Work Text:
The surface world was beautiful.
Such a pity that it kept killing him.
Zagreus wished that he could take the time to fully appreciate it. Not just note for a brief moment the wind on his face, the snow under his feet, the fresh smells of his mother’s garden, the sounds of the sea, and all the little experiences foreign to him – but to indulge in it, soak it in until it was fully committed to memory.
Alas, all these things held a slow-acting poison for him; all their beauty indifferent to his short time among them. He did not belong here, and so their promises were for others.
He would never get more than a few precious moments up here, and Zagreus had to prioritize. The beauty of a world that was not for him was, sadly, far down on that list.
It had never been something he’d ached for or even thought much about, but it was a disappointment all the same to realize that he would never get to see more of it. None of the places he’d heard the shades speak of would ever be in his reach. Only this small stretch of land by the sea, and a cottage with a garden. If these places already held more beauty than he could hope to appreciate, then how much more must there be in the rest of it?
Maybe it was better not to dwell on something he couldn’t change. Not when there was so much that he could change, if only he could get through to his parents – both of them. He knew he could. The surface might be denied to him, but this wouldn’t be.
Again, he could feel the poison taking hold and his strength failing. But that was alright.
He would return.