Athena didn’t sleep.

  She couldn’t. She needed answers, and she had to wait so long to get them. Wren was curled by her feet, snoring hazily.

  She lay still beneath her sheets, eyes open, counting the seconds between the castle’s breaths. The walls clicked as they cooled. Somewhere far below, pipes groaned like something turning in its sleep. Each sound felt deliberate, as though the house were aware of her listening.

  She slipped Ares’s journal from beneath her pillow.

  The cover was warm.

  Not warm like sunlight or skin—warm like something recently held. Athena froze, fingers hovering, then pressed her palm flat against it. The heat did not fade. It lingered, patient.

  She opened to a page she did not remember reading.

  The ink was thin here, stretched and pale, as if it had been written with a trembling hand,or bled through from another page entirely.

  Do not trust what feeds you, it read. If she offers sweetness, it is because she has already decided what to take.

  Athena swallowed.

  The lantern flickered.

  For a moment,just a moment, the words beneath the ink shifted. Letters sagged. Lines drooped downward, like wax softened by flame. Athena squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.

  The page was normal.

  She shut the journal and slid it back beneath the pillow, heart hammering far too loud for a sleeping castle. When she turned onto her side, her gaze caught on the dark mirror across the room.

  She had not uncovered it.

  She was certain of that.

  Slowly, deliberately, Athena pulled the blanket higher, until it covered her chin, her mouth, the pulse in her throat. She did not look away from the mirror. She did not blink.

  Something moved behind the cloth.

  Not a reflection.

  Not yet.

  Athena closed her eyes and counted again, this time, not seconds.

  This time, heartbeats.

  -------------------------------------------

  Athena was staring at her mirror, not daring to face it directly. She stood across from it. Something was off about it, she knew what she saw last night wasn’t just a trick from her mind.

  She began to approach it, careful, curious.

  Athena now stood fully in front of it. She waved to her reflection. Jumped twice. Walk backwards, then forwards.

  Her reflection mimicked each one.

  Fear zapping down her hand as she raised it to the mirror. She was about to touch the glass. Part of her was expecting herself to fall in. But when her hand met the glass, it was just cold.

  She let her hand trail down the cold glass, before she looked to her window for a split second.

  Athena slammed her eyes shut, squinting and peeking one open. But her eye was open in fear almost immediately when she noticed a Nightmare in the mirror. It was taller than the mirror itself, yet its jaw was loosely hung to its stomach. Its claws dug into its skin.

  Athena opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out except a small whimper. She stood back, fearing this horrifying creature would escape the mirror prison. And her fear came to life. It raised a claw towards the mirror, and the glassy barrier warbled as the thing between Athena and death poked through.

  She scrambled up and ran for her drawer. Athena slid out the shard of glass from before, aiming it at the Nightmare. Her hands were shaky, adrenaline blinded her vision. Her lip quivered.

  And it lunged.

  Its claws barely sunk into her skin, as she awoke with her name called.

  “Athena–?Dear God’s Athena!”

  Athena jumped up from her sleep, hands fisting into the sheets, shaking, eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Her inky swirls of hair curled at her shoulders as she faced the one who called her.

  Ms.Vega.

  With caution, Athena carefully pinched herself on her wrist. She didn’t jolt awake again, this–was somewhat real.

  Athena tiptoed out of bed, facing Ms.Vega.

  “You needed me?”

  She murmured.

  Ms.Vega nodded. “Yes, your mother is hosting a gathering with the public. She wishes everyone to be present, which includes you.” Ms.Vega inhaled sharply. “Now, let's get you ready.”

  They dug through her closet, picking out a nice dress with a covering over one of the shoulders, and a corset of buttons building up the front with a nice long skirt flowing to her ankles.

  She slipped the outfit on and tied her boots twice. Ms.Vega tried to tame the knots in Athena’s hair, finally making a nice braid and adding a silver hairpiece..with rubies...

  Athena froze as the hairpiece was tucked into her hair. She hadn’t worn this in so long. She remembered, before she lost her parents, how they would say you looked wonderful in it, like a..Athena forgot, what had she been called?That she so deeply mourned for years to hear?And now, here she was.

  She almost choked as she cleared her throat to Ms.Vega.

  A soft smile grew on her face, the world blacked out as she spoke.

  “You look amazing Athena,” The first part was already unusual, she almost never called Athena not ‘Ms.’ Athena. “Like a silver rabbit with soft crimson eyes,”

  For a minute, Athena wanted to cry. Ms.Vega’s voice was motherly, kind, gentle. Pure. Everything her mother–here–had shown not to be.

  She nodded again. “Thank you, Ms.Vega.”

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Ms.Vega took her hand and they walked to the courtyard.

  -------------------------------------------

  The courtyard was bustling with people. New voices, clamor among citizens.

  Everyone was in rows,

  Guards in the front, Elizabeth at the very front.

  Other citizens were behind the guards, murmuring and sharing small whispers. Athena tried not to tense, she relaxed her shoulders, inhaling sharply as she noticed Quinton in the crowd. His blonde hair was ruffled as if he tried to brush it. Athena peeked through the guards, eyes searching for Orion. She’d only heard of him, she was desperate to see how he was doing. Her mother stood in front of the guards, along with her father. Her mother wore a blue silk dress with a fading indigo pattern, with black gloves tied around her wrists and drooping, connected to her shoulders, seeming as if it gave her wings.

  Her father had a vest of pure crimson with golden lacing. With a black shirt with leather brown pants. His crown was on his head, crooked slightly as his gaze turned to her.

  He ushered her to his side. She ran over to him, standing beside him.

  She stared at the crowd, eyes darting from her to her mother. Her mother raised her hands, her voice loud and proud.

  “People of Azbeth!Your queen speaks to you with all her wisdom,” Her mother started. Athena tensed again, something glinted in her eyes, what was she planning? “I have recently taken notice of a loner of sorts hidden among our people, so keep a weary eye. He has pure white hair, icicle blue eyes, and a coaxing voice.”

  A series of applause came from a single person in the audience. Someone stepped forward, a leather brown cloak masking their face. But a crooked grin was visibly from where Athena stood.

  Eudoria clamped her jaw shut. “Show yourself,” She paused.

  Athena held her breath.

  “Ares,” her mother hissed.

  The masked person laughed wickedly, removing their cloak with swiftness. The man had black eyes, fully black with an icicle tint.

  “Oh mother, I know better than that.”

  Now it sounded like Ares' voice had been echoing. Like this body wasn’t his. And this man didn’t have albinism. He had brown hair, and black eyes, his voice was smooth as silk.

  Eudoria staggered back, aiming her finger directly on him.

  “Seize him.”

  Guards rushed to the man's side, and in a split second, a cloud of black smoke flew from the man's mouth, along with the same wicked laugh. The man’s eyes turned normal, soft and hazel.

  “Wha–?Where am I?!Let me go!” He tried to break free of the guards.

  Her mother was shocked, murmuring. “Sorecery,”

  Athena watched the smoke unfurl in the air, hearing a voice whisper to her. Dear little sister,-- and it led to the castle, before disappearing near the attic. Was Ares in the attic?The whole time? No, Athena had spent too much time there for him to be there, it couldn’t be possible.

  Her mother opened her mouth, full of anger and rage.

  “My people!This is why we must find him, he does sorcery and witch-craft!” She barked at them.

  People stifled murmurs and nods, before starting a chant. Athena began to shake with fear, what had her mother done?

  Her father scooped Athena up and ran back inside to the castle. Athena looked beyond her fathers shoulder, staring at her mother. She grinned in the glory, basking at the pride, her eyes slitted like a serpent.

  Athena gasped, though she wasn’t sure if it escaped her mouth. Her father set her down in the halls, leaving her inside. She immediately began to run to the attic, as soon as she was out of sight. Thoughts pounded her head.

  Ares was alive.

  Ares was alive.

  Ares was alive.

  Athena was right. She spent countless hours searching for him. And he gave himself away. Her feet pounded on the hall’s carpets, the attic doors were feet away. She reached for the knob and swung it open. She ran up the stairs, not wasting a breath.

  She reached the final doors, exhaling. And inhaling sharply.

  She peeked them open. There he stood.

  His white hair ruffled like it hadn’t been brushed since he disappeared. He wore a brown leathery cloak that masked his face. He had a white shirt with wrinkles and brown pants.

  He removed the cloak, blinking his pristine snowy eyelashes, his eyes were sharp blue enough to pierce iron. He grew a crooked grin as he faced her.

  “SISTER!” He exclaimed.

  Athena was in shock, freezing. Emotions flooded into her mind. She ran up to him, holding him in a tight hug.

  He returned the embrace. He backed away, to examine her. After a while, he jumped up with excitement and punched the air.

  “Yes!Yes–YES!” He murmured over and over.

  Athena tilted her head. What was he doing?

  “Athena, Queen Athena, not princess Athena. Queen Athena.”

  Athena froze. “W-what?”“You're not princess Athena, Hubris must have trapped you here!” He smiled. “Not that it's good because it isn’t but–God’s it's been so long!”

  Athena’s eyes widened. What did he mean he was also trapped? “How do you know Hubris?” She asked, tone skeptical.

  The excitement faded from Ares’s eyes. “Hubris, Gods, where do I start?”

  -------------------------------------------

  Ares explained everything. He was from the real universe. Everything in his journals was true. Except, after he left, he found Eudoria doing a ritual, sacrificing Octavia for immortal reign and life.

  Yet blamed her death on Ares. Ares left, before getting put in this universe by Hubris. He kept waiting until Athena came, so they could escape together. They didn’t know where they were in the real universe, only that they had to escape. Ares had spent 6 years entrapped in this alternate world, where everything was perfect .

  “So what do we do about mother?” Athena asked.

  Ares shook his head. “ I have no idea,” he murmured. “ I’ve been trying to form a plan for oh-so- long, but I’ve thought of nothing.”

  Athena stared at the floor, kicking her little legs back and forth. A plan forming into her mind. “You know when someone makes you think of so many things at once, its like you need to clear your mind?” Athena chirped.

  Ares laughed. “With all due respect kiddo-”

  Athena cleared her throat. “--No, listen. If this is Hubris’s mind. We could cause so many things to happen at once–it could tear, giving us our chance to escape!”

  Ares looked up in shock. “Wait–its genius!And your what–four?!”

  Athena cleared her throat. “I’m 14 actually,” She muttered. “In the real world,” she murmured.

  Ares nodded. “Perfect, now we just need to cause an overload.”

  He flexed his gloved fingers, before removing one smoke-colored one. A white flame erupted from its tip, he spun it between his fingers. Athena watched in awe. His ebony dark veins pulsed. He made the flame bigger, using both of his hands, he pressed the flame into Athena’s skin. She didn’t wince as the fire touched her skin. Her veins turned the same black as his.

  “ Our bloodline has always been cursed. Ever since the Gods and ‘Ancients roamed. There was always sin. Hubris, the original sin–is our descendant, he gave up his title as a God to try and rule. But he was banished, he cursed the ‘Ancients, demanding that if we didn’t accept his power he would destroy everything and everyone. So now, a few of us have his power. Mine was fire–except, instead of burning, it has two uses. Healing, and burning depending on how I want to benefit the user.” He smiled crookedly.

  She flexed her arms. “So what's mine?”

  “Has anything out of the ordinary been happening to you lately?”

  Athena didn’t know where to begin. Then she remembered the blue flame. Four hearts. One lung.

  “I have four hearts, only one lung. When I use more than one heart, my eyes light on fire, giving me sight beyond mortal sight. To what I know if I use four hearts–I’ll die. My one lung can only help so much.” She murmured.

  Athena didn’t know where it came from. She never knew this before. It was like a script she’d read so many times before.

  Ares clapped excitedly. “Perfect, now how should we do this–?Sister–no, partner?” He extended his hand.

  A white flame lit in front of his hand. Athena nodded and gripped it tight, the white flame lighting their handshake.