Dr. Zoe Pappas stares at her granddaughter over the rim of her coffee cup. It's only been a month since the girl started wearing green daily. Even though the color truly complements Lucilla's complexion, Zoe hates it now. Something is unnerving about walking into a school where almost an entire grade is now wearing the same color. They don't have uniforms. It's just an unspoken rule.

And now, there is the dinosaur with golden eyes that Lucilla takes around with her. The robot with golden eyes was weird. This purple and orange-speckled monstrosity is just creepy. Another thing for "Psyche" to work through is Zoe's guess.

It could be a reaction to Kit becoming sick; the timing does line up. Every child needs a coping mechanism. Psyche is probably hers. Well, that's what Zoe told Ms. Anya during the parent-teacher meeting they had a few weeks ago. The "We have concerns your granddaughter could be a cult leader" talk went as smoothly as expected when a teacher is dealing with a licensed psychologist. Her son laughed out loud, and Zoe went into a deep psychological analysis while providing the qualifiers of a cult. "The green group," the teachers charmingly call them, don't meet "cult qualifications."

Those Aphrodite girls wearing pink and red all the time are far more cult-like than Lucilla's group. They kicked out a girl for refusing to accept her chosen boyfriend the other day. Then, the said boyfriend fell into tears because he thought he would never find love again.

Chloe wore blue last Wednesday because her mom strategically "ran out of green clothes." The other children played with her, and everyone seemed okay.

So, Zoe is confident her granddaughter doesn't lead a cult.

"But, it's still weird," Zoe mutters to herself.

Lucilla looks up at her grandmother. "What's weird?"

"Nothing, darling," Zoe smiles. "Are you excited about school today?"

"Yep," she nods. "Today, Chloe is going to teach us a new dance. We're hoping that it will raise the spirits of everyone around us. Psyche says it might even be felt by Kit. Did you know Kit will start her tree—tray—that stuff today?" Lucilla's nose finishes in a scrunch, slightly upset with herself for forgetting the long word Psyche used.

Zoe presses her lips together, and her eyebrows go together. Did she overhear me talking with Kit's mom on the phone? But there's no way. She was at school. "How do you know about that?"

Lucilla shrugs. "Psyche told me last night in my room."

"Do you two talk every night?"

"No, not every night anymore. She needs to be with some of the others because they're sad or mad. And Kit is scared."

Lucilla cuts Zoe's words off by grabbing the dinosaur and jumping from the table. "Oh no, Grandma! We could be late! I'll go brush my teeth now."

Lucilla uses her spare hand to grab her plate and places it in the sink before running away to brush her teeth.

Nico walks into the kitchen, chuckling lightly. "She is really excited to go to school today. Something about Chloe and a dance?"

Zoe nods, standing to go join her son in the kitchen. "Yeah, she told me." Licking her lips, she gathers her thoughts before speaking. "Do you think Lucilla is doing okay?"

"Mom—"

"Wait, wait," she cuts off Nico, holding up her hands. "I just think this could be some masking. She still hasn't healed from her mother dying; now, her best friend is sick with cancer. It makes sense for her to create this magical character, and—"

Nico holds up his hand. "It's also the first time she's been happy in a long while. We will keep watching her. And can set up a meeting with one of your old coworkers if things spiral. I don't want her to think feeling this joy and excitement is wrong."

Zoe presses her lips together and shifts her eyes down to the side. She leans back against the counter and sighs. "Let's see how this goes. I'll call Kit's mom today to check in and see if they need anything."

Nico nods and kisses his mom on her forehead. "I appreciate how much you care about Luci. She will be okay."

The nods of Zoe's head become dissonant from the anxiety storming in her chest. She has seen what happens when these illusions snap. Perhaps she could do some sort of subtle intervention for her granddaughter. One that wouldn't be traumatizing and leave her son upset because she's "meddling."

"See you later, Mom. And, if you get worried, just do what Luci does and talk to Psyche about it," Nico quips with a light laugh before disappearing through the door.

Zoe rolls her eyes at her son while placing her mug in the sink. She walks over and puts on her shoes as Lucilla comes rushing back through the kitchen. Dinasour secured under her arm. The two ready themselves quickly and take off to school.

The two walk along the familiar path for a few minutes before Zoe notices the golden ribbon tied to the bottom of Lucilla's braid.

"Where did you get that?" Zoe asks.

Lucilla shrugs. "Psyche suggested we do it."

"Why?"

"Because it's the color for kid cancer, and we want Kit to know we love and support her," Lucilla comments plainly as if such statements were mundane knowledge. "Did you want one?"

Zoe almost laughs through her smile. "No, but I want a picture of you before you go into class. I can send it to Ms. Marsalis to show Kit."

Lucilla jumps and cheers so quickly that her dinosaur tumbles from her arms and rolls across the sidewalk. "Oops!" She laughs, running to pick it up before returning to grab her grandma's hand. "That's such a great idea!"

The rest of the walk consists of Lucilla brainstorming her different poses aloud to her grandma. Zoe nods and provides the appropriate ecstatic feedback any five-year-old could wish for.

They arrive at the school gates to see twenty children in the kindergarten class wearing a mixture of gold and green, getting their photos taken.

"Oh, yay! Psyche told them too!" Lucilla gushes, looking up at her grandma. "Kit is going to be so happy!"

The sides of Zoe's eyes burn as she takes a few photos of Lucilla on her own doing her poses. Another with her granddaughter, Kai, Jonathan, and Chloe, smiling up at her in a group hug. And, finally, one just with her and Ezio, where the boy holds up another white feather he found with pride as Lucilla makes a heart with her hands.

Zoe scrolls through the photos as she walks away. Suddenly feeling like a subtle intervention isn't needed just yet. Instead, she selects the pictures and sends them off via text.

Fifteen minutes later, Ms. Marsalis gasps, forcing back some tears, as she scrolls through the photos in the parents' group chat.

"Look, sweetie," she says, turning to Kit lying on a hospital bed, hugging the golden-eyed robot tight. "Your class thought of you today."

Kit leans over to see the pictures on her mother's phone. She smiles lightly and laughs. "Yeah, see. I like," her voice a raspy whisper of what it once was.

The white walls try to be welcoming around them. Some toys from home and balloons clutter the small space. Ms. Marsalis rubs away the goosebumps from her skin as she smiles sweetly at her daughter.

"Your daddy is going to be so excited to see the pictures," she gushes. "I'll make sure he sees them."

Kit smiles and nods, motioning toward the phone.

"And Damian," she adds, knowing Kit meant for her to show her older brother too.

Kit sympathetically pats her mother's hand as if she is trying to comfort her. As if it isn't Kit who is fighting Hades and Persephone's call.

Their moment is interrupted by a nurse walking in. "Hello, Ms.—"

"Please, just call me Gene," Ms. Marsalis cuts the nurse off. "I notice her language has changed. That's something you said to tell you about before. So, I just wanted to let you know now."

The nurse nods and pulls out a paper to take some notes. "Any other changes?" Gene shakes her head, and the nurse nods. "Okay.  Well, I'm here to ensure you both are comfortable. Has she eaten anything?"

Kit looks between the two women, trying to keep track of the conversation, but her eyes slowly become heavy. They flutter a few times, and sparkling stardust fills the room whenever she opens them. But her mom and the nurse don't seem to react. Kit turns her head towards the window to see Psyche's sparkling outline.

Just close your eyes and rest, Psyche whispers to the girl. I'm here.

The blonde girl smiles as she hugs the robot tightly. Her barely intelligible "thank you" makes the two older women pause. Gene walks over and pushes the hair away from her daughter's head.

"Would you like to step outside to go over any questions?" The nurse asks. "I think the doctors will be here soon."

Gene looks up at the nurse and nods. She places a small kiss on her daughter's forehead before walking out the door. On the outside of the door is taped a sign that reads "Don't discuss patient health or prognosis in the room" in bold letters.

Psyche closes her eyes and protects this young girl from the growing darkness in her brain the best way she knows how, by providing peace.

***

A gold ribbon flutters from Kit's grasp and flows into a river.

"Pediatric cancer is represented by the color gold," she whispers. "In another world called the United States, the whole month of September is dedicated to pediatric cancer awareness."

The ribbon floats away into the horizon as the sun sets, sending golden rays over the river.

Behind Kit, the river's origin can be seen. A dark cave with three sets of red eyes glowing inside.

Psyche walks to stand behind Kit, staring down at the beast. "You will not touch her," she hisses.

A growl sounds from within the cave.

"You will not touch her!" Psyche yells with more grit in her tone.

The red eyes disappear set by set. Psyche turns and places a hand on the young girl's shoulder as the golden hues warm the river. Kit lets the tears slowly flow down her face.

"It's okay to be upset," Psyche whispers through the tears running down her face.

The goddess hears light footsteps coming from the cave and turns to look over her shoulder with a sigh. "Hi, Persephone."