Jason Grace and Hazel Levesque trudged through the forest, the oppressive silence wrapping around them like a heavy cloak. Their breaths puffed out in small, white clouds, dissipating into the crisp, biting air. Overhead, the dense canopy of trees blocked most of the sunlight, allowing only a few pale beams to filter through, creating an interplay of light and shadow that danced across the forest floor. Each step felt weighted, as though the earth itself shared in their unease.

Hazel's hand gripped the hilt of her sword, her golden eyes flicking to every rustle of leaves and crack of branches. The forest felt alive, but not in a comforting way—it felt watchful, as though it knew they didn't belong. "We're close," she murmured, but the words carried no relief, only tension. A week had passed since Nico di Angelo disappeared from Camp Half-Blood, and with each passing day, the worry that gnawed at her chest grew sharper, heavier.

Jason trudged beside her, his face a mask of determination, though his eyes betrayed flickers of concern. The faint rays of sunlight caught the edges of his blonde hair, making him appear more ethereal than mortal. He glanced at Hazel, who seemed to be scanning the woods with increasing urgency, her fingers brushing the bronze coin at her neck for comfort. Rachel's cryptic guidance had led them to this eerie forest, but doubt clawed at his mind. Was this the right place?

The thought of Nico being lost, perhaps beyond saving, sent a pang through Jason's chest. The silence between them wasn't just from exhaustion—it was the weight of unspoken fears neither dared to voice, lest they make them real.

Jason, his face set with determination, broke the silence. "Rachel said this is the place, right?" He gestured toward the edge of the forest, where the trees began to thin, revealing a quaint little town.

Hazel nodded, clutching the bronze coin hanging around her neck. "She was sure of it. But... I can feel something. Something's off about this place."

Piper, Frank and Leo caught up to them, both looking winded from the trek. Piper brushed her windblown hair from her face, her expression tense. "So, this is Westview?" she asked, her voice skeptical as she eyed the town. "It looks too normal to be involved in... whatever this is."

Leo shrugged, adjusting his tool belt. "Normal's overrated. And we both know that nothing about Nico is ever straightforward."

Hazel frowned, her grip tightening on her sword. "He's been... different since Will..." Her voice faltered, and Frank placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find him," Jason said firmly. "Whatever's going on, we'll get him out."

They moved closer to the town's entrance. "Wait!" Hazel called out, raising a hand.

The group stopped, turning to face her. Frank tilted his head. "What is it?"

Hazel hesitated, her gaze fixed on the town. "Something's wrong. Really wrong. We can't just walk in there."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Hazel pointed toward the town, her voice lowering. "The air around it... it feels... arcane. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like there's a barrier. And whatever's inside... isn't right."

Leo raised an eyebrow, pulling out a small device from his belt. It whirred and beeped as he waved it in the direction of the town. His eyes widened. "Uh, guys? This thing is picking up high levels of radiation. Like, a lot of it."

Piper's brow furrowed. "Radiation? In a small-town suburb?"

"It's not just any radiation," Leo clarified, tapping the screen of his device. "It's CMBR. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. Like the stuff left over from the Big Bang. But why the Hades is it coming from a small town?"

Jason sighed. "Let's not find out the hard way. Hazel, can you tell us anything more?"

Hazel shook her head. "I just know we need to be careful. This magic... it's from the underworld. But not from my father's realm. It's deeper. We should call for backup before we make a move."

Jason nodded and pulled out a drachma. With a muttered prayer to Iris, he created a shimmering rainbow in the air. "Show me Reyna Ramirez-Arellano."

The rainbow expanded, and Reyna's image appeared. Her sharp, commanding gaze instantly filled the screen. "Jason," she said. "What's wrong?"

Jason quickly explained everything—Nico's disappearance, Rachel's guidance, and the strange findings at Westview. Reyna's frown deepened with every word.

"Stay where you are," Reyna ordered. "I'll head there as soon as I can. In the meantime, don't engage. Whatever this is, it sounds dangerous."

The connection cut, and Jason turned back to the group. "You heard her. We set up camp here and figure out what's going on before we take any action."

Leo was already pulling materials from his belt, assembling a makeshift television. "If there's radiation, there's probably a signal. Let's see if we can tap into it."

The others helped set up the tent, glancing nervously toward the town. It didn't take long for Leo to finish his contraption. He twisted a knob, and the static on the screen cleared, revealing a scene that left them all speechless.

There, on the screen, were Nico and Will Solace. Will clumsily performed a magic trick on a stage, his hands fumbling with cards and props, while Nico stood beside him, watching with a mix of concern and fondness. Will, who should have been nothing more than a painful memory after Caligula's cruel attack, appeared alive and radiant. Hazel's breath hitched as the warmth of his smile brought back a rush of bittersweet memories, forcing her to cover her mouth to suppress a sob.

"Is this... real?" Frank asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jason's jaw tightened. "It's him. But how?"

The camera panned to the audience, showing Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase in the front, laughing at Will's antics. They, too, looked unnervingly happy, as though the weight of their quests and tragedies had never existed.

Hazel's eyes widened as she glanced at the group, her voice laced with disbelief. "Percy and Annabeth? How are they inside? Has anyone heard of them in the past week?"

"I had iris messaged them. But that was last Saturday. Has no one checked on them since then?" Piper glanced at the others, frowning.

"I tried calling Percy. There was no response. But I didn't think of it as anything suspicious. It's not uncommon for them to go on small quests without telling the others," Jason said.

"And now they're here," Hazel said. "But they're not themselves. Something's controlling them. Manipulating them."

Leo adjusted the antenna, trying to get a clearer signal. "We need to figure out what's going on in there. Maybe if we send something inside..."

Frank frowned. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Let me see if I can work something out."

Leo crouched beside his makeshift workstation, pulling trinkets and scraps from his tool belt with a mix of precision and haste.

The others sat nearby, their eyes glued to the television Leo had cobbled together. Nico was now helping a drunk Will drink water behind the stage. The entire scene looked like it was straight out of a 1980's sitcom. Will was giggling, his golden hair catching the light like a halo. Nico was beside him, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. It was a rare expression, one that made Hazel's chest tighten painfully.

"He's happy. He's actually happy," she remarked, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah," Leo muttered, his voice uncharacteristically grim as he tightened the bolts. "Happy in the way a fly's happy right before it hits the zapper."

Frank glared at Leo from the corner of his eyes, causing Leo to shrink into himself.

"Come on, we'll go to the town border again. There must be something there to help us understand what's going on," Jason said. He got up and left the tent, Piper, Frank and Hazel in tow.

Jason was not going to sit and wait while his friends were inside being controlled by something sinister.