The goddess appeared immediately, a frown on her face and her arms crossed in front of her. The goddess seemed to have aged a great deal since the last time Psyche had encountered her. She hadn’t lost any of the beauty that entranced both gods and men and made her the envy of every mortal woman. Psyche knelt in front of Aphrodite, resting her hands on her thighs just above her knees and bowed her head. There was another task in her future, one much more impossible than this one, she knew.
“You’ve succeeded again, I see,” the goddess said. “Three times I have set you impossible tasks and you have complete them all. I know your successes would impress my kin on Olympus. I cannot be, however. Tending to my ailing son has taken its toll upon my body. I cannot be seen on Olympus looking as I do, and there’s only one amongst my family who can help. Look at me, child.” Psyche raised her head to see a box cradled in the goddess’s hands. “My cousin Persephone has some beauty that I require. As before, when you have gotten it, call my name. I cannot descend into the realm of Hades, so you will need to return to the surface.”
Psyche’s eyes widened. The Underworld! Aphrodite was asking her to go down into the Underworld? She blinked and the goddess had faded, the box was sitting at her feet. She leaned forward with tears streaming down the sides of her face. She had to do what no mortal since Heracles had done, and Eros ailed still. This was all her fault! If she had only listened to Eros’ command and not lit that candle to see his face, they would still be together, and neither of them would be enduring this suffering.
She shook her head. Lifting her head, her eyes searched the land around the cliff and in the distance she saw a tower. Slowly she gathered the box and came to her feet. With a cold wind coming up from behind her, she walked towards the tower, shivering with each step. She hadn’t needed to drink the waters of the River Styx and Cocytus to hate herself for her sins and lament that would never complete this task that the goddess had set her.
No door blocked her entrance into the tower. Her body shivered less once the walls protected her. Small torches lined the walls and lit the further into the tower she went. It was still dark and her eyes need time to adjust to the lower light, but she quickly found the staircase and climbed to the top. She did not stop to catch her breath or give her legs time to rest. An eternity later, she reached the roof of the tower. Psyche walked to the edge, circling the perimeter until the tower overlooked the water below.
She closed her eyes and took an unsteady breath. How easy would it be to climb the short wall and let herself fall off? It would mean an eternity of despair, she knew. She would be spending the rest of eternity without Eros anyhow, so ending her life now would be a mercy for Eros. Psyche set the box on the rooftop and leaned against the wall. She could just let herself fall, couldn’t she?
“Why do you cry?” a voice from behind her asked.
Psyche opened her eyes and pivoted around. An outline of a man stood at the opposite side of the tower. Had she been able to step further back, she would have moved away from the figure. Her heart pounded again. She watched the ghostly figure smile at her.
“Fear not, child,” the ghost told her. “I am the spirit of this tower. I will do you no harm. I saw you below speaking with the lady Aphrodite. It has been awhile since I have seen the lovely goddess so angered. What task has she set you?”
