Psyche moves through the city streets, taking in each high rise with awe and anxiousness. Humans hadn't built buildings so tall when Demeter and Persephone locked her away. There were some multi-story buildings, but nothing spanned thirty stories high.

The goddess doesn't have a plan for when she reaches Lucilla. Before, she could possess a bird to provide meaning. But, now, with such tall buildings and technology, will it have the same impact?

Psyche knows she can't simply wait for the girl to return. The vines will spread quickly over her statue, hiding her away again. She can't risk being stuck in the abyss. Eos, her own husband, couldn't save her before. What would make things different this time?

Soon the tall buildings shorten to a crowd of homes on tree-lined streets. Busses and cars pass through the streets slowly. Psyche pauses outside a red-bricked two-story home lined with flowers and shrubs.

Lucilla's spirit pulses softly within the house, almost skipping as she moves up the stairs. Psyche passes through the front door and floats to the second floor.

"Don't forget to brush your back teeth," a male voice says through an open doorway.

"I know, Dad," came an almost sassy response.

Psyche hovers near the doorway to see a man in his early thirties with tan skin and dark brown brushing his teeth beside Lucilla as she stands on a small stool. The two provide each other with small side eyes as they brush their teeth over sinks. A beeping sound causes the two to stop and spit white suds into their sinks. They rinse their brushes before Lucilla's dad takes them and places them in a holder.

"Let's get you into your PJs. Do you want Grandma or me to read tonight?"

Lucilla shrugs her shoulders while jumping off the stool. "You can read to me tonight."

Dad places a hand on his chest in mock hurt. "You know how to injure my feelings, don't you?"

"Yep!" Lucilla chirps while running down the hall into another room.

Psyche enters Lucilla's yellow-walled room with toys scattering the floor and shelves. Psyche watches Lucilla side-step a doll on the floor to run to a bookshelf and pull a small book with a dog surrounded by a green fog off the shelf. Dad lets out a soft curse before kicking a small car from under his foot.

"We're cleaning your room this weekend," he mutters.

Lucilla sighs while climbing onto her bed. She places the book on the bed, and Psyche settles onto the windowsill.

"Maybe even donate some of the broken ones."

"No!" Lucilla screams, jumping to a standing position on her bed. "I like them. Mom—"

Whatever words she planned to say became lost within a moment of stuttering hyperventilation. Her dad considers her for a moment and sighs.

"I know they mean a lot to you. But—"

"No, Dad!" Lucilla stamps her foot, squishing tears out the corners of her eyes.

The dad walks over to a slim golden-rimmed frame and picks it up. Inside, a picture of his late wife smiles up at him while a two-year-old Lucilla makes one of her silly faces. They took the picture a few weeks before her mom got sick. Who knew that a simple gifting idea would be such a big hit? Apparently, his wife did. She always had the best ideas.

Psyche watches a fog begin to form within the man's mind. The heaviness extends beyond the two humans' spirits and fills the room. Psyche's eyebrow furrow together. This wouldn't do for her little priestess. She raises her hands, spreading her fingers to release a steady pulse of power, dissipating the fog in the room. The two visually relax, with Lucilla slowly sitting on the bed.

He puts the frame down gently and sighs. "We can separate the ones your mom gives you. We both miss her." He picks up a robot she broke during a tantrum a few weeks ago. It now barely lights up or bee-boops, or was it the wee-wimp sound? He can barely remember now. "We can put them in a special chest."

Lucilla sniffs and wipes a few silent tears. "What color?"

Dad places the robot on the bookshelf and walks over to the bed. He sits on the edge of the bed, placing a comforting hand on her head. "Whichever one you want, honey."

"Okay," his daughter nods. "Now, can you read my book?"

The two spend the next fifteen minutes reading a book together. Well, Lucilla's dad does most of the reading while Lucilla points at pictures or turns the pages. Their goodnights consist of a kiss on Lucilla's forehead before he walks to the doorway to turn the lights off.

Psyche moves from sitting on the window sill to hover above Lucilla's form. She reaches a hand forward, touching the young girl's forehead.

Brown eyes fly open, and for a moment, Lucilla can just make out the glittering form of Psyche above her.

"Psyche?" Lucilla whispers into the darkness.

I'm here.

Lucilla sits up in her bed. "You can't follow someone home and sneak into someone's room. My grandma says that stalking. It's wrong."

Did I scare you?

The young girl nods, looking around the room with apprehension and just a hint of curious anticipation.

Psyche considers the little one for a moment before looking around the room. She then opens her palm to release glittering stars. A small gasp escapes from Lucilla's mouth as the apprehension fades.

"So pretty."

The sparkles fall onto Lucilla's pink and blue comforter, bursting into small fireworks. A few land on her head and chest. Something breaks, letting a fog and heaviness escape from her chest. A burning forms at the corner of her eyes, and she sniffles.

"It was you earlier," Lucilla whispers.

It was. Your pain is heavy, and I am here to help.

Lucilla feels Psyche's hand rest on her shaking shoulders as a soft sob escapes. Psyche doesn't shush the girl. She just sits with her, letting the sparkles fall and heal. A link begins to show as the fog vanishes from within the girl.

Psyche turns to watch the thread disappear under the Earth. She sighs, hoping Persephone doesn't appear. The last thing Psyche needs is to finally escape, only to have Persephone drag her down because Psyche decides to do something nice for her new little priestess. But isn't that what goddesses are supposed to do? Protect and be kind.

Your mother, Psyche starts.

"Yes, she—she," Lucilla's words become clogged in her throat.

Psyche lets some of her power extend into the small girl so she can see the string. She's still linked to you. See. Persephone and Hades...

Lucilla shakes her head, pulling herself into a small ball on the bed. "No, I should let it go. I need to be tough like Dad. I need—"

Psyche lets out a low breath before tugging on the thread. The darkness in the room shifts slightly as the line moves to form a small stack beside the bed. Lucilla's eyes widen, clutching her knees to her chest. In a few moments, the spirit of Lucilla's mother hovers in front of them. She smiles towards Lucilla before sticking her tongue out at her.

Lucilla gasps and giggles. She crawls to the edge of her bed and reaches for her mother's spirit. Her mother extends out her own hand. Lucilla's hand drops once it passes through her mother's, and the two smile.

"I love you," Lucilla whispers, and her mother mouths the words back to her.

None of us are truly gone when the people we love live. You don't need to morn anymore.

The spirit motions around the room and mouths, "clean it," before fading away.

Psyche floats up, observing the young girl for her reaction.

"This is so cool," Lucilla finally gushes, looking up to see Psyche's outline sparkle before disappearing. "You should come to school with me! I can't wait to show you to my friends."

I don't think—

The young girl shakes her head. "But you're so nice and cool! My friends will like you just like I do!"

Psyche considers the girl for a moment. She did need more followers. It would decrease the chances of her becoming trapped. Something that could be even more likely now that Persephone probably saw what she did by pulling Lucilla's mother's spirit up. Psyche freezes, thinking of Persephone's anger and her possible retaliation against Lucilla.

Well, I should go with you to keep you safe.

"Safe from what?"

From things that don't like you knowing about me, Psyche rushes out.

Lucilla wrinkles her nose. "Why don't they like it?"

Because Psyche pauses to find her words. Because no one expected someone so young to become my priestess.

Lucilla's head cocks in confusion. "But, I'm not old enough to be a priestess."

Of course, you are! Plus, I have already chosen you. Now, we just need a vessel for me to—

The young girl's finger points towards the bookcase where her robot is standing. "Would that work?"

Psyche floats closer to examine the robot. The contraption did have legs, hands, and a means to verbally communicate. She reaches out her hand to connect with the plastic. Her body melds within the toy, causing it to sparkle briefly.

The robot's lights turn on, and it walks on the bookcase. Lucilla gleefully laughs and claps her hands.

"Perfect! I'm so excited!"

"Okay, time to sleep," a robotic voice sounds from the toy. "We will talk tomorrow."

Lucilla nods while lying down. "Can you make more stars? They make me feel happy."

"Very well," Psyche agrees through the robot and opens its palm.

Stars sparkle on the ceiling. Lucilla smiles and closes her eyes. This is going to be awesome.

***

Psyche floats to the middle of the screen and sighs. She waves her hand to make the space behind her turn into a bar. Then, she pours herself a glass of scotch, neat.

"Being a goddess is such a drag," she mutters. "If I don't have followers, I'm at risk of passing on. If I have followers, I have to care about the mortals." Psyche takes a long sip of her drink. "Or, I have to end up like the ones I prayed to as a mortal. A complete waste of existential space!"

Psyche slams her glass on a table that doesn't appear to exist in the darkness surrounding her. "I'm not complaining. I mean, I live now. But we should care!"

A goddess with long brown hair passes behind Psyche, shaking her head. Psyche turns and rolls her eyes.

"Fuck you, Persephone." Psyche mutters. "No one cares about how you were 'kidnapped.' Or that you 'need attention.'"

"I tried to help you!" Persephone screams from off-screen.

Psyche rolls her eyes before taking a drink of her scotch. "Oh, yeah? Then, why did your mother sentence me to the abyss?"

A silence settles around Psyche. She looks over her shoulder to the left and then to the right. Her fingers fidget along the sides of her glass for a moment.

Persephone floats forward from the darkness. "Who says that she did?"

The room becomes black, and a glass breaks within the abyss surrounding the goddesses.