T W O

"Oh my god! I'm dead!" Eleena cried as soon as she opened her eyes. 

She looked around and she saw everything she imagined heaven would look like. She's in a paradise. She's in the middle of a green field with wind gently blowing. She saw the man standing beside her with amusement in his face. It angered her so despite the tears blurring her eyesight, she slapped him. She slapped him again and when she's about to give her his third slap, he stopped her hand.

His amusement is now gone and replaced with seriousness that made Eleena stop crying. Her fear of him returned and she remembered that the man she slapped twice killed a monster effortlessly. Eleena tried to pull away and she was successful so she quickly distanced herself from him. 

She glanced at him and she still cannot recognize him. He's good-looking especially with his curly shoulder-length blonde hair and prominent cleft chin. Eleena's brows met when she noticed his clothes. She was distracted earlier that she didn't notice that the man was just wearing a white pants and a white cloth draped over his shoulder that only covered half of his body. Her face heats at the sight of his left nipple so she quickly looks away. 

"Can you explain to me now what's happening? Am I dead? Are you my angel?" She wiped her tears while still looking away. 

"I'm Apollo." His name made her look at him in disbelief. 

She started to remember everything she knew about the man and her eyes slowly widened when she realized something. She glued everything and the only thing that came out is that the man is the Greek god Apollo. 

"Apollo? Did I go crazy?" Eleena sat on the grass and started pulling her hair thinking that she's just dreaming but the pain in her scalp tells her it's real. 

Apollo sat in front of her so Eleena shifted her eyes to him. He is looking at her seriously as if he is examining her. Eleena scooted backwards in fear and confusion. 

"Let's go. Someone might see you here." He looked around before he focused his attention on her. Eleena looked around as well out of curiosity but all she saw was a vast green field. 

"Where am I? Oh my god!" Eleena gasped before she stood and looked around with wide eyes. "Am I on Mount Olympus? You're Apollo, right? Is Zeus here?" She was hysterical after knowing the man's identity. She can't even believe herself that she's accepting the fictional reality she's in. 

Apollo stood as well and looked at Eleena in disbelief. He shook his head before he held Eleena's shoulders that made her look at him. He's worried that Eleena is in a state of shock.

"We're going to an island where you'll be safe, Eleena, then I'll explain everything there." 

Apollo took advantage of Eleena's shocked state and made her drink a herbal that caused her to lose consciousness. She fell to his arms and he effortlessly carried her. 

They arrived at the island of Delos which is a refuge of Apollo. He put Eleena in his bed and let her rest because he knew that she was overwhelmed by what happened to her. Apollo went out with his lyre in his hands. He went to the shore and sat there with the lyre between his legs. 

He took a deep breath before closing his eyes then he slowly started plucking the strings of his lyre. The sweet harmony calmed the sea and made the sun shine brighter. Even the birds stop chirping to make way for his music. 

The pleasing music awakened Eleena. She panicked when she saw the unfamiliar room. It looks old and everything is made of wood and vintage fabric. She massaged her temples when her head started to ache upon remembering what happened. 

"I just woke up, which means, this is real." She whispered to herself before she stood. 

She fixed her skirt and hoped that Apollo was not a pervert. But he put a blanket over her which tells her the opposite. She was relieved that she didn't feel violated or harassed and even though she's still confused, she tried to find her way out. 

It was just easy since she followed where the music was coming from. When she went out of the house, she was surprised to see that she's in a forest now. Things are becoming less weird for her now. She saw a monster already and met Apollo so everything is possible now. 

Eleena saw Apollo sitting in the sand while playing his lyre. It corroborates the facts she learned from school which made her smile. Somehow, it excites her knowing that the character that was just living in a book is now in front of her. 

"Hey." Apollo stopped playing and looked back. In an instant, the natural sounds of nature came back.

He stood as soon as he saw Eleena. He brought his lyre with him when he walked towards her. Eleena took a step back when she realized that he's too close and she kept her eyes in his face. She's not innocent but it is awkward for her to stare at a man's nipple. 

"Can you explain to me now what's happening?" She crossed her arms and Apollo just nodded. 

He walked past her and Eleena silently followed him to his house. It is a simple house made of large stones and some woods. They went inside and Apollo pointed to a chair so Eleena sat and he sat across from her. 

"As I've said earlier, I'm Apollo. The god of--" 

"Almost everything. You can even replace Zeus with all the things you are covering." Eleena couldn't stop herself from cutting Apollo off. She just got too excited but Apollo saw it as something amusing so he smiled at her. 

"I tried that but I failed." He chuckled, which caused Eleena to have goosebumps. His chuckle is deep and just like his music, it's pleasing to the ears. 

"So why am I here? I still cannot believe that you are real! And what was that thing that attacked me? I forgot what it is called but I know it's a monster." Apollo chuckled again while Eleena's face heated as she realized she just started rambling in front of a god. 

"Let's start at the very beginning, shall we?" Apollo smiled and Eleena just nodded as she's still embarrassed. 

"My oracle visioned you. A mortal who will destroy both of our worlds." His smile vanished as well as Eleena's comfortable feeling. 

She's sure that she heard the right thing which is why she started to feel anxious and scared again. 

"I don't know how or why or when because that's all the oracle showed me. It was supposed to be a secret among us gods but the news broke out and everyone is doing everything they can to hunt and kill you. That minotaur is just the first one and I assure you, it won't be the last despite being under my guard." 

Eleena shivered upon listening to Apollo. She can't help but to look around in fear that someone might kill her. Tears started to pool in her eyes at the thought of her lifeless body. 

'I'm still young. I'm just at the peak of my teenage years so I can't die. I haven't even had my first kiss yet.' She thought to herself. 

"That is why I took you to keep you from dying." Eleena's tearful eyes turned to Apollo's serious ones. 

"Why? You're supposed to kill me, too, since I will destroy the world." Eleena's voice is so small that Apollo almost didn't hear her. She's too afraid to speak properly. She's even trembling in fear. 

"I want to know what made you special. And when I knew that…'' he looked directly at Eleena's glistening eyes. Unlike Eleena's eyes that are dripping with fear and confusion, Apollo's are filled with determination. 

"And when I know that, Eleena, I'll kill you with my bare hands."