The early morning sunlight pours in through the slightly parted rose-colored curtains, spilling onto the wooden floorboards. The bed creaks as I shift slightly, turning my gaze fondly to the cat snoozing peacefully beside me, running one hand over the smooth, sleek black fur. "Good morning, Berlioz." I coo softly, my heart swelling in my chest with inexpressible emotion.Life hasn't always been easy, but Berlioz has been here along every step of the way, a treasured and familiar sight. Reluctantly, I step out of bed, careful not to stir the sleeping tom cat. I run one hand along the wall to steady myself, my gaze lingering on my open closet. Deciding on an outfit isn't a complicated task, though my closet is stuffed full to the brim. I tend to drift towards the finer things in life, despite my...line of work. I take a few steps forward, letting my hands brush over the fabric of

I stare blankly at Hera, thinking carefully about what she'd said, unable to come up with any sort of imagery of who Hecate-apparently me-might be. Hera purses her lips in a clear sign of disappointment at my lack of recognition, clearly expecting a bigger reaction to her assertion. "Er...I'm sorry." I say finally, shaking my head. "Who?"She raises one eyebrow, then sighs deeply, plucking a tart gracefully from the plate beside her in a manner that suggests she would not have done so had I not frustrated her. "Hecate. Goddess of Witchcraft, Magic and more." She explains finally with a slight huff as she takes a delicate bite of the tart."I've never heard of her." I say after a moment, my voice laced with skepticism."You." Hera sighs after she swallows her bite of tart. "You are Heca

"It's time to meet the others." Hera's smile is reassuring, her eyes warm and understanding, but I still feel my stomach clench with anxiety, churning like the waves of a gray sea. "Don't fret, Hecate. It'll be fine.""Hera," I say softly after a moment, and I hate the vulnerability in my own voice. "The memory you showed me...Ares, that was his name, right? Were we...." I pause, trying to gather my thoughts, which are frantically scattered in my head, hard to comprehend in the moment. "Together?"Hera freezes, her hand still on the bronze door knob, half way through opening the door to lead us to the ballroom. She regards me carefully for a moment, her expression concerned, before letting out a small sigh. "It is very complicated, Hecate. You see...you are a maiden Goddess. You are not fated to fall in love, or be with a man...however,

 Everything around me was destroyed. The blonde man is lying motionless on the floor in a crumpled heap, his sunglasses laying shattered near him. The hostess gapes at me from behind the counter that somehow managed to survive the explosion, though menus are now scattered across the floor and tables are overturned. I turn slowly, surveying the damage, when my eyes connect with a pair of familiar brown eyes. Owen is staring at me in shock, his eyes flitting from the blonde man on the floor to me. “...Thea?” He says uncertainty, and there's a bit of fear in his voice that makes me flinch.  I don’t want Owen to be frightened of me, but I can tell that ship has sailed. “Owen.” I say, crossing the room in only a few strides. He scoots back slightly, but I pretend not to notice, embracing him.