Chapter 10
That day's events lingered in my mind far longer than I wanted them to. The pedestal, the strange light, the overwhelming magic—none of it made sense to me. What did they see? Did they glimpse my authority as a goddess? Or was it something else entirely?
The thought chilled me. What if they discovered what I truly was? Would they reject me? Would they fear me? Worse, would Mama and Papa look at me differently? Even though I could easily defend myself if things went awry, the idea of my parents seeing me as a monster gnawed at me.
I cocooned myself in Mama's arms during the car ride home, trembling as her warmth comforted me. "It's okay, Aleena," she whispered, stroking my back gently. "Everything's going to be fine."
Papa, who had been unusually quiet, muttered under his breath. "I'll need to pay them a visit. Figure out exactly what happened in there."
I buried my face in Mama's embrace, letting her soothing touch lull me into a deep sleep.
---
The days that followed were blissfully uneventful. Mama filled my time with lessons, starting with mathematics. But when she realized I was far sharper than expected, she shifted to teaching me how to read, reading stories to me word by word.
Papa took me to the park every afternoon, though it puzzled me that no other children were ever there. At first, I didn't mind, running through the empty playground and climbing the tall slides. But after a while, it felt lonely. The quietness of the park left me longing for something… more.
At night, however, the city was my playground. Long before anyone else stirred, I would patrol the streets, using my divine senses to ensure no harm came to my family or their world.
It was during one of these patrols that I encountered something unusual.
---
"Whoa…" I gasped, stopping mid-air.
A massive beast rampaged through the city, its hulking form effortlessly tearing through buildings. Its glowing red eyes swept over the deserted streets, letting out a guttural roar that shook the ground.
"Where do these monsters even come from?" I muttered.
Thankfully, the city had already been evacuated. I scanned the area, spotting a group of adventurers—or rather, heroes, as this world called them—charging toward the creature with weapons drawn.
"Should I kill it?" I mused aloud, effortlessly weaving a glowing thread of energy through the air. The thread coiled around the monster's thick neck, tightening until it froze in place. Immobilized, the beast struggled, its movements growing weaker as the thread sapped its strength.
"This should be enough," I decided, preparing to leave the matter to the heroes.
But then, something unexpected happened.
An arrow, glowing faintly with magical energy, sliced through the air just inches from my face. I whipped around, startled, and caught a glimpse of a hooded figure blending into the shadows.
They were skilled—far more than a human. They'd hidden their presence so well that I hadn't sensed them until now.
"Stop right there!" I shouted, my voice ringing through the empty streets.
The figure hesitated for a brief moment before bolting, darting into the labyrinth of buildings.
"Escaping from a goddess? Bold move," I muttered, smirking. "Fine. I'll play along."
---
I took off, flying at an incredible speed, the wind roaring in my ears. The figure was agile, leaping effortlessly from rooftop to rooftop, but no matter how fast they moved, they couldn't outrun me.
Within seconds, I overtook her, looping around to block her path. The sheer force of my presence sent a gust of air that knocked her off balance, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Before she could recover, I swooped down and grabbed them by the collar—or, as I realized when the hood fell back, her collar.
A girl.
Her face struck me like lightning. It wasn't just her features—it was the familiarity. I'd seen her before.
"You…" I whispered, tightening my grip slightly.
The girl winced but didn't struggle. Her piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, filled with defiance and… recognition?
"You're?...," I asked, my voice commanding.
The girl smirked faintly, despite her position. "Took you long enough," she said, her tone surprisingly calm for someone being held by a goddess.
Her words caught me off guard. My grip loosened slightly, but I didn't release her.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice hardening. "And what do you want?"
She tilted her head, her smirk fading into something more serious. "I could ask you the same thing… goddess."
The word sent a jolt through me. My divine energy flared instinctively, the air around us crackling with power.
"What do you know?" I growled, my patience wearing thin.
The girl didn't answer immediately. Instead, she studied me carefully, as if weighing her next words. Finally, she sighed.
"Not here," she said. "If you want answers, you'll have to trust me."
Trust her? The audacity of her request almost made me laugh. But there was something in her gaze—a glimmer of something familiar yet unplaceable—that stopped me.
"Fine," I said reluctantly, releasing her collar. "But if you try anything…"
She raised her hands in mock surrender. "Understood, oh mighty goddess."
Her sarcasm annoyed me, but I let it slide. For now.
"Follow me," she said, pulling her hood back up. "There's someone you need to meet."
---
As we disappeared into the shadows of the city, I couldn't shake the feeling that this girl was more than she appeared. And whoever she was leading me to… they held answers I hadn't realized I was searching for.
The night felt heavier, the stars above seeming to dim. Whatever lay ahead, I knew one thing for certain: my quiet, simple life was over.
And it had only just begun.