Yonghwa

I felt all of the exhaustion when I rested the girl on the bed. I took her at one of the hideouts I used before. It was small and only fitted for one person to live. But the resources here should be enough for the two of us to stay for a while.

I seated myself across the room and thought of all that has happened. All of the rush and sudden turn of events. And it all started with just one dream. One dream that's still vivid in my mind.

It was more like a distant memory than a dream. A memory that I could never forget even if I tried to. I could still feel the dread and the exhaustion in me at that time. The strain on my body was unbearable and I could barely keep my consciousness from slipping. I was holding a girl to prevent her from falling into a pit. I couldn't see the bottom but I could feel pure malice coming from it that sent shivers into my spine.

I couldn't pull her up because of my exhaustion and mainly because someone or something is pulling her from the pit. The pain was unbearable and it felt like my arm will break in two. The girl's hand was slipping from mine so I held it tighter to prevent it from slipping any further. She was yelling to me, saying that I should let go but I refused. I knew that there was no way left to save her. It was either she fall alone or we fall together. But I refused to believe it. I was working my mind on finding a way to save her.

She could see that I was frantic in finding a way to save her which she knew that was impossible. She of all people would know the best. She's the smartest and wisest person I know. So she decided to choose that choice she knew I could never make. She called my name with a voice that shocked me so I faced her. Her voice was calm and there was no trace of any fear. I looked into her eyes and I knew right then what she was gonna do.

"No, no! Don't do it! Don't you dare do it!" I yelled at her while tears escaped my eyes.

I could see in her eyes that she’s determined and nothing could change her mind. I know these because I have seen it countless times before. This was the one good proof that she’s stubborn which she denied every time. If we were not in that situation, I would have started teasing her with it. But unfortunately, we were. The gods must be laughing with us now. Yes, they are definitely laughing at me now. I will never forgive them. And then I snapped from my thought.

I yelled at her to hold on but her expression didn't change. "Goodbye, Yongie. I wished we could've had more time together. But I guess this is where we must part." She said to me with tears flowing from her eyes and her voice was trembling. She forced a smile but I could clearly see the sadness and fear in her eyes. I told her to stop and I will not let her fall. But even though I said those, I knew that if she let go, I won't be able to prevent her from slipping. She said something but I wasn't able to understand it. I was too focused in holding on and from the pain burning in my arm. She smiled at me, a smile that I am very familiar with. And then...

She let go.

I watched her as she fell into the pit. Tears fell harder from my eyes and screams escaped my mouth. I was wailing for her. I was about to jump into the pit myself when two arms stopped me and pulled me away from it. I tried to break free but two more arms held me.  I tried calling for her name but I couldn't form any words, just screams and wails. I tried to scream her name for the last time and summoned all of my remaining strength. "SHINHYE!"

I woke up with my hand up trying to grab something that I could never reach.

I was out of breath and full of sweat. I looked around but saw no one in my room. My heart was beating like crazy. I thought to myself that I needed some fresh air and I prepared to go out. I took my coat, shoes and sword. After preparing, I went to a corner of my room and shadow travelled to the place I always go to.

But while I was shadow traveling, I heard a voice of a woman. "Save her."

It sounds familiar but it also contains deadly tone in it. That was when I realized that I wasn't at the place that I had in mind when I shadow travelled. Then I notices a figure running in the middle of the night and another figure chasing not far from it. The first figure looks like a girl and the second one has a tail for its legs. A scythian dracanae. I scowled at the sight of the monster. It means that the girl it was chasing was a demigod because monsters don't usually pay attention to mortals.

I saw the girl go in an alley and find herself trapped. I watched as the dracanae slowly approached the girl and raise its arm to strike her. My body moved on its own like a reflex when I saw this. I shadow travel to them and sliced the dracanae's arm before it can hurt the girl. And everything happened in a flash. I saved the girl and I killed the dracanae.

Somehow this girl has this effect on me that I can't explain. It brought me unexplainable rage when I saw her helpless and scared because of that dracnae. I felt pain in my heart when I saw her crying. And when she fell asleep in my arms, I felt a strong sense of protection towards her. It was like I have this huge responsibility to protect her no matter what.

And now that I'm looking at her sleeping face, I couldn’t help myself but to admire her beauty.  Her soft skin, her silky hair and most importantly, her eyes. I can’t forget how dazzling her eyes were. It was just like her eyes but at the same time different.

But what bothers me the most was the voice I heard while shadow travelling. It was a sound of a woman and no ordinary woman in that, a goddess. My father is the only one who can easy interfere with my shadow travelling and no minor god or goddess can do that either. Which leaves into the major goddesses of the Olympians.

And there is one whom I suspect of who it could be. Athena!