Page 16 of The Stars

She’d always gone into the silo using the old doorway in the field, taking the staircase down into the heart of it. She’d never really known of the cave entrance until someone told her about it a few years back. She knew it was easier to get lost using the long narrow tunnels when going in this way.

They were let in without a word, and the truck rumbled down into the underground complex, stopping a few feet into a large low-lit tunnel.

Once they were inside, Joe helped her out of the truck and hugged her, holding on for a long moment before stepping back. He felt so different. Smelled different too. Musty. Sweaty. Raw.

Gone was her goofy meathead brother. He’d been replaced by a frail man who had lost… everything.

From there, they walked in silence through the dimly lit tunnels that narrowed as they wound further into the massive complex.

When they finally stepped into the large silo area, Amy looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the sight.

The silo had been transformed into an underground refuge. It was like a small hidden city. People moved about, cooking, working, trying to survive. Makeshift homes lined the walls, and boxes and crates of supplies were stacked neatly in corners. There was a strange sense of calm, but also of constant vigilance, like everyone was waiting for the next disaster to strike.

As they made their way through the compound, someone came running towards them—Brea. She looked frantic, her eyes wide with guilt and relief as she reached her.

“Amy!” Brea threw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for sending you here.”

Amy pulled back, confused. “I… don’t understand.”

Brea nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “It was the only way... to save all of us. I didn’t want you to see this place, this possible future. But in order for it to change, I had no choice.”

“Save us from this?” Amy asked, confused. “How?”

Brea took a deep breath, her expression grim. “You had to see this, in order to save us all from the gods.”

Amy blinked several times. Everyone kept saying that. “The gods?”

Brea nodded, her face pale. “The gods destroyed our world. They shattered the moon, decimated our population, and now they use the Harpies to hunt us. We’ve been hiding here ever since. This place is our only shelter.” She glanced around. “We use our powers, the ones you saw that night, to protect it, to hide it from them. At least for now. But... you’re the only one who can actually stop all of this from happening in the first place. You’re the only one who can save us from this fate.”

Amy staggered back, her mind reeling. “Me? How? I don’t understand.”

“It’s your destiny,” Mia said softly as she stepped forward. “This was fated long before any of us were born. You and Dante... the two of you are the key to stopping all this from happening.” She hugged Amy. When she stepped back, she added. “I showed you my memories that we shared. Remember?”

Amy’s blood ran cold as she remembered the vision she’d had when Mia had touched her.

“Pandora must wake,” Mia said with a sigh.

“Let me get this right.” She felt her chest tighten. She had been thrown into a future where everything she knew was gone, where half the world was dead, and now she was being told that she was supposed to save them from the wrath of the gods. It was too much. “I... I can’t... save everyone.”

Mia took her hands, squeezing them tightly. “You can. You have to. Our entire future depends on it.”

Chapter Six

Dante trudged through the foreign landscape. The heat of the sun was relentless, its intensity more searing than anything he’d felt before. He had long since discarded his jacket and had slung it over his shoulders. His shirt had followed not long after. The heat seemed to radiate off everything, so he’d tied it around his head for a little more shade.

He had determined right away to stick to walking on the edge of the water instead of trudging through the thick trees that surrounded the beach. This way he could dip in the cool water when he overheated, which he had a few times already. Each time, he’d removed his clothes until he was walking around in his boxer shorts and shoes.

His feet started to ach with each step, and he figured he’d been walking almost three hours so far. The landscape stretched on for as far as he could see. Directly beside the long stretch of beach was a mixture of rugged terrain and rolling hills. Eventually, the harsh landscape gave way to a stunning valley, which he decided to explore after seeing hints of life. Long fields filled with some sort of crops had been a welcome sight.

As he descended into the valley, he saw a small village nestled at the base of a looming, jagged mountain. The town looked ancient and was made up of low stone buildings with thatched roofs. Dusty, worn paths wound between them. Surrounding the village was a patchwork of fields that stretched out for miles, their crops basking under the shadow of the looming peak.

Mount Olympus, he realized with a slight shock. He recognized it from a few videos and pictures that he’d seen of the area. He’d always dreamed of visiting Greece someday.

If it wasn’t for the obviously ancient buildings and the lack of modern machinery, he would have just assumed it was a small untouched modern village.

The village itself seemed eerily quiet at first, save for the distant bleating of goats and the murmur of the wind through the crops. As Dante got closer, he noticed people—simple farmers and townsfolk—going about their daily business. When they spotted him, however, they stopped what they were doing and gathered around him.

A group of them stepped out from stone buildings, their gazes locked onto him as though he were an apparition. The men were dressed in short, loose linen robes and sandals. The women wore similar robes but slightly longer, and some of them carried clay jugs or wooden tools. Children, dressed in shorter versions of the same clothes, gathered around him, reaching out and touching his dark skin with childlike curiosity.