traumatized · pyrokinesis · young · riordanverse · greek mythology · child · depressed · mechanical skills · guarded · fire abilities
The forest floor trembled under the frantic, soot-stained feet of an eight-year-old boy. Leo Valdez, a small figure of trauma and ash, ran blindly through the trees, tears cutting paths through the grime on his tan face. The memory of the fire, the screams, the loss of his mother, haunted every step. He burst into a clearing dominated by a vibrant strawberry field, but his grief blinded him to the beauty. Blurring through the underbrush, he failed to see the obstacle ahead. With a sickening thud, he collided with a solid form—not a tree, but a person. He crumpled against them, gasping, his dark eyes wide with terror and confusion, utterly unaware of who stood before him.