DEMIS (A Clash With Lightning)

26

Rose sat up, realizing she had been transported into a beautiful flower garden. She looked around at the different flowers adorning the walls and shrubbery. When she looked down, she saw that her clothes had been changed into a thin, white dress, and her shoes were missing. It reminded her of the way a fairy in a fantasy book might be dressed.

She scanned the area for any threats, but she was confused to find no hostile creatures charging at her. What kind of trial was this? She decided to roam around the garden, hoping to find some sort of objective. She knew her friends would be relying on her to succeed, and she didn't want to be the reason they all failed.

She walked up to a fountain decorated with lily pads floating in the water. Sitting at the edge, she stared at her reflection. She half-expected to see a hideous version of herself. But when no physical threats appeared in the garden, she began to suspect that this would be one of those cliché trials about accepting herself despite her inner flaws. She frowned when her appearance hadn't been altered at all.

"What am I supposed to be doing, then?" she muttered.

The garden wasn't very large, so there wasn't much ground to cover in search of her goal. Why was this so hard? It made her nervous. If she was struggling just to find the trial's starting point, would she actually be successful in completing it?

Just when she was starting to get frustrated, she heard a familiar voice behind her. "My Rose!"

Her eyes widened at the sound of his voice. How could he be here? She turned to see a handsome man with blonde hair and green eyes. He smiled and opened his arms expectantly, waiting for her to embrace him. Her mouth dropped, and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. When she opened them again, he was still there.

"Dad?" she gasped.

"Oh, my beautiful Rose," he began, tears welling in his eyes. "How I've missed you. You disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Do you not care about me?"

"Dad, you don't understand," she started to explain. "I was taken by Hecate to save Olympus. You'll never believe what I've accomplished."

He looked hurt by her words. "Are you planning to abandon me, to be with your mother? On Olympus?" he asked.

Her father had always been this way—insecure, whiny, and a tad manipulative. Rose suspected it was one of the side effects of being in a relationship with Aphrodite. Her mother was like a drug to mortals. Once they had a taste of her, they would never be satisfied with anyone else.

The biggest problem was that her mother's love was fleeting. She grew bored easily, and no relationship of hers lasted long. It was well known that she was actually in love with Ares, but Zeus wouldn't let them be together. So, Aphrodite would have random relationships with mortals to fill the void of her loneliness.

The cycle continued. Hurt people hurt people. Aphrodite had left a trail of broken-hearted mortals in her wake, and her father was one of them. For as long as Rose could remember, he had been overly protective of her. He hated being away from her for too long. She was the only piece of her mother that he had. Often, he would tell her things he really wanted to say to Aphrodite. He was terrified of Rose leaving him and truly having to part ways with the essence of Aphrodite completely.

With Rose close by, his addiction could be sated, even just a little bit. It wasn't the same as being with her mother, but it was close enough to keep him sane. Rose loved her father and largely pitied him, but deep down, he drained her. He was exhausting to be around and made her feel miserable.

"No, Dad!" she hugged him tightly. "I'm not going to abandon you. How did you get here, anyway?"

"A parent can always find their child," he scoffed. "There's nowhere you can go that I can't find you."

Rose tried not to let her father's words bother her before pulling away from the embrace. She quickly changed the subject. "Dad, I've accomplished so much since I last saw you. You won't believe—"

He cut her off. "There's no time for that. We need to get out of here before it's too late."

"What? No. I can't leave." She protested.

He grabbed her arm and began dragging her away, against her will. "Dad!" she shouted angrily. "Let go!"

"Don't you trust me?" he turned to question her.

"Well, of course, but—"

"Then you need to act like it and come with me," he said. "I found a place where the two of us will be safe from the titans."

"What about everyone else? My friends?" she asked.

"What about them?" he scoffed. "There's only room for the two of us. You don't need them anyway. Just rely on me, solely."

"Dad, we can't let the titans destroy the world. If you would just listen, I really think we have a shot at winning this and saving humanity," she pleaded.

"You're not your mother," he scolded. "You might be half-god, but don't forget you're also half-human, and that half of you makes you inadequate for a mission of this scale."

She felt a pinch in her heart. She was used to him comparing her to her mother. She wasn't as beautiful, not as funny, not as loving, and now, not as powerful. She so badly wanted him to see her as her own person, not just an extension of her mother. But as she stared at him, she realized that would never happen. To him, she was something to hurt, so he could fill the void her mom left—just like he was the void her mother used to fuel her own pain from Ares.

She had to be the one to break the generational curse. She couldn't accept the mental abuse from her father any longer, no matter how much she loved him.

"Dad, you need to go home," she commanded.

"You're really going to abandon me for this wild goose chase? Just like your mother?" he asked angrily.

Rose felt a sense of peace wash over her as she finally denied her father. She had always given him what he wanted because she felt guilty for what her mother had done. But now, she was starting to realize it wasn't her responsibility to heal her parents' trauma.

"I won't abandon the world or my friends for you," Rose stated simply. "I am going to get this armor, go to the Underworld, and stop Alex before he releases the titans. I won't let you stop me."

Suddenly, her father began to melt before her. She screamed in horror. Then, she noticed everything around her started to melt, as though it were a painting. She closed her eyes, waiting for impact, thinking she had wasted too much time and was being punished for not completing the trial.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself back in Circe's castle. She was sitting at a table with Circe, who looked at her with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"I must say, I'm quite surprised," Circe commented.

"What just happened? My dad—he just—"

"It was all part of your trial," Circe explained. "I needed to know that you were willing to sacrifice a relationship with someone you truly loved for this mission. I did not think you would succeed."

"Why did you doubt me?" Rose asked, slightly offended.

"You've never told your father no—not once in your entire life," Circe said simply. "I'm being rude. Would you like some tea? It's good for your nerves."

"No, thank you," Rose replied. She didn't trust the safety of the tea. She could drink it and end up turned into a mouse for all she knew.

It really had been the first time she'd told him no. She felt good about it. "Where are my friends?" she asked, suddenly feeling guilty for just now remembering them.

"They are still in their trials. You were the first to finish." Circe answered.