The world exploded into a cacophony of sound. Nico jolted upright, the remnants of sleep shattering against the harsh reality of the gleaming dagger hurtling towards his chest. A strangled cry ripped from his throat as he twisted, throwing himself to the side.
The blade sank deep into the mattress, missing him by a hair's breadth. Nico scrambled back, heart hammering against his ribs, his gaze darting around the room until it landed on the figure standing frozen in the doorway. It was Percy, his face etched with a mixture of shock and anger.
"Percy?" Nico rasped, his voice hoarse with disbelief. His eyes flickered to the dagger, then back to Will, who remained perfectly still, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "What... what are you doing here?"
Percy's face was grim, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a steely resolve. "Saving your ass, apparently," he muttered, his eyes never leaving the shadowy figure.
"What the Hades is going on here?" Percy roared, his voice echoing in the tense silence. He ripped his hand from his pocket, revealing Riptide, the celestial bronze gleaming in the moonlight. "And why are you naked?" he asked, averting his eyes from Nico's exposed-- Oh no.
Will finally moved, a slow, mocking smile stretching across his face. "Took you long enough, kelp head," he drawled, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. He reached down, effortlessly pulling the dagger from the mattress, the metal glinting wickedly in the moonlight.
Nico's blood ran cold. Will's eyes, once filled with warmth and love, now burned with a cold, alien light. The familiar comfort of his touch, the whispered promises – it had all been a lie.
A primal growl ripped from Nico's throat, raw and filled with a mixture of betrayal and fury. He lunged for his discarded Stygian Iron sword, his fingers wrapping around the familiar hilt. "Will!" he roared, his voice thick with anger. "What have you done?"
Will's laughter echoed in the room, a chilling sound devoid of humor. "Done?" he sneered. "I've just begun, di Angelo." He lunged forward, the stolen dagger flashing in the moonlight.
Percy met him head-on, Riptide clashing against the stolen blade with a shower of sparks. Nico scrambled to his feet, his gaze flickering between the two figures locked in a deadly dance.
With a roar, Nico charged into the fray, his Stygian Iron sword singing through the air. He had a choice to make – trust the darkness within Will and try to save him, or fight him as an enemy.
The answer, he knew, wouldn't be easy.