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Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

A fter her first nightmare, it was difficult to fall back to sleep. Listening to Dante's even, slow breathing helped. However, her next dream unfolded slowly, like a fog creeping over a field, distorting reality. She was no longer in the temple or on Delos. This time she stood in an endless expanse of darkness. In the distance, the moon hung ominously low in the sky, its light pale and sickly, casting long shadows across the desolate landscape.

The earth beneath her feet trembled, and when she looked down, cracks began to snake across the ground, splitting the world apart. She could hear the deep rumble of the planet groaning, as if the very core of the earth was ready to explode. She heard screaming then, then a deafening sound, and she glanced up just in time to watch as the moon shattered, like it was being ripped apart by invisible hands. Pieces of it floated away in slow motion, glowing fragments of rock drifting through the sky like fireflies. But it wasn't beautiful—it was terrifying. The pieces began to fall towards the earth, and she could feel the impending doom. Each fragment seemed to pulse with destructive energy, streaking down like flaming meteors.

Amy's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to scream, to call out, but her voice was gone. She watched in helpless horror as the first fragment struck the ocean, sending waves as tall as mountains towards the land. In their path was a river of fire and smoke shooting up into the sky. The next piece hit the mountains, shattering them into dust. Cities crumbled as more fragments rained down, entire civilizations wiped out in mere moments.

She could hear it then, screaming. Not from the people below, but from the world itself. The earth cried out in pain, its death throes echoing in the deepest parts of her soul. And amidst the destruction, she saw herself standing alone. Alone and powerless.

Then she realized that the entire scene had unfolded far below her. Her long soft gown floated around her in the night air. When she looked down, her bare toes curled and flexed in midair. Even her hair swirled around her in the breeze as the pieces of the moon continued to destroy the planet far beneath her.

But the dream twisted further, taking her back—back to places and times she had never consciously remembered but knew all too well.

She saw herself standing on battlefields, dressed in ancient armor, with Dante by her side. They had fought together, side by side against the gods, their love a force that bound them in every lifetime. But in each scene, it ended the same way.

Dante would fall.

In one life, Zeus hurled a bolt of lightning through his chest. In another, Hades plunged a sword into his back. In yet another, Athena struck him down with her spear. Then it was Moros who pummeled him with stones and his fists. Each time, she screamed his name, her heart breaking as she rushed to his side, only to feel him die in her arms over and over. The pain was endless, an eternal loop of sorrow and loss.

Amy had felt the weight of his body in her arms so many times, the warmth leaving him as his life drained away. Every single time, his eyes would meet hers, filled with the same unspoken promise of love, and every time she lost him. The gods were cruel, and no matter how hard they fought, no matter what strategies they employed, they always lost. She always lost him.

The sorrow was unbearable. She couldn't save him. In every past life, she had failed. And now, the destruction of the world that she had witnessed—the moon shattering—felt inevitable, as though history was repeating itself once more. The fates were laughing at her, reminding her that no matter what she did, the outcome would be the same.

Her heart ached with the weight of it. She didn't know how much longer she could bear the pain of watching Dante die, of holding his broken body in her arms. She wanted to scream, to rage against the gods, to tear them apart with her bare hands. But she couldn't.

She was helpless.

And then, in the dream, as the world crumbled around her, she stood alone again, waiting for Dante to fall. But this time, there was no battlefield. She saw him standing before her, his body twisted in agony, reaching out for her as something dark and unseen wrapped around him, dragging him away.

"No," she whispered, her voice broken. "No, please."

But just as before, he disappeared. She was left alone in the ruins, her heart shattered like the moon.

Amy woke with a start, her body trembling. Her skin was damp with sweat, and she could still hear the distant echoes of the destruction, still see the way the moon had torn apart the sky. Her breath came in short, uneven gasps, and it took her several long moments to remember where she was.

At that very moment, she realized that she was no longer in the soft bed with Dante's body pressed up against hers. The cool salt air floated around her, as it had in many of her dreams.

She had to blink a few times before her mind would understand that she was hovering more than two hundred feet above the dark sea. The stars twinkled above her head, far higher than the massive sliver of the moon that sat in the night sky.

"What…" she whispered, afraid that if she made any sudden moves, she'd fall to earth.

"Sister."

She glanced up and saw two being hovering a few feet away from her. She recognized both of them immediately, somehow.

Venus and Aphrodite. Venus was a pale-skinned woman with long flowing jet-black hair. Her eyes were like diamonds that sparkled in the night. Aphrodite was the most exquisite creature she'd ever seen. Not man nor woman. Long flowing blonde hair the color of gold moved around a flawless face. Eyes the color of the moon and just as bright.

Both were dressed similarly to the long cream-colored night dress she'd been given that first night.

"Sister?" She frowned.

Venus smiled. "Why have you forgotten who you are?"

"I'm told that if I remember, all will be lost," she pointed out.

"Lies of men can weigh heavy on your soul," Aphrodite said in a rich, soothing voice.

"Are they lies?" she asked. "Prometheus's words and the memories of my life, they all haunt my visions."

"You have been shown what you needed to see to conquer," Venus answered. "Elpis awaits your orders. Once you awake fully, the truth and the hope will finally be released."

"Hope," Amy sighed. "How can there be hope?"

"If not for hope, then all is lost," Aphrodite said.

Amy tilted her head. "Is this real?"

They both smiled. "Is anything real?" Venus asked.

"Love is real," Aphrodite countered. "You feel it in your bones. Every time you watched your mate perish, you lost a piece of yourself until you forgot who you were. What you were fighting for. It's time to wake up. To remember. Love for your mate is the catalyst. It always has been."

"Sister." Venus nodded. Then the pair of them moved so quickly towards her, she had only to blink and they were on either side of her.

"Wake," Venus said, brushing her lips across Amy's.

"Wake," Aphrodite said, and then once more Amy's lips were kissed.

Pain shot through her body as she was engulfed in a bright light. She closed her eyes as it consumed her.

"Remember," they both said as everything burst into flames.

What seemed like minutes passed by as she learned to relax into the pain, accepting it and the images and memories flashing behind her closed eyelids.

When the pain and the light dimmed, she opened her eyes and realized she was alone and, to her great surprise, still floating above the dark sea.

Looking around, she spotted a few small fires in the distance and pointed her body towards them. Thankfully, whatever flying power she possessed, she didn't need the manual to control it. She zipped through the air quickly towards the campfires, which were obviously on the outskirts of the town.

She spotted the temple where they'd been exiled and, without a sound, she touched down on the balcony.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the faint sliver of moonlight filtering through the curtains.

She swallowed hard as she made her way back into her room, her throat dry and tight as if she'd been screaming. Her pulse was still racing in her ears, a dull, frantic drumbeat that refused to slow. She stilled for a moment after stepping fully into the bed chamber, her eyes adjusting to the dimness.

Then her gaze locked onto Dante. He was still sound asleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, his features peaceful. In the darkness, he looked almost otherworldly—strong, powerful, and so much more than the man she had known him to be. But there was something tender in the way his brow softened as he slept, something vulnerable that tugged at her heart.

She watched him for what felt like an eternity, her heart aching with the memory of all those lifetimes, of all the times she had watched him die. She wondered if he dreamed of those same battles, of the pain and loss they had endured together. Did he know how many times he had sacrificed himself for her? Did he remember the way they had fought for a future that never seemed to come?

She reached her hand out, brushing lightly against his arm, and for a moment she hesitated. She didn't want to wake him. He looked so peaceful, so free from the burdens of their past. But at the same time, she wanted to pull him close, to hold him and remind herself that he was still here—that this time, maybe things could be different.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she crawled back into bed and wrapped him in her arms. The fear of losing him again was overwhelming.

But even as it threatened to consume her, there was a small flicker of hope. Dante was still with her. They had another chance, another life, another opportunity to change things. Maybe, just maybe, this time would be different.

Amy let out a soft, shaky breath, her hand lingering on his arm. "I won't let you die this time," she whispered, the words barely audible in the stillness of the night. "I love you too much."

As she lay there, watching him sleep, the weight of their past lives, their future battles, and the fate of the world kept her from falling back to sleep.

She would fight for him, for them—for a future where they wouldn't have to say goodbye anymore.

When the sun started to lighten their room, Dante rolled over, his eyes sliding open slowly.

"Morning,'" he said as his hands moved over her.

"I can fly," she blurted out.

He blinked a few times and then sat up. "Okay," he said slowly. "In your dreams, you mean?"

She shook her head as she sat up next to him. "No, last night. I… met Venus and Aphrodite. About a mile offshore." She motioned towards the balcony.

He ran his hands over his face. "Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"You glow blue and fought off a god," she pointed out.

"Okay." He nodded. "God, why can't there be any coffee here?" He rolled his shoulders. "Have you tried to fly again?"

She stood up and without exerting any effort, lifted off the ground until her head almost touched the ceiling.

"That is sooo…."

"Cool?" She smiled down at him.

"Hot." He wiggled his eyebrows. "What else can you do?"

Amy floated above the floor, her head just inches from the ceiling, her body weightless and perfectly balanced, as if she'd been doing this her whole life.

"Hot?" she teased, looking down at him, his grin contagious. She wiggled her fingers and did a little twist in the air, her hair floating around her face like she was suspended underwater. "That's all you've got?"

Dante let out a low chuckle and leaned back against the bed, crossing his arms as he studied her. "I mean, it is pretty hot. But seriously… what else?"

Amy drifted back down slowly, her feet gently touching the cool floor again. She took a deep breath, the sensation of floating still tingling through her. "I don't know," she admitted. "I haven't thought about it. I feel as if something inside me has been unlocked."

Dante raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "Unlocked or awakened?"

Since she didn't have an answer, she shrugged.

"Okay, you said Venus and Aphrodite like you're on a first-name basis now," he said.

Amy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "They appeared to me... out over the water. They spoke to me about the past and the future. About hope. About… us."

Dante was silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. He rubbed the back of his neck, the tension in his shoulders visible. "So, we're still both pieces in the gods' cosmic chess game." His voice held a dry note, but she could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Feels like it," Amy muttered, pacing across the room. Her mind raced as flashes of last night's encounter replayed in her head. They had spoken to her like she was one of them. A goddess. She could still feel the pulse of energy they'd left inside her, thrumming just beneath her skin.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do with this power," she admitted, her voice soft. "I don't even know if I want it."

Dante stood and crossed the room to her, taking her hand in his. "We'll figure it out," he said, his voice steady. "You've always been able to get through the tough spots. This isn't any different."

His words settled her, grounding her amid her swirling thoughts. She squeezed his hand, grateful for his presence, even though everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.

Amy studied his face, the determination there unmistakable. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that this time would be different. But the memories of her dream, of watching him die over and over again, clung to her heart like thorns.

"There's something else," she said, her voice dropping. "When I was out there… with them... I saw something."

Dante's brow furrowed. "What did you see?"

Amy hesitated, unsure how to explain the strange vision that had flickered through her mind. "I saw… the world breaking apart. The moon was shattered again, the earth crumbling. As it had in the future I'd been to."

His grip tightened on her hand.

"It felt like a warning. We have to get back, somehow, and once I fully understand all of my powers, I have to wake Elpis." She shook her head slightly. "Your sister."

Dante's eyes searched hers for a moment. "Then we need to figure out how to stop it."

She nodded, her mind racing. "But first… we need to understand our powers."

Dante let out a breath and looked towards the balcony where the early morning light was beginning to filter in. "It sounds like we need a place to train." He smiled.

"Yeah," Amy said softly, glancing at the sky. "But first, I need breakfast and some of that tea to wake me up." She paused, the next thought forming before she could stop it. "I can fly."

Dante broke into a grin again. "Well, that's a pretty handy skill, I'd say. Wanna give me a lift next time we need to go anywhere?"

Amy laughed, the sound breaking through the tension between them. "We'll see," she teased, stepping back as she floated just an inch off the ground, testing the sensation. It felt effortless now, like breathing. She wondered what else she could do, what other powers lay dormant inside her.

But for now, she felt lighter. Not just physically, but emotionally. She wasn't alone in this. Dante was here, by her side, and whatever was coming—whether it was destiny, the gods, or the end of the world—they would face it.

As she hovered in place, she caught Dante's gaze, the glint in his eyes unmistakable.

"So," he said, his voice playful, "you're telling me I've got a flying goddess for a girlfriend?"

Amy smirked, lifting herself higher until she was at eye level with him. "Better than a glowing god for a boyfriend, I guess."

Dante laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess we're quite the pair."

Amy touched his cheek gently. "I realized something else last night."

He met her eyes, his hand covering hers. "Oh?"

"I love you." She brushed her lips across his. He stilled and when he pulled back slightly, he was smiling.

"I've loved you for longer than there have been stars," he whispered. Then he kissed her again.

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