By the time Kora got to the top of the hill, the clock struck midnight. Everything suddenly went still around her. Silence enveloped the surroundings, and a mild warm light surrounded her. She stopped walking and looked at a particular spot where light particles were gathering.

"It is nice to see you again, Gaia," a voice said from within the light. Soon after that, a woman’s image appeared, clad in a white overflowing dress, hair of silver and eyes to match. Her skin was fair and had a glow that would leave anyone staring in awe and admiration.

"I want to say the same, but it isn’t as easy as it should be, Selene," Gaia replied, but all that the woman did was smile.

"It is unlike you to hold a grudge, Gaia. What have I done to have earned that?" She asked and walked closer to Kora.

"We should leave that for another time. The reason I asked you to come here today is because of what is happening now. I want you to stop it," Gaia said, and the goddess tilted her head to the side.

"Things such as war, life and death and a natural occurrence. They have been going since the beginning of creation, and no one has the power to stop it permanently because this is how it should be. The natural order of how things are done should not be disturbed," Selene explained.

"I am aware of that. Life and death can and will never cease, but war can. Selene, can you hear them?" Kora walked ahead and stood facing the direction where the battle was going on. "I can, and I do not want to hear it anymore. Every one of your children is out there, crying and praying to you for help. They as well as myself have tried to live side by side with the humans, but.... Just as it was in the past, the humans turned against us the moment they learnt of our existence. They are repeating what their ancestors did, and I can not sit back and do nothing anymore."

"Are you asking me to end the human race?" Selene asked, also walking to stand where Kora stood. "I must tell you this, as much as it isn’t a difficult task to carry out, I can do..." She was interrupted by Gaia.

"No, I never said to end the human race. As much as I am unhappy with their actions and the many wrong decisions they have made and still are, they are still living beings," Gaia uttered. Selene remained silent as she knew more was to follow. "All that I am asking is that the war between humans and nonhumans come to an end. I alone can not do it, that is why I am asking this of you."

"What are you saying, Gaia? You know..."

"I know, and I don’t mind, actually, we don’t mind. Just keep them safe," Gaia and Kora said, speaking after each other. "We don’t want to have more of our people killed by humans while we only try not to offend the gods that created us. Make them forget us one more time and help us raise a barrier between them and us," they said.

"You are asking for a lot, Gaia. You know that it wouldn’t only be the shifters that..." she was interrupted again but just as before, she didn’t mind. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Dmitri has agreed to keep his vampires under control, and we are allowed to do as we please to whoever breaks the rules that will be established after this is done. The witches, as always, have chosen to be on their own but," she looked at where Dmitri had gone off to, "Their leader wouldn’t do anything unless told to do so by Dmitri."

"And your mate? Did he agree to this....?" She paused and turned to look behind her where the said man had appeared. "He did not, did he?" she uttered in a whisper. "Itbis noce to meet you again, Darren," he voice was still as calm as ever. There was no sarcasm or mockery in her voice, but he hated it still.

"Kora," he called as he made his way up to her. He walked past Selene without sparing her a glance or acknowledging her presence. "I will not allow you to do that," he said, leaving no room for argument. He turned to glare at the goddess, who was still as calm as

Kora looked at her mate, who had managed to find them even before they could begin. He was in an even worse state than she had imagined. "Everything will be fine, I promise," she said and held his hands. "I promise that no one will be lost again, and that includes myself."

He looked at her, not buying it.

"What the deal is, cut it off. She isn’t going through with it," Darren said to Selene instead. Talking to Kora and trying to convince her not to follow through with what she had in mind was harder than talking to Selene. She could easily sway his resolve, but the goddess in front of him wouldn’t be able to change his mind, not unless she had something other than death or another curse to hold over his head.

"Darren," Kora called. She caressed the back of his palm to get his attention when he refused to look at her. "I won’t die, you don’t have to worry," she assured.

"It is indeed true that you wouldn’t die, but not all of you will survive. What you have asked, as I have said earlier, is a lot, there will be a price to pay, I can not guarantee that it will be small. Are you still willing to go through with it after knowing this?"

"I am," Kora said with resolve. But at the same time that she spoke, Darren also did.

"She isn’t,"

Their clashing responses quickly turned the atmosphere tense. He looked down at her while she held his gaze.

"Give us a moment, Selene," Kora pulled him to the side without waiting for her response.