What would've been a quiet summer turns into a globe-trotting adventure when an incident in Olympian High's campus garden gets the attention of resident Chosens Amelia Kingston and Zeus Olympian. To their surprise, the culprit is none other than the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Traveling was one of the best things to experience in one's life. To hear a new language spoken by locals, to see unfamiliar sights that could take a breath away, to savor mouthwatering tastes. . . The sense of wanderlust whenever one stepped into a whole new world was surreal.
Or at least that was what Amelia thought as soon as they stepped out of their plane and outside Istanbul Airport. Having a waterway pass through it, Turkey's former capital was a literal bridge between Europe and Asia. From palaces to synagogues, it was rich with historical sites that stood the test of time, witnessing three great empires that rose and fell over the years.
The towering minarets and wide domes of the mosques were mesmerizing, especially as the sound of the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, reverberated from the distance. The haunting song sent chills down Amelia's spine and made her wonder what the foreign words meant.
Amelia, Athena, Zeus, and Ivy stepped out of the private taxi that Athena hailed to bring them to Hagia Sophia. They were on the road for the last couple of hours because of heavy traffic, and it was a relief for the four of them to stretch their legs after the long ride.
I guess traffic is what every city in the world has in common. Amelia mused.
The moment their ride zoomed away, Athena cleared her throat and looked at the rest of the group, ignoring the beautiful marble drinking fountain kiosk behind her and the majestic gray dome standing not far from the spot.
"We've already wasted several hours on the flight and the ride here, so there's no time to waste, alright?" she said, her tone firm. "We'll go to the museum as soon as the afternoon prayer is over and then—"
Zeus let out a loud cough. "I'm gonna stop you right there, sis. I think it would be best for everyone if you take a chill pill and we all get something to eat."
Ivy and Amelia nodded in agreement. The stalls the latter saw a while ago sold some tasty-looking treats, and Amelia needed to get a bite from them.
Athena shot her brother a glare. "What are you talking about? We've already eaten a first-class meal on the plane. How come you're still hungry?"
"Well, you know what they say. . . nothing beats street food." Zeus grinned. "Plus we've got to walk around and go sightseeing since it's Ivy's first time coming with us."
"Are you serious right now?" Athena groaned. "That's what you said when it was Amelia's first time too! Don't start making this into a thing."
"What? Welcoming new Chosens warmly and letting them have fun whenever we get to go somewhere cool?"
"Yes!" Athena said. "It's getting on my nerves!"
"She shouldn't miss out on this opportunity, you know," Amelia said. "Just give her a chance."
"No! We'll do whatever leisure activity you want to do later, but right now, our priority is to get the Artifact. That's it."
"Come on, girl! Can't we just have a bit of fun? The sickles aren't going anywhere." Ivy batted her eyelashes at Athena. "Pretty please? I'm having such a great time already! You don't wanna ruin this experience for me, do you?"
