In the city of New York, dark clouds filled the night sky.
The muffled rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, and from the dense humidity in the air, it seemed like rain would soon begin to fall.
In Manhattan, inside his room, Ikki looked out the window at the sky covered in clouds.
It had been an hour or more since he got home. But instead of finding his mother, he found a note on the fridge saying she had gone out to buy the missing ingredients to prepare a good dinner to welcome him—he had informed her he'd be coming home through a letter he teleported two days ago.
Ikki closed the white curtains and walked over to his bedside lamp. He turned on one of the light sources in his room to dissipate the darkness. Not that he minded being in a dark room listening to the sound of a storm, but he chose to act like a normal person and turn on the light.
He lay down on his back on the bed and stared at the white ceiling of his room while thinking about various things. He hesitated as he reflected on the truth about his birth. While pondering this, his mind couldn't help but delve into some memories.
...
It was a week before Christmas, five years since he had come to this world, and a year since he started attending daycare and became friends with Percy.
Today, his mother wanted to go shopping, something she had done a lot in recent years. Ikki finished putting on the outfit in the changing room of the third clothing store his mother had taken him to. Looking in the mirror, his lips tightened.
"Ikki, are you done?"
At that moment, he heard his mother's voice. He sighed and stepped out of the fitting room, pulling back the curtain. His mother waited outside, beautiful as always and as loving as ever.
"What do you think?..."
Ikki asked with a slight smile. Well, if trying on countless clothes made his mother happy, who was he to refuse?
His mother looked at him with shining eyes and a big smile on her face. Honestly, it was a bit silly and adorable, as if she were about to burst with happiness.
He was wearing a black suit with a tie and everything. His hair was loose and fell freely over his shoulders like a cascade. His deep purple eyes looked like two jewels bathed in immortal water, and his white skin seemed flawless and unblemished. Simply put, there wasn't a cuter child than him!
"Kyyaaa, my baby, you're so adorable!!"
His mother squealed, quickly hugging him. She rubbed her face against his and kissed his entire face, causing him to blush slightly.
Seeing the red tint on her son's cheeks, she felt overwhelmed by his cuteness! Ikki had to endure his mother's loving hugs and caresses for the next fifteen minutes.
His cheeks turned red from all her squeezing, and if he were a normal child, he would have undoubtedly been crushed by her bear hugs.
Because of her squeal, many women shopping nearby approached them. They were as smitten as his mother, albeit a little less intense. The next ten minutes were torture for him as dozens of women pinched his cheeks and hugged him.
His mother saved him and asked him to try on a cute bear-themed pajama set. Let's just say what happened next was a disaster. In the end, they had to leave the store because it became too crowded with women trying to hug and kiss Ikki's cuteness.
Fortunately, the hard part of his day was over. He spent the rest of the day having fun with his mother. Seeing her smile as she looked at his photos made everything worth it. Although being treated that way was uncomfortable, it wasn't the end of the world. His mother was his most precious treasure, and if she was happy, he naturally was too.
...
He had just turned ten years old. He and his mother spent the night on the couch watching movies and eating popcorn.
Both were engrossed in the TV screen. It was a classic horror film about spirits, and it was on this day that he discovered his mother had a fear of ghosts!
"Ahh! Save me, Ikki!" His mother screamed unconsciously as she hid in his embrace, like a child hugging her teddy bear to hide from a monster.
Ikki simply patted her back, his lips twitching.
"It's okay, Mom. I'll protect you..."
Suddenly, his mother stopped hugging him and pouted, her fear vanishing in an instant. She grumbled.
"Hmph! Treating me like a child. I'm your mother, you little brat. I'll be the one protecting you from all harm."
As she spoke, she glanced at the TV and saw a scene where a woman in white appeared in the reflection of a girl's mirror and slit her throat!
"Kyaaaa..."
She screamed and hugged him again.
"What were you saying?" Ikki asked provocatively.
"You little... Now you'll see!" His mother didn't take his teasing well and tickled him mercilessly until his ribs cramped from laughing so hard.
While gasping for air, his mother turned off the TV and muttered, "Stupid movie!"
Caught up in the warmth of the moment, Ikki's thoughts drifted to painful memories from his past life.
It was ironic how a happy moment could turn melancholic when past traumas resurfaced...
He stared at the ceiling, covering his eyes with his arm, and spoke to his mother.
"Mom, what if one day I end up disappointing you... Would you think of me as worthless?"
His mother's heart ached at his question, and she quickly scolded him.
"Ikki, I will never be disappointed in you. No matter what happens, you will always be in my heart. No matter what, I will always love you. You will always be my pride and joy. In my heart, you will always be the most amazing and remarkable person. Only when you're happy will I be happy!"
As she said this, she sat up and gently moved his arm from his eyes. She smiled softly, her words ending with a chaste kiss on his cheek.
These touching, affectionate actions were quite common between them. Ikki was used to them, but his focus was on her words. He felt truly blessed; this life was everything he had ever wanted.
"If you're not happy, I won't be happy either, Mom," he said, looking at her with a smile.
"Oh, my baby! You're so adorable!" She hugged him and showered him with kisses.
...
Ikki smiled as he recalled memories with his mother, before sighing softly. He stood up and stretched, sensing his mother's presence nearing the building. It was time to learn the truth.
He walked into the living room and approached the largest sofa before sitting in the middle and turning on the TV to an action movie channel. He lazily put his feet on the coffee table, enjoying this mundane moment of his life while waiting for his mother to return.
It didn't take long for her to come back. The sound of the door opening reached his sensitive ears. Standing up, his eyes darted to the door, where his mother entered with two shopping bags, looking surprised to see him.
"Ikki?"
"It's been a while, Mom," Ikki said with a slight smile. He wasn't surprised when he was greeted with a warm, longing hug from the woman who raised him.
He reciprocated the hug, easing some of the longing he felt for her.
"I'm so glad you're okay... I haven't heard from you since you went to camp. Couldn't you have contacted me? I was worried."
Sophia gently scolded him as she stopped hugging him and looked into his eyes, noticing they seemed a bit different, as if he had experienced things this summer that were consuming him from within. This brought an inexplicable pain to her heart.
"Sorry, a lot happened this summer that prevented me from doing so. We need to talk, Mom."
Ikki went straight to the point.
"Of course. I'll make one of those homemade pizzas you love so much."
"Can't wait," Ikki said with a calm look on his face. He noticed his mother seemed a little tense.
They both went into the kitchen. The boy sat on a stool near the entrance while his mother unpacked the groceries on the table in front of her.
An uncomfortable silence followed, as if neither of them knew how to start the conversation. Both had reasons for their hesitation, but all of them revolved around a single thing: the lie.
Ikki took a deep breath and observed his mother as she started chopping herbs. Only after his eyes lingered on her actions for a few seconds did he finally break the silence with a simple statement.
"I met my father over the summer..."
Sophia froze mid-chop, trembling slightly before responding, "I see. I can't keep lying to you anymore."
She put down the knife and sighed.
"Ask me anything, and I swear I'll answer honestly."
Ikki looked at her with bright eyes and asked curiously, "First, what exactly are you? Is it because of you that I can't access my demigod powers fluidly?"
When he found himself unable to use the powers he inherited from his father, he considered the possibility that someone didn't want that to happen. When he learned who his father was and how unexpected it was... he felt it might have something to do with his mother. At first, he dismissed it, but now he could sense something was off about her. He could feel she wasn't just a normal mortal, and it puzzled him...
Everything pointed to her...
Hearing his question, his mother looked at him, somewhat lost, as if recalling the past for a moment.
"Alright, I think that's a good place to start," she sighed and declared, "The name Sophia... isn't my real name. My birth name is Sigdrifa. I am the former leader of Odin's Valkyries..."
A complete silence enveloped the kitchen after this revelation.
Her words shook Ikki to his core. It took him several seconds to process what he had just heard. His mother was a Valkyrie?!
Of all the things he could have imagined, he never considered this possibility!
Norse gods were real, and his mother was the former leader of the Valkyries...?
The Valkyries are part of the mythology of the Nordic and Germanic peoples who lived in northern Europe. Characterized as virgin warriors riding steeds, they were linked to Odin's pantheon, the chief deity of the polytheistic religion practiced by these peoples.
Odin was born of the Aesir god Bor and the jötunn female Bestla. He had two more brothers, Vil and Ve. Alongside them, he destroyed the giant Ymir, and from his body, they created Earth, also called Midgard by the Norse. The brothers then formed the first humans—Ask and Embla—from two tree trunks and placed them in Midgard, surrounded by a fence to protect them from the inhabitants of Utgard, the foreign lands.
They also established many of the features that define the world, such as day and night, and the emergence of new beings.
The Nordic peoples believed Odin resided in Asgard, the abode of the gods, consisting of numerous palaces, notably Valhalla, where the All-Father resided. Fond of feasts and battles, it was in Valhalla that these occurred, starring the heroes who had died in battles on Earth.
One of the Valkyries' roles was to traverse battlefields in search of the most valuable warriors, chosen by Odin, to be sent to Valhalla.
The Valkyries were literally messengers, known as "the choosers of the slain," who prepared Odin's army for the day of confrontation with the giants in the decisive battle against all of Ymir's descendants.
When riding their steeds, the shine of the Valkyries' shields produced a strange light in the Nordic skies, known as the aurora borealis, a celestial phenomenon occurring in polar regions. They were representations of female warrior spirits and, in this way, became part of the mythology of pagan Germanic times.
Did this mean his mother was one of these women?
How was that possible?
As his mind reeled with questions, her name echoed within his knowledge of Norse mythology. He had heard that name in Norse mythology before—it was one of the translations for Brunhilde...
Could it be a homage, or was she truly Brunhilde?
His mother's next words resolved this doubt in his heart.
"As you might know, Sigdrifa carries the same meaning as Brunhilde, and that was a name many called me by as well. But I am not the Brunhilde of Norse legends. I am the daughter of Freya, a demigoddess who was chosen by Odin to lead the Valkyries about thirty years ago."
"According to the All-Father, I earned enough merits to have this honor." After finishing her explanation, Sophia sighed and looked at her son, who remained silent.
Ikki was still digesting all the information he had just received. His mind was filled with questions and doubts, but one fact stood out above all.
Did this mean he was part Vanir?
The Norse gods form a pantheon central to all Norse mythology. The main pantheon of Norse gods consists of the Aesir, associated with power and conflict, while a second pantheon comprises the Vanir, linked to cultivation and fertility. In Norse mythology, the two clans fought a war against each other, resulting in the eventual unification of the two pantheons.
The daughter of the jötunn Skadi and the sea god Njord, Freya is a Vanir goddess and part of the group representing multiplication and fertility. His mother was Freya's daughter and a Vanir, so he was one too!?
His eyes gleamed slightly as he reached this conclusion. But how hadn't he noticed the power flowing through his mother's body? She should have been powerful as a Valkyrie and Freya's daughter! Yet, he felt as if she had been a normal human until now.
After a moment of silence, during which his mother simply stared at him, waiting for his reaction, he tried to confirm this fact.
"So, does that mean I'm a Vanir? And why the name Ikki Phoenix? Without any Greek or Norse origin?"
The retired Valkyrie's eyes lit up slightly as she spoke.
"Yes. You are practically two-thirds divine and one-third mortal. Your divine part is a mix of Greek and Vanir. As for your name? Well, it stems from my desire for you to live an ordinary life, away from the Greeks and Norse. Besides, I liked the name Ikki—it reminded me a lot of my former mortal father. As for Phoenix, I suppose you can blame your father. When we met, he used a false name with that surname. I thought keeping it would be something he'd appreciate..."
Ikki fell silent once more before asking,
"I see… Is that why you sealed my divine part?"