Erinyes Game
You shake your head and pick up the machete, climbing up off of Aphrodite.
Hades shouts his objections in your ear, but you back away, still shaking your head.
“I can’t do it. I can’t kill you, Aphrodite. Just…just go.”
“Hestia...” She’s sitting up now, staring at you with wide eyes.
“I said, go!” Your tone is much harsher than you intend, but it gets the job done.
She flinches and gets up off the ground, holding her wounded shoulder with her other hand. With a single glance back at you, she stumbles away.
“Damn it, Hestia,” sighs Hades. “You could have done her in so easily. You had her right where you wanted her.”
“Did I, though?” You start walking back towards the main rooms. “I never wanted to have someone at my mercy. Never.”
Eventually you end up back in your room. It may as well be hours later, but you’ve lost track of time. You flop down on the couch in front of the fire, but not even the dancing flames bring you any comfort.
“Hestia.”
You pluck the earpiece out of your ear and toss it into the fire. The way it sparks and fizzles is oddly satisfying.
“Hestia, that wasn’t very polite.” Hades’s voice comes out of the speaker above your head instead. You groan, rolling over and picking up a pillow to cover your head with.
“Leave me alone,” you grumble.
“I’m only trying to help you.”
“I’m not in the mood to argue with you, Hades. I'm sick of running, I'm sick of my friends dying, I’m sick of it all.”
Hades is quiet for a moment. Then, “There’s only one way for you to get out of here. You already know. I am sorry that there isn’t an alternative.”
You press your lips together and don’t reply. The machete is still lying on your hip in its sheath, forgotten until now.
“If it helps, Aphrodite is currently resting in her room.”
A perfect opportunity.
Getting up from the couch, you leave your room and head to Aphrodite’s. You knock on the door.
A pause. “Th-the door is open!”
You enter her room, finding her sitting on her bed with a first aid kit from god knows where, tending to her shoulder wound. As you watch, she cuts off the end of the bandage with some scissors before going to disinfect the cut on her chest. Bits of bloody gauze are next to her on the bed.
“Hi, Hestia.” She can barely muster a smile. “I’m really sorry about earlier. I really never wanted to hurt anyone, I just—”
Reaching for the machete on your hip, you pull it out of the sheath. Aphrodite gasps.
“Hestia, I—”
You throw it to one side, far out of your reach.
“You see that, Hades?” You scream. “I won’t bend to your whims!”
A speaker on the ceiling just like the one in your room crackles. “Do as you wish.”
You go and sit down next to Aphrodite, with the kit in between you. “I’m sorry, too. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
Tears well up in her eyes and she lifts her uninjured arm. “Come here, Hestia.”
Hades shouts his objections in your ear, but you back away, still shaking your head.
“I can’t do it. I can’t kill you, Aphrodite. Just…just go.”
“Hestia...” She’s sitting up now, staring at you with wide eyes.
“I said, go!” Your tone is much harsher than you intend, but it gets the job done.
She flinches and gets up off the ground, holding her wounded shoulder with her other hand. With a single glance back at you, she stumbles away.
“Damn it, Hestia,” sighs Hades. “You could have done her in so easily. You had her right where you wanted her.”
“Did I, though?” You start walking back towards the main rooms. “I never wanted to have someone at my mercy. Never.”
Eventually you end up back in your room. It may as well be hours later, but you’ve lost track of time. You flop down on the couch in front of the fire, but not even the dancing flames bring you any comfort.
“Hestia.”
You pluck the earpiece out of your ear and toss it into the fire. The way it sparks and fizzles is oddly satisfying.
“Hestia, that wasn’t very polite.” Hades’s voice comes out of the speaker above your head instead. You groan, rolling over and picking up a pillow to cover your head with.
“Leave me alone,” you grumble.
“I’m only trying to help you.”
“I’m not in the mood to argue with you, Hades. I'm sick of running, I'm sick of my friends dying, I’m sick of it all.”
Hades is quiet for a moment. Then, “There’s only one way for you to get out of here. You already know. I am sorry that there isn’t an alternative.”
You press your lips together and don’t reply. The machete is still lying on your hip in its sheath, forgotten until now.
“If it helps, Aphrodite is currently resting in her room.”
A perfect opportunity.
Getting up from the couch, you leave your room and head to Aphrodite’s. You knock on the door.
A pause. “Th-the door is open!”
You enter her room, finding her sitting on her bed with a first aid kit from god knows where, tending to her shoulder wound. As you watch, she cuts off the end of the bandage with some scissors before going to disinfect the cut on her chest. Bits of bloody gauze are next to her on the bed.
“Hi, Hestia.” She can barely muster a smile. “I’m really sorry about earlier. I really never wanted to hurt anyone, I just—”
Reaching for the machete on your hip, you pull it out of the sheath. Aphrodite gasps.
“Hestia, I—”
You throw it to one side, far out of your reach.
“You see that, Hades?” You scream. “I won’t bend to your whims!”
A speaker on the ceiling just like the one in your room crackles. “Do as you wish.”
You go and sit down next to Aphrodite, with the kit in between you. “I’m sorry, too. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
Tears well up in her eyes and she lifts her uninjured arm. “Come here, Hestia.”