The Star Lost in the Dark

Nina opened up the curtains of her bedroom window. She had to close her eyes as the light seemed to be blinding. The sun was already up in the sky and shining brightly but she felt dead inside. Everything she tried to do for her father failed. There was nothing left she could do despite accepting the reality.

* * * *

Three knocks on the door, a little pause, and another four. The code was right therefore there was no need to disguise herself. Eris was in her favorite attire; a shoulder-less, long dress that was dark maroon. Her hair fell up to her knees like a dark cascade of water, shining and moving about her as if it was alive. She didn't bother to adjust her height to match the human height. However, she liked human cosmetics and she usually used a dark lip color and eye shadows to match her personality.

Eris checked through the spyhole just in case. It was Moros in his disguise; wearing a black business suit, his features transformed into a human. Eris unbolted the door with her magic.

"You are late, how did it go?" Eris sounded impatient.

As he was out of the risk zone, Moros was converting himself into his true form soon as he came in from the door. He then turned to face Eris, covering his fireball eyes under his hood, a wide smile stretched across his face revealing his prominent canines. His greyish green cloak covered him completely, and his feet never touched the floor.

"You don't need to persuade humans to embrace their doom; they are ready to do it willingly."

"Did Apate use her tricks?" Eris asked half smirking.

"No, no!" and Moros was laughing a blood-curdling laugh.

"Apate and I are only two successful scientists who made a virus and a cure for it. Who would not like to hire us? Besides, do they have any other choice? Now the virus is under strict protection but now it's your job to decide for how long." He eyed Eris.

"I love to play these little tricks!"

"Finally it's happening!" Moros and Eris turned towards the sound. It was the three Moirai. Their voice sounded feeble and they appeared a little aged. Neither Zeus could change the fate of a human after the Moirai decided what to do with the human life. However, since the day humans ceased them from human believes to the Mount Olympus and decided to take control of their fate, the three Moirai have grown weak day after day. But now, it was time to teach humans their rightful place.

"This game is so boring, nothing is hard anymore." all the gods were startled by the voice.

"Apate! How did you get in?" Eris asked with wide eyes.

"I have my ways sister," Apate responded with a twinkle in her eyes as she emerged from the dark, wearing a black gown with a silver floral pattern that elaborated her beauty.

"We don't need to use our tricks anymore, the human's greed for power, their insecurities against each other and their selfishness is leading them towards their doom." Dolos the twin of Apate, said as he jumped down from above and faced the others.

"What is our plan about Hemera?" Eris questioned.

"Leave it up to me." Apate was confident.

* * * *

She knew she was being followed. She rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and drew her hood forward burring her face further in it. Her hands in her pockets were ready to defend her anytime. She had faced situations like this before, all the martial arts her father taught her never failed her. She knew that she shouldn't be outside at this time but as her father was imprisoned there was no one to scold her for being late, and she didn't care if she was late.

Her instincts told her to run, and she set into a sprint. But she couldn't run for long before she felt her feet tripping. She stretched her hands and stopped her face from hitting the ground. When she stood up again a tall female figure stood in front of her.

"What do you want?" her bald eyes looked straight into Apate's jet-black ones.

"I like straight-to-the-business persons like you Nina" Nina's eyebrow raised when she heard the stranger saying her name.

"I have a deal. You give me what I want, and I free your father from jail."

Apate read confusion in Nina's eyes mixed with mistrust. She disappeared and instantly reappeared on Nina's left side. When Nina's widened eyes met hers, she disappeared again and appeared on her right side. She could feel the girl's heartbeat raising, she then disappeared again and reappeared from behind whispering in Nina's ears,

"There's nothing I cannot do child, you do me a simple favor and I'll do one for you. Deal?"

Nina turned to look straight into Apate's eyes. Apate admired her bravery not to show any fear although her heartbeat was giving her away. The girl must be having no idea that she was a demigod. Apate smirked.

"Why me? How can I do something even you can't do?"

It was Apate's turn to raise eyebrows. "It's not that I can't do it, I'm running out of time and I have something else to complete." She sounded angry.

"You are Apate, the goddess of deception. How can I trust you?"

Apate was surprised that the girl recognized her. She touched her thumb onto the girl's forehead. Nina's eyes rolled up and her brown irises became red. She felt as she was burning from within. She fell on the ground struggling for breath. It took a few minutes that felt like hours for her to get back to her feet and feel normal again.

"What did you do to me?" Nina demanded, her voice hoarse.

"I have given you power from seven dark gods. I give you 30 days," Apate's voice was dangerously calm. "Within these 30 days bring me Hemera and I'll give you your father back. If I don't keep my promise, the power will be yours forever, but if you fail, the power would leave you and you won't see your father again" Saying so, Apate disappeared.

Nina had no idea where to find god Hemera and she didn't know how to use the power she was given. She knew that she had no other choice but to try.

"Was it necessary giving a part of all our powers to that creature?" Dolos asked Apate on their return. He had been watching everything from a distance.

"That demi-god needs it, dark is needed to subdue light!"

* * * *

The alarm woke her up, but she was not fully awake. Slowly she dragged herself to the bathroom. There was no time to rest. She was lucky to fall asleep in her bed last night for three hours a stretch. It was more than she ever slept in the past two weeks and mostly she slept not on a comfortable bed.

She looked at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes, golden hair, her pale cheeks. Oh! She didn't have to suffer all this human tiredness. Has she forgotten that she was a god? She transformed herself into her true form. She watched her reflection as she grew taller and her skin began to shine, her golden hair bright like the sun, falling upon her diamond eyes.

Spending more and more of her time at the hospital, as all most everybody succumbed to the virus. She didn't find time to spend as the goddess Hemera. Living a human life was exhausting but she was happy about the job she was doing in disguise as a human. She was happy about the lives she was able to save every day.

She spent some time in her true form letting her heavenly powers fade away the exhaustion before she transformed back and resumed her daily routine. A knock on the door. Who could it be this early? She transformed back and hurried towards the door.

She recognized the emerald eyes immediately.

"Charis!" it's been quite a while since Hemera met the goddess of kindness.

Charis transformed as soon as she came in. Her chestnut hair fell in a long braid adorned with flowers. Her cream-colored attire matched her skin tone. But her usual rosy lips looked faded and her eyes looked dull.

"It's a very cruel time Hemera. People are losing their kindness, compassion, and empathy. I came here after visiting Eleos as well. He's also feeling weak like me," Charis sighed.

Charis was working as a doctor just like Hemera while Eleos; the god of compassion and empathy, was working with an association that volunteered to help people.

"Where is Aether?"

"He's in Switzerland these days with Gaia, Uranus, and Thalassa" Hemera was relieved that her spouse Aether; the god of light, was somewhere safe with their children. She'll join them as soon as this situation gets better.

"Makaria sent you a message. Apate has sent a demigod after you Hemera,"

The spreading pandemic was robbing the planet off of every good thing. The gods of kindness, compassion, and empathy were becoming weak day after day. It's the perfect time for darkness to conquer power on Earth. Hemera knew as the goddess of the day, that she had been always disliked by her siblings as she was the only one different than them; the main obstacle for them to conquer the world.

"How does she know?" Hemera whispered.

"Thanatos," Charis whispered back.

Hemera nodded. She knew that her brother Thanatos; the god of death was in love with Goddess Makaria. The pandemic was making Makaria; the goddess of blessed death weaker although it was making Thanatos stronger. She wondered on whose side Thanatos was, but she knew her brother too well and was sure that this time, he wanted to protect the light. She had to be more careful.

* * * *

It was midnight. Nina has spent the whole day in front of the hospital and now she was near Hemera's residence. Having spent the past week tracking on Hemera's habits, she knew that the perfect time was near. Hemera should come to her residence soon. She had spent the last two nights at the hospital therefore it was likely that she would come home that night.

Nina looked at Jim, who had now fallen asleep in the driver's seat and then at Kyle who slept in the back seats. Jim was Nina's best friend, he was 16 like her. They studied in the same class. Kyle was Jim's brother who was only 14. They lived with their aunt in the house next door. Both their parents were lost in a car accident. There was no one else she could trust, and she needed help.

Nina's heart was raising, and she was sweating. She hadn't yet figured out how to use the power that Apate had given her. She didn't even felt its presence.

"Jim, wake up. It's time. Be ready to ride away as soon as I get in."

Hemera's car came into sight and Nina's hands went to the door handle of the Van. As soon as she saw Hemera's golden head leaning out of the car as she got down, Nina was out of the van.

Jim and Kyle were awake now, ready to handle any situation. They were both watching Nina. She had insisted that she'll go alone to capture Hemera.

As Nina was getting closer to Hemera, she could feel the dark power rising within her. She saw black sparks crackling between her fingers. She hid her hands in her pockets and ran towards Hemera falling on her knees in front of her and pleading to help her.

"My brother is very sick doctor please help me! Please!!"

Hemera looked at the teenaged girl who came out of nowhere and was asking for her help. She looked at her eyes. She was not crying, but her eyes looked serious and had a mature expression for her age also there was something strange and at the same time familiar in them.

She wondered if this was some kind of trick. Can this girl be the demigod she had been warned about? But what if she was really in need? Hemera touched the girl from her shoulders to lift her onto her feet, right when the girl's eyes turned into two black marble balls and her hands went straight into Hemera's neck trying to strangle her. Some dark magic was radiating from the girl's hands making Hemera weak. Everything began to spin and she was falling unconscious.

* * * *

"Let's hurry Nina! I know a place to go where no one will ever find us." Nina was looking back at the stone house up the hill where she had left Hemera in the hands of the dark gods. Jim and Kyle were already in the van. Her father was holding the door open for her and beckoning her in.

She couldn't leave. She would never live in peace after doing what she had done. She had her father, but a million others were losing their parents and siblings. People were dying and the ones remaining lost the humanity left in them. It was a battle to survive, either you win or you die.

The world hasn't been fair for her or her father. They imprisoned him for something he hadn't done, and Nina was robbed of his love for five years. He was the only person she relied on, she had never seen her mother or didn't know of any other relative. At first, it was really hard for her to survive. Fortunately, Jim's aunt checked on Nina whenever she could.

She didn't want anyone else to feel lost like she did and Hemera was the one who could save the world. That is why the dark powers wanted her weak. She had to make her mistake right.

* * * *

The door opened up. Eris was surprised to see who it was. Aether was standing at the door with a furious expression. Moros, Dolos, Apate, and the three Moirai have all come to confront Aether and they had the advantage as they outnumbered him.

As the battle of powers began, Apate heard a sound upstairs, coming from the room where Hemera was kept. She felt that something was not right and up she went.

"Stop right there you filthy demigod!"

Nina has got into Hemera's room through a window.

"Our deal was over! What are you doing here? Do you want to feel the curse of an angry god?" Apate was laughing, and angry magic building upon her fingertips, ready to attack Nina when darkness fell upon all over the place.

Apate's expression changed, and she looked through the window. Nina used the distraction to run towards Hemera and touched her. This time to heal her, not to attack her. She met god Aether while she was running back to the stone house to rescue Hemera although she had no idea of how to. Aether had given her a part of his powers and sent her for Hemera.

Nyx the goddess of the night appeared inside the room and Apate bowed to greet her.

"Mother!" Hemera exclaimed. Apate got surprised when she saw Hemera back to herself. She felt the power radiating from Hemeras's body.

All the others had now come to the room. The presence of Nyx was hard to ignore.

"Light is born out of darkness" Nyx looked at her daughter Hemera. "That's why darkness cannot subdue light. All this madness should stop. The world must be normal again." Nyx ordered looking at all her children.

Nina was observing all the gods in the room. Their resemblance was obvious. For them, everything looked like a dispute among siblings. But for the world, it was not the same. But she knew that humans had always a role to play in their fate; a role which was stronger than the one played by gods.

"You can go home Nina," Nina looked at Nyx. She knew that she didn't belong to the circle anymore and she was glad. She had a family to return to. Before she left, however, she looked at Hemera. She wished that Hemera would forgive her.

After Nina had left, Nyx raised her voice again.

"Nina is not a demigod Apate. She's a cursed god." Apate exhaled confused at Nyx's remark. Taking a look at the other gods and reading their expressions, she knew that the others were surprised as much as she was.

* * * *

Nina looked at the night sky leaning out of the shutter. The wind was sweeping her hair off her face. She looked at her father sleeping in the seat beside her. She was happy than she had been in a long time. She looked at Kyle who was fast asleep too in the front passenger seat, with sisterly affection and then at Jim who in turn caught her eyes in the front mirror and smiled back at her. She looked outside again, the whole surrounding was dark, the sky darker. But far away lost in the dark, a little star was twinkling.

"You filthy demigod!" echoed in her head. "Apate is the goddess of deception." her mind echoed back but she had a gut feeling that this was not the end.