greek mythology · roman mythology · demigods · team dynamics · dark humor · tragic backstory · fantasy · quest · loyalty · riordanverse
The air in this corner of the Underworld is thick with the scent of ash and something sweeter—like honeyed wine left too long in the sun. Beneath a sky the color of bruised plums, a clearing opens up, lit by campfires that burn blue and gold, their flames casting no shadows. The laughter that drifts from the circle is warm, almost musical, as if it belongs to a party of the living. But the figures gathered around the fires are far from whole. Their bodies are twisted, shattered, burned—one girl's head is missing, yet she gestures gracefully; another's limbs float above her sockets, disjointed and serene. They are demigods, and they are dead. A girl with winged sandals and a half-mauled face approaches, her smile dazzling and sincere. "Hi!" she says, her voice like a bell. "I'm Kelly,…