SCARLETTE'S POINT OF VIEW
The believers got defeated. The three believers who remained never surrendered – the reason why the god and goddesses went down to Earth. The non-believers got shocked when they saw them. Before they could speak a word, Od altered their memories so they had forgotten their existence and forever avoid that kind of war to happen again.
The gods brought the three wounded believers to Hetarnia – the place where the gods and souls live. This place looks like a paradise with a big kingdom.
The three believers―namely, Heta, Durlen, and Cavhian―were rewarded to be gods but Cavhian refused. It was because he wanted to continue his ordinary life on Earth. Heta became the goddess of healing, wind, and forest and Durlen became the god of metal, potions, and shadows. The two chose to stay in Hetarnia while Cavhian returned to Earth.
As time passed by, Durlen became greedy. He was not satisfied with what he had. He wanted more power to rule the whole universe and the whole Hetarnia. So, he created a sword that could kill a god.
One midnight, while Od was sleeping peacefully in his chamber, Durlen stabbed the sword into his heart. The three goddesses got awaked because of the shout. They dashed towards Od's room immediately but before they could enter, Durlen vanished. The goddesses and souls grieved because of what happened.
Since Er was more powerful than Wart, she became the next ruler. Durlen never regretted what he did. All in his mind was power. Because of the reason he could not go back to Hetarnia, he made his world – the Underworld. He made demons, evil spirits, and other devil creatures, becoming his minions. He always gave chaos to Earth to make Er give up her position, which was never happened.
The goddesses got angrier toward him. They wanted to kill him right away but they could not go to the Underworld because of the dark spell that Durlen cast.
To counterattack his attacks, Er asked her twin sister Wart, and Heta to lend her help. Using their powers, they created a powerful silver sword – the Hetar sword, embedded with a white diamond crystal. They went to Cavhian and gave the sword to him. This time, he did not refuse and gladly accepted it and his duty – that no matter what, he would protect Earth from evil. When Durlen knew about the sword, he wanted to take it because of the power that it has. However, each time he tried to take it, he could not breathe. Cavhian's duty and his sword were continuously passed through generations.
Asher said that the book was written by Leather Antonio – the fourteenth holder and the first woman to hold the sword. Aside from the title and the whole mythology, there were no other details in it, even the details about the author.
"This is the only copy left out of a thousand copies in the whole world," Asher told me as he returned the book to the shelf. "Gladly, it was destined here. It is indeed fate."
"If Cavhian was the first holder and Leather Antonio was the fourteenth holder, how about my father?" I asked when I suddenly remembered what the demons told me. "Um," he stared at me like the answer was on my face, "Mister Max Sevilla, he was the seventeenth holder, I think, if I am not mistaken," he replied, unsure.
"Then―" I stopped when I had a sudden realization.
I remembered how Aunt Wart called me niece sincerely. The demons that night called me the daughter of a swordsman. It was unusual how could I use the sword like I was an expert though it was my first time. The ring of fire that had appeared. Asher told me I am a demigod.
Asher smirked at me when he saw me wide-eyed. "I have a hint that you finally connected all the dots."
I just nodded slowly and spoke what I found out, "I am a demigod—the daughter of the seventeenth holder of the sword Max Sevilla, and the ruler of Hetarnia and also the goddess of fire―Er. And I am going to be the eighteenth holder of the Hetar sword."
I thought things would be clear when I already knew who really I am but it turned out that things got more complicated.
"But why?" I asked which made Asher's smirk fade away. "Why did they keep it from me? Dad told me that my mom died after she gave birth to me and . . . her name is not Er but Ellaine. Why did they hide it?" I was very confused to the point that a tear fell from my eyes down to my cheeks. "Our world is too complicated, Scarlette, and always in danger. They could not risk you," he sincerely said.
I closed my eyes and sighed. "Tell me. Is my father in Hetarnia? Is he really dead?" His face turned grim. Or was it just me who was imagining it? "He is not there." My mind could not process it. "What do you mean?"
A part of me was filled with hope because of what I heard. I thought that he is still alive but . . . all of those vanished because of the next thing Asher answered. "His soul is missing."
'Dad is missing. How come?' He is dead and yet, he is missing. "Hey." I blinked at Asher who pulled me out of my thoughts. "I am sorry," I uttered and sighed. "Spacing out, huh?" I nodded. "This feels surreal."
He just stared at me with his worried eyes. He did not say a word. I shifted my gaze to my plate. The cheeseburger kept shouting at me to eat it but I felt like I had no appetite.
"It is very hard to believe it," I continued. "I still cannot believe that my mother is a goddess and my father is . . . a swordsman." I returned my sight to him.