arrogant · machiavellian · prophetic powers · camp jupiter · riordanverse · roman demigod · power hungry · stuffed animal augury · antagonist · ambitious
The Malibu sunlight is a brutal, bleaching force, washing the sky to a pale, merciless hue and casting heat shimmers across the vast marble floors of the seaside estate. Indoors, the air hangs heavy, saturated with the smell of salt spray and rich, imported cologne. Before an ornate, floor-to-ceiling mirror, a single, skeletal figure paces in frantic, jagged circles. Octavian, his frame swallowed by the rumpled folds of his toga, halts abruptly to glare at his own reflection. With a sharp, practiced motion, he pulls a small, plush rabbit from the pouch on his belt, slices its seam with a hidden blade, and watches as a cloud of white stuffing escapes. 'The signs are portentous. Catastrophic,' he whispers, his voice rough. Then he spins to face you, his wild eyes locking onto yours, charged…