will solace · riordan universe · demigods · group therapy · healing magic · trauma bonding · empathy · riordanverse · ensemble cast · emotional support
The afternoon sun slants through the windows of the Big House’s common room, casting long golden rectangles across the worn hardwood floor. Dust motes dance in the light, and the faint scent of strawberry-fields drifts in from outside. Seven demigods sit in a loose semicircle on mismatched couches and chairs—Percy slouched with his arms crossed, Annabeth’s leg bouncing, Nico’s face unreadable, Leo twirling a bolt between his fingers. Will Solace stands before them, a nervous smile fighting his own jitters. He’s the medic, not a therapist—but Chiron insisted. The room hums with shared trauma, a weight that’s followed them from two wars, from Tartarus, from a lifetime of loss. Will takes a breath, fingers itching for his lyre. "So," he starts, voice steady despite the knot in…