The heavens held their breath, the sky aflame with the first light of dawn. I opened my eyes for the first time, feeling the warmth of my mother, Eos, the Goddess of Dawn, envelop me. Her golden light danced over my skin as she held me close, her eyes like twin suns gazing down with pride.
"My precious Leandra," she whispered, her voice as gentle as a morning breeze. "You are born of light and strength, a union of dawn and battle. The world will know you by the strength in your heart and the fire in your spirit."
"Mother..." I murmured, the words unfamiliar on my tongue, yet their meaning as clear as the morning. My gaze drifted around us to the vast skies and clouds, the rolling mist parting at our touch.
Then came the sound of footsteps, bold and unyielding, echoing from a place beyond dawn's light. My father. Ares, God of War, approached, his armor gleaming with the fierceness of untamed fire, his gaze intense yet softened by something I couldn't yet name.
"So," he said, his deep voice resonating in the quiet of dawn. "This is our daughter. Leandra."
I felt a strange energy surge through me as he spoke my name. The strength in his presence mixed with the light of my mother, filling me with a power as old as the stars and as enduring as the earth. He reached out, touching my forehead with a gentle hand. His eyes, though sharp, held a softness.
"Eos," he murmured, never taking his gaze from me, "she has your light, your resilience. And yet, I sense something fierce within her—a strength that will not yield."
Eos nodded, a smile gracing her lips. "She will be both—light and shadow, peace and war. She will face the world with a heart that is brave and a spirit that is unbreakable. You will shape her, Ares, and I will guide her."
I felt the weight of their words settle over me, like a mantle placed upon my shoulders. A flame flickered in my chest, an understanding of who I was and who I would one day become. "Mother... Father... what am I to do in this world?"
Eos' hand rested on my shoulder, her warmth seeping into my skin. "You, Leandra, are meant to bring balance where there is chaos and light where there is darkness. Your strength is not for you alone, but for those who are lost in shadow."
Ares' voice was softer than I expected. "And you will protect those who cannot protect themselves. You are strength incarnate, my daughter, and no force in this world or any other will break you."
I took a deep breath, letting their words settle within me. The sky around us began to shift, the dawn giving way to the light of day. But I felt no fear, no doubt. I was Leandra, born of dawn and war, created for a purpose greater than I could yet see.
Together, we watched as the day began, and with it, I felt my journey unfolding.
