Fire & Light

Fire & Light Part 1

Part 1: Collateral Damage

The forge was unbearably hot, the kind of heat that made the air shimmer and cling to your skin. But Kika was used to heat. She lived for it. Still, standing in the doorway of the Hephaestus cabin, she felt more like an intruder than usual. The sharp clang of metal against metal echoed through the room as Damien swung his hammer down, sparks flying in every direction like fireworks. His brow was furrowed, the muscles in his arms straining as if each strike was a release of pent-up frustration.

Kika narrowed her eyes, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. She'd been watching him for a while, and the anger radiating off him was almost tangible. He'd been like this for days now—short-tempered, brooding, and impossible to talk to. It didn't help that they'd been stuck together on a quest that neither of them wanted to be on.

"You know, maybe you should cool off before you break something," Kika said, trying to keep her voice casual, even though every word felt like a challenge.

Damien didn't even bother to look at her. His grip on the hammer tightened, his jaw clenched, and the next swing came down even harder. "Maybe you should mind your own business."

Kika's patience, which was already thin, snapped. She wasn't in the mood for his attitude. "You think I want to be here, Damien? Trust me, I'd rather be anywhere else than watching you throw a tantrum."

He finally stopped, the hammer suspended mid-air, and for a second, the only sound was the faint crackle of the forge's fire. Slowly, he turned to face her, his dark eyes burning with the kind of intensity that would've made anyone else flinch. But Kika wasn't just anyone else.

"You think I'm throwing a tantrum?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

She lifted her chin, refusing to back down. "What else would you call it? You've been stomping around camp like someone killed your favorite weapon for weeks now."

Damien's lips curled into a bitter smirk. "You don't get it, Kika. You wouldn't. You've got everything handed to you on a silver platter, right? Golden bow, perfect aim, daddy's favorite. You wouldn't understand what it's like to actually have to work for anything."

Her heart skipped a beat. That hit too close to home, and he knew it. The assumption that she had it easy, that being Apollo's daughter somehow made her life perfect, was something she'd been fighting against for as long as she could remember. But she wasn't going to let him see that he'd struck a nerve.

"You think I don't work for anything?" she shot back, stepping closer. "You think all I do is stand around in the sun and sing pretty songs? I've been fighting monsters just as long as you have, Damien. And at least I don't blow up every time something doesn't go my way."

His eyes flashed with anger, and for a second, Kika wondered if she'd pushed him too far. Damien had a temper—everyone at camp knew that. But something about the way he was looking at her now, with a mixture of fury and something else she couldn't quite place, made her feel like they were standing on the edge of something dangerous.

"Maybe you should stick to your songs and sunshine, Kika," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Leave the real battles to people who can handle them."

The words hit her harder than she expected. She could feel the heat rising inside her, a mixture of frustration and anger that she struggled to control. It would've been so easy to unleash her power right then and there, to blind him with a flash of light and remind him just how wrong he was. But instead, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

"At least I don't hide behind a wall of fire every time things get tough," she said quietly.

For a moment, there was silence. The only sound was the faint crackling of the forge behind him. Then, without warning, Damien dropped the hammer with a loud clang, the metal ringing out like a bell. He took a step closer to her, towering over her with his 5'11" frame, his brown eyes blazing with an intensity that made her heart race.

"You don't know anything about me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "So don't act like you do."

Kika swallowed hard, but she refused to back down. "Then maybe you should stop pushing everyone away long enough for someone to actually get to know you."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and charged. Damien's fists clenched at his sides, and for a second, she thought he might actually lose it. But instead, he just stared at her, his jaw tight, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.

"Stay out of my way, Kika," he said finally, his voice cold. "I don't need you. I don't need anyone."

The words stung more than she expected. She wasn't sure why, but they did. Maybe it was because she'd spent so much time trying to help him, trying to break through that wall he'd built around himself. Or maybe it was because, deep down, she knew there was more to Damien than just his anger. She'd seen glimpses of it—the vulnerability he tried so hard to hide, the loyalty he showed to the people he cared about. But every time she got close, he pushed her away.

Kika felt the anger bubbling up inside her again, and this time, she didn't try to stop it. "Fine," she snapped, turning on her heel. "Keep pretending you don't care. But one day, you're going to realize that pushing people away won't make the pain go away."

She didn't wait for a response. She stormed out of the forge, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Damien Kastor was impossible. He was stubborn, reckless, and infuriating. But the worst part?

She wasn't going to give up on him.

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Thats it for the first part. I already have around 4 more parts because I was meant to uplode this like a month ago but I hope you like it!!