💥𝒢𝑜𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒲𝒾𝓈𝒹𝑜𝓂💥 [𝒳-𝑀𝑒𝓃]

Chapter 14: Birth of Athena

"Today is a good day to try."

- Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

Erik's POV

"Apparently I'm not the only one who broods at odd hours of the night."

Elizabeth—who was deep in thought—spins around to face me. I definitely scared her. Her white eyes are wide with panic.

"Apparently not," she replies after she's calmed herself.

"What's bothering you?"

"How do you know something's bothering me?"

"You're up at an hour during which a normal person is sleeping."

"So are you... and whoever said I was normal."

"You still have yet to answer my question."

"It doesn't matter."

"In fact, I believe you're avoiding it."

"Why does that matter?"

"How long have you been awake?"

"Also doesn't matter."

"I heard you and Alex talking over two hours ago. I believed you had since gone to bed. Clearly, I was wrong."

"Why are you so concerned?"

I sigh and gently sit on the couch beside her. She just continues to look up at me. She stares as if waiting for my answer.

"Because I happen to care about you, little one. Does this have to do with what happened earlier today? And while we're on that topic, what happened earlier today?"

"It's nothing of importance."

"The entire house shook and more than one thing exploded."

"Mild importance... but nothing entirely out of the ordinary."

"I'm going to ask you the same question I asked years ago: what exactly can you do?"

Elizabeth stares down at the floor. I don't even have to see her eyes to know there is a pain in them. While this does have to do with what happened earlier, it's so much deeper than that. This is something that has been rooted in her for a long time—possibly even since the day I met her.

"I... I don't really know anymore," she replies solemnly.

"But you're afraid of it."

"No... Yes..."

"Come with me," I say, rising from the couch.

"Where're we going?"

"Grab a jacket and a pair of shoes."