The Hollows was an empty void of dead silence. Percy almost felt cold despite being dead. In the distance, he could see twelve suns burning silently.
He tried moving towards the suns, but whatever he was now was a formless cloud of thoughts.
Maybe if I think about it hard enough, I'll get there.
"What are you doing?" Nyx, the not-god asked. The voice was everywhere like the imminent rumbling of a storm.
"It's a bit boring here so I'm going over to one of those stars," Percy answered. "Is that alright, not god?"
Nyx was silent for too long. He was afraid she'd smite him for that, could you even be deader than he already was.
"I'm not really a god by your world's definition is what I meant," the not really god explained. "And I won't smite you, despite how impudent you are, since I was partially responsible for your death."
For a moment, he felt himself gulp despite the lack of a throat. Maybe he'd try being a bit nicer to the god, despite it not being in his nature.
"If I may ask, where am I? And what is this place? If it's hell, well…"
Down in the darkness, he could feel things moving in the darkness. Yes, feel, like water trembling against his skin. There were things down there, bigger than anything his mind could conceive and that was something he previously thought impossible.
Nyx's voice rumbled through the darkness, he could feel the entirety of the Hollows shake, and sense the things in the darkness flee the Keeper's voice.
"It's not just, maybe a transition between here and hell, but not hell. This place hangs between any two states of existence. That was why my brother was able to attack your world from here."
He had a short headache as he remembered what happened before he died. The distortion melting the colors of the world like an oil painting, the darkness when it consumed him, and the painful snap that ended his life.
"If it's not disrespectful, Nyx," he muttered. "Your brother's an asshole."
Nyx hummed in agreement. This really was the strangest thing he had ever been a part of, Nyx was the most divine not-god he had ever met. Also the only one, but you get the point.
"So is this like an Isekai type of situation? Like as compensation for your brother killing us?"
He read a lot of stories that had similar beginnings. This felt similar and was very exciting, the chance to start again. But Nyx didn't think so.
"No," the god answered simply.
For a moment he felt the world crash down on him and understood how bad the situation was. His life was too insignificant for Nyx to even consider reincarnating.
So was this his hell, being stuck in this place?
"You're overthinking it," Nyx interrupted his thoughts. "I'm not going to isekai you, because you'll be reborn in your world."
The darkness around grew heavier, pressing down on his chest like a metal block. He struggled to find the words to say for a long time.
"I have to go back there?" he whispered to himself. "Wa-wait! Then why did you bring me here?"
"To apologise for the inconvenience my brother caused you. You were doing very well for yourself and from what I've seen it's not easy to become as successful as you did in your world."
"It wouldn't be easy anywhere," he said almost reflexively. "You saw my memories. You know who I am and what my… world is like?"
Nyx didn't seem to want to answer the question. The Hollows were strangely lonely without the voice of the Keeper. When she returned, it came with a question.
"I wonder, why were you so unhappy? It was strange to see. It was why I even chose to speak to you first. You were so accomplished by the standards of your world, why were you of all people dissatisfied?"
Percy shook his head. A strange laugh filled the Hollows, one he couldn't believe came from his mouth. Maybe being polite didn't really matter, so he spoke how he felt.
"It sucked. What else do you want me to tell you? I almost had a family once, but it didn't work out. Then I almost got a contract to build an engine of a spacecraft, but it didn't work out. But you know what I always get to do? Whatever bullshit someone else wants me to do. Yeah, the money is nice, and I could quit anytime, but I've never done what I want to do."
The Hollows trembled for some reason, maybe it was Nyx, but he felt it was his own frustration.
"And I watch the world go by, nothing happens for the sake of creation anymore. It's all efficiency and consumers. It's boring. I wanted to build something I saw in my mind, bring an idea into existence."
"What about people?" Nyx cut in suddenly. "You never had any interests with people?"
Percy scoffed, did Nyx really check his memories at all?
"People last for a day. Everyone was always busy, even Tommy. You only know people for a few hours before they need to get back to work."
"That's unfortunate," the god replied. "I don't think that's all true, based on your memories, but I do understand a bit more."
"Well I'm glad to help," he muttered sarcastically. "I wonder what I'll be in my next life? Truck driver or waiter? Will I have my memories?"
"Yes, I can help with that."
"Nice, I can probably make some money before World War Three starts. I wonder if I would still be me if I didn't have my memories? But philosophical quandaries aside, can I see you?"
Nyx actually laughed for the first time. He felt like the warm waves of a beach were rolling over him.
"Why do you want to see me? How do you know you aren't already looking at me?"
Percy shrugged.
"I mean you don't talk like an endless realm of darkness and evil, and it would be interesting to have as a memory in my next shitty life."
The Hollows grew quiet. Percy just settled into the darkness somberly and waited for Nyx to say something or send him back to earth.
"First off, the Hollows aren't evil," Nyx said. "Secondly, how about we strike a deal?"
"Deal with the devil?" Percy said, strangely excited. "I have to agree."
"You've reverted back to being rude… I can reincarnate you into one of my worlds, but I need your word that you won't destroy the place."
His heart began pounding.
"Of course! I would never side with your brother to harm your world."
Nyx chuckled like he said something childish.
"My brother, Aether's plans are often double edged. Closing one door opens a window."
"That makes no sense."
"That's just it. Aether's plans don't often make sense to him either. He only creates possibilities and hopes they come to bite us in the ass."
Nyx paused for a moment.
"I'm not worried about Aether using you to kill me. You can't add anything to his already deadly arsenal of world-ending weapons. What I am worried about is you bringing suffering to the people of that new world. That's all Aether ever wants, to see people suffer."
Nyx sighed again. The darkness swirled and a tall woman with a hole in her abdomen swept from it.
She wore a glittering black dress that floated through the dark, her porcelain face was bored and indifferent.
Percy couldn't take his eyes off the gaping hole in her belly, it was like she had taken a cannonball to the gut.
"But now I have a degree of trust in your personality, Perseus.
"I didn't expect a woman."
"You really aren't helping yourself." Nyx rolled her eyes. "I'll give you three blessings to help you in that world. In return, you will build a better world for the people there. Deal?"
"Hell yeah," Percy said grinning.