For once, Nico couldn't tell it was a dream. It all felt too real. Bianca stood in front of him, held up by onyx chains. Her head was tilted down, dark shadows casting across her olive skin. Fire burned all around them, causing thick smoke to coil into Nico's lungs. When he reached out to free her, her head jolted upward to stare into his eyes. Tears of blood streamed down her cheeks. Her skin began to crack and erode like a broken china doll. Nico gasped and fell back.
It's not your fault, brother. Her voice echoed calmly, even though her lips had remained unmoving.
Nico's eyes welled with tears. He cupped her face. "I'm so s-sorry," he choked. In an instant, her body dissolved into dust, sweeping away into the fiery background. Desperate, Nico dashed forward to catch the remains.
"You can't leave me yet!" He screamed after he, his voice desperate and hoarse. As he ran, he lost his footing. Nico crashed into the ground, sobbing. He looked at the clenched fist that clutched the few grains of dust. He held it tight against his body.
"Please..." he said, his quivering voice hardly a whisper. "You're all I have left."
The dream slowly faded away. Nico opened his wet eyes. The light was out in his room, and both lunch and dinner trays laid waiting for him. He tried to calm his racing heart.
It was just a dream...it was just a dream.
He glanced at his bedside table to distract himself, cocking his head at the new item left there. Folded up neatly was a fluffy grey blanket. On top was a small note written in messy penmanship.
You can't hide your shivering from this doctor, Death Boy! You can thank me later.
~Doc. Solace
Nico grabbed the blanket off the table, his heart calming. He swaddled himself in it, bunching the soft fabric between his fingers. It's comforting scent allowed Nico to sway back into sleep. Not one nightmare dared to invade his mind.