Voices.

Echoes.

Whispers.

Fragments of words passed through my ear, phrases uttered by people I deemed close to me or by strangers. My mind's eye saw them gaze down at my unconscious self, talking about me in broken strings of words.

I saw Athena talking to a man in a white coat, who probably was the doctor. Her posture looked composed but there was a hint of anxiety in her usually serious face. Her brothers were nowhere to be seen.

The scene shifted.

Uncle Ben was sitting at my bedside while holding my hand. One side of his face had tiny scars and bruises from the explosion at the museum. He had circles under his eyes too, making him look like he fought with someone. His lips were moving, like he was talking to me, but I can't hear a thing of what he was saying.

The scene changed once again.

The doctor from earlier was now talking to Uncle Ben. From the way Ben was speaking to him, the doctor told him some bad news. The news was probably so bad that it made Ben look very disheveled and stressed.

I wanted to wake up and tell them that I was okay, but try as I might, my body didn't want to. It wouldn't let me. I couldn't do anything but to only listen to bits and pieces of their conversations.

"Amelia. . ."

". . . took so long to. . ."

"She saved me. . ."

". . .needs to rest. . ."

". . . glowing at that time. . ."

Glowing? What glowing? What are they talking about?

I tried to listen to know more but my mind wandered once more and a second later, I was standing in a grassy meadow. The sky looked beautiful with its red and orang—

Wait a minute. This place looks oddly familiar, but I forgot why.

"That's because you came here before," a soft female voice answered.

I turned to the source of the voice. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw who it was.

"Hera? What are you doing here?"

Hera gave me one of her sweet smiles. "I should be asking that to you, darling," she replied, then swept her hand at the area behind her. "This place here is my dominion."

"Your dominion?"

"My home, my abode," she said.

"Oh, sorry," I said. "I didn't know."

Hera cocked her head. "May I ask again, darling, what are you doing here? Visiting me here and all?"

I looked around and shrugged. "Honestly, I. . . don't know. I passed out in the museum and then I got here a while later. That's all that I remember."

She hummed. "Interesting. Do you know how long were you unconscious?

"I don't know too," I sighed, then a question came to me. "Where is 'here' exactly?"

"Ah, if I tell the answer, it may confuse you," she said, her eyes twinkling.

That made me curious. "I want to know! Last time I got here, wherever 'here' is, you were being mysterious and all and then showed me something that made me more confused afterwards."

She laughed. "Fine, darling, if you insist." She sat down on the grass, then patted on the space beside her. "Come sit. I know that you will ask more questions after this."

"So, basically, you exist and don't exist at the same time. You live by being remembered by people, or mortals as you call us," I said slowly, "and this place is here because. . ."

"Because this place is a part of me and my memory," Hera finished. "As long as I exist, this place I consider my oasis exists as well."

I blinked at her. "Okay. . . I'm completely stumped right now."

"I told you you would be baffled," she said, chuckling.

"Never mind I asked," I grumbled.

"It's quite alright," she said. "Now, may I also ask you a question, if you do not mind?"

I nodded. "Shoot."

Her eyes widened. "I would never shoot you, darling. Why are you asking me to do that?"

"Wha— No! I didn't mean that!" I exclaimed. "I said 'shoot' as in ask your question!"

"Oh? Is that what you meant?" she said. "I would never quite understand the. . . changes you mortals made for a perfectly good language. You would speak something but then you will mean something else." She shook her head in disappointment. "I wonder why you are making things difficult for yourselves."

I smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, what were you going to ask?"

"Ah, yes, my question," she said, then shook her head a moment later. "Forget about it. I think I now know why you are here, darling."

"Wait what?"

She quickly stood up and started pacing in front of me. "Hmm. . . something happened before you came here. Something. . . something bad."

My eyes followed her as she moved around. "What do you mean something bad?"

"She got here the first time when she unlocked her powers," she murmured, ignoring my question. "Now, she came here the second time because someth—"

"Hera!" I said a little too loud, which made her turn to me, stunned. "I, um, what were you talking about?"

A shadow crossed her features but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She then gave me a tight smile.

"Your temper reminds me of myself when I was. . . immature. And that was ages ago," she said, her voice low. "I hope you do not end up like me, darling."

"Don't change the subject!" I snapped.

Realizing my mistake, my lips parted to utter an apology to her, but my mouth closed as something in my mind told me that I didn't have to, which was not normal for me.

"Very well, then." Hera sighed. "There is no need to be ill-mannered about it. I was going to tell you sooner or later, you know."

I looked away. "Sorry."

Not that it would make any difference.

She clasped her hands together. "Darling, I need you to listen carefully to what I am about to say, as I may not be able to tell you this again any time soon."

I slowly nodded. "Okay."

"Good," she said. "Now, you see, when you activated your powers for the first time not so long ago, it is part of the sacred oath that I show myself to you for you to accept the Gift of Embodiment."

"What's that?" I asked. "And what's that 'sacred oath' you mentioned?"

"I have already shown you that, darling," she replied. Before I could ask further, she continued, "The Gift of Embodiment, from its name, is essentially a gift, or invitation, if you would. It is your choice whether to accept this gift. If you accept it, you will be given a portion of my powers. But if you do not accept, then there will be dire consequences. . ."

"Wait a minute!" I interrupted. "So you're saying that I accepted the Gift when I first met you in my dream?"

"Why, yes, darling!" she answered cheerfully. "We will not be able to talk right now if it were not the case."

I narrowed my eyes. "But I didn't remember you asking me anything about the Gift!"

She laughed as if I said a joke. "I asked you, you silly! When I asked you if you trusted me, you said yes. Or at least, that is what I remember."

I gaped at her. I didn't know it was even an offer! How could I know? I thought it just was a dream that I would wake up from!

She looked at me oddly as if she read my mind, which she probably did. "Do not think thoughts like that, darling. You would not like the price you would have to pay if you did not accept."

"What were the consequences?" I asked, my tone hesitant.

"Do you even want to know, darling?" she said.

"Yes!"

Hera shrugged. "Well, for a start, you would have passed away in your sleep."

"What the heck? Why is that even a choice?" I exclaimed. "That doesn't sound like you're not giving me an option at all!"

"Exactly! It would be such a waste if you did not take the offer," she said nonchalantly. "I didn't want you to be pressured so I thought giving you another option would be reasonable, don't you think?"

I groaned, then rubbed my temples. "Why are you doing this to me. . ."

"Cheer up, darling!" she chirped. "The good thing here is that you were better than the last carne aderunt."

"The last what?"

She touched her chin and sighed dreamily. "What good memories I had with her. It feels like not long ago when she showed herself to me when it was actually centuries ago. . ."

"What?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "Do not bother. The past is already behind us," she said. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes! I was talking about the consequences!"

"You know what?" I said. "Can we not talk about it? I don't really want to know anymore."

"Suit yourself."

"But. . . I think you have to know something."

I told her everything Rhea, the principal not Hera's mom, told me about the Chosens and the other things she said to me in her office. I also told Hera about my friends Poseidon, Zeus and Athena and I included the incident that happened in the museum.

"That confirms my suspicion," she said after I finished. "You are here right now because you strained yourself from using your powers."

"But how exactly did I do that?"

"Well, darling. . . I myself do not know." She sighed. "From what you told me as well, some people tried to steal Artemis's Bow from you and your friends, yes?"

"Yes, they did," I answered. "One of them, who's called Artemis, activated the bow's powers and used it to try and kill us. Thankfully, I save me and my friends in time, even though I don't know how I did it."

Her forehead creased, deep in thought. "This. . . this changes everything."

"What do you mean?"

Her expression suddenly became serious. "Amelia, darling, do you still remember that vision I showed you before?"

"You mean the one that happened in a throne room?"

"Yes, that one!"

"Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday," I said. "Why is that?"

"That event which occurred millennia ago is the reason that I am here standing in front of you. Something dreadful happened that forced us to do it."

"Do what?"

"The ritual," she said. "We had no other option. We had to stop her from reviving at all costs."

"Who is she?"

"I-I cannot say," she said, her lips quivering. "Amelia, you have to find the Artifacts and unite the Chosens. You must, before it is too late."

She looked genuinely scared, which took me by surprise. What could make a goddess, the Queen of the gods at that, be afraid of?

"Why, Hera?" I demanded, getting annoyed of her being enigmatic. "Tell me what will happen if we don't!"

"I am truly sorry, darling, but I could only tell so much," she said, looking down in shame. "It was part of the oath not to tell a single mortal soul."

"Even me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Even you, darling," she nodded, smiling sadly. "It is up to you now."

The ground started to shake, making me panic and hold on to the grass in reflex. Cracks appeared on the earth, approaching like wildfire. Hera, who was still standing, didn't seem to be affected by the earthquake.

"What's happening?"

She smiled. "You are about to wake up, darling," she said.

"But I-I have more questions!"

"We shall see each other soon," she said, then began walking away. "You may ask me more by then."

"Wait! I—" I started, but she already disappeared and a deep chasm appeared underneath me and swallowed me whole.