riko

Izuku pov

I woke up to the sound of birds.

For a second, I thought I was home. My bed, my room, Mom humming in the kitchen. Everything normal. Everything safe.

Then the pain hit.

My head throbbed like someone had slammed a hammer against it. My arms felt heavy, my legs stiff. I groaned, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the canvas above me.

Canvas.

Not a ceiling. Not my room.

I sat up slowly, my heart pounding. I was in a tent. A big one, with wooden poles and blankets that smelled like grass and smoke. My stomach twisted.

Was it… all a dream? The monster? The fight? Mom screaming?

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake the fog from my brain. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe I hit my head and—

Then I saw him.

Rody.

He was sitting on a stool near the entrance, munching on an apple like nothing was wrong. His curly hair was messy, his jacket torn from last night. And his legs—

I froze.

His legs weren’t human.

They were covered in brown fur, ending in hooves.

My breath caught. My chest tightened. “R-Rody…” My voice cracked. “Your legs…”

He looked up, grinning like this was the most normal thing in the world. “Oh. Yeah. Surprise.”

I stared, my heart slamming against my ribs. “You’re… you’re a—”

“Satyr,” he said, tossing the apple core aside. “Half goat, half awesome.”

I couldn’t breathe. My hands shook. “So… it wasn’t a dream. The monster. The fight. Mom…”

His grin faded. His eyes softened. “No, Izuku. It wasn’t a dream.”

The words hit like a punch to the gut. I felt sick. My throat burned. “She’s… gone.”

Rody nodded slowly. “Taken. By something bad. But we’ll figure it out. I promise.”

I swallowed hard, my chest aching. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run—but my legs wouldn’t move. My whole body felt frozen.

Rody stood, brushing off his jacket. “Come on. You need air. And answers.”

---

The camp was… unreal.

Green fields stretched under a bright blue sky, cabins lined up in neat rows, each carved with symbols I didn’t recognize. Kids—teenagers—were everywhere, sparring with swords, shooting arrows, laughing like this was summer vacation instead of… whatever this was.

“This is Camp Half-Blood,” Rody said, walking beside me. His hooves clopped against the dirt path. “Safe haven for demigods.”

I blinked. “Demigods?”

“Half human, half god,” he explained. “Like you.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “Oh yeah, you told me yesterday.”

He grinned. “Yep. Son of Poseidon. Big deal, by the way.”

My stomach flipped. “Poseidon… the god of the sea huh”

“The one and only,” Rody said, smirking. “Makes sense, right? All that water stuff you do? Not exactly normal.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. My brain was spinning so fast I thought I’d pass out again. Gods. Demigods. Monsters. Mom gone. And me? A son of Poseidon?

I barely heard Rody as he kept talking, pointing out cabins and training fields. My eyes were everywhere—kids swinging swords, nocking arrows, laughing like this was all normal. Like this was home.

And then I saw her.

She was in the sparring ring, moving like lightning. Her spear flashed, striking against a sword held by a blond boy who looked like he wanted to kill the world. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, the sound sharp and fierce.

Her hair was dark, tied back in a messy braid. Sweat glistened on her skin, but she didn’t slow down. Her eyes—storm-gray, intense—locked on her opponent like nothing else existed. Every move was perfect. Precise. Powerful.

I couldn’t look away.

“Who…” My voice cracked. I swallowed hard, pointing at her. “Who is that?”

Rody followed my gaze. The moment he saw her, his face changed. His grin vanished, replaced by something like… fear.

“Oh no,” he muttered. “Don’t even think about it.”

I blinked. “What? Why?”

He grabbed my arm, pulling me back a step. “That’s Riko. Daughter of Zeus. Future leader of this camp. She’s… not someone you mess with.”

My heart skipped a beat. Daughter of Zeus. The King of the Gods. The most powerful of them all.

I looked at her again, my chest tight, my breath shallow. She spun, her spear catching the sunlight, and for a second, it was like the world slowed down.

And then it happened.

She looked at me.

Her storm-grey eyes met mine across the field, sharp and electric. For a heartbeat, everything else disappeared—the noise, the crowd, the chaos. It was just her. And me.

My stomach flipped so hard I thought I’d fall over. My face burned. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

And then she turned away, her spear clashing against the blond boy’s sword with a crack that echoed through the camp.

Rody groaned beside me. “Great. Just great.”

I tore my eyes away, my heart pounding like a drum. I didn’t know what that look meant. I didn’t know what this camp was going to do to me.

But I knew one thing:

I was in trouble.

Riko pov

The sun was blazing over the training field, heat shimmering off the bronze weapons scattered across the ground. My spear felt heavy in my hands, but I didn’t slow down. Bakugo son of Athena was in front of me, his blond hair sticking up like he’d been electrocuted—fitting, considering how often I shocked him during sparring.

“Come on, Riko!” he barked, slamming his sword against my spear with a clang that echoed across the camp. “One more round! Don’t tell me you’re tired already.”

I smirked, twisting my spear and knocking his blade aside. “I’m not tired,” I said, breathless but grinning. “You’re just getting predictable.”

His crimson eyes narrowed. “Predictable? You little—”

“Bakugo,” I cut him off, laughing as I stepped back. “Take a break.”

He scowled like I’d just insulted his entire bloodline. “Break? Hell no! Come on, love—one more time!”

I froze for half a second, then burst out laughing. “Love?!” I giggled, shaking my head. “I’m not your love, idiot.”

He grinned, sharp and cocky. “Not yet.”

I rolled my eyes, still smiling, and turned away—because that’s when I saw him.

---

He was standing near the path, looking completely out of place. Dark green hair messy, eyes wide like he’d just stepped into another world. His clothes were clean now, but I could see the faint bruises on his arms, the way he held himself like he wasn’t sure if he belonged here.

And then our eyes met.

Storm-gray and sea-green, locking for the first time.

Something in my chest shifted—just a flicker, like the hum before a lightning strike. He froze, staring at me like he’d never seen anything like this before. Like he couldn’t look away.

I felt my lips curve into a small smile before I even realized it.

“Riko?” Bakugo’s voice snapped me back. “What are you—”

“Taking a break,” I said quickly, tossing my spear to the ground. “Don’t follow me.”

He groaned behind me, muttering something about “damn stubborn girl,” but I didn’t care. My feet were already moving, carrying me toward the boy with the green in his eyes.

I walked across the training field, the sun warm on my back, my boots crunching against the dirt. Izuku stood there, looking like he wanted to disappear into the ground. His green eyes flicked up when I stopped in front of him, and for a second, he just… froze.

“You must be Izuku,” I said, my voice calm but curious. Up close, I could see the faint bruises on his arms, the way his hands clenched nervously at his sides. He looked like he’d been through hell—and still managed to stand.

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered, his cheeks turning pink. “That’s… me.”

Before I could say more, Rody jumped in, grinning like he was trying to defuse a bomb. “Well! Looks like you two are getting along already. I, uh… gotta go check on something. Super important satyr stuff. You know how it is!” He winked at Izuku and bolted, leaving us alone.

I raised an eyebrow, amused. “He’s subtle.”

Izuku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… he’s… something.”

I smiled, tilting my head. “Come on. Let me show you the rest of camp.”

His eyes widened. “You… you want to show me around?”

“Of course,” I said, turning toward the path. “You’re new here. You should know where everything is.”

He hesitated for half a second, then nodded quickly. “O-Okay.”