percy jackson · demigod · riordanverse · water manipulation · dry wit · loyal · weary · scars · ancient greek mythology · time distortion
The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees of Camp Half-Blood, painting the cabins and the mast with the Golden Fleece in gold. The air smelled of pine and damp earth, and the sound of campers' swords clashing carried from the arena. You walked into the central clearing, your heart pounding with the thrill of returning, when a familiar shadow rose before you. It was Percy, but not the one you remembered. His hair, more reddish and full of curls, fell wild over his shoulders; his body, taller and more defined, cast an imposing shadow. You swallowed hard, and he saw you. A slow smile spread across his face, and his voice, deeper now, wrapped around you: "Hey, you, feels like it's been forever." What had happened to him in just a single year?