Revealed (Book 2)

Chapter 22- Mirror

Athena POV...

Everything around me was dead, I stepped through the forest and came across a tree that I use to play in with Edward I ran my hand down the tree and looked at the carving of both our names, I remembered what it was like when I was young and innocent. Still, it makes me realize that the world never saw me as innocent but a savior, one I didn't want to be.

"Hello," I turned around to see a different version of me standing, "My. Name. Is. Diedre. And. I. Represent-"

"Sorrow," I said, finishing what she said.

"Anything. Sad. And. Gloomy. Really," the way she spoke, you could hear how sad she was. Her words were slow and dragged out. She made a pause in between each word and released a sigh at the end of each sentence she resembled the teenage version of me.

"What is all of this?" I ask.

"Well. Everything. Was. Perfectly. Balanced. But. When. Viperina. Entered. She. Shifted. Everything. Around. And. Now. This. Is. What. It. Is. It's. Dark. All. The. Time. Everything. Is. Out. Of. Balance," I looked back, and the green forest was gone, and the dark forest stretched out.

"You. Were. Thinking. About. Turning. Back. Weren't. You?" Diedre asks me.

"Makes no sense that I lie since as you are me."

"She. Anticipated. Each. One. Of. Your. Moves. It. Is. Best. If. You. Don't. Do. Anything. Stupid. And. Just. Do. What. She. Wants."

"Who is this she you're talking about?" I ask.

She started to rub her wrist; it was a sign of being nervous; it was something I still do to this day," I. Cannot. Explain. Her. To. You. But. She. Is. Your. Past. Present. And. Future," she turned and looked at me when the sun hit her eyes, they appeared red, and now thinking back, Joy's eye's were green is that a coincidence?

"Can you at least tell me her name?" I inhaled, and all I could smell was the smell of ashes.

She ignored what I asked and continued, "Each. One. Of. Our. Names. Is. From. Your. Childhood. Dierdre. The. Little. Girl. Who. Was. The. Cry. Baby. Joy. The. Little. Girl. Who. Always. Had. A. Smile. On. Her. Face. Despite. The. Fact. That. Her. Father. Was. Abusive. There's. A. Pattern. To. Everything. In. Life. You. Just. Have. To. Put. The. Pieces. Together."

"These are the kids whose parents worked in the castle and were scared to talk to me, but there was one girl that wasn't should I be expecting her next?"

She turned and looked at me, "My. Time. With. You. Is. Almost. Up. Do. You. Have. Questions. For. Me?"

"Do you think that we or I will be able to beat Apollyon?" She turned and looked at me and smirked.

"Beating. Him. Should. Be. The. Least. Of. Your. Concerns," she says, continuing walking ahead of me, guiding me to where I needed to be, that's when everything came into view, and everything was frozen.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"Our. Time. Is. Up. My. Words. Of. Wisdom. I. Will. Leave. With. You. Is. There. Are. Two. Types. Of. Pain. One. That. Hurts. You. And. The. Other. That. Changes. You. Do. Not. Get. The. Two. Confused."

The look she gave me was one of pure pity and empathy and touched my cheeks, "We. Didn't. Choose. This. Life. But. It. Chose. Us. For. A. Reason. It. Doesn't. Have. To. Be. A. Curse. But. A.Blessing. In. Disguise. Don't. Forget. That," she disappeared, and when I looked back, the entire dead forest was gone and was no replaced with snow, my clothing changed, to winter gears, I started to walk through the snow when I saw white cloud running towards me.

Then I realized it was not a cloud but a polar bear, I started in the opposite direction I tried to use my powers, but they wouldn't work, I looked behind me when the polar bear straddled me into the snow, I closed my eyes waiting for me to be devoured and when I opened my eyes, there was another version of me looking down at me with a smile on her face.

"Hi," her voice was strong, and filled with wisdom, "my name is Eve, I'm the reason why you're able to have connections with animals, and they're able to have one with you," she helped me up, "it's nice to finally meet you your visit has been anticipated," she was in full white, even her eyes and hair were grey.

"You also represent spirit, does that mean the other two versions of me represents something," she nodded her head, "Joy was the soul that led me to the beginning of my journey which was the version of me when I first discovered I had powers, and Dierdre was fire."

"Correct, each of your emotions are linked with an element have you ever realized when you become scared and angry your hands become warm, and fire takes over, but I help you to be connected to everything all at once, kinda sweet, huh?"

"I guess," she rolled her eyes at my lack of enthusiasm.

"You are such a party pooper, now follow me we have quite a journey ahead of us," unlike the two she appeared to be an older version of me, more mature like she experienced life, "do you have any questions for me?"

A gust of wind blew her silver hair across her face, "one the other versions of me brought it to my knowledge that defeating Apollyon should be the least of my worries, what did she mean by that?"

"When you're young, you think that you know the full story, but there are three sides," we started to walk.

"My side, their side, and-"

"The Truth," she finished.

"Eve," she looked down to me, "I need to know everything. I feel like I'm left in the dark."

"Sometimes, the self-conscious mind will block things out not because you're not ready but because it's simply not what you need, but now it is time for some of the truth to be REVEALED to you."

"Some?" I ask.

"Trust me if everything were it would overwhelm you."

"What does that mean?" I ask, trying to push for more information.

"Are you forgetting that I am you?" She smirked and looked at me, "you're trying to outsmart yourself, not very smart now is it."

"What's the point of all of this to tell me a bit of the information about this forbidden truth when there's more to it I need more?"

"Have you ever thought that maybe there are layers to life sometimes not everything was meant to be revealed to you in a split second, sometimes it's okay to hear a fraction of the truth and the backstory."

She waved her hand, and out of thin air, a mother polar appeared with her cub running behind its mother, "do you think that a cub was born with the knowledge to hunt, no first they're born with the instinct, but they have no idea what to do with them, hence natural selection, and we don't need that to happen to us now do we, that's why you're here because we need to be alive and stay alive," she looked over at me with determination.

"I hope I am as wise as you when I am at this age."

"With wisdom comes pain," we continued walking, the look she gave me was one of pity and sympathy." Unfortunately, in the far future, the pain you'll be experiencing will be one you won't be ready for, but our time is almost up, and this is where I have to give you some words of wisdom."

"No, I need to know more," I urged her.

"I... I cannot say more," she looked away from me.

"Please, I deserve something some substance just anything I need to know, please," I begged her.

She looked conflicted, she held her eyes tightly, "fine, I can't say the specifics, but the world will turn itself against you, it will ruin you so much to the point where you will no longer have a moral compass you will be feared by everyone when you walk the earth itself will tremble."

She held my face, "but you cannot allow your pain to shape you if you study revenge. You are keeping your wounds green, allowing your wounds to grow and fester, and those are my words of wisdom," she placed her head on mine before everything disappeared. Now I was in the woods alone with millions of thoughts.