"Run." They told her. They wanted for her to run, to run past the thickness and haziness of the air, the grayness tainting and clouding her sight. The smoky air clogged up her lungs and triumphantly seized her throat, refusing to let her breath. She choked and her legs were wobbly. Sweat ran down her body, and all her eyes could see was hues of vibrant red, orange and yellow. A white-hot sensation seared tauntingly through her leg and she collapsed like a ton of bricks, gasping. She didn't know if it was water or sweat streaming down her face; all she knew was that she needed to run, to run for her life before the heat enveloped her and ended her life.

Fire.

They said that fire is a vicious thing and if you weren't careful, your life will be over in a flash. However, what they failed to mention was that fire could consume even the gods themselves and send them right into agony and damnation. They presumed that the god of fire would simply rush over when fire began attacking the other gods and save them from the pain, but gods themselves were capable of death, pain, tears and a grudge that lasted for an eternity.

For as long as she could remember, Taisa Iritani hated fire with every fiber of her soul, with even possible emotion that her ice-cold heart could manage. Her childhood went up with the smoke and tears, all consumed by the fiery inferno that raged on for hours. What started with an accident of her cousin knocking over a candle in her house and setting the fragile woodwork aflame, she had attempted her best to summon ice; to freeze everything. However, she was accused of sinning by Zeus months before the inferno started and her powers were confiscated.

"You should be happy." He had told her so very coldly, his eyes boring right into her soul. "You are still allowed to live in this realm of gods. Just...without your powers until I deemed you fit to give them back."

It was too late to run and she threw herself out of the mansion and tumbled right into the dry, wilting weeds of her garden, begging, begging and begging for someone, for anyone to save her family. She cried and shrieked until they would hear her, and even then, they could not comprehend her words as she choked and more tears came cascading down.

"Call Loki here. Quick." Baldr ignored the small girl begging and pounding away at his chest, pleading with all her might with words that no one can understand.

It was too late.

When Loki has arrived, he arrived to a small girl crying and rocking back and forth, sobs convulsing her body and strangled noises as she clung on to his friend, her eyes fierce with agony that he knew all too well. He had arrived with a open-mouth at the pile of ashes, smoke and bones that came from the magnificent house with its inhabitants, with only one sole survivor that didn't seem to keep her sanity after they broke the news to her. He watched them dragged her away as she struggled, tussled and screamed out with everything she had while choking on the ashes that piled her throat.

Maybe that's why Taisa Iritani, fallen goddess of ice, had despised Loki Lavaetein for as long as she could remember.

"What's so good about picking up the pieces?
None of the colors ever light up anymore in this hole.
Nobody ever prays for the worthless,
Nobody gives another penny to the selfish.

You're learning how to taste what
kills you now."

Thank you for reading! Mizo-chan loves you!