CameronIt was no secret that I was a great soccer player, but no matter how many games I played, nerves always crept in just before kick-off. The feeling was uncontrollable, and a knot in my stomach tightened every time. At the locker room, I took in several gulps of air to stop my brain from overheating. The space was massive compared to the cramped high school and academy locker rooms. I grabbed my orange jersey from the hook, admiring the number “10” inscribed. Coach Nate was leagues ahead of my previous ones. He had that professional edge that made you want to push harder, run faster, and play smarter. I didn’t want to label myself the star, though some might. There was Justin, who was just as good, maybe even better on certain days. He was left-footed, shorter than most, but relentless.Today wasn’t just another game for us. This was our first major college match. Scouts from some of the biggest football clubs in the world were here to watch, looking for talent to sign.“This
AthenaMia stood beside me outside the movie theater, listening to me pour my heart out to her. I was venting about how Cameron had been transferring his frustration onto me. Even his apology felt half-hearted. I needed to get away for a bit, and that’s why Mia had dragged me to this movie—to take my mind off things. She listened quietly, but I could tell from her expression that she didn’t want to get too involved. I snapped at her, frustrated. "Seriously, are you going to say something, or will you just keep standing there, staring at me?"She sighed and pulled me into a gentle hug. "Come on, Thena. It’s Cameron. We're talking about your love here. What do you want me to say?"My glare made her laugh and raise her hands in mock surrender. "Just because he’s my boyfriend doesn’t mean he can’t mess up, Mia. Am I not allowed to be upset? This morning, he didn’t even tell me he was going out. I woke up to an empty bed."We headed toward the parking lot where my new car—a gift from my d
AthenaThe queen and I sat beside the supermarket in a rustic little restaurant. She remained mute while I waited patiently for her to speak. She looked so beaten and defeated, like someone carrying the world's weight on her shoulders. "Would you like anything to eat?" I asked gently.“I'm not hungry." After a brief pause, I added, "We need to buy something, or they won’t let us sit here. “A soda will do."I signaled the waiter and ordered orange juice for myself and soda for the queen. She folded her arms and stared into the distance. After a few moments, she broke the silence.“You must see me as some evil, cheating, irredeemable person,” she said, taking a slow sip of her drink.I didn’t respond immediately, so I'm unsure how to navigate this. She wasn’t entirely wrong in her assessment, but I wasn’t here to condemn her. “I’m not here to judge you,” I said softly. “I care about your family—about Cameron—and I’ve seen how much they’ve suffered from all of this. I know you’re suf
Cameron Raw fury burned in my chest like a burning coal that refused to be extinguished. The nerve of my mother to come here and act all innocent. She even fell to her knees, begging for forgiveness. Tears streamed down her face, and her voice cracked with every word. I’d never seen her so broken. A part of me almost felt something for her—sympathy maybe—but then I remembered what she had done, and the anger surged back.Damn her a million times for taking advantage of my father's trust.She had lied for years and pinned another man's child on my father. And to make it worse, she opened her legs for a fucking monster. It sickened me to think Thor was my biological father. More disgusting was the evil that would have occurred when I unknowingly built a relationship with Jennifer, his daughter. What if things had gone further between us? What if Jennifer’s twisted plans had succeeded, and I had slept with her? The thought made me want to vomit.I'd have fucked my sister."Dad, don't f
Athena My heart was moved with sympathy for the queen. She was ostracized among her people and even Cameron had distanced himself from his mother. She was now isolated in one of the smaller buildings on the castle grounds, waiting to complete her purification rituals.I made my way to the kitchen of the castle. The castle maid on duty and I decided to prepare rice for her. I helped to arrange the rice neatly on a plate with a colorful side dish of vegetable salad and roasted chicken. Once everything was ready, I packed the food and headed towards the Queen's temporary residence.The guard stationed outside eyed the bag in my hands. “What do you have there?” he demanded gruffly.“It’s just food,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light despite my irritation at his unnecessary scrutiny. He hesitated for a moment before stepping aside, allowing me to enter.Inside, the building was more furnished than I had expected. I walked through the rooms, searching for the Queen, and finally found
Athena That night, I kept to myself, stewing in my thoughts. Cameron was treading on dangerous grounds carelessly. He hadn’t told me he’d been attacked not once but twice. I was afraid, and rightfully so. What if something worse happened? What if he got killed, and I was left to carry the guilt for the rest of my life? The following day, Cameron was trying his best to soothe me. "It's not that serious, baby," he said, sitting beside me on the bed and gently taking my hand. "I get it now. It's a pattern, but I believe there’s a solution. Stop carrying that long face."“Leave me alone.” I pulled my hand from him, crossing my arms over my chest. "Do you want to die?" "Of course not,” he chuckled sadly. "Look, you have every right to be concerned. I’m not saying I’m a hundred percent confident, but it’s not as intense as you think."My anger simmered like a pot of boiling spaghetti, but I said nothing. How else could I convince this stubborn mule that this was a sign for us to break u
CameronI was beyond sick and tired of everyone constantly telling me to leave Athena. It was aggravating and a never ending discussion. Everyone now seemed like little flies persistently annoying me. They thought it would be easy for me to just flip a switch, shut off my feelings for her, and walk away. Sure, breaking up with her seemed like the logical thing to do, especially after being attacked multiple times by some invisible force. But logic and love? They don’t always go hand in hand. I loved her, plain and simple. And the attacks, strange as they were, only happened when I was on the field. It wasn't like they were following me around in my daily life. The weight of the situation was bearing down on Athena. She was scared, and I couldn’t blame her for that. Who would want to watch someone they loved get hurt over and over? It seemed like, in her mind, breaking up was becoming the only option to keep me safe. But I couldn’t bring myself to even think about it seriously. How
AthenaCameron had no idea what I was planning. I could tell he was doing everything in his power to make our relationship work and keep me happy, but this wasn’t about me. It was about him. I needed him to be alive and safe, and I was about to make the toughest decision in my life. To leave him.It's not like I had superpowers to get over him so quickly; hell, I had no idea what I was doing, but it needed to be done. Dad and I had been talking about transferring schools somewhere far away from this continent. I didn’t care about starting over; I was only in my first year.Whenever Cameron wasn’t around, I would use the laptop to research supernatural schools. There had to be somewhere I could go—someplace where I could escape, find a solution, and maybe one day return. But for now, I had to leave. Trying to convince him to break our bond would be useless, like talking to a wall. Cameron was stubborn as a mule, and he would never do it. So, I had to decide for both of us. Even wi