Meeting Aggie

23.

My father looked stern as he always did. But behind the sternness, he cared. He cared deeply.

"We have a new training today, Agatha."

"What will we be doing, Father?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"You'll learn how to chant in water."

Fear solidified in my chest. This memory traumatized me for years. I crossed my arms and stood tall.

"I refuse."

My father stepped toward me, looming over me with his face set in impatient lines.

"You don't have a choice. Get in the water, young lady."

I shook my head as he continued walking forward. When he inched too close, I backed up. Water touched my ankle and my face flushed with heat. I was too close to the water.

"Father. Don't!"

His hands flew before him and shoved me. I hit the water and went down like a cement lawn ornament. I tried to come up for air, but the water dragged me down.

My father's arms were crossed as he watched me go under again and again. I tried not to panic as I held the last bit of my breath.

"Breathe, Agatha," Poppy said faintly.

I felt her presence in my mind. But I was flailing my arms, desperate for air. I wasn't capable of breathing underwater. I'm going to die.

"No, you're not. Trust me and just breathe."

Against my better judgment, I trusted her. I took a tentative breath in. Then a larger breath. The water burned as it filled my lungs. But I didn't choke. I didn't die.

"I'm not dead," I mouthed in the water.

"Exactly." Poppy giggled.

The scenery faded. I was on the ground all dry, and the room was all white again. My father stood before me again.

"I would never put you in a position to kill you, Aggie. All that happened was that you panicked."

A tear fell from my face. I had never been in danger. My entire worldview shifted as my trauma shredded and became two-dimensional, like it had happened to someone else. My father picked me up and hugged me.

"I wish I were with you, baby girl. There is not a day that passes that I don't think about you."

We cried into each other's arms. He felt so lifelike. I knew the room's magic had temporarily brought him here. My father pulled back and slowly faded away. Tears stained his aged face.

"You have a lot of supporters, but never forget that I'm your biggest one."

As my father's form started to fade, a bittersweet ache tugged at my heart. The words that had remained unsaid for far too long finally found their voice.

"I love you, father," I whispered, the words filled with a mixture of longing and regret.

A soft smile graced his fading features, a glimmer of warmth in his diminishing presence.

"I love you too," he replied, his voice carrying a depth of affection that echoed in my soul.

As his image fully dissolved into ethereal wisps, I clung to those precious words, cherishing the fleeting connection we shared.

A noise caught my attention, and I turned to find the door reappearing before me. I opened it and stepped out, coming face-to-face with Nyx.

"Ten minutes. I'm impressed," Nyx remarked, her voice laced with a hint of admiration.

She snapped her fingers, causing the hourglass to vanish into thin air.

"Do you now realize how ignorant you are?" she questioned, her words dripping with a mix of condescension and challenge.

I nodded at her.

"I was terrified, honestly. I thought I was gone for sure."

Nyx looked at me sternly.

"Fairies were given the ability to breathe underwater by the mermaids. In return, they gave mermaids the ability to heal."

"I never knew that."

"Drop your ignorance so you can realize the things you're capable of because of your other forms."

I stared at her blankly, not knowing what to say. She was right. She let out a deep sigh and put a hand on her forehead.

"Nyx?"

"You amaze me, but my, are you a great disappointment. Are you sure you go to Yale?"

"Well, I did manage to secure a full ride scholarship," I replied nonchalantly.

"How did she ever manage to achieve that?" Nyx whispered to herself.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of disappointment radiating from Nyx. A part of me desperately wanted to believe that she didn't mean it, but the weight of her voice and her demeanor told a different story.

She let out a deep sigh and retraced her steps through the halls. I followed her back to the living room, where Apollo was seated on the couch.

"So, how was it?" he asked, his curiosity evident.

Nyx glanced at me briefly before addressing Apollo. "This may or may not work. She's an untapped idiot. Just less."

Harsh, but I appreciated her blunt honesty.

Apollo shrugged dismissively. "Tough luck, Aggie."

I couldn't help but ask, "How can I become tapped?"

Nyx's eyes faintly glowed, then dimmed. "By learning, growing, and flourishing. It's not just about the abilities themselves, but also the mindset. All of your forms must be in sync for it to happen."

Apollo nodded in agreement. "You can't simply wish to become tapped, Aggie. Tapping is the ability to merge your forms. However, before you can reach that stage, you must first unlock these other forms."

I pondered what that experience would be like. "While I was 'drowning,' Poppy spoke to me—my fairy form. It was a faint connection, though."

Nyx blinked at me. "It's a decent start. Fortunately for you, we only need to focus on unlocking Isidore."

Isidore stirred within me, using my voice to speak. "What do you mean? I'm already unlocked."

Nyx chuckled mischievously. " Oh! You mean when you turn into a green, raging bitch? My dear, you severely underestimate your true powers. We're taking an aptitude test."

Apollo clasped his hands together and stood up. "Now that's something I don't want to miss. I've never witnessed an aptitude test before."

Nyx led the way, and Apollo and I followed closely behind as we moved from the living room into the kitchen. Nyx stopped in front of a chestnut brown door, opened it, and extended her hand. A blue orb materialized in her palm, casting a soft glow on the spiraling stairs that descended into darkness.

"It's pitch black down there. You'll both need magic orbs to see," Nyx explained as she began descending.

I conjured a green orb in my hand while Apollo peered into the darkness. Irritated, I glared at him.

"What are you doing? Are you just standing there?"

He squinted, trying to make out the staircase in the absence of light. "I have the ability to see in the dark, but for some reason, I can't see anything."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation and followed Nyx down the stairs. Apollo quickly caught up, running behind me to keep pace with Nyx, whose fading orb struggled to light the way in the darkness.

"Alright! I'll use an orb! Don't leave me. I don't like the dark."