Echoes of Olympus

chapter 37 (recovery)

Present time (1500 B.C.)

The darkness was suffocating, the cold seeping into my bones as I wandered through a twisted version of Olympus. The once magnificent halls were now crumbling, shrouded in shadows that seemed to whisper my name. My steps echoed eerily, and with each one, a familiar sense of dread coiled tighter around my heart.

"Mother?" My voice trembled as I called out, but the only response was silence, oppressive and thick.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached my ears—a soft, anguished moan. I followed it, my heart racing as I ran through the decaying halls. The walls seemed to close in on me, the shadows growing darker, thicker. I pushed on, desperate, until I burst into a room that seemed to radiate pure despair.

There she was. Rhea, my mother, bound to a chair, her face pale and bruised. The sight of her broke something inside me. I rushed forward, but an invisible force held me back. My feet felt rooted to the ground, as if the shadows themselves were holding me in place.

"Mother!" I screamed, but she didn't respond. Her head hung low, her once vibrant eyes now dull and lifeless.

Then, from the darkness, Chronos emerged, his presence looming like a nightmare. His eyes glinted with malice, his smile cold and cruel. He walked over to Rhea, his fingers brushing her hair in a mockery of tenderness.

"She can't hear you," he whispered, his voice dripping with venom. "She doesn't care about you."

"Stop!" I cried, struggling against the invisible chains that held me. "Leave her alone!"

Chronos chuckled darkly, a sound that sent chills down my spine. "Poor, little Aurelia," he sneered. "So weak, so worthless. You couldn't save her then, and you can't save her now."

His words cut deep, each one like a knife to my heart. Tears streamed down my face as I watched him pull out a wicked-looking blade, the metal gleaming ominously in the dim light.

"No, please!" I begged, my voice breaking. "Don't hurt her!"

But Chronos didn't listen. He raised the blade, and with a swift, brutal motion, he slashed across Rhea's chest. She screamed, a sound of pure agony that echoed through the room, tearing at my soul.

"See what you've done?" Chronos whispered, leaning close to my mother's ear. "This is all because of her. Your daughter failed you."

Rhea's eyes, glazed with pain, turned to me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something in them—a flicker of recognition, of love. But then it was gone, replaced by a look of utter despair.

"You... failed me..." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough to shatter the last remnants of my resolve.

"No... no, I didn't..." I murmured, shaking my head as tears blurred my vision. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

But it was too late. Chronos plunged the blade into her heart, and her body went limp, her lifeless eyes still fixed on me, filled with disappointment.

I screamed, the sound ripping from my throat as I fell to my knees, my whole world collapsing around me. The darkness closed in, suffocating, crushing, until there was nothing left but pain and guilt.

Suddenly, I jolted awake, my heart pounding in my chest. But the nightmare had left its mark, the echoes of Chronos's words still ringing in my ears. "Weak... worthless... failure..."

I looked around, my room dimly lit by the soft glow of the moon. The familiar surroundings should have been comforting, but they weren't. The shadows of my dream still clung to me, whispering doubts and fears.