Not really, but new questions appear.

Chapter 3: “Where the Heavens Touched the Earth”

The walk to the crater was short, but the silence stretched long as the three of us followed Arbos through the forest. Iris kept her eyes on me, her cautious gaze a constant reminder that I was still a stranger—one who had fallen from the sky, no less, and claimed to remember nothing. I couldn’t blame her. In her place, I’d probably hold that knife just as tightly.

“So, you really don’t remember anything?” Ikaro finally broke the uncomfortable silence, perhaps hoping to ease the tension and stop his sister from looking at me like she wanted to bury that knife in my chest.

“No I don’t… it’s weird because I can remember some stuff about myself but I feel like...”

“Like?” Ikaro asks intrigued

“Like there’s a wall in my mind, blocking a vast lake of memories I just can’t access. Weird, right?” I said, trying to sound light-hearted despite the unease creeping through me.

“Not really” Ikaro replied, shrugging.

“Not really? How’s that not weird?” I asked, confused by his nonchalance.

“I mean have you ever drank my father handmade liquor? That thing could probably burn the warts off of the cows or something like that. Dionysus would probably be proud of the hangover produced by that drink” Ikaro says jokingly and trying to lighten up the mood with a joke.

“I heard that!” Arbos said from the front, that whole situation got a chuckle out of Iris, for a small second, I saw a smile instead of darting accusing or distrusting eyes.

We stopped suddenly as Arbos pushed aside a branch, revealing the crash site. “We’re here,” he said, his tone heavy with seriousness.
I stepped forward, taking in the scene. The crater was massive, the size of a small village. Scorched earth and skeletal remains of trees framed the destruction. What little vegetation had once thrived here was reduced to ash, and the crater’s center held the meteor—a split, jagged shell of blackened stone.

“I- I did this?” I ask trying to find the courage to understand this nightmare I just woke up from.

“Yes,” Arbos said, his voice calm but firm. “Ikaro and I saw you fall. We didn’t witness the moment the meteor hit, but we saw the aftermath. It wasn’t much prettier than this, if it’s any consolation.”

Iris surveyed the devastation, her voice quieter now. “See what I mean? No human could survive this...” Her words trailed off as she stared at the ruin, sorrow flickering in her eyes. This forest was likely a familiar place, tied to memories of home.

“Yeah... I see what you mean,” I murmured, approaching the meteor. I placed a hand on its surface. It was cool to the touch—or at least it felt that way to me. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“I mean why doesn’t it?” The three of us turn to look at Ikaro intrigued at his comment. “You don’t remember anything besides your name and we saw you **** on this crater with that meteor cracked open.”

“Your point smart ass?” Iris says to her brother

“My point is that our dear friend Kayn right here is not mortal, he’s been sent here by the gods.” Ikaro says proud of his theory smiling as he finishes his sentence.

Iris fixed her brother with a withering stare. “Dad, permission to punch my idiot brother?”
“Permission granted,” Arbos said with a smirk.

Iris raised her fist and stepped toward her brother. “Whoa, whoa, wait—!”

“Enough.” My voice cut through the commotion. I stood by the meteor, staring at the shadow where my body had once lain. “I don’t know what I am, okay?” I turned to face them, my voice firm but edged with uncertainty. “All I know is that I’m scared. I have no idea how I’m alive or why I was inside that... that thing.” I gestured toward the meteor. “But thank you—for helping me. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’ll figure it out. Somehow.”

Ikaro and Iris exchanged glances, their argument forgotten.

Arbos stepped forward, his voice steady and reassuring. “It’s the least we could do. This is... strange, to say the least. I’ve seen my share of oddities in my years of service, but this is something entirely new. I don’t believe you’re here for no reason. So, until we figure this out, stay with us. Have dinner at our farm, and we’ll help however we can.”

“I... I don’t know what to say,” I stammered, taken aback by his generosity.

“Just say yes, or we’ll never hear the end of it,” Ikaro quipped with a grin.

I looked to Iris, seeking her opinion. She hesitated, then nodded.

I turned back to Arbos. “Alright. Yes.”

“Excellent!” Arbos said, his face breaking into a wide smile. “Let’s head back to the farm before it gets dark.”

As I followed them back through the forest, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this strange day marked the beginning of something far greater than myself.