Damned ─ 𝐚. 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝¹

𝘡𝘌𝘙𝘖

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒. He kept smacking into trees and tripping over uprooted tree roots or over his own feet. His hands were outstretched in front of him to push the low-hanging branches out of his way, but he occasionally glanced behind him.

He heard the creature roar and the sound vibrated in his chest, picking up the pace of his heart. If he wanted the monster to wreak havoc, he would've just shadow travelled out of the park, but he had to kill the creature.

The ground shook under his feet and he grunted; it was getting closer to him. He stopped running and whirled around on the balls of his feet. He moved over by a tree and held his palms open by his sides. He focused his powers and surrounded himself in the shadows, rendering himself invisible to the monster.

He kept focusing on the shadows around him and he unsheathed his sword – made of Stygian Iron – and the beast broke through the trees with another roar.

A Cyclops.

It stopped running, because it could smell his blood. The creature knew that its prey was close and it was sniffing the teenager out. He narrowed his eyes and focused his power again, throwing blackened spears of rocks at the massive monster.

It roared and flung it's hand out. The teenager didn't have time to duck or move out of the way as the massive hand of the monster smacked into him, sending him flying into a nearby tree. He cried out on impact and fell to the ground in a heap of groans and agony.

For a moment, he just laid there as the Cyclops came back for him, roaring. He slowly rolled over and pushed himself up as the Cyclops closed in. He yelled in pain and then the monster picked up the teenager in his hand.

"Puny demigod!" the monster roared. "You no Ghost King! Now I eat you!"

The teenager gripped his sword, grimacing harshly in pain as the monster shook him. But then, he lifted the weapon and surged it forward as the monster was going to eat him, like it said it would.

The sword pierced the neck of the monster and it roared, releasing the boy from his hand. He dangled by the sword and as it absorbed the monster's energy, the sword sliced down its body as it continued to roar.

The boy landed firmly on his feet with his sword aimed out as it dangled by his side. The pain in his body made him crumble to his knees seconds later and he dug into the pocket of his aviator jacket.

He took out the bag and huffed at the sight of the last square, too small to help heal his body fully, but he took it from the bag. Stuffing the bag back in his pocket, he ate the ambrosia square and sighed.

It gave him enough strength to get to his feet and he stumbled out of the park quickly.

♔♔♔

A knock on his door drew the warlock to it, pulling it open to answer it. His brows furrowed at the hunched over figure of a boy and then the boy lifted his head. His pale-olive complexion and sunken dark brown eyes told the warlock he was gravely injured or ill. The sheathed sword at his side told the warlock that he wasn't a Downworlder, but the lack of runes dismissed a Shadowhunter.

"Magnus Bane?" the boy wheezed.

"Yes? Who are you?" the warlock questioned.

The boy stumbled into Magnus' apartment with another wheeze, trying to catch his breath. He stumbled and started to fall to the floor, but Magnus lunged for him and grabbed him in his arms.

"Chiron told me you could help me," the boy wheezed. Magnus' eyes widened at the name the boy uttered, and he ushered the boy inside the loft, using a snap of his magic to close the front door. "I...I need you to help heal me."

"What attacked you, my dear boy?"

"Cyclops," he gasped as Magnus laid him on the couch. He groaned and arched his back in agony, harsh gasps leaving his slightly parted lips. "It's in the depths of Tartarus now."

The warlock let out a breath over the creature that the boy spoke. He hadn't seen a Cyclops in over a hundred years. He knew what the monsters usually wanted; to kill or to eat.

Magnus snapped his fingers and his blueish magic flowed out toward the boy, who gasped and sputtered some more.

It didn't take long for Magnus' magic to heal the boy and he pulled back, letting him fall back against the couch. His eyes drooped in exhaustion and sweat dripped down his face. Magnus started to reach for the sword but the boy's hand shot out, no matter how exhausted he was.

"You can't touch the sword, Magnus," the boy warned weakly. "Only I can wield it. It will probably absorb your essence if you do."

Magnus retreated his hands immediately and stepped away from the sword. The boy unclipped it from his jeans and then laid it down on the table beside him.

"You know my name, demigod, but I do not know yours," Magnus hummed. When the boy had spoken the old Centaur's name, it didn't take much else for Magnus to realize what the boy was. "And what is your parentage?"

The boy's breath was labored, soft but still harsh. He turned his head toward the warlock and spoke so softly, Magnus almost didn't hear him.

"Nico," he wheezed softly. "Nico di Angelo; son of Hades."

♔

a little short, i know, but it's just a little introduction chapter!