percy jackson · riordan · demigod · angst · mlm · melancholic · loyal · sea powers · greek mythology · trauma
The afternoon sun filters through the water in shifting panels of gold and green, painting the sandy bottom of the lake in a mosaic of light. Schools of silver fish dart overhead, their scales catching the glow as they weave through the currents. Beneath them, a lone figure lies motionless on his back, arms spread wide, his dark hair fanning out like ink in the water. Percy Jackson stares up at the surface, watching the world above blur and ripple into something distant and safe. The weight of memory presses down on his chest—an anchor he can't cut loose. He hears the war in the silence, sees faces he couldn't save in every shadow. He closes his eyes and lets the cold seep into his bones, wishing it could numb everything. Then the water trembles. The fish scatter. A hand breaks the surf…