dark

"By the gods, you vex me"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Now that's some ancient curse," I said, amused, as he dragged me back to the carriage.

Lucius turned to me with a look of bemused frustration. "You really have a way of getting things to go your way. Is that how you always are? In your time? In your world?"

"Pretty much," I replied with a shrug. "A lot of people complain about my habits, but hey, I don't always get what I want. Sometimes it just works out in my favor."

He snorted, shaking his head. "I pity those people. You're damn insufferable."

"Can't argue with that," I said with a grin.

The carriage jostled as it rolled on, the conversation fading into a companionable silence. After what felt like an hour, the carriage finally came to a stop. The air outside was frigid, damp, and heavy, the stillness making the place feel otherworldly.

Lucius stepped out first, extending a hand to me. "Stay close," he said firmly, his tone serious. "Don't leave my side, not for a second. This is where Athena was first found. Some say her soul was born of the lake itself. Others claim her lifeless body was thrown in, and the waters revived her as an infant."

He hesitated, his expression clouded. "Having her body back here… it might make me do something reckless. But I brought you here because I need to know if the lake will still react to her. Not because you pressured me into it or anything."

I smirked. "Oh, please. You can't lie to me. I'm the reason you brought me here, and you know it."

He shot me a sharp look but said nothing, muttering instead, "We're here."

As I stepped out of the carriage, the sight before me took my breath away. The lake shimmered like liquid starlight, energy rippling across its surface in luminous waves. The air buzzed with a faint hum, as if the entire area was alive.

Then it hit me—a sudden dizziness, like the world had tilted sideways. My vision blurred, and I clutched my head as something shifted deep within me. Images began to flicker behind my eyes: a woman, identical to the body I now inhabited, standing on the surface of the lake. Her feet didn't sink but moved gracefully across the water, her dance deliberate, almost ceremonial. Light surged around her, spiraling upward in radiant ribbons, as though the lake itself was alive and responding to her.

"Is that… me? Or the goddess?" I whispered, my voice shaky. The scene felt so real, like a memory buried deep inside me, stirring to life for the first time.

Lucius's voice broke through the haze. "Hey! Are you alright?" he demanded, stepping closer. His eyes scanned me, then darted to the lake. "It's reacting to her body, isn't it? Damn it, I knew this would happen. We need to leave—now."

I shook my head, still dazed. "I just… I need to confirm something. Please."

"You've confirmed it already. The lake reacted, and so did you." He grabbed my arm firmly. "We're leaving. Now."

His tone left no room for argument, and despite my protests, he guided me away from the lake, the energy still thrumming in my veins.

As we continued moving, something caught my eye—a sudden leap of energy from the lake. It surged upward, bright and startling, and before I could even process it, memories began flooding my mind. They weren't just flashes; they were vivid, like pieces of a life I had never lived but somehow knew.

I saw the same woman again, the one who looked like the body I now inhabited. She was walking with purpose, her steps sharp and deliberate, and then fighting. The blade in her hands—the sword they'd given me when I first arrived in this strange place—moved with terrifying precision, cutting through men who stood in her way.

My head throbbed violently, and dizziness overtook me once more. I stumbled and fell to the ground, my vision blurring. As my head hit the cold earth, I turned my gaze to Lucius. Words slipped from my lips—words I didn't recognize, but they felt ancient, like they carried a weight I didn't understand.

And then, I called him something. A nickname. Not mine, but hers—Athena's. "My pupil…" I murmured, the words foreign yet familiar.

Lucius froze, his expression shifting to something I had never seen before. His voice dropped, thick with emotion, as he leaned closer. "Kiara?" he whispered, the name trembling from his lips. "Kiara… is that you?"

The name rang in my head, sparking something deep within. He stared at me, searching my face for something I couldn't give him. "Athena?" he said again, his voice breaking slightly. He looked utterly distraught, torn between hope and disbelief.

I couldn't hold on anymore. My head felt like it was splitting open, the memories and the pain overwhelming me. Before I passed out, I heard his voice again, frantic now. "Kiara, wake up! What is happening? What did you see? What is this?"

Then, as my consciousness began to fade, another voice broke through the haze. It was deep and rough, filled with urgency. "Your Highness! What has happened?"

Kael. His voice boomed from somewhere behind us, but it felt distant, like I was slipping further and further away from the world. And then, everything went dark.