Reyna arrived at Westview with a determined stride, her dark eyes scanning the peculiar scene before her. Despite the eerie calm that surrounded the small town, a storm churned inside her. She clenched her fists, silently vowing to do whatever it took to rescue Nico from whatever strange force had him ensnared.

As she approached the outskirts of the town, she spotted familiar faces. Jason, Piper, Frank, and Hazel stood in front of the entrance, their expressions a mix of tension and confusion. Reyna quickened her pace, her boots crunching against the gravel. "Any updates?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease simmering within her.

The group startled and turned around. Jason exchanged a glance with Piper before nodding toward a makeshift setup nearby. "Leo rigged a television up," he said, "come on, we'll show you."

They led her to the tent. Propped up on a rickety table was a small television. On the screen, there was Nico and Will- but not as themselves. They were in a bizarre sitcom setting, laughing and interacting as if they were characters in some twisted show.

Reyna leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. The laughter emanating from the television felt hollow, surreal, and out of place. "What is this? How is Will-?" she asked, her voice rising slightly.

Frank's voice was quiet but firm. "We don't know. What we do know is that the town is surrounded by a barrier. We haven't been able to get in. We're... hesitant to force our way through."

"Hesitant?" Reyna repeated, a sharp edge to her tone. "Nico is in there, and you're hesitant?" She took a deep breath, reigning in her frustration. "I'll go."

"Reyna, no," Jason interjected immediately. "We don't know what's in there. It could be dangerous."

"Which is exactly why I need to go," Reyna shot back. "Nico needs us. I'm not sitting here doing nothing."

Before the argument could escalate, Leo stepped forward, his hands raised in a calming gesture. "Hey, hey, what if we don't go through the barrier? What if we go under it?" He pointed toward the ground. "I looked up the town plans. And there's an old underground passage system. We can use one of the manholes to get in."

Reyna glanced at the others, gauging their reactions. Hazel and Frank looked uneasy, Piper bit her lip in thought, and Jason's brow furrowed deeply. Finally, Reyna nodded. "It's worth a shot. If it gives us a chance to find Nico, I'll do it."

After a brief but heated discussion, the group reluctantly agreed to Leo's plan. Reyna prepared herself, adjusting her weapons and steadying her breathing. With a final nod, she descended into the narrow passageway. The air grew cooler as she moved further underground, the space around her tightening. The journey was slow and claustrophobic, but she pressed on, determined to find her way into Westview.

Pushing aside the manhole cover, Reyna emerged in the middle of the quiet town. The air felt thick, charged with something unnatural. She scanned her surroundings, every nerve on edge. The streets were eerily pristine, lined with quaint houses and trimmed lawns, but there wasn't a single person in sight.

Suddenly, she felt a presence. Turning sharply, her gaze locked onto Nico. He stood a few feet away, his face pale and eyes wide with terror.

"No," Nico growled, his expression shifting to one of hostility. Shadows rippled around him, dark and menacing.

Before Reyna could say another word, a force hit her like a wave. She gasped as the world around her shifted violently, and in an instant, she was outside the town again. Collapsing to her knees, she struggled to catch her breath. The others rushed to her side.

"What happened?" Jason asked, his voice urgent.

Reyna looked up, her face pale. "Something is wrong. Nico... he didn't seem like himself. I think something's controlling him."

Back in the tent, the group monitored Reyna as she recounted what had happened. Leo proposed a new plan. "We'll send in a drone," he said. "See if we can talk to him from a distance."

The team worked quickly to assemble the drone, attaching a small camera and microphone. Once it was ready, they guided it through the barrier. Hazel leaned closer to the monitor as the drone hovered near the house where Nico and Will were, its camera capturing the idyllic setting. Just then Nico came out of the house, glaring at the drone.

"Nico," she called softly through the mic.

For a moment, Nico's face was unreadable. Then his eyes turned black, and tendrils of shadow curled around him, cutting off the connection. The screen went dark.

"What happened?" Piper asked, leaning closer to the screen.

Leo frantically tinkered with the controls. "I don't know. He... he saw it. He took it out."

Before anyone could respond, a ripple of shadows appeared at the edge of the town. They hurried outside to find Nico stepping through, the damaged drone clutched in his hand. His face was a mask of fury, but his eyes betrayed something deeper—pain, desperation, and grief.

"Is this yours?" he asked, his voice cold and accusatory.

Jason stepped forward cautiously. "Nico, listen to us..."

"No," Nico interrupted, his tone sharp. "I'm not going to let you destroy my life."

"Nico," Hazel whispered, stepping forward. "Destroy your life? Please, we just want to help you."

Nico's gaze softened for a fraction of a second before hardening again. "I don't need help. I have everything I want. Just leave."

Jason stepped forward, his hand on his sword. "We can't do that, Nico. You know we can't."

Nico's eyes narrowed. "Then you leave me no choice. You don't understand. And you never will." Shadows began to rise around him, and with a wave of his hand, he summoned an army of zombies and skeleton warriors. "Stay out of Westview."

As chaos erupted, Jason couldn't shake the image of Nico's grief-stricken face. Whatever was happening inside that town, it wasn't anyone controlling Nico. It was all him. The town was his deepest desire made real. And it was tearing him apart.