Prologue
Deals with the devilalways end up ugly, no matter how hard you try to set up a fair bargain. They both learned this the hard way. Everything in their path was supposed to be perfect; good grades, a happy family, and an amazing best friend. But now… they are both dead.
It’s funny how we would assume everything we saw in the movies was myth, and what was written in books was just a made-up story to keep the children away from harm But what if what we believed was nothing but a mixture of truth and lies?
Forget everything that the books of myths told you. Because none of them are real. Hell and Heavennever existed. The truth of the afterlife is far more terrifying than that.
Maybe the devil in this story wasn’t such a devil at all.
And the real devil? Gods.
Crazy, huh?
Oh, it gets better… the twist of fate started in the classroom.
"Does anyone knows the answer to this riddle?”Ms. Blackwell asked her students for the third time but none of them was bothered enough to raise their hands. None except one.
“A frog.” Isabel finally answered and the whole class wowed in astonishment. The riddle was: What jumps when it walks and sits when it stands?
“Frogs are classified as amphibians. They have four legs and breathe through their skin.” Isabel added and the whole class applauded.
“Attagirl, Isabel Levine.” Rosabel,her best friend who was sitting next to her smiled and applauded. “A true expert in animals. You never failed to surprise us ”
“Not at all,” Isabel blushed “You helped me with the last one, remember?”She couldn’t take all the credit, Rosabel had helped her with riddles before
Ms. Blackwellerased the board and began to write another riddle for her students. “How about this one?”
All eyes looked straight ahead to the whiteboard, readingthe odd riddle repeatedly. “Miles apart but connected by heart, what am I?”
Rosabel read and Isabel followed. It was clear that no one knew the answer, not even Isabel.
The bell rang and Ms. Blackwell dismissed the class, “Remember class, we have a quiz next week about Greek Mythology. Don’t forget to review chapter four. And oh, don’t forget to solve this riddle for me.” She said before clearing her desk while the students began to pack up their belongings.
Isabel and Rosabel.
Two names that rhyme were usually spoken together in a sentence.
Isabel was obsessed with all kinds of animals;mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. She had a shelve full of animal comics and magazines in her bedroom. For Christmas, she got a parrot with white feathers as a present, and she was over the moon. But a year later, the poor bird flew away because Isabel forgot to close the cage after feeding it. Her parents nearly hollered the roof down when they found out – the parrot had cost quite a bit of money. They said she was an irresponsible girl and from that day Isabel never had a pet again.Though she kept its white feather as a charm.
Rosabel was equally obsessed with mythology. She’d sit in her room all day and watch fantasy movies, reading an online comic about mythical narratives and characters like; centaurs, mermaids, vampires, and even demons. When her foster parents and their annoying son Oggy went out for dinner in some fancy restaurants, leaving her alone, Rosabel would just turn on the television and let her obsession take over her thoughts.
One day when she spotted Isabel reading a book about mythical animals alone, she didn’t even hesitate to join in.
They had been best friends ever since.
Rosabel was an ambitious, daring girl with auburn red hair and round blue eyes Her best friend was quite the opposite; Isabel was a delicate and shy girl with brunette hair and green eyes But the opposite does attract each other
On the surface, the girls seemed ordinary. But that was before they encountered something greater to comprehend.
The two girls were walking down the hall together, and a crowdof students streamed through the hallway.
When they finally reached the school gate, Isabel suggested an idea. “Hey, there’s this new movie coming out. It’s a live adaptation of Noah’s Ark. I heard the director used real animalsto act. Let’s go and watch it.”
“Noah’s Ark? You mean the story of a man who built an ark to save the animals from a flood?” Rosabel asked, she was certain of that tale.
“Yeah,” Isabel nodded. “Well… I’m not sure about it either. But you know, it's a movie about animals!You know how much I adore them!” Isabel did a little wiggle with her arms and Rosabel giggled.
“I know, I know.But the movieusually starts aroundten in the evening. Didn’t you have strict parents, Miss Animal Princess?”
Isabel frowned.Her friend was right, Isabel’sparents were old-schooled. Even when Isabel turned thirteen they refused to give her room for herself. They said she was not old enough to take care of her own space. So she had to share a bedroom with three of her siblings. Every Friday, she’d often ask for permission to go sleepover at Rosabel’s house, since she had a room of her own. And they’d stay up all night watching fantasy films that Rosabel collected from the record store
Rosabel noticed her friend’slong face so she patted her shoulder gently
“Hey, at least your parents aren’t as bad as mine ” she chuckled, and Isabel only managed a thin smile She knew Rosabel meant that She was adopted
since young.Her foster parents took her in; they gave her love and attention, everything she wanted. They used to adore her as if she was their biological daughter. That was before Mrs. Martin found out that she was expecting a son. Oggy, their greedy, rude three-year-old son took all the attention from Rosabel. From then on, Rosabel was alone. She was left to do her laundry and walked to school alone.
Isabel knew that her best friend hid her pitiful tears behind her big warm smile.
“Maybe we can watchit together when the film is out for sale.”Isabel shrugged, and they continued to walk down the familiar street back home
But before she could take the idea off of her head, Rosabel pulledit back “Are you just going to give up like that?”
Isabel stopped walking, her big green eyes met her friend’s pair of blue eyes.
Rosabel smirked with a rebellious look, “Get ready, tonight we’re sneaking out.”
Isabel took off her shoes and rushed upstairs.She could smell her mother’s cooking coming from the kitchen.
“You’re home early,” she heard her mother say from downstairs. “Anything happened at school?”
“Not really, mom,” Isabel answered. Their house wasn’t so big, so practically she could hear her seven-year-old brothers fighting for the remote in the living room. Charlie and Oliver were twins. They looked exactly alike
which made it almost impossible to tell them apart The teachers had to give them a name tag so that they can be called correctly.
“Your father should be home for dinner soon,go and finish your homework.” her mother said.
“Okay,” Isabel replied.
She closed the door behind her and looked around the room. The double bunk bed for her brothers stood on the right side of the room, her bed on the other side. There is a window at the end of the bedroom.
After Charlie and Oliver fell asleep,I’ll climb down the window.Gotta be careful not to wake them up.’she thought to herself.
After a few hours,her father returned from work. They all sat down at the dining table. Her mother cooked mashed potato and roasted chicken for dinner.
“What the occasion?” her father asked her mother while taking off his coat to which she made a disappointed face. “Did you forget what today is?” she asked and crossed her arms to her chest.
Her father stared blankly at his watch for a second before his face lit up. “Oh dear, how could I forget!? It’s my birthday!” he joked and Isabel and the twins laughed while their mother remained silent.
“It’s our anniversary, you muffin head.” her mother clicked her tongue.Isabel could see that she was hidingher grin. The truth is her mother could never be angry at her father. She acted all moody and sassy but deep down she never felt a single frustration towards her husband.
“I know, my dear. I was just joking.”
Isabel watchedas her parents' exchanged kisses and she wondered if she will ever find love like her parents.
The sky was dark, but the moon was bright. Isabel looked outside her window, screening the empty street below her. Her twin brothers snooze quietly in their beds, sound asleep.
She scratched her head. It took the twins a few hoursto finally go to bed. They were fidgeting with their toys non-stop until their father had to come in and confiscated their toy cars away.
Isabel glancedat the clock on the wall. It is currently nine, she’d sneak out and meet Rosabel at her house. Hopefully, she won’t wake her brothers on her way down the window.
Isabel climbed down her window. She landed on the pavement and accidentally made a noisewhen she stepped on a dry leave. She looked up, expecting the twins to glance down at her but there was nobody.
As she stalked down the street, her heart was pounding. She’d never sneaked out before, especially at night time. If her parents were to find out, she wouldbe grounded for weeks. But there was no way of going back now that she was already standing in front of Rosabel’s house.
The auburn red hair girl closed the house door quietly before running to Isabel. Their eyes filled with excitement. Little did they know that the path they were about to walk would alter their lives forever.
“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this!” Isabel said, walking down the night street where only two of them were awake Rosabel chuckled, skipping in her favoriteshoes “I can This is the best night ever!Rosabel and Isabel forever!” she cheered and Isabel held out her hand to Rosabel
“Our name rhymes like a song,doesn’t it?”
Rosa took her hand into hers. “It does.”
It took them a while to find directions. But in the end, they managed to arrive at the theater.It was crowded with people,mostly adults. Most of them wore fancy clothes, popcorn, and beverage in their hands. There was no doubt that these people were looking forward to watching Noah’s Ark too.
Isabel squeezed Rosabel’s hand tightly as they made their way into the line. “A lot of us wanted to see this movie too, I guess,” she muttered.
“Whatever gave you that idea, bestie?” Rosabel said sarcastically.
They waited in line untilit was finally their turn to buy tickets. It was quite expensive but Isabel had been savingup her pocket money for the last three weeks. Rosabel admitted she stole some cash from her parents’ jar.
“You did what!?” Isabel exclaimed.
“Relax… I’ll return the change. Besides,don’t you want to get some snacks while we’re watching the movie?” Rosabel smirked.
Isabel felt unsure. Her best friend had always been a rebel and a rule-breaker. She once skipped class just to avoid detention from Ms.Blackwell. Of course, she still got into one. But it only made her ego increase. Isabel didn’t mind, they were best friends after all, and they’d do anything for each other…right?
The girls were walking into the dark hall of the theater.It was difficult to see where the stairs were, but the dim light above the ceiling helped them see a bit They stepped down the stairs slowly and awkwardly, Isabel did not have a lot of experience with a place like this, especially when her parents
were not here to guide her. She could see the big black screen at the end of the large room. There were some people already seated in the red chairs.
Isabel was checking the number of the seat,when suddenly, “Ouch!”
Isabel toppled back onto the floor, her bottom hit hard on the cold tiles. When she looked up, a person was standingin front of her. A woman wearing an orange coat with dark skin was towering over her, her eyes were grey like the storm. She was as tall as a celebrity, feminine waist, and bony fingers. She wore a golden necklace that looked like it could be extremely expensive. Despite her looking almost alien-like, Isabel thought she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
It wasn’t rare for celebrities to wander around places like this, they were normal people with their own life too. But there was something else about this woman.
The woman reached out a hand to her, “Are you hurt?” she asked. Her voice was as gentle as a melody.
Isabel took her hand, it was surprisingly cold. “I’m fine, thank you.”
The woman smiled, “Please be careful next time, child.”
Isabel thought it was strange for her to say that, but she didn’t think much of it. The woman turned around, her movement was swift but silent, like a panther. The woman walked down the aisle and seated on a chair just right in front of the screen.
She brushed the dust off of her jacket,feeling a bit miserable since she accidentally dropped her popcorn while running into the woman It had cost
her quitea bit. Isabel sighed but when she turned aroundto see Rosabel, she felt a cold chill down her spine.
Isabel stared curiously at her friend.She was almostas pale as a sheet and was shaking over. She even dropped the popcorn of cheese flavor that she’d bought.
Her eyes were fixedon the woman, as thoughglued to her. And even when the movie started, Rosabel wouldn’t stop glancing over at the seat in front of them. The seat where the woman with an orange coat was sitting alone.
The movie went well, at least that was what Isabel thought. There were many scenes with animals. She’d hugged her knees while being captivated by every second of the film. She had almost forgotten about the popcorn that she’d dropped earlier
When the movie ended, the light from the theater lit up the room and the audience was starting to stand up, getting ready to leave Isabel jumped up and stretched her body
“That was amazing!” she beamed, replaying the scene where Noah free the animals back to the island after the flood. “I hope it’s on sale tomorrow, I’ll definitely buy the CD of it.”
Isabel noticed the gloomy expression on her friend’sface. “What’s wrong?” she asked Rosabel who had been silent this entire time.
“Rosabel?” Isabel tapped her on the shoulder which made the auburn hair girl blink before answering. “Nothing… ”
The hallway was filled with people walking in the same direction toward the exit. They were about to reach the outsidewhen Rosabel leaned closer and whispered in her ear: “Go back by yourself.”
“Huh?” Isabelasked, confused. People behind them were making their way out. Then the door to the right of them opened and the people in that room flooded out, heading towards the exit.
“Just go, I’ll meet you at school tomorrow,” Rosabel said and pushed Isabel forward.
Isabel tried to walk back to her but her small body was pushed back further by the sea of people. Even when she yelled out for Rosabel, Isabel could not see where her best friend was.
“And remember, if anything happens,I ”
Isabel couldnot hear the end of that sentence, as she was knocked over and tripped to the ground. Luckily she wasn’t injured, but she was no longer standing in the hall as well. She was already standing outside the movie theater.And when she turned around, there was no sight of her best friend, just a line full of audience minding their business.
Isabel panted, exhausted from diving out of the sea of people. She wondered what has gotten into Rosabel. She never acted this way before, tonight Rosabel seems off, even before the movie started.She decided to ask her friend tomorrow since it was getting late and they had class in the morning too.
Just before Isabel could walk away, she noticed a white figure past at the cornerof her eye She lookedup at the night sky and blinked She swore something big flew past her like a shooting star Had she gone mad?
Isabel shrugged and began to walk down the street to her home. But then there it goes again. A white figure swooped from above her head.
She shot an alarming look, determined to catch whatever it was with her eyes. Then finally she saw it.
It wasn’t a ghost, nor a person either.It was an animal, a bird.
Isabel studied the creature with eyes wide. It has a rounded head and two large wings hugged around its torso. Its black claw gripped tightly on the street light. The most significant feature of this bird was that it was a white owl.
Isabel’s eyes shimmered, the owl almost reminded her of her diseased pet years ago. ‘What a magnificent owl.’ she thought.
The white owl’s big round eyes stared at her for a moment.Isabel could see her own reflection in its eyes. From the moment she laid eyes on the owl, Isabel felt tingled down her back, it was a feeling she yearned for. Isabel wanted to keep the owl for herself. Shel began to reach out for the owl when the bird suddenly yanked itself off the platform.
Isabel let out a surprised yell before the big owl dashed into the sky and flew away.
“Wait, come back!” she cried and followed the white owl.
Her eyes fixed on the flying owl and did not pay attention to the road she was running Occasionally the white owl gave her a mysterious look before continuing to fly into the woods
Isabel stopped running to catch her breath The white owl had disappeared behind the tall trees She gulped, it was a very shady and hollow
forest. There were no clear paths or lights anywhere. Walking into this forest would mean one would be lost.
Usually, people would turn their back and head home at this point.But Isabel’s urge to see that white owl again made her take a deep breath and carefully stepped into the spine-chilling forest.
Tall trees blocked her view of the city. The only source of light was the moon in the sky. If it wasn’t because of the light, Isabel would be as blind as a bat.
When Isabel reached the end of the forest she discovered she was standing in the middle of the graveyard. It was very hollow and dirty here – and freezing too. Isabel could see everything in perfect detail. Nobody was around, no people, no ghosts, no owl – no Rosabel.She sat back and waited, looking up and down for a glimpse of that majestic white owl. About ten minutes later, Isabel spotted a shadow creeping slowly toward the yard's edge It nervously lurked through the tall grass and turned around
It was Rosabel.
Isabel opened her mouth, readyto call out her best friend’s name.But then stopped. Something about her friend’s expression was uncanny. Isabel decided to hide behind an old tombstone, her face peeking out from the corner.
Rosabel started towards one of the tombstones, then paused suddenly.
Isabel couldsee the sweat rolling down her face, tryingto keep her sanity together.
Then a voice came from high above her head.
“Are you looking for me, child?” it asked. A figure swooped down onto the yard from the nearby tree, two feminine arms on its sides, an orange coat floating behind it like a pair of wings, and a pair of eyes looking down at Rosabel.
Rosabel nearly jumped out of her skin when the figure hit the ground fast yet gracefully. Isabel, however, toppled backward and almost let out a scream. When she got back to her knees again, she was able to make out long black hair, dark skin, deep grey eyes,and a golden necklace around her neck.
It was the beautiful woman from the movie theater! Rosabel tried to speak but her teeth were shaking too much.
“I noticed the way you stared at me,” the woman said. “You looked terrified when you first saw me. Why, child?”
“I…” Rosabel swallowed. “I–I know who you are.”Rosabel stuttered, finding her own voice buried deep in her throat.
“Oh?” the woman smiled,but there was no humorin it. “Tell me, young lady,” she sneered, “who am I?”
“Your name is Athena,” Rosabel said and the woman’sgrey eyes widen in astonishment. Then Rosabel said something that made Isabel’s jaw dropped.
“You are a goddess!” Rosabel yelled, and the silence that followed echoed through the dim graveyard was as long as it was horrifying
Athena smiled, “So,” she broke the eternal silence, “I have been discovered I should not be surprised I came to visit the mortal realm for
entertainment. It was risky for me to be here after all. Tell me then, who sent you here?”
“No one,” Rosabel answered.
“Come on, child,” Athena growled, her face suddenly changed from calmto unsettling. “Do not play tricks with me. Who are you working for? What do you want?”
“I’m not working for anyone!” Rosabel insisted. “I saw a painting of you in the Greek mythology book. You have the same grey eyes as the figure in the book. You are a goddess of wisdom and morals. Many people always assume that you have white skin and blonde hair. But I know otherwise, celestial and divine beings do not look like that at all.”
Athena shook her head, “Mortals are full of nonsense, they fabricated tale after tale and imbue them inside their heads. I should have known when I saw the film of that Noah’s Ark. Silly narrative.” She fixed her fierce gaze on Rosabel, “Though it does not matter for children like you. You should have kept your mouth shut and returned home immediately!”
Isabel’s blood froze in her stomach. If she were to be in Rosabel’s position, she would have fled from the moment when Athena jumped down from the tree.But her best friend stoodher ground, her knees were knocking against each other under her skirt.
“I’m not here to expose you,” Rosabel said.
“What do you want, then? Money? Jewelry? A fortune of –”
“I want to join you,” Rosabelsaid “I want you to make me into a goddess and teach me your way ”
“By Almighty, no!” Athena roared “You must be as mad as Cerberus!”
“No, I’m not,” Rosabel claimed. “I want you to take me as your student. I’ll do anything! I’ll follow you around, be at your service, and I’ll even –”
“This is madness! I cannot turn a mortalinto a divine creature, let alone a child.”
Isabel watchedi n horror as her best friend and the woman who Rosabel claimed to be a “goddess” threw words at each other. In her heart, she wanted to get out of her hiding place and call out for Rosabel, take her by the arm, and run back home together. But the otherside of her was afraid.So she could only crouch from behind the tombstone and watch as her best friend’s life was hanging on the thread, like a coward.
“Please, I beg of you.” Rosabellet out a desperate cry. “This is what I was meant for. I know I belong with your kind.”
“You do not understand, child. If I let you, you would have to leave your home. You would need to bid farewell to your friends and family. You would have to leave your mortal life behind. Are you certain that is what you desire?”
Rosabel lowered her head and let out a soft sigh, “My parents died ever sinceI was young. I’ve been living with my foster family ever since,and they haven't been there for me once. I think they adopted me because they wanted the foster care money. But I didn’t mind. They raised me, so the only thing I can do to repay them is by letting them spend that money on whatever they want If I disappeared, no one will notice anyway, I’ve got nothing to lose ” she looked up at the charming goddess, her blue eyes filled with sadness
Athena grew silent. At first, Isabel thought that she would suddenly burstout a laugh at her best friend,but she didn’t.Instead, she asked her a question.
“What about your friend?Would you miss the girl who came with you tonight?”
Rosabel stunned,she considered her answer for a few seconds. “I could be careless about my family, they don’t care about me anyway. I doubt they even notice I’m here tonight,” she said. “But maybe Isabel… yeah, I would probably miss her the most.”
A pitiful smile appeared on Rosabel’s face then quickly vanished. “No, I already made my decision! Even if it means leaving my friends, I still want to be a goddess! Please! If you don’t let me, I promise I’ll follow you to the gate of hell if I have to!”
Athena did not laugh.Instead she nodded solemnly, “You have given this a lot of thought, did you? Are you certain about this?”
Rosabel nodded silently, the air around them felt heavy.
Athena took a deep breath, “Very well,” she said.
She extended a hand out in front of Rosabel, a shimmering object appeared right before their eyes. It was a weighing scale with two golden plates on either side, hung to the center by two golden strings.
“We will need to test your blood first,”Athena said.
She snapped her fingers then a white feather spawned between her thumb She placed the feather on one side of the golden plate Isabel expected the empty plate to lift higher but both plates remained unmoved
Athena took out a needle from her coat, “Give me your hand, child. I will need just a drop of your blood. Then I will drop it on the empty dish; if the dish with your blood is lighter than the weight of the feather, then I will accept you. This means that you have a good heart. However, if the dish of your blood weighed more than the one with the feather,then that means you have an evil heart. And I will not take you in.”
Rosabel nodded and smirked, “Trustme, I have a good heart. I shared my lunch with my best friend.” she chuckled.
“Then here we go,” Athena said and snatched a needle into Rosabel’s finger. She yelped with the sudden pain but quickly swallowed back her cry. Her tiny finger bled, and her blood dropped from her palm to the ground.
Athena placed her blood onto the otherside of the golden plate and the scale began to move.
Both Isabel and Rosabel stared, both hopeful and hopeless. Isabel watched hopelessly as the golden scale worked,and she began to overthink. How was she going to cope with the fact that her best friend wanted to be a goddess, and that she was fine with leaving her human life behind? This made Isabel realize that she doesn’t know her best friend at all.
Rosabel watched with a heart filled with hope, she prayed for the blooded–plate to lift up high, higher than the sky. She imagined waving goodbye to her nasty step-parents, their annoying three-year-old son who would always cry like a little gremlin would watch as she proudly held hands with the goddess Athena,and fly up to the sky into the greatbeyond
It would be such a wonderful thing to live like an angel, roam in heaven like a pegasus, or even sleep through the clouds while cuddling with a unicorn
Her thought was interrupted by the sound of the broken object.
Rosabel snapped out of her imagination and stumbled backward as the golden shards from the plate hit the ground. Even Athena hesitated in disbelief.
The plate with Rosabel’s blood exploded, leaving only the one with the white feather on the other side, undamaged.
“What happened?” Rosabel cried
Athena’s eyes were full of shock “Dear father, I have never seen anything like this before,” she took a step backward, “you are evil ”
“What?!” Rosabel exclaimed “You are lying! Take that back now!”
“The scale recognized immense evil when one’s blood is placed upon.You are a monster. Spawn of the devil! You can never be one of us. Leave now, child.”
Rosabel stared as Athena began to walk away, her eyes began to form tears. All her life, she had been rejected, but nothing – nothing –made her shattered as much as the goddess’s word. Her face shaded red like her hair. Then she did the most unthinkable thing ever.
“Zeus should’ve fed you to the wolves after he pulled you out of his head!”
Athena stopped walking. The atmosphere fell dark and the wind seems to have stopped blowing. There was not even a soundof life comingfrom the cemetery.
The goddess turned around, “Get my father’s name out of your sickening mouth!” and in a blink of an eye, the goddess teleported in front of her, towering over Rosabel like a beast. Her grey eyes burned with rage.
Then the sky began to darken,the clouds swirled and spun which was followed by the aggressive breath of rough wind storming around them
Isabel grabbed onto whatever she can as the wind pushed her backward.
Her friend, Rosabel, trembled down onto the ground. And when she realized her mistake, it was already too late.
Athena pointed down at her with her slender finger, “You should already know that I was the one who cursed Medusa into the monster she was.” Lighting dashed from the sky and hit Rosabel.
She screamed in agony as the darkness engulfed her.
Isabel stared in horror as her best friends body dissolved. “Rosabel!” she cried out and reach out to the particles.
Then she was gone.
The night felt even cold even when Isabel ran for her life. She raced home, leaving whatever happened to Rosabel behind.
The next day, Isabel woke up with a tug in her guts. The fear some feeling from last night still taunted her, she found it extremely difficult to catch sleep,too. A part of her was hoping that whatever happened was just a dream, a nightmare that felt real.
She kept telling herself that there was no way that Rosabel was evil. They had been best friends since forever, and she had been nothingbut nice to her. Why in the world would Athena say that? She must be lying.
Isabel walked to school alone. The path that she usually walks with her best friends felt empty and silent. And wherever she looked, she could not see
Rosabel. A chill snaked down her spinewhen she thought about how she left Rosabel at the graveyard, her thin body fading into the air like dust. Isabel shook her head. ‘That woman Athena must be a magician. She has to be! There was no way Rosabel turned into dust. Surely,Athena pulled a prank on her after she insulted her last night.’ she thought to herself.
She chuckled nervously and added, ‘There’s no way she disappeared like that, my mind must have been playing tricks on me. Gosh, I will never sneak out late at night again I’ll go to school, whereI’ll find Rosabel at her seat, probably combing her red hair like she usually does every morning
Then I’ll tell her what a crazy thing I saw last night ’ she thought
But all her thought were washed away when she saw the policemen show up at the school gate. Rosabel’s foster parents were there too.
Mrs. Martin was sobbing in her hands while Mr. Martin was having a furious conversation with one of the teachers.There was an unpleasant cross expression on his face indicating that he was angry.
“She’s nowhere to be found!” Mr. Martin spat, “Our girl snuck out last night like she always did, but she’d always come back. What is going on?”
The policemen were discussing with each other when Mrs. Martin cried. “My baby! Whereis she? My Rosie! Oh god…” she collapsed onto her knees.
Immediately, Ms. Blackwell, Isabel’s homeroom teacher rushed to her and covered Mrs. Martin’s shoulder with her jacket. She whispered something in her ear and then took her to the nurse’s office.
Mrs. Martin still had her face buried in her hands while she continued to sob.
“This is outrageous!” Mr. Martin exclaimed, “she has to be here, there was nowhere else she could be.” then he fisted his hands, and a glimpse of tears was sitting at the back of his eyes, “We’reterrible parents; if we care for her more than we should, then maybe… she would not run away from us.”
The policemen continued to ask around the campus. Some teachers were discussing what to do to assistthe situation. Mr. and Mrs. Martin was comforting each other in their arms, guilting themselves of their stepdaughter’s disappearance.
Isabel watched from the window of the classroom. She realized now that what she saw last night was not her imagination. It was real.
Her best friend was gone.
Isabel gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to accept the truth, but she had to. If there was anyone who was at fault, without a doubt it would be her. She had caused so much pain for Rosabel’s family.
It was all her fault.
If she didn’t sneak out with Rosabel last night to watch that stupid movie, then Rosabel would still be here. If she stopped Rosabel from going off on her own alone after the movie, then Rosabel would still be here.If she interrupted Rosabel before she
Isabel looked up, an idea came into her head like a bullet.
It seems impossible, but impossible means one hasn’t found a solution yet Therewas only one way to save Rosabel The only person who can bring her back The person who is beyond human Athena
As the bell rang and the students all walked home together. Isabel had a plan in her mind. She would sneak out at night again, but for one last time.
She’d go back to that haunting cemetery, to that depressing graveyard. As soonas it got dark, she would find the goddess,wherever she mightbe. And if she couldn’t force her to return Rosabel…
…she wouldn’tcome back at all.
Isabel waited until the clock strikes midnight and all her siblings were asleep. She climbed down her window and landed awkwardly on the pavement. She tucked her jacket closer to her torso to repel the cold air of the night.
Isabel was walking down the street when she heard a familiar woosh of the wind. She looked up and saw the white owl sitting on the streetlight. The exact one that brought her into the chaos.
The creature stared at her for a long time, its eyes glowed mysteriously.
Before Isabel could say anything, the white owl lept down the streetlight and clapped out its two wings. It flew down the street,luring the girl to follow.
Isabel took a quick breath, there was no turning back now. Then she followed the white owl like a predator chasing its prey
The graveyard was as dark as she remembered But she wasn’t afraid anymore She had braved her fear, the fear that used to hold her back was immersed with the hope of getting her best friend back
The white owl that she was following landed on the tree, its claws hugged onto a dark branch behind the tree. But when Isabel looked closer, it was no branch at all.
It was an arm.
Then a hand reached out from the other side, petting the white owl gently. Isabel’s eyes followed the hand to an arm, to a face of a dangerous goddess.
“Athena!” Isabel yelled up at the goddess sitting on the tree.
The goddess smiled without looking away from the white owl on her arm, but there was a slynessin that smile. “Greetings, Levine,”She continued to groom the white creature. “I heard you coming, what brings you here?”
Isabel cleared her throat before speaking, “How did you know?”
“There are many thingsI know, child.”she said, then looked down and grinned. Her grey eyes shimmered.
“You’ve been waiting for me, haven'tyou?” Isabel asked. “Yes,” she nodded.
“How long have you been here?”
“For eternity and never,” Athena noticed the curiosity on the girl’s face and then rolled her eyes. “About an hour your time, child.Glaukopis sent me a signal when she found out you were ”
“Glaukopis?” Isabel asked.
“My companion,” Athena nodded to the white owl, who was now standing on one of the humid tombstones “She is my eyes when I am occupied She was also the one who informed me about a rat last night, one that spied on me and the lass’s tedious conversation
Isabel gulped.
“I was going to act, but with a mortal that dared to spy on me, I decided it was worth studying.”
“Why?” Isabel asked, trying so hard not to turn around and run away.
“Why indeed.”she rubbed her chin and snapped a finger. In a blink of an eye, Athena was nowhere to be found on the tree.
Isabel began to panic, she felt her stomach curled inside.
“Tell me, child,” a voice suddenly came from behind and Isabel swirled around Athena was standing just a meter away from her
“What is it that you seek from me?” she asked,her tall figure towering over Isabel, the moonlight casted a shadow onto her
Isabel’s heart was pounding This was the closest to her Isabel had been, and she expected to spot all sorts of details; halo on her head, angel wings, and glowing skin – but she looked like a normal human, albeit a gorgeously terrifying one.
Athena smiled clandestinely, “You know what I found amusing? Mortals imagined divine entities to look a certain way; wings, pale skin, a ring on their head with sword and shield. And they write it down in books to fool the world. When in actuality, we divine living are just like you. We feel the same emotions as mortals do.”
“Except you can do magic,” Isabel said and Athena smiled.
“That is, our job is to protect the universe. Though we are immortals, we do not have the power to do everything that we desire. We merely observe humanity, utilizing our ability to balance the world together.”
Isabel tilted her head, “You mean, gods are not the ones who created the world?”
“How in the nine realms can we do that, child? We are not the makers, we are the protectors. Gods do not make anything. The universe does it. And the power we have has been given to us by life itself.Within our capabilities, we have certain rules to follow; we obeyed the universe and respect the way of life and death You mortal worshiped us like we are the birth of all beings, believing in something that was obviously a lie ”
Athena stretched her body “But lately, I have been bored of our duty. Protecting the realms for trillions of years had worn me out. Thus,I decided to pay the mortal a visit a vacation, you could say. However, I did not expect to encounter such atrocities. Now, child. Do not waste my time any further, tell me what you seek.”
“I…” Isabel swallowed, “I want you to bring her back.”
“Alas, I have no idea what you are talking about ”
“Don’t play dumb!” Isabel yelled.
Athena narrowed her eyes, “Watch your tongue,child. Or I shall fix it for you.” her voice lowered into a serious tone.
“I’m sorry,” Isabel looked down to the ground, her head bellowing.
“I just… it's been difficult for me. But I really need you to return Rosabel back. She’s my best friendand I can’t just lose her like this.” Isabel begged but the goddess showed no sign of sympathy.
“Return her? Lass, have you forgotten what she said to me? That little split-tongued snake had the audacity to speak to me like that. In all of my eternal life, I have not once met a mortal that dares to challenge my ability.
