The Guest

In an instant, Iwan found himself standing in a hall.

The hall was big enough to accommodate a thousand people easily. But, in this enormous hall, there were only two chairs.

'No. Not chairs. They are thrones. There must possess something special.'

Iwan believed that the chairs weren't ordinary.

'How could anything be ordinary? I have met a man that came out of the burning fire. Blaze. Hephaestus.'

Iwan mumbled as he recounted his meeting with Blaze. Then, his eyes went to the one who had a more significant impact on his mind.

'A man who can hug a thunderbolt as if it was nothing. Flash. Zeus.'

For Iwan, Flash was on a different level than Blaze.

'Since the people of this place are so extraordinary, how could the chairs in this hall not be unordinary?'

Even though Iwan convinced himself, he could only see two three-foot-tall wooden chairs in front of him.

One was already occupied, and the other was in the process of being occupied.

Flash took his seat and looked at the person on the other seat.

"My friend, why are you turned around? I have brought him here as you wished."

Indeed, just as Flash had said, the person on the other seat was acting too mysterious that Iwan barely held back his twitching mouth from breaking into a burst of laughter.

'The chairs may be nothing special, but this man is not normal. What could be his identity that even Flash is respectful towards him?'

Iwan thought while looking at the back of the person on the chair who was currently raising his arm.

"Let me finish this glass of milk first."

The person on the seat was indeed a man. And, from the size, he looked like a grown man nonetheless.

'A glass of milk. At his age? In this kind of place?'

"Zeus, your milk is amazing."

"Wait..."

Iwan took a step forward. Iwan ignored everything else as only the word 'milk' reverberated in his head.

The man's voice wasn't like before. Then, they were only a few steps away from each other. Thus, Iwan heard him better than ever since they were in the same place.

An image popped up in Iwan's head because of the familiar voice.

He was pulled back to that day.

It was the cursed day, his birthday, from the time he was still on Earth. On the same day, his father never returned after leaving him and his mother to buy some milk.

The man turned his chair around and faced Iwan while calmly taking a sip from his glass of milk.

Iwan was shocked. It was as if he was living his childhood once again. Since then, he had grown, but the person in front of him looked just like his father from twenty years ago.

'THE GUEST OF OLYMPUS LOOKS AT YOU PROUDLY.'

The thought screamed in his mind and everything finally connected for Iwan.

'Father!'

A single word encompassed his whole being.

For others, the word 'father' was something special, but for Iwan, it was a substitute for a curse word.

"Why are you here?"

Iwan shouted while clenching his fists so tightly that blood started dripping from his fist. But, for now, Iwan was sure that the man in front of him was none other than his father.

"Do you own this place?"

The man said with a smirk while licking the remnant of the milk off his lip.

"No."

"Then, why can't I be here?"

The reply from the man silenced Iwan.

It wasn't because Iwan had no more words to say; rather, he was in too big of a shock.

Iwan stared at the man as if he was a ghost from his past.

"You. You know I am not asking that."

Iwan continued confronting the man with boiling rage and rising confusion.

"Then, what are you asking about?"

"Why did you leave mother and me for so many years? Why am I finding you here? Did you die too?"

Iwan questioned the man in front of him. From anger to worry, Iwan was on a rollercoaster.

He wanted to punch the milk glass in his father's hand. But, he controlled his desires, barely.

His hatred for milk that was in a deep slumber had awakened. While, right in front of him, his father, who had left him for milk, was calmly enjoying his drink like a King.

Flash looked at the two without butting in.

'My guest against someone I owe, my problem solver. Who should I side with?'

Flash was nervous as he waited for his guest to answer.

'Nah! I should just let them sort it out.'

At that moment, he flicked his hand, and a bag of popcorn appeared in his right hand.

He held a glass of jade that had mysteriously appeared in his left hand.

'I need a drink too.'

With that thought of Flash, the famous and most sought-after drink on the mountain of Olympus, Bepsi, filled his jade glass.

'They should continue now.'

Flash wished and glanced at his guest and Iwan.

After finishing the milk in his glass, the man looked directly at Iwan.

"Why did I leave your mother? Why am I here? Am I alive, or did I die?"

"Do you want to know the answer?"

The man directed the same questions back at Iwan.

'Is he questioning my resolve?'

Iwan breathed in and cooled himself as he prepared to learn the answers to the questions that had haunted him all his life.