Medusa

6

Eros stood over Troy's crumpled form, fists still clenched.

As far as his face went, he looked like Troy was a tiny ant on the ground, and he was merely grossly intrigued by its small, irrelevant
movements.

The difference in him from when I met him at the beach was like night and day. At the beach, he had been like a summer rainstorm—wild and unpredictable, yet somehow exhilarating, with eyes that danced with a playful light and a sarcastic demeanour as easy as the waves lapping the shore.

Now, he stood like a winter freeze, cold and distant, his dark eyes a depthless void of detachment. The carefree spirit had given way to a cool, unapproachable demeanor, each movement precise and measured.

There was a tangible shift in the air, a mix of curiosity and unease rippled through the crowd. Their eyes tracked Eros with a blend of respect and wariness, as if they were in the presence of something captivating yet unpredictable.

Conversations fell silent, and even the most confident students instinctively stepped back, creating space for him. It was clear that Eros possessed a certain magnetism, an aura that both intrigued and unsettled. They were attracted to him but they were scared of him. It was interesting.

The hall was silent, tension forming around me as everyone processed what had just happened. I felt a strange satisfaction seeing Troy knocked out, but it was quickly overshadowed by confusion.

I glanced past Felix, and noticed that even the rest of his football teammates didn't seem interested in helping out.

Who was Eros, and why did everyone seem to respect him so much?

Eros turned, his eyes locking onto mine. They were still, and I couldn't quite seem to understand them.

He didn't take a step towards me, but he didn't need to. The crowd had gone so quiet that I would have heard anything he said from across the hall.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice low, and remarkably lifeless, considering what just happened.

I met his gaze, trying to mask my confusion and prevent any crack in my exterior. "What are you doing?"

The words came out sharper than I intended, my defenses still at an all time high.

Surprisingly, Eros smirked, a fiery, yet amused glint in his eyes. "I didn't want to hear any more of that bullshit."

Before I could respond, Troy started to stir on the floor, groaning as he began to push himself up. I felt a surge of anger and stepped forward, ready to confront him again, but two figures appeared at my sides, gently but firmly steering me away.

"Let him be," said one of them, his voice calm and steady.

I glanced up to see Orion, his hair catching the light. His gaze was quite calm, exuding a quiet authority. "Eros can handle it."

The other figure, who I don't need to look at to know it was Apollo, added with a charming grin, "Yeah, you already gave us quite the performance. No need to break character now."

I looked between them, recognizing them from the beach, but not trusting them. "What the hell is going on? What are you guys doing?"

Apollo shrugged, his easygoing demeanor at odds with the seriousness in the air. "Same as you, I guess. Trying to make sense of this place."

They began guiding me down the hall, away from the scene. I felt a mix of relief and irritation, I wanted to go back and destroy Troy, for what he was about to say, but I was glad to be away from all the prying eyes.