𝑷𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔

𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄'𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐓 🪽

Weeks had passed, and I had done everything in my power to avoid both Hector and Achilles. The weight of my choices pressed down on me, suffocating in its intensity. I couldn't face them—not with the guilt gnawing at my chest, or the confusion that spun me in circles. Every time I thought of Hector, my heart ached, but when I thought of Achilles...it was something else entirely. And I didn't know what to do with any of it. The garden had become my escape, a place where I could hide from the world. But today, the stillness wasn't enough to calm the storm inside me. I sat on the stone bench, staring blankly at the flowers, my hands twisting the fabric of my dress in my lap. The cold autumn air nipped at my skin, but I didn't move. I didn't know how to move forward anymore.

And then, I heard footsteps—strong, deliberate, unmistakably his. Hector.

My breath caught in my throat, and I froze, every muscle in my body tensing as if I could somehow will myself invisible. But I couldn't hide. Not anymore. The sound grew louder until he stood just a few steps away, his presence commanding the space around him. I didn't look up, not yet. I couldn't.

"Sabryna."

His voice was quiet but firm, filled with something I hadn't expected. Concern.

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling. "Hector..."

"You've been avoiding me," he said gently, stepping closer. "For weeks now."

I didn't respond. What could I say? I had been avoiding him, running from the feelings that had tangled into something far more complicated than I could handle.

He knelt in front of me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him, but still, I didn't lift my eyes. I couldn't bear to see the hurt or confusion in his gaze.

"What happened, Sabryna?" he asked softly, his tone more tender than I'd ever heard. "What's been keeping you away?"

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away, though there was no hiding the emotion from him now. "I don't know," I whispered, my voice shaky. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Hector was quiet for a moment, and then I felt his fingers gently brushing my cheek, lifting my chin until my eyes met his. His expression wasn't angry or frustrated—it was kind, gentle, and filled with something else.

"I've seen you grow distant," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you don't have to do this alone, Sabryna."

I shook my head, fresh tears blurring my vision. "I've made mistakes, Hector. I've done things I can't undo, and I don't know how to face you—or anyone."

Hector's gaze softened, and he sat beside me on the bench, close but not overwhelming. "Whatever it is, Sabryna, it's not something that changes how I feel about you." He paused, his eyes searching mine, and then, in a voice filled with emotion, he added, "I know I wasn't always the kindest to you when we were younger. You were just a girl then, always following me, and I didn't see you for who you were. But as I've grown, as I've fought and led this city...I've realized you are the woman Troy needs. You are the woman I need by my side."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. His words, his sincerity—there was no denying the truth in them. I had always admired Hector, but now...now it felt different. It felt real.

"I've spent these weeks trying to understand why you've been avoiding me," he continued, his voice low and filled with raw emotion. "And maybe I didn't always make it easy for you to come to me. But I want you to know...I care for you more than I can express. I need you, Sabryna. Not just for Troy's sake, but for mine."

I blinked through the tears, my heart thudding in my chest. "Hector...I don't know if I deserve that."

His hand found mine, strong and steady. "You do. You always have. I see you now, truly, for everything you are. And nothing could change how I feel."

The words hung between us, heavy with meaning, but for the first time in weeks, I felt the weight lift, if only slightly. Hector's love was not something I had ever expected, but it was something I realized I might need more than I'd ever known. Before I could respond, the air around us shifted—subtly at first, but then with a sudden, sharp chill. A soft, melodic voice echoed through the garden, though it held a dangerous edge.

"Such tender words, Hector."

I turned sharply, my breath catching in my throat. There, just beyond the trees, stood Aphrodite. Her beauty was overwhelming, but her eyes gleamed with something far more sinister.

"You think love is simple, don't you?" she purred, stepping closer. "You think it will save you. But love, my dear Sabryna, is the most dangerous weapon of all."

Hector stood swiftly, his body moving instinctively to shield me from Aphrodite's piercing gaze. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, though we both knew it would be useless against a goddess.

"Aphrodite," Hector growled, his voice steady but laced with warning. "You have no place here."

The goddess smiled, her red lips curling into something cold and condescending. She circled us like a predator toying with its prey, her ethereal gown flowing unnaturally in the still air. The fragrance of roses and incense filled the space around her, but there was something rotten beneath it, a cloying sweetness that made my stomach turn.

"No place?" she echoed, her voice lilting like a siren's song. "How quaint, Hector, that you would presume to decide where I belong. You should know better by now. I am always where love resides."

Her eyes flickered to me, narrowing as though she could see every secret I was trying to hide. "Tell me, Sabryna, are you truly so naive to believe love will save you from what's coming?" She paused, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "Do you think Hector's devotion is enough?"

I swallowed hard, my voice caught in my throat. There was something in the way she looked at me, something that made my blood run cold. As if she knew every doubt I harbored, every fear I had tried to push aside.

"Leave her out of this," Hector warned, his stance rigid and protective. His fingers brushed mine briefly, a silent reassurance that he was with me, no matter what came next.

But Aphrodite was undeterred. She stopped, her gaze burning into mine, and I felt as though she were peeling away every layer of my defenses, exposing the raw emotions I had buried for weeks.

"Poor Hector," she mused softly, her tone dripping with mock pity. "So brave, so loyal...yet utterly blind to the truth." She leaned in, her voice a seductive whisper. "You think you can protect her. But love cannot shield her from destiny."

My heart hammered against my chest. I wanted to speak, to stand up to her, but the weight of her words pressed down on me like a suffocating fog. Destiny...what did she mean? What fate awaited me?

"You will have to choose, Sabryna," Aphrodite continued, her voice lowering to something darker, more menacing. "Love is never simple. It demands sacrifice. And in the end, you will either break his heart—or condemn yourself to a life of regret."

I stared at her, unable to look away, trapped in the shimmering depths of her eyes. There was a part of me that knew she was right. How could I choose between the two? Between Hector's steady, unwavering love and the strange, powerful pull I felt toward Achilles?

Hector's hand tightened around mine, grounding me, pulling me back from the edge of my spiraling thoughts.

"We make our own fate," he said firmly, standing tall against the goddess. "And I will protect Sabryna, no matter what you or the gods throw at us."

Aphrodite laughed, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "You poor, foolish mortals," she sighed. "So confident in your defiance, so convinced that you can outwit the gods. But you forget—I am love itself. I can bend it, twist it, break it if I desire. And Hector...I've already begun."

Her gaze snapped to me again, sharp and unrelenting. "The question is, Sabryna, will you survive it?"

With a final chilling smile, she vanished, her presence leaving the air heavy with unspoken threats.