“Ugh, I can’t wait to be gone from here!” Zoe said. The metallic frame of the hospital bed creaked in response to her excited bouncing.

  “There’s just one more thing that has to happen.” Ever murmured. The window fogged up when he spoke, his breath staining the glass with condensation before it slowly disappeared. He watched the sun gradually dip below the horizon, leaving streaks of blood rose across the sky.

  There was a knock at the door.

  Zoe sat up and straightened her patient gown. “Come in.”

  Nyx dipped her head under the door frame as she entered. “Hello Zoe,” she greeted with a gentle smile. “Hello son,” she added as Ever joined Zoe by her side.

  “Hello Mum!” Zoe replied. Her mood immediately became somber as Moirai floated in immediately after Nyx. Just like the first time she came, she had the distaff tucked in close to her body. Zoe fidgeted with the length of thread that Moirai had tied to her wrist weeks ago. It glowed faintly in the room, the only source of light besides the sun streaks outside the window.

  Moirai stopped near the foot of Zoe’s bed and turned slightly. While the veil hid her face, Ever and Zoe could feel when her eyes settled on each of them. After a few moments, she joined Nyx standing against the back wall.

  The door opened again, bringing a warm, floral breeze into the room.

  “Gaia!” Ever greeted.

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  “Hello Ever,” the goddess of the earth said. She swished her luscious, unbraided, verdant hair back, sending teardrop petals pirouetting to the ground. “Hello Zoe. We haven’t properly met, but I’m sure we’ll get to know each other very soon.”

  With a wink, she left a slackjawed Zoe to stand next to Moirai - who shuffled ever so slightly closer to Nyx - against the wall.

  “You didn’t tell me that mother nature was so pretty,” Zoe said under her breath.

  Ever didn’t have time to reply before the next god entered: Chaos. With every step, hundreds of eyes large and small embedded in space opened. They blinked, pupils dilating before focusing on Zoe and Ever.

  “Father really, there’s no need for that,” Gaia said. “We want her to join us, not to run away screaming and crying.”

  Chaos loomed over the both of them, also saying nothing. His gaze lingered on Ever before the Primordial took a sharp breath in. All the eyes in the room closed in unison. He made his way to the back of the room, also putting some distance between himself and Gaia.

  The room got darker as the minutes slid past. Zoe shrunk under the gravity of the gods’ eyes.

  There were hurried steps in the hallway. A heartbeat later, Chronos pushed the door in.

  “Hello everyone,” he said, waving and nodding to everyone in the room. He was as well-dressed as when Ever saw him last week: polished brown shoes, pressed slacks and a sleeveless vest. A gold chain dangled from the pocket, disappearing into the vest. “You’d think being the god of time I’d be more punctual. In my defence, I’m more used to letting it pass instead of having to live by it, if that makes any sense. That’s what you get when you don’t get invited to things.”

  Everyone in the room was mute, unsure how to respond.

  “Come Chronos,” Gaia said, beckoning him over. “You’re not late, things are just about to–”

  There was a knock at the door.