The night breeze blew softly, carrying with it the subtle perfume of the surrounding flowers, a light and fresh aroma that mingled with the cool air of Olympus. The wind carried an ethereal touch, almost as if the night itself were whispering ancient secrets, dancing among the leaves of the golden trees in the distance.
Above them, the sky stretched infinitely, an ocean of darkness dotted by countless stars. Some twinkled intensely, as if observing the moment with silent curiosity.
The moonlight caressed Artemis's red hair, creating reflections that oscillated between burnt gold and shimmering copper.
The wind intensified for a brief moment, making Ikki's hair move slightly, as if the night itself were waiting for his answer.
Ikki felt a shock run through his body upon hearing those words from Artemis.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, he didn't know what to think.
Because, in that instant, everything became clear.
He realized.
Fate was trying to manipulate him again in a way that you would only notice if you took a second look.
He could see the invisible strings pulling this situation towards a single outcome: to rekindle hope within him. They knew he wouldn't accept Artemis' feelings at this moment, so they forced this confession so that he would yearn for a second chance, knowing the Goddess loved him.
A cruel irony.
His frustration grew, not with Artemis, but with fate's disgusting interference in his life, influencing only external things to control his emotions. The memories with Artemis were vivid in his mind—not an illusion created by fate, but real moments. The way she laughed, the way they fought, and above all, the genuine connection they always shared.
It didn't matter what fate wanted.
The only thing that mattered…
Was what he wanted.
While he was having his internal struggle, Artemis stood there, watching him with hope glimmering in her eyes, but not knowing what to truly expect.
The silence between them stretched, heavy and unsettling, as she felt time slip slowly through her fingers. What would he do? Did he still love her? Did he hate her? Or, as seemed to be fate, would he take a course she couldn't comprehend?
The Goddess of the Moon took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her heart was beating too fast. He hadn't spoken a single word. His silence afflicted her more than anything else.
She slowly stood up and walked towards the hall with silent steps.
The hall was still in the background, the murmur of distant conversations, the soft music still echoing on the walls. She turned, trying to hide the pain forming within her heart, ready to walk away from Ikki and return to the party.
Ikki watched Artemis walk away, her back to him as she began to walk towards the hall. Each step she took seemed to resonate in the emptiness of the night, as if she were moving away not just from the moment, but also from him.
He remained there, standing at the top of the stairs, before gritting his teeth.
Fuck fate!
Fuck what everyone thought his choice should be!
Fuck everything!
He would make his own choices!
With that in mind, he stood up and walked towards Artemis, quickly reaching her. Ignoring "fate" subtly trying to fight against his decision, he extended his hand, reaching for the moon goddess's slender waist with a gentle but undeniable force. When she tried to pull away, he gently but firmly pulled her back closer.
Ikki enveloped her in a firm embrace, his arm positioned carefully around her waist, as if he wanted to keep her there, close to him. The feeling of having her so close made his heart beat faster, and he felt every soft movement of her body against his, the slight pressure of Artemis's breasts against his chest...
Artemis blushed immediately with the proximity, her face turning crimson as she felt the unexpected contact. Her breath quickened slightly, and she was momentarily paralyzed, feeling the impact of the gesture.
She tried to react, but the embrace was so comforting, so unexpected, that she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Just as she was about to speak, her cherry lips were sealed by his.
Artemis was shocked, but didn't refuse the gesture. The shock that had taken over her body gradually dissipated; the surrounding environment seemed to disappear, becoming a mere backdrop to the unfolding moment.
When their lips met, a flutter in her stomach invaded her, but it quickly turned into warmth. The softness of the initial touch quickly transformed into a passionate urgency. She could feel Ikki's heart pounding at an accelerated pace, and that only increased her resolve.
She let her soft, perfumed tongue intertwine with his, exploring this new intimacy. It was a delicate gesture, yet full of fervor, as they surrendered to the flavor of the moment. The light fragrance of her perfume mingled with Ikki's cologne, creating a symphony of senses.
In this moment, her beautiful face was completely red, and her heart was pounding madly.
When her tongue and Ikki's intertwined, her body couldn't help but tremble slightly, as an indescribably wonderful and comfortable feeling, arising from their tongues, flowed throughout her body and left her unable to stop herself from eagerly sucking on the other…
A strange and wonderful feeling made both of them unconsciously revel in it, as their embrace became even more passionate, their breathing increasingly irregular, and their bodies hotter and hotter, as a strange heat erupted from within them…
God only knows how much time passed before they stopped.
When Ikki and Artemis's lips finally parted, both were breathing heavily. Artemis looked at him, her eyes still shining, an expression both confused and full of affection, and asked, softly:
"What was that?"
Ikki, a little awkward, scratched his cheek with one hand, while the other remained around Artemis's waist, feeling her closeness. He smiled slightly and replied:
"That was my answer to your confession. Didn't you like it? That was my first kiss, you know? You have to take responsibility for that…"
"Oh, so you think you're the only one who had their first time? That was my first kiss too!" Artemis retorted, rolling her eyes and giving a slight smile.
She didn't seem bothered by kissing a man, even though the gesture was something completely out of any wildest dream for a Virgin Goddess, and if anyone had questioned her, two years ago, about doing something so intimate, she probably would have shot an arrow at them. Everything seemed perfect because it was with the very man she loved that she did it.
A silence settled between them, before Artemis spoke, looking into his eyes: "I love you, Ikki…"
Ikki, with a slight smile on his lips, watched her for a moment before replying:
"I love you too, Artemis, and after everything you did and everything I went through to rescue you, that kiss was a little… small…"
Artemis rolled her eyes with an amused smile, but the affection in her gaze was evident.
"Oh, you'll see, Ikki. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
They looked at each other, feeling the connection between them grow even stronger. Without another word, they drew close again and, as if the world around them had disappeared, kissed again.
The two continued for a while in their own little world, before being interrupted.
A forced cough broke the moment between them.
"So… can someone explain to me what the hell is going on here?" The sarcasm-laden voice made Ikki and Artemis turn their heads at the same time.
Thalia was standing there, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, and a playful smirk on her lips.
Ikki just rolled his eyes, as if he was being interrupted in the middle of something much more important, and shrugged.
"I was kissing my woman, what's the problem?"
Thalia snorted, crossing her arms tighter. "Seriously, dude?"
She then looked at Artemis, waiting for a reaction.
Artemis's face was on fire. She opened her mouth a few times, trying to form a coherent sentence, but the words simply wouldn't come out. Her gaze alternated between Ikki and Thalia, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation.
"I-I… this isn't… i-it's not…" she stammered, looking away from her Huntress, while wringing her hands nervously.
"I-I… need to go! Yes! I have… divine things to do! Important! Very important things!" Then, without a second thought, she disappeared in a silver flash, fleeing from embarrassment.
Thalia blinked a few times before letting out a short laugh. "That was… unexpected."
Ikki sighed as Artemis disappeared, shaking his head with a small smile. Before he could say anything, he noticed Thalia approaching.
"Congratulations, you idiot." Thalia said, crossing her arms and looking at him with an expression somewhere between amusement and something harder to decipher. "I knew you loved her. Or… loved? Honestly, it's kind of confusing."
"Believe me, it was confusing for me too." Ikki nodded before raising an eyebrow and speaking, "But are you mocking me or are you happy for me?"
Thalia snorted, looking away for a moment before sighing. "Both. Look, I'm happy for you, really. I know this means a lot to you."
She forced a small smile, but Ikki noticed something different in her eyes. A subtle glint of discomfort, maybe even a trace of hurt. He frowned slightly, but Thalia quickly changed her expression, hiding any emotion behind her usual confident posture.
"But if you start getting all mushy now with our Lady, I swear I'll electrocute you." She added, patting his arm.
Ikki chuckled softly.
"As if you needed an excuse for that."
Thalia just rolled her eyes, but her smile, though small, was still there.
"So, did you come out here looking for Artemis or me, or just to get some fresh air?" Ikki asked casually.
"Well, I was looking for you, actually. I heard from Grover that you ran away from the Gods and came here…" Thalia said, a little nervously.
"Really? So, Miss Huntress, what do you need from me?" Ikki asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, to thank you. Thank you…"
"For what?"
Thalia crossed her arms, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "For making Zeus talk to me. He… admitted he wasn't a good father. To any of us. He made that whole compensation speech and everything. And, well…"
She sighed, holding a lightning bolt-shaped pendant that hung from her neck. "He said he'll try to make up for it… And he gave me this."
She touched the necklace, and immediately, a silver bow appeared in her hand, gleaming with small crackles of electricity.
Ikki raised an eyebrow, observing the bow with interest. "So, you mean he gave you a present?"
Thalia shrugged. "Yeah, it seems so."
Ikki snorted, crossing his arms. "Definitely, you're the favorite. I didn't get anything."
Thalia laughed.
"Or maybe he's just trying to lessen his guilt."
Before Ikki could retort, the bow glowed and, in a blink of an eye, disappeared, returning to the form of the necklace around Thalia's neck.
Thalia looked at the jewel with a curious expression and then smiled. "It seems it only appears when I want it to."
Ikki rolled his eyes, chuckling slightly. "Of course, another advantage for Zeus's favorite daughter."
Thalia gave him a light shove, and the two headed back to the party, putting the teasing aside, at least for now.
After returning to the party, Thalia moved away from Ikki and went straight to talk to Zoë. Before distancing herself, however, she glanced at Ikki and, casually, said:
"I'm not going to tell Zoë, or any of the future sisters, about your and Artemis's relationship, so don't worry."
Ikki just nodded, trusting her, and headed towards the table, where he picked up a bunch of grapes. The fruit seemed like the perfect way to take a break. However, before he could take the first bite, sweet voices called him again.
"Ikki, come dance with me?"
"No, with me!"
"Forget those two and come to the dance floor with me!"
He looked up and saw more goddesses, smiling charmingly, extending their hands to him. With a sigh of resignation, Ikki stood up and went to the dance floor again.
The dancing continued for some time longer, and Ikki found himself participating in several rounds with goddesses, with no room to breathe. After almost two hours, he felt he could finally stop. His feet, though not exhausted, were starting to beg for a moment's rest. It was tedious to dance and talk about so many things with goddesses who wanted to take him to bed. He found an opening and discreetly moved away from the dance floor, looking for a quiet place to recharge his energies.
It was then that, to his surprise, a God approached him.
"Ah, the destroyer of the Talos copy." Hephaestus's rough voice sounded beside him.
Ikki turned and saw the God with his smith's countenance, his leg limping slightly. He smiled and approached him, starting a casual conversation.
"I was watching you dance. Seems like you're having fun."
"It's more like I don't have much choice there." Ikki said resignedly as the God stopped beside him.
Hephaestus smiled at that.
"You're the first mortal I've seen resigned to dancing with so many Goddesses…"
"It's tiring. I'd rather face some Titan than be the center of attention like I am at this party…" Ikki said, letting out a sigh.
The God of the Forge chuckled lightly before speaking: "I believe all the Gods are excited to have the King of Heroes among them, not just the goddesses. And speaking of which, I heard you beat Ares in a strength competition a while ago. In fact, I even heard you beat him up about two years ago…"
Ikki raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You heard that?"
Hephaestus nodded, with a relaxed expression.
"Yes, of course. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the God of War, especially because of the… 'little incident' he caused with my wife a few centuries ago." He paused before shrugging. "But anyway, that's ancient history, isn't it? And either way, he deserved it. I just wanted to thank you for teaching him that lesson. Not only that, but I also want to thank you for something else, Aphrodite kind of changed because of you. She came to me and apologized for everything… Well, it was unexpected…"
"It's strange, but it seems you have some magic to change gods. Even Ares isn't such a jerk anymore after meeting you, he keeps to himself lately, training, and my wife isn't sleeping with any men anymore, something that was very hot news for all of Olympus before your return…"
"My mother, Hera, isn't being herself either… In fact, she's visited me several times since that meeting. I believe she was so scared of you that she looked for anything to distract her mind."
"You don't need to thank me, I did what I thought was right. If they're changing because of me, it was through their own effort, not mine…" Ikki said casually.
"Well, it doesn't change the fact that you were the catalyst for that change." Hephaestus spoke calmly. "So, even though you destroyed my junkyard and everything, I invite you to my forge. If you're interested, I can teach you a few tricks about metallurgy…"
Ikki, interested, looked at Hephaestus attentively. He was interested in this subject due to the fact that he no longer had any weapons that could handle his power.
"Yes, I would love to learn…" In the end, he said as he brought forth his sword, [Xífos Tis Níkis], unsheathed it, and handed it to Hephaestus while saying: "My sword is no longer keeping up with my strength level."
Hephaestus took the sword carefully, examining the blade with a look of fascination. He turned it from side to side, feeling the energy emanating from it. His eyes gleamed when he noticed something.
"Wait, this… This is the Xífos Tis Níkis, isn't it?"
Ikki nodded, surprised by the immediate recognition.
"It is. Do you know it?"
Hephaestus smiled, and a nostalgic gleam appeared in his eyes.
"Yes, I do. It was part of a collection of unfinished projects. Zeus took it a long time ago, intending to give it to Perseus, but the sword never reached him. It ended up in the Camp Half-Blood warehouse, like many other artifacts. It seems it has found a new purpose with you…"
Ikki was surprised by the story behind his sword. Chiron had told him a few things about it, but not its exact origin as Hephaestus had said.
"So, can you help me?" He asked.
Hephaestus nodded, with a satisfied smile.
"Of course. I'll work on it for you…"
Ikki watched Hephaestus carefully examine the sword, and then decided to share some of his ideas. He moved a little closer, the tone of his voice more serious and focused.
"Thank you. If you'll hear me out. I have a few suggestions, Hephaestus. You know, you could add a metal that affects mortals as well. Not just for monsters, but to deal with… other threats, like Luke's mercenaries, for example…"
Hephaestus looked at him curiously, intrigued by the suggestion.
"You're talking about a metal that has an effect on mortals? That's something unusual for a demigod…"
Ikki nodded, taking a small crystal from his pocket and handing it to Hephaestus. The crystal was dark, with an almost ethereal and mysterious aura, and Hephaestus observed it carefully.
"This 'crystal' is a gift from Hades." Ikki continued: "He told me it's a huge piece of Stygian Iron molded into something easy to carry in my pocket…"
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, interested.
"Stygian Iron, huh? That's something I rarely see. Except, normally, only children of Hades or other beings of the Underworld can handle it. I think even if I could add it to your sword, you would be unable to use it…"
Ikki smiled slightly, with a touch of confidence.
"Don't worry about that. The crystal was blessed by Hades, and he allowed me to use it without problems. Stygian Iron is different from Celestial Bronze. Celestial Bronze, as you know, disperses the monster's physical form into dust and sends its essence to Tartarus. Stygian Iron absorbs or destroys the monster's essence, preventing it from reforming, in theory…"
"But most importantly, weapons made of Celestial Bronze don't work against mortals, as you should know, but Stygian Iron… well, it can hurt even mortals. It might be useful in the future."
"That's good. I've never done anything like it, but since it was blessed by Hades, maybe you can use the iron." Hephaestus said, still observing the crystal. "So, with this, I can try to forge a more powerful blade, capable of handling any situation. Not just against monsters, but against mortals as well…"
Ikki smiled, satisfied with the answer.
"Exactly. That would be a huge advantage. I just… didn't want my sword to fall behind my strength level, you know? It's time for it to evolve too…"
Hephaestus nodded, now with a gleam in his eyes, and carefully put the crystal away. He looked at Ikki, as if he already glimpsed the outlines of the new weapon he could forge.
"I'll consider it, Ikki. And I can tell you, with this crystal, I'm going to create something you never imagined…"
From that point on, the two talked for a while as Hephaestus kept Ikki's sword with him to reforge it and the piece of Stygian Iron, then both went their separate ways. The God of the Forge was excited about the possibilities of making such a weapon, despite not showing it much.
With that, Ikki had time to be alone. The conversation with the god of metallurgy left him with a sense of satisfaction and anticipation about the future of his sword. But deep down, his mind kept returning to the moment he shared with Artemis, that kiss, her words. "I love you." He repeated mentally as he walked slowly, the surrounding party atmosphere almost irrelevant now.
He had taken the first step, but Artemis had taken hers as well. Her answer had been clear, but there was something else in the air. Something that wasn't completely resolved between them. The kiss, the confession… yet neither of them had spoken openly about what it meant. What did it represent for their future? He didn't know, and it seemed Artemis didn't have all the answers either.
But, surprisingly, he wasn't being consumed by it. He wasn't obsessive as he might have been before. He had accepted the moment as it was, without rushing to understand everything or resolve every detail. The feeling was there, clear and strong, but he didn't feel the need to unearth every layer, every reason behind those words. It was as if, in the end, he already knew the answer, without even needing more words.
He leaned against a wall as he watched the movement of the party in the distance.
Imagining the old witches frustrated that their plan to manipulate him was going wrong.
But as was the law of this party, Ikki Phoenix couldn't stand still. Apollo pulled him into the group of male Gods who began to tell their stories and laugh. Some even asked Zeus's son to do the same, and he recounted some interesting encounters he had during the year he spent missing.