Erinyes Game
You sit alone, the final Olympian at the table. The drops of Aphrodite’s blood dry on your cheek along with your tears.
At the center of the table lies the golden scales, which haven’t changed this entire time—until now. Now, both sides held pomegranates, equal in weight. Why did that feel so familiar?
“Hello, Hestia.” Hades’s voice, as always. You don’t reply. “You have done so well, and I’m so proud of you.”
“I had to watch everyone die around me, and then had to kill my own friend. How is that good?” Your voice is raspy from crying.
“I believe it’s time for the truth, as it’s what you deserve.”
Across the table, on the other side of the scales, a figure dressed in royal purple and black emerges out of nowhere. He’s handsome, but more than that, he looks familiar.
He smiles at you, revealing a pomegranate in his hand. “Are you starting to remember, my love?”
“I am not—” You clutch at your head, unable to finish your sentence. An aching headache renders you unable to breathe.
“Take your time, my dear Hestia,” he says soothingly. “You have been through a lot, after all.”
“Hestia…” The alias doesn’t feel right to you anymore. “That isn’t what I’m supposed to be called. You always called me your…Persephone.”
Hades’s smile grows wider. “You are remembering.”
“Persephone, Hades’s wife who ate pomegranate seeds and so had to join him in the underworld for half the year,” you mumble to yourself. “But why am I here?”
“Allow me to jog your memory.” He begins to speak, and though you don’t want to acknowledge it, there’s truth to his words. “You have always known how I am, how I enjoy testing human beings and pushing them to their emotional limits. And you wished to join me, as my Persephone. However…”
“You wanted me to prove myself to you.” The memories come flooding back, and you taste bile in the back of your throat. Was it disgusting, or…exhilarating…?
He laughed aloud. “You can’t tell me that watching the others’ deaths was exciting to you. That you didn’t get a thrill out of watching people beg you for their lives.” His voice deepens, almost seductive. “That you didn’t enjoying killing your friend yourself.”
Aphrodite’s blood is still on your cheek, all over your hands, staining your very soul. But was it somehow not repulsive?
“Now, Persephone, I offer you one final judgement decision. Point to what you now want the most, and that will determine your fate.” Hades falls silent, awaiting your decision.
At the center of the table lies the golden scales, which haven’t changed this entire time—until now. Now, both sides held pomegranates, equal in weight. Why did that feel so familiar?
“Hello, Hestia.” Hades’s voice, as always. You don’t reply. “You have done so well, and I’m so proud of you.”
“I had to watch everyone die around me, and then had to kill my own friend. How is that good?” Your voice is raspy from crying.
“I believe it’s time for the truth, as it’s what you deserve.”
Across the table, on the other side of the scales, a figure dressed in royal purple and black emerges out of nowhere. He’s handsome, but more than that, he looks familiar.
He smiles at you, revealing a pomegranate in his hand. “Are you starting to remember, my love?”
“I am not—” You clutch at your head, unable to finish your sentence. An aching headache renders you unable to breathe.
“Take your time, my dear Hestia,” he says soothingly. “You have been through a lot, after all.”
“Hestia…” The alias doesn’t feel right to you anymore. “That isn’t what I’m supposed to be called. You always called me your…Persephone.”
Hades’s smile grows wider. “You are remembering.”
“Persephone, Hades’s wife who ate pomegranate seeds and so had to join him in the underworld for half the year,” you mumble to yourself. “But why am I here?”
“Allow me to jog your memory.” He begins to speak, and though you don’t want to acknowledge it, there’s truth to his words. “You have always known how I am, how I enjoy testing human beings and pushing them to their emotional limits. And you wished to join me, as my Persephone. However…”
“You wanted me to prove myself to you.” The memories come flooding back, and you taste bile in the back of your throat. Was it disgusting, or…exhilarating…?
He laughed aloud. “You can’t tell me that watching the others’ deaths was exciting to you. That you didn’t get a thrill out of watching people beg you for their lives.” His voice deepens, almost seductive. “That you didn’t enjoying killing your friend yourself.”
Aphrodite’s blood is still on your cheek, all over your hands, staining your very soul. But was it somehow not repulsive?
“Now, Persephone, I offer you one final judgement decision. Point to what you now want the most, and that will determine your fate.” Hades falls silent, awaiting your decision.