The next day at school felt surreal. Every locker slam, every hallway conversation, seemed to echo with the strange events of the library. Aethel felt like she was living in a movie, one where she was the confused protagonist stumbling into a world she didn't understand. She kept glancing at her golden eyes in any reflective surface she could find, as if trying to confirm they were still there.

  Liam, ever the loyal friend, stuck close, offering a steady presence amidst the chaos in Aethel's head. "We need to go back to the library," he said during lunch, his voice low. "That book... it's the only lead we have."

  Aethel nodded, her sandwich forgotten. "But what if Mrs. Gable sees us? She might get suspicious."

  "We'll be careful," Liam assured her. "We'll go after school, when it's less crowded. We just need to find that book again, and look closer at those symbols."

  After the last bell rang, they slipped into the library. The after-school crowd was thin, mostly students working on projects or reading quietly. Mrs. Gable was at her desk, engrossed in her computer. They moved like shadows, weaving through the bookshelves until they reached the dark corner where they’d found the mysterious book.

  Aethel held her breath as she reached for the shelf. The leather-bound book was still there, tucked away as if waiting for them. She pulled it out, and just like before, the faint golden light pulsed.

  "Careful," Liam whispered, peering over her shoulder.

  Aethel opened the book, and the glowing symbols reappeared. This time, she focused, trying to memorize their patterns. They were intricate, almost like a language, but one she couldn't understand.

  "Look," Liam said, pointing to a symbol in the corner of the page. "That one's different."

  It was a small, circular symbol, etched in a deeper shade of gold. It looked like a stylized eye, with radiating lines around it.

  Aethel traced the symbol with her finger, feeling a strange warmth spreading through her. As she touched it, a faint image flickered in her mind: a vast, star-filled sky, a swirling nebula, and a powerful, glowing figure.

  She gasped, pulling her hand away. "I saw something," she whispered, her eyes wide. "A vision, I think."

  "What did you see?" Liam asked, his voice filled with excitement.

  "Stars, and… a goddess," Aethel said, her voice shaking. "I think that symbol… it's connected to my eyes. It's connected to me."

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Just then, they heard the soft click of heels approaching. Mrs. Gable was walking towards them, her expression curious.

  "Is everything alright, you two?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the open book in Aethel's hands.

  Aethel quickly closed the book, the golden light vanishing. "Yeah, just… researching a project," she stammered, shoving the book back onto the shelf.

  Mrs. Gable raised an eyebrow, but didn't press further. "Alright. Just remember to be quiet. Other students are studying."

  They nodded, their hearts pounding in their chests. As Mrs. Gable walked away, Aethel and Liam exchanged a nervous glance.

  "We need to get out of here," Aethel whispered. "We can't risk being caught."

  They slipped out of the library, the image of the glowing symbol burned into Aethel's mind. She knew that symbol was the key. It was the key to understanding her eyes, her powers, and her destiny. And she was determined to find out what it meant, even if it meant venturing into the unknown. Aethel finished, her voice trailing off. They walked in silence for a moment, the weight of their discovery hanging heavy in the air.

  "We need to figure out what that symbol is," Liam said, finally breaking the silence. "And what that vision meant."

  Aethel nodded. "But how? We can't just walk around asking people about glowing eye symbols."

  "Maybe we can find more books," Liam suggested. "Books about ancient symbols, or mythology. We could start at the library, but maybe branch out to bookstores, or even online forums dedicated to ancient mysteries?"

  "That's a good idea," Aethel said, a spark of hope igniting within her. "But we need to be careful. If this symbol is connected to my powers, and to some goddess, we don't know who else might be looking for it."

  They decided to start their research that evening. Aethel went home, her mind buzzing with images of stars and glowing figures. She booted up her laptop, and started searching for images of ancient symbols. Liam, meanwhile, began looking up local bookstores that might carry books on mythology or ancient civilizations.

  Hours passed, and the room was lit only by the glow of the computer screen. Aethel found countless symbols, but none that matched the one from the book. Just as she was about to give up, she stumbled upon a website dedicated to ancient Sumerian mythology. Among the strange cuneiform characters was a symbol that made her breath catch in her throat. It was the same stylized eye, with the radiating lines.

  "Liam, look at this!" she called out, sending him the link.

  Liam rushed over, his eyes widening as he saw the symbol. "It's the same one," he breathed. "But what does it mean?"

  The website explained that the symbol was associated with a Sumerian goddess named Inanna, the goddess of love, war, and… the heavens. It also mentioned that Inanna was sometimes depicted with golden eyes, a sign of her divine power.

  Aethel felt a chill run down her spine. "Inanna… goddess of the heavens," she whispered. "That vision… it wasn't just random. It was connected to her."

  "But what does this have to do with you?" Liam asked, his voice filled with concern. "Why are you connected to a Sumerian goddess?"

  Aethel shook her head, her mind racing. "I don't know. But I think… I think this is just the beginning. I think we've just scratched the surface of something much bigger."

  Just then, her phone buzzed with a text message from Liam. "I found a bookstore downtown that specializes in rare and ancient texts. They might have something."

  "Okay," Aethel replied, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "We'll go tomorrow. We need to find out more about Inanna, and about this symbol. We need to find out what it means to be a goddess."