𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐩𝐣𝐨 𝐱 𝐡𝐩

the genesis

—

She wasn't ready for this. Fear and anxiety was all that coursed through Amara as she looked down at her swollen belly.

Artemis, Zoë and a few of her hunters stood by her within the tent. Amara had a close relationship with the goddess of the moon and her lieutenant, often joining their hunts which allowed her to befriend the hunters. She even once considered joining them herself, but ultimately made the choice to experience life to the fullest.

But she didn't intend for this to happen. A drunken mistake with a charismatic stranger at the pub. Amara regrets that night. She knew she should've ignored the way his skin glowed golden brown under the lights, the way his smile made her feel like she was the most beautiful girl in the world, the way his stupid American accent mingled with his Indian one. And despite every nerve in her body screaming at her to get away from him. It wasn't that he felt particularly dangerous, however, in the back of her mind, she felt as though she shouldn't be near him. But in the end, she couldn't ignore the stranger. He had this strange allure to him, as if he was the sun, nourishing her with his light as she spun around him.

But that choice led her to where she was now, nine months pregnant with a baby girl. She wasn't ready for this. In the time that she was pregnant, she was still very active in her role as both a witch and demigod. Often leading to her passing out from exhaustion. Her mother had often criticised her for this, knowing that for both the baby and her to be healthy, she needed to rest. But in the first few months, she was struggling to come to terms with the truth as she hadn't yet experienced all that she wanted to before becoming a mother. She didn't want to leave behind her job and her life of questing for a child. Twenty was too young for her to be a single mother. But it was too late now.

"You're going to be in a lot of pain soon. That is, more than you already are," Artemis grimmaced next to her, "Might want to relax."

"You're so right! I should just relax whilst a whole body comes out of mine. Thank you for the oh so wonderful advice." Amara mumbled back to her sarcastically.

Artemis shared a smile with Zoë, both of them glad that their friend was able to still joke around despite how scared she was.

"You're going to be alright." Zoë reassured and Amara tried to smile back at her through the pain of contractions.

Despite being utterly petrified at the prospect of having to raise her baby whilst balancing her job, Amara was somewhat looking forward to this next chapter in her life. After all, she rejected the call of the Hunters so that she can experience life to the fullest, which includes motherhood.

Soon, all of Amara's thoughts were consumed by pain – unbearable, excruciating pain and some part of her thought that this wasn't normal. She imagined this is what it would feel like to burn in the Fields of Punishment whilst being whipped by the Furies. Praying to her mother, Hecate, titaness of magic, she asked for the pain to go away and the baby to be healthy.