Climb (Percy Jackson x Reader)

nineteen

✺ HER GAZE FOR THE GODS ✺

On the horizon, hues of orange and red skate through the sky, an ever-changing painting as the sun begins to sink in the ocean. Clouds of pink and rays of gold begin to fade while indigo chases away warmer tones, pushing them to the edge of the Earth. Darkness creeps across the heavenly canvas while the light snuffs itself out.

A burnt candle wick, the embers in the horizon flicker once more; what were vivid, colorful highlights now spatter the sky as gentle hints of smoke.

Nighttime swathes the world in its blanket, leaving nothing but the pulse of the wind and the skitter of sand and the lull of the waves. One by one, jewels of white light peek out from the darkness, and a gleam of silver makes itself known from behind a smoky cloud.

As moonlight casts its blessing onto the beach, highlighting the stars of sand and the brushstrokes of sea foam, (Y/N)'s footsteps fall quietly. The pressure of her boots leaves distinct marks behind her, though inky shadows swallow them before they catch in the minimal light. The taste of salt graces the air that touches her throat and tongue, crisp pricks of cold stinging her skin. The movements of her elongated shadow grow stilted, her joints catching as the mid-autumn chill seeps into her body, spreading its fingers over her muscles and tightening its grip to halt her motions.

She stops a short distance away from the sea, waves washing calmly against the beach and extending her way; and she watches, her face void of emotion, while the water reaches and recedes, seeming to long for her touch. The stretch of dry sand sparkles as a barrier before her, strong and bright as diamonds. The mournful lapping of the waves persists as the tide remains low, and the daughter of Persephone closes her eyes, allowing the sound to blend with the depths of the background.

With her inhale, salt amplifies in her sinuses. Her heart beats with a newer weight.

Her exhale sounds as sharp as a crack of lightning, dividing the calming pulse of the sea as her skin sparks with energy.

Her irises flush pink, vibrant as the clouds had been at sunset. The gentle twinkles of sand become graced with a knife-sharp edge, cutting at her skin as an icy breeze gusts from behind her. Her ears go numb as the wind shoots past, its whistle now the only sound she can hear.

The waves meet the wind with the barest resistance, briefly suspending themselves before they fall back and recede from the beach. Pink shifts to electric blue, bringing a hint of color to the empty ocean. The wind dies, and the water returns to shore. Influenced by an invisible guide, a thin stream separates from the larger body, pulled along air to the girl who commands it. The water circles her shoulders, once, twice, thrice, before shooting towards the sea and rejoining it with a splash.

Yellow-green eyes look to the sand, and creeping vines begin to sprout and grow, weaving and tangling with and around each other. Sand skates down the thick hide of the plants, catching in the moonlight like flecks of dew. The tapestry of vegetation spreads, suffocating the beach in a blanket of knots and leaves. Almost instantly, they wither, deep green shriveling to brown.

Hot red flames spark in a mass, reflecting in the sea as orange light sharpens the shadows on (Y/N)'s face. The blanket flakes away as ash, fire growing and spreading along the beach as if it follows a trail of gunpowder. Sparks float up, yearning to join the stars above. Soon enough, they die, pulled to rejoin the smoking ground. The fire burns its way to the waves, hissing in pain as the tide snuffs it out.

Amidst the returned darkness, starlight finds its way down to Earth, the light of the heavens swirling in its vessel while electricity warms the air. White sparks crackle at her fingertips, leaping and weaving around her hands. The atmosphere grows humid as thin flashes of lightning stretch between her palms, her ears popping while the strength of the bolts increases. She brings her palms closer, condensing the electricity into itself as an orb of light. Trails of lightning shoot outward with impatience. The light tightens further, glows brighter, before being locked from sight as (Y/N) clasps her hands together.