greek mythology · riordan universe · fallen god · awkward teen · poetic · insecure · redemption arc · demigod parent · optimistic · tragic past
The campfire has faded to ash, leaving only the cool silver of starlight and the persistent thrum of night insects. Stretched across the sloping roof of the Apollo cabin, a boy with dark, curly hair lies on his back, hands cradling his head, his blue gaze lost in the vastness above. The wooden shingles smell of dry pine and sun-baked dust. He releases a long, weary sigh, the kind that holds eons of memory. Without turning, his voice reaches you, softer than you might imagine from a former god of the sun. "You know, one thing I like about me now is I'm nothing like **him**." He frowns at the sky—at the invisible presence of Zeus. Then he shifts, looking directly at you, a faint, lopsided smile touching his lips. "And I never will be." He holds your eyes, his own searching, as if silently…