Fire & Light

Fire & Light Part 6

Part 6: Breaking the Chains

Damien's fists connected with the punching bag in rapid succession, each strike harder than the last. His breaths came in short, angry bursts as the bag swung back, its chain rattling with every impact. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he didn't stop. Couldn't stop.

The training grounds were nearly empty this early in the morning. Most of the camp was either still asleep or recovering from the previous day's battle drills, but Damien couldn't sit still. His thoughts had been a storm ever since that conversation by the lake with Kika.

He slammed his fist into the bag again, harder this time, trying to focus on the burn in his muscles. But no matter how much he threw himself into the rhythm, he couldn't shake the feeling that had settled deep in his chest—the way Kika had looked at him, like she saw something beneath the armor he'd spent years building up. Like she wasn't afraid of the wreckage she'd find there.

I don't want to hurt you, she had said. And for some reason, it felt like a promise he wanted to believe.

But he didn't know how. He didn't know how to be close to anyone anymore.

His knuckles throbbed, but he didn't care. He welcomed the pain. It was familiar. Something he could control. Unlike his feelings, which were spiraling out of his grip faster than he could hold them.

With a frustrated growl, Damien threw another punch, sending the bag swinging wildly. He was just about to go for another when a voice interrupted him.

"You're going to rip that bag in half if you keep going like that."

Damien froze, his fist inches from the bag, as the voice cut through the haze of his anger. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Kika.

He cursed under his breath, his hands dropping to his sides as he wiped the sweat from his face. He didn't have the energy for this. Not right now.

"What do you want?" he muttered, not turning to face her.

Kika stepped closer, her footsteps soft against the dirt. "I came to check on you."

He finally turned, meeting her gaze with a glare. "I don't need you to check on me, Kika."

She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Clearly. Because punching a bag like it owes you money is a perfectly healthy way to deal with whatever's going on in that thick skull of yours."

Damien's jaw tightened. "You wouldn't understand."

Kika's expression softened, but there was still that fire in her eyes—the one that always drove him crazy. "Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to."

That was the thing with her. She didn't give up. No matter how many times he tried to push her away, she kept coming back, breaking through the walls he put up. And it scared the hell out of him.

"Why do you care so much?" he asked, his voice harsher than he intended. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"

Kika's eyes widened slightly at the venom in his words, but she didn't back down. Instead, she stepped closer, her voice soft but steady. "Because I know what it's like to feel alone, Damien. And I don't want that for you."

Her words hit him harder than any punch he'd thrown at that stupid bag. He swallowed hard, looking away from her, his fists clenching at his sides.

She doesn't get it. She can't.

"Don't act like you know me," he muttered, shaking his head. "You don't know a damn thing about me."

Kika didn't respond right away, but when she did, her voice was quiet. "Maybe not. But I know enough to see that you're hurting."

Damien flinched. He hated how easily she could see through him, how her words cut through the armor he'd spent years crafting. It made him feel exposed, vulnerable. And he hated that feeling more than anything.

"You don't know what I've been through," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Kika's gaze didn't waver. "Then tell me."

Damien's heart raced. He wanted to tell her, wanted to let it all out—the pain, the anger, the fear that had been eating away at him for years. But he couldn't. He didn't know how. Every time he tried to open up, the words caught in his throat, and all he could do was push people away.

"It doesn't matter," he muttered, turning his back on her. "Just... go."

But Kika didn't leave. Instead, she stepped closer, her hand brushing his arm gently. The touch sent a shock through him, and he tensed, not used to the softness of it.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said softly. "Not until you stop running."

Damien's chest tightened, a lump forming in his throat. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to pull away, to shut her out completely. But something in her voice, in the way she said those words, made him pause.

"I'm not running," he growled, though even he didn't believe it.

Kika sighed, stepping around to face him, her brown eyes locking onto his. "You've been running ever since I met you, Damien. From everyone. From me. From yourself."

Her words cut through him like a blade, sharp and precise. He wanted to yell at her, to tell her she was wrong, but deep down, he knew she wasn't. He had been running. From the pain, the fear, the memories of his past. From everything that made him who he was.

"I don't know how to stop," he whispered, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Kika's gaze softened, and she stepped even closer, her hand resting on his arm again. This time, he didn't pull away.

"You don't have to do it alone," she said gently. "Let someone in, Damien. Just... let me in."

Damien's breath hitched in his throat, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt the weight of his walls crumbling. He wanted to let her in. He wanted to stop running, to stop hiding behind the anger and the pain.

But the scars were still there. The memories. The fear that if he let her in, she'd see the broken parts of him, the parts that weren't strong enough. The parts he was too ashamed to show.

"I'm not... I'm not like you, Kika," he said, his voice hoarse. "I'm not good."

Kika frowned, shaking her head. "You don't have to be perfect. No one is."

Damien looked down, his heart racing. Her words were soft, gentle, but they carried a weight that he wasn't sure he was ready to bear.

"I don't know how to be anything else," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "All I know is... fighting."

Kika smiled, a small, sad smile. "Then let's fight together."

The words hung between them, and for a moment, Damien didn't know what to say. He felt the pull, the need to push her away like he always did, but something in the way she looked at him—like she saw more than just the scars, more than the anger—made him pause.

Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to fight alone anymore.

----------

this time in more of damiens point of view. Sorry that there so short but I want a bit of a build up. Im not going to tell you damiens back story just yet but i can tell you the description of them. Kika - Kika Galanis has dark, curly hair, olive skin with freckles, and deep brown eyes with a streak of yellow. she's around 5'7. she normally wears her hair in a slick back pony and she's from greek, spanish heritage.

Damien -  Damien Kastor has a rugged, athletic build with brown skin marked by battle scars, including one on his left cheek. He has sharp brown eyes, curly black hair, and is around 5'11. 

SO yeah. hope you can visualise a little better. <33