and sat on the floor with me. “So what were you telling Nico?”
“Just describing historical events.”
Bianca smirked. “Oh yeah? To me it sounded like complaining,” she teased.
“Why you—” Dad said, crouching down and stealing some of Bianca’s chips.
“Hey!” Bianca said angrily.
“That’s what you get,” Dad teased.
“So not fair!”
“So tell me” i change the subject
“Is it really true that poseidon got beat up by odessyus” I said excitedly
Dad laughed.
For the rest of the day, Dad told us old stories, or more like complaining and laughing at the other gods.
It was a week later when Dad finally agreed to go to the market with us.
We walked together, me and Bianca holding hands as Dad walked next to us.
The market was loud the moment we got close. People shouted over each other, calling out prices and trading goods. Stalls were packed tightly along the narrow paths, with old tarps and scrap metal acting as roofs. The air smelled like smoke, fried food, and rusted metal.
A few vendors waved at us as we passed, but most people were busy arguing or haggling. Some kids ran between the stalls, carrying stolen scraps or small bags of supplies.
Bianca tightened her grip on my hand as we moved through the crowd. Dad walked slightly ahead, as he walked like he owned the whole place.
That was when the first stall went quiet.
The vendor froze mid-sentence, eyes flicking up at Dad. His grip tightened on the crate he was holding.
“Uh… morning, Lord Hades,” he said quickly.
Dad barely looked at him. “Yeah.”
We kept walking.
A few steps later, another stall owner pulled her kid behind her when she saw him pass. The kid peeked out, wide-eyed, before disappearing again.
I looked around the stalls in curiosity. Bianca must have noticed because when I started to go off on my own she pulled me close.
“Stay close,” she said quietly.
“I am,” I said.
Dad stopped at a stall and looked at the goods.
“Nothing new,” he muttered.
The vendor nodded quickly. “No, sir. Nothing worth your time.”
Dad moved on.
Bianca sighed. “Is it always like this?”
I looked around again. People were quieter when Dad passed and watched him when they thought he would not notice, then looked away when he turned.
“Of course” dad chuckled “i am the god of the underworld”
“I guess that makes sense" bianca muttered
I looked around at all the stands until I spotted a stall with old electronics stacked in a messy pile.
My eyes stopped on a small, slightly scratched television sitting between broken radios and tangled wires.
“Bianca,” I said.
She followed my gaze and walked over.
The vendor looked up as she approached.
Bianca picked the TV up and turned it slightly, checking the back. There were no proper ports for anything modern, just an old power cord and a built-in receiver.
“It still works?” she asked.
The vendor nodded quickly. “Yeah. Picks up signals sometimes. Depends where you are.”
“Would it work in a cave?” Bianca asked.
“I don’t know—are you going to buy it or not?” the vendor asked rudely.
“Well, that’s no way to talk to my children.”
We turned to see Dad standing right behind us, staring daggers at the vendor.
The vendor immediately realized who Dad was and started sweating bullets.
“Your children—L-Lord Hades, I didn’t know you had children.”
“I do. I just happen to be a very overprotective father.”
Dad leaned on the table filled with electronics and got up close to the vendor’s face.
“So how much is it?” Dad asked.
“It—um—free. It’s free. Take it, and if it doesn’t work, you could just return it to me,” the vendor rambled nervously.
Dad laughed and took the tv from bianca
“Thank you” dad said
We walked away
“That was easy” said dad
“They really are scared of you” i said kind of impressed
“Nico why did you even want a tv?” asked bianca
“Cause I want to know about Auradon,” I smiled.
“Oh,” Dad said in disgust.
Dad doesn’t like Auradon since he is the god of the Underworld; he takes death very seriously. And since the king of Auradon disrespected it in order to bring back dead villains, well, you can see why he hates that place. It also doesn’t help that they locked him up here and took away his powers, leaving the Underworld in disarray. At least, that's what Dad says.
After picking up some other things, like food and nails to fix something in the cave, we walked home.
We entered the cave, and Dad set the TV down on a small table.
Quickly, Bianca started messing with it. She turned the TV on, but it only showed static. Bianca began adjusting the antennas on top of the TV, and after a while, the static disappeared.
There was a lady on the TV talking.
“...and preparations continue for Prince Ben's upcoming coronation. Citizens from across Auradon are expected to attend the celebration next week. Security has also been increased around the castle as workers finish the final decorations.”
My eyes widened.
“It's working!”
Bianca smiled slightly and sat down in front of the TV.
The reporter continued speaking.
“Prince Ben has stated that he hopes the coronation will mark the beginning of a new era for Auradon.”
Dad walked over and crossed his arms.
“A new era,” he muttered. “Yeah right”
Dad lead over and changed the channel
“Hey we were watching that” i complained
“Yeah well watch some cartoons while i sleep”
“Cartoons?”
For the rest of the day, we watched a show called Aurora the Explorer.
I didn’t really like it. It was way too prince-and-princess-y.
A couple of days later, Bianca and I were walking around the Isle, exploring.
Dad had stayed home. He said he had "important god business" to do, which probably meant taking a nap.
We wandered through parts of the Isle I had never seen before. The farther we went, the fewer people there seemed to be. Most of the buildings looked abandoned, with boarded-up windows and faded graffiti covering the walls.
I kicked a pebble down the street.
"Have you ever been this far before?" I asked.
"A few times," Bianca said.
"What's over here?"
"Nico, be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."
I nodded, but I was already looking around.
I ran ahead to a corner and picked up a broken toy.
It was missing one of its wheels, and it had a crack running down the side, but I could still tell it had once been a race car.
"Look what I found!" I called.
Bianca walked over and looked at it.
"Wow, that's nice."
"Yeah, I know. It still looks aw—ow!"
The broken toy car had poked my hand, and a small drop of blood appeared.
"Nico!" Bianca exclaimed in surprise.
"It's fine," I said.
"It is not fine."
Before I could protest, Bianca snatched the toy car out of my hand and threw it.
The toy flew across the street and slammed into a sign that read:
BEWARE OF FLYING ROCKS
The sign rattled from the impact.
Bianca turned back to me.
"Let me see."
"It's just a scratch," I complained.
We continued to argue until we heard a loud creaking sound.
Both of us turned toward the sign.
To our surprise, the sign Bianca had hit had activated a hidden door next to it, causing it to slowly swing open.
We stared at the open doorway for a moment.
Then, out of curiosity, I ran inside.
"No, Nico, wait!" Bianca shouted as she chased after me.
We ran up the stairs until we reached a single door at the top.
I gently grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
It wasn't locked.
I slowly pushed the door open.
“Nico, stop! This is dangerous!” I heard my sister call out.
But I ignored her as I opened the door to reveal a large room.
The walls were covered in layers of colorful graffiti. Names, symbols, drawings, and handprints had been painted over one another until there was barely any empty space left.
Old furniture had been dragged inside and arranged around the room. There was a worn couch pushed against one wall, a few mismatched chairs, and a table covered in random items people had collected over time.
Shelves lined part of the room. They were filled with all sorts of things, from old books and tools to broken toys and strange trinkets.
Near the center of the room hung a large painting.
It showed four teenagers standing together.
Two girls and two boys painted in black and white.
Painted below them were the words:
ROTTEN TO THE CORE
I stared at it.
"Whoa."
Bianca finally caught up to me and stopped in the doorway.
“Are those the kids that went to Auradon?” I asked.
Bianca walked in and stared at the painting.
“Yeah…”
I went to look around, but Bianca grabbed my hand.
“First we fix your hand up, then we leave,” Bianca said.
She grabbed what looked like a ribbon from a nearby desk and tied it around my hand.
“But why? This place is so cool,” I said.
“Because this isn’t our place, and if they find out anybody was here, they’ll kill us,” Bianca explained, letting my hand go.
“But they’re in Auradon. They wouldn’t know,” I said.
“Nico, they won’t be there forever. They’re going to be kicked out soon,” she explained.
“What? How do you know?”
“I just do. The people in Auradon hate people from the Isle, and vice versa,” Bianca said.
I frowned a little.
“That doesn’t make sense,” I said.
Bianca didn’t answer right away.
“Come on,” she said finally.
She waited for me with her hand out stretch waiting for me to grab it.
I didn’t move.
“But we just got here,” I said.
“Nico.”
I looked at the painting again.
The four kids stood there, frozen in place.
“Can we come back later?” I asked.
Bianca’s face changed a little.
“No,” she said immediately.
I frowned quietly. I grabbed her hand and walked out of the place.
For the rest of the day, we walked around the Isle, never speaking about what we had just found until it was curfew time and we had to get home.
The coronation of the new king was just a couple of days away, so pretty much everyone was watching, especially since the villain kids were going to be there. Dad seemed extra interested for some reason.
I was still in bed hugging my small pillow when I was shaken awake.
“Nico, I’m going now,” said Bianca.
I got up, yawning. “Can I come with you?” I asked.
“Sorry, Nico, you can’t, but I made breakfast.”
“Okay,” I said before throwing my old blanket to the side and getting up.
I walked to the main area of the cave, where we had a small table near the ground. On the table was some bread.
“Dad found some more,” Bianca explained.
I looked around.
“Where is Dad?” I asked.
Bianca sat on a mat on the floor by the table.
“He said something about having a meeting, probably with Dr. Facilier,” Bianca explained.
“Oh,” I said as I sat on the mat opposite Bianca.
Grabbing a piece of bread, I bit into it.
“This one's way harder than last time,” I complained.
“Yeah, well, this one's older,” Bianca said, taking a bite of the bread she was holding.
I sighed dramatically.
“When I go to Auradon one day, I'm going to eat fresh bread every day.”
Bianca laughed.
“Every day?”
“Every day.”
“You'd get tired of it.”
“No, I wouldn't.”
“Yes, you would.”
I crossed my arms.
“Nope.”
Bianca smiled.
“Okay then, every day it is.”
I grinned and continued eating.
The TV nearby was quietly playing another report about Prince Ben's coronation.
“Do you think it'll be fun?” I asked.
“The coronation?”
“Yeah.”
Bianca thought for a moment.
“Probably.”
“Do you think they'll have food?”
“Definitely.”
“Cake?”
“Probably.”
“Dogs?”
Bianca laughed.
“Maybe.”
“Cool.”
We continued eating and watching the TV coverage of the coronation preparations until we finished.
Bianca looked at me and sighed.
“What?” I asked.
“Your face and hair are dirty. Let me see.”
Without any warning, Bianca pulled out a handkerchief, dampened it a little, and started cleaning my face.
“Gross,” I complained.
“Just hold still.”
Bianca then started combing my hair with her fingers.
Once she was done, she backed away and looked at me.
“There we go. Way cleaner now,” she said with a laugh.
I grumbled before messing up my hair again.
“Hey! I just fixed that,” Bianca complained.
“Shouldn't you be going now?” I said, crossing my arms, my face red from embarrassment.
“Yeah, I should,” Bianca said, walking over to where she had left the bag she always took whenever she went out.
“Now be careful. Dad isn’t here today, so you’re the man of the house,” Bianca said seriously.
I did a salute.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, just keep the fake dog barks on. That should keep anyone from coming in, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
Bianca walked over and hugged me.
“See you later,” she said as she walked away.
“Bye!” I yelled after her.
Once she was out of sight, I ran over to the music player and turned on the fake barking.
Done with my duty, I walked over to my figures and started playing with them.
I don’t know how long had passed until Dad came back home.
I was doing a dramatic reenactment of when Hermes stole Apollo’s cows when he strutted in.
“Sup, kid,” he said, walking in and passing me on his way to his nap-time chair.
“Weres your sister” he asked while getting comfortable
“She went out” I said while having apollo and hermes fight
“Is that so” dad hummed “I guess she has more time until curfew” Dad said
But Bianca was late, which she never was.
Dad was slouched forward, elbows resting on his knees. His hands were clasped tightly together, pressed against his mouth, eyes locked on the door like it was the only thing in the room that mattered.
I wasn’t any better. I stopped playing with my figures and just stared at the door too.
Then Dad got up—fast. Too fast. He walked toward the exit like something had snapped into place.
“It’s already way past her curfew,” he said, his voice low and serious in a way I’d never heard before. “I’m going to look for your sister. You stay here.”
I just nodded.
I watched as Dad speed-walked out the door, The cave went quiet the moment Dad left, except for the fake barking.
I stayed sitting there for a second, staring toward the entrance. The opening let in a thin slice of blue light, but nothing moved outside.
I looked back at my figures and tried to pick them up, but my hands shook a little, so I set them back down.
“Bianca’s just late,” I said to myself.
I said it again, quieter.
“Just late.”
I stood up and walked toward the table. The empty bread plate was still there.
I walked back again, then sat down, then stood up again.
The fake dog barking from the music player kept going, bouncing off the cave walls, but it felt too loud now.
I walked closer to the entrance and pressed my hand against the stone beside it. It was cold. I pulled my hand back fast.
“She’s coming back,” I said. My voice echoed slightly in the cave.
No one answered.
I went back to the mat and sat down again. I tried to focus on my Mythomagic figures, but I couldn’t remember what I was doing with them. Apollo was now in my hand, Hermes on the ground beside me. I picked Hermes up, then put him back down.
I looked toward the entrance again. Nothing.
I hugged my knees tightly to my chest.
Every sound from outside made me look up fast, even the wind slipping through the cave or the fake barking echoing strangely against the rock.
“Dad will find her,” I said.
I nodded quickly like that made it true. That made sense. Dad always came back. So did Bianca.
I stayed there, staring at the cave entrance, waiting for it to change.
It felt like forever until Dad came back, now covered in rain and looking grim.
“Dad!” I yelled, getting up and running to hug him.
I held onto him tightly and looked up.
“Did you find Bianca?”
...
Silence.
“Dad… where’s Bianca?” I asked.
...
“Where’s my sister?” I asked again, my voice shaking.
Dad gently pulled away from me and walked over to his nap-time chair. He sat down heavily and stared at the ground instead of looking at me.
I stood there.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
“Did she get lost?”
Dad’s hands were shaking.
I had never seen that before.
“Did she get hurt?” I asked.
Still nothing.
The fake dog barking echoed through the cave.
Dad suddenly looked annoyed and pointed toward the music player.
“Nico… turn that off.”
His voice sounded tired.
I quickly ran over and shut it off.
The cave became quiet.
Too quiet.
I walked back over.
“Dad?”
He still wasn't looking at me.
I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.
“Dad, where’s Bianca?”
Dad closed his eyes for a second before opening them again.
Then he finally looked at me.
I immediately wished he hadn't.
His eyes looked wrong.
“Sit down, kid.”
My stomach twisted.
“Why?”
Dad swallowed.
“Just… sit down.”
I didn't.
“Where's Bianca?”
Dad looked away again.
And somehow that was worse than him not answering at all.
After a minute of silence, Dad finally spoke.
“There was an accident… at the junkyard,” he said quietly, his voice sounding strained.
“What?”
Dad rubbed his face with one hand.
“I always told her that place was dangerous,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “Everything there is unstable… one wrong move and…”
He stopped talking.
“Dad, what happened?” I asked, my eyes filling with tears.
Dad looked down at his hands.
That's when I noticed it.
Clutched tightly in one of his hands was a Mythomagic figure.
The only one I didn't have.
Hades.
My stomach dropped.
“No…” I said quietly.
Dad closed his eyes.
“She was trying to get it for you.”
I took a step back.
“No.”
My voice cracked.
“No!”
I yelled before running out of the cave.
I ran and ran.
It was nighttime on the Isle, and rain poured down around me.
I bumped into a lot of people. Some yelled at me to watch where I was going, but I didn't care.
Why should I?
Bianca was gone.
I kept running until my legs started hurting.
Dad probably hated me.
It was my fault.
If I hadn't wanted the figure...
If I hadn't wanted to complete my collection...
Bianca would still be here.
I couldn't go back.
That's when I got an idea.
I ran until I saw a familiar sign.
BEWARE OF FLYING ROCKS
Quickly, I picked up a rock from the ground and threw it.
It hit the sign.
The hidden entrance began to open.
I didn't even wait for it to fully open. I squeezed through and ran up the stairs.
When I reached the door at the top, I yanked it open and slammed it shut behind me.
Silence.
My heavy breathing filled the room.
I was safe here.
At least... I thought I was.
Tears filled my eyes.
I grabbed the nearest thing I could reach and threw it across the room.
It crashed into a wall.
I grabbed something else.
Then something else.
“Why?” I yelled.
“Why?!”
I wiped my eyes, but more tears kept coming.
“This is my fault!”
My voice echoed around the hideout.
I sank to the floor and hugged my knees to my chest.
Everything hurt.
I just wanted Bianca back.
I buried my face in my arms.
The room was quiet except for the rain outside and my breathing.
Then I fell asleep
I stayed there for three days.
The whole room was a mess.
The paint on some of the walls was scuffed from all the things I had thrown. Broken glass, furniture, and jewelry littered the floor. Feathers from ripped pillows and couch cushions were everywhere.
I hadn't done much besides cry, sleep, and sit there.
Sometimes I yelled.
Sometimes I stared at the painting that said ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
Sometimes I just sat there doing nothing.
I didn't know if Dad had looked for me.
I didn't know what time it was anymore.
I just knew I was tired.
Really tired.
I slowly stood up and looked around the room.
I felt bad about what I had done, but I was ready to go home.
Walking slowly back to Dad's cave, I eventually made it there, only to see Dad waiting outside.
He looked almost as bad as I did. His blue hair was a mess, dark circles sat under his eyes, and his clothes were wrinkled. He was holding a bottle in one hand.
He took a sip before noticing me.
Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he waited until I reached the gate.
“You had enough?” he asked, his voice raspy, like he'd been crying too.
I nodded, staring at the floor.
“Good,” he said quietly before guiding me inside.
We were both quiet as we walked inside, ignoring the bike and helmets. The only light came from the blue lights flickering around the cave.
Once we reached the main living area, Dad went to sit in his chair while I looked around.
Nothing had changed.
Everything was exactly the way it had been.
Except...
“If you're looking for those figures of yours, I put them away. I knew you wouldn't want to see them,” Dad said quietly.
I turned toward him.
“I don't care,” I said, using my voice for something other than screaming and crying.
“You can burn them for all I care.”
Dad went silent.
I looked away.
I didn't want to see them anymore.
I didn't want to see the TV.
I didn't want to see the graffiti Bianca and I had made.
I didn't want to see anything.
Because everywhere I looked, she was supposed to be there.
And she wasn't.
More silence passed.
“I buried her with your mother,” Dad said quietly.
I turned toward him.
“I left her flowers and some money she could use to travel through the Underworld,” Dad confessed.
“Just tell me when you're ready to visit them.”
I looked away.
I hadn't visited Mom since a week before those VKs went to Auradon.
...
Auradon.
My hands clenched, and I started shaking.
If only Auradon gave us real food.
If only Auradon gave us supplies.
If only Auradon didn't only give us trash.
If only Auradon didn't trap us on this stupid island.
...
Bianca would still be here.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I turned to see Dad had gotten up and was hugging me.
I hugged him back, letting the tears fall from my eyes.
Dad held me tighter.
“I'm sorry, kid,” he whispered.
I buried my face against him.
This wasn't fair.
None of this was fair.
I pulled my face away from his stomach.
This was Auradon's fault.
Auradon's fault and all of its stupid people.
A couple of days passed.
I woke up in my bed.
For a second, everything felt normal.
I slowly sat up.
Then I looked over at Bianca's bed.
It was empty.
...
I quickly looked away.
I got out of bed, changed my clothes, and walked into the main area of the cave.
Dad was sitting in his chair watching the TV.
“What are you watching?” I asked, sitting on the floor next to his chair.
“The coronation is today,” he said in a tired voice.
It's been a couple of days since Bianca...
I hadn't really been paying attention to anything anymore.
I forgot that it was today.
“Oh yeah…” I said quietly.
The TV showed people all over Auradon celebrating.
Everyone looked happy.
I gritted my teeth.
“At last, here we are broadcasting live from the coronation, where Prince Benjamin will soon be crowned king.”
A lady with short black hair and a red bow, wearing a blue and yellow dress, appeared on the screen.
“I'm Snow White, bringing you up-to-the-second coverage of Who's the Fairest of Them All?” she said with a smile.
“Why are we watching this?” I asked, turning toward Dad.
Dad didn't answer.
I turned back, crossing my arms.
The screen continued showing carriage after carriage arriving as royalty showed up.
Everyone was smiling.
Everyone was laughing.
Everyone looked excited.
I could feel my face turning red with anger.
My nails dug into my knee where my hand was resting.
How could they all be so happy?
Didn't they know what happened?
Didn't they know people on the Isle were hurting?
Bianca was gone.
And they were throwing a party.
I looked away for a second before forcing myself to look back at the TV.
I didn't want to.
But I couldn't stop watching either.
Then it showed the people at the coronation.
Princesses twirled around in their dresses while princes stood around in expensive suits.
It made my stomach twist.
A woman was then shown climbing onto a stage.
“Ah, Fairy Godmother is looking radiant, but what is happening with Jane's hair?” Snow White said with a laugh.
The camera showed a girl with short hair standing there, looking around as people passed by her.
I blinked.
That was weird.
Snow White and the girl almost had the same haircut.
I frowned.
“And there's Fairy Godmother's wand.”
The TV showed a person wearing an all-blue suit, mask, and gloves pulling a blue cloth off something.
It revealed a wand surrounded by a glass dome.
Dad leaned forward, humming as he stared at the wand.
“What?” I asked, turning around.
“You see that wand, Nico?”
“Yeah.”
“That wand is the most powerful wand in Auradon. That wand controls the Isle barrier,” Dad explained.
I turned back and stared at the wand on the screen.
“What else can it do?” I asked.
“Anything you want it to do.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Anything?”
Dad hummed in agreement.
The screen then changed to the outside of the castle.
“Oh, and here comes Ben now,” the announcer said.
It showed a boy in a blue and yellow suit sitting in a carriage with a girl in a light purple dress and purple hair.
Wait… I recognized that face.
“What is she doing there with him?” Dad muttered.
I turned to him. “Why do you care?” I asked.
Dad looked away. “Just curious.”
I turned back to the screen.
But it was weird. Why would a kid of Maleficent, a villain, be riding with the future king of Auradon?
The screen continued to focus on the two as people threw flowers and snow white talked about the supposed couple.
I noticed dad grip his arm rest.
I chose to ignore it.
The carriage stopped at the stairs of the building where the coronation was taking place. Ben got off first, then held out his hand to help Mal out of the carriage.
“Well, look at her, looking like some kind of princess,” Snow White said, sounding impressed.
Snow White then picked up a paper and started unfolding it.
“Now let’s see who this beauty is wearing,” she said, checking the page.
She squinted before saying, “Evie?” She looked confused.
“Someone named Evie designed her gown,” she laughed nervously.
The camera continued to follow them as they slowly climbed up the stairs while music played.
Then they reached the top, meeting the current king and queen, they talked for a bit until they walked away together. Then Mal was taken away leaving only Ben alone as he walked up the stairs.
The screen then changed to inside, where Ben walked in and people bowed as he passed.
Finally, he made it to where the Fairy Godmother greeted the current king and queen before taking the king’s crown. The Fairy Godmother then placed the crown on Ben’s head as he knelt.
After that, the Fairy Godmother walked over to the wand, and the king lifted the dome, letting the queen take it and hand it to her.
She turned toward Ben, wand in hand.
“Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?” the Fairy Godmother said.
“I do solemnly swear,” Ben replied.
“And it is my honor and my joy to bless our new king—”
Gasps rang out as someone took the wand, holding it high.
“Oh, shoot,” I heard Dad say.
His voice wasn’t tired this time.
It was sharp.
Alert.
Like something in him had just snapped awake after days of sitting still.
It was the girl Snow White had been talking about.
Jane.
The wand in her hands flickered, then surged out of control, blasting magic everywhere.
The ground shook.
I flinched immediately, grabbing at the floor to steady myself.
“Dad?” I said, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be.
Dad was already standing.
His chair scraped back hard.
His blue hair lifted slightly as heat flickered through it, like fire trying to catch.
“The barrier is broken,” he said.
“What?” I said again, faster this time.
“It’s weak,” he added, eyes locked forward now, focused. “I’ll close it soon… but I can make it out.”
A grin flickered across his face—not happy, not kind.
Something closer to opportunity.
Something dangerous.
He stepped into a stance like he was ready to fight the entire world if it got in his way.
At that moment, the shaking got worse, and I fell forward.
“Ah!” I said, catching myself on the ground.
My hands shook as I tried to push myself back up.
Dad faltered.
He looked at me, and the grin on his face faded. The fire in his hair grew dimmer.
For a moment, he didn’t move.
The shaking from outside filled the cave, but he wasn’t looking at the TV anymore. He was looking at me.
Like he was trying to decide something fast.
Something important.
“Nico…” he said, quieter now.
I swallowed. “Dad?”
Another shake hit the ground, harder this time. I flinched again, almost falling.
Dad stepped forward and helped me up, holding me close.
Screams and gasps echoed from the TV as chaos happened.
“What are you doing? Go— you don’t have enough time,” I said, trying to push Dad.
“No,” he said quietly.
I looked up at him, confused.
“I already lost enough people. I’m not abandoning you in order to get out of here,” Dad said quietly.
Tears filled my eyes. I closed them, pressing my face into Dad’s stomach and holding on tight.
The shacking stoped a little second later and I noticed dad hair that was once on fire went back to normal hair showing the the barriers crack was fixed.
I grabbed his sleeve
“Your only chance to escape was ruined thanks to me” I said as tries rolled down my eyes
“No” hades said
“I’ll have other chances”
Silence
“Nico”
I turned towards dad
“I never told you this but… I love you” dad looks down
“I should have told your sister that”
“I love you too dad” I said hugging him one more time
Once we pulled apart I turned towards the tv
Well the once working tv thanks to the shaking it fell to the floor causing it to break.
“Now we don’t know what happened” I said quietly
“Don’t worry people will talk”
“Yeah, I guess they do.”
And talk they did.
Turns out the four VKs that left were traitors and deserved to burn, like the rest of Auradon.