Of the Forgotten: Cal Wants to Be Famous

Chapter 3: Hint of the Past

"It wasn't every day you decided to throw yourself off a waterfall, but hey, I've had worse ideas."

*

"You mean our Goddess?" I'd asked, my eyebrows practically glued to my hairline. Our Goddess? Like, I'd missed that memo or something.

"Yes, the Goddess and the demigods," my mother had said, her tone as casual as if she was talking about the weather. "They used to love speaking with each other."

Used to, huh? No big deal. Like a forgotten family reunion or something. I mean, why wouldn't they mention that in, oh, I don't know, every lesson ever?

But come on—if the demigods were chatting it up with the Goddess, shouldn't that matter?

I can still see Mom's face from last night—calm, unbothered as usual. 'It's been a millennia, dear,' she'd said, like that was supposed to mean something.

Of course, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It gnawed at me, a little voice in the back of my head saying, Hey, Cal, maybe this is kinda important.

Even now, hours later, I can't shake off the way Mom said it—like a casual 'oh, by the way' that was supposed to answer everything.

I'm sitting here in the same clearing, the wind all dramatic like it's trying to make a point.

Mother's long gone back to the house, but I'm still here, staring at the lake, stuck on the same thought.

The Nightsky flowers sway softly, their petals glowing under the dimming light like they know something I don't. Why am I even doing this?

It's not just curiosity, is it? I've been feeling this pull for as long as I can remember.

Stuck on this tiny island, with nothing but old legends and vague whispers. There's gotta be something more out there—something waiting for me.

The wind snaps at my face as if to wake me up, but nah, I'm not ready to stop brooding yet. I lean back, letting the chill cut through me.

That book... it's the key, I know it. Ever since I found it, there hasn't been a single moment where my thoughts didn't drift back to its pages. The history, the secrets—it's all there, burning a hole in my chest.

What lies beyond this tiny island?

I tried avoiding it—oh, did I try.

I threw myself into school, cramming every subject just to keep busy, hoping to distract myself from the call of that damn book. It worked for a while. Finished all my lessons early. The teachers didn't even know what to do with me.

But no amount of studying could stop the pull.

Now, I'm out of distractions. It's time to face it.

-

The lake stretches out in front of me, glowing with a soft, eerie light that seems to dance just beneath the surface. The scent of damp earth and moss fills the air, mixing with the chill of nightfall.

A small boat bobs gently at the edge of the dock, the soft creak of wood against water tugging at my nerves. I grip the oars, the rough wood cool and damp beneath my fingers. Alright, boat. Let's do this.

I hop in, untie the rope, and push off. The boat wobbles, making my stomach flip, but I hold steady. I give it a few good strokes, and we're off.