Hell Is An Empty Heart (Book One of The Triple Moon's Chronicles)

68 | An Unknown Disease

"It's you?" Persephone asked with a playful expression. "It's you, isn't it?" Her grin grew even bigger. The feature of joy seeping from her bones to flood her marrow tickled across her face into a broad smile. It made Athena turn ashen, and she shook her head in denial. "You're the groom who met Artemis at the fountain of Hymen?" Persephone's eyes insisted while her hands clawed at her sister's upper arms, who pushed her away to stand up.

Athena looked around at her inventory, and realised strong men weren't built on harsh words but on the unfailing love of their mothers, sisters, and wives. That was how the almighty Athena was reborn again from her ashes caused by her burns from the evil sun Helios. Just as a kiss from Persephone revived Hades again from his entombed immortal life. The latter had moved and stirred within Athena the feelings that she thought were gone forever.

Answers were so simple but yet so hard to be told.
Love was at the heart of everything, yet it was kept buried.

Persephone walked closer to her quivering sister before resting her head on her back and circling her with her arms. "It doesn't matter," Persephone said with a sniff. "Nothing matters but your happiness," and it was in those frail words that Athena disarmed herself and sob. "Love shouldn't make you weak!"

As much as Persephone was right, Athena felt out of control. One by one, suspicions grew all around her; perhaps Persephone wasn't the only one to be aware; maybe others had noticed it too. The more her heart raced, the more she lost the hope given to her by Persephone, and when Athena screamed her lungs off to fight the impending doom over her head, she also discarded Persephone's tenderness. Suddenly, her right hand crossed her body and grasped the hilt of her sword. She drew it out and raised it to the sky before lowering it in a threat to the face of Persephone.

"Show me what he taught you!"

Persephone raised her hands in defeat. "Athena, what are you doing?" But her intransigent sister wouldn't listen or answer; she just charged at her, hollering at the top of her lungs. Her mercilessness left no choice for Persephone, who could only dodge the many attacks raining upon her. It was until she saw Athena's huge inventory hanging over the wall. There were javelins, spears, and worthless bows without arrows until she came upon a sword—the almost identical one to the one Hades picked for her. And she flung herself against the wall to grab it.

With a weapon in hand and feet landing on the floor, Persephone rose to a fighting stance of her own. She was no fighter, but she remained there, sword held in target above her left shoulder, as if her aspiration would triumph over Athena's insecurities.

Athena did the same; she swung her sword and planted her feet on the floor. She turned herself into a massed infantry formation, and she marched ahead as one entity, only hiding herself behind her shield. This goddess wouldn't let anyone into her secret.

Their swords clashed, crossed, then tangled, and when their faces drew close to each other, Athena imparted to Persephone a touch of her own sacred wisdom. "Your only enemy is patience."

Persephone tilted her head and said, "While your enemy is indolence," returning the favour with a blow. The younger goddess even went further to taunt her adversary, saying, "Don't sit around too long on your own wounded pride; Artemis won't wait that long for you!" With that warning, Athena sighed with exaggeration, a war cry that made their fight resume with even more vigour.

Fighting was not the answer. Fighting was what had been taught to Athena to conceal her emotions. The fight made her hand loosen her grip on her shield until it fell with a tremendous bang.

She exclaimed, "You knew!" as tears welled up in her eyes. Concerns weighted on Athena's shoulders as she tossed her blade into the air. She caged her head between her hands and turned her feet away from Persephone. She failed to get a sight of the young goddess falling. "The more we remain in the Sky, the more we forgo our own reason." Athena chuckled before finding her sister lying unconscious on the floor.