As I was led through the opulent corridors of the Greek palace by a guard assigned to me, a sense of trepidation gripped me. The grandeur of my surroundings seemed to amplify the weight of the impending encounter. I was in the home of Greek gods, and I was about to go head to head with them in a battle with my own enemies at my side.
The marble floors gleamed with an otherworldly radiance, and intricate tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of ancient power and conquest. Now that I knew the truth of Pandora’s story, I had to wonder which other stories in the history books had also been warped to paint the villain in the light of a hero and savior.
The air was thick with an aura of both reverence and fear, as if the very walls whispered tales of the ruler I was about to face.
I had a few glances outside of windows along the way, but whichever way this building faced gave nothing away. I was met with clear purple skies, without even the slightest hint of a wispy cloud in sight.
Finally, the imposing doors of the throne room swung open, revealing a breathtaking sight. The space was vast, walls seemingly touching the heavens with an open ceiling that allowed fresh air to waft around me. Pillars lined the room on either side of the hall, with intricate artwork carved into each of the marble support beams that extended from the floor to the slight overhang of the ceiling that provided shade along the edges of the room.
Upon a towering dais covered by the shade sat Zeus himself.
A deep sense of wariness settled within me despite my desire to maintain a confident facade at all times in front of him. I was in the company of a being whose power was matched only by his malevolence.
As I was ushered forward, my steps felt heavy and deliberate, a stark contrast to the adrenaline pulsing through my veins. Before I knew it, I was thrown prostrate before the tyrannical deity, my knees taking the brunt force of the impact and sending shooting pain up my thighs. Refusing to bow before him, I climbed to my feet quickly and lifted my head to meet his eyes.
I would not cower before him.
His bright blue eyes were almost white in their lightness, his gaze piercing through me like a bolt of lightning. His throne, a twisted masterpiece of gold and black, loomed around him in stark contrast to his white hair and light eyes. His frame was massive, quite similar to the depiction of him in history books. He had to be near six foot seven and well over three hundred pounds of pure muscle.
I had already doubted Casus’ ability to kill a god before seeing Zeus, and now that I had…My doubt was multiplying rapidly. How were we supposed to take him down?
Zeus, his expression a blend of smug arrogance and calculated cruelty, regarded me with a mixture of amusement and disdain as he stepped off his throne and walked toward me. His voice rumbled like distant thunder as he spoke, each word dripping with chilling authority. "Well, well, what do we have here? Someone who was supposed to be the perfect pawn in my plans who turned out to be the biggest disappointment of them all."
I met his gaze with a facade of composure, my heart pounding in my chest as blood whooshed in my ears in time with the beat of the organ. Fear was ever-present within me, gnawing at the edges of my resolve. I fought like hell to conceal it.
“Honestly, I told you as soon as I saw her how useless she would be to us.”
Helen’s sniveling high-pitched voice echoed through the room as she entered from the door behind me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes with Zeus’ gaze still on my face.
I heard the clicking of her heels against the marble floor as she sauntered toward us, coming to stand next to Zeus. Her hand rested on her hip that was covered by a short, form-hugging white dress. I wanted to hate how poised she always looked with perfectly tanned skin and her soft waves of golden hair, but I couldn’t. Her makeup was always tasteful, with a golden glow to her eyelids that made her hazel eyes pop. If she was literally anyone else, I’d be asking her for tips.
What was truly disgusting about Helen was the inside of her–the core of what made her who she was in her heart.
“It’s so lovely to see you, Helen,” I cooed, slapping a saccharine sweet smile on my face that I knew would piss her off. “You look exquisite today. It’s a shame not every part of you is that beautiful. What a waste.”
Despite Zeus being the god of the sky, I swore that thunderstorms rolled in her eyes as she glared daggers at me. With a sneer, she snapped, “Where are the other curses? Let’s get this over with. I have more important matters to attend to.”
“Guards!” Zeus’ voice boomed out, the impact of it shaking my body slightly. “Bring the last guests in and close the doors.”
I fought the urge to fidget under the weight of both god’s gazes, instead turning my eyes to the sky and wondering where my monsters were and whether they’d received clearance.
Footsteps sounded behind us, but still, I refused to turn away from the gods standing before me. My spine straightened at the sound of Casus’ voice ringing out, “Zeus! Thank you for the lovely accommodations last night. You have a beautiful home.”
A rumbling growl sounded from Zeus as the curses joined me at my side. The serene beauty of the sky that had just held my attention was swiftly replaced by an ominous and foreboding transformation–a reflection of the tumultuous emotions coursing through the god of the sky.
As if responding to his silent command, the delicate hues of violet and lavender that had adorned the sky began to blend and swirl, giving way to an increasingly darker and more sinister palette. Clouds gathered with an almost palpable urgency, their form quickly growing thicker and more menacing by the second. The sun's fading glow, which had once cast a warm and comforting light, was swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
My heart rate must have tripled at the show of his power. While Casus told me how weak they were becoming here, the display sure didn’t reflect that notion.
Zeus shifted then, moving to stand toe to toe with Casus on my right, and I watched out of the corner of my eye as the curse smirked, completely unfazed by the force standing in front of him. I didn’t know whether he was stupid or really did believe he could kill him. Either way, he had balls of steel.
“Do not talk to me like we are allies, Casus,” the thunder god boomed, making me flinch as he got in the curse’s face. “It has become apparent that your word means absolutely nothing. You are not gathering followers for Hellenism in Ordinarius to raise our powers here to what they once were.”
When the curse remained quiet, Zeus chuckled.
“At least you don’t take me for an idiot,” he boomed, an ugly sneer on his golden face. “It would be foolish of you to try to lie to my face now about the situation. I take your silence as acknowledgement of the truth in my words.”
We all stood in silence, and my anticipation and anxiety for what was to come grew as Zeus continued on, murmuring, “You thought yourselves better than a god. You really thought that you could outsmart me, taking me as a fool. Today, that changes. Today, you will learn your place.”
