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Her breath was labored, her hands shaking. Standing on both of her feet took all the energy and concentration she had left. Blood was running across her arms in thin streams and she didn’t even wish to think about why her armour felt so damn heavy, cold and wet. The cold air of the morning did not help the situation, as it made her shiver just more and she could almost watch sweat and blood vaporize on her skin. She was a steaming mess.
Her opponent didn’t look much better though. Judging from the huge glowing hole in his torso, he was probably feeling a lot worse. If he felt anything at all. At least, he wasn’t slouching for once.
When he finally threw back his hood, his face did not echo pain, but much rather a look of relieve. Almost peace. As if he had finally been freed of a heavy burden. His eyes searched the heavens and for a moment, his face was bathed in the cold golden light of the morning sun, before his legs finally gave in and he fell over backwards.
She didn’t know why she moved. Couldn’t say how. But she did and with a quick movement, she was by his side, carefully catching his body before it could hit the cold stone floor.
He was light. So incredibly light for such a tall person. Maybe his essence was already faiding.
“Hm,” his eyes found hers and for the very first time – though her eyes might have been playing tricks on her – he smiled. Sincerely. “Are you weeping for your fallen enemy? How very … human of you.”
His gloved hand reached for her face. Under normal circumstances, she would have quickly flinched away. But before lay a dying man. He was no threat to her. And all he did was carefully, almost gently brush over her cheek.
“I’m sorry that it came to this,” she whispered, her voice rasp from battle cries and wear.
“Your kindness will one day cost you dearly,” he curled his eyebrows, looking up as if he pitied her. “Please promise me. Remember.”
“Remember? Remember what?”
His gentle smile grew sad, “remember … that we once lived.”
His words felt like knifes to her heart. She gripped his hand on her cheek and held it to her lips, eyes clenched closed and finally, hot tears streaming down across her bloody face.
“Now, now,” he quipped weakly, “no need to cry over spilled milk. I am just another foe. Rejoice, you have vanquished another enemy.”
But she shook her head and leaned forward, to touch her forehead to his. “… why … why does it hurt so much?” Her words came out in an almost silent stutter, uncontrollable sobs instead escaping her lips.
“Dear hero … No need to cry over spilled milk. I-”
“Hades … why do I not want to loose you again” she breathed, raising her head to look at him through a blur of tears, “and why do I feel like I lost you before? Please,” she gripped his hand tightly, “please … for once, tell me the truth.”
He chuckled, “but dear hero … it is as I told you before: I never lied to you.”
“But you did not tell the whole truth either, did you now.”
“Careful, hero,” he whispered, his hand gripping hers tightly, “you might be catching on to something.”
“Stop calling me that. Hades … please …" and she laid her cheek to his, to whisper into his ear, “please tell me … who were you to me … Who was I to you..?“
“…” he was silent for a moment. The light of the morning was slowly sparkling around him. “You are so utterly helpless, aren’t you … Mortals …”
His hands gently pushed her back just a bit, before he locked his eyes with her. “Farewell,” he muttered, as he slowly pulled her face close, “my love.”
She only felt his lips on hers for an instant.
For the tiniest of moments, she was somewhere else, somewhere peaceful. Somewhere warm and not cold. Light flooding through huge windows. A marble floor beneath their feet. Both of them clad in wide silken robes instead of armor and coat. A warm breeze blowing through their hair. Smiles as they kissed with the passion of eons. A child’s laughter somewhere in the distance. Music playing just outside. A sparkle in his eyes, as he held her in his arms.
Before he was gone from her grasp.
Only silent sparkles remained, slowly drifting through the cold air of the morning, vanishing in the dawning suns lights.
And the gaping hole in her heart. Silent tears on her skin.
Oh why did it hurt so much ..?