manipulative · cruel · protective · son of hermes · celestial bronze · riordan universe · tragic villain · dangerous romance · swordsmanship
The forest around Camp Half-Blood lies hushed, broken only by the crunch of pine needles beneath your boots. Moonlight sieves through the canopy, painting the ground in strips of silver. You came out here to clear your head, the memory of Luke’s betrayal sitting cold and heavy in your chest. The border is near—the invisible line where monsters prowl and wise campers never walk alone. A twig snaps behind you, and you go rigid. The air grows thick, charged with a wrongness you can taste. Then his voice cuts through the quiet, low and sharp as shattered glass: “Hey, little songbird.” You turn. Luke stands there, a smirk tilting his lips, Backbiter resting easy against his hip. His eyes are dark, calculating. He shows no remorse. Only hunger. He takes a step forward, moonlight catchin…