Force of Gravity • NM

Prologue

(Flashback)

The Mystic Falls forest, late afternoon. The wind rustles through the trees, as the golden light filters through the leaves. The air is thick with magic, something ancient and untamed. Damon Salvatore, lost in the haze of his humanity-off state, stalks through the woods, his footsteps deliberate, eyes void of emotion. He isn't hunting for blood today. He's just... there, lost in the numbness that comes with his switch being off.

Damon's POV

"It's quieter here. No thoughts, no feelings. It's better that way."

He moves without purpose, just letting the silence of the woods wrap around him. But then, in the stillness, a faint sound. He freezes, sharp senses picking up on it. The softest sniffle. A child's cry.

His eyes narrow, scanning the forest. A girl, no more than five, sits alone beneath an ancient oak tree, her knees pulled up to her chest, shaking slightly. Her long, untamed hair is like vines, tangled and wild, her dress dirty as though she's been there for days.

"What's a kid doing in the middle of the woods all alone?"

Naira looks up, her emerald green eyes shining with tears but glowing with something ancient, something powerful. Damon pauses, sensing it. There's a connection in the air, like the forest itself is watching this moment.

"They left me... My parents. They didn't want me anymore."

Damon feels nothing. He should care, but he doesn't. He kneels down to her level, his expression cold, unreadable.

He stands up, ready to walk away, but something stops him. He can't move. It's like the very earth is pulling him back. Naira's small hand lifts, her eyes locking with his, glowing brighter. The wind around them picks up, the trees sway like they're responding to her emotions.

"You're sad... and angry. But you don't want to be."

Damon's body tenses, a flood of emotions surging through him, emotions he thought he'd buried long ago. His humanity is being pulled at, like a thread unraveling. He growls, grabbing his head in pain, memories flashing before his eyes—Stefan, Katherine, the loss, the pain.

For the first time in years, Damon feels something stir in his chest—pity, compassion. He kneels back down, softer this time, his eyes searching hers. This girl... this little witch, had done something to him, something he couldn't explain. But he couldn't leave her here, not like this.

"Alright, kid. Looks like you're stuck with me. Come on, let's get you out of here."

He extends his hand, and after a moment, Naira takes it. Her small, dirty fingers curl into his, and Damon feels a strange warmth spread through him. It's foreign, uncomfortable, but not entirely unwelcome.

Naira sits quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window, her hand resting on Damon's jacket that he had given her to stay warm. Damon glances at her from the corner of his eye, wrestling with his own thoughts. "So... magic, huh? You really know how to mess with people."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... I can feel the earth. I can feel people." she replied, "Great. A mini-Mother Nature. Just what I needed." He stated.

Naira glances at him, a hint of a smile forming on her lips, and Damon's heart ached at how innocent she was, despite everything. He hadn't felt protective of anyone in a long time, but something about her... she wasn't like other kids. She was special.