Chapter 19: Accidental Expert

Mira slumped into her seat at the library, barely managing to stifle a groan as she pulled out her laptop. Her chaotic morning still clung to her like a bad omen, but she forced herself to focus.

Across from her, Natalie frowned at her screen, aggressively typing and then immediately deleting sentences with the frustration of someone who was one bad draft away from throwing their laptop out the window.

"I swear, Artemis is impossible to write about," Natalie grumbled, rubbing her temples. "Every source either contradicts itself or gives me nothing beyond 'she's the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and young maidens.' Like, yeah, thanks, I figured that much."

Mira glanced at her own laptop, where her thesis on Athena was going smoothly—because of course Athena was straightforward. Logical, strategic, war-wise. Badass.

"Why'd you pick Artemis, anyway?" she asked.

Natalie groaned dramatically. "Because I thought she'd be cool! I mean, she's this untouchable huntress who answers to no one. But the more I research, the less I get. Was she just some distant deity, or did she actually care about her followers? Did she show mercy? Was she vindictive? What was she like beyond the myths?"

Mira hesitated.

Her fingers hovered over her keyboard as a very dangerous thought crossed her mind.

She knew the answers.

She had met Artemis.

The memory was still fresh—the piercing silver eyes, the casual amusement in her voice when she'd spoken to her, the way she had smirked as if she had already known Mira was worthy before even putting her to the test.

Before she could stop herself, she spoke.

"Artemis… isn't as cold as people think," she began, her voice almost distant. "She doesn't just hunt for sport; she respects the creatures of the wild. She's—how do I put it? Strict, but fair. If she didn't see you as worthy, you wouldn't even get the chance to approach her."

Natalie looked up, intrigued. "Really?"

"Yeah. She doesn't waste her time with people who don't respect her domain," Mira continued, leaning forward slightly. "But if she acknowledges you, it's not something to take lightly. It means you've impressed her—maybe through skill, maybe through sheer audacity. And once she's amused by you, she kind of… keeps an eye on you. Like a hunter watching her prey—not necessarily to kill, but just to see what you do next."

The words flowed too easily, slipping past her lips as if she had known Artemis personally.

Which, technically, she had.

But Natalie didn't know that.

"She's not cruel, though," Mira added quickly, realizing she had gone too far. "I mean, unless you cross her. Then you're probably screwed."

Natalie's expression was one of fascination. "That's—honestly, that makes way more sense than half the sources I found. Where'd you read this?"

Panic shot through Mira.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

"Uh—oh, you know," she stammered, waving a hand vaguely. "Random articles, mythology deep dives, stuff people definitely already knew about Artemis. Nothing special."

Natalie hummed, turning back to her screen. "Well, whatever. That actually helps a lot. Maybe I can finally wrap this up."

Mira forced herself to breathe. That was close. Too close.

For the rest of the study session, she kept her mouth shut, afraid of accidentally revealing classified divine secrets.

That night, Mira had almost forgotten about the conversation—until her phone rang.

It was Natalie.

"Hey," Mira answered, half-distracted as she booted up her gaming setup. "What's up?"

"Dude." Natalie's voice was brimming with excitement. "You are a freaking genius. My professor loved my thesis. Said it was the most nuanced take on Artemis he's read in years. He even mentioned it in class."

Mira sat up straight. "Wait. What?"

"Yeah! He kept saying stuff like, 'This is the kind of analysis we need more of in modern mythology studies,' and 'Where did you find this perspective?' and I was just sitting there like, 'Uh, my friend told me.'"

Mira's stomach dropped.

"So, yeah, high score. Thanks for that," Natalie finished.

Mira barely managed a response before Natalie hung up.

Slowly, she set her phone down.

Her mind raced.

If her knowledge from the game could pass as an academic-level analysis of Artemis…

Then that meant—

It was real.

It wasn't just fancy world-building. It wasn't just an immersive experience. The game contained actual, verifiable historical knowledge—knowledge even mythology professors found valuable.

Her heart pounded.

She had been thinking of the game as just that—a game. But if its knowledge translated into the real world… what else could she learn?

Her gaze drifted to her screen, where the game interface was waiting.

Slowly, a grin spread across her face.

Time to meet Athena.