𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗬 𝗝𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦𝗢𝗡 On their eighteenth birthday, everyone in the world receives a Shadowbox—a magic box that is a gift like no other… because it’s a gift from the Gods. They started appearing after the New Dawn, when Gods resurged to fight against a Titan that killed hundreds of thousands of people. A story we all grew up listening to. For the majority of people, there’s only a birthday message inside their Shadowbox, which is still considered a blessing. For a few chosen, though, there’s something more. Nobody knows what those special guys receive. What’s known is that they disappear and never come back. 𝐑𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬’ 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐲… 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩. My name is Melany Richmond, and for my entire life, I’ve been an outcast, an orphan tossed around like a ship in a storm. I don’t even think that gods really exist. I’m not one of those freaking people that worship Zeus or Ares and bring offers to their temples in the hope to receive an “invitation.” I never even received my Shadowbox when I turned eighteen. Maybe because nobody knows my true birth date, or because not even the Gods care about me. Let’s face it: it’s unlikely they could look after a blue haired rebel with tattoos all over her arms. A girl who has been a troublemaker her whole life. I’m not like Callie Demos, the beautiful blondie living in the huge estate my adopted mother takes care of. She is the perfect specimen of Greek devotion, and nobody doubts she will get “the call.” She has everything in her life: loving parents, a good home, lots of money and possessions, friends, and she doesn’t appreciate any of it. Her birthday party is the biggest event in town, and everyone wants to be there when she receives her blessing. To me, it’s just another ridiculous parade. But when I secretly open her Shadowbox and feel its magic on my skin, all my beliefs vanish. 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭. And if the scroll in my hands says the truth, they have a secret academy where their recruits train to become demi-gods. I’ve done really bad things in my life, but stealing Callie’s opportunity to attend the God’s Academy? It’s got to be the worst. If Gods find out I’m a faker, what was supposed to be someone else’s gift may turn into my personal curse.