16 years ago~
Thunder cracked and rolled precariously through the overcast skies. Heavy rain poured from the heavens and pelted the earth below with large, formidable drops. A harsh wind from the west collided with its brother from the east furiously, causing discord in the skies. Lightning struck.
Zeus was extremely angry, and his wrath would be felt no matter the destruction it caused.
A helpless god stood under the light of a single, flickering street lamp. Drenched in rain, he furrowed his brow at the chaos around him. The tall, unkept grasses around him swayed with a feverish vigor, joining the trees in their frantic dance. Vines grew from the cracked cement and climbed the dilapidated buildings to his left, choking and crumbling the brick with mighty force. All wildlife was silent, except the birds of the air who cawed desperately through the raging winds.
All this... because of her. Because of his own foolishness in letting himself entertain mortal emotions. He was the god of madness, and sometimes he cursed the fates for it.
He steadied himself and hardened his resolve, desperate to forget that beautiful and hazy summer love, now a year too far gone. And yet, as soon as he crossed the threshold of the tiny, mortal-sized cottage and laid eyes on his former beloved, his god-sized ignorance bled to none. Lying bed-ridden and alone, despite her messy appearance, she seemed to be the same woman he had fallen for in the summer sun. The hopeless god knew she wasn't.
She looked up, startled, and hurriedly gripped a swaddle closer to her chest. She began to mumble incoherently, rocking slowly back and forth.
"Don't take her. Don't take her. Don't, don't, don't!" The words spilled from her lips repeatedly, becoming louder in volume with each repetition. The god's steps faltered as his heart shattered further.
He had done this.
He said nothing, knowing the woman he had loved would not hear him. She would never truly hear again. Prying the babe from the now sobbing woman's arms, the god gently pushed back the cloth covering his child's precious face.
A daughter. For this, Zeus would never forgive him.
The babe opened her eyes slowly, barely a week old. Her eyes glowed in the cool, dim light. A muted purple, muddled with brown and hazel. In her eyes, the god saw his misgivings, his failures, his impurities. He too was a brilliant purple, tainted and disordered.
She was magnificent, and it seared his heart. He would've preferred her to be an ugly creature; it would make his departure less painful.
The god approached the bed when his lover's arm shot out to grab his wrist. The woman had stopped hysterically crying, and the misty look had gone from her eyes. She seemed coherent, free from the madness he had caused her, but the god knew it would only last a few hours before the next fit came along.
"If you ever loved me," she gasped, "you would leave me my precious daughter. She is all I have left of you, and of myself. Please!"
The god shook his head, but he knew better than to disobey Zeus. The child would be killed if not left to grow up mortal and unassuming. She was dangerous enough even existing, let alone becoming aware of her demigod status and abilities. His heart tore, knowing his daughter would grow in the turbulent home of an insane mother and an absent father. He mourned for her innocence.
He drew his child closer and pressed a lasting kiss to her tiny forehead. In his kiss he sealed a blessing, a promise. She would grow brave and strong, powerful beyond all imagination. She would bring the King of the gods to his knees, demanding recompense for the evils committed against her family. Her story would not be contained to the hovel she was born in.
He swore it into her skin with all his might.
Then, with a heavy heart, he left his little girl in the arms of a madwoman. Lightning struck the cracked pavement before him as the god exited the house, as if Zeus was taunting him. He dropped to his knees, unable to stand it any longer, and screamed his anger and agony into the wind.
The cry of his daughter filled the night air in unison.
