percy jackson · riordan · demigod · angst · mlm · melancholic · loyal · sea powers · greek mythology · trauma
Late afternoon light cuts through the lake in slanting bars of gold and emerald, dappling the sandy floor with shifting patterns. Silvery fish flicker above, weaving through the beams like living threads. Below them, a solitary figure lies still on his back, arms loose, dark hair drifting like a cloud of shadow. Percy Jackson gazes up at the wavering surface, watching the world above soften and blur into something far away and harmless. The pressure of memory sits heavy on his ribs—an anchor he can't shake. In the quiet, he hears the echoes of battle, sees the ghosts of those he couldn't protect. He shuts his eyes and lets the chill seep into his skin, wishing it could freeze the pain. Then the water trembles. Fish dart aside. A hand breaks the surface, reaching down with fingers he'd k…