In My Heart (You'll Always Be)

Chapter 13

listen to this song while reading, i quite like it

uwu

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Taylor couldn't believe what he was seeing, what he had the privilege to experience. Alltid was something the Demeter Cabin had read about in books. They had fantasized about it, debating on what the garden looked like and just how big it actually was. He remembered some of his older siblings saying that it couldn't be very large if no one could find its location after so many years passed.

Looking around at the rows of flowers and succulents where the end wasn't visible to anyone but the creator of the garden himself, Taylor knew his siblings were all wrong. Alltid gave the off the feeling like it was bigger than the world itself, but so small that it could fit in the palm of your hand.

Or behind a door carved into a tree.

"This- How-"

"Taylor?" Perseus wandered over to the child, ignoring how the flowers near his ankles seemed to sway towards his direction like he was the sun itself. 

It was only when the god knelt beside him that Taylor realized he had fallen backwards onto the grassy floor, tears silently running down his face without his knowledge. He desperately tried to scrub his face but he couldn't get himself to stop crying, some unexplainable emotion swelling up inside his chest like an uncomfortable balloon. 

"I-I'm sorry." Taylor blurted out, not quite sure what he was apologizing for. "I just- Got overwhelmed." He finished lamely, finally able to get his breathing under control enough to allow himself to stop crying so much.

"It's okay." Perseus' voice was gentle and understanding, like it was a reaction he had seen before despite the fact that Taylor was the first mortal to walk into Alltid. "The garden and I will never judge you. Take all the time you need." He stood up, stepping away to give the child a moment of privacy, though he didn't stray far in case he was needed. Instead, he went over to a batch of black flowers, their petals reaching out towards the god's hands even as they dripped shadows onto the grassy floor.

Taylor stood up slowly, careful not to crush any flowers that may be around him. He was thankful that he hadn't accidentally sat on any when he had unknowingly fell, breathing a sigh of relief as he looked around. After wiping the last bit of tears from his face and checking himself over to make sure he wouldn't spontaneously begin sobbing again, he trotted over to where he god was gently stroking the petals of a flower that looked like the night itself.

"This one hasn't grown its stars yet." Perseus said as if the statement was a completely normal thing. "Look." He reached over to another flower with his free hand, his lips quirking into a small smile when it reached for him, and he tilted its petals to reveal shimmering stars all along it. His eyes returned to the plain-black flower. "It's very young, barely a week old, but its so strong."

To Taylor, the flower looked like a Dianthus and he snorted at the irony. The Dianthus was known as the flower of the gods, symbolizing love, affection, and gratitude. He wondered if the design was intentional but he didn't want to ask, instead moving over to the flowers right next to the rows of star-kissed flowers. These radiated light, as if Apollo, a being that paled in comparison, had seen the day they were born and halted his chariot. No point in pulling around an old sun when new ones were born. They had the form of lilies but they were far more beautiful and it seemed like glitter dotted their entire being, allowing them to shimmer ever-so slightly.

"I like these a lot." Taylor said, grimacing when the words caused his accent to come out. His father was British and his way of speaking transferred over to his son. His step-mother, though, never liked it and, after his father passed away, she forbade him from using anything other than an American accent. "They're very pretty. How can they stay next to each other like this?"