The journey to paradise began. The sea waved with great might, causing everyone inside the ships to brace themselves and let not the force weary them. Perhaps the fates were seeing red, for rain began as they set sail. The winds began to pound along, teasing the ships to their limits.
With every thrashing of the waves and winds on the ship, many worried hearts prayed towards the empty heaven for safety. Most of the children cried, including the young maiden, whose silver eyes turned red from crying.
"Do not cry, my dear," Aegeus reassured the foundling while stroking her head.
Elpida smiled at her when she looked up at her, hoping to ease her obvious anxiety. "We are here, my pretty Glaucia. Your Papa Aegeus and I will never let any harm come to you." She added with sweetness in her tone.
Felt a little guarded by their promises, Glaucia, the beauty whose silver eyes were filled with pearly tears, slowly calmed down.
However, fate was ruthless on that day as they brought forth thunderclaps and blinding flares of lightning, testing the three ships' limits.
Poor Glaucia could not handle the brutal rise and fall of waves, and the howls of the breeze gnawing on her ears. She held on to her mama and papa tightly, stifling her tears and the wails that were about to echo from her mouth. Fragile her soul was, especially the fibres of her very bones that she shivered in fear and fell into distress.
Seeing her situation, Mama Elpida whispered sweet nothings to her as she let her lie on her lap, and let her puppy and kitten do the same. Brushing her long locks, the gentle old woman began to sing, lulling her foundling until the chaos of nature blurred and sleep came to her. Papa Aegeus then placed a blanket over Glaucia, warding off the cold that threatened the aura.
Along with them is the growing anxiety of many families who sailed along. Many mothers were trying to calm their children, who were scared of the wild weather, as their wails became more and more unbearable. The beginning of the journey was indeed brutal. It was like the curse of their dreaded island tailed along with them, not wanting sunshine to reach everyone's psyche. Somehow, another part of the wind blew the ships further, desiring only to take them towards this new place.
Many knew nothing of this paradise except for some hearsay that it was a new colony by an unknown son of Zeus, who emerged right before the very fall of Olympus. While the three large ships were anchored in the port of their cursed land, Aegeus asked some of his neighbours what they knew of this new place across the sea. Yet, much like him, most only knew a little, except that it was a place of new beginnings—a place of milk and honey as they worded it. Those family members of theirs who went on the very first escape also did not send letters to them, just like his daughter, Vivinna. As the many folks set their foot on the plank to sail on the ships, Aegeus, his family, and everyone else there had only a speck of hope, not minding anymore about the paradise's mystery, but instead focusing on their safety away from their doomed motherland.
While observing others like them, Aegeus now wondered whether the decision to move away was right. But once he remembered his daughter's bright face, framed by her brown hair, illuminated with hope and noticing how certain she was of this new land as the place for her and her family. She and her husband were brave. He should be courageous, too. He should be like those who fiercely journeyed to this mysterious land. "I should have courage." He thought to himself. "I will be brave for you." He said again, looking at his wife and their foundling, sleeping peacefully amidst the rush of the wild weather.
As soon as nighttime approached, the wild winds turned quiet, and the sea became gentle. The grey clouds faded, and for the first time in quite a while, Aegeus, Elpida, and Glaucia saw the stars twinkling in the night sky as they explored the deck of the ship they were sailing. Before this spontaneous adventure, a mysterious masked man announced that everyone could explore the upper deck for fresh air. Elpida found it hard to trust this news, especially from a masked man, but some of their fellow refugees happily went to the upper deck and found a few moments of leisure away from their confined, designated rooms.
"Shall we go, my dear?" Elpida wanted confirmation from Aegeus, who was feeding their animals.
"It would be wonderful. The sea is calm now, perhaps heaven too is as clear as the looking glass." He responded, smiling at her. "After we settle our goats and these two zestful creatures," laughingly pointing at the three-legged puppy and half-blind kitten of Glaucia, "we should go up. Glaucia, you are coming, too!"
Her silver eyes widened, not with elation, but more with fear when her papa invited her. "Sea!" She told him in a low, breathy, and disconcerted voice. "Sea! Sea!" She shook her head sideways, childishly declining his invitation.
"Our poor Glaucia is still afraid of the sea, my dear," Elpida told Aegeus. "But let us try, my sweet." She returned to their foundling and patiently said while holding her hand. "Let us try to face our fears. I know it's not easy, but we are here for you. The strong winds no longer howl, and the sea is no longer angry. Who knows, perhaps the stars are out now?"
Glaucia lowered her eyes and stared at her puppy and kitten, who were having their meal.
There was a short silence, an air of melancholy encircling her that her old parents noticed. Glaucia crouched, biting her nail, and remained as she was until she reached Mama Elpida's hand, seemingly to finally accept their invitation.
Reaching the top deck after settling their animals in their room, Glaucia held on to her Papa Aegeus and Mama Elpida when she heard the sea waves. There was a duet of amazement from her papa and mama when they looked up to the heavens and saw the many stars that twinkled and grinned down at them. Glaucia followed and was immediately enchanted by the beauty she saw. The sky was very blue—a velvet—and the grey skies she came to know were no more. The glittering dots were so numerous that she couldn't count. By her bewilderment, the foundling unconsciously loosened her hold on her mama and papa and wandered while continuing to stare at the heavens. Her silver eyes could not peer away from the bright little dots as if they were joyous to see her.
"Do not wander too far, dearie!" Mama Elpida reminded her as she admirably and worriedly looked out at her lovely foundling.
"Let her be, darling." Aegeus was guaranteed while his lips curved and his soul grew happy to see this blossoming independence of Glaucia. Her curiosity became a good guide—he thought, noticing that her silver eyes sparkled along with the twinkling of the little lights in the sky. Too proud to see her slowly understanding the world's wonders, Papa Aegeus drew closer and told her about the hidden shapes behind those stars. "Look, Glaucia—" He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and pointed at the three large stars. "That is Orion. He is a well-skilled and handsome hunter. Sadly, an incident happened that cost him his life. And so, he was raised to the heavens. Now, his belt tells voyagers to go westward. I guess we are going somewhere westward."
Glaucia stared at her papa with eager eyes as she listened. His tale echoed deep within her as if it were a chapter she knew or had witnessed. She lowered her gaze towards the sea and saw the reflection of the plum and glittering sky. She sighed while observing the water waves and the thick foam that splashed on the ship's lower wall. Her thoughts were as blank as the abyss of the sea until her ear rang to the sound of a flute, playing from a distance. She raised her head and searched for the source of the music. She moved along the balcony rails and searched keenly for the sound until it faded along with the sound of the eventide. Her rosy lips pouted at her failure as she returned to her Papa Aegeus and Mama Elpida's side. But midway on her return, she heard a voice calling a name—name she knew not, but somewhat tingling the fibres of her soul. "Athena… Athena…" The whisper said.
Was it the wind? The rolling waves of the sea? But people who strolled on the deck with them seemed not to hear the call. She looked at her mama and papa, but to her surprise, they had not noticed the voice as they continued to talk and laugh at something while leaning on the bannisters. Glaucia felt frightened. The soles of her feet grew cold when the voice called her once more, "Athena…" Silver eyes grew brighter like those of Orion's stars—a brightness that is more of uncertainty and not with happiness.
Following the whisper, it led her to a hidden door on the side of a descending staircase from the deck. As she descended the stairs on tippy-toes, all of a sudden, the secret door gradually opened. It was dark, Glaucia noticed. It was eerily quiet, too, which somehow made the murmurs of the people on the deck morph into a muffled sound as she heard only the rapid pace of her heartbeat. Once she was by the door, Glaucia opened it wide to reveal the full darkness ahead... Dumbfounded was she, for she sensed some kind of presence observing her. True enough, as she stepped inside, glowing red eyes appeared at the end of a long, dark room, staring at her enough to make her legs petrified and her fears entangle all her senses.
Like some kind of magic befell upon her, Glaucia could not look away from those eyes all the while hearing the loud whispers calling the name again, and again, and again, "Athena…" Glaucia froze in her place, not even blinking as if fully possessed by the strange being before her. With the whispers now surrounding her, she slowly walked once more towards the glowing red eyes and reached out her hands, ready to touch the full form of this being who seemed to enthral her, own her.
"Oi! What are you doing here?" A masked crew, who is bronzed, scarred, and muscled despite being fat, grabbed her and pulled her out of the room. "You are not allowed beyond this point!" He scolded.
Somewhat, Glaucia became conscious and looked at him as he yelled. Her eyes grew wide, innocently displaying her fright and hurt by the tone of his voice.
"You better get out of my sight before I slap your pretty face!" He warned, raising a hand as if to cross her.
"Wait, my good man!" Papa Aegeus came and shielded Glaucia while pleading, "I am truly sorry for my daughter's action. She means no harm, and this shall not happen again."
"Get her out, you old man! Tell this foolish daughter of yours to stay out of this private room. Ha! Let me tell you that that rare beauty of hers is a fine meat, and vultures do love to have a taste of that." He laughed maniacally as he threatened Aegeus and Glaucia.
His vulgarity was enough for the father and foundling to go away and return to their room, far from the crowds still enthralled by the stars. Tailing behind them was a confused Mama Elpida, who was worried at the same time upon seeing the distress in both of their faces.
"What is the matter with you two?" She questioned as she closed the door behind her.
While settling Glaucia in her place, Aegeus responded with a hint of anger, "This vulgar man was harassing Glaucia. The child was only curious about the ship!"
"Oh, dear." Elpida exhaled. "Are you alright, my sweet? Here, Mama will sit beside you and brush your hair. Do not worry now, you are safe away from that man." She calmly vowed as she gestured for her foundling to lie on her lap while she brushed her long locks.
Tears were trickling down her cheeks like dainty raindrops. She was scared and she was hurt. She never liked that hideous man and those glowing eyes. What was it? Who was it that hypnotised her to the point where she could no longer have control of her own body? Was it there to kill her? To soothe her? Glaucia could not stop thinking about it… Even during her sleep, the haunting continued.
Her silver eyes popped wide open to see that the whole darkness blanketed her. She was alone. Papa Aegeus and Mama Elpida were nowhere in sight. Even the goats and her little darlings, the three-legged puppy named Paeona, and her half-blind kitten named Hoplitus were gone. Glaucia was truly alone and began to fret, fearing she was lost somewhere she knew not where.
Her childish calls echoed throughout the large and empty room. She called her mama and papa, and she reached for the animals with them, but there was no response. She called again until her babbling calls became cries for help.
Her tears drowned her eyes, and her breaths laboured as she wandered inside the unknown place that caged her. Again, she called to her family, but only failed as the silence grew louder. After what seemed to be an hour of gliding like a pathetic phantom amidst the shapeless darkness, Glaucia admitted defeat and crouched down to the floor, letting her tears dry and hopes shattered.
Like a little girl in a fit of pique, she mumbled her frustrations and wailed all the hurt from her failures. She was alone now, with no one in sight to seek help. If her tears could be measured, it would have been like the sea by now as she cried and cried, calling to her family again, no matter how bleak her hope was.
Glaucia continued her desperate calls to her mama and papa until a smoke formed before her. She stopped when she noticed the phenomenon trying to morph into a figure. Her juvenile curiosity got the best of her as she reached out to the smoke that instantly danced around her arm. Something was calming about the smoke—it was silky to touch as it glided in her arms and began circling her whole body. Her frown turned to a dainty smile when the smoke completely enveloped her. She closed her eyes and felt every bit of the silky feel that soothes her tormented soul.
She giggled as she played with the smoke. She stood on her feet and began to dance, prancing and gliding in the middle of the dark space despite the only sound that resonated being silence. Yet, she paid no heed to the dreariness anymore, continuing to close her eyes as she laughed and hummed to the melody of a forgotten song while the smoke waltzed with her.
The unfolded event was odd—a peculiar spectacle that sorrow quickly drifted out from every inch of her body since the smoke came to make its presence known. The moment was bliss for the beautiful Glaucia. Her mind no longer abided on her fears—perhaps faded away in her memory.
But in the hands of the mysterious fate, happiness was not yet at her fingertips.
Once Glaucia was satisfied with her merriment, she opened her eyes and saw the same red glowing eyes she had seen before, now staring right in front of her. Her heart exploded, and fear rushed through her veins as she was about to shout, only to be silenced when large hands—with large claws—covered her mouth. In what was like a split second, Glaucia was thrown to the ground and pinned by a large entity that never shied from his dominating weight over the fragile maiden below him.
Glaucia beseeched for her life at the entity that towered over her. Her words were inaudible except for 'no' and 'please'. She was desperate to be free from her perpetrator, only to cry in defeat, knowing she was only a mere weakling compared to the unknown whose red eyes never strayed away from hers.
"Shh…" He whispered. His voice was deep, almost like a growl. His tone was benign but still demanded authority, which for the naïve Glaucia found it hard not to listen. "Shh… calm down." While still looking deeply into her silver eyes, the entity slowly released his large hand from her lips.
Strangely enough, the maiden no longer struggled. Despite the fear behind those silver eyes, she did not scream like a sacrificed lamb. Instead, Glaucia also looked at the red eyes and levelled him with his gaze. Upon studying those orbs, a little gasp escaped her lips as she saw something she could not put into words but knew deep within her. She saw pain. She saw anger. She could feel his hot breath brushing her face like he was about to growl and devour her, but there was restraint.
Looking down on her was both pleasing and a challenge. Indeed, the entity—probably a beast—had some loathing for the poor maiden who knew nothing about the world and even herself. There was fear in her, but also a glint of familiarity. Both might be under the arms of full darkness, but Glaucia glowed like the moon's halo, and there he saw her lips, budding in red as she laboured in her breathing. Nobody knew if this entity had a heart, but he cared not for that notion. One thing was certain: his acknowledgement that the more he looked at her, some emotion was stirring wildly in his core.