|ORION|Haiti's smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with malice. “She's been with Kallias. Last night. You may want to ask her about it.”My grip tightened involuntarily, my claws drawing blood. Haiti winced but held her ground, her expression triumphant. “Hurts, doesn’t it? Knowing you can’t protect her from everything?”I released her abruptly, my mind reeling. Kallias. The name alone sent waves of rage through me. How dare he? Without another word, I turned and stormed out of the gathering, leaving Haiti's laughter echoing behind me. I materialised in Kallias’ realm as my anger rose to the brim. Immediately the guards greeted paving way for me to step into his hellhole.“Orion what brings you-” I slammed my fists into his jaw, sending him flying back to the edge of his throne.|ORION|Haiti's smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with malice. “She's been with Kallias. Last night. You may want to ask her about it.”My grip tightened involuntarily, my claws drawing blood. Haiti winced
|ASTRAEA| I stirred in my sleep and woke up in an unknown place. The air was fresh, and the sky was a clear blue with white clouds. As I looked around, I found myself in a green grassland. The soft grass brushed against my feet, and I could smell wildflowers mixed with the earthy scent of the soil. The land was peaceful, stretching out as far as I could see. Gentle hills rose and fell in the distance, and small groups of trees offered shade. Birds sang sweetly, adding to the beauty of the place. I began to walk, feeling curious. With each step, I felt more connected to the nature around me. The grass was cool under my feet, and a soft breeze touched my skin, as if sharing ancient secrets. As I walked further, I sensed something special ahead. In the distance, I saw a figure standing in a sunny clearing. She glowed with a gentle light, her presence calm and powerful. Getting closer, I saw her clearly. She was beautiful and graceful, with eyes that sparkled like stars and hair that
|ASTRAEA| I gapsed as my eyes flashed open and I frantically looked around my surroundings. I was no longer in the ocean nor was Haiti staring down at me. Rather I was in a grassland, the air was still and quiet as sounds of footsteps echoed. “Astraea! I've been looking all over for you!” I raised my head to see Eloise running towards me, my eyes widened as I took in her form. Her long black hair now stopped at her shoulders and she looked slightly different than I remembered. "Eloise?" I managed to say, still trying to grasp what was happening. "What happened to your hair?" She reached me, panting slightly from her run, and gave me a puzzled look. "What do you mean? My hair has been like this for weeks. Are you okay?" Weeks? It felt like only moments ago that I'd seen her in the training grounds. "Where are we?" I asked, trying to piece together my fragmented memories. "We're in the green hill," she said, her brow furrowing in concern. "You disappeared during training, and we
*Meanwhile in her realm* |ORION| I clenched my fists, trying to control my anger as I stared at Astraea’s unconscious body laid out on the bed while the healers treated her. Bruises marred her arms, and her pale skin was a clear sign of how long she had been immersed in water. “What is it? Why isn’t she up yet?” I demanded, my voice tight with frustration and fear. “I’m afraid she’s in a coma, Sire,” one of the healers responded softly. I growled, the sound reverberating through the room as Raeya tried to calm me down. This would have never happened if I didn’t have so much to do. I would have been able to watch her. “She’s fine, she’s safe here with us,” Raeya said soothingly, placing a hand on my arm. “Safe? What do you mean safe? Do you know how much can happen in a coma? She could fucking die, Raeya!” I snapped, my voice rising in anger. Raeya flinched at my aggression, but I wasn’t sorry. I was furious with myself for leaving her unattended and allowing her to get hurt. I
|ASTRAEA| “You're wasting time.” I gasped as I found myself in a meadow, this time around it wasn't just the veiled goddess. They were three. The first being was a god, with dark hair and onyx eyes. He had a slight resemblance to Orion but a very stark contrast. He was dressed in a nice outfit that seemed like it was meant for a special occasion. The second was a goddess, her hair was blonde and she had grey eyes. Her face looked calm and collected and I stared down at her arms, her protruding belly sticking out. She was pregnant. And the third one, of course, was the veiled goddess. She looked the same as I had always seen her. “You are wasting time.” The god repeated and my attention snapped to him. The goddess stared at him, “Arien, you'll scare her.” Arien. That was his name. He stared at the goddess, who stood on the other side of the veiled goddess away from Arien’s reach. His face contorted to a look of helplessness as if he couldn't reach her. “W-what do you mean?” I
ASTRAEA| I was hit. The blood pooled out of my knee, and my breathing became heavier. “At this rate, you should just get adapted to life here because you’ll never return.” I growled in anger, getting up on my feet and running towards her. My sword appeared in my hand, and I jumped mid-air, clashing my sword with hers. The impact sent a shockwave through my arms, but I held my ground, pushing against her with all my strength. She smirked, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Is that all you’ve got, Astraea?” she taunted, effortlessly deflecting my attack and swinging her blade towards my side. I twisted my body just in time, narrowly avoiding the strike. The pain in my knee flared, but I refused to let it slow me down. I parried her next blow and countered with a quick slash aimed at her shoulder. She blocked it, but the force of my attack made her take a step back. “You’re stronger than you look,” she admitted, her smirk fading into a serious expression. “But strength alone won’t sav
-ORION-Her laughter echoed through the forest, a melody that danced amidst the rustle of leaves as we sparred beneath the canopy. With each graceful movement, she countered my attacks effortlessly, her skill matched only by the mischievous glint in her eyes."Are you scared I’m going to beat your ass, Rio?" she teased, her voice a playful melody that stirred something within me.Chuckling at her banter, I couldn't resist the urge to pull her close, the wind weaving through her hair like strands of golden silk. "Rio!! We were sparring!" she protested, gently pushing me away with a playful shove.But the desire for something more lingered, a longing that tugged at my heartstrings. "Well, I don’t want to spar anymore," I confessed, my gaze locking with hers, searching for a connection beyond our friendly rivalry.
|ASTRAEA| In the quiet of the palace chambers, surrounded by the familiar faces of my family, I gathered the courage to speak the words that weighed heavily on my heart. "I'm not here to stay," I whispered softly, my voice barely above a whisper.Their smiles, though weak, spoke volumes of their understanding. "We know," my father replied, his voice filled with a quiet resignation that tugged at my heartstrings.As I gazed at them, taking in their slightly weathered faces and the subtle signs of aging that marked the passage of time, a wave of disbelief washed over me. "How long have I been gone?" I asked, my voice trembling with shock."Two years," my mother's response was barely a whisper, but it hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me reeling from the realization of just how much time had passed in my absence.And then, the question I had been dreading hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over our reunion. "W-what of Alan?" I ventured, the silence that followed deafening in it