Fire & Light

Fire & Light Part 5

Part 5: Unraveling the Armor

Kika couldn't sleep that night.

She tossed and turned in her bed, the sound of the crickets outside doing nothing to calm her restless thoughts. Damien's voice echoed in her head—"I don't want to push you away." She could still feel the weight of his gaze, the vulnerability in his voice. It was a side of him she wasn't used to, and it left her more confused than ever.

It didn't make sense. Damien was always so guarded, so distant. He acted like nothing ever got to him, like he didn't care what people thought. But for him to admit that—to her—it shook her in a way she wasn't prepared for.

She groaned, burying her face in her pillow. Why does he have to make everything so complicated? They were supposed to hate each other, keep up that rivalry that had somehow become a part of who they were. But now, things were shifting, and she didn't know how to handle it.

By sunrise, Kika had given up on sleep. She threw on a hoodie, deciding a walk by the lake might help clear her mind. The camp was quiet, everyone still resting after the intensity of the battle the day before. She slipped out of the Apollo cabin, pulling the hood over her head as she made her way down the path.

The lake was peaceful, the early morning fog hanging low over the water. Kika took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill her lungs. She needed this—some time alone to think.

But when she reached the edge of the lake, she wasn't alone.

Damien was there, sitting on the dock, his back to her. His shoulders were hunched, his head bowed as if he was lost in thought. Kika froze, her heart doing a strange little flip in her chest.

Of course he's here, she thought bitterly. She considered turning around, pretending she hadn't seen him. But something in the way he sat—so still, so tense—stopped her.

Before she knew it, she was walking toward him.

The wood of the dock creaked under her boots as she approached. Damien didn't look up, but she could tell he knew she was there. His hands were clenched into fists in his lap, the tension in his body obvious even from where she stood.

Kika hesitated, standing a few feet behind him. She wasn't sure what to say—didn't even know why she had come. But after last night, after everything he'd said, she couldn't just leave him there.

"You're up early," she said, her voice quieter than she'd intended.

Damien didn't respond right away. He sat there for a moment, staring out at the lake, before finally speaking. "Couldn't sleep."

Kika nodded, stepping closer and sitting down beside him, leaving a gap of space between them. The silence stretched on, heavy and awkward, but neither of them seemed to know how to break it.

After what felt like an eternity, Damien sighed, running a hand through his messy curls. "Look, about last night..."

Kika tensed, waiting for him to push her away again, to shut her out like he always did. But instead, his voice softened, almost like he was struggling with the words.

"I didn't mean to—" he started, but then stopped, his brow furrowing as if he was fighting with himself. "I don't know why I said that."

Kika glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His face was tight, his jaw clenched, but there was something raw in his expression. Vulnerability.

Just say something, she told herself. Don't let him pull away again.

"You meant it," she said quietly. "You wouldn't have said it if you didn't."