Kairos

Chapter 9

There's a certain dip you feel deep in the middle of your gut when you experience something exhilarating.

It's that dip right before the drop on a rollercoaster, or when you get on stage with a million pairs of eyes on you, or when you feel an unexpected touch you weren't prepared for. The dip that feels like a hole opened up in your belly and a rush of heat passes through it.

Some people love the feeling, adrenaline junkies always chasing the euphoria.

Right now, I hate them.

Because the feeling of free falling was the worst thing I'd ever felt, especially because I knew what would happen when I hit the bottom.

Screams ripped from my throat as I hurtled through the air. My stomach in my throat, limbs flailing around uselessly.

My sobs were choked by the whooshing wind.

Suddenly, something hard and heavy slammed into me and knocked the air from my chest. But I was no longer falling. I gripped desperately onto my saviour, holding their arm in a death grip. Because it was a male...who was flying? No no no no no-

"Hey, Aristander." Apollo drawled, smiling a saccharine grin down at me as if amused by my panicking.

"No no, I'd rather fall to my death-" I squirmed trying to get out of his hold but his grip was like a brand. It tightened just enough for me to know that he wasn't against breaking my bones.

"Where are we going?" I twisted my head to look at him because there was no way I was turning my back to him.

"Olympus." I started nodding before I realised what he said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Olympus."

"I heard you the first time, why?"

The vile, empty smile broke into a wicked, fanatical smirk.

"Zeus wants to meet you." An iron grip tightened around my heart and my eyes widened. He obviously saw the reaction he wanted as he started humming some stupid song to himself.

I couldn't believe it.

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From a distance, Olympus (that's right, THE Olympus), looked like a gleaming marble and gold mass, too shiny in the sunlight for me to make out anything specific. Speaking of which, wasn't Apollo the Sun God? Surely, he should be on his chariot or something.

Every single thought flew out of my head when we landed close. It wasn't exactly a temple or a castle or palace, but it was all three at the same time - something that could've come out of a fantasy book, far far more beautiful than I could've imagined. It almost hurt to look at in its iridescent allure. Olympus was built into the mountain that loomed over the city like an oyster protecting its pearl, waterfalls thundered down grand bronze statues of the twelve Olympians, fragmenting into a coruscating kaleidoscope of vibrant colours in the gentle spray at its collision. The crystal water filled ponds at the feet of the statues were so clear one could see straight to the bottom. Ambrosial flora lushly bloomed all over the place - vines curling around polished pillars, elevated balconies and majestic fountains, an elegantly organised mess of flowers blooming in vibrant colour under the sunlight. Some of them even seemed to be emitting a heavenly glow.

The inside was hardly different. Paradisical light filtered into the immense halls from the stained-glass windows, scenes from history decorated the marble walls in tapestries, depicting the might, power and justice of the gods in the ancient world. The gilded corners were sewed with what looked like golden thread although it appeared to flicker between colours.