Nixie Jackson was born on a stormy November night, her cries drowned out by thunderclaps. Her mother, Sally Jackson, called her a little lightning bug, though she swore the storm was no accident.
Two years younger than her brother Percy, Nixie was the quiet one. While Percy charged headfirst into adventures and arguments, Nixie preferred the company of books, her stuffed bunny clutched tightly to her chest. Percy teased her for carrying “Bun-Bun” everywhere, but when no one was looking, he made sure it stayed safe.
“Percy, stop!” Nixie cried one evening when he dangled Bun-Bun just out of her reach.
“Come on, Nix! I’m just playing!” Percy grinned but tossed the bunny back to her. “You’re such a worrywart.”
She glared at him, but the hint of a smile tugged at her lips. No matter how much Percy annoyed her, she knew he’d always protect her.
But not even Percy Jackson could protect her from everything.
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The day started like any other. Sally had promised them a trip to a park upstate, a rare treat from their usual routine in the city. Percy grumbled about the long drive but perked up when Sally mentioned they’d stop for snacks along the way.
“Can we get blue candy?” Percy asked, his green eyes sparkling with hope.
“You and your blue obsession,” Sally teased, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.
“Blue’s the best color!” Percy declared, nudging Nixie with his elbow. “Right, Nix?”
“Right,” Nixie said with a small smile, clutching Bun-Bun tightly. “But only if Bun-Bun gets some too.”
Percy snorted. “Bun-Bun doesn’t eat candy.”
“Bun-Bun can have mine,” she shot back, sticking out her tongue.
Their banter continued as Sally drove through the winding roads of upstate New York. The trees were vibrant with autumn colors, their leaves carpeting the forest floor in reds and golds. For a while, everything felt perfect.
But perfection is fleeting.
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It started with a shadow. Sally’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel as she noticed something in the rearview mirror.
“Mom?” Percy asked, catching her tense expression.
“It’s nothing,” Sally said quickly, though her voice betrayed her worry.
The shadow grew larger, darker, until it eclipsed the road behind them. A screeching roar shattered the calm, and Nixie yelped as a massive claw slammed into the asphalt, sending chunks of pavement flying.
“Hold on!” Sally shouted, swerving the car.
The creature behind them was unlike anything Nixie had ever seen. Its massive, scaled body shimmered like molten rock, and its eyes glowed an eerie orange. Long, jagged wings stretched from its back, slicing through the air as it pursued them.
“Is that a dragon?” Percy shouted, his voice cracking.
“No, it’s worse,” Sally muttered under her breath, her face pale.
Nixie clung to Bun-Bun, her heart pounding. “Mom, what is it?”
“A monster,” Sally said grimly. “We need to get away from it. Just hold on, okay? Both of you.”
The car sped down the road, but the monster was faster. It roared again, its wings beating furiously as it swooped closer. Percy twisted in his seat, staring out the back window.
“It’s right behind us!”
Sally’s jaw clenched. “Don’t look back, Percy. Just stay with your sister.”
But there was no outrunning it. The monster lunged, its clawed hand striking the car. The impact sent them careening off the road, the car smashing into a tree with a sickening crunch.
Nixie’s world tilted. Her head slammed against the window, and Bun-Bun flew from her grasp. Percy’s panicked voice reached her, but it sounded distant, like she was underwater.
“Nixie! NIXIE!”
Her vision blurred as the monster roared one final time, its fiery eyes burning through the smoke. And then there was nothing.
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When Nixie opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the car anymore.
The world around her was dark and cold, a barren field shrouded in swirling mist. The ground beneath her feet felt like ash, and the air carried an eerie stillness. She clutched her arms around herself, shivering.
“Hello?” she called out, her voice small and trembling.
At first, there was no response. Then, from the shadows, a deep, resonant voice answered.
“You are not where you should be, little one.”
Nixie turned, her wide eyes locking onto the figure emerging from the mist. He was tall and imposing, his dark hair slicked back, and his suit as black as the void. His eyes, like polished obsidian, gleamed with a strange intensity.
“Who are you?” she whispered.
The man tilted his head, studying her. “I am Hades,” he said, his voice like the rumble of distant thunder. “Lord of the Underworld. And your father.”
Nixie froze. Her mind raced, trying to process his words. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “My dad’s not... He’s not you!”
Hades’s expression flickered with something unreadable—sadness, perhaps, or regret. “You are my child,” he said firmly. “You were not meant to come here so soon, but fate has brought you to me.”
Tears welled in Nixie’s eyes. “I want my mom! I want Percy!”
At the mention of Percy, Hades flinched, his jaw tightening. He crouched before her, his towering form suddenly seeming less menacing. “You will be safe here,” he said, his voice softer now. “You will not be alone.”
But Nixie felt more alone than ever.
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Hades brought her to his palace, a sprawling fortress of black stone that loomed against the twilight of the Underworld. It was vast and empty, its echoing halls filled with shadows. He gave her a room adorned with soft blankets and toys she didn’t recognize, but nothing could fill the void inside her.
Days turned into weeks, and the memories of her life above began to fade. Nixie stopped crying for her mother and brother, stopped clutching at the hope of returning to them. The Underworld became her world, and Hades—distant and somber but quietly protective—became the only family she remembered.
By the time years had passed, Nixie had forgotten entirely about Percy Jackson.
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