"Lia?! Did we just meet the goddess Athena!?"
Tory's voice was too loud. Someone might hear us.
"Calm down," I snapped. "Yes, we did, but you need to stay quiet about this. I don't need to be targeted for this information."
"Okay, okay… but you gotta explain to me what's going on here."
I needed to come up with a believable lie. Fast.
"She is my patron. I'm a godsworn."
His eyes widened. "Wow… you're Athena's chosen? That's amazing!"
He was too naive. Too innocent. I glanced toward the door. The sky outside had darkened—night had fallen. Time in Athena's realm must move differently, slower.
We stepped outside, the cold air wrapping around us.
"It's already night?" Tory asked, his voice laced with confusion.
"Time moves slower in Athena's realm," I said with confidence, though I wasn't entirely sure if it was true.
I turned to him, feeling the weight of what had to come next.
"This is goodbye, Tory."
His face fell. "Oh… why don't you join me and my family for dinner?"
I hesitated. "I couldn't possibly intrude."
"Oh, you wouldn't be!" He smiled, missing the hint entirely.
I sighed. "Fine, I'll join you."
The walk to his house was quiet, but something gnawed at me. A sense of dread I couldn't shake. As we turned the corner onto his street, that feeling became reality.
Smoke. The first thing I noticed was the thick, black smoke curling into the night sky, the scent of charred wood and death burning my throat.
Where Tory's house once stood…
There was nothing.
Nothing but ruin.
The building was gone—reduced to ashes. The flames had devoured everything, leaving behind only blackened debris and the skeletal remains of what used to be a home.
Tory stood frozen. Then, like something inside him snapped, he ran.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
He fell to his knees in front of what was left, hands digging through the ash like he could somehow undo what had been done. His breathing was sharp, desperate—broken.
Then he saw her.
His mother's body lay in the wreckage, her form barely recognizable, charred beyond belief. Ash covered her, her features melted away by the fire's merciless hunger.
Next to her was his sister—or what was left of her. A burned skeleton, fragile and crumbling at the edges.
He screamed.
A sound so full of anguish it sent chills down my spine. He didn't just cry—he wept, his sobs heavy, shaking, uncontrollable.
Then…
He went silent.
When he finally stood, his face was different. The Tory I knew was gone.
What was left was emptiness.
A hollow shell with only one thing inside: revenge.
I knew that look. I had seen it before.
In my own reflection.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He was about to walk the path I had taken—the path that destroys everything.
He would hunt them down. He would do anything for vengeance. He would sell his soul. He would betray his comrades. And if he killed someone… he would never come back from it.
He wasn't like me. He shouldn't become like me.
"If you don't unhand me… I will harm you."
His voice was low, trembling. But he didn't mean it. Not yet.
I tightened my grip. "Revenge is not the way."
I felt disgusting saying it. The hypocrisy dripped from my lips like poison.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT REVENGE!?" he roared.
I slapped him. Hard. He fell to the ground, stunned.
"Listen here," I hissed. "I lost my entire life. I have been chasing the THING responsible for over a year now. I lost my memories of my family. I sold my soul. My life is a constant struggle on who to trust. Yes, I followed the road to revenge… and I gave up EVERYTHING that made me myself. Are you willing to do that?! Forget your sister's laughter? Your mother's eyes as she looked at you?! ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE ALL THAT UP?!"
His fists clenched. He shook with rage. But he didn't yell. He didn't lash out. He just stared at the ground, silent.
After what felt like forever, he whispered, "Does it ever get any easier?"
I wanted to lie to him. I wanted to tell him that, over time, you move on. That the pain dulls.
But I couldn't.
"No."
I let the word hang in the air before finishing, "But killing them doesn't change a thing."
He took a slow step toward me.
"Can you do it?"
I didn't answer.
"Can you or can you not fucking do it?"
I met his eyes and said the only thing that made sense. "Go get me a change of clothes from the other side of town. Wait for me at the entrance."
"THAT DOESN'T—"
"I said. Do it."
My voice was calm, commanding.
He stared at me, burning with fury, but he turned and walked away. The moment he was gone, I turned in the opposite direction.
To the gang's territory.
A girl walking alone? In their turf?
They wouldn't ignore that.
A group of five men surrounded me.
"Hey, girl… how you doin'?" The tallest one sneered.
I didn't answer. I raised my hand and whispered the incantation.
"Abyssal Summon."
Portals ripped open around me, and from their depths, monsters emerged—claws glistening, fangs bared.
The gangsters didn't even have time to scream before the creatures tore them apart. Blood splattered across my face and clothes, but I didn't react.
More men rushed forward. Fools.
"Ice Touch."
The ground beneath them froze solid, ice climbing up their legs, their bodies, locking them in place.
"Earthquake."
The ice shattered. So did they.
I stepped over the corpses and walked into the gang's main fort.
Their leader stood at the back, hands raised to cast a spell—but he was too slow.
"Ice Touch."
His body froze up to the neck, his breath sharp with fear.
"W-what do you want? Money? Power? You can have it! Our vaults—our members—everything!"
I stepped closer, smiling coldly. "That sounds nice… but I'm here for something else."
His lips trembled. "W-what… are you here for?"
I leaned in.
"Revenge."