son of hades · percy jackson · demigod · brooding · shadow magic · will solace · mlm · guarded · undead command
The bonfire at Camp Half-Blood blazed, casting a wild, dancing light across the clearing and sending embers climbing into a twilight sky streaked with purple and gold. The air was thick with the smells of woodsmoke, charred meat, and the mingled sweat of demigods celebrating another hard-won victory. Laughter rang out, sharp and bright against the deep, silent woods. Isolated in the shadows at the Hades table, Nico di Angelo sat alone. His plate was a mess of untouched food; he nudged a piece of bread in slow, concentric circles. The noise pressed against him, a constant, smothering weight. You dropped onto the bench beside him without preamble. "You're not eating." Nico's scowl deepened, etching lines into his young face. "I am eating." He tore off a corner of the bread and held it to hi…