Chapter 28
Shadow
One.
Two.
Three.
. . .
Twenty-three.
Twenty-four.
As he became aware that twenty-four hours had passed since Zeus had captured Charisma, he finally stopped counting. Shadow couldn’t describe what was going on inside his void.
Unsettling.
He was experiencing a flood of thoughts as he found himself unable to stay concealed.
Caught off guard, he involuntarily exposed his darkness, which nearly got him caught by Athena when he went to observe her working on a plan to bring Charisma back.
It was new to him—to be so out of control because of a mortal’s disappearance.
Perhaps I have grown fond of you, my fylachtó, because you set me free.
Shadow could only wonder how to bring her back, although he had already made an attempt—and failed miserably.
He knew Zeus wouldn’t put her in a place that everyone could easily access, and he came to this realization as he tried to surpass all the layers of their world, believing he might discover the revolting place where she was imprisoned. Or perhaps on the verge of being—
No.
Now that he was back in Olympus, he paused briefly, and if attempting to take a deep breath had been his intention, it would have been impossible. The city had undergone a complete transformation from the state in which he had last seen it, a mere few hours prior to his pursuit of finding Charisma.
While observing the temple, he shifted his attention. The expressions of the creatures seated on its steps seemed to lack any liveliness. It appeared the marble walls and columns were gradually losing their vibrancy, and their tint was no longer the familiar warm gold that everyone knew.
Every breath of color and spark of life began to fade in Olympus, and Shadow knew better than anyone else where to find the reason why this was happening.
Should they beg for further details, as I suspect they will, tell them just to observe our world. That will, indeed, reveal whether she’s alive or dead.
Although Zeus’s words still reverberated in his mind, the low rumble of thunder that was approaching in the distance interrupted his train of thought.
With the weather taking a turn for the worse, Shadow noticed the increasing hysteria that had spread among the creatures of Olympus.
As their faint screams echoed and worry became evident on their faces, frantic whispers about what could be happening passed through their trembling lips.
However, despite the awfulness of the situation, he felt a sense of relief transcending his void as it meant that Charisma Sinclair wasn’t dead yet.
She was still alive, because otherwise, their world would have already ceased to be.
With their bond, Eros’s heart began to beat with emotion again, meaning that should he lose Charisma, he would once again bring the destruction of their world.
In mere seconds, Shadow passed through the walls of the house where the source of their world’s declining vitality was currently living. As he moved stealthily toward the only bedroom within the residence, he noticed the dangerous stillness that seemed to permeate the space.
Where are you?
Once he got to the room, he started a thorough examination of its every corner, hoping to find a clue that would give him a better understanding of where the god he was looking for could be. And that’s when he noticed a small, grayish feather resting on the wooden desk.
He would’ve recognized that plumage anywhere—Athena’s owl had come to call for Eros. Perhaps the goddess had already found a solution while he was gone.
Interesting.
As he glided closer to the open window, he felt a sudden urge to stay longer, and that was when he moved his attention to the clock ticking on the wall. Time had moved closer to the twenty-fifth hour since Charisma’s disappearance.
Thirty-two minutes and then I shall start counting the minutes to the twenty-sixth hour.
Terrifying.
He soon left the room, continuing to seek for Eros.
The storm clouds were amassing in the sky of Olympus, and the sky shed its tears sporadically. It was strange that there were no sun rays visible, especially since it was the middle of the day.
The situation presents a significant challenge since I have only witnessed rainfall on Olympus once. That time, you, my dearest god, disrupted the equilibrium of our world, and I had lost my self-control. Our world was the one that suffered most.
He moved through the walls of Athena’s home, the memory staying at the front of his mind. There was a chance that history was repeating itself, or it could be just as likely that they would soon create it anew.
As he glided toward the main room, he finally landed his attention on Eros, while the other gods’ voices abruptly interrupted the quiet that had fallen over the house. He remained still under the threshold, observing them all—but especially the god he was most interested in.
At this moment, Eros wasn’t displaying any of his usual confidence.
Instead, he was hunched over, his shoulders dropping, the burden of Charisma’s disappearance was bearing on him.
His appearance, which he had always maintained with great care, was diminished by a crumpled shirt, disheveled hair, and dark shadows that pooled beneath his malachite eyes.
Shadow realized his fondness for mortals, combined with his bond to Charisma, was disorienting him to such an extent that he couldn’t even take proper care of himself. He recognized their bond intensified every emotion he experienced, especially now that she was nowhere to be found.
The agony of separation would pierce the very souls of two devoted individuals, particularly when distance and uncertainty about each other’s whereabouts kept them apart. Their minds became a vortex of lamenting thoughts, and the bond compelled the God to protect his bonded unconditionally.
Artemis leaned closer to him, gently tapping his right shoulder. “Eros? Are you listening to us?”
Hearing her question, Shadow became aware that he was not listening to the gods’ discussion either. It was only at that point that the Shadow became aware of Athena and Hades’ presence. Athena was analyzing the book she had opened on the desk, with a deep furrow creasing her forehead.
Eros neither answered nor showed any sign of acknowledging her touch. He was lost in his own mind. The muscles near his mouth twitched as he parted his lips to let out the short, unsteady breaths.
With each passing moment, his state was worsening, a warning that the world was threatened. Unless they could find a way to bring Charisma back.
“We shouldn’t have let them develop a bond,” Artemis muttered, her fingers pressing into her temples.
“There is no need for you to be concerned about me. I will be able to manage this as it is solely due to the bond. Please bear with me, for the last time I experienced such a feeling, my world was irrevocably altered, and I now feel as though I am trapped in a nightmare, reliving Psyche’s death,” he finally managed to say, his voice rough.
He glanced to the side, his jaw twitching.
“I understand, Eros, I truly do and you have to know we all feel for you, but as much as it hurts, you cannot let the past repeat itself. I’m afraid that this time, none of us will be able to stop you.
I’m not sure what worries me more: your capacity for self-destruction or that of the entire world,” his best friend took a deep breath, anchoring herself into the present.
“I am beyond happy that you opened your heart again, even if you have yet to love her, but those feelings are dangerous. And we both know that.”
“Past won’t repeat itself. She is not Psyche.”
Artemis nodded. “No, she is not, but she reminds you of her, whether you want to admit that or not. I know you feel responsible for humans and their happiness, and it is only expected when that was what you were created for, but please, don’t make yourself go through this again.”
Each word Artemis spoke felt like a piercing blow to Eros. The god’s eyes narrowed, a contemplative look on his face, as Shadow watched him seemingly revisit the events of three decades ago.
“It was a disaster then as I wasn’t capable of protecting Psyche, and it appears I’m still not capable of protecting Charisma,” he admitted, a hint of bitterness in his words.
The silence descended upon them, thick and somber, as the room seemed to pause, absorbing the profound grief Eros still carried for the mortal he loved but ultimately couldn’t save.
Now, even Shadow grasped his meaning, as if his words had finally clicked.
He wasn’t on the verge of destroying their world once again because of the love he seemed to carry for Charisma, but rather for the mortal who trusted him with her life and whom he failed to protect.
“Enough with this,” Artemis declared, positioning herself to match his eye level. “We have a lead to bring Charisma back and we have focus on this now,” she added, cupping his face with her hands.
A lead to bring Charisma back.
Eros raised his gaze to his friend. “What lead?”
An exhale escaped Athena’s mouth, and Hades fixed his eyes on Eros.
“This will not be simple, yet it is the only method by which we can still thwart Zeus,” Athena revealed, placing her index finger on the right page of the book she had consulted to discover the means of Zeus’s demise.
The same book that was written in ancient Greek and which Charisma could easily read.
Shadow instantly thought that there might be a loophole in the entire process. He was on the verge of speaking to them and revealing that any spell or instance of dark magic could have a hidden weakness that they might exploit for their own purposes.
Have patience.
Control yourself.
Have patience.
Control yourself.
“We may not have succeeded with the relics, but another option is at our disposal.” Athena spoke again, eyeing Eros as he got closer to her.