APOLLO

Years passed when I was on Olympus far from my sister and my mother. Each day was harsher with ‘Father’ trying to teach me every lesson, every rule that could make me a god. Every day was worse than the one before. I was so surprised that someone could hold such rage for his son.

And it was more surprising to find that I was not that me and Artemis were not the only ones to be out of wedlock. There was a small girl named Athena who was looking at me curious and curious as I was trying to hide myself from almost anyone. But her being near me made me feel less alone. One day she returned with a childish smile of victory, telling me that she had her own city. Meanwhile, I could see even from above storms forming all over the sea.

‘’I can tell them to make a temple for you too if you want’’Athen promised gently. ‘’What do you say?’’

I chuckled. ‘’And worship what? The god of music?’’

She let out a small pout and nodded. But I kept disagreeing.

‘’Tell you what. When I am going to achieve something important to be called a god of, you will make sure that there is going to be the most beautiful temple to ever exist’’ I smiled at her and she smiled back.

Two decades passed and I met Helios. He was far older than me, tall with his red bronze skin shimmering with his bright white hair. Even if a cloth covered his eyes he went down on his knees to take a look at me.

‘’This is my son, Apollo’’ ‘Father’ announced with joy as his finger wrapped my shoulder tight. ‘’He has many talents such as healing playing music and-’’

‘’He is too short’’interrupted Helios and stood up, ready to walk away. ‘Father's grip became stronger with electricity running through my skin and I broke out.

‘’I can do this’’I stated, showing my hands that were erupting sunlight. Helios did not speak as he pretended to stare at me. Then, he took a look at ‘Father’.

‘’You took him for a few decades and you grew tired of him?’’ asked Helios with a smirk.

Another pressure and my face twitched. In the end, Helios sighed.’’Fine, I can take him.’’

‘’Apollo?’’ A harsh voice called my name. Such a familiar voice. I haven’t heard this one in centuries. Turning back to the gates of Olympus, I found a wild girl with long black hair and antlers staring at me as if I was something forgotten.

My lips parted with tears followed, and with the gate opened, I embraced her tight.

‘’You haven’t changed a bit’’She muggled, playing with my antlers. I pouted my messing with her hair. That did not seem to be the right response as her hands created an arrow made of light.

I blinked and she kept smirking.

‘’You haven’t either.’’I smiled as I saw behind her a tall woman with a veil to cover her wolf ears.

‘’You have grown,’’ said Leto as I brought her to my house. I kept trying to avoid her as I was reading the beginnings and prayers my mortals sent me. I just hummed at her and watched her looking around. For one moment, her gaze fell to the hyacinth flowers. A smile formed on her lips.

‘’I did hear that you fell in love’’She sighed and stood up from her seat. ‘’But I also heard that you…’’

‘’Oh’’I arched my brow. ‘’I never thought that you cared’’I spat at her and Leto narrowed.

‘’Apollo I just want to apologize.’’ That sincere tone in her voice made me sick.

‘’No, Leto you have no right to apologize.’’ I moved closer to her, scanning with my fingers the tablets and scrolls I had. ‘’In fact, I have to thank you, I learned a lot all those years.’’

She kept looking at me confused. Good. I grinned at her and got down to her knees just like I always did when I was a kid and I touched her hand. ‘’ You taught me how life is cherishable, how meaningful it is…And you were right.’’

Leto smiled.

‘’But I am a god. I am an Olympian’’I stood up and stepped back.

‘’I know what you have done.’’Leto stood up with anger.

‘’Which one?’’My lips mouthed dry, holding my smile.

Leto took a deep breath. ‘’People started moving to the island where we were hidden. Whispering that almost every kingdom has been infected with … plague.’’

‘’Oh yes I did it two centuries ago’’I formed a lyre with my hand and started playing notes to make my mom silent.

But she kept talking.’’ Do you know how many people you have killed because of it?’’

I stopped playing the notes and faced the sky beyond my window. Even if I tried to avoid her worried pathetic gaze, the reflection of hers was still there.

‘’Do you know how many more stayed alive? Praised for my help, Sunk their knees for forgiveness?’’I laughed cruelly at her. ‘’Their lives mean nothing without us and I showed them an example.

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Suddenly, I found Leto’s form becoming harsher and angrier.

‘’That is not how I was raised-’’

‘’You raised Artemis not me.’’I interrupted her loudly. ‘’You loved my sister, not me. ‘’ Her reflected face twitched. ‘Father’ decided to teach me, decided to raise me but each sight of him staring at me was painted with hatred. Only mortals loved me and respected me. Because they feared me. They loved me and feared me just as much as they loved life and feared death.

So she moved back and kept looking at me as if I was wearing a prideful smile.

‘’It was a mistake to come here’’Leto rasped and called my sister’s name, telling her to leave with her. But with whispers, I could listen to Artemis disagreeing with her, begging her to stay here with me.

And then I never heard Leto’s voice again.

Her room was dressed with gold and orange. There were no statues or signs of gods as the balcony had showered her body with sunlight while she was humming one more song inside her bathtub.

This time, I sat next to her and touched her crimson curls.

‘’Aren't you supposed to be on the battlefield?’’She asked, moving her chin up at me and I could admire her golden eyes. The way she was staring with admiration, with patients. And the slight fear that she was trying to hide from me…it made her look more delightful.

‘’Oh’’I gasped and grinned.’’I got here to celebrate.’’I jumped inside her bathtub, letting myself smell the flowers and milk her soft body was bathing in.

‘’Ce…celebrate ?’’Her smile faded and I kissed her fast. Each kiss felt like a taste of honey as her voice could let out beautiful sounds.

‘’Achilles is gone’’I whispered.

And horror painted her face , her hands trying to push me away from her. ‘’What?’’

‘’Your brother’s killer is dead, I did it. Well, sure your idiot brother helped too but’’

She stood up and I followed.

‘’No’’She shook her head. ‘’Please tell me it’s not.’’

I laughed confused about her reaction.’’ It’s alright, Cassandra,’’

‘’It’s not, it is not’’Her voice rose up. ‘’And you know it.’’

My smile faded. Of course, I knew.

‘’You have to stop it.’’She rushed to me and touched my hand. ‘’You can prevent it you can..’’

‘’Are you ordering me prophet?’’I spat and she looked above me. How pathetic she looked with the terror in her eyes. Good.

‘’Apollo, you can stop the war now.’’

Is she still ordering me?

I restrained my anger as I pushed her far with half of my strength, making her fall against the wall. Now she looked even worse, letting painful noises escape those lips I once kissed.

‘’Do you forget yourself, princess of Troy?’’ I asked her dry and got on my knees.

This time she did not speak.

‘’I gave you my time and gift because I fell for someone like you. A god fell for you. I…’’My voice echoed in the walls. ‘’I fell for someone like you and you dare to defy me?’’

She started to shake with tears dripping down her eyes and my lips formed a smile. I grabbed her by the wrist as I forced her to stand up.

‘’Now, dear don’t worry’’I whispered close to her, letting my lips rest on her trembling neck.

‘’I can change the war’’I kissed her soft flesh. ‘’If…’’Pushing away, I formed with my hand a bright smoke and showed her the image that got revealed.

A golden apple.

She blinked with horror. ‘’Eat this and you will become immortal. ‘’I kissed the apple softly.’’And you will stay with me. You will be mine, forever.’’

Everyone was afraid of death, every mortal was getting hunted by it. And I knew that whatever would happen I could not prevent it. I could not prevent this kingdom from being just a story. But keeping someone like her on my side. Locked Up in a cage for only me to listen to her voice and cries. Unlike this kingdom’s future, hers was unknown. So many possibilities were coming from her. Possibilities that I could not even see. But I knew that every human was afraid of dying.

And then instead of a smile, her mouth formed a disgusting snarl. Her fingers that once played a lyre all so gently, now grabbed the apple harshly and threw it far.

‘’What’’I asked her narrowly.

‘’I never asked for your gift.’’She cried. ‘’I never asked to see my future every night. I never asked you to do anything for me just to help the people you fought for years.’’

And I gritted my teeth listening to those words. And yet I thought that her beautiful k of hers deserved a necklace made by me.

‘’How dare you defy me’’I shouted at her, pressuring her fleshy tightness. ‘’I am trying to save you. And you just say no?’’

Cassandra began to choke. ‘’It is true, I want to live’’She gasped. ‘’I know my ending is set. I know that I cannot prevent the future. No matter’’Tears ran down her ridiculous face. ‘’No matter how much I tried to warn them, they did not believe me. Because I cannot prevent what it was written’’

I smiled at her and pressured my thumb harsher at the center of her throat.

‘’But I know if I will become immortal’’Her hands grabbed mine as if they were human.

‘’I can see my future clearly’’And she kept glaring at me with fire burning into her golden eyes. A mortal defying the gods, defying me after everything I have done for her. Defying her own survival only because of her pride. Defying the will to live.

‘’Why are you always like this?’’I mouthed with the room shifting with cold dark walls emerging around and foolish Cassandra falling down to me, making me drop to the floor too.

Releasing her now from my grip I could see her hands holding up tight a bronze dagger. Her dark curls move with the wind like clouds. And her green eyes were not wounded.

‘’Cassandra when did you gain a scar?’’I mumbled and noticed who that was.

She was dined in a light dress, her veil trying to cover her face but I could see everything. I could see her cold gaze, her deep frown like a wolf ready to feast upon its prey. And yet for a moment, she was no wolf with purple liquid falling from her lips.

‘’Now prophet’’I mumbled. ‘’Ask me to save you, beg me to spare your life’’I lifted myself up and cupped her face, who kept staring at me.

Why was she so stubborn? She had poisoned herself; she was reckless, her body filled with tears. How can I punish her if she doesn’t care about her own life?

My body started to change, coils forming on my flesh, my limbs turning as one and my fangs getting out.

‘’Why’’My voice screamed at her with my body now surrounding her. ‘’Why aren’t you like the others? '’My voice broke. ‘’Why are you killing me?’’