Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the tall trees surrounding the clearing, creating dancing patterns on the ground. I stood nervously, glancing up at the wide-open sky above, my golden wings tucked anxiously against my back.

  “You can do this, Zoe!” Xandor encouraged from beside me, his voice gentle yet enthusiastic. He flashed me a reassuring smile, his eyes filled with warmth and patience. “Just imagine how amazing it’ll feel to fly!”

  I hesitated, shifting uncomfortably, my heart pounding nervously. The guardians had been gently encouraging me to fly for weeks, but every time I tried, fear held me back. The thought of soaring high above the ground both thrilled and terrified me.

  Xandor stepped forward, sensing my hesitation. He placed a protective hand on my shoulder, looking at me with seriousness. “I promise I’ll catch you if anything goes wrong. You won’t fall—I’ll use the wind to keep you safe.”

  Taking a deep breath, comforted by his sincere promise, I nodded slowly and tentatively spread my wings. Xandor stepped back slightly, giving me room but remaining close, ready to act if necessary. My wings trembled as I began flapping gently, lifting myself hesitantly a few inches off the ground. Immediately, Xandor raised his hands, carefully guiding a gentle breeze around me, providing additional support.

  Feeling the reassuring presence of his wind, my confidence grew, and slowly I rose higher. Fear gradually melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy and exhilaration. A laugh bubbled from my chest as I climbed higher, the wind rushing through my feathers.

  Below me, Xandor cheered, his voice filled with genuine pride and excitement. “That’s it, Zoe! You’re flying!”

  My laughter echoed through the clearing as I swooped and soared effortlessly, the sky welcoming me like an old friend. The rush of wind through my feathers, the warmth of the sun on my face, and the incredible sensation of freedom overwhelmed my senses. It felt as though a part of me that had always been missing finally clicked into place, filling me with pure joy and exhilaration. I tilted and spun gently, marveling at how natural flying felt, how right it was to be in the air. Far below, I could hear Xandor whooping and laughing with joy, his voice mingling perfectly with the wind as he celebrated with me.

  When I finally descended, my heart raced with excitement, and I landed smoothly next to Xandor, breathless, exhilarated, and utterly in awe of the incredible new world I’d just discovered.

  Without thinking, I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. “Thank you, Xandor!” I said, beaming brightly. “That was amazing!”

  Xandor laughed warmly, hugging me back gently. “I knew you could do it. Now get back up there and fly!”

  With a joyful nod, I spread my wings and launched back into the sky, happier than I’d ever felt.

  The hum of tires against the worn road filled the quiet space between us as I recounted the vision I’d experienced to Helena. Her expression remained carefully neutral, but I could see the worry etched deeply into her features. When I finished, she let out a slow breath.

  “We have to figure out how to contact the others,” Helena said, her voice tired but resolute. “But first, we need rest.”

  I glanced at her as she drove. Even with exhaustion weighing on her, Helena remained strikingly beautiful. Her bright green eyes, usually sparkling with gentle warmth, now held shadows of sorrow and fatigue. Her soft, wavy red hair framed her face, which was pale but still radiant despite the day’s emotional strain. The simple elegance she’d always carried was still evident, even now, amidst uncertainty.

  “There’s a motel up ahead,” she murmured softly, breaking me from my thoughts. “Let’s stop there for tonight.”

  The motel was small and rundown, its sign flickering faintly against the darkening sky. After checking in, we quietly made our way to the room. It was modest but clean enough for our purposes.

  Standing before the small, chipped mirror above the dresser, I stared at my reflection. My long golden hair, usually vibrant, hung limply around my face. My eyes, usually bright with gold and pink hues, were dull with exhaustion and worry. The mark of my heritage—golden wings tucked safely beneath my jacket—felt like both a blessing and a burden.

  How was I supposed to contact the others? The goddess had made it sound simple, but nothing in our lives had ever been that straightforward. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as the weight of responsibility settled heavily on my shoulders.

  “We’ll figure this out,” Helena said gently, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

  We both headed silently to our separate beds, the weight of the day sinking into our bones. I lay down, the motel blanket scratchy against my skin, and stared at the cracked ceiling as my thoughts spiraled.

  The goddess had said I had the ability to contact the others. And when I had seen her… I’d been asleep.

  Maybe that was the key.

  Maybe I could reach them the same way.

  I closed my eyes and tried to calm my racing thoughts, letting the quiet hum of the room surround me. I focused on a memory—the first time I had ever flown, the rush of wind, the laughter bubbling up inside me, the way Xandor had looked up at me from below with such joy and pride. I remembered how safe he made me feel. How connected.

  Maybe if I held onto that feeling… I could find him.

  I breathed deeply and let the memory pull me under, hoping it would lead me to him.

  As sleep took me, the dream began to take shape. At first it was nothing but a blur of color and warmth, but slowly, the scene began to sharpen.

  My breath caught.

  It was him.

  Not quite as I remembered—Xandor had grown, just as I had. He stood taller now, broader, his presence even more commanding than it had been when we were children. The wind stirred gently around him, playing with his black hair.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  The vision solidified, clearer and more real than any dream I’d ever had. And then—he looked up.

  Our eyes locked.

  “Xandor,” I whispered, unsure if the dream would carry my voice to him.

  His expression shifted, confusion flickering across his features. He stepped forward slowly, studying me with cautious disbelief. His eyes traveled over me—pausing as they caught sight of the golden wings peeking out from behind my back.

  Recognition dawned in his gaze.

  “Zoe?” he said, his voice filled with wonder and surprise.

  And in that moment, I knew he truly saw me.

  My heart leapt with excitement—I was starting to figure this out. Whatever this new ability was, it was working.

  Xandor took a slow step closer, confusion etched deeply across his face. “How are you here?” he asked, his voice low and uncertain. “What is this?”

  “I’m not really here,” she said softly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I think I’m in your head. Dream-sharing, maybe? It’s new. I don’t totally understand it yet.”

  A grin slowly spread across his face as the realization sank in. “It’s really you,” he said, wonder dancing in his eyes. “I can’t believe it… it’s been ten years.”

  He looked her over again, more carefully this time, and his smile grew wider. “You still look like the girl I remember—just more grown up… and beautiful.”

  I felt my cheeks flush with warmth, the unexpected compliment catching me off guard. My wings fluttered slightly behind me, betraying my flustered joy.

  I took a moment to really look at him. Xandor was tall, with dark black hair still damp from the shower, pale skin dusted with moisture, and bright silver eyes that seemed to shine with their own inner light. I remembered thinking, even when we were kids, that his eyes were as bright as the stars in the night sky. Looking at him now, older and stronger, it was impossible not to see the mark of his parentage—Astraeus, god of dusk, stars, and wind—written in every detail.

  My gaze dropped before I could stop it. He was shirtless, a towel slung low around his waist, water still clinging to his chest and shoulders. I blinked and quickly looked away, realizing that the room was thick with steam—he must have just gotten out of the shower.

  My cheeks burned, and I stumbled over my words. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to show up like this. I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy.”

  He laughed softly, the sound easy and warm. “Zoe, it’s okay. It’s not like you planned it. Besides, you’ve already seen me fall flat on my face during training. This is a step up.”

  Then his grin turned a little more teasing. “Though if you’d shown up a few minutes earlier… things might’ve been more interesting.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh too, the sound bubbling up uncontrollably as the awkwardness melted into something light and familiar. For a brief moment, it felt like nothing had changed between us—like the years apart had been nothing more than a blink.

  But then the weight of reality settled back over me.

  My laughter faded, and I took a small step back, my expression sobering. “Xandor… I didn’t come just to say hi. I need to tell you something.”

  I took a deep breath, steadying myself as the memory of the past few days surged forward. “Helena and I… we were waiting our guardian. He was supposed to move us like he always did. But he didn’t show up.”

  Xandor’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression shifting to concern.

  “We waited and waited,” I continued, my voice trembling. “And then I had a vision—of him. He was injured, dying. We followed the smoke to find him… and we did. But we were too late.”

  Emotion welled up in my throat, choking the rest of my words. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure, but the ache in my chest made it almost impossible.

  Xandor stepped forward instinctively, his face softening as he reached out to touch my arm. But his hand passed through me like mist. We both froze.

  He pulled his hand back slowly, realization sinking in.

  “I… I forgot,” he said quietly. “You’re not really here.”

  That was all it took. The tears I had been holding back spilled over, and I turned slightly away, ashamed of breaking down like this.

  Xandor’s face fell, and I could see the grief mirrored in his expression. “He was the last one,” he said softly. “The only one who knew where we all were. The only adult who remembered what we were, who we are.”

  I nodded slowly, my throat too tight to speak. The loss of Thalos felt like the final thread holding our world together had snapped.

  “He was the closest thing we had to a father,” I whispered.

  Xandor closed his eyes briefly, taking in a sharp breath. “He raised us. Protected us. I didn’t realize how much I counted on that until now.”

  We stood in silence, the weight of grief hanging between us like a thick fog. Even in this strange dream-space, I could feel the ache in my chest, the heaviness in the air. Xandor looked away, his jaw tight, and I wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.

  After a moment, I took a shaky breath and straightened my shoulders. I had to pull myself together. “There’s something else,” I said quietly, my voice still rough. “Something important.”

  Xandor looked back at me, the grief in his eyes giving way to curiosity.

  “I had a vision,” I continued. “Of a goddess. I was in Olympus—I just knew it somehow—and she came to me. She said something is coming, something powerful. And that we need to find the others. All of us.”

  Xandor’s brow furrowed. “A goddess? Do you know which one?”

  I shook my head. “No. But I recognized her as divine. She told me I had the ability to reach the others—that I just needed to trust myself.”

  He was quiet for a beat, absorbing everything. Then he nodded slowly. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll find them.”

  Xandor took a moment, then said, “Peter figured out the approximate locations of most of the others a while ago. He’s good at that sort of thing—quietly observing, putting the pieces together.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Peter and I are in Florida. He and Hector came up with a way to stay in touch. From what Peter’s told me, Hector and Damian are in Boston.”

  My heart jumped. We weren’t as scattered as I feared.

  “Are you and Helena still in the Midwest?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Wisconsin.”

  Xandor nodded slowly, thoughtful. “Peter thinks Bay and Nix are on the West Coast—California, maybe Oregon. The twins… we’re not totally sure, but we think they might be somewhere in the South. Maybe Texas.”

  A faint sense of hope stirred in my chest. If they were all still out there, if we could just find each other again… maybe we had a chance.

  I took another breath, steadying myself as the pieces began falling into place. “We need a plan,” I said.

  Xandor nodded. “Agreed.”

  “Peter and you should meet up with Hector and Damian in Boston,” I said, thinking aloud. “Helena and I will go west. We’ll try to find Bay and Nix.”

  “And then?” he asked.

  “Then we all meet where the twins are. Somewhere in the South, right?”

  Xandor gave a small nod, the gears clearly turning in his head.

  “I’ll try to reach out to the others, the same way I did with you,” I continued. “I don’t know if it’ll work every time, but I have to try. We need everyone, Xandor. All of us.”

  He smiled faintly. “Soon, we’ll all be together again.”

  We both smiled, a glimmer of hope rising through the weight of everything we’d just talked about. Then Xandor let out a quiet laugh to himself, shaking his head.

  “I still can’t believe it,” he said. “After everything, we’re finally going to see everyone again.”

  His expression grew more serious but no less warm as he looked at me. “Your new ability… it’s incredible, Zoe. Being able to reach us like this—it could change everything.”

  I nodded, a spark of excitement lighting in my chest. “I’m still figuring it out, but I want to get better at it. If it means getting us all back together, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  He grinned. “Just make sure you keep me updated. I want to be there every step of the way.”

  I felt the dream starting to slip, the edges of the room growing hazy and distant. My time here was ending.

  “I’ll contact you again soon,” I said, my voice soft but certain.

  Xandor’s grin turned warm and teasing. “I’ll be counting the hours.”

  The dream dissolved completely, and I blinked awake, the ceiling of the motel room swimming into view. The room was quiet, the faint hum of the heater filling the silence. Helena lay sleeping on the other bed, her red hair spread across the pillow, her face finally peaceful in rest.

  I turned onto my side, pressing my cheek into the pillow, heart still racing. One down. More to go.