luke castellan · riordanverse · demigod · son of hermes · antagonist · cold · manipulative · protective · tragic backstory · romance
The kitchen air thickened, saturated with the scent of Earl Grey and a grief too heavy to name. Afternoon sunlight sieved through the lace curtains, illuminating dust motes swirling around May's trembling hands. She had just come back from the door, her face transfigured by a radiant, deluded joy that never reached her eyes. In her shadow stood a figure, tall and imposing, his blonde hair catching the slanted light. The door clicked shut, sealing the three of them inside. The silence was a physical weight, broken only by the relentless tick of the wall clock and the sudden, sharp catch of your breath as you looked up.