Hera is regal and sharp-tongued, never willing to admit that she needs anyone, especially not Athena. The goddess of wisdom was far too headstrong, too loyal, and often looked down on Hera's power plays. Where Hera thrived in control, manipulation, and hierarchy, their pride clashed like flint and steel. But now? Now, weakened and cornered. Stuck between a human whose ego fuels his head like a hot air balloon and a nonchalant god who lets his humans run wild. Hera found herself needing the very thing she'd never admit: Athena's mind.
Across the country, far from Hera's presence, Athena stood at the edge of a battlefield cloaked in smoke, dirt, and chaos. She wore the tailored and polished uniform of a high-ranking military captain. Her long, dark brown hair was tied tightly by a tiny golden stick, a style chosen more for control than beauty. Her golden-brown eyes, sharp and unblinking, scanned to analyze the soldiers she decided to go to war with.
There was no mistaking her—this was not a mortal playing soldier. This was the goddess of war and wisdom, her mind calm in the storm, confident in every breath. Athena didn't just walk onto a battlefield; she turned it into a strategy game in which she always held the winning hand. "We're going to split off into three teams, A, B, and C. Team A moves with me. Now listen because I'm only saying the strategy once; it's flawless! However, if you die, then perhaps Fate has already marked you for this day long before my plan. Either way, it ends with success! So, die with your heads held high. Knowing your sisters and brothers won today because of your sacrifice." Athena says, smiling. Her beauty and confidence always managed to rally those who stood with her.
Snapping back to Hera, she immediately asked soldiers within the base if they had heard anything from Athena or the soldiers sent to accompany her. They relayed that the only news was that Athena wouldn't return until later in the month, assuming she wasn't enjoying herself too much in the chaotic world filled with war. Hera found this understandable, considering the constant strife in this Realm among mortals, which she deemed even worse than their divine domain. Hera could see how it seemed like a playground for the Gods of War, like Athena and Ares, who didn't choose sides. If a war occurred between two or more countries, they would randomly select a side and enjoy the battle. With everything up to date, Hera made her way to the available scientists under her command, intent on exploring the potential power extraction from the bracelet until the General could provide her with what she had requested.
Just before Hera could fully delve into her plans, Artemis emerged around the corner, limping, using her bow as a support. This surprised Hera, who had just expected her to be resting. Artemis explained that she had a bit of energy but needed to gather more worshippers, for what she had wasn't enough. Being stuck in a different realm caused them to lose strength, so Artemis would save women in need and adopt them into her cult. The more people she had to worship her, the quicker she could regain strength and power. Also, while she was out, she intended to do some hunting in the process. She assured Hera that she wouldn't venture too far and would be cautious, especially considering she might need help. Artemis presents it to Hera with a certain conviction, "Think about how many female victims are out there, yearning for someone to rescue them from greedy human torment. My devoted followers will swell in numbers in no time. Please, if we have to go against Ra, you should be doing the same."
Without further debate, Hera turned her head and proceeded with the mission, responding simply, "Very well, do as you wish."
Back with Torin, now camping in the woods, he was forced to relocate in the dead of night. The mystery cloud that hovered over Kai rained to the point it flooded the room and began spilling into the hall of the hotel and other rooms, presenting new challenges for Torin to navigate. Setting up a generously sized tent, he kindled a fire to cook chili, attempting to create a sense of normalcy amid the extraordinary.
However, placing Kai inside the tent proved impossible without risking flooding, thanks to the ethereal cloud that hung over her as she slept. Kai condition improved over time, leaving Torin to think the cloud played a part in some healing process. But she didn't evaporate, and he wondered why. What was the difference between the two, and what were their uses?
Finding a makeshift spot for Kai on a bed of leaves and sticks, Torin observed her restless state as she tossed and turned, vocalizing disparate phrases and words. In her dreams, chaos unfolded, memories flooding her mind at an accelerated pace—moments of creation, delight, horror, battles, and truce all flashed before her, an overwhelming cascade.
Torin checked on the chili, which had conquered the woods with its bold spices and slow-cooked meat. The aroma curled through the trees, spreading fast like smoke and impossible to ignore. Carefully adding another dry branch, the flames flickered weakly, casting shadows through the trees. As Kai lay motionless on the pile he made, her cloud was doing everything possible. He found himself missing the arguments with Kai, her strong will, her fire. Seeing her like this reminded him too much of the cabin... so fragile, so utterly drained, and he hated it.
He continued stirring the chill, and that's when he saw it. On the corner of his eye. Just a blur, a flicker of movement in the darkness. But when he turned to face it, there was nothing. Only the blackened trees turned red when the flames flickered. He tried to tell himself it was the shadows of different objects twisting and moving as the fire danced. But a deep unease had settled in his gut, the hair on his neck stood, and his heart felt like the hands of death were hovering over it.
No, the shadow moves steadily. Torin didn't see it directly, but the movement was too fluent when he thought about what he saw in the corner of his eye.
Something was out there.
Then he saw it again. A shape just beyond the edge of the light. Then another. This time, two came from one and were moving in different directions. Torin's pulse quickened. His fingers tightened around the stick he was using to poke the fire. He forced himself to breathe by reason. He could only see them in his peripheral. So, he kept his head down, eyes jolting from side to side.
"Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me. The fire and trees, the fire and trees… it's nothing more," he thought.
But the shapes started appearing to come closer. Four of them in total. One is directly in front, one is on each side, and the last one... wait, where is the fourth one? He slowly turned to check on Kai behind him when a shadow moved fast in the corner of his eye. Quickly, he turned to face it, but nothing. Again, he looked in the corner of his eye. The shadows were now close enough for shape to be made out.
Sleek, canine bodies move with an eerie synchronization. They never stepped fully into view, only skirting the edge of his vision, fading into the darkness like whispers of smoke. But the longer he watched, the clearer it became—they weren't just watching. They were waiting for something.
Torin swallowed hard; he dug his fingers in the dirt, ready to slowly crab crawl over to Kai. But froze still when one of the figures finally stepped forward. A Doberman with golden eyes? It came closer before sitting down, not blinking, not panting like a dog. Just still, staring like it was studying Torin.
Then, without looking at the others, it moved. The rest followed; they weren't interested in Torin. The four of them spread out again, encircling Kai's with deliberate, measured steps. Not lunging, not growling.
Strategizing.
Torin's stomach lurched, "H...Hey!" His voice cracked as he shot to his feet, gripping the thicker branch lying on the ground. The dogs didn't flinch or even look at him. Instead, they just kept closing in.
One of them, noticeably larger than the rest, broke formation and crept closer toward Kai. The moment its teeth bared slightly, Torin swung. The branch connected, breaking with a sharp crack, and the Doberman jerked back. Its head whipped toward Torin, and the other's attention followed. All golden eyes now lock onto him. With no hesitation, no sound, they split into pairs. Two began to growl, crawling low to the ground. With a loud bark, they lunged at him, but not to kill—to distract.
Torin quickly swung again, his stick shorter than the first time. They ducked and dodged his swings, pressing forward. Fear caused him to force back and stumble toward the fire. Meanwhile, the other two stayed on Kai, shifting their focus to her limp body. Torin's breath grew ragged; nervousness dampened his palms, adrenaline pushed the blood through his veins, fear grappled his mind, and courage pumped through his heart. His grip tightened on the branch. His mind screamed at him to run, but he knew—if they took Kai, there was no getting her back.
"Why the hell are they after her anyway?" he thought. "Think... Think." His eyes darted to the long branch in the fire.
With a sharp inhale, he grabs the stick, holding it like a bat. The fiery weapon caught the attention of the golden eyes. The creatures paused; Torin saw how they reacted, even catching the pair's attention near Kai. He swung the branch fast and wild, the wind amplifying the fire's roar. Slowly, they backed away, once at a safe distance. Again, in strange sync, each pair broke, going in opposite directions and eventually creating a new pair. Did they just switch partners? But that wasn't it. They began to meld.
Their sleek canine frames stretched, limbs elongating, bones shifting with loud cracks. Their heads merged until a distinct figure stood where the two had been. No longer dogs, definitely not humans, maybe humanoid. Tall, lean figures, their bodies still vaguely canine but standing upright, their long jaws revealed jagged teeth without flexing. Their golden eyes are now like amber. A low, layered growl rumbled from their chests. Then, in eerie unison, they took one step forward. The firelight flickered in their eyes.
Torin's pulse thumped in his ears as the two creatures advanced, taking another single step forward. Their amber eyes flickered in the firelight, watching, calculating; these beasts were too smart. They were watching to see which side he would swing on first, where he would swing, and at which one of them first.
Suddenly, their eyes jolted to the campfire. The heat of the flames was dying down, casting their towering shadows against the trees, making them seem even larger and more nightmarish. Kai still lay motionless behind him, oblivious to the danger. Torin had to make a choice; technically, they went after him. As of now, he was an obstacle that they were about to get rid of and fast.
Quickly and out of sync, the one behind him took a heavy, loud step. Torin quickly swiveled his head, bringing the fire along to stop the beast from advancing. Immediately before Torin's body can come to a halt, the other takes a loud single step, drawing his attention back. Torin's body rotated back too fast, his feet almost tripping on each other as he stumbled. The fire showed the facial expression of the beast, and it appeared to smile.
Startled, Torin swung the burning branch in a wide arc, the flames roaring as they cut through the air. The creatures didn't flinch, but they didn't lunge either. They stayed just out of reach, their heads tilting in eerie synchronization. Before his eyes, the fire struck more; the beast was barely visible; the fire wouldn't stay in one spot as it continued to dance wildly, but not as bright; it flicked, cloaking and uncloaking the beasts.
Torin swallowed hard. He still had the fire on his branch, but if he added it to the campfire, he would be weaponless. And if Torin used it as light, he would need to stretch it out in the direction he needed to be lit, and the beast could potentially knock it from his hand. The beast waited, whichever came first, whether the fire died out or waited for him to make a mistake. The fire was his only advantage besides running for his life. The two beasts created a V shape, Torin being the center point. It was as if they were giving him a way to run.
Torin held the stick with one hand, his grip loosened. As he lowered the stick closer to the ground, he stepped back. He was now in a position where they could strike and wasn't fast enough to react. Another heavy step advanced from one; Torin's heart dropped to his stomach, and everything in his stomach shifted through his intestines. It felt like he was about to throw up, shit, and piss all at once.
Another heavy step advanced from the same one; the other remained still, its gaze darting between Torin and Kai. A silent communication passed between them, something unspoken but understood. Wait, they weren't afraid of Torin because it was Kai they were fearful of. They were trying to get rid of him and the fire so they could freely attack her.
The one closest to Kai let out a bone-deep growl and reached toward Kai with long fingers tipped with sharp black claws. The white plushy cloud turned dark and admitted a quiet, low rumble. Abruptly, Torin moved without thinking. He lunged forward, thrusting the burning branch at the closest one, forcing the creature back, but in that instant, he alerted the one near Kai. Its pointy Doberman ears were upright and attentive as it charged toward Torin. It darted past his guard with blinding speed, its claws slicing deep into his ribs.
Torin barely managed to twist away, but pain flared hot along his side. He stumbled, his grip loosening on the branch for a second, long enough for the other to knock it from his hands. Ash and smoke fell as the stick hit the ground. Torin barely had time to react before a massive force slammed into his chest, knocking him flat on his back. His vision blurred, and the wind rushed from his lungs. He felt the ground cold and damp beneath him, the weight of the creature pressing down on him, pinning him.
He saw them up close in detail; the beast crouched over him wasn't just a beast—it was something old. Its skin was more than flesh, less than fur, more like suede. Its breath reeked of burning something foul and rotting.
And then—it spoke, a whisper, layered and rasping, like voices scraping against each other. "My name is Anubis. I speak to you through my Shemayu, my loyal followers. I will accept your soul, but know. This had nothing to do with you. I only wanted the girl," it said, pointing to Kai as the other beast finally made it over to Kai.
Torin spat up blood, and the creature over him lifted its head and turned to its twin. A silent agreement was passed between them. Torin watched and braced himself as the beast near Kai prepped for a killing blow. But instead, it stepped back. The dark, plushy cloud rumbled louder, and lightning shot out wildly. Kai, in her sleep, began to toss and turn. Her emotion from a dream perhaps, affected the cloud with a blinding light first, followed by a loud boom. Lightning had already struck the beast standing over her. The beast let out a deeply disturbing cry of pain as its insides glowed for a moment, and then the outside of its body caught on fire. This caused the one over Torin to flinch downward, its pointy ears folded back in concern. Flames ate away at the beast as it lay already dead on the ground, and a smell filled the forest. The cloud quickly reverted to normal as if nothing had ever happened, and the rain continued on Kai.
The beast standing over Torin spread its fingers and placed its hand over Torin's head. Pressing down, causing Torin to scream out loud, the beast used Torin's head to stand to its feet. Its stretched-out finger dragged across Torin's face, coming to a point and leaving long, deep cuts on his face. The beast looked over at Kai to ensure she was still asleep, but then turned toward Torin, locking eyes with him.
"Do not speak of anything, or next time will be your last life cycle, mortal." The beast's elongated body twisted, shifting again, its canine form breaking apart into flowing black mist. The amber eyes remained, hovering for a moment in the darkness. Still locked with Torin, they were gone as quickly as they had come.
The fire crackled beside him, and the world felt painfully still. Torin gasped for breath, clutching his bleeding side. His heart still pounded as he turned toward Kai. She was still asleep and unharmed. But there was something else he noticed. He wasn't sure about the stream of water overflowing from Kai, but he was dying anyway. Torin rolled over on his stomach, immediately throwing up blood. He crawled towards the stream of water, each drag painful. His vision faded in and out, the pain was too much, and his body grew cold. As he crept closer, so did the stream of water that flowed closer. The fire died out as his fingers touched the stream, and Torin fainted.
…
"Torin!" Kai jolted upright. It was now daylight, her body was strangely dry, and the supernatural cloud from before had vanished. She was facing the wrong direction, confused, until she turned to look for Torin… and saw a large pile of ash. Getting to her feet, she muttered, "Why is there a tent here? And why was I lying in the grass?"
As she stood fully, she noticed Torin lying a few feet away in a muddy patch, and dried blood pooled beside him. "Torin! Torin!" she cried, rushing over and shaking him roughly. "Wake up!"
"Ahhh, stop pushing me!" You're even stronger than before.
"You're going to dislocate something!"
"Who cares? Get up! Where's all this blood from? Are you okay?"
Torin groaned but quickly pushed himself up to his knees. His hand instantly went to his side. His shirt had a tear, but the skin beneath it looked completely unharmed. "Wait, what does my face look like?" he asked, panicked.
"What?" Kai asked with a confused mug.
Torin leaned in closer to Kai, his hands touching his face. "My face. Do I have any scratches? Any scars?"
"Noo?" She said slowly. "You've got some dirt near your mouth, and going down one side of your face, but no scratches, just, uff!"
Torin threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly, nearly in tears. "Oh, I'm so glad to have you around, you weirdo."
"Thanks… I guess. Now, are you going to tell me why we were sleeping on the ground instead of in the tent? And why does everything smell burnt?"
"Huh?" Torin held his side, remembering what the beast had said. Then, he quickly changed his tone and faked anger.
"Yeah, I'll tell you. Artemis chased us for miles after you fainted. Then, some weird cloud formed over your body and started raining on you."
Kai's head jerked back, "What?"
"Yeah. I couldn't put you in the tent because you would've flooded it. And when I thought the mystery cloud was done, it started shooting lightning and setting the forest on fire. I had to fight the flames; they nearly took me out protecting you, the chili burned, and I passed out from exhaustion. My question is, who even sleeps like that?!"
"Okay, calm down, Torin. You don't have to yell. I don't know what I do when I'm sleeping... I'm asleep. And I've never had a cloud follow me before. That didn't happen the first night."
"Sure," he said, dialing it down a bit. "But yesterday stressed me out! We need a security system or an alarm, or something. For your powers, of course, nothing else," he said awkwardly.
"Look, you see this?" He pointed to the large pile of ash. "That was lightning from the miniature storm cloud that hovered over you all night. This could've been me! Every time you had a nightmare, lightning would strike like crazy. I'd rather be shot at again by Artemis. I thought you had water-based powers! What is this, lightning powers too? You like if Zeus and Poseidon had a strange love child?!"
"Torin!" Kai yelled to get his attention. She didn't understand everything he was trying to explain or what he was trying to avoid saying, but she could tell he'd gone through a lot while she was out. "Thank you for taking care of me. I know it couldn't have been easy. I could've been in a much worse situation, so… thanks. And even if I did unlock a new power, isn't that a good thing? It means I'm returning to who I am—or who I'm supposed to be. And I actually have a lot to tell you."
"Fine. I'll call it even if you give me another hug." He held out his arms, grinning.
After patching things up and cleaning the scorched patches of grass caused by Kai's powers, they started preparing food. While waiting for it to cook, they sat together and talked. Kai complimented the tent; it was surprisingly roomy, giving them each enough space to stretch, stand, and sleep comfortably. She then brought up the RV, in which Torin explained Artemis shot four arrows straight into the engine.
Then he circled back to the cloud again. He explained how it reminded him of Kai's evaporating ability. The way she could purify herself from internal impurities. But this time, due to her being exhausted and drained by Ra. She was unaware of that part because she was unconscious. To continue, the cloud seemed to be restoring instead of filtering.
It was only a theory, of course. He'd been rained on several times, and nothing had happened until he apparently drank some. That part was fuzzy. He didn't even remember lifting it to his lips. Still, Torin hoped Kai could shed some light. If he were right, it would mean she has a much deeper bond with water than physical control. It's as if she were connected to the essence of what water symbolized—life, renewal, and energy.
Even unconscious, her presence summoned a cloud from the moisture in the air. The cloud hovered directly above her, raining gently like it fed her, restoring her like a wilted plant. But as she started tossing and turning in her sleep, the cloud changed, becoming a storm. Maybe it was reacting to her dreams… "or to a threat nearby," Torin thought to himself.
With the subject now on her dreams and their meal finally ready, Kai realized it was the perfect time to tell him what she'd experienced. What she thought wasn't a dream at all, but reliving all of her memories.
Torin quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around himself, cozy and curious. "Okay," he said, grinning like someone in a girl's gossip group. "Spill it. Leave out no details. I want everything. From the very beginning… to whatever led you to this Realm."
She took a deep breath, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "Well… let's start with this." Torin leaned in, sensing the shift in her tone. "My real name…" she paused, her voice catching in her throat as a small, almost disbelieving smile curved her lips. "It's not Kai." She let out a soft laugh, part joy, part awe. "It's..."
KAELENA