Snores are what wake me.

Thoren is sleeping so soundly next to me. His head buried deep into my red mane, his arm hanging loosely around my waist. He is wearing black linen pants and a matching button up shirt. He looks so peaceful. I have never taken a good look at him asleep.

His hair is tousled mostly covering one eye. His tan skin glows softly against the golden soft rays of sunshine filling the room making his cherubic pink lips more inviting. I sweep his hair gently giving him a chaste kiss on the forehead. He sighs turning over softly letting me go in the process.

I sit up and scoot off the bed gently unwrapping my legs from linen sheets as my feet touch the stone cold floor. I yelp raising my hand to cover my mouth. So cold. I don't want to wake the snoring cherub. I gingerly take a few steps on my tippy toes mercifully spotting a pair of slippers that I gratefully wear.

I stretch my arms over my head yawning and for the first time I notice I have a bandaged arm from my wrist to my elbow. I look back at Thoren and I see one of his palms is entirely bandaged. I examine myself and surroundings further.

Am in the same fabric of a halter neck black dress that flows effortlessly to my feet. I twirl around and surprisingly I have easy mobility. I love this dress. I even love how it feels on my skin. simple yet elegant in a way. And it's defying all laws of fabric by not wrinkling.

The room is airy. There is the huge bed I just crawled from facing huge windows that could easily pass for doors that are letting in a soft breeze and beautiful lighting. Somehow I feel nostalgic. Deep down I know this place like I have been here before.

The floor is polished black stone. A desk in one corner and a silver platted wadrope with a suspicious looking pot in the corner but that's about it. I take my eyes off what am hoping is not the chamber pot and pull the handle of the door.

Noise immediately assaults my ears startling me. Squeals, loud laughter, arguments, loud booms and so many more harassing me. I quickly close the door behind me and take a huge breath leaning against it.

I stand there taking rapid breaths with closed eyes. After I calm down I open them with determination and pull open the door open stepping into the stone hallway letting the noise wash over me this time.

A huge force crashes into me sending me flying on to my butt a few feet away.

"Am so sorry I did not see you there. I should have been more careful." A small gentle hand touches my shoulder. I look up and am met with black eyes on a very concerned gentle face of a little girl around thirteen with black hair framing her face. How did she manage to knock me that hard? Am literally bigger.

"Am alright" I get up and close the bedroom door not wanting to wake Thoren who is still happily snoring away. She gives me a wide smile that immediately disappears as she remembers something.

"Am late. The mistress is going to be yet again displeased with me." She squeaks immediately bending down and starts gathering the books and papers scattered on the floor. I bend down to help her. I stand up and hand her my arranged pile that she places on top of her messy one.

"Thea and you?" I introduce myself. She peeks up at me her black eyes shinning with impossible kindness. She is about a head shorter than me.

"Soia. Nice to meet you Thea" And with that she takes off down the hall until she disappears leaving stunned. I follow her trail regardless. I want to know where I am besides I need to find my so too.

Everything here is ancient. Well not exactly ancient but about medieval or middle age? am not sure. But it is almost like technology is forbidden here. Everything is mostly stone. It almost looks like the inside of a castle. I continue moving and notice it is surprisingly warm given the fact it should be cold with all the stone.

But how did I get here? I do remember an old shack but not a castle. Where is the rest of my party? I reach some steps and meet a group of kids not so much older than me lounging there. They quiet down asthey give me passage and I descend enduring the queer looks they give me. I have a feeling we might not get along.

I see a huge entrance with huge open wooden doors some symbols etched into the dark wood. I go through emerging into a very welcome sight.

I am standing in a stretching field of green. It is so green and bright my eyes feel like they are being caressed by paradise. I hear a steam running, chirping birds and all sorts of sounds I love and I take a deep breath and laughing. I really like it here. I once again get the deja Vu.

I turn around and there is an imposing medieval castle before me just as I suspected. I gasp and squeal loudly unable to contain my overwhelm. I didn't expect it to be this big though. I feel insignificant next to it.

"That wraps up everything for today." A clear but soft voice catches my attention. I turn around and am met with about fifty or more pairs of eyes staring at me from about fifteen feet off my left. I blush and stare at the huge tree with spanning braches which the crowd is seated under. I ought to pay much attention to my surroundings.

The tree is huge but not that tall. Instead its branches and leaves span so widely, more than any umbrella tree I have ever laid eyes on. It is a giant umbrella shelter. My eyes lock on two identical women. They are wearing the same black sleeved dress. Their back hair beautifully frames their face. But its their eyes that throw me off.

Their face is beautiful like from unearthly beautiful greek sculptures I used to see in art class books that am lost for words. Their eyes, they keep altering to different colors every time I blink that it is giving a headache.

"Keep practicing for the next class." Their lilting soft voice washes calm over me.

"Yes Mistress." Everyone choruses.

"Soia. Please report to my office later." Everyone looks over at the girl I just met earlier as she hides her face in her palms.

"Follow me." A lilting voice ensues from behind me. I turn around to see one of them smiling kindly at me. I turn back to see she isn't under the tree anymore. How did she do that? Where is the other one?

"I can do a lot more. And there is one of me dear." She says as she starts to walk, no more like dance in front of me. She moves like she is dancing to the tunes of everything around her, like she is in sync with all of us and everything around her. My loud steps feel intrusive compared to her movements. I am mesmerized. Her feet barely touch the ground.

She momentarily stops at the entrance touching it before disappearing inside. I follow and we emerge inside a modernly furnished office without the gadgets of course, in the imposing stone castle I suppose.
Am inclined to believe that doorway is a portal to anywhere in here and somehow it feels like I already know this and it doesn't surprise me.

"Please sit" She gestures to an empty seat as she seats behind the desk and pours three cups of tea. Smells like chamomile. She passes me a cup with a plate of cookies. I dig in not waiting for an invitation. Am famished. She smiles at me patiently as if waiting for me to finish her hands under her chin eyes twinkling different colors. She is so perfect am envious. Her small smile widens a bit. I can't even begin to describe her unearthly features.

"Please sit" She says again. I realize her lips didn't move which prompts me to turn back half cookie in my mouth. Temi comes in with another of her looking unsure from the one seated behind the desk to the one behind her. She seats opposite me and the other lady that looks like the lady with me vanishes in a wisp of black smoke. My head hurts from trying to make sense of it. I chomp on my cookie.

"Please eat" She passes Temi the same assortment she gave me. We eye each other. Her eyes and voice ever so polite her actions gentle. I couldn't hate this lady even if I badly wanted.

"Who is she?" I ask Temi broadcasting in her mind. She eyes the smiling woman uneasily. She scares Artemis to my surprise because very few things scare Temi.

"The Goddess" I choke on my tea. The lady's expression doesn't change but I get the feeling she knows we are talking about her. She exists.

"Just finish your Tea and do exactly as she says" She gives me a look that is a cross between pleading and a warning.

I finish the tea compelled to be the most disciplined version of me I can ever be. Something about her makes me want to be on my best behavior.

"Well now." She makes a sweeping motion and all the cups and plates disappear.
"Let us move on to what brought you to me." Her hands rest gently on the table.

Temi and I don't say a thing regardless of our burning questions. Her gaze flits between the both of us.

"You both look so much like your mother." Her smile turns sad.

"You know our mother?" Temi and I chorus. She gently shakes her head.

"Yes. Very stubborn woman with a gentle soul and the bravest heart I know. She even let me pick your names bless her heart." We don't even dare to breathe lest we miss out what she is saying. We are hooked to her every word and breath.

"She turned the world inside out seeking me when she was pregnant with you two. She was so resilient about protecting you two despite the fact the sin she and your father committed." She sighs more sadly.

"What are you talking about? What sins did they commit?" I ask as Temi shoots me a fearful look.

"I cannot tell you dear child. You cannot handle it." Her gaze pierces me. I feel like she can see into the depths of my soul.

I have had to live with my odd hair, odd abilities, being on the run from realm to realm, narrowly avoiding death, the entire world is out for me, I don't know who I am, I nearly died bleeding out to seek this so called Goddess and the woman is sitting down calmly telling me I can't handle it.

"We came for answers. I can handle it." My voice echoes angrily. I immediately tone down as her gaze never wavers nor does her smile.
"Please. What sins?" I try to appeal to her better self. She sighs looking resigned.

"You are their sin, all three of you. Cursed abominations."
She finishes and I feel like my feelings have just been whiplashed. Abominations?

"Those who descend from the celestials are prohibited to procreate. It is one of their ultimate rules. They required to live in absolute purity forever keeping their virtues and keeping the dark side in check. By doing so they are absolved of illogical feelings like love, hate, sadness, pain, loss, happiness. Anything that could unite them with the dark" She closes her eyes momentarily as if to it that sink in.

"Celestial as in angels and heaven stuff." Temi whispers softly.

"Yes my dear. Those who descend from angels. They are not angels but not human either. Not God's too, we don't know how they come into existence. All we know is they were created by the angels to keep balance between light and dark without tilting balance to either side. They are the overseers who don't get involved in worldly affairs unless the angels decree so."
She seems very displeased by the hierarchy of celestials.

"Oh" Is all comes out of Artemis.

"Your mother sought my help as she was pregnant with the first dark prince's children from the dark realm. And one child was......"
Her lilting voice trails off at my interruption.

"Back up, A dark prince?" I interrupt her. She smiles more as if this interests her. Intriguing even.

"Those of the realm of light are supposed to be emotionless. Taught that all those of the dark realms are the enemy and be under the constant state of war. But your mother was a young, powerful by being blessed with an angel's grace to be the leader of the light realm. So I guess that makes her a princess or queen of sorts." She laughs. It is decadent musical delight.

"See there are so many dark realms but one light realm where there even exists light Fae. So once upon a time many hundreds of years ago when your mother was silencing a dark war that had broken out in one realm, she met a prince." The Goddess's smile beams as she clearly enjoys story time but this particular story her favourite.

"She was taught they were all evils who deserved to perish by her sword but this one was kind to her and wanted nothing to do with the war. Your mother became curious about him. She spared him." She has a faraway look like she is actually remembering something from quite long ago.

"Your father was taught those of light were ruthless and cold hearted with no feelings. Their wrath absolute but she was considerate when he didn't fight her. She intrigued him and he put his bow away. Such consideration didn't deserve an arrow and so began a beautiful friendship that quickly became a forbidden romance between the two conflicting entities of light and dark."
The silence fills the room where her soft voice once was. I didn't even notice when I started leaning against her desk straining to catch every word.

"You two came along a few decades after. Now as I was saying before being rudely interrupted" Her colour changing eyes flit to me momentarily and I could have sworn I saw a warning in them.
"Your mother sought me as one of her girls was killing the other in the womb. It was her unwavering stubbornness in finding me that prompted me in giving her sanctuary as the celestials hunted her and so did all the dark realms. But scary so even the Gods. I gave both of them my help as they intrigued me too."

"Which of us was killing the other?" I interrupt again but deep down I already know the answer and I wish she smites me where I am. She just smiles knowingly.

"Due to the conflicting nature of both parents, the stronger entity was taking over, light, given the fact that your mother was a blessed being of light that made her powerful. Artemis had almost no chance of survival." She gives me a sympathetic look. I look at my hands avoiding both their gazes.

"But she came before the worst happened which was good. I blessed Artemis in the womb with favors to make her stronger to withstand her mother and sister's light nature. I gave her the power to absorb your light and turn it into her dark energy, the power to create powerful doors that go anywhere she sets her sights too and the most important ones the telepathy between you. It was supposed to ensure if you sensed her presence it would be less likely for you to expel her because of her more darker nature." She looks at us proudly as if admiring her handiwork.

"Artemis you have protection from the wrath of your sister's light that she extended to you in the womb when she first heard and acknowledged you as one instead of a foreign entity. Athena your mother's grace of light extended to you so she blessed you. Anyway both of you were born here and your mother and father left here when you were old enough to start training for your own protection with your brother."
I get the feeling she is not finished.

"Helping your parents meant my own possible execution from fellow Gods as my decision was preposterous to them especially the dark Gods who saw it as a form of betrayal me deflecting to the celestials. I ran away and hid but mostly from one I see as my sister who took it to heart, The Goddess Nyx one of the most powerful of the dark ancient Gods. I am forever banished from my home too and have to constantly have to hide from her."

"Why are we abominations?"
Temi asks the questions that has been bugging me.

"My dear. A very long time ago the fates told a prophecy of the coming together of light and dark. The Gods on either side opposed, those two forces couldn't exist in harmony. And both sides sought that whichever abomination would cause that, they'll obliterate it. But some Gods preferred peace. But your birth, the three of you, awoke the Gods from their eternal slumbers and they are out for the blood of the abominations but some want control again. So my dear it is the dawn of chaos."
She is sad. She is an outlaw to her own kind but one thing still bugs me.

"Then what made you do it if you would lose your home?" I really want to know why she risked everything for us. How does she benefit?

DON'T TO VOTE. THANK YOU FOR READING.