What would've been a quiet summer turns into a globe-trotting adventure when an incident in Olympian High's campus garden gets the attention of resident Chosens Amelia Kingston and Zeus Olympian. To their surprise, the culprit is none other than the...
"To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal."
- Malcolm X
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Pain. All he could feel was pain.
Benjamin tugged his arms, and he grimaced as the chains scraped on his swelling wrists. Even though they were tied behind his back, he felt like they were probably blistered. He now regretted pulling the chains too much for the last couple of hours.
But that wasn't the only thing that made Benjamin miserable in his tiny, dark cell. No, it wasn't the burn on his wrists nor the bruises and taser burns that covered his body. It wasn't even the throbbing headache that hammered his skull.
He was hungry. And thirsty. And cold.
The psycho hadn't fed him anything, not even a sip of water. Cybele also made sure that he remained in the worst conditions possible. She kept the room void of light, with chilly air blowing from the vents every time she and her goon, Osric, left the room.
Like he said, she was a psycho-an obsessed and no-good psycho-but Benjamin would do anything to keep her from knowing about Amelia and her whereabouts. Even if it cost him his life.
I wonder what Mel is doing right now, he thought. She's in the library reading a book maybe, or in her dorm with her nice roommate. I just hope she's busy enough to forget about me. . .
He had been in and out of consciousness as Cybele and Osric shocked and pounded him for answers about her foster daughter, which made him lose track of time and sometimes even hope. Though try as they might, all Benjamin gave them were pained screams and whimpers.
The sound of clasping bolts echoed in the room, shaking him from his dazed thoughts. A second later, the cell door in front of him creaked open. He heard a small click nearby and the lone bulb in the room came to life. The moment he got a glimpse of blood-red heels stepping inside the door, he averted his gaze before he could face the owner of the pumps.
"Feel like talking yet?" Cybele asked, her voice laced with venom.
Benjamin didn't look up nor reply. She asked him the question too many times to count. But, as much as he wanted the questions and torture to end, compromising Amelia's safety was a price he wasn't willing to pay.
"Untie him."
His eyes widened. That was the last thing he expected to hear from Cybele. Was she really going to let him go? He doubted it at first, but now. . . He was going to walk free at last? He must be dreaming, but his wrists still burned like they were, so that wasn't probably the case.
He heard someone's footsteps come behind him. Osric. The man's callous fingers dragged the chains on his hands. He winced at every tug, but relief washed over him as soon as he felt his metal restraints fall off his wrists.
He was about to massage his hands when a manicured hand grabbed his chin and pulled his face up, confronting Cybele's sneer.
"I am going to ask you one more time," she growled. "Tell me about Hera!"
His eyes narrowed at her. "Never."
He braced himself to receive a slap or a punch, but nothing came. Instead, the lady released her grip from his chin and shook her head.
"Why won't you just budge?" Cybele sighed. "You are making things difficult for me, you know."
Benjamin couldn't help but scoff. He couldn't believe she thought he was making things difficult. He wasn't the one who was holding someone prisoner and doing the torture.
She rolled her shoulders. "Oh, well. . . I was really hoping to hear more about Amelia from you."
A chill ran down his spine. Did he just say Amelia's name? No, t-that can't be. How in the world did she even know? I made sure I left no trace whenever we moved around!
"Now, don't act so surprised." She tilted her head. "I was bound to know sooner or later, especially when you carelessly applied dear Amelia to my school."
His jaw dropped. "Y-You're the principal of Olympian High?" he stammered. "But how?"
"It's quite simple, really." She simpered. "Cronus made me headmistress alongside him decades ago. When he died, may his soul be damned, I got full control of the whole institution."
Benjamin felt a push from behind before falling off his chair. He grunted. With the last ounce of strength he had left, he lifted his head to stare at Cybele. The woman looked at him, not a hint of remorse on her face, before slowly raising a gun on his head. He froze in fear.
"So you're gonna kill me just like that?" he asked bitterly. "For real this time, huh?"
"I'm still thinking about it." Pursing her lips, she pressed the gun's cold barrel to his forehead. His stomach roiled, and it wasn't because of his intense hunger.
"A-After all this time. . . you knew," he muttered. "You knew about Amelia all along, but why did you kidnap me?" He shook his head. "You know what? Don't answer that. You probably wanted to enjoy me getting tortured. Typical of you."
"You're right on that," she said. "You have no idea how long I've searched for you just to get my revenge."
He clenched his fists. "And since you're already done toying with me, you're going to kill me."
She tightened her finger on the trigger. "I suppose so."
"Then do it!" Benjamin yelled, a spark of rage suddenly taking over his senses. He was tired of being kept in a cell. He was tired of experiencing the torture. He was tired of waiting for it to be over. "Pull the trigger!"
Cybele didn't look impressed in the least. "Fine then. Any last words?"
He sighed. Should he even ask her to tell Amelia he missed her? Cybele would likely not tell her that, and he didn't want Amelia to know that he would die without her knowledge. She would be devastated, and he wouldn't forgive himself for making her cry.
"As soon as you kill me," he started, "get rid of my body. I don't. . . I don't care if you burn or throw me away, just make sure Amelia won't see me dead. Not until it's too late."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to do that." She smirked. "You see, someone will make use of your corpse the moment your soul leaves your body. And he will be very pleased."
Benjamin closed his eyes, waiting for the shot to come. "Goodbye, Mel," he whispered. "You're the best daughter I could never have."
