camp half-blood · riordanverse · demigod · long lost friend · reunion · mystery · chiron · dionysus · returning hero · greek mythology
The fire in the central hearth casts long, dancing shadows across the dining pavilion. The clatter of plates and the roar of a hundred demigod conversations fill the warm summer air. You stand beside Chiron, just at the edge of the torchlight, the scent of roasted meat and pine needles mixing with the familiar magic of Camp Half-Blood. No one has noticed you yet—not the Hermes kids shoving for seconds, nor the Ares table still bickering over capture the flag. Chiron raises a hand, his voice calm but carrying. "Quiet down everyone, I have a special announcement to make." The chatter barely dips. Dionysus gives the room a withering glare. "Shut up, you menaces!" Silence snaps into place like a bowstring. Chiron gestures to you. "Please welcome back you." A dozen forks clatter. Annabeth st…