౨ৎ | Eternal bonds

౨ৎ | 𝐜𝐡 𝟒

Vito left the museum in silence, his footsteps barely audible against the polished marble floors, his hands tucked in the pockets of his dark coat.

The aged artifacts lining the corridors appeared to observe him in passing, as if they were also remnants of an era he no longer had any stakes in.

He moved with a practiced grace, slipping through the crowd unnoticed, his coat trailing behind him like a shadow.

Stepping out into the brilliant courtyard, the atmosphere was somehow different—a saturation of brightness, a lightness of sorts but weighted by history.

A reminder, the warmth on his skin was nothing new but even sunlight could not warm the frost of his unbearable loneliness.

Vito strolled into the coiling edifice of the streets in Delphi, without even casting a backward glance, still engulfed with the daydream he had of Maya, her presence lingering like a melody.

"That girl..."
a short pause
'For centuries on end, never have I encountered someone like her—' he thought.

Vito stopped himself for awhile,

"No, I can't let myself be drawn to her... she'll just wither and fade like the rest. No matter how bright she is, time will take her too."
He then murmured.

His destination lay somewhere between time and forgotten places, but for now, he walked with no real direction, the city's quiet hum folding him into its rhythm.

~Flashback: 5th century BCE, Greece~

The sound of bustling streets filled the air—the rhythmic hum of traders bartering in the agora, the distant clang of hammers striking bronze, and the soft murmur of prayers carried on the wind from nearby temples.

The scent of olive oil and burning incense mixed with the dust that swirled in the warm breeze.

It was the 5th century BCE, and Athens was alive with life and promise.

In the heart of the city, a young sculptor named Vitus Phronimos stood in his workshop, his hands covered in white marble dust.

The steady tap of his chisel against stone seemed to keep time with the heartbeat of the city.

Each strike brought his creation closer to life—closer to perfection. His eyes, sharp and focused, burned with ambition as he worked, driven by the need to craft something that would outlast even the gods.

As his success grew, so did his ego and selfishness.

Praises can be heard left to right on how talented and articulate he was.

As Vitus's fame spread across the land, so did his hunger for more. He reveled in the praise that echoed through the streets, the whispers of admiration that followed him wherever he went.

Sculptures, monuments, temples—each creation more perfect than the last, each designed to elevate his name to the gods themselves.

But the admiration that once filled him now felt hollow. It wasn't enough. He didn't just want to be remembered—he wanted to live forever, to have his name spoken for all time.

One night, consumed by his growing greed, Vitus made a decision that would alter his fate forever.

He made his way to the Temple of Chrona, the goddess of time, where mortals rarely dared to tread.

Before him was the temple, its mass looming, its rise on ancient stones under the pale shine of the moon. His breath was vast in eternity, and by the fitful flames which danced, shadows would writhe and twist upon the walls.

With a heart full of ambition, Vito knelt before the statue of Chrona, his voice echoing in the empty chamber.

"Goddess of time, hear me,"

he called, his tone laced with both reverence and desperation.

"Grant me eternal life, so that my art, my name, may never fade."

The air in the temple became oppressively still. For a brief span Vitus was convinced that no one had paid attention towards his request. But then there was a change in the atmosphere and a chilly blast of air filled the entire hall.

From the shadows, a figure emerged—tall, ethereal, and impossibly ancient. Her eyes, dark and timeless, seemed to peer through him as if she could see every moment of his life at once.

"You dare ask for eternity?"
Chrona's voice was soft but filled with a cold authority.
"Do you know the weight of such a request?"

Vitus, emboldened by his greed, nodded.
"I am worthy of it. My art, my legacy—it deserves to last forever."

Chrona's gaze narrowed, her lips curling in disdain.
"You ask not for the sake of creation, but for vanity. You seek to defy the very force that governs all existence—time itself."

Her voice grew darker, and the flames in the temple dimmed. "Such arrogance must be punished."

Before Vito could respond, the goddess raised her hand, and time itself seemed to freeze.

The air grew cold, and the weight of centuries pressed down on him.

"I grant you eternity, but not as you desire. You will live forever, You will exist throughout time, but in a state where everything dear to you decays. Your name will fade, your works will wither, but you will remain. Immortality, but with endless loss."

In an instant, the warmth of life drained from Vitus's body, replaced by an icy stillness.

He tried to speak, to beg for mercy, but Chrona had already vanished, leaving him alone in the empty temple, bound by her eternal curse.

And so, Vitus became an immortal, wandering the earth for centuries, unable to escape the punishment that came with his selfish desire. Each day he lived, he was reminded of the price of his greed.

~End of flashback~