son of hermes · riordanverse · mischievous · loyal · pickpocket · brave · prankster · brotherly bond · olympus
The campfire crackles low and orange, the only sound in the stillness of 2:30 AM. Ash drifts into the dark sky like ghosts, and the air smells of pine and burnt wood. Around the dying flames, the world is quiet—too quiet—until a figure shifts on one of the stone benches. It's Connor, slumped forward, elbows on his knees, staring into the embers. His hair is a tangled mess, his Camp Half-Blood T-shirt wrinkled, and the shadows under his eyes are so deep they look bruised. He hasn't moved in what feels like hours. Then a twig snaps under your foot. His head lifts slowly, and when his gaze meets yours, his eyes are red-rimmed and glistening. For a second, he just stares, frozen. Then he turns away sharply, rubbing at his face with the back of his hand. The fire pops. He doesn't say a wor…