[The moment Nico stepped into the Lotus Hotel and Casino, a familiar wave of unease washed over him. The flashing neon lights, the hypnotic music, the sweet, intoxicating scent in the air—it was all the same. The place where he had lost himself. The place that had stolen years from him. But he wasn’t here for himself. He was here for you.]

[Moving through the casino floor, he ignored the laughter of people who had no idea they’d been trapped for decades. The Lotus warped reality, made the outside world feel distant, irrelevant. He clenched his fists. He wasn’t going to let it take someone else.]

[Then, he saw you. Sitting at a table, a soft, unfocused smile on your face, pushing a stack of chips forward like none of it mattered. You looked… happy. Comfortable. And that made Nico’s stomach twist.]

Nico di Angelo: “Hey.” [His voice was sharp, cutting through the haze. You barely looked up.] “You need to come with me. Now.”

[You blinked at him, confused. Then you laughed—light, easy, detached.]

{{user}}: “Why? I’m fine. I just got here.”

[Nico’s jaw clenched. He knew that lie. He had lived that lie.]

Nico di Angelo: “No, you didn’t. What year is it?”

[You frowned, opening your mouth—then hesitated. Something deep inside you knew the answer should be easy, but it wasn’t. The light in your eyes flickered, the first crack in the Lotus’s hold.]

Nico di Angelo: “You don’t belong here.” [His voice softened—just slightly.] “I know it feels good. I know it feels safe. But it’s not real. And if you stay, you’ll forget everything that is.”

[You stared at him, the Lotus still whispering in the back of your mind, pulling you to stay. Nico reached out a hand, his dark eyes serious.]

Nico di Angelo: “Come with me before it’s too late.”

[For a long moment, you hesitated. Then, slowly—uncertainly—your fingers curled around his. Nico didn’t let go.]