Hell Is An Empty Heart (Book One of The Triple Moon's Chronicles)

77 | Fright Inhabiting Her

The highest mountain of Mother Earth,
Majestic, mystic, and idyllic wonders to the eyes,
A beauty that surpassed in splendour any of its reality.
Some could have died for a quick nap in its divine greenery arms.
But they could only dream about the forbidden Babylonian Gardens of the Gods.

Wide flowery alleys made way at each of her steps and a fortress of temples rose at her feet. The many fountains didn't impress her, nor did the high golden statues threaten her. All those grandeurs were absent in Rhea's perception.

Possibilities were infinite in the ether. Endless were the many walks around its mesmerising gardens, but she knew each maze always led them back to its heart. The vast house raised beyond the heavens, Zeus' own abode.

A coldness stabbed into her chest at its sight because all she could feel was the fresh ichor splashed over her face. In that memory of her past, she saw herself sat on the throne of a defeated and heavily wounded Ophion. He was the late husband of Eurynome, the first ever divine war slave, and a future concubine to Zeus.

Rhea shook her head, but she couldn't shake off her loud laughters at that scene with an impatient Cronus undressing her. They conceived the strong Hades under the loud bells of a victory—the conquest of Mount Olympus.

The sacred mountain was never a home of happiness for her.

As they walked deeper, she sank deeper into her old demons. Malaise took hold of her lungs, her breaths sped up, and she rested her hand on a tree. The only one with the inscriptions of six unknown symbols—the names of her missing children.

She carved a tombstone for all of them on this old bark friend. It was only on her last delivery, though, that she tried to fight back her husband's madness.

Blood of war, blood of birth—everything here only smelled of fears for her.

Wrinkling her nose, she declared, "What a distasteful place to live!"

Her statement felt like a split over the faces of Demeter and Zeus. Indeed, all of them had finally returned from the suspended jungle of Rhea.

Speaking in a flat voice, she said, "We need to set the judgement day no later than tomorrow, in case the young Persephone won't survive through the night." Low shoulders and steady gait, her mind buried in their dilemma, Rhea didn't waste a breath. "Go to check on your child, Deo. Zeus and I will go straight to his palace."

Rhea's maternal instinct was right. Even without looking at Demeter's face, she knew this was what she wanted to do the most. The latter bowed to her mother in gratitude, then hastened to the side of her poor child.

Demeter ran like the end of the world pursued her. Running taught her more than she could ever love. She remembered running to get to Zeus for her request to be a virgin goddess. She also recalled the many falls and bruises on her run to escape the gilded cage he had then built for her. And she ran again, through thick and thin, to find her daughter. Demeter would never cease her race.

Sleeping enlightened Persephone more than she could have ever dreamt of. She pretended to sleep to escape her then-unknown consort. Persephone also fell asleep to avoid her mother. She slept until sleeping was the only thing that could keep her alive.

Drifting away in her quest, everything that shimmered turned into an illusion. The delusion troubled her drowsiness, while all she wanted was to live. Live as if it was her last days in paradise; live as if she could be free on her own.

Persephone was still slumbering deep when Hades' shadow grew over her body, embracing her one last time with his iciness. The frost that melted in his blue eyes was stalactite tears. Hades quickly composed himself to put his cape of invisibility on, ready to vanish all at once.