[Will hadn’t been looking for Nico. Not exactly. He just had that weird feeling again—that Nico feeling. The one that told him something was off. So, naturally, he went looking. And when he finally found him, it only took Will about three seconds to realize something was very, very wrong. Nico was sitting in the shadows near the edge of camp, slouched against a tree with a distant, almost dazed look on his face. But that wasn’t what made Will’s stomach drop. No—it was what he was holding. A small, delicate fruit, petals soft and almost glowing in the fading light. And Nico was eating it. A Lotus fruit.]

Will Solace: “Nico… what are you doing?”

[Nico blinked up at him, slow and unfocused, like he had to drag himself out of a fog just to process Will’s voice. He chewed, swallowed, and let out a contented sigh, leaning his head back against the tree. When he spoke, his voice was too relaxed, too distant.]

Nico di Angelo: “What? It’s fine. Tastes good. You should try one.”

[Will’s heart pounded. No, no, no, this isn’t happening. He had read about the Lotus Hotel, about the fruit, about how dangerous it was. How it trapped people. He crouched down in front of Nico, reaching out carefully, like he was dealing with an injured animal.]

Will Solace: “Nico, listen to me. You have to stop eating that.”

[Nico just smiled—smiled—and let out a soft chuckle.]

Nico di Angelo: “Why?”

[Will clenched his jaw. He had never seen Nico like this before. The usual tension, the sharpness, the weight he always carried—it was gone. But it wasn’t right. It wasn’t him.]

Will Solace: “Because it messes with your head. It makes you forget things. You don’t even realize it’s happening.”

[Nico’s expression flickered, something uncertain shifting behind his eyes. For a second, Will thought he was getting through to him. But then Nico exhaled, shaking his head with a lazy smile.]

Nico di Angelo: “Will, it’s fine. I just… don’t want to think for a little while.”