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Melinoë erupts out of the liquid gold, coughing. One more time, one more time. She has to rip apart Chronos just one more time. She readies her mother's weapon aspect, the floral skull looks back at her unchanging.
She charges forward to where Chronos sits, all unnerved and cocky. She would tear apart his limbs over and over if she had to, burn them. Slay the Titan.
…
That’s not the case, however. Chronos is there, yes, but standing next to him is a man who Melinoë doesn’t recognise. He’s hunched over, long black hair falling past his shoulders, smouldering feet, and burnt pieces of cloth.
“Chronos! Face me yourself. If you stand to set another minion upon me, I’ll rip them apart too.”
Chronos cocks his head a little, and a deep rumble can be heard in the walls of the house. Maybe his laughter. He stares Melinoë down, a hand resting on the man's shoulders.
“Foolish girl. I’m not fighting you this time, and this is no mere minion as you put it.”
She steps closer.
“Enough. You fight me, here and now.”
“No.” The Titan pauses and his grip tightens on the man's shoulder, nails digging in, the skin around turns white and gold. “ Granddaughter, surely you recognise your brother.”
She starts, staggering slightly, she looks again at the man next to Titian. Chronos doesn’t wait for her response, he moves away and whispers to the man. “Go, get her dear boy.” Chronos is gone in a ring of sand.
The man looks up. There are scars on his limbs and joints and there’s stubble on his chin but there’s no mistaking his heterochromatic eyes. They look scared though, they dart over to Melinoë’s face, who recognises only the boy in the painting. She exhales and steps back.
“What- no.”
The man in front opens his mouth, he mustn’t get anything to drink as words fall flat, just the husk of his breath.
“I’m sorry.”
Zagreus stumbles forward, Melinoë cannot tell if it’s in his own accord. His chest starts to rumble and glow with an intense heat, he clutches it with grimey nails. The sight before her is unsettling, Melinoë is forced to look in horror as Zagreus' chest erupts, his heart falling into his hand. His grip is tight, it still pulsing as he rushes inhumanly towards her.
Melinoë isn’t caught off guard from the idea of the attack but it’s her brother. Her brother. Blood and Darkness that’s her brother in front of her. Charging at her.
She sprints out of the way but he’s quick to catch up, he has his spare hand on Melinoës neck, the skull knocked out of her hand, she’s staring into Zagreus no longer but his vacant eyes, the small hour glass ticks sand, filling slowly.
The breaths of struggle fill the room, she can’t get a word in.
“Nnng, leeehh go-”
There’s no sign of Zagreus loosening his grasp, Melinoë kicks his sides, again and again. Till he bruises, she doesn’t care, he has to let go, she needs to get out of here. Out. Now.
She kicks and she kicks, Zagreus finally lets go Melinoë falls onto the ground and scrambles away.
“Return to shadow now!!”
The last thing she sees before her vision fades into murky inks is Zagreus falling onto the ground and the outline of Chronos reappearing standing over him.
“NO!”
Melinoë’s vision is still shaking as she feels her limbs again in the middle of her circle. She doesn't even look at Frinos, entering her tent looking at the unfinished portrait, the smell of tears falling down, they’re salty in her mouth. Not even Dora can shake her out of this, she falls onto her knees clutching the painting.
She doesn’t know if she can keep her quest if she’s being forced to…
“Goddess, are you alright?”
It’s Odysseus who snaps her back, she looks up, un-grips the painting and wipes her eyes.
“I- fine, Odd. Promise, just a.. Tough battle.”
Odysseus pulls Melinoë up and away from the portrait and onto her bedroll. He sits beside her.
“There’s no report as to what took you down, Goddess. Don’t feel like sharing that’s alright, but you are more than shaken up over this. We do care for you, if you don’t have the strength to ke-”
“No! I do! I DO! I have too, I just..”
“Melinoë, what happened out there…?” There’s a softness in his tone though it comes off nonchalant to any shade passing by.
Melinoë looks up to the portrait laying at the small altar. “I know where my brother is. He’s out there, with Chronos. He has him and- and he-”
“Easy there Goddess, breathe.”
She must have been shaking, she only felt anger, maybe fear in her own words. Her voice breaks.
“Odysseus.. I had to fight him, my brother, he looked so scared. I froze, I’m not prepared enough for this. I’m not- I…”
Then Odysseus is there rubbing her back in circular motions. Hecate may have gotten Melinoë to toughen up and not cry but this is clearly too much. Even for her.
“You need rest, Melinoë. Don’t go out for a couple nights, I’ll inform Lady Hecate of all this, it will be helpful to her. But you need rest first and foremost.”
Melinoë’s shoulders slump down.
“I should be out there.”
“Enough of that, I’ll get you something to eat and drink.”