My eyes snap open, hands reaching out as my chest heaves frantically, gasping for air as if I have just been rescued from drowning. Then, a soft and soothing voice whispers, “It’s okay… shhh… I’m here.” As I turn to see who spoke, I’m blinded by an intense brightness.
“It’s okay… just rest. I have you. It’s been two thousand years since you were able to see physically. Take your time and rest; I’m right here.”
Her voice is like a gentle lullaby, calming the storm within me. I lean into the warm embrace, a familiarity washing over me like a soothing balm. Hecate… that’s right. I remember now the hate, the anger, the sadness the sorrow of my soul shattering. But now my question of ‘why’ has been replaced with ‘who?’ Who am I?
As I attempt to look up, my vision gradually comes into focus. I find myself cradled in her arms, feeling her finger glide gently across my cheek as she tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. With effort, I try to speak, my voice barely audible. “Who… am I?”
She looks down at me with her bright, starlit eyes. “Rest, please. In due time, you will have your answer.”
I close my eyes again, searching my fragmented memories. Who am I? Who am I? I take a deep breath, and before long, I drift back into slumber, comforted by her presence, enveloped in peace. I guess it's okay if I rest for now.
Three months pass since my awakening, according to Mother. Three months in the mortal realm, but it feels like years. Time works differently here, just as it does in the void. I had to relearn everything how to see, talk, and walk as I was practically a newborn again. Hecate, or rather Mother, was with me every step of the way.
Of course, she had her divine duties, so during this time, I studied in the sanctuary my new home. She gathered a few books for me, starting with history, the most tedious subject known to man. But my perspective changed when I realized that each kingdom was created to represent a divine god. Zeus was the foundation of our church, and all the teachings about the kingdoms being built on sin were lies. Each kingdom reflected other gods, like Ares, Aphrodite, and Hypnos. But Zeus didn’t like that; he created humans to be the epitome of all races.
All this time, I had put my faith into the church, only to discover it was hypocritical. The sins were fabrications; the church had rewritten history to the point where the other kingdoms fell for it, adopting the titles of the Seven Sins.
I asked Mother why they didn’t fix it, but according to her, they cannot interfere with the mortal realm. It makes sense; imagine a god stepping down to rectify our foolish mistakes every time. They have vessels that can descend if dire situations arise, like world-ending catastrophes, but otherwise, they remain hands-off.
I also learned a lot about myself from Mother Nyx. I no longer require sleep. I don’t need to eat, but I still enjoy the taste of food and wine. It took time to grasp the concept that my body no longer adhered to human fundamentals. Instead of digesting food, my body absorbs it into essence. I don’t even have a heart anymore.
Mother Nyx explained how I survived the void for so long. The cards… apparently, they worked. The Fate of Conquest represents the crown, granting authority to aspire to kingship. That explains the crown floating above my head; I must focus hard to remove it. The Fate of Heart grants the ability to bring someone back from the brink of death meaning I could have resurrected there. But it’s impossible, as the third card floats with the others: the Fate of Death, the end itself. I recall holding that card, and its eerie glow still haunts me. The thought of having the power to rip away someone’s soul… and that’s not where it ends; there are more cards out there.
But it doesn’t matter anymore; they were taken from me. I still remember their names like a plague that won’t escape my mind, yet their faces remain a blur except for one. Mother was right about my memory returning. Who would have thought I was once a man? Now, here I am as a woman beautiful, though not as eternal as my mother. Still striking, nonetheless.
She provided me with a few dresses slightly sheer, dragging to the floor, just a bit too revealing in the cleavage area. But she insisted I shouldn’t hide my beauty. “You are worth looking at. You’re my daughter there’s no shame in that.” My hair flowed like silk, cascading almost to the floor, and she taught me how to braid it so it wouldn’t be cumbersome.
I have long, slender legs; a pleasantly perky behind that isn’t exaggerated; a waist that looks as though I’ve worked out every day of my life even from the womb. My lips are as black as polished obsidian, glistening like fresh oil full and soft, as though Aphrodite herself had sculpted them with divine care. My nails are sharp like claws, a legacy of my new existence. My eyes glow with a ghostly blue hue that seems to intensify with my emotions, and those tear stains? No matter how much I scrubbed, they remained like permanent tattoos, but I rather like them. You could easily mistake me for an elf with these pointed ears. I still don’t completely know what I am, and Mother has been searching for that answer.
Even so, I’m enjoying this new me. For some reason, I have accepted everything quickly, except for one thing: I cannot walk in heels! Oddly, I prefer being barefoot. Mother, ever the elegant deity, adorned me with black jewelry made of obsidian chains around my ankles, attached to toe rings. She fussed at me countless times, insisting she wouldn’t have her daughter looking like someone thrown away. Who am I to argue with the one who literally shared her blood and divinity to keep me alive?
“My daughter Veil, are you around?”
“Yes, Mother. I’m in the library.”
“There you are! I missed you.”
As she snatches me into a hug, it feels like even light cannot escape from her pillow top mountains of embrace.
She leans down to plant a kiss on my head.
“Mother… cough cough. I can’t breathe!”
“Breathe? Breathing is not required, remember?”
I roll my eyes. “Mother, put me down.”
“Okay, okay, fine! What are you reading today?”
“Oh, just another one of your spell books. I’ve developed an interest in witchcraft.” I flick my finger into the air, and a delicious apple appears as if plucked from thin air, falling perfectly into my palm. I sit in the lotus position, floating in the air while the book hovers in front of me, pages turning gracefully. “Would you like one, Mother?”
“I’m fine, little one,” she giggles. “My daughter is so talented!”
“So, after speaking with Nyx, we discovered what you are exactly?”
I stop mid-bite into the apple, already knowing that I am some sort of being. Magic comes so easily now; unlike when I was human, here, my magic feels boundless. It feels like I have become one with the souls around me, and when I talk to them, they feel friendly like I’m a walking safe haven. One day while I was helping my mother at the river, souls were drawn to me instead of staying in the flow.
I slowly look up at her as she reaches out to push a lock of my hair behind my ear.
“You are a Banshee, darling a variant of one, the first of its kind.”
I remember reading about them, how they act as omens of death and protectors of grieving families. My eyes search for reassurance in my mother’s gaze, seeking a deeper explanation.
“You’re a queen, we think,” she said, pointing to the black thorn crown floating above my head.
“A Banshee Queen. It explains why souls see you as a safe haven. It’s also why it took a while for you to control your vocals; your words used to shatter glass with a mere whisper.”
“And no matter what, you’re still my daughter, okay?”
I nod slowly, accepting this new reality. It explains so much the glowing eyes, the tears, the white hair, the unshakable sorrow I’ve felt for so long but Mother’s embrace wraps around me, soothing and stopping that sorrow from spilling over.
She smiles and takes my hand, guiding me down to the floor.
“Come with me; Hades would like to see you.”
I freeze. “Hades?”
“Yes.”
“King of the Underworld?”
“Yes.”
“Where’s Cerberus?”
“Why?”
“I want to climb in his mouth!”
“Stop that…”
“He’s not a very patient man, so let’s go!”
“Fine,” I relent as she tugs me along as if I were a toddler.