Persephone was supposed to be picked up by her bodyguards after school.
"Hey, I uh..."
Persephone turned around to see Hades walking up to her with a sheepish look on his face. Of course she didn't notice. She had absolutely no idea how social cues worked.
"Oh hey, Hades!"
Hades couldn't meet Persephone's eyes. He was starting to regret agreeing to Zeus' plan. He already felt guilty for what he was going to do.
"Could you...maybe...walk with me?"
"Sure!"
They walked together down the street. The more they talked, the more Hades regretted his choice to act on Zeus' plan. He was beginning to think that maybe he would be able to be friends with Persephone without doing anything to extravagant.
But it was too late.
Someone jumped out of an alley.
A black sack flew in out of nowhere.
And all fell silent.
Athena had a splitting headache. It was as if her head was being pulled apart by some unknown entity. She only seemed to get these headaches whenever something important was about to happen.
There is something you don't know. A voice said, echoing through Athena's mind. Even in your quest to understand all knowledge, you stop yourself from learning the truth of your past. Join me, and you shall return to your former glory.
"Athena!" Iolo called, interrupting the voice.
"What?"
"Don't you find it strange? It's as if everything that's happened since Pandora has been unfolding like Greek mythology?"
"No way." Nike said, rolling her eyes.
"I'm serious. Your name is literally Nike, the goddess of victory in Greek mythology."
"If that's true, then what happens after Dionysus appears?" Athena asked no one in particular.
Nike unwrapped a lollipop and popped it in her mouth.
Iolo shrugged.
"You're the Greek nerd, not me."
"Dionysus...Dionysus...Zeus...Hades...Hades! Hades!"
"Hades what?"
"Iolo, you're a genius! Hades kidnaps Persephone after-"
Iolo nodded along. He seemed to have understood what Athena had realized.
"Oh. Oh no. This is bad." Athena said.
Suddenly, one of Persephone's friends ran into the room.
"Have any of you seen Persephone? I can't find her anywhere! I asked her bodyguards, but they don't know where she is either!"
Athena was about to leave to save Persephone, but a voice in her head stopped her.
Oh, I can't have you interfering with this one, honey. Just leave it to the adults.
Athena fainted.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, stupid!"
Athena opened her eyes.
"Gods, you're finally awake."
Athena looked up to see a woman she thought to be about twenty years old who strangely resembled herself.
"Who-?"
"I am Athena, the goddess of wisdom."
"Huh?"
"Try to keep up. I am you, and you are me. Well, technically. A human body is not enough to contain the powers and soul of a god, so you are not entirely me. That is, until you awaken your inner divinity, which will allow you to harness my powers. But for now, that very vague definition should suffice."
"Where am I?"
"You are in the Atheneum, an area outside of time and space. Here you are free from the confines of human ability as well as the concept of time. Currently, this space is where you will go if you ever fall unconscious."
"Then why is this the first time I'm here?"
"Your mind is rejecting this place's existence. I spent a lot of energy trying to pull you into this space. I don't know why, really. Your mind should be naturally attuned to this space, since we are made from the same soul."
"What do you want with me?"
"You are being controlled by some unknown entity. I don't know who they are, but I can feel that they are very powerful. Funny thing is, you currently have five of these entities in your head. Well, technically, there's the two of us, so there's really just three."
"So that voice I heard before was-"
"Yes. I'm pretty sure that was Gaia. But she's in everyone's head. She can enter and exit anyone's subconscious, really. Since she created us and all that."
"Then who are the other two?"
"I have no idea. One of them, your mind is strongly repelling, but they're too powerful for a human consciousness like yours to kick out, but the other one is strange. You seem to believe that it is safe for the other entity to inhabit your mental space. That must mean that they're either more powerful that the first one, or they are close to you in real life."
"Hmm..."
"That second one I was talking about seems to be the one who put you to sleep. It doesn't seem like she wants you to interfere with the events that will unfold once you wake up in the real world."
"But Persephone-"
"I know, I know. I had a soft spot for her as well when I was alive. But there's nothing you can do about it unless you want to get KO-ed continuously."
"Then what can I do?"
"You can do nothing. And enjoy your life for now. I have a feeling that it's not going to last. Too many things are already in motion, and Iolo was right. Your future is playing out almost exactly like my past. If either of us know anything, we both know that the Trojan War is coming up along the timeline."
"Oh...my head...it feels...dizzy..."
"Your body is waking up. It is time for you to leave. One last warning to you:
Beware the children of the earth,
And the daughters of the sea,
Or meet your end
Closer that fate deemed it be."
Athena woke up.