To stop, the only thing Athena wanted right now was for the pain that was ripping through her body and insides, to stop, to go away. But no matter how much she screamed, no matter how much she prayed, no matter how much she wished, the feeling refused to go away. It was just there, growing stronger, driving her crazy, clouding her mind and vision. It was so cold, so lonely, despite the other women in the beds next to her.

She just couldn't take it anymore, looking down at her huge belly, her only desire was to rip the thing out and kill it with her bare hands before it killed her. But she just couldn't, her hands and feet were tied, blood was pouring from her wrists and ankles, it felt like hundreds of blades were trying to come out from between her legs. Athena screamed again, straining again, her eyes boring into the mold on the ceiling and relief washed over her tortured tired body as the thing slid out of her stomach and a loud baby cry echoed through the rocky walls before she closed her eyes. Forever.

Athena opened her eyes wide, again the same dream, the same feeling of powerlessness, of an end and a beginning, a feeling that scared her to death and lately did not give her peace. The bed next to her shifted slightly and she looked at the sleeping Jungkook. He had gotten into the habit of waiting for her to fall asleep, then crawling into bed and sleeping next to her, waking up and making out early in the morning while she pretended to be asleep and didn't know what he was doing.

His hand rested on her stomach, his face turned towards her, lying on his stomach, he had one end of her blanket tucked under his face, and Athena sometimes heard him sniffing the blanket in his sleep, like a dog remembering the scent of its prey. He was so cute, after that night on the lawn, at home he was like a little kid when he wasn't helping her practice, cuddly, gentle, a real big baby who loved knowing where his hands were and that they were somewhere on her body.

That was just what he was, a big, jealous, overprotective baby who demanded her full attention once they were alone. Athena didn't mind, she liked staying up late in the evening, having dinner together, talking, Jungkook telling her about life in the different campuses, about the people he had met, about the world outside and about people. Athena used to go out, but she didn't have any friends, only acquaintances from university, and apart from that, she hadn't gone anywhere else before Jungkook started taking her out on dates.

She sighed and pushed his hand away slightly, slipping silently out of bed. She took a t-shirt and sweatpants from the closet and tiptoed out of the bedroom, changing into the living room. It was still too early for anyone to have woken up and she left their apartment, hurrying to the practice field. The fireproof room was only at her disposal, something she had done several times already trying to train her powers on her own.

The room and its white walls already bore the marks of her training. Acceptance, one of the main factors needed to use her powers. After rejecting them for weeks, and accepting them as part of her for two, her training was getting easier, her elemental power was growing and Athena was having a hard time controlling her, but there was progress. If only she wasn't so tired.

Athena sat on the ground Indian-style and closed her eyes. The more she tried to talk to her flames, the more often she seemed to hear a faint whisper in response. Her tattoos pulsed, a sign that she was able to connect with her element. She placed her palms on the ground and a small smile played at the corner of her lips as she felt the warm waves pass through her body and seep into the floor.

I don't know how to fight the nightmares, a few recurring ones keep haunting me and I'm sure I must see something in them, but I can't seem to make the connection. I felt, a strange feeling by the way, that the flames were trying to show me something, as if they were waiting with me, to understand their meaning, to hear the voice of the fire. I flashed the pictures through my mind, but found nothing but chaotic images, senseless actions of people in whose bodies I was during my nightmares.

I need help, but whose? Maybe Mykena, I know after what she showed me in the field, the next time I lost control wasn't a very friendly act on her part, but she's actually a nice girl and no matter how many times we've met, I've always felt friendly attitude. However, her telepathy could help me connect with my flames on a different, subconscious level, maybe see what I'm missing in my dreams?

Maybe it would even help me rest. But before that, I should probably discuss it with Jungkook, Miss Panaria, and Mr. Kosari? Still, if something happened, they would be the ones to deal with the consequences. Especially Jungkook. It's warm, I can't avoid it, whenever I think of this man, I feel this warmth and completeness somewhere deep inside me, which overwhelms my being and calms me.

Is it normal for me to need him so much? I realize that I am in love, since he is next to me, everything is different, the sun shines brighter, the colors are more saturated and warm, the taste of the food is even different, the air is sweeter, and I feel light and winged ,as if I am capable of anything and at the same time he makes me weak and needy.

And could I have avoided it, not accepted what fate and our chains had assigned to us? No, of course. Without Jungkook, everything would have lost its meaning, only recently, but he seemed to have already managed to erase my lonely past self and I couldn't even remember it, or I didn't want to? He was my future and I can see it clearly, I knew how I would spend the rest of my life with him, not only our relationship but a family, children, how we would grow old together.

Why do I feel like something is missing? It tightened my chest when I opened my eyes and saw the empty bed. Great, I was caught in the act, but where is Athena? My tattoo is throbbing, I got up and searched our apartment, where could it be? There were no signs of her having breakfast, she usually left a cup of coffee for me too if she woke up first, she is so sweet. I went back to the room and slipped on a pair of pants and then went to look for her, my tattoo would lead me to her, one of the perks of the red chain, whenever the Guardian uses her powers, the Knight senses her, and Athena was currently fanning her flames.

The closer I got to the field, the more my tattoo pulsated, the fireproof room? It was on the other side of the field behind the stands and I walked under them, passing through the door leading to the other side of the wall and the much smaller building that used to be a sort of warehouse. I felt the heat the moment I walked in, so I headed to the observation room first. If Athena wanted to train alone, I didn't want to interrupt her.

"Coach?" the coach was standing next to the glass with his hands on his back and nodded slightly when I stood next to him. Athena was sitting in the middle of the room, with her back to us, her legs crossed under her and slightly bent over, her head bowed low and her palms spread out on the floor. But I could see no flames, despite the heat. "Look" the trainer pointed at the thermometer and I, to be honest, it's a bit startling to see how Athena can develop such a temperature without it affecting her or flames coming out. To be clear, according to the devices, the temperature in Athena's room was a little over 200 degrees.

"Do you know how long she's been here?" I shook my head, the sun was barely coming up and I moved in with her around one in the morning, she was sleeping, which means for the last three or four hours she might have been sitting down there practicing by herself. How did I not feel her, that she even got out of bed? Given what I was seeing, as well as her progress, I couldn't help but wonder how often she does it?

I felt Jungkook the moment he approached, even before I looked up and our eyes met. For how long has Mr. Kosari been standing there, how deeply have I been immersed in the whispers of the fiery spirits, so as not to understand that I am no longer alone? I stood up and tried to absorb the heat I had caused myself, but I was too weak. How long was I in the room? Sometimes, when I communicate with the spirits, I lose track of time, it seemed like minutes to me, but as soon as I looked at the clock, it turned out that hours had passed.

When she stood up and looked at me I knew, I could feel her starting to drain my strength trying to stay conscious. As I ran down to the room I felt like she was calling me. We were still new to this whole Guardian-Knight thing, and sometimes it baffled me how one tattoo could make me feel so many things. It couldn't help but make me wonder if my feelings for Athena were just a product of our chain, but could a chain drive me to the brink of madness?

She smiled at me when I approached her, as if ants crawled over my body and squeezed my heart, injecting it with tenderness. This couldn't have been caused by a chain, no matter how red it was, no matter how bright it shone. The chain principle didn't work like that.

She relaxed in my arms, wrapping hers around my neck and I picked her up, I have to take her back to our apartment, she needs a rest. Yes, the chain connected us, but regardless of its color, the connection was physical. White, purple or red were colors that indicated the basis on which the chain was concluded and the most likely development in the relations between the partners. That is, even red, if Athena and I, even made for each other, for some reason didn't become a couple, it didn't mean that as a Guardian-Knight, things would be different.

Even if I wasn't in love with her, my feelings for Athena would still be love and sacrifice, but that love wouldn't be enough to be with her as a man, other than as a knight. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but the answer to the question I asked myself is No, the chain may have pushed me towards Athena, but it is not the cause of the feelings I feel.

These things are complicated to explain, as an agoran I should be able to do it, but I'm not really sure if anyone is even capable of this or if it's even been done in the past. I only know that the little spark is all that I have looked for in women until now, everything in a bunch that I used to find in portions in individual girls. I wish I hadn't, all these women, every one I've ever been with, and only to find the truth in the hands and eyes of this innocent creature.