Page 20 of Claimed By Her Monsters

After managing to find a female robe, I proceeded to the washroom and showered first.

One inspection of my body told me I had either been hit by a fucking truck or slammed something right on to leave so many bruises and scratches on my body.

I wanted to heal them, but the idea left me feeling tired. Maybe my body was begging for a vacation, which would have been nice after the shitshow we’d gone through, but this wasn’t the time to take a break.

Athena…

It took the simple reminder to leave me standing in the stream of hot water for who knew how long. I just stared at my feet while memories of our various interactions rushed through my mind.

She’d been one of the reasons I had hope left. One of the lights at the end of the tunnel that was always consistently there when I needed to feel the warmth light delivered.

She had been a safety net in my youth that helped me gather the courage to fight for what I wanted.

So why didn’t I get the chance to return the favor?

It dawned on me that she’d never get to see the ending of my victory. She’d never see me reach the peak of womanhood and claim what she wished for me.

I wanted to know what happened to lead her down this path of secrecy. Why she had to keep me a secret to ensure I made it this far down the road before she was slain by someone so envious and evil yet who portrayed the image of purity.

It was as if the two of them were simply the opposites of what they were: Danica was as cruel as a Goddess of Darkness should be, while Athena was as kind and loving as one would imagine the Goddess of Light.

Could they have switched positions on purpose? By accident? What the hell happened to lead us to the present?

To leave with me without a mother…

It wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t be known as my mother to the rest of the world that made my heart begin to squeeze and mourn in agony, but the reality that she was the mother figure I’d always wished for.

The woman gave me a path when I was led astray by my own demons and dark thoughts. She really aided in raising me to be confident in my decisions, even when I struggled with them far too often.

No matter what I went through, I knew I’d be okay if I talked to Athena, but how would I be okay now?

She wasn’t here anymore…

I didn’t want to accept it.

I couldn’t…or elsewhere would her legacy go?

Would everyone end up forgetting her? Even though she was such a huge impact on our magic society.

Before I knew it, I was shedding tears that blended perfectly with the droplets of water, my sobs and whimpers as quiet as I could make them as I pressed my hands to my face.

I really felt like I failed her.

I should have clued in on the little hints she gave us before it was too late. What could I have done differently?

If we’d worked faster in gathering evidence against Danica, would Athena be alive now? How would I be able to fill her shoes when I felt like such a mess right now?

I didn’t how I was going to do it, which made me feel overwhelmed. I knew if I just took a moment to take everything in, I could formulate a plan and execute it, but doing that felt like a mission I couldn’t take on right now.

“C’mon, Nessa,” I whispered to myself. “I can do this. I have to…or else the world will probably end, and then that will make Athena’s death all in vain. I can’t disappoint her like that…but what do I do? I need to figure out what to do.”

I wouldn’t be able to figure it out here. Not when I was a crying mess. But that thought only made me cry harder as I crouched down to hug myself.

It hurt to feel so weak. To be so vulnerable when I needed to be strong and empowering. This dual role would put me on a pedestal and force me to confront people I’d probably never met in my life, and it was scary to think about.

I knew I would have support in some way, but in this spiraling moment, it felt like I’d be walking this path all alone, and I hated that entirely.

The feeling of being alone…and afraid of the unknown future.

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