This is the price we pay to live. VOL. 1

Chapter Eleven...

In this world, in this stories. People often get an happy ending. Achilles found Patroclus again  in the afterlife, same for Perimedes and Elpenor.

Yet,not everyone gets an happy ending. While Cleopas was on Olympus and at Mycenae. Where Odysseus was?

Well, on Calypso's island. He had two children with that woman that he never loved. Nausinous and Nausithous. Their names' meaning were the desire of their father for leaving. Odysseus sat on the sea shore in silence as he stared at the waves.

Hermes appeared behind Odysseus before sitting next to him. "The kid is not well." He mumbled. Odysseus slowly looked at him. "Who are you talking about?" He questioned.

"Cleopas, he is kinda..." Hermes stopped talking for a moment as he searched the right words. "...not himself, I just don't know describe it. He just became a rag doll." He explained as Odysseus listened to him. After what happened in seven years,he even had difficulty to even recognizing himself. "He will be fine, eventually. Any news for me?"

Hermes shook his head. "Nope,they are still have to decide what do with you." He answered. Odysseus simply sighed. "Hermes,are you sure? Because I feel like I'm going to die on this island with that psychopath."

Hermes nodded. "I don't make the rules,I'm just a messenger." He answered.

"I mean, you have to understand that-" Odysseus started to explain just to be interrupted by Nausithous.

"IM BOUT TO DO A BACKFLIP-"

"Nausithous!" Odysseus quickly turned around just to see the boy on the ground who was holding his ankle. Nausinous just stood there next to his brother. "Why do you didn't catch your brother from falling?"

"Because he is an idiot,father. He decided to hurt himself by trying to do a backflip, I warned him to don't to do it but he didn't listen." Nausinous answered as he saw Odysseus sighing. Hermes chuckled as he watched the scene.

"Hi uncle Hermes!" The boys said in unison. Hermes just waved at them before speaking. "Give us just a second, it's kind of a serious talk." The boys left quickly, leaving Hermes and Odysseus alone.

"I don't know what happened while Cleo was with you on that stupid ship. But if I discover that you did something to Poseidon and he now is hurting my precious emerald because of you. I will vote for letting you stay on this stupid island and take you away every last drop of happiness you have left." Hermes hissed with a low tone.

Odysseus stared at him coldly as his fists tightened. "You don't know what I'm going through here. No matter how much I'm far from here, I will still feel those hands on me. No matter how much I scrub my body with soap, I will still feel her lips on me. So you don't have the right to say shit like that just because Poseidon assaulted Cleopas. I have no fault in this matter." He barked as he tried to don't raise his voice. "I'm not Cleopas' father, and he would not be my son. He is not my responsibility. You should go back to your 'emerald' now, I think that this conversation is over."

Hermes stood in silence before speaking after a few seconds. "But you were the closest thing he had to family."

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Cleopas had focus on a single point of the room. He got lost in his thoughts as tried to distract himself. He started to thinking how he ended up in that position. He wished that he had died under the fire of Troy or for an arrow in his heart. Hermes was right about him being a rag doll, his eyes had lost even their last sparkle of light in them.

He snapped out of confusion as he felt his hair being pulled and he received a slap that made his head turn to the side. His face landed on the pillow before holding his cheek.His nose was bleeding again. He tried to breathe what seemed freezing air to his lungs. The drops of blood fell on the white and pure sheets and stained them. The key a few inches away from where he was laying. Do it,it's your last chance. He tried to reach it out, he felt his hand being grabbed forcefully.

"I should break your wrist, maybe you will learn how to don't steal in this way."

Cleopas shook his head quickly. "No,no,no,no! Please...don't-" He pleaded as he tried to get free from the tight grip. Crack. The excruciating pain spreads through his arm and body. The wrist bent in a particularly bad way and it was certainly broken. His knuckles now  covered in blood. "NO!" He screamed in pain as every sound around him became muffled,he heard his heart beating as fast it could in his ears. He couldn't hear even his own sobs anymore. He heard the door closing, he choked on his sobs in the bloody bed as he held his wrist. Cleopas' lips were now red from the nose blood dripping down his face.

"Please...make it stop,Hera..." Cleopas pleaded as his eyelids became heavy. "It hurts..It hurts...Make it stop. Please make it stop...it hurts..." He fought to stay awake while the world around him became dark.