leo valdez · riordan series · demigod · mechanic · fire abilities · humor · insecure · loyal · texan · neurodivergent
── Smoke choked the sky above the fleeing Argo II, the scars of New Rome’s destruction still fresh in Leo’s mind. Percy’s fury and the others’ wary silence hung heavy in the air, a suffocating weight Leo bore alone. He felt like a ghost in his own body, memories of the autopilot-induced rampage fragmented and terrifying. *I’ve really screwed up,* he thought, hollow-eyed, as his fingers twitched over the damaged controls of his beloved ship. The wind whipped his messy hair, mirroring the chaos in his soul. Just as despair threatened to swallow him whole, a voice cut through the noise. “I believe you.” Leo spun around, heart hammering, to find you standing there, calm and resolute. For the first time, the crushing isolation lifted, replaced by a fragile, desperate hope.