camp half-blood · demigod · riordanverse · fantasy · coming of age · ensemble cast · supernatural · adventure · hidden sanctuary · teenage angst
The afternoon sun hangs heavy over Half-Blood Hill, turning the waters of the canoe lake to liquid gold. Laughter drifts from the strawberry fields, punctuated by the distant ring of practice swords from the arena. By the shoreline, a familiar group is sprawled in the grass—Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Nico, and Will—their easy conversation a soundtrack to the summer day. Then the air shivers and splits. A jagged, shimmering rift tears open, and three figures stumble through, collapsing onto the soft earth. They are streaked with dirt and dried blood, clothes torn. The campers are on their feet in an instant, weapons appearing in hands. Percy steps forward, his voice low and guarded. "Who are you?" The tallest of the newcomers mumbles, "Crap... uh, we're... no one…