Eos's Blessed. The Daughter of Helios

"Fifteen years ago," Eos began to tell, "a family of three arrived at the village of the witches of Helios—the village of Hyperion. In those days, there was an important festival."

"The Halia is the most important festivity," Helios interrupted. "They arrived on the fist day."

Cristina had so many questions, but she understood the urgency of letting Eos speak. The car was being protected by the magic of both spirits. At the same time, she felt thrilled to know that the deity of the star she had always prayed was right there, in the same car. Helios explained that the festival, dedicated specifically to him, was meant to offer tributes, give thanks, and ask for prosperity. It lasted exactly three days.

Eos continued the tale: "The mother didn't know she was pregnant. During the night of the first day, the woman felt a great pain. She began to give birth. The three of us were expectant."

"The three of you?" Cristina finally interrupted.

"Me, my brother, and our sister, Selene," Eos explained. "By nature, Helios could not bless the baby. But Selene and I could. We were given the opportunity to bless her with magic. That black-haired girl was born exactly at dawn, which allowed her to obtain the liminal blessing."

"The blessing of the Deity Threshold of the Dawn," Helios finished saying as he looked at Cristina. "Surely you've already noticed her magic, her frequency. Now you know the nature of that power."

"I am... a witch?" Cristina asked with fear. She was beginning to understand why her grandmother had specifically told her to pray to the principal star of the Golden Gem constellation.

Helios's shield was breaking. The power of the corrupt star was much weaker, but constant. Helios reinforced it, and Eos helped him reinforce it. They still needed that isolation.

"You are a witch," Helios confirmed. "Thanks to the fact that you arrived in this city, your magic was finally able to awaken. Espliego is a city that by nature carries a special aura for witches of all clans. We owe that to Rigel."

"And that is why it's an ideal city for Splendor," Eos commented, filled with fear. The shield was breaking even faster. They had been discovered.

Eliana hugged Noah, expecting the worst. Cyrus could only listen to the explanation without being able to see his own daughter and the spirit that blessed her at birth. He had kept the secret for 16 years. He never thought the day would come when it would claim his daughter's life.

"Who is Splendor?" Cristina asked with a certain amount of fear. For the first time, she noticed those sparks emanating from her hands.

Her power had finally fully awakened thanks to that ritual in the forbidden temple.

"The girl should..." Eos tried to say, seeing Cristina's fear and how those sparks were beginning to flood the car—sparks born from the young woman's fear and uncertainty.

"We have no choice, she must fight," Helios declared. At that moment, Cristina had a question, a doubt, but when she tried to tell it, she couldn't.

The shield finally broke, and the family began to feel Splendor's corrupt magic. The temperature changed drastically, starting to rise. Cyrus didn't wait for anyone's orders; he got out of the car.

Helios and Eos did the same. The solar deity ordered Eliana to stay away from the conflict to protect Noah. Finally, in a tender tone, he told Circe to guide her friend into the fight.

"Splendor is a dying star," Helios explained. "An orange giant that will soon become a supernova. The danger isn't this event itself. The real danger is for those it has blessed."

"When a star begins to die, its magic is the first thing to disappear. Here lies the danger: magic is tied to people's lives. If the star dies, the blessed ones do too. And it won't be a peaceful death."

"The problem is that Splendor has decided to react violently," Eos said with concern, observing the area to detect if any attackers were near. "Rigel has summoned every magic user in Espliego to counter the attack before it's too late."

A strong wind that came from the south interrupted Eos. It was a hot wind that seemed to carry sparks of fire. Some landed on Cristina, burning her skin, while at the same time she felt something strange. She felt as if something wanted to absorb her energy, her... magic.

"Witches of Helios's clan!" Eos shouted once she saw where the attackers were. Upon seeing Cristina, she immediately knew what she was thinking. "Defend the city where you live. It’s your turn. We can’t intervene.”

Circe and Cristina saw them. They were hiding behind the car. The wind gave them away. They barely looked human anymore; their bodies had been deformed by the corrupt and dying magic of their star. Yet they still seemed to retain some autonomy, as they recognized Circe and Cristina and—believing that, being the youngest, they would be an easy target—attacked them. Helios protected them, and Eos created a sort of protective light.

The two divine spirits attacked, each creating a strange white light. Cristina watched: it looked like the light of a star—faint, warm, yet she knew it was dangerous. The attackers barely dodged it. What they couldn't dodge were some sparks Eos hurled at them. It was a blinding light that confused them.

"Cyrus, I leave my daughter in your care," Helios ordered before leaving. "You'd better tell her the truth soon."

"Sing, my child," Eos said in a tender tone while smiling. "It will be the best way to transmit your magic."

Helios and Eos vanished. Circe looked at her father and then at her mother with some concern. She didn't understand what had happened. Eliana shouted that they needed to get in the car and flee. Cyrus also ordered Circe and Cristina to get inside. They did so, leaving the enemy there alone. The silence inside the vehicle was awkward. It was obvious Cyrus was driving in circles, not knowing what to do. Eliana couldn't fight. Noah started crying, and that was when Cyrus stopped the car.

"What was all that?" Circe shouted, surprising everyone in the car. "Who am I, and why did Helios...?"

"I am your father and you are my daughter," Cyrus said, slamming his hands against the steering wheel. "And I raised you, I taught you the magic you know. You don't need to know anything else."

"Your father is sterile," Eliana said with an tense calmness. "We asked for help. Why do you think we adopted Noah?"

"He's a lunar..."

"That's not the only reason, my dear," Eliana explained, trying to stay calm. "If I get pregnant again, it will be too dangerous because of my age. Remember this, Circe: all stars have done it at some point—helped humans conceive. That is how the first stellar witches were born."

Cyrus started driving again. There was nothing more to say. They needed to prevent the destruction of Espliego. They had to help. After everything is finished, they would worry about fixing family matters.