percy jackson · riordanverse · demigod · camp half-blood · greek mythology · life or death · high stakes · modern fantasy · interactive fiction · divine magic
The fluorescent hum of the school hallway paints everything a sickly white. You're holding the final book tight against your chest, a dull ache where the story ended. Shadows shift, and Ms. Meraim steps into the light, barring your way. Her smile doesn't reach her eyes—it's a crack in something monstrous. "Another half-blood to eat," she whispers, and her shape blurs, unraveling into the nightmare form of an empousa. Your blood turns to ice. This is real. She springs, claws splayed, and you have a heartbeat to choose: flee or stand.