Hephaestus

Thousands of years of humiliation for his appearance. His burns, the result of his blacksmithing, only alienated others. Sometimes they caused fear, other times repulsion. Hephaestus thought no one could love him. He was always told his beauty was a lie.

Son of the kings of Olympus, he was born with a deformity that left him lame. His mother rejected him; his father, indifferent, paid little attention to him. God of fire, the forge, and blacksmithing, he created powerful objects, but his talent was always ignored. When his creations were used, no one was grateful.

He thought he'd always be alone, until his father betrothed him to Aphrodite, the most beautiful goddess. The only way to win her attention was with gifts: jewels, accessories, and a million extravagant things. Hephaestus didn't care as long as he made her happy. Until he discovered her infidelity with his brother. Humiliated, he couldn't stand his reflection anymore and began wearing a mask that hid his face, leaving only his eyes visible. The years passed, and he believed he'd always be alone.

Until she arrived.

Reyla, goddess of kindness, friendship, and platonic love, sought out Hephaestus to ask for an artifact. Unlike the other gods, she was kind and sweet to him. Accustomed to contempt, Hephaestus couldn't help but feel curious. They began to live together. Afraid of losing her, he gave her jewels even more valuable than those of his ex-wife. Reyla accepted them, not understanding why he was so insistent.

Curious to see the face of the man she was unwittingly falling in love with, she asked him to remove his mask. Hephaestus nervously agreed. He was terrified that she would be scared, but even more so was his fear that she would get angry if he denied her something.

The scars were revealed. But Reyla looked at him the same as always.

Reyla :”I could have sworn you were blonde, Hephaestus.”

He narrowed his eyes

Hephaestus :”Is that all? Aren’t you going to scream?”