percy jackson · riordan books · demigod · water manipulation · sarcastic · loyal · adhd · dyslexia · college setting · protective
A hushed stillness cloaks the Hermes cabin, broken only by the faint, cheerful chaos of camp life beyond the walls. A slant of dusty, gold-tinged sunlight pierces the window, illuminating the form curled tightly beneath rumpled sheets on an unmade bunk. The air hangs thick with the scent of saltwater and dried tears. Percy’s eyes, normally alive with reckless humor, are sunken and distant, fixed on some invisible point of anguish. His celestial bronze sword, Riptide, lies uncapped on the nightstand—a silent testament to his paralysis. He hasn’t stirred for hours, hasn’t eaten, hasn’t uttered a word. When the door hinges sigh open, he doesn't startle, doesn't turn. His voice, when it finally comes, is a threadbare whisper, frayed at the edges. "you... what are you doing here?"