Her head hurt as she tried to remember, to figure it out, but nothing came to mind.
Had she seen his face. Maybe she had, but how did she get here. Last she remembered, she had been kissing the stranger.
Minerva struggled to get up, the sound of the metal ringing through the quiet.
Her body was uncomfortably warm, and yet she felt cold.
"Water. I want water." She called out to the air, her head pounding.
She searched in the bleak darkness, her eyes barely open, this way it felt better.
The chains pulled taut suddenly, causing her to stumble and fall.
She lay on the floor, spreading her body out. The floor was cold enough to her liking. She lay there in her confusion, trying to sort out her memories that came to her in scattered fragments.
How had she landed here?
What happened?
The party hall.
Serine and Zayn.
The stranger. There was nothing else coming to mind, no matter how hard she tried. Minerva frowned, trying to force the rest of the memory forward, but it was like reaching into a blank space.
Her head ached harder, like it was splitting up in two. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, a groan of pain escaping her lips as she folded into herself like a foetus.
A sharp agony split through her skull, like something in her mind was tearing apart. She jerked against the chains, the metal restraints rattling violently as she struggled instinctively.
She did not understand what was going on with her body.
Her breathing quickened, her wings bursting forth. She scratched against the floor, trying to get away from the pain. The pain persisted, her back hurting along with her head as her wings unfurled fully.
Her eyes snapped open, the darkness in the room shifting, and giving way. She saw everything clearly now, her eyes shining a bright purple like a lantern.
She stood up on instinct, her wings folding behind her. She jerked at the chains again, the one on her left feet coming off. Her eyes brightened, her splitting headache increasing. The brightness of her eyes were too intense, and so she shut her eyes, but it felt like it was burning through her skull.
Her eyes opened quickly, her head pounding as a strange pressure formed at the top of her head.
She screamed, holding onto her head tightly as the slow pressure intensified becoming unbearable.
Something was pushing through her skull. She felt a crack, her scream increasing, as two small protrusions began coming out.
They were the tips of horns pushing through her skin, agony searing through her skull like a brand.
She pulled against the chains, the metal biting through her skin but she did not notice that.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, shadows pouring out of her in waves, pushing against the building, shaking it.
She fell to her knees as the pain intensified, her scream turning into a howl. She looked up to the ceiling, her tears falling to the floor, it felt like she was being shredded apart.
The shadows poured out of her in stronger waves, shaking like it was about to fall apart.
Zeus appeared before her, but she barely noticed that. He tried to get closer to her, but her power pushed at him, throwing him away from her as she howled.
Her chains started coming off the walls, her fingers nails transforming as black talons pushed out.
Zeus used his power to hold her chains in place, and hold the building together. "Merva fight it." He shouted through the waves.
Minerva wanted to laugh as he called her twins name. She watched him gritting his teeth, trying to hold everything together. The horns became bigger, twisting slightly as they grew out.
Her chains shattered, a stronger wave of shadows pushing against the building, causing it to shudder.
Zeus strengthened the grip of his power on the building, pushing Minerva back, but she pushed against him her power like a hurricane.
The roof blew off, and Zeus pulled it back, a last wave hitting him. He looked up at her, his well of energy feeling spent.
Her horn fully out in all its glory, her talons spread out on the floor, Minerva looked at him her cheeks stained with dry tears her skin shinning with sweat.
"How did I get here?" Minerva asked him.
Zeus sat up weakly, looking at her cautiously. "On the night of the equinox, I saw you levitating surrounded by shadows, and I tried to get you but you threw me off.
You caused mayhem around the capital country, burning several buildings and places near Dogan." Minerva did not react, she was too tired to, and so she let him continue.
When you started transforming, you screamed in pain and fell and I caught you and brought you here." He paused trying to catch a breath. "You've been here since last night, and I only came here when the building started shaking."
He stayed quiet for a while, trying to gauge Minerva's reaction, and she did the same.
"The authorities are searching all over for you, but luckily they have no footage of you from the surveillance." He added finally.
"So it happened the day after the cupids party?" She asked him.
"Yes." He replied.
She felt relief that the stranger had not seen her like this, it would mean danger for both she and Merva.
She looked at him suddenly, her face an unexplainable mask.
"Why did you help me?" She asked trying to get on her two feet.
He looked at the floor, and answered quietly. "I don't know."
She did not understand him, but she nodded her head, finally standing on her two feet.
Her wings spread out fully, her horns and talons adding to her image of danger and death. Minerva closed her eyes, the brightness dimming once she reopened them. She took a step forward, she had to leave.
Her head still throbbed, her hands and back sore.
Her vision blurred, and she slumped to the floor unconscious, her wings, nails, and horns retracting.
Merva stirred instead of Minerva, her eyes opening to reveal the grandiose of her chambers. The orbs glowed faintly, her feet landing on her plush carpets as she sat up slowly. She massaged her temples, and above her forehead, her head still aching from the effects of her transformation.
Merva paused. 'Transformation?
She had transformed.'
The memories came to her, the horns and talons.
'Minerva.' She called in her head, but Minerva did not respond.
She stood up, her bare feet's sinking into the soft carpets.
Zeus must have brought her back here. But how had he gotten past the security and surveillance? Serine must have helped him out.' Merva thought.
Her chest hurt, she felt a kind of emptiness that she had never felt before.
'Minerva.' She called again, but there was no response.
She walked out of her chambers, straight to the commons hall to find out what the situation was.
Rumors were circulating the hall, her enhanced hearing picking up on all the details that she could get.
'I heard it was a rouge high god from the Dark continent that went wild.' She heard one say.
'No, it was a attack by the lower gods of a different country.' But another countered the idea. 'There is no way that they could have executed such. Besides if it was them, Dogan would have figured it out by now. But from the looks of things, it is not yet known.'
All the ladies hushed at the words, all turning to look at where Merva was. She his quickly, knowing that all the blame could be heaped on her. She made way to her chambers, when matron Nadine found her.
"Ah, Merva. Here you are, I've been searching all over for you."
Merva looked at her, suspecting that she was going to be taken for questioning.
"What for ma'am?"
Nadine's smile froze, but she kept it on her face. "Some Awakened are here. They just have a few questions for you, nothing more."
Merva let Nadine lead her to a part of the quarters that was hardly ever in use. "Go in. They are waiting." Nadine said pointing at a door.
Merva walked into the cold and sterile room, the air stuffy, and the lights blinking.
She saw the taunt, and unforgiving faces staring at her as if they were trying to see into her soul.
She heard the door shut behind her loudly.
"Lady Merva, please take a seat." The Awakened investigator seating opposite where she was supposed to said.
She sat down according to his instruction.
"I am Aislo, Lady Merva." He said, introducing himself.
Merva nodded, unwilling to respond. He already knew her name, so there was no need.
"I will go straight to the point, as you don't look like you are in the mood for idle chatter, and neither am I." He stopped briefly, resting his ankles on the desk as he leaned in closer.
"Where were you at after the cupids ball, and on the night of the equinox?"
The others stood up, their expressionless faces intimidating her.
Merva took a deep breath and swallowed painfully, trying to piece together memories from Minerva that she barely remembered. "I was wasted." Merva started. "I only remember the ball, Serine was there with me, then I was with a stranger, after that my memory is blank. I remember nothing of the next night."
The other two inched closer like they were going to hurt her, and Merva leaned into her seat in fear. She felt the pain in her chest intensify, but composed herself not letting it show.
"Lady Merva, it will be in your best interest to tell us everything you know." He warned her, but Merva shook her head, she had nothing else to tell.
One of the men by the side brought a transparent touch screen forward, showing the sketch of a persons silhouette surrounded by shadows.
She shook her head negatively. "I don't know who that is."
"Look closely, are you sure it isn't you?" He asked.
"No, it is not." Merva insisted adamantly.
She saw him lose his patience before he even pushed his chair back and stood up.
"Are you sure?" He asked, getting closer, his face sneering.
"I mean it." Merva said fearfully, thanking the supremes when the sound of a receiver went off. Their attention was not on her for this seconds.
They all shared a look, looking at her, and each other. "You may leave."
She stood up quickly, rushing out of there racing to her room.
The door shut behind her, and she threw up a mouthful of blood.