Medusa

11

The world felt like it was spinning on a skewed axis, each moment a disorienting twist. Every breath I took seemed to draw in fragments of memories and half-truths, mingling with the harsh reality of the present.

I knew why the trio seemed to know so much about me. I knew why Eros seemed to speak in riddles about knowing who I was.

Now, I knew who he was. Finally, I knew who he was.

How are you healing?
Are you excited to be Legend?
Eros Coros, the best quarterback in the state!

That revelation should have driven me straight home, into the safety of isolation.

Instead, an invisible thread of intrigue and betrayal pulled me toward their courtyard, the place where Eros, Apollo, and Orion had first shown me a glimpse of something different.

The place I knew I'd find them.

The courtyard was empty when I arrived, a silent space that didn't belong to me. I stepped inside, my emotions jumbled and overwhelming.

The space felt both vast and claustrophobic, like the world was closing in around me even as it stretched out infinitely.

I wandered aimlessly, tracing my fingers over the rough surfaces of the unfinished bench and the cold stone of the half-built fountain. The air was thick with the scent of rain and earth, grounding me even as my mind raced.

I leaned against the brick wall, my thoughts swirling with images of the past. Flashbacks of Don intruded, uninvited and unrelenting. Against my will. Against my consent.

I remembered his fury after Hades High won the state championship two years ago, the way his face contorted in rage as he ranted about their quarterback. He'd become so angry he punched the TV, a spiderweb of cracks spreading across the screen.

"You think you're so great," Don had snarled, his eyes wild with anger. "They got lucky, that's all. Hades High isn't better than us."

His rage had been miserable, a dark cloud that hung over him for days. He couldn't stand the thought of losing, especially not to Hades High.

And I had been the one to bear the brunt of his frustration, his fury lashing out at everything and everyone in his path.

This should have warned me. It didn't. I lied his anger away, mistaking aggression for passion.

The memory left a bitter taste in my mouth. Don's anger had always been a flash storm, sweeping in swiftly and suddenly thunderous, but then disappearing as if it was figment of my imagination.

But that day it had been particularly violent. I had seen the darkness in his eyes, a glimpse of the monster lurking beneath his charming facade.

I paced the courtyard, my footsteps echoing in the stillness. The weight of my discoveries pressed down on me, suffocating and inescapable. I tried to push the memories away, but they clung to me like shadows, impossible to shake.

When the boys finally entered, their confusion and surprise were written all over their faces.

Apollo and Orion exchanged bewildered glances, but Eros's expression was different—more reserved, less sarcastic. Not surprised.

Apollo was the first to speak. "Phoenix, what are you doing here?"

Eros answered for me, his voice calm and certain. "She figured it out."

There was a heaviness to his tone that made my stomach twist in knots.

My defenses snapped into place like a steel trap. My voice was low and it sounded like it was a blade sharpened to kill. "You lied to me."