Fran scowled.
“I’ll give you a promise!” Mo threw something at Yumi. She went down with a scream, the phone flying across the kitchen floor, stopping at Fran’s feet.
Luciano surged forward in a sudden burst of motion, a blur of intent and desperation as he lunged for the phone. Aida’s heart leaped with him, her hopes soaring on his momentum. His fingers stretched out, grazing the device in a brush of almost-there, almost-success. But Fran was quicker, her divine reflexes snatching the phone away at the last possible instant.
Aida ran to her friend, who had sat up, cradling an arm. A toaster lay on its side next to her, the cord sprawling across the linoleum. “I tried,” Yumi said in a weak voice.
“Oh, brother, throwing toasters at mortals? Stop being so pathetic.” Effie gave Mo a calm smile. “You’re acting like a child who didn’t get his way.”
“You’re the one who won’t be getting their way.” Fran held Yumi’s phone up. “You won’t be needing this.” With a twist of her wrist, it disappeared.
Aida let out a cry.
But Pandora’s eyes sparkled. “You’re right. I don’t need it. It was only important that I see it and choose to honor it.”
The goddess Euphrosyne extended her hand. Breath caught in Aida’s throat as Pandora moved forward. Their hands met, and a surge of soft and warm light erupted.
The light enveloped Aida, filling her with a swell of joy so profound and pure she could scarcely believe it was real. Memories flowed through her, a jumble of impressions across the years of her life: the first time her parents held her and looked into her eyes, their smiles bright and delirious with happiness; swimming at the lake with Erin; graduating from college with honors; her first kiss; the surprise birthday party Yumi threw her when she turned thirty; her parents celebrating her first writing award when she was thirteen; the triumph of learning to ride a bike; on the swings at the playground at the age of four, her parents photographing every laugh and squeal as she rose and fell. Itseeped into her, chasing away the remnants of fear and uncertainty. Around her, even the gods seemed touched by it, their eternal facades cracking under the weight of genuine happiness.
Pandora stood at the center, the origin of this newfound joy, her being radiating the very essence of contentment that had been locked away for decades. It was as if a dam had been broken, and all the happiness that had been hoarded, compressed, and contained was now released in a flood of laughter, warmth, and a sense of well-being. Even the air seemed to shimmer with the lightness of a long-lost hope.
Aida beamed, joy filling every part of her, and she sensed it mirrored in her friends. The happiness was tangible, a chorus of silent music that filled the room, spilling over, unrestrained and beautiful.
It was a fleeting moment. A surge of light momentarily blinded them, and the world shifted, twisted, and reformed.
When Aida’s vision cleared, they were no longer in Pandora’s kitchen but in a wide grass field. Aida, Luciano, Yumi, and Felix stood side-to-side in the center of a semicircle made by the gods: Euphrosyne, Sophrosyne, Aglaea, Oizys, Apate, Momus, and Discordia. Above them an impossibly wide full moon filled the field with light.
“Where are...” Aida’s words were cut short when the gods around her dropped to their knees.
The moon turned from white to blue and the stars in the sky became brilliant sparkles of light, like shining glitter in the heavens. Aida reached for Yumi’s and Luciano’s hands, a touch of solidarity in the midst of uncertainty.
The cosmos began to shift, forming a face that radiated tranquility and authority. Stars gathered to craft her eyes, galaxies spinning within them. Her skin was the void of space, a canvas of dark beauty, dotted with the light of distant suns. The nebulae served as her hair, flowing and curling in the celestial winds, framed by the silhouette of the universe.
The being’s gaze met Aida’s, and in that moment, a silent exchange passed between them, a transfer of understanding. This was Nyx, the embodiment of the night, the primordial mother of dreams and shadows—and of all the gods who stood behind her.
She said nothing that Aida could hear, but the gods around her all bowed simultaneously, then stood and lowered their heads in deference.
Oizys didn’t glance at the mortals before winking out, but Fran turned to face Aida. Without a word, she reached out and brushed Aida’s hand with her fingertips. The moment their skin touched, a flood of memories surged through Aida—images, sensations, emotions.
Aida had been right. MODA had used Erin to manipulate her, to break her down, to leave her vulnerable and ripe for recruitment. Every part of her unraveling life had been a carefully constructed ploy to push her into MODA’s grasp. Aida staggered back, her breath catching as the cold realization washed over her.
Fran’s lips curled into a leering smile—a knowing, silent acknowledgment of the pain she had caused. With one final disdainful glance, Fran vanished, leaving Aida reeling from the truth: her heartbreak, her lost engagement, Erin’s death—it had all been part of MODA’s plan from the beginning.
Discordia parted with a rare smile, a little salute, and a wink. Euphrosyne and Aglaea went to each mortal in turn and bestowed upon them a soft touch to the forehead, then disappeared before their eyes.
Then Momus was before Aida. He had a smirk on his face. “It was fun while it lasted,” he said. He pressed a brief tender kiss to Aida’s forehead, then vanished before she could react.
“Thank you, Mother,” Sophrosyne said, addressing the fading image in the sky. She turned to Aida and her friends. “Come now, hold hands, and let me take you home.”
They linked hands, and the world shifted again. It took Aida a minute to realize they were in Felix’s apartment. It didn’t lookquite the same. Where there was once a wall of art, there were now bookshelves. The once bare balcony now held a few potted plants.
“Thank the gods,” Felix said. “I have never been so happy to be home in my life.” He didn’t seem to notice anything different.
Sophie stood near the apartment door. “That worked out rather well, I think.”
“What just happened?” Luciano sat down in a nearby chair. He looked dazed.
“You saved the world. No big deal.” But there was the hint of a smile on Sophie’s lips.
