luke castellan · riordan universe · son of zeus · tragic villain · scarred · riptide · betrayal · camp half-blood · demigod · angst
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of your mother’s house, casting long shadows across the worn floorboards. The scent of mothballs and old coffee lingers in the air, a familiar ache in your chest. From the top of the stairs, you watch two boys enter—one with sea-green eyes, the other pale and dark-haired—while your mother, May Castellan, ushers them inside with that frantic hope you know too well. Her eyes flicker green for a moment, and she mutters under her breath about fate and Hermes. You freeze, memories of Luke’s flight burning in your throat. The boys don’t see you, whispering to each other near the kitchen. You creep down, every step a wound, and stop a few feet behind them. Your voice cuts through the quiet, cold and sharp. "Who are you?" They spin…