Content Warning: This section of the guide references death, PTSD, and forced outing of an LGBTQ+ character.

In a flash forward, Nico di Angelo and his boyfriend Will Solace are weak and injured on their journey through the Underworld. A nymph named Gorgyra asks Nico to tell her a story about their relationship.

Nico and Will are the only campers staying at Camp Half-Blood for the academic year: Nico has no family and Will’s mother is a musician touring the country. The camp is a haven for demigods, the half-mortal children of the Greek pantheon. They bid farewell to two of Will’s siblings, Austin and Kayla, who are going home until next summer.

Nico is wary of the darkness he feels inside himself: both his penchant for grumpy unhappiness and foreboding about a voice he hears in his dream. Will manages to make him happier, though Nico’s unease lingers.

Nico has told Will about the disturbing dreams he’s been having and the voice he hears. Will carefully asks if Nico’s visions are due to his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suggests he consult their camp director Dionysus, known to them as Mr.