it was totally empty.

I immediately got off the horse, even before Nico could protest and pull me back. I didn't know what I was looking at. What was I looking at? It was empty. This wasn't how I remembered my home town from a month ago.

Everything was so lively here, you could hear people's laughter, screaming, talking, whatever! It was so full of joy and I actually loved being in this town. How could a month take a toll on a town like this?

It looked like it got overrun by zombies minus the bloody part. It was literally a ghost town.

"What happened here?" My voice quavered and my knees buckled but before I fell on the ground, Nico pulled me up.

"This is where you used to live?" He asked, as we walked around. We passed by Old Man Jenkins' house, the house of a little annoyance called Mack who would ring our doorbell fifteen times before hiding in the bushes, my best friend Wrynn's house. They were all empty.

"D-did they all die?" I ask Nico

Nico closed his eyes for a moment, and a confused look was plastered on his face.

"You said you lived here, yeah?"

"I lived here my entire sixteen years! Where could they have gone?" I ask, my voice going a pitch higher.

Nico frowned, "There hasn't been anyone living here since the 1960's. There are lots of ghosts here, yes, but none of which have been alive long enough until the present. They're all from the sixties, this is town is a huge fault line. Nobody dared to live here ever again since a massive earthquake hit sixty years ago,"

I felt like I was gonna throw up, "That's impossible, I lived here!"

Nico put a hand on my shoulder before shaking his head, "I feel it. There hasn't been anyone alive living here, well, except you"

"Are you saying I was hallucinating?" I ask, tears threatening to fall out

Nico pressed his lips together, "Not hallucinating, but under a strong illusion"

I muffled a scream, "My whole life?! An illusion?!? That's impossible! I was in the soccer club, I was team captain. That's impossible Kaya and Kim were always visiting me, that's impossible!"

My breath was coming on short, it was getting harder for me to breathe.

"You're having a panic attack, what should I do? Is this normal?" Nico panicked, as he quickly held my face with his calloused hands.

I shook my head, "I- I can't think-"

"Think about something else! Think about happy thoughts! Um, your siblings back at Camp Half Blood! The good food! I don't know! Er, think about your mom? No, wait- think about your friends in Camp Half Blood! You have fun with them, right? They're real I can assure you that! Happy thoughts!" Nico blabbered on

I shake my head, not feeling any better.

"Try to slow your breathing down, um, think about nice things! You like food right? The food at Vegas? I'll treat you anything after this quest, just try to breathe slowly" Nico gently demanded but it was to of no avail.

"I-I can't- I can't breathe-"

"Think about me!" Nico sputtered out, my eyes widened but I couldn't calm myself down. I shut my eyes, starting to think about everything Nico's done for me, the exact reason why I like him so much, why he can be annoying sometimes and I thought I was starting to feel better but Gavin and Wrynn's faces popped up in my head.

Were they all fake? Were they never real?

I clutch my chest, "Nico,"

Nico's face looked more panicked, "Did thinking about me not help? What should I do? Oh my gods, I'm not quipped for this! Do you want to drink something? Will drinking something even help? Shit! Please take a deep breath. Think happy thoughts! Um, I- please forgive me"

Before I could register what I had to forgive Nico for, Nico pressed his lips against mine. I held my breath, my eyes were wide and my heart was thumping so loud I thought it was just gonna burst out and scare the life out of Nico.

I found myself shutting my eyes, as Nico caressed my face gently. My stomach was gonna explode with the amount of jittery and butterflies I felt. If this is what Elysium felt like, I'd gladly die now.

It didn't hurt. Kissing Nico should've been painful. His hands on my face were supposed to make my heart ache. But my heart was bursting as if I won a million dollars at the lottery. It was an unexplainable feeling but the lottery was the closest thing to it, I felt so happy and confused.

When Nico pulled back, I gaped at him. One of his hands were still on my cheek, and he just looked as surprised as I am as if I was the one who initiated the kiss instead of him.

"H-how did you know how to stop it?" I asked him, trying to slow down my breathing but it felt like I was hyperventilating all over again, because Nico kissed me.

He shook his head, "I didn't, but I thought if you were caught by surprise, you'd hold your breath"

I looked away, and gently pulled his hand away from my face. I managed a small smile, "Thanks,"

Nico smiled a little, "No problem," He offered me a hand to take and I took it gladly.

Nico pulled me up, "Come on, we have to find your mom" He held my hand tightly, I didn't want to think about my feelings for Nico at this time, so I wanted to let him go but he only held my hand tighter.

We walked around in silence, and was nearing the housing where my house was located, but Nico paused.

"What is it?" I asked

He looked around with a frown, "Something's wrong,"

"What is-" I tried to ask, but before I knew it my consciousness slipped.