Starless Child

17. Twinkling Souls

I am so, so sorry for disappearing for almost an entire month. From now on updates will be more regular. You guys can expect a new chapter every ten days, more or less.

Long chapter to make up for the long wait. I hope you like it. If you do don't forget to give it a vote.

Song of the chapter: Empty Gold by Halsey.

"Going through a meteor is one thing, but this? Come on!," Her voice screamed panic. Blood streaming faster through her veins. Her eyes fixated on the giant gas sphere which was getting closer and closer by the minute. 

Like two brainless moths diving into the flames they were hurling themselves at the orange fire ball.

"Going around it will suck up too much time. And we can't afford to waste any more of it," the tomato said. Hera resisted the urge to punch the orange lights out of his eyeballs. If she dies in there she's going to fucking kill him.

The shorter the distance became, the scarier the sun started to look.

Hera's lids involuntarily smacked themselves shut before right before they entered the sun's surface. She ducked her head. 

It felt like diving into a pot of tasteless honey. At first her hands, then face, and then the jellylike liquid consumed her entire being.

Her lids snapped open. Shades of orange and yellow were the only colors covering her vision. It felt like time was slowing down, the same way it did the last time her feet were in contact with the earth.

The orange shades dissipated, the color gradually lightened and became a butterscotch yellow. Strings of tangerine and amber peeked out of the yellow before they quickly disappeared from her sight. 

"Thanatos," Hera's head whipped towards the direction of the voice.

It was a woman's voice.

She sounded enraged, but her tone was laced with alarm.

"Did you hear that?," she asked.

"Hear what?," he turned to her, looking slightly surprised. Hera could tell he was trying not to let it show. But she could see the speck of fear behind his eyes.

"Thanatos stop. You're going to hurt your brother." Hera arched her head in all directions, trying to find source of the voice. But all her eyes saw was a pool of bright fiery yellow.

"Calm down mother," a silvery voice spoke.

It was a little girl. She was probably something like six or even years old. Hera could literally picture her rolling her eyes, "why are you always trying to find something to be afraid of? Your fear is turning Sun into a wimp."

"Thanatos get back here this instant," the woman nearly screamed.

"No," defiance vibrant Thanatos's voice. The yellow started to darken. The amber slowly transformed into a bright orange. Hera kept her ears perked up to hear any more of the conversation. But as soon as they entered the tangerine layer, the voices disappeared.

Once again she found herself being surrounded by the blackness. They had finally escaped the outer surface of the sun. She touched her face, her fingers pinched the tips of her dark hair. The heavy liquid didn't wet her body. She silently gasped and filled her lungs with air, being able to breathe better.

"That wasn't so bad now was it?," he said cheerily. Hera didn't answer. Her mind still wrapped around the voices inside the sun's core. "Well I hope you liked it. Because this won't be the first time we'll be doing that."