Her thoughts floated in and out, sometimes coherent, sometimes not. When her mind was clear, she strained to come up with a plan to meet Pandora’s demands.
But nothing she could think of would work.
And even if it could, she wasn’t sure she could do it. She’d seen firsthand the destructive consequences of unleashing a goddess like Pandora. Trivia would never do that again.
But on the other hand, Pandora would make her watch while she tortured Sol and Gaia. They did not deserve that fate.
And Trivia didn’t know if she could endure watching it, either.
It’s my penance,she thought.It’s a fitting punishment.
Her fleeting but passionate time with Sol was undeserving. She was lucky to have even that.
Oftentimes, when her thoughts were lucid enough, she returned to that perfect night where she and Sol had come together, their bodies merging in the most perfect way. They had made love all night and well into the morning, exploring and worshipping each other.
She would give anything to return to that night.
Her consciousness faded in and out. It was similar to sleep, but not nearly as peaceful. She did not dream. And time did not pass quicker when she faded.
She was still trapped in this chasm of loneliness, forever enduring her thoughts and the dread of when Pandora would return to torment her further.
She can read my thoughts,Trivia reminded herself. She had to be careful.
But what did it matter? Pandora already knew Trivia had no ideas for how to get her out of the box. That was no great secret.
And even if Trivia had some great plan of deception up her sleeve, she was far too weak and exhausted to carry it out. Her mind was sluggish and hazy. It seemed that, for every hour when she could think clearly, another three hours of foggy numbness claimed her.
How long before the darkness consumed her entirely? How long before she lost her mind and all sense of self?
How long before her body and soul simply became a part of the void?
A low hissing sound echoed around her, but Trivia ignored it. At this point, the horrifying sounds of the darkmagic within the box were familiar to her, and it was quite easy to tune them out.
But the hissing sound persisted, until she realized it was someone’s voice whispering, “Psst!”
Trivia’s consciousness shifted. She tried to reach, to move her body, but she was nothing, and her body was not her own. She was just a collection of thoughts scattered in the darkness.
“Envision your body, one piece at a time,” said a voice. “It will come to you.”
No,Trivia wanted to say.That will take too much effort. I just want to go to sleep.
She prepared to drift away into that numbness that had become a sort of respite for her.
But the voice was persistent.
“If you let yourself fade, she’ll win.”
Awareness stirred in her mind again. There was so much she wanted to say to this new presence.
Shut up.
Who are you?
Why do you care?
Her thoughts strained to come together. She envisioned her toes, ankles, and feet, then her shins, knees, and calves. A solid weight filled her as her body took shape. She wanted to gasp in relief and surprise, but she couldn’t breathe. A heavy weight was pressing on her lungs, cutting off her oxygen, suffocating her…
“Picture your lungs now or you’ll asphyxiate,” the voice said urgently. “Now,Trivia!”
