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The last few days were a blur for Nico—or at least that’s how it felt in his dream.Every time he closed his eyes, it started again, and he hated it. The countdown of hours that led to everything falling apart. Each moment was vivid, as though he were living it again, unable to stop the inevitable. The details felt so sharp, so real, like a cruel twist of his memories and imagination conspiring against him.25 hours before the event, Nico was having lunch with the Apollo cabin like normal. Kayla and Will were making jokes about Austen's hopeless attempts at flirting, and Jerry, Yan, and Gracie were discussing whether or not it was okay to trick the new campers by having the Apollo cabin shoot apples off their heads with arrows, Yan was one point from leaving the table. Nico was trying not to laugh as he pushed around the food on his plate.The winter sun filtered through the trees, warming his back due to the magic of camp, and for once, the weight he carried with him didn’t feel so crushing. Cabin 7’s conversations were light and easy, full of teasing and laughter, and he felt like he belonged there. 24 hours before the event, Nico was kissing Will behind the Apollo cabin in the shadows of the trees. The world seemed to fade around them, the camp’s usual morning bustle muffled as Will’s hands rested on Nico’s waist, grounding him.Nico’s heart raced in his chest, and he let himself sink into the moment, forgetting the shadows and voices that always seemed to follow him. Will tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss, and Nico felt a thrilling spark through him.When they finally broke apart, Will’s forehead rested against Nico’s, his breath mingling with Nico’s in the quiet space between them. “Hey, you good, Neeks?” Will asked softly, his blue eyes searching Nico’s for any sign of hesitation.“Yeah, I’m good,” Nico whispered, his voice barely audible. His lips curled into the faintest of smiles, and he leaned back in to kiss Will again. 23 hours before the event, They were organizing the infirmary closet together, a job that was supposed to be done weeks ago, but they kept putting it off. The task was mundane, but the banter made it bearable. “Ambrosia packs go here,” Will insisted, gesturing to a lower shelf.“No, they should be here. Easy access,” Nico argued, his tone clipped but not unkind.“You’re impossible, but I guess you're right, ” Will said with an exaggerated sigh, Nico smirked, but Will’s smile betrayed his amusement.The moment wasn’t about the ambrosia packs—it was about being together, the easy rhythm they’d fallen into, the small pockets of normalcy they carved out of their chaotic lives. 22 hours before the event, Nico was sparring with Yan in the training arena. The clang of swords echoed around them, punctuated by Nico’s sharp instructions. “No, don’t hold your sword like that Yan, you’ll lose a finger,” he said, stepping closer to adjust Yan’s grip, “You hold it like this”.Yan groaned. “How do you make it look so easy?”“Years of practice,” Nico replied, his tone softer. “You’re doing fine. Just… don’t overthink it.”Yan gave Nico a look that showed that they didn’t believe Nico, but they did as they were told. 21 hours before the event, he was sitting across from Mr. D in the Big House, the conversation heavy despite Dionysus’s usual sarcasm. “Well, don’t expect me to play therapist, kid,” the god muttered, leaning back in his chair with a bored expression, as he took a sip of coke.Nico stared at the table, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve. “I’m not asking for therapy. Just… some advice.”Dionysus sighed, the usual venom in his voice tempered with something softer. “Advice? This started as therapy, but if that is what you want, fine. Ignore the voices. Or better yet, learn to live with them. You’re a son of Hades—it comes with the territory.”The words weren’t comforting, but they weren’t dismissive either. For Mr. D, it was as close to concern as Nico could expect from the god. 20 hours before the event, Nico found himself in the middle of yet another argument between the Aphrodite and Hermes cabins. “It’s just a prank!” Alice exclaimed, throwing up her hands dramatically, Julia nodded glaring at Mitchell.“It’s not just a prank when it involves my clothes!” Valentina shot back, her face flushed with anger, Lacy glared ready to declare war on the other cabin.Nico sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why does this always fall on me?” he muttered to himself before stepping between them. “Enough! Alice, apologize. Valentina, I’ll help you sort it out. Everyone else, go back to your normal camp activities. Just everyone … stop yelling.”The campers started to leave, Alice huffed but muttered a half-hearted apology. Valentina didn’t look satisfied, but she let Nico lead her away. 19 hours before the event, he was back at the Apollo cabin for dinner. The table was lively, the air filled with chatter and laughter. Will kept stealing bites from Nico’s plate with a mischievous grin, earning an exasperated look from Nico.“Can’t you just eat your food, we’re having the same thing!?” Nico asked, though he wasn’t eating his own food and there was no real annoyance in his voice.“But yours tastes better,” Will teased, popping another piece of bread into his mouth.Nico shook his head, but he didn’t stop him. 18 hours before the event, Nico was sitting with Lou Ellen, Cecil, and Will near the volleyball courts, their voices hushed as they placed bets on the upcoming fireworks display, even though they weren’t supposed to be.“Five drachma says they will go all out this year,” Lou Ellen said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.Cecil snorted. “You’re on. They’ll probably just do the same lame sparklers from last year.”Will chimed in, nudging Nico’s side. “What do you think?”Nico shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I think you’re all going to lose your money.”They all laughed, the kind of easy camaraderie Nico didn’t often get to enjoy. 17 hours before the event, Nico was sitting with the Apollo cabin during the campfire. The flames danced in the pit as most of the Apollo cabin members led the sing-along, their bodies casting flickering shadows on everyone’s faces. Will’s voice rang out, clear and warm, blending with the crackle of the fire.Nico couldn’t help but steal glances at him, feeling a strange sense of contentment. He wasn’t one for campfire songs, but with Will’s arm brushing against his, he didn’t mind staying. 16 hours before the event, he was kissing Will under the fireworks. The bursts of color painted the night sky, but Nico barely noticed. His focus was on Will—the way his lips curved into a smile mid-kiss, the warmth of his hands on Nico’s shoulders.For once, the ever-present shadows and voices in Nico’s mind were quiet. The lightness he felt wasn’t from the fireworks but from the boy standing in front of him. 15 hours before the event, Nico was back at the Hades cabin, leaning against the doorway as he asked Will if he wanted to stay the night.Will chuckled softly, shaking his head. “As much as I’d love to, Neeks, I have to work a shift in the infirmary tonight. Someone has to keep the campers from bleeding out during the night.”Nico smirked faintly. “Fine, but you owe me.”Will grinned, stepping closer to press a quick kiss to Nico’s cheek. “Deal, we can sneak out this weekend.” 14 hours before the event, Nico sat cross-legged on his bed, a small glass prism in his hands. He turned it slowly, letting the soft colors dance across the walls as he activated the Iris Message. Hazel’s face appeared, her expression lighting up when she saw him.“You look happier than usual,” she teased, leaning closer as though she could step through the message.“I think I’m going to ask him soon,” Nico admitted, holding up the opened ring box he’d been carrying with him ever since Hazel helped him pick the ring out weeks earlier. The ring caught the faint light from the prism, sparkling in a way that almost made him second-guess himself.Hazel smiled, her voice warm and encouraging. “He’s going to say yes. I can already tell.”Nico smiled, his heart feeling lighter. 13 hours before the event, Nico was lying awake, staring at the darkened ceiling of the Hades cabin. The familiar weight of insomnia pressed down on him, a heavy reminder of the countless nights he’d spent like this.His mind refused to quiet, he couldn't remember the last time his mind was quiet. Every thought of his was spiraling into the next, his memories of the day, the voices that still haunted him, the voices of the ghost that hung out around camp, and the quiet fears he never voiced aloud. He shifted onto his side, pulling the black blanket tighter around him, but it didn’t help. 12 hours before the event, Frustrated with his inability to rest, Nico reached for a book he’d borrowed from the New Rome library, one about Pluto and his role in Roman mythology. He flipped through the pages lazily, his eyes scanning the dense text, he was tired and his dyslexia was making reading a thousand times harder than it was supposed to be.Normally, he found peace in reading even though it could be hard, but tonight, it was just a hard and annoying distraction. He wasn’t even sure what he was looking for, answers to the voices, maybe, or just something to take his mind off the endless loop of worries, but the book had no new information. Nico shook his head, maybe he should pick up a book about underworld deities in general rather than just Pluto. 11 hours before the event, The borrowed book lay forgotten on his nightstand, and Nico was still wide awake, he gave up reading after he re-read the caption under an image 5 times and still didn’t know what it was saying. He sat up, running a hand through his dark hair, debating whether to shadow travel to the infirmary. Maybe seeing Will would help. Maybe his presence would calm the storm in Nico’s head.But part of him hesitated. He didn’t want to seem needy to his boyfriend, and he knew Will had a lot on his plate with his mom, his dad, and leading his cabin. The thought of showing up unannounced, unsure of what emergencies could be going on there, made him feel vulnerable in a way he wasn’t ready to admit. He sighed, leaning back against the headboard of his bed, feeling more restless than ever. 10 hours before the event, Nico was sitting at his desk now, staring at the folders of papers and notes Rachel had handed him earlier. She was trying to organize all the Greek and Roman prophecies into something resembling an organized system.Sure, they had them tattooed on Tyson and Ella had them memorized, but Rachel had insisted on a better failsafe. “What if Tyson or Ella are not around when we need them?” she’d said. Nico had pointed out that Annabeth was the one with the big-picture organizational brain and would be great at this, but Rachel had just waved him off. “I trust you with this,” she’d said, her tone as casual as if she were asking him to pass the salt.Nico had spent the better part of the last hour glaring at the paper and notes spread out in front of him, trying to make sense of the oracle's plan. He couldn’t help but feel a little out of his depth, he managed funeral operations and Infirmary stocking at Camp Half-Blood and senate and ambassador duties at Camp Jupiter, he never did anything like this.Annabeth would’ve had a color-coded chart with references by now. All Nico had was a headache and a growing awareness that Rachel’s faith in him was both flattering and incredibly misplaced.Still, he scribbled down a few thoughts, wondering if his vague ideas about cross-referencing the Underworld’s records might help. It was a long shot, but it was something. 9 hours before the event, It took a while but sleep finally came, though it was restless. Nico’s exhaustion eventually pulled him under, but it wasn’t the peaceful escape he’d hoped for. His dreams were fractured, filled with jagged images and whispers he couldn’t quite catch.He saw glimpses of things that weren’t real but felt too vivid to dismiss—for some reason Thalia’s face looked fearfully at him, two drops of blood falling into darkness, and bars of a cage bending and opening to swallow him whole. The dark shadows twisted and crawled at the edges of his mind and the dream, leaving Nico with the suffocating sensation that he was being watched, even in his dreams. 8 hours before the event, Nico was jolted awake by his nightmares, his chest heaving as though he’d just fought a hundred skeletons by himself. He reached hazardously to rip the blanket off him so that he would stop feeling like he was suffocating. This wasn’t the first time that he woke up like he was on the edge of dying and Nico knew it wouldn't be the last time, even though he wished it would be.The voices in his head were louder than ever, an unsettling mix of unintelligible murmurs and sharp, jarring commands that he knew were aimed at him. He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying to will them away, but they didn’t quiet. It was like they were pressing in on all sides, suffocating him with their weight.Nico sat on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair, and tried to steady his breathing and his vision. His hands shook as he reached for his Stygian iron sword that lay on the floor, clutching it like it was his only anchor to reality. 7 hours before the event, Nico was sneaking past the harpies to train in the woods, desperate to shake the unease and fear that clung to him like a second skin, he gave up trying to get restful sleep for the night. The cold air helped clear his head as he moved through the trees, his sword at the ready, and the silver knife Reyna gifted him sitting in his pocket.Nico practiced with the precision born from the past couple of years of experience, his strikes and parries growing sharper with every swing. Still, the voice echoed faintly at the edges of his mind, and he pushed himself harder, trying to drown them out with the rhythmic clash of blades against the shadowy figures he created to practice with. By the time he was done, his whole body ached and his breaths came in short, shallow gasps, but the unease that he woke up with still hadn’t left. If anything, it felt worse. 6 hours before the event, Nico was in the dim light of Cabin 13, sitting on the edge of his bed with a roll of bandages in his lap. His hands trembled slightly as he dabbed at the scrapes on his arms with antiseptic from the first aid kit Will left, the sting grounding him in the present. He muttered curses to himself as he worked, trying to ignore the faint ache in his ribs from a poorly executed roll and dodge.Each bruise and cut felt like a small failure, a physical reminder of how off-balance he’d felt all morning. When he wrapped the last bandage around his wrist, he flexed his hand, testing the tightness, and let out a sigh. The effort hadn’t shaken the lingering tension, but at least the pain was manageable. 5 hours before the event, Nico went to the dining pavilion to have breakfast with Will and the rest of the Apollo cabin, as he did almost every day, but Will wasn’t at the table. He approached the Apollo table with a faint smile, expecting to see the familiar blond head bent over a plate of food, but it wasn’t there.The Apollo campers were as lively as ever, their laughter and chatter echoing through the pavilion, but the space where Will usually sat made the noise feel distant.Gracie waved him over, and Nico sat down reluctantly, pushing food around his plate more than eating. “He’s probably running late,” Jerry offered, but his tone carried a hint of uncertainty. Nico nodded absently, but the hollow feeling in his chest only grew. 4 hours before the event, Will never came to breakfast so Nico decided to check the infirmary. Nico pushed open the door, expecting to see Will bustling around, scribbling notes on a clipboard, or trying to organize the patients’ files, but the space was unusually quiet with no patients. The faint smell of antiseptic and the healing herbs the satyrs being in lingered in the air, but there was no sign of Will.Nico’s stomach twisted as he scanned the room, his fingers brushing over the edge of a counter as though touching something familiar would settle his nerves. He glanced at the dry-erase calendar hanging on the wall, wondering if he’d missed something—a shift change, a class, or a meeting—but nothing stood out. The silence felt oppressive, and he found himself lingering in the doorway for a moment longer before leaving, the unease settling deeper in his chest. 3 hours before the event, Nico was back in his cabin, the faint scent of dust and earth grounding him as he tried to distract himself by cleaning. He wiped down surfaces that didn’t need cleaning, straightened his bed for the third time, and rearranged the books on his desk with meticulous precision. He normally didn’t clean his cabin, his cabin was never the cleanest or the dirtiest but that was fine with him.The ring he’d been hiding for weeks was now tucked safely in its small box, but his eyes kept flicking to where it was hidden as if its presence could summon Will. He told himself Will would show up any moment, apologizing for being late with that easy smile Nico adored.But the minutes dragged on, and the stillness of the cabin grew heavier. The quiet felt suffocating, but Nico kept cleaning, clinging to the task as a way to silence the doubts creeping into his mind. 2.5 hours before the event, Drew knocked on the cabin door, startling him. Her smirk wasn’t the playful, teasing kind she usually wore; it was sharper, edged with something cruel. “Hey, I thought you should know something,” she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway of his cabin.Her tone was calm, but her words hit like a storm, unraveling the fragile hope Nico had been holding onto all day. Her delivery was precise, and each word was twisting the dagger a little deeper into Nico’s gut. Nico tried to brush her off, to tell himself she was just stirring the pot as usual, she loved making drama around camp but there was something in her expression—pity, maybe?—that made his stomach churn, this is something that Drew wouldn’t lie about. 2 hours before the event, There was another knock on the Hades cabin door. Drew was still there, leaning against the doorway, her arms crossed with the same expression that had made Nico’s stomach churn earlier even after she told him everything she knew. He opened the door to find Yan standing there, their face pale, their hands gripping the strap of their sling bag like it was the only thing keeping them upright.“I have to talk to you, Nico,” Yan said, their voice shaking. Drew arched an eyebrow, her face showing that she was wondering how many people knew what happened. Nico stepped aside to let Yan in, the dread in Nico’s chest was once again spreading like wildfire.Yan’s words came slowly at first since he was unsure how to tell his friend the news. But soon they began to spill out in a rush, confirming everything Drew had already said. “I didn’t want to believe it either, but I saw it. I thought you should know, I don’t know if anyone else was going to” they finished, their voice barely above a whisper.Drew shook her head in pity, but Nico didn’t look at her. He stood frozen for a moment, the weight of his two friends’ words pressing down on him. 1.5 hours before the event, Yan and Drew looked at Nico, their eyes full of regret, something that Nico thought he would never see on Drew’s face. Once Nico finally found his voice, his tone was quiet but ice-cold as he spoke. “You’ve both said enough. Leave.”The edge in his voice was sharper than any blade, it was sharper than when he made them swear not to tell anyone else what they told him, and even Drew seemed taken aback for a moment. Yan opened their mouth to say something but thought better of it and simply nodded. Drew, on the other hand, hesitated as though she might argue, but the look in Nico’s eyes silenced her. She shrugged, tossing a parting shot over her shoulder as she left.“I’ll talk more about this later, di Angelo,” Drew said, her words dripping with feigned sweetness. Yan gave him one last apologetic glance, and whispered, “I’m sorry,” before following her out.As the cabin door closed behind them, Nico felt the silence of the dark cabin closing in, it was suffocating and oppressive. He stood in the center of the cabin for a while, his fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms. 1 hour before the event, Nico couldn’t stand still in his self-pity anymore, he could do that later. He needed to do something, he had to do something, anything to reclaim a sense of control. He grabbed a box and began shoving everything of Will’s into it—shirts, a Star Wars book he’d lent Nico, a few stray notes Will had scrawled and left on his desk.His hands were steady at first, almost mechanical in their movements, until his fingers brushed against the edge of a familiar fabric that was underneath his dresser. He pulled out Will’s sweatshirt, the one he always wore after late shifts in the infirmary. It still smelled faintly of him, of sunlight and something uniquely Will.Nico’s breath hitched, and his hands started trembling. He sat down on his bed, clutching the well-loved sweatshirt to his chest as a wave of emotion crashed over him, he tried not to cry but he couldn't stop himself. He was glad there was no one in the cabin now, he didn’t want anyone to see him crying over some boy that had broken his heart, he never thought that Will would do that to him.For a moment he thought he was back in the jar, he couldn’t breathe past the lump in his throat and he couldn’t believe that this was happening to him.The rhythm he’d forced himself into as he tried to remain calm when he packed everything up was shattered, and all he could do was sit on his bed, surrounded by memories that he once loved but now no longer wanted, feeling like the world he built was crumbling down around him. 0.75 hours before the event, Nico sat on the edge of his bed, his face buried in his hands. Hot, angry tears streamed down his cheeks, and his voice was raw from the curses he muttered under his breath, he knew that he must have looked like a mess, he felt like one.He hated Will, the betrayal searing like fire in his chest. He hated Valentina, who he once considered a friend, now whose name felt like poison on his tongue. But most of all, he hated himself for letting his guard down over the last few years, for trusting Will with his heart, for believing that he could have something good without it leaving or betraying him.He hated that he didn’t see their relationship before. He hated that he agreed to get back together with Will earlier in the year when they were taking a break.He hated that he didn’t know who he could go to about this, Yan was young and they were Will’s sibling, he wasn’t close with Drew, Reyna was off with the hunters and he didn’t want to talk to her about this over Iris Message, Jason was gone and Nico didn’t know where he was, but he had Hazel, she would be busy with her duties as a praetor, but he hoped he could still go to her about this.His shoulders shook with each ragged breath, his thoughts spiraling into chaos. Memories of Will’s laughter, his touch, and the promises he had made now felt like knives twisting deeper into Nico’s heart. “Why?” he whispered to the empty cabin, his voice cracking. “Why did we have to end like this?” 0.5 hours before the event, Nico found himself standing in the exact spot where they’d kissed just the day before. The memories clung to the air like ghosts, taunting him; but unlike ghosts, he couldn’t command the memories to be quiet. The vibrant colors of the camp seemed muted, the once-familiar sounds distant and hollow.Will stood a few steps away, his expression conflicted but calm—too calm for Nico’s liking. It made the anger bubbling in Nico’s chest rise to a boil.“You don’t get to lie to me, I was your boyfriend!” Nico yelled, his voice breaking halfway through the sentence. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his silver ring was digging into his skin, and his whole body trembling as if he was in battle. “You don’t get to act like everything is/was fine when you—” His voice faltered, the words catching in his throat. “When you’ve been with her.”Will flinched, but he didn’t deny it and that hurt more than anything else. 0.25 hours before the event, Their fight had fizzled into silence, the weight of everything hanging heavily between them. Will’s voice was soft, gentle even, as he said, “I think this is for the best, Nico. For both of us.”Each of his words felt like a slap, each syllable a new crack in Nico’s already shattered heart, one part of him wanted to laugh at the irony of the words while the other part wanted to cry. He stared at Will, searching for something—regret, guilt, anything—but Will’s face was a mask of quiet resignation, and Nico wished that it wasn’t.Nico opened to say something, anything, but nothing came out. There was too much that he wanted to say to Will, too much he couldn’t bring himself to put into words. 0.0 hours at the event, Nico was walking away from Will, his strides purposeful but unsteady. His hands trembled at his sides, his chest felt like it was caving in with every step, and he was pretty sure that he once again looked like a mess. But he didn’t dare look back, he couldn’t look back.The thought of seeing Will’s face, of watching him stand there without following him, was too much to bear. Each of his steps felt heavier than the last, as though the weight of the last few hours was trying to drag him into the ground and to the Underworld.The voices in his head were silent for once thankfully, drowned out by the roaring in his ears, the hollow ache in his chest, and a thudding headache. The camp around him blurred into a haze, the once vibrant life of it now a painful contrast to the emptiness he felt inside. 0.5 hours after the event, Nico was back in his cabin, the door locked and his movements frantic. He shoved his clothes into his backpack without bothering to fold them, grabbed books and notes from the shelves and drawers, and stuffed them in until the bag strained at the seams. His hands trembled as he reached for the small box tucked in the corner of the desk.He opened it hesitantly, as though touching the ring inside might burn him. It was simple, unassuming—exactly what Will would have liked. Nico stared at it for a moment, his throat tightening, before slamming the lid shut and tossing it into the box of stuff that reminded Nico of Will, his bomber jacket sat on top. The thought of never giving it to Will felt like both a relief and a fresh wound.Each item he packed felt like a goodbye, not just to Will but to the life he thought they were building together at Camp. When he was finished, he sat on the edge of the bed, his bag at his feet, and for once he wished that the silence of the cabin would swallow him whole. 1 hour after the event, Nico stood in front of Mr. D in Chiron’s office, the air thick with the scent of grapes, soda, and ambrosia. He kept his eyes on the floor of the room, fidgeting with the strap of his backpack, and tried to keep his voice quiet but firm. “I won’t be able to meet with you for a while, Mr. D,” he said, realizing that his voice had no emotion.Mr. D barely looked up from drinking his can of coke, his expression bored as always. “Fine, do whatever, I don’t really care” he muttered, waving a hand dismissively. “Just don’t do anything stupid, kid, I don’t want to deal with your dad.”Nico didn’t respond, but he nodded. He turned and left before any cracks in his composure could show, the weight of the past couple of hours still pressing heavily on his chest. 1.5 hours after the event, Nico walked through Camp Half-Blood, his steps heavy and his gaze fixed on the ground. The familiar sounds of camp life—the laughter, the clanging of swords, the distant chatter, felt alien like they belonged to a world he no longer recognized.When he reached the shadow of the nearest cabin, which just happened to be the third cabin, he paused, drawing a shaky breath. He stepped into the shadows and the darkness wrapped around him, and with a faint ripple of power, he shadow-traveled to Hazel’s side of the praetorium at Camp Jupiter.He took a deep breath trying to steady himself, then he knocked on the door. “Come in!” Hazel called, and Nico went in. She looked up from her desk, where she was reading something, her golden eyes widening in alarm as she saw the state he was in. 2 hours after the event, Nico was wrapped in Hazel’s embrace, his body trembling with each sob. She sat with him on the cold floor of her praetorium, her eyes filled with worry and sadness. “Nico,” she murmured softly, her voice breaking through the cloud of his grief. “What happened, was it the ring?”Nico shook his head, his tears soaking the fabric of his shirt. His voice, raw and broken, barely managed to form words. “It wasn’t that, I... I don’t even know where to start, Hazel” he whispered. “Everything just… fell apart.”Hazel’s expression softened even though she was determined to help her brother. “It’s okay, just start at the beginning,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. She wouldn’t let him face this alone, no matter what it was.Nico woke with a start, his head resting against Hazel’s shoulder. She was still fast asleep, her breathing soft and steady, while they sat on the couch in her room, the blanket they had been using had fallen on the floor. Nico sighed the dream had come again, it was the same one as last night, and the night before that. The dream that haunted him ever since he and Will broke up days ago.It always started the same: replaying the hours before everything fell apart. Every moment leading up to the heartbreak played out in relentless, unforgiving clarity.Nico didn’t dare move or make too much noise, not wanting to disturb Hazel. She’d been amazing, a steady presence when he felt like the ground beneath him was crumbling. He picked the blanket up and placed it over Hazel. He leaned back, letting his head rest against the couch.He told Hazel everything that had happened and made her swear not to do anything or tell anyone else, just like what he did with Drew and Yan. Hazel had agreed but she didn’t like it, and Nico knew that if she had asked him to do the same thing he would have felt the same as her; but Nico didn’t want to make everything worse and bring more attention to himself.Nico closed his eyes, he braced himself for the dream to start once more, knowing he’d wake up with the same ache in his chest as before.