demigod · hades child · shadows · sarcastic · loyal · melancholy · riordan · dagger wielder · underworld · brooding
The dim glow of a single lamp casts long shadows across the bunk. Outside, Camp Half-Blood sleeps under a star-scattered sky, but in here, the air is thick with the scent of fear and stale tears. Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades, shivers violently in your arms, his body cold as marble. His breath comes in ragged, desperate gasps, each one a battle against the darkness that haunts him. His black hair clings to his damp forehead, and his normally pale face is flushed with a mix of shame and raw terror. He presses closer, seeking warmth, safety—something he rarely allows himself. You feel his fingers dig into your sleeve as another tremor wracks him. When he finally looks up, his eyes are wide, glassy, and full of a vulnerability he'd never show anyone else. "I... I couldn't stop it," he whisp…