Mira sat cross-legged on her bed, laptop open, fingers tapping restlessly against the keyboard.
Her VR pod sat silently in the corner of the room, as if it wasn't responsible for throwing her into a world of gods and myths.
Her mind still reeled from everything that had happened.
"I met Hermes. I met Hecate. I got adopted by a literal goddess."
She exhaled slowly.
The game had fast-forwarded for 12 hours, meaning she had free time to kill before diving back in.
And since she had a rare free day tomorrow, she decided to use today to prepare.
Step One: Research.
She typed into Google:
"Greek mythology, list of gods."
A flood of results popped up. Wikipedia pages, academic sources, mythology blogs. She clicked the first link and skimmed.
"I need to know who's who. If I'm going to survive in that world, I can't be clueless."
She scrolled through the Twelve Olympians.
Zeus – King of the gods. Thunder, sky, and being a dramatic womanizer.
Hera – Queen of the gods. Marriage, family, also dramatic.
Poseidon – God of the sea. Brother of Zeus, king of mood swings.
Demeter – Goddess of harvest. Friendly, unless you kidnap her daughter.
Athena – Goddess of wisdom and war. Probably the one most likely to judge Mira's soul again.
Apollo – Sun, music, poetry, medicine, prophecy. Too many talents.
Artemis – Moon, hunting, wildlife. Apparently does not like men.
Ares – War and bloodshed. The 'punch first, ask later' type.
Aphrodite – Love and beauty. Probably has the best skincare routine in Olympus.
Hephaestus – Forge and craftsmanship. God of blacksmiths and tragic love stories.
Hermes – Messenger god, speed, thieves. The one who had winked at her.
Dionysus – Wine, madness, and questionable life choices.
Mira leaned back.
"Okay. The basics are covered. But what about Hecate?"
She searched again.
"Hecate, Greek goddess."
A new page loaded.
Hecate – Goddess of magic, crossroads, ghosts, and the unseen. A mysterious figure in Greek mythology, often associated with witchcraft and guiding lost souls.
Mira's eyes narrowed.
"Guiding lost souls? Does that mean… me?"
She shivered.
The thought sent a strange, unsettled feeling through her.
She shook it off and kept reading.
Hecate wasn't one of the Twelve Olympians, but she held immense power. Some myths described her as an older goddess, one who predated Zeus himself. Others said she had a hand in major events, but preferred to work from the shadows.
"So she's basically Olympus's secret powerhouse."
That made her adopting Mira even stranger.
"Why me? Why would Hecate, of all gods, take an interest in me?"
Mira sighed, rubbing her temples.
She needed more details. More than just surface-level myths.
She checked her schedule—tomorrow was completely free.
"Perfect. I can spend the whole day in-game."
For tonight, she decided to head to the library.
There were books on Greek mythology and history there that she might not find online. Maybe even something obscure that would give her a clue about her situation.
As she grabbed her coat and keys, one thought lingered in her mind.
"If this really is just a game… then why does it feel so real?"