||Koi No Yokan|| Park Seonghwa

||Chapter 29||

"Philotes..."

"Long time no see, sister."

If those chains weren't restricting her movements so much, Eris would've already been at the bars, hands ready to reach for her sister's absurdly long and curly hair.

Of all the times, why now? Why was she here?

And she precisely asked Philotes that, her words like venom.

"I came to know you were here...I was worried for you," she answered while the hand that wasn't busy holding the lantern took off the hood of her cloak, revealing more of her face.

It was a cruel joke that they looked exactly alike: Philotes was nothing like her or her brothers for that matter.

She was good. Ever since her first breath, she was good. Nobody would've thought that a fearsome creature such as Nyx was able to give birth to such a kind creature like her: for that reason, she became the goddess of friendship. It was obvious that they couldn't have been more different.

"No need to worry your pretty little head about it, I'm perfectly fine."

Philotes didn't answer; she looked at her bounded wrists, tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh please... if you came here to take pity on me then you can go away" Eris exhaled, turning her back on her.

"Why did you do it?"

Hearing her voice tremble only ticked her off more. Philotes had never been as tough as her siblings, she knew that very well: she felt weirdly protective of her in that sense, tried to shelter her from harm at any chance she could. Her very rare and very small acts of kindness (pity, to be exact) were only targeted at her sister.

"None of your business"

"I'll talk to Mother; she can't keep you here forever..."

"Are you out of your mind?!" she exclaimed.

"She'll listen to me..."

"Yes, because you're so special, right? You and your privileged spot on the Olympus have no power here."

"But-"

"I almost killed our brother, Philotes!" she shouted, her breath coming out heavy "What exactly makes you think she'll ever let me out of here? You think batting your eyelashes at her will make her change her mind?"

Philotes remained silent, her eyes still shiny with tears although no tears had come out: she was holding them in, in a proud attempt to show bravery as a child in a dentist's chair.

Eris sighed again, then spoke in a softer voice.

"It's no use trying to make the mighty Nyx change her mind: I won't be here forever though" at least I hope so "Don't worry about me, okay?"

Philotes nodded half-heartedly and was about to leave. But first, she extended a hand in between the rusted iron bars: nine links per chain were restored.

"You didn't have to do that" Eris's voice wavered as she could finally reach the makeshift bed on the other side of the cell.

"Looks like I just did. I'll come back... I promise you."

And with that, she walked away.

Eris waited until the sound of her footsteps had faded in the set of stairs that connected the dungeon to the rest of the palace. A few lone tears slipped from her eyes, but she was quick to catch them one after the other as she laid on the bed, her back finally getting a break from the cold floor.