Chapter Text
Golden Blood is something that only exist in history, specifically on the history of the Chrysos Heirs. The kind of history debated wether it was real or not -- with not enough evidence to back either side, as far as 7 years old Phainon knows.
It's not much of a history anymore for that same Phainon when Golden Blood splattered on his face when Cyrene pushed him out of the way of a speeding car going out of the road wildly, taking the hit for him. He had been playing basketball with his sister in the basketball field near their home before, just them both because their friends can't come today -- it had been a very fun game, until that car drive out of the road, for whatever reason they had. Only stopping when the car crashed onto the concrete stadium seat, Cyrene between them and golden blood leaking out through her stomach, and on her back. She gasped in pain and surprise, yet tries to stay awake anyway as she smiles at Phainon, as if to say that she's okay.
Yet Phainon shouts and scream anyway, worry for his sister and angry at the driver who seemed to not even.. Sober. He sees the driver simply pass out on the airbag. He can't exactly do anything about the guy right now, nor can he help his sister immediately -- so he take his phone from the bench nearby and call 911, telling them of the situation.
"911, what your emergency?" The voice on the other end ask, voice feminime and gentle -- as if to reassure him that things will be alright.
"M-my sister!" He shouted, louder then he meant -- followed by hiccup as he run back to where his sister is pinned to the concrete seat "a- a very fast car driving out of road a-and coming my way; b-but my sister pushed me out of the way and got her instead!-"
Phainon sniffed, "the car didn't stop until it crashed into the stadium seat -- t-he driver pa-passed out, I think? He's not moving.. But my sister also kinda stabbed by something at the front of the car..?!-"
His voice hitched when he feel his sister hand reaching out to him, her breath labored. She whispered something; my.. book.. Phainon sobs and make a confused noise; but does as she asked him for anyway. All the while communating with the dispatcher on the other side, telling their location. When he gives her the book, Cyrene took it weakly, almost dropped it. He helped her hands to hold it, and he sees her closing her eyes as the book started to glow faintly. He noticed how the middle of the book drawing the shape of Trickery's Symbol. He doesn't know how she did that, nor what it supposed to do.
The voice on the other side told him that help is on the way, and still tries to reassure him as they ask for more details, which help a bit to control his panic. He told them everything that he sees, that Cyrene is bleeding and it seems like something at the front of the car stabbed her through her stomach. He told them about the unconcious man who drove the car, about how he can see glass bottles through the car's window.
When he mention golden liquid, it make the person on the other end paused.
"Do you mind to repeat that again, Phainon dear?" The dispatcher ask him not unkindly, yet he can hear the doubt coloring their voice. Phainon gulped.
"G-gold.. I see this g-golden liquid around her..?" He stammered, trying to hold his voice from trembling too much, "I-I think it's her blood? It feels like one.. B-but blood is red! My mom's blood is red when she cut herself, and mine too when I scrapped my knees!"
Phainon sniffed, "is-is this a weird sickness? O-or a sign? D-does people's blood turn gold when they d-die??"
The dispatcher is quiet on the other hand, he can hear them talking to someone elses. Phainon gulped, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I-I'm not lying!" He shouted, fear seeping into his voice -- knowing full well that he might not be taken seriously after that detail, "my sister really is dying!! S-she's bleeding(?) out so much, breathing too slow -- a-and I don't know how to h-elp her!"
"Calm down dear, it's alright -- we trust you." The dispatcher says in a reassuring tone, "the golden liquid might be something from car -- perhaps oil. Keep everything that can light up things on fire or flamable far away, alright?"
Phainon sobs, yet he nodd regardless as he look around and keep everything flamable or possibly can light things up as far away as possible from the car -- Including Cyrene's book, which took some convincing so that his sister would let go of that book. She seems relieved when he mention what they think of the golden liquid around her though, and only after that did she finally willing to let go; though the book keep that fade glow and the Trickery's symbol. He doesn't take his eyes off from staring at the slightly glowy golden blood.
He had felt the texture of that golden liquid and convinced that those are blood and not oil. But then again, golden blood is something only existed in stories.. Right?
(But he had seen it himself, how the golden blood spill out of her body -- squished out as her back crashed onto hard concrete. He doesn't think he can gaslight himself into thinking otherwise.)
(But why is her blood gold? He heard that Golden Blood is a sign of bad things, an omen. But Cyrene is not an omen, right?)
(... Did she knows?)
His memories blurred after a while, in flashing light of red and blue and paramedic helping his sister out of where she was trapped between concrete and car. He can hear his sister's pained gasp as an officer talk to him and hid his sister from view. He tries to move around him, but when it doesn't work, he decide to focus on the officer and answer his question. Explaining everything in a way 7 years old could -- but he's smart with words! Thanks to Cyrene and her storytelling!
The officer write down everything he told him as witness, but doesn't permit him to come in the ambulance to be with his sister because he's 'too young'. Instead he asks about where he live, and bring him home back to his home, to his parents embrace with tears that never really stop to fall. His mom and dad look confused when he sees him all sad and without Cyrene around, getting nervous when they notice the officer.
The officer told them of 'the unfortunate event' as they calls it, and Phainon can't help but feel anger bubbles in his chest when the driver is mentioned.
"Thankfully, your son immediately called 911 for help. He stayed calm as he waits for help, even getting things easily flamable away from the car," the officer says, proudness in his voice, "there were plenty of oil at the front of the car after all.. Especially with the many bottle of alcohol on the passage seat too....."
The officer's voice trail off into background noises -- Phainon stop listening as he burried his head on his mother's shoulder, wetting her shirt with his tears. His mind spiral once more, because even after they saw the car, the blood already, they still think it's oil instead. He think he also heard them mentioned in passing that there are indeed many blood, but they seems to be mixed with the oil before the officer took him back home -- make him wondered if his mind was playing trick, or if something bigger is at play here. Yet he can't come to think of a possible explanation, because everytime he try, then the image of Cyrene's blodied body, crashed under the weight of the car came to the front of his mind and make him hug his mother tighter as she bring him close to her chest.
It doesn't took long after the officer's brief news before his parents get ready to go to the hospital where Cyrene was brought to as mentioned. They get into their car, putting Phainon at the back seat with his seatbelt on -- he doesn't fight it for once, too worry about Cyrene all and curious about the.. Golden liquid. Maybe he'd ask her about it later, her well being is much more important now!
Phainon wipe his teary eyes with the back of his hand as the car pulled out of the garage, moving through the quiet evening in Aedes Elysiae. The thought about her Golden Blood forgotten now, replaced with his own inner worry for his sister -- hoping that she'd be fine. Her book that still glow faintly sat next to him, brought along with him just in case she want to write something.
**
Dusk approached quickly on the horizon, and the night catches up. It took awhile until Cyrene is out of the operation room, and a bit more until she's cleared for visitors. Once she does though, her family rushed to see her, and Phainon can no longer see any trace of that Golden Blood anywhere -- but he does notice that something change in her eyes, in the way her smile seems more tired then bright as she weakly glanced towards them from the hospital bed. She looks much older like this, as if she no longer 12.
"Cyrene!" He shouts, tears dried yet threatened to fall again, "a-are you okay?- anything hurt?!-"
A soft hand reached out and cup his face softly, tucking the stray strands on the side of his face behind his ears. Her eyes warm now, and her smile look less tired, as if she's glad, as if she's done pretending -- yet he shivered from the cold of her hand. He glanced once at the AC for a second, thinking that maybe it's too cold, but doesn't immediately move to turn up the temperature when he heard her chuckle.
"What? Are you really that worried of me? ♪" she ask, chuckling. Then, in a lower voice, "I'm glad you're alright."
Phainon's lips wobbled at her words, tears getting hard to hold as his parents walk up behind him. Phainon wipe the stray tears that starts to fall from his eyes unprompted. His dad let out a sigh of relieve, and his mom quickly get to the other side of the bed caress his sister's hair slowly before giving a loose, side hug -- or as much as she can give when Cyrene is laid down on the bed, not yet able to sit up without feeling pain.
"How are you feeling?" Hieronymus asks softly when his mom let go of the hug, staying close as she sit down. Phainon himself also sit down on the chair beside the bed when his dad told him too. Hieronymus stays standing though, not because he doesn't want to, but because any other sit available would be the small sofa nearby; still too far from the bed either way. Cyrene sigh.
"Kinda feel light headed," she tells him, "and my back feels very.. awful."
Hieronymus ruffled her hair, "it will get better, don't worry -- You should rest more."
Cyrene nodded tiredly at him, then glanced at Phainon who hold her book tightly to his chest. Her smile widen, and her eyes sparkle, "you bring my book here?"
Phainon sniffed, "figured you'd want something to write on.."
Cyrene grinned, trying to reach out but flinched when she felt a flare of pain. Her smile falls slightly, but never looking away from him, "just put it on the table for now I guess.. Moving feels impossible right now."
Her brother nodd, putting the book down on the table. Purposely putting it where her hand can easily reach it, "how long will you be here..?"
Cyrene looked lost for a moment, "I don't think the doctor mentioned anything about it all the time I was awake.. Did they..?"
Hieronymus and Audata look at each other, then shook their head, "no, the doctor has yet to tell us when you will be released."
"Oh.." Phainon look down at his feat, guilt clear in the way his body stiffened, "I'm.. I'm sorry.. If- if I wasn't in the way then-"
His sister shook her head, or try to. Phainon's lips wobbled at that -- Hieronymus took his smaller hand in his, "this accident is no one fault -- if anything, it'd be the driver's fault for being reckless. There is a reason why you are not supposed to be drunk while driving."
Audata, from across him nodd along, "you two were playing basketball in the basketball court near our home, the fact that the driver lose control and crashed is not your fault."
Phainon sniffed, wiping at his nose as his tears start to fall down again, "but-!"
"No buts!" His father say, eyes warm as he crouched slightly and hug him tight. Phainon returned the hug just as tightly, crying again. Hieronymus hold him there, with the warm of a father who will make sure that his son know that this is not his fault. Audata watched with warm in her expression as she squished her grip on Cyrene's hand, her daughter smiles as she lean in towards her slightly without triggering anymore pain in her body. When Hieronymus let go of the hug, Phainon's cries receded to small sobs.
And then his stomach rumbles, hungry. Phainon look away in shame, cheeks dusted pink. His father just chuckles, then move towards the door.
"Seems like someone hungry -- I'll be going now and buy dinner. Anything specific that you want?" He asks softly, Phainon make a thinking gesture, then shook his head.
"Anything is fine for me.." he tells him.
Hieronymus nodd, "alright -- and since Cyrene will be getting hospital food means it's only you left, wife. Craving anything?"
Audata giggled at the funny tone her husband use while Cyrene resigned to her fate of eating those, bitter hospital food. Audata hummed.
"I'm not sure..." Audata says to herself, "what do you think they sell in the hospital cafetaria?"
Hieronymus shrugged, "I don't know -- wanna come by instead?"
Audata hummed, "I want to, but how about the kids?"
Hieronymus smiles, "they'll be fine -- Phainon is here to protect his sister anyway, right?"
Phainon sit up straighter at that, face morphed into seriousness that looks cute on him. The boy nodded, and his dad chuckled. Audata still look uncertain, but stand up and approched her husband anyway.
Before they left, Audata look back, "if anything happen, just call us alright?"
Phainon nodd faster, and Audata giggles. She left with a soft click of the door.
When Phainon can no longer hear her steps, he turn to his sister again. Pulling his chair closser to her bed just in case. Cyrene giggled, offering her hand to hold. The boy accept, and hold her colder hand -- which remind him. He glanced again at the AC and move to reach the remote on the table without getting up from his seat, then turn up the temperature. Cyrene arched an eyebrow at him and he smiles nervously.
"Your hand just feels colder.." He told her, "so uh.. I think that maybe the room is too cold for you."
Cyrene's eyes softened at that, "you don't have to, but thank you."
Phainon lips pulled into a thin line, "you sure you really okay?"
"I'm really okay, don't worry." She squished his hand slightly, "though.."
Her expression change, and she seems to hesitate. Phainon brace for the worse, and squished her hand back, transfering his warm to her colder hand. Cyrene grimaced slightly, though not from the pain.
"So, um.." she paused, then exhaling, "remember anything about.. My blood..?"
Phainon freeze for a moment, then slowly nodd. He had forgotten to mention it again, too worried to think about such detail that was tucked inside the 'unpack later' box somewhere inside his head -- though now mentioned, it had been brought back to the front of his mind. Cyrene frown.
"Uh.. I don't really know how to explain it.." Cyrene sigh, "I think I just always has it? Though I usually avoiding to bleed in any kind of way.. You know, people might think it's weird.."
Phainon blinked. Ah, he hadn't thought about what his sister might feel about this getting found out.
He frown, "well, it was surprising -- but I think.. I think it's cool?"
"Huh?" Cyrene let out a soft, confused sound. Phainon breathed out.
"I mean, Golden Blood always connect to the Heroes right? I think maybe you're actually related to one of them!" He says, voice getting excited, "maybe Hyacinthia the Sky Demigod! She's always been told to be kind, maybe she's your great great grandmother!"
Cyrene blinked, then let out a huff that might be a laugh, "you're ridiculous."
Phainon grinned, "I know -- but it's seriously cool!"
"Whatever you say..," a small smile drawn on her face, "glad to know you don't mind."
Phainon puffed his chest in pride, "of course I don't!"
At least until his eyes hinted at confusion. His body deflated, and eyebrows knitted together, "but.. Why did the paramedic and the kind officer think it's.. Uh.. Oil..?"
Cyrene froze for a second, too fast for Phainon to notice, before forcing an innocent face, "I don't know.. Maybe golden blood look and feels so similar to oil..?"
Phainon closes his eyes, hummed as his finger lightly scratches his chin, "maybe..."
"Oh well!" He says, shrugged, "this time, let me tell you a story so you won't die of boredom here!"
Cyrene laugh at his antics, "oh? Alright then. Tell me your wild tale then, oh poet from the far land~ ♪"
Phainon grinned, "so, once upon a time..."
(Cyrene breath a sigh of relieve when he's not looking. Eyes flicking to her book nearby.)
**
(Later, when she feels better, she will tell him to not tell anyone about her Golden Blood, saying that she's afraid of how people might react, especially with how closely Golden Blood is tied to the Chrysos Heirs. She said she's afraid of what people may do if they know, she said she doesn't want to be used in useless argument about wether the Chrysos Heirs are real or just myth.
Phainon easily agreed to it, knowing how people's opinion can effect others when he had seen first hand how his friend at school had changed after getting bullied verbally for so long.)
(Cyrene can feel how the book probably laughed at her that day, either from how her silly, made up 'reasons' easily work.)
(She had never felt so annoyed then at 'Trickery' that day.)