Rosetta Dagotto and the Fight for the Underworld

Chapter Two: The Sun and the Daughter

Chapter 2: The Sun and the Daughter

Rosetta Dagotto enjoys the sounds of nature, the chirping birds, and the soft grass as she pulls back her bow. There's a solitary elk in the distance between a grove of trees. She aims a couple of inches beyond the mark. The doorbell rings just as Rosetta is about to release the arrow. It soars inches above the elk. She curses to herself as the elk runs away and disappears after twenty yards.

She pauses her game and puts down her Nintendo Switch, her mouth starting to salivate. Rosetta had ordered Domino's Pizza. She gets up and walks out of her room, passing a side table where her aunt and uncle had left money for her.

Rosetta looks at the cash before smiling. As she picks it up, her heart squeezes in gratitude. She moved in with her aunt and uncle when her mom died. They had been open and understanding. And honestly, Rosetta is grateful that they give her space even now. To some, two years may be a long time, but to Rosetta, the two years since her mother's death feels like it happened yesterday.

She opens the door to a man who clearly isn't a delivery man. He looks to be in his early twenties. Messy blonde hair dangles from his face, framed in a sculpted golden complexion and blue eyes similar to hers. He is a few inches taller than her and has a well-toned physique.

The man is wearing a toga and sandals. On his back are a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The gorgeous face is engraved with a crooked grin and sparkling white teeth. He is infuriatingly attractive and is a little too cocky for Rosetta's tastes.

"Yes, I am much better looking in person," he says, his grin so smug that Rosetta wants to slap him. "But, if you could just stop staring long enough to let me in—"

"Let you in?" Rosetta exclaims. Her eyes tighten as displeasure flows through her body. "Are you joking? What kind of sick pervert are you?"

The man steps back and mouths the word, "Pervert."

Rosetta desperately wants to close the door, her stomach twisting in knots. Whatever this sicko's game is, she wants no part of it. She debates calling the police.

The man pushes his blonde hair back, his brows knitting in puzzlement, "You don't know? I'm sure your mother, Josette, must have talked well of me."

"You knew my Mom?" Rosetta asks, her eyes widening at the mention of her late mother.

"Knew her?" He says, chuckling, "I dated her."

"So, you're my Mom's ex-boyfriend?" she says slowly, trying to process the idea.

"Mmm, I suppose you could say that," he strokes his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose a lover is a better word, but I'd rather not discuss it with a youngster."

Lover. He says it so casually. Does this man not know she died? Rosetta takes a few steps back, her unease growing. First, this guy is way too young to have been her mother's lover. Second, she isn't sure how mentally stable he is. But the bow and arrows on his back look real. She doesn't want to risk it. Ever since that day, she promised that she'd be more cautious. No one else is going to die on account of her.

The man holds out his hand to her, bidding her to stop. His smug look and grin are wholly gone. Instead, his eyes gleam as bright as the sun as he looks at her in care.

"There's no need to notify mortal authorities," The man says, "I'm here because I promised Josette that when you reached fourteen, I'd come back to see you."

Promise? Rosetta can't figure out what he's talking about. Her mother never told her about any promise.

Fourteen. Why would Rosetta's mother want her to meet this guy when she was fourteen? Rosetta can't wrap her head around it. Or rather, she does not want to. Because the only conclusion she can make is this man, this boy, is her...