“Help me!” Persephone sobbed, stricken with terror.
The gap roared ever wider, eager to swallow the springtime goddess. Ciane had a deathgrip on her friend, her other hand snapping out to curl around the goddess’s upper arm. She pulled with all her might as Persephone tried to find footing on the crumbling ledge.
“Don’t let go! Don’t let go!” Persephone cried.
Ciane cried at Persephone’s begging. It filled her with agony. Her goddess should never have to beg. Fueled with anguish, ready to give her life for Persephone’s, Ciane braced her feet on the dirt, and pulled her friend from over the edge.
Persephone rounded her arms around Ciane, covering her with sobs, as they scrambled back from the edge. Ciane fell back on the grass, holding her friend to her chest, burying her fingers into the back of her dress.
The goddess's tears drenched Ciane’s dress. “Thank you, thank you.” She said the words over and over through fearful gasps.
The ground’s trembling slowly abated.
Ciane tightened her hold on Persephone. “I’ve got you,” she whispered trying to comfort her, comfort both of them. “I love you,” she said, finding the strength to glance down at her hyperventilating friend.
But Ciane’s eyes fell upon an awful man. He was decked in dark regalia, standing in a broken chariot led by poised skeletal horses, floating over the abysmal hole they’d just escaped. He wore a helmet decorated with long horns sticking out of its sides. From the peaks of those horns, streaks of transparency trembled over him, over his black chariot, and on the deathly quiet, undead horses. Their eyes filled with blood-red flames.
Hades.
Ciane’s mouth fell open in horror.
He reached over the chariot’s side and grabbed Persephone’s ankle.
“No!” she shrieked.
Persephone was pulled from Ciane’s grasp, but Ciane’s fingers caught in her dress and were wrenched painfully into the fabric when she didn’t let go. The dark god pulled harder, trying to free Persephone from Ciane’s death-grip. Persephone fought and struggled between them.
“Release her. She is mine now.” Hades ordered, yanking Persephone hard against his chest, and pulling Ciane up with her.
“Never,” Ciane hissed, even as she was tugged part way into the chariot with them. She grabbed at Persephone’s belt.
“Ciane, don’t let go,” Persephone cried. “Don’t let him take me!”
Persephone’s dressed ripped, the sound of tearing fabric slicing the air.
Ciane was thrown back, and her body hit the hillside with a thud, knocking her head hard upon the ground. Shrieks filled her ears as she forced herself to her feet to stumble after her friend. But when her blurry, star-exploding gaze focused, she saw the hole in the earth was already closing up, Persephone’s voice growing more distant by the second.
She fell to the ground, making it several steps, but got back up. If she could only get to the gap before it closed, she still had a chance to save Persephone. Tears filled Ciane’s eyes as she hobbled towards it, falling again and again, watching the gap vanish more with each second.
Ciane reached the edge right as the earth healed itself. She fell to the ground and ripped at the dirt beneath her. All that was left was the single narcissus flower offering only innocence of the sinister role it had played in this tragedy.
I failed.
Agony stole her soul as her life died to dust.My goddess, I failed you.Everything she cherished, all the beauty and delight on Gaia paled to ash. It was nothing without Persephone. Love itself fled.
Ciane curled onto her side, bringing her knees to her chest, holding the one piece she had left of her friend—a torn belt, riddled with holes where her nails had ruined it. She brought it to her lips as her body melted away.
She gave herself over to her heartache and turned to water.
Home
A hand grabbedCyane’s arm and yanked her from the water. She gasped, crying out, remembering everyone. Rememberingeverything.
The pain of it nearly killed her.
Sobbing, Cyane found Hermes standing over her, with mild annoyance splashed across his face. He rolled his eyes and yanked her arm again. Wind rushed around them, and in a blink, she was out of the water and lying on hard stone. The sunlight was gone from above.
Beyond Hermes were familiar obsidian walls. Her throat burned, and she rolled over to choke out the water in her lungs.
