chaos and control | druig ✔︎

08 | damage

08 | sometimes we are just 

collateral damage in someone else's 

inner war against themselves

1521 AD - Tenochtitlan

The candles on the stone table shone onto Thena. Hestia was exhausted after the fight with both Thena and her own body. It was a difficult task of staying awake while the other Eternals were talking. Luckily, she could lean her head on Druig's shoulder.

"I thought Mahd Wy'ry was a myth." Sersi whispered, to no one in particular.

Phastos was being healed by Ajak. "There is no cure, so no one really talks about it."

Thena gasped from the table, her eyes had flickered white before turning to their usual blue. Everyone walked a bit closer to the table, alarmed.

"What happened?" She asked the group.

Ajak took it upon herself to explain what had happened. "Thena, you attacked everyone." Her calm voice rung through the temple. "Wounded Sersi, Phastos, you nearly killed Makkari and Hestia."

Thena slowly got up from the table, looking around with a look of sorrow. "I don't remember." She shook her head and tears seemed to form in her eyes.

"You have Mahd Wy'ry. Your mind is fracturing under the weight of your memories. And all I can do is erase them so you can start over." Thena had started shaking her head and murmuring 'no' repeatedly.

"I will have to inform Arishem and take you back to the ship, where we have the technology to help you." Ajak informed the warrior.

"But she won't be Thena anymore." Makkari signed with despair.

"What if it happened again? She could've killed you. She could have killed all of us." Kingo argued.

"I'd rather risk that she kills me, than lose our Thena." Hestia joined in.

Tears were streaming down Thena's face. "Please, I... I want to remember. I want to remember my life."

"Thena, I love you. But listen to me. It's not important if you remember or not. Your spirit will remain." Ajak put her hand over Thena's heart.

"How do you know that? If you erase her memories, how much of her will remain?" Hestia rasped out, tears forming in her eyes too.

"She'll always be Thena deep inside. Trust me." Ajak told everyone.

"Why should she trust you?" Druig walked forward, making Hestia drop her head from his shoulder. "You're asking her to let you erase who she is."

"Druig, I know you're upset, but..." Ajak wanted to comfort the boy.

"Upset!" Druig shouted, startling everybody, but mainly Hestia. She had never seen him lash out like this, not with so much anger present in his voice.

"We've trusted you for 7,000 years and look where you've gotten us." Druig spat out. Hestia walked over to him and tried putting her hand on his shoulder, tried to calm him down, but he shrugged her hand off like it was nothing.

"I've watched humans destroy each other when I could stop it all in a heartbeat. Do you know what that does to someone over centuries?" Hestia could see a small tear slip from his eye, though she didn't dare move closer, scared he might brush her off again.

"Could our mission have been a mistake? Are we really helping these people build a better world, huh?" Druig stayed silent for a bit and turned his back on them. He walked to the edge of the staircase, looking over the fires burning down the city.

"We're just like the soldiers down there. Pawns to their leaders. Blinded by loyalty. It ends now." Nobody dared to interrupt him.

Out of nowhere, all the soldiers down in the village dropped their weapons. Hestia realised what he was doing and slowly made her way over to him.

However, Ikaris was faster. He grabbed Druig by the shoulder and yanked him back, shoving him into the wall. "Let them go." Ikaris demanded.

"You're gonna have to make me." Druig dared the taller man, tilting his chin up and looking into his eyes with anger.

"Ikaris let him go." Hestia ordered him.

"Stop." Ajak marched over to the duo, ready to separate them. Ikaris looked down, backing up, but Druig kept looking into his eyes, asserting dominance.

"If you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to kill me." He said to Ajak, before turning away from her, walking back out of the temple, down the stairs and not looking back.

"Druig!" Hestia pushed her way past Ajak and stormed down the stairs.

"Wait, Druig, please!" She ran after him, but he paid no attention to her, continuing to walk through the village. The citizens walked after him, eyes glowing gold like Druig's. They formed a line behind him, making sure none of the Eternals could get to him.

"Druig! Don't leave!" Hestia's voice broke near the end of her sentence, tears dropping down from her eyes.

He stopped walking and so did the rest of the people. He turned around at a tauntingly slow pace, his eyes meeting Hestia's.

"Go back." That was all he said.

"No! I'm not going to let you leave like this." She walked closer, reaching out to him.

"Don't make me do this, my love." Druig looked like he was about to burst into tears, but he kept himself composed.

"Don't make me do what? You're the one who decided to leave." Hestia retorted, letting out a sad chuckle at the end.

"I love you." He whispered.

The civilians walked over to her, some closing in around Druig, and two others grabbed her by the arms, dragging her back up to the temple. When she realised what was happening, she started kicking the men, trying to get them to back off.

"Druig, no! Make them let me go!" Hestia slowly started to break down. "Druig!" Her voice broke and tears were streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"Let me go!" She shouted one last time, before her voice gave up on her. Her shoulders were shaking, and her eyes couldn't focus because of the many tears gathering.

In that moment, she felt more alone that ever. Even as everyone gathered around her and hugged her, none of their affection reached her. None of the people around her were the people she wanted to see. The only one who she wanted was Druig. It felt like a part of her soul was ripped from her. 

She had lost her reason to live.

AN | emotional damage

If you didn't notice already, 

I decided to redo the cover and change the title!