Athena needs to answer.

Chapter 41: The afterglow.

The light within Kayn’s memory began to dim, fading at the edges like the final embers of a fire. The vivid images of love, passion, and connection melted into shadow, leaving Noor, Iris, and the two goddesses standing in stunned silence.

Noor's brows furrowed, her usually mischievous grin replaced with a rare moment of disbelief. Iris, on the other hand, looked stricken, her arms wrapped around herself as if shielding against the truth they had just witnessed. Across from them, Athena’s gaze fell to the floor, her shoulders tense under the weight of their stares. Artemis rested a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder, her expression unreadable but her silence heavy with judgment.

“I… I can’t believe it,” Iris said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hands trembled as she clutched the hem of her tunic. “You and Kayn…” The words caught in her throat as she tried to reconcile what she had seen. It wasn’t just a fleeting romance or a casual tryst, what they had shared was deeper than she wanted to admit.

The memory burned in her mind: the way their love had unfolded like a blooming flower under moonlight, culminating in a night of raw intimacy. She wanted to believe it was a trick, an illusion conjured by their surroundings. But the truth lay bare before her.

“Well,” Noor broke the silence, her tone laced with biting sarcasm, “looks like my suspicions were right. You and Kayn were fucking back in the day.” Her words hung in the air like a lightning strike.

“Noor!” Iris snapped, her voice sharp as a blade. Her cheeks flushed crimson, both from embarrassment and anger. “Do you always have to—” She hesitated, shooting a nervous glance toward Athena, who remained eerily quiet. “Do you always have to stir the pot?”

Athena’s head shot up, her silver eyes locking onto Noor with a cold, cutting glare. “And what if we were?” she hissed, venom dripping from her voice. “Do you have a problem with it, witch?”

Noor smirked, stepping forward until the distance between her and Athena was uncomfortably close. “A problem? Oh, absolutely. No, wait, scratch that,” she said, tilting her head with feigned innocence. “I’ve got a huge fucking problem with it.” Her smirk widened, but it lacked humor.

“Fuck you,” Athena spat, her fists clenched at her sides.

“Oh, he did. Thoroughly. Got anything else you’d like to ask?” Noor’s voice was sickly sweet, her words slicing through the air with surgical precision.

Artemis gasped audibly at the insinuation, but Noor wasn’t finished. She turned her gaze to Iris, who had frozen in place, her face pale. “And not just me, by the way. He’s been with Iris too.” Noor delivered the line with all the subtlety of a thunderclap.

The room went deathly silent. Athena’s silver eyes flicked toward Iris, who looked as though she might sink into the floor. Then back to Noor. Then to Artemis, who pressed her lips into a thin line, clearly caught between amusement and horror.

“Noor, that’s enough!” Iris stammered, her voice cracking. Her blush deepened, and she took a step back, shaking her head. “You have no right to—”

“No right?” Noor interrupted, arching a brow. “Why not? It’s the truth, isn’t it? You and I never hid how we felt about him. We chose this, Iris. We agreed, no secrets, no lies. We trust each other with Kayn. And yet…” She turned to Athena, her voice darkening. “She kept this from us.”

"It was none of business what I do in my personal life...either way I didn't have a fucking choice on the matter." Athena’s mask of confidence cracked. Shame flickered across her face as Noor’s words hit their mark. She didn’t attempt to defend herself, though her jaw tightened with barely suppressed emotion.

Iris found her voice, stepping forward despite the heat rising in her cheeks. “Noor, you saw the same memory we did! Don’t you understand? She had to keep it a secret. The gods—”

“I don’t give a damn what the gods do in their gilded cages,” Noor interrupted, her voice sharp. She pointed a finger at Athena, her piercing gaze unwavering. “What I care about is trust. Our trust. She knew we were with Kayn. She knew! And instead of telling us the truth, she let us stumble into this.”

Athena flinched, and Artemis’s protective grip on her shoulder tightened. “Enough, Noor,” Artemis warned, though her voice lacked the **** to stop the escalating tension.

“And what if she did keep it secret?” Artemis continued, her tone more assertive. “At the end of the day, it’s her past, and she has every right to keep it private. Especially when the memory predates either of you.” She glanced at Iris for support.

Iris hesitated, torn between defending Athena and siding with Noor. “She’s… she’s right,” she said reluctantly. “It’s not like they’re still doing it…” Her voice trailed off as she noticed Athena shift uncomfortably, her gaze dropping again. Her heart sank. “Right?”

Athena’s silence spoke louder than words. When she finally lifted her head, the raw vulnerability in her eyes was undeniable. “No,” she admitted softly. “We’re not over.”

The truth she revealed echoed in the shadows of Kayn’s mind, where they all stood.

Noor’s low chuckle broke the silence first, hollow and disbelieving. It grew into a bitter laugh, reverberating off the dark walls around them. She shook her head, her expression caught between incredulity and smug vindication.

“And they call us humans impulsive,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She turned to Iris, whose face was flushed with anger, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Guess the gods aren’t so different from us after all, huh?”

“Sis…” Artemis’s voice trembled as she stepped closer to Athena, her emerald eyes wide with disbelief. “Please, tell me it’s not true.”

Athena didn’t look up. Her silence was an admission louder than words.

“Fuck!” Artemis hissed, taking a step back as though the truth had physically struck her.
"You know what happened! You can't just- fuck!"

Athena finally lifted her gaze. Her silver eyes shimmered with unshed tears, a stark contrast to the composure or small outburst, she always maintained. “I’m sorry,” she began, her voice fragile yet steady. “I thought I could be stronger. I tried... I tried to bury it, to suppress it, but…” Her voice broke slightly, and she paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “Each time I saw him again, it was like a floodgate opened. Every memory, every emotion we shared came rushing back, and I couldn’t stop it. I love him. I’ve always loved him. And he… he loves me too.”

The vulnerability in her voice silenced everyone for a moment. Even Noor’s smirk faltered.

“It’s a connection I can’t explain,” Athena continued, her voice tinged with desperation. “It’s like a part of me that I lost and finally found again. When I’m near him, I feel… whole. And I know he feels the same.”

Noor let out a dry laugh, crossing her arms. “Oh, how poetic. And what? The rest of us don’t matter? Are our feelings just irrelevant to you, oh wise goddess?” Her words were sharp as daggers.
Athena flinched, but Noor wasn’t finished. “I’ll admit it,” Noor said, her voice lowering but no less fierce. “I have feelings for him too. I don’t like sharing, but I agreed to it because Iris and I trust each other. What I don’t trust is someone who keeps secrets from us, especially someone like you. We go through the thick on thin for you lot and you still decided to keep these secrets from us, how could I ever trust any word you say?”

“I didn’t mean to betray that trust,” Athena said softly, her tone pleading. “I thought I could handle it, that I could bury my feelings and be… logical. But when I’m with him, logic doesn’t exist. It’s like…” Her voice faltered again as she looked at Artemis, who shook her head in disapproval.

“Oh, sis…” Artemis said, her voice tinged with sorrow. Artemis couldn't believing what she was reliving, she was not against her sister returning to the love of her life. She remembered those memories of the past of her Kayn together, but what happened with it… how it ended. They promised she would try to avoid it as much as it pained her.

“And that's it?!” Iris’s sudden scream shattered the heavy atmosphere. Her voice echoed with raw emotion, and everyone turned toward her in shock. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t try to hide them. “WHAT ARE WE TO YOU, ATHENA? JUST PIECES ON YOUR DAMN CHESSBOARD?!”

Athena’s mouth opened, but no words came.
“You can love him all you want,” Iris continued, her voice trembling with rage and heartbreak. “I saw that memory. I know you loved him. I know you still love him. But that doesn’t give you the right to play with us! You’re my goddess, but I am not your puppet! Not when I—” She stopped, **** on the words. Then, summoning every ounce of courage, she **** them out. “Not when I love him too.”

The confession hung in the air like a storm cloud. Even Noor, who had been ready to speak, froze, her eyes wide as she processed Iris’s words.

“Iris…” Athena said softly, her voice cracking.

“No!” Iris snapped, taking a step back. “Don’t. Don’t you dare apologize. I don’t want to hear it, not now.”

The tension was suffocating. As if summoned by the intensity of the moment, a glowing portal appeared near them, shimmering with energy. It was their way back to the real world.

“Iris, wait,” Artemis said, stepping toward her chosen. “Please, don’t leave like this.”

But Iris shook her head, her expression resolute. “No. Not this time.” She turned her back to the goddesses, her voice steadier now, though no less emotional. “I’m going back to finish this quest. To free Kayn from his curse. To help him live the life he deserves. And if I can still be part of his life after that… then so be it. But you?” She glanced back at Athena, her eyes burning with hurt. “You need to figure out what you really want and what you’re willing to do to earn our trust again. Because right now, we’re the ones risking everything. And the best thing you can do?” She paused, her voice breaking slightly. “Is give us time. Zeus knows we need it.”

With that, Iris stepped into the portal, her figure dissolving into the light.

Noor followed shortly after, though not without a parting remark. “For once,” she said with a wry smile, “I think I agree with her.” Then she was gone.

Artemis turned to Athena, her expression softening. “If you really love him, and I know you do, then you’ll need to do more than just hope they forgive you. You’ll need to earn it. Be the goddess of wisdom and fix this.”

Athena nodded slowly, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. She accepted Artemis’s offered hand, and together, they stepped into the portal leading back to Mount Olympus.