Wisdom's Daughter

Chapter 12: Visions

I opened my eyes.

Where was I?

I sat up and looked around. I felt perfectly fine.

A woman walked into the room but evidently, she couldn't see me. It was Councillor Seraphel! Her grey eyes were unforgettable. She wore a silk dress. And...she was immensely pregnant! I realised that this was only a vision.

She sat down in a chair, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were glassy. Then a bright light shone out of her forehead. In the middle of the light was a baby. Deep, stormy grey eyes, and already long starts of curly dark brown hair—

I gasped. It was me! I watched as I floated down into Seraphel's arms, and she smiled down at me.

Then she exited the room. Almost in a trance, I followed her.

She summoned a huge barn owl with a saddle tent on its back. My mother climbed inside the tent and the owl took off. I jumped and held onto its tail, but I suddenly realised I could float and wouldn't fall. I sped after Seraphel and her giant escort.

Minutes later, she stopped in front of a small cottage. Leia ran outside. She was only a toddler.

"Mama! You're here!" She gasped. "Is that my sister?"

Seraphel chuckled. "Yes, dear. This is Diana. Come, let's go inside, shall we?"

With that they walked inside the house.

"Seraphel? Is that you?" A man emerged from one of the rooms, grinning.

My heart stopped.

Dad.

My father, Adonis, whom I hadn't seen in eight years, was standing right before me, and he didn't know I was there. The pain I felt in that moment was greater than that of any scar I have ever gotten and will ever get.

He looked down at Baby Me. "Hey, Diana. I'm your dad, okay? You're gonna live with me now. But you have to say bye to Mom, alright?"

Baby Me looked at Seraphel, then at my dad, and said, "Papa!" reaching out for my father. Seraphel laughed and handed me to Adonis. She kissed him on the cheek for the last time and then left. The dream faded.

Another vision appeared. My dad was telling us he was about to try a new experiment that would "save lives in the future" before looking at six-year-old me and smiling.

I went back to my room to play. Leia walked outside to the garden. Suddenly, my dad yelled and something exploded.

He ran outside and said, "IS EVERYONE FINE?"

Leia looked at him, distressed. "PAPA... DIANA!"

He sprinted back inside the house. The air was tinged with the smell of frozen blood. Our dad was stuck.

Leia was too stunned to speak.

Then, the dream shifted, and I was crawling through the house. I heard screaming.

"LEAVE HER, PLEASE! DON'T HURT THEM! TAKE ME INSTEAD! I'LL- I'LL HELP YOU TAKE OVER THE WORLD! JUST KEEP THEM SAFE!" My father begged.

I tried to work my way through the flames and towards my dying father, but the smoke was suffocating my child self.

A cold, sharp voice said, "Spare your daughter?! Ha! She didn't come out from the flames, fool! I have no obstacles in my way! Choose your last words wisely, Adonis!"

I heard one last scream from my father.

"DIANA! NO!"

Then there was complete silence.

Leia sobbed miserably.

Minutes later, I came wobbling out, but Adonis wasn't with me. Leia bawled as we watched the blue flames dance silently over our house. I was too weak to cry.

Out of nowhere, Seraphel appeared and ran towards us.

"Where's your father?" she asked cautiously. Leia's wails and my younger self's dry sobs gave her an answer. "Oh, no. Adonis..." A tear fell from her eye. "Come with me, girls."

She led us to a grove and the ground rumbled. A house of olive wood arose when she raised her hand. She promised to make sure there were plenty of ways we could eat. Trees stretched out in all directions, and there were enough animals in the forest to keep us fed. She said this way, we could learn the skills of hunting and the basics of being a demigod.

She kissed us both on the forehead and the vision dissipated.

Next, I saw a figure calmly standing in front of a large shadow.

When the figure stepped into the light, I immediately recognised Khione, her elegant blue and white hair resting on her shoulders and a cold yet beautiful white dress enveloping her.

"Thank you, Edurne," she said to the shadow. It shifted slightly in the darkness.

She was in Kardia, approaching my grandparent's house. Avani's plants were separately flowers and cacti, and the walls were a different colour.

Suddenly, Khione morphed to take the appearance of Seraphel.

She knocked on the door. Avani opened it, smiling.

"Hello, Councillor Seraphel! How are-" she noticed Khione's grave face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Fake Seraphel spoke slowly, making sure to sound mournful. She even allowed a tear down her face.

"There-there was a fire. Adonis-he didn't make it out. Leia and Diana are fine. But they can't come to live with you. Don't seek them out no matter what; it's for their own safety."

Avani stared at her in shock, tears of disbelief running down her face. Her lip shook as she whispered. "No... Adonis, no.." She sobbed quietly.

Kai came running, and Khione explained what had happened. He thanked her for coming to tell them and shut the door. Inside the house, Avani and Kai sank down to the floor, mourning the loss of their only child.

Khione smiled her cold smile and walked away, transforming back into herself. As she disappeared into the shadows, the vision faded again, and what appeared next shocked me.

I was shown a memory of my father piercing my ears with the blood red earrings that I never took off.

"You keep these safe, you hear?" He said softly. "These will save millions one day. Drop by drop."

I had giggled at the sharp but momentary pain when he put them on, not fully understanding his words.

But now I knew.

The earrings- they were the key to melting the ice.

The dreams finally faded away.