Sunlight streamed through the treetops, scattering golden patches across the forest floor. Helena sat cross-legged among clusters of wildflowers, her palms pressed gently against the earth. Wherever her fingertips touched, vibrant blooms sprang to life, petals unfurling eagerly at her presence.

  I hovered a few feet above, lazily flapping my wings to stay aloft, enjoying the gentle warmth on my feathers. “You always make that look so easy,” I said, smiling down at her.

  Helena lifted her gaze to meet mine, shielding her eyes against the sun. “You say that while literally flying?”

  I grinned and drifted down to land lightly beside her, folding my wings carefully. “Flying is just instinct. Plants seem… different. Like they have a mind of their own.”

  Helena’s smile softened, thoughtful. She reached out, gently taking my hand and placing it next to hers on the ground. “Close your eyes,” she instructed softly.

  I did as she asked, warmth spreading through my palm as she guided my fingers over the cool earth. A tingling sensation whispered beneath my skin, delicate and alive.

  “Do you feel them?” Helena asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s like a heartbeat.”

  Astonishment and wonder filled me as I sensed the subtle pulse of life beneath my fingertips, the quiet hum of growth, patient and steady.

  “I feel it,” I breathed, my eyes opening to find her smiling warmly at me.

  “Good,” she said gently.

  I smiled mischievously, springing up and unfurling my wings. “Now it’s your turn, hold on tight.”

  Before Helena could protest, I took her hand and wrapped my arm securely around her waist, launching us both upward. Helena shrieked and then laughed with delight, gripping me tightly as we soared above the trees.

  “Okay, okay!” she shouted through her laughter. “You win! Wings might be better!”

  I laughed, feeling lighter than ever. “Maybe, but plants are pretty amazing too.”

  Helena’s laughter softened, her voice warm in my ear. “I guess we’re even.”

  I smiled, banking gently as we drifted lower, holding her close as sunlight washed over us. “Always.”

  My heart pounded louder with each passing moment, matching the tense silence in the car as Helena drove us westward, toward the column of smoke. Fear pressed heavily on my chest, tightening like a vice.

  “Do you think it’s still there?” Helena asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

  I hesitated, swallowing hard. The memory of the vision—the monstrous, ancient creature stalking toward Thalos—was still fresh and terrifyingly vivid. “I don’t know. But if it is, we’re going to have to face it.”

  “We haven’t fought a monster in years,” Helena said, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

  “We’ve trained,” I reminded her, trying to reassure both her and myself. “We’re strong enough. We have to be.”

  “But the thing in your vision…,” she trailed off, her voice trembling. “If it took down Thalos…”

  My chest tightened. Helena was right—any monster strong enough to kill our guardian wasn’t something we could take lightly. But we couldn’t turn away either. Not now.

  “We’ll be careful,” I said, hoping my voice sounded steadier than I felt. “First, let’s armor up.”

  Helena pulled the car to the side of the road, hidden beneath the shadows of towering trees. We silently stepped out, tension hanging thickly between us. Opening the trunk, we revealed hidden compartments filled with armor and weapons. I carefully strapped the special daggers—blades crafted specifically to harm monsters—to my thighs and waist, feeling a small sense of comfort from their weight.

  “Ready?” I asked Helena, extending my wings.

  She nodded silently, stepping into my embrace. With a strong flap, we lifted into the sky, wind rushing past my feathers as we rose above the forest canopy. Despite the situation, a thrill coursed through me as my wings stretched fully. This was where I belonged—in the sky, soaring free, not bound to the earth below.

  I circled slowly, higher into the sky, my wings stretching fully for the first time in what felt like forever. The wind rushed past, carrying away some of the fear and replacing it with the exhilarating freedom I’d missed so much. My muscles ached from disuse, but the ache felt good—it felt right. This was who I was supposed to be, a demigod, a daughter of Hermes. I belonged here, soaring high above the ground, closer to the heavens than the earth.

  Despite our urgency, I couldn’t help but savor the brief moment of peace. Then, steeling myself, I tightened my grip on Helena’s body and angled sharply towards the column of smoke below.

  We landed gently in a clearing, the ground beneath our feet torn and scorched, the trees around us splintered and broken. It was clear a fierce battle had taken place here. My heart thudded heavily in my chest as I took in the destruction.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Broken branches and scorched earth littered the ground, blood splattered ominously around us—human and monstrous alike. Helena’s breath quickened beside me as she knelt, examining the damage closely.

  “Zoe, this was real,” she whispered, voice trembling. “Your vision—it really happened.”

  Dread filled me, heavy and suffocating. “Thalos…” I could barely speak his name, fear gripping my throat.

  Helena stood abruptly, determination flashing in her eyes despite the tears forming. “We have to find him.”

  Helena moved carefully ahead, kneeling to inspect something on the ground. “Zoe, over here,” she called softly, her voice tight with anxiety.

  I joined her, my stomach turning as I saw dark crimson stains splattered across the soil and grass. Blood—some human, but also something else, something darker and thicker. Monster blood.

  My throat tightened painfully. “It’s his,” I said quietly, fear clawing at my chest. “And the monster’s.”

  Helena stood slowly, her eyes scanning the path of broken branches and crushed underbrush that led deeper into the forest. “They fought hard.”

  I nodded, unable to speak as dread pooled within me, heavy and suffocating. The blood, the chaos—it was proof that the vision hadn’t been just a nightmare or hallucination. It was real. Thalos had truly been here, had truly fought for his life, and whatever had attacked him could be close, possibly even still lingering nearby.

  Helena’s voice shook as she whispered, “We have to find him.”

  Taking a shaky breath, I forced myself forward, following the grim trail through the trees, gripping my daggers tightly, each step filling me with growing apprehension.

  We moved slowly, cautiously, following the path of destruction left behind by the battle. Every few steps Helena paused, bending down to gently touch the damaged plants. Her quiet murmurs coaxed life back into them, but her expression remained strained and worried.

  Finally, we reached a small clearing. My breath caught painfully in my throat at the sight before us. Thalos lay motionless on the ground, his body battered and still, the peaceful expression on his face a stark contrast to the violent surroundings.

  “Thalos,” Helena whispered brokenly, rushing forward and falling to her knees beside him.

  I joined her, my heart aching with grief and disbelief. I scanned our surroundings desperately, but there was no sign of the monster that had done this. Still, fear gnawed at me relentlessly. I knew we couldn’t stay here, vulnerable and exposed.

  “Helena,” I said softly but urgently. “We can’t stay here long.”

  She nodded slowly, eyes shining with unshed tears, and gently took Thalos’s hand in hers. I knelt beside her, gripping my daggers tightly, ready to fight or flee at the first sign of danger, even as sorrow threatened to overwhelm me.

  “Thank you, Thalos,” Helena whispered, her voice breaking. “You kept us safe, gave us a home. We’ll never forget you.”

  I reached out, resting my hand on his shoulder. “You were the father we never had. Rest peacefully in the Underworld.”

  With a quiet sob, Helena reached out again, palms pressed gently into the soil around Thalos. Her power surged softly, vines and flowers blooming rapidly, weaving a beautiful bed around his body, a final resting place worthy of a guardian like him.

  “Come on,” I finally said softly, gently pulling Helena to her feet. She clung to me, trembling slightly. Without another word, I scooped her into my arms and launched into the sky, wings beating steadily as we left the clearing behind. My thoughts raced frantically, sorrow tangling with growing panic. Without Thalos, what were we going to do next?

  When we finally reached the car, I carefully set Helena down, noticing how shaky her movements still were. We climbed silently into the vehicle, grief weighing heavily on us both. Helena took the wheel, her hands trembling slightly as she steered us westward. Neither of us spoke for a long time, the weight of grief and fear filling the silence.

  “What are we supposed to do now?” Helena finally asked, her voice strained with uncertainty.

  I stared blankly at the passing scenery, my mind spinning. “I don’t know. Thalos was always the one with a plan.”

  She bit her lip, clearly fighting back tears. “We need to warn the others. They need to know about the monster—whatever it was, it might be after them next.”

  “Agreed,” I said softly, anxiety twisting painfully in my stomach. “But we don’t know where any of them are. Thalos was the only one who did.”

  Helena took a shaky breath. “Maybe there’s a way to find them. We’re demigods, Zoe. There has to be something we can do.”

  I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes as desperation rose inside me. “I hope you’re right. Because if not, we’re on our own—and I’m not sure we can face whatever’s coming next alone.”

  Exhaustion tugged at my consciousness, and despite my best efforts to stay alert, I felt myself drifting into sleep. The rhythm of the car lulled me further, and soon I found myself falling into dreams.

  I opened my eyes and gasped softly. I stood in a grand, gleaming chamber—the throne room of Olympus. Tall marble columns lined the vast hall, decorated with intricate golden patterns that glittered in the ethereal light. Above, a high vaulted ceiling shimmered with stars, as if the heavens themselves watched over this place.

  Confusion and awe filled me. How had I gotten here? I’d never been to Olympus before, yet somehow I knew exactly where I stood.

  Footsteps echoed gently across the polished floor, and my gaze snapped toward the sound. A goddess approached, her presence radiating quiet strength and wisdom. She wore a flowing gown of soft silver, embroidered with golden threads that seemed to dance with every movement. Her eyes, sharp and observant, locked onto mine. Her hair cascaded in dark, glossy waves, and a sense of power emanated from her, filling the room.

  I didn’t recognize her, yet I felt instinctively certain that she was a goddess. My heart quickened as she drew closer, and I wondered nervously what she might want from me.

  “Zoe,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “It’s time.”

  “Time for what?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, still feeling overwhelmed by the majesty of this place and the mysterious goddess.

  Her expression softened slightly, compassion and urgency mingling in her eyes. “You must contact the other demigods. A powerful threat is approaching, one that will require the combined strength of all of you to overcome.”

  My pulse raced with sudden anxiety. “But how? We don’t know where any of the others are.”

  The goddess stepped closer, her gaze intense yet reassuring. “You found your way to me. You have the power to reach out to them in the same way. Trust in yourself, Zoe. Your connection to the others is stronger than you realize.”

  I opened my mouth to ask more, to understand how exactly I had done it, but already the room around me began to blur at the edges. A sense of frustration and confusion surged through me as the vision faded.

  “Wait!” I called out, but the goddess and the throne room of Olympus slipped further from my grasp, replaced gradually by the familiar hum of the car’s engine and the sensation of the road beneath us. My eyes fluttered open, and I was back beside Helena, left with lingering confusion and an urgent, newfound purpose.