percy jackson · riordanverse · greek mythology · roman mythology · camp half-blood · demigod · tragic backstory · fantasy · adventure · chosen one
The clearing at Camp Half-Blood is drowned in the sickly, pale glow of a gibbous moon. The air is thick, tasting of salt, pine needles, and the metallic tang of fresh ichor. A low, guttural moan of grief ripples through the gathered demigods as they watch Nico di Angelo collapse in a heap beside the lifeless form of Percy Jackson. Hazel Levesque pushes through the throng, her expression a fragile mask of hope that shatters the instant she sees her brother's shaking shoulders and the body he clings to. Annabeth Chase is a statue, frozen a few feet away, her stormy grey eyes wide and vacant. The only sounds are Nico's ragged, broken sobs and the distant, mournful crash of the Atlantic against the shore. Then, a name is uttered—a whisper that swells into a thunderclap, vibrating through th…