Serpent In Love (🔞) - Completed

17. A Snake's Righteous Pride

Thud.

From the diving motion I made exiting Mount Saphon, my front body smacked down hard on the ground upon arrival at my destination.

My palms absorb most of the impact of the fall when I materialized at the poppies-covered entrance of Hypnos' cave in Underworld.

Initially, I had wanted to go to the Cliff of a Thousand Sorrows. But, found this place is much more ideal for what I've got in mind to do--

"Ouch!" An excruciating pain shoot up my wrists when I brace on them to sit myself up. After sitting straight, I twirl them cautiously to assess for any signs of skeletal injuries. Telling myself as I did, "...No more nosedive teleportation for me... EVER..."

Thanks goodness. It didn't feel like I've dislocated or broken any bones. What I know is; I scraped my palms very badly. As to how bad? I can't exactly say since right now, I can't see anything.

Sitting cross-legs, I rest my sore hands palms-up on my thighs as I survey my surroundings in silence.

Darkness feeds into my vision from all directions.

It appeared as though nightfall has descended on Hypnos's cave.

Except, I knew better.

It's always pitch black in and around this cave, no matter the time of day...

How I hate darkness... I sob in my heart.

This one right here, at the entrance of the Cave of Hypnos, is no exception...

In my mind, right now, I feel darkness and blindness are indistinguishable.

For the longest time, I thought I understood my fear of sightlessness.

But now, I'm not so sure.

Logically, I concluded that prior to the past few days, my understanding of my psychological fear had been limited by my life's encounters and experiences.

Now, enriched by everything that had happened to me thus far, I've come to fear the darkness beyond comprehension.

Despite my lack of understanding and certainties, I recognise one thing to be true; now, I have much more to lose.

In other words, now I fear the grave reality of becoming blind because it'd implied that I'd lost everything and everyone that I have ever cared about and loved. Just like what'd been predicted in my recurrent dream over and over. Just acknowledging this possibility in my heart makes me feel resentful toward sightlessness and its resultant darkness more than I ever feared it.

Admittedly, after meeting with the Graeae, losing Aquila has become my greatest fear.

Even more than darkness itself, I've come to resent that it is also my only safe refuge for tonight.

Tonight, I need to keep a low profile.

In order to keep my unsolicited appointment with Typhon tomorrow, I needed to be alive.

And staying hidden from Hades's and his minions' detection is my safest bet to achieve this.

As for why this exact location matters apart from my other need for it? Let's just say, Hades would be less inclined to search for me inside his own territory.

No, I'm not being paranoid. Something intrinsic tells me, the ruler of Hell and his army of henchmen are scouring the upper realms hunting me down in this instance.

More than hiding, I need to wind down.

Even just a little bit, I need to pause and recuperate my exhausted mind in order to recalibrate the equilibrium within myself.