Percy sat at the bottom of the river Styx, feeling like he was melting. The river was literally boiling him alive. He knew that he was supposed to concentrate on what grounded him to the mortal world, but he couldn't focus with the unbearable pain.

Just as he was about to give up, Percy started having flashes of memories around him.

They were memories of his loved ones. He saw his mother and father, Chaos, his friends, and Zoe. They were all waving for him to come closer, but every time he got close their images would fade away.

He turned around when he heard laughter.

When he turned around he saw Reyna laughing at him. "C'mon Kelp Head. You have to come back or I will search every corner of this hell just so I can kill you again," She said while her smile turned into a evil smirk as she brandished her gladius.

Percy felt a familiar tugging sensation on his side, right underneath his armpit. He felt like someone had stabbed there and began to pull the blade, but it wouldn't come out, just dragging him along until he felt himself being launched out of the river.

The son of Poseidon hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Percy?"

He looked up to find the relieved eyes of his girlfriend. "Hey Reyna. How long was I down their?"

She looked at him before crushing him into a hug that could have rivaled a cyclops.

"C-can't breathe R-reyna," he gasped out before she quickly let him go.

"Sorry, I thought the curse would keep you from feeling pain," she said.

Percy snickered at her embarrassed face, but she quickly kicked him in the family jewels, making him drop to the ground in pain.

"N-no it definitely d-does not protect me from p-pain," he said, his voice was a few octaves higher than normal.

Soft chuckling was heard a few feet from them.

Percy looked up at the nymph of the invincibility curse.

"Uh, thanks for not letting me become soup in your river."

Styx laughed at the boy in front of her. "I didn't save you. You my dear child did that all on your own."

"Oh uh, well never mind then," the son of Poseidon muttered, but the nymph still heard him.

"You must follow my river if you wish to enter the heart of Tartarus if you wish to compete in the Arena."

Percy was about to respond, but Reyna beat him to it. "Thank you Lady Styx, but we must get going we are to ever make it to the Arena."

The river nymph nodded and disappeared when she stepped back into her river.

"Come on Percy, we need to make it there so we can get the hell out of here."

Percy nodded as he started walking in the direction that the nymph told him to go, Reyna hot on his heels.

After a few hours of walking without any interruptions other than a few monsters that were aimlessly walking around in search of food or shelter, Percy and Reyna came upon a small castle in the middle of a barren wasteland.

Monsters dressed in stygion iron armour walked around the castle looking for anything trying to get inside.

"Wander what their guarding in there," Reyna said.

Percy looked at her nervous expression and chuckled. "It's fine Reyna, they aren't going to kill us because we have a date with their master. You are looking at the castle of Tartarus himself."

The daughter of Bellona's eyes widened in shock. "Well how are we going to ask Tartarus to help us if we can't get inside."

"Like I said, we have a date with the master of hell. Let's go," he cheered before grabbing her hand pulling her up as he dragged her to the massive doors that lead to the inside of the castle.

When they got there they saw two cyclops that were a good eight feet each. Both wore stygion iron armour with a spear in their hands that is made of the same material.

The monsters came forward, pointing their spears and baring their teeth at Percy and Reyna.

The daughter of Bellona took a small step back while Percy stood his ground. "Take me to Tartarus or I will break his little castle."

The cyclops on the right growled at him while the one on the left took another step forward. "Why should we? What makes you think our master wants to see you, demigod."

Percy grinned. "My name is Nightblade and because I said so, cyclops."

The cyclops took a few steps back in fear. Nightblade was famous for killing monsters, especially ones that didn't do as he said.

"Uh, right this w-way s-sir," the monster stuttered.

Percy grinned as the two cyclops opened the doors and led him and Reyna through a bunch of winding hallways until they made it to a pair of doors with carvings of death and torture.

The doors were fifteen high and were made of the same metal as everything else in this place. When Percy went to push the doors open they immediately opened by themselves.

"Well this is going to be fun," Percy muttered as he and Reyna walked into the throne room of Tartarus.

"Welcome Nightblade. I have heard of you and your accomplishments, including the ones before you met my father," Tartarus greeted.

"Uh, I don't really know what your talking about," Percy lied to the primordial.

"Of course you do Perseus Jackson," Tartarus chuckled at the son of Poseidon's shocked face.

"How did you know?"

"Really? You actually thought my father wouldn't have told me? I may not be as close to him as Nyx, but not that much less."

"Okay, well do you know why I am here?"

"You want to fight in my Arena."