Tides of Soul's (pjo x ror)

Percy blinked a few times, wondering if his trip to the realm of the dead had messed with his vision. The contrast between the castle and the gardens was so absurd that he almost felt like calling an interior designer to Hades. On one side, the dark and colossal fortress, looking like the home of a cartoon villain who took the gothic aesthetic too seriously. On the other, a garden so exaggeratedly vibrant that it looked like a unicorn had exploded into it, scattering rainbows in the form of flowers.

The petals sparkled as if they had been dipped in magical glitter, and the air smelled like a mixture of honey, damp earth, and "if happiness had a scent, this would be it." Some of the flowers were as big as Percy's head, while others looked like tiny fireflies, blinking softly in the darkness. There were even some that changed color when he blinked, which made Percy wonder if they were messing with him.

But what really caught his attention were the diamonds. They were scattered across the floor as if someone had knocked over a giant jar of jewels and simply given up on picking them up. There were diamonds the size of marbles, the size of eggs, and even one that looked like it had been specially created for a megalomaniac deity's crown. Percy bent down and picked up one of the smaller ones, staring at its mesmerizing shine.

"This can't be normal," he murmured, turning the diamond between his fingers.

Voice of Eternity: Either Hades has a secret talent for extravagant decor, or someone dropped the entire Tiffany's inventory in here.

He looked around, realizing that any one of these shiny pebbles would probably be worth more than the budget of all the campers at Camp Half-Blood combined. But instead of worrying about wealth, Percy's mind went straight to the essentials: Would it be considered rude to line one's pockets?

Percy blinked several times, trying to take in the scene before him. He'd known Helheim Castle would be grand—after all, anything associated with Hades had to have a certain level of divine overkill—but this? This was beyond grand. This was ridiculous. The towers pierced the sky as if they defied the very laws of physics, and the walls were so tall and imposing that they seemed to be there just to remind any visitor how insignificant they were.

But none of that was what bothered him the most. What really made Percy indignant was the color.

It was black.

Not an elegant or sophisticated black, but a black so deep and absolute that it seemed to suck in the light around it. As if the castle itself was trying to camouflage itself in the eternal darkness of the underworld.

Percy: That doesn't make sense.

He almost spat those words out loud, but he stopped himself. Instead, he let his thoughts flow inward, talking to his inner voices.

Percy: Okay, someone explain this to me. —He mentally grumbled, crossing his arms.

Voice of the Wolf: What exactly made you so outraged?

Percy: The castle is black! — Percy exclaimed internally. — How come Hades' castle, which only uses white, is black? It was supposed to be white! Beige! Light gray at most! Anything but that!

Wanderer's Voice: So you're mad because the castle... doesn't match the owner's wardrobe?

The Wanderer asked, his tone clearly mocking.

Percy: YES! It's like someone told me Poseidon traded his trident for a shovel! It doesn't make sense!

Sheep's Voice: Maybe he just liked the color?

Percy: No, that's visual cheating! My brain can't accept it! — Percy mentally snorted, trying to process that contradiction.

Voice of the Wolf: We are your brain and we are accepting!!!