Lucian had shrunk back to my size and was about to pull me towards him when I vehemently pushed him back.
"You're a god?!" I asked and Lucian looked contrite. "Yes I am."
"You're the god of the underworld?", I asked, though of course I already knew the answer.
"Yes, I am Pluto. God of the underworld. Lucian is my call name when I dwell among the humans from time to time."
I was furious. Why was he here? Why was he trying to help me? Why was a god here?"Wait a minute please. Stop. Does that mean you know where the island of the old gods is?"
I asked slowly, looking Lucian staringly in the eye. After all, Lucian was one of the old gods himself. He should know that, shouldn't he?
Lucian nodded slowly and my eyes widened. "Then take me there." Lucian shook his head.
"I can't do that!" he said and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Why not?"
"Only gods or mystical beings are allowed in this place," he said, eyeing me up and down.
"Testios said that I have this special gift inside me. Doesn't that make me a mystical creature?" I asked and Lucian shook his head again. "No, you got that ability because of your blessing." I stumbled. My blessing. Did Lucian perhaps know more than he wanted to tell me?
"Lucian? Do you know something about my blessing?" I asked cautiously, hoping that this bad premonition of mine would not become reality.
Lucian ran his fingers through his hair and narrowed his eyes briefly. "Yes."
He knew. What a big fuck up.
My heart was pounding as I stared at Lucian, waiting for him to explain what he knew about my blessing. "What do you know?" I demanded, my voice shaking with anger and fear.
Lucian hesitated, his expression pained. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but... your blessing is more than just a gift. It's a curse."
What exactly did he mean by that?
"A curse?" I asked and Lucian nodded. "You are the child of Jupiter.""I'm what?" I asked, startled, and Lucian avoided my gaze.
"You were born to be my wife," Lucian said and from that moment on there was nothing but emptiness in my mind.
"You want me to be...what?"
"I'm sorry, Yona," Lucian said, his voice soft. "I know this is a lot to take in, but it's the truth."
I shook my head, unable to process what he was saying. "No, it can't be. I'm just a mortal. How could I be the child of a god?"
Lucian sighed. "Your mother was mortal, but your father was Jupiter, king of the gods. It's a long and complicated story, but the important thing is that your blessing is tied to your destiny as Jupiter's daughter."
I felt a knot form in my stomach. "What does that mean for me?"
Lucian leaned forward, his eyes intense. "It means that you have a role to play in the war between the old gods and the new. Your blessing is a powerful weapon that can tip the scales in favor of one side or the other."
I was incredulous. "What war? And why does my blessing have anything to do with it?"
Lucian sighed heavily. "It's a long story, Yona. But the short version is that the old gods, like me, were overthrown by the new gods, who wanted to rule over humans and control their destinies. Your blessing, as the child of Jupiter, is the key to unlocking the power of the old gods and restoring balance to the world."
I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't understand. How can I do all that?"
Lucian reached out and took my hand. "You're not alone, Yona. I will help you."
I cut him off. "No, you don't understand. You have no idea what it's like to have your entire life turned upside down in an instant. To be told that you're the child of a god, that you have this 'blessing' that's actually a curse, and that you're supposed to use it to fight in a war between gods. How am I supposed to do that? I'm just a mortal!"
"I understand more than you realize," Lucian said softly. "I've lived for thousands of years, Yona. I've seen countless mortals face impossible choices and difficult trials. But I've also seen them rise to the occasion, to become heroes in their own right."
I looked at him skeptically. "And what about you? Are you a hero, Lucian?"
He smiled wryly. "I'd like to think so. But I've made my fair share of mistakes and bad choices."
I looked at him, feeling a mix of emotions. Fear, confusion, and a strange sense of hope. "What do I do now?"
I snatched my hand away from him, feeling betrayed. "So you've been lying to me this whole time? You knew who I was and you didn't tell me?"
Lucian looked hurt. "I was trying to protect you, Yona. I didn't want to involve you in this war."
"I don't want to be involved in this war!" I yelled. "I just want to live my life and be left alone!"
"But you can't, Yona," Lucian said firmly. "You have a responsibility to use your blessing for the greater good."
"I don't care!" I yelled. "I never asked for this! I never wanted any of this!"
Lucian's expression softened. "I know it's not fair, Yona. But we don't always get to choose our destinies."
"I don't believe in destiny," I spat out. "I make my own choices and I choose not to be a pawn in your godly war."
"You don't understand," Lucian said, frustration creeping into his voice. "The fate of the world is at stake here. You have a gift that can make a difference."
"I don't care about the fate of the world," I said, my voice shaking. "All I care about is my own life. And right now, I want to get as far away from you as possible."
Lucian's eyes flashed with anger. "Fine. If that's what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."
I stood up, my heart pounding. "I don't need your warnings. I need you to leave me alone."
Lucian stood up as well, his expression grave. "Yona, please. Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'm here to help you."
"I don't want your help," I said, my voice shaking. "I just want to be left alone."
Lucian looked at me for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. I'll leave you alone. But remember, Yona, you can't run from your destiny forever. It will catch up to you eventually... You are my future wife!"
"We'll see about that!"
I turned on my heel and stormed away, not looking back. I didn't care where I was going, as long as it was away from Lucian and his godly drama.
As I walked, my anger turned to fear. What if Lucian was right? What if I really did have a responsibility to use my blessing for the greater good? Could I really turn my back on the fate of the world?
I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice when the ground beneath my feet started to shift and warp. Suddenly, I was falling through darkness, my stomach lurching with every twist and turn.
***
Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, the darkness lifted and I found myself on a wooden floor. I sat up, rubbing my head, and looked around.
I was in a small, dimly lit room. The walls were made of rough stone, and the only source of light was a flickering torch on the wall. There was a wooden door in front of me, and a small table and chair in the corner.
Confused and disoriented, I got to my feet and approached the door.
At that moment the door opened and I looked into Dasha's astonished face. "Yona, what are you doing here?"
"Dasha...", I murmured. My sadness was evident on my face. Lucian was a fucking asshole. Yet somehow I loved him.
"How did you get here?" asked Dasha confusedly, clasping my face. "I was already organising a search party."
"Dasha, Thod he took me with him. He kidnapped me."
Dasha sighed, "I heard that already! What a bastard!" Dasha looked at me pityingly. "Where is Lucian? How did you get here?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. We had a fight and I ran away from him. Next thing I knew, I was falling through darkness and ended up here."
Dasha's expression turned serious. "I knew that little fucker was going to really piss me off!"
She sighed and grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's get something to eat first."
"Dasha, I don't know. We had a fight and I left him." I said, feeling a mix of sadness and anger.
Dasha hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry, Yona. I'm here for you now. Let's figure out a way to fix this."
I leaned into her embrace, feeling grateful for her support. "Thank you, Dasha. I don't know what I would do without you."
Dasha pulled away and looked at me seriously. "Yona, we need to talk about what happened. What did Lucian say to upset you so much?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. "He told me that I have a role to play in a war between the old gods and the new. That my blessing is a powerful weapon that can tip the scales in favor of one side or the other."
Dasha looked at me, incredulous. "What? That's insane! Why didn't Lucian tell you before?"
"He said he was trying to protect me," I said, my voice shaking. "But I don't know if I can trust him anymore."
Dasha put her arm around me. "We'll figure this out, Yona. Together."
As we sat down at the small table, Dasha poured us each a cup of tea. "Okay, first things first. We need to find out more about this war and your role in it."
I nodded, feeling a sense of purpose. "Yes, you're right. But where do we start?"
Dasha pulled out a small leather-bound book from her bag. "I've been doing some research on my own. I found this ancient text that describes the war between the old gods and the new. It's written in a language that's been lost for centuries, but I managed to decipher some of it."
She opened the book and showed me the page. There were illustrations of fierce battles and mythical creatures, along with symbols and strange markings.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as I looked at the text. It was clear that this was something important, something that could change the course of history. "This is incredible, Dasha."
Dasha smiled. "I've always had a knack for languages. It took a lot of time and effort, but I managed to piece together some of the key parts of the text."
She pointed to one of the illustrations on the page. "According to this text, the war between the old gods and the new started when the new gods began to interfere with the lives of mortals. They believed that they could do a better job of looking after humanity than the old gods, who had become complacent and distant."
I frowned. "But what about the old gods? What did they do?" I was curious to learn more about Lucian's, or rather Pluto's, past.
Dasha turned the page to reveal another illustration. "The old gods were outraged by the actions of the new gods. They believed that it was not their place to interfere with the lives of mortals, and that they should instead focus on their duties of managing the souls of the dead."
She paused for a moment, studying the illustration. "But the new gods didn't listen. They continued to meddle in mortal affairs, and eventually they began to steal the souls of the dead, claiming that they could offer them a better afterlife than the old gods."
My eyes widened. "So that's what started the war?"
Dasha nodded. "Yes, and it was a brutal war, with both sides fighting for control over the mortal world and the afterlife. The new gods had powerful weapons and advanced technology, while the old gods relied on their magic and divine powers."
She sighed. "In the end, neither side emerged victorious. The war ended in a stalemate, with both sides retreating to their own realms. But the damage had been done, and the mortal world was forever changed."
I felt a sense of unease as I listened to Dasha's words. The idea of gods fighting over the lives of mortals was unsettling, and the thought of the new gods stealing the souls of the dead was downright terrifying.
I now knew a little more about Lucian's past. It was about time I got my life back on track.
"What have I got myself into, Dasha?", I ask, laughing hysterically.