23.

Loud gasps followed, the buzzing murmur of whispers quickly filling the very tensed air, harshly silenced just as quick as they started by that same thundering, unmistakable voice,
“Silence!”

“Selene, what is the meaning of this?” Zeus then asked, my gaze though remaining trained on the abnormally large wolf-like creature still standing right in front of me, everything else seemingly forgotten as I simply stood there, watching how it kept menacingly snarling at the god of Underworld, fully intent on protecting me from anything and anyone.

“Rem...” I shakily whispered, taking a step closer, small tears prickling at the corners of my eyes as even though I still couldn’t understand exactly what happened and why did he turn into this beautiful creature, his actions touched me so deeply.

“My son, please...stop this,” Our mother’s gentle, pleading tone reached my ears, watching how the large wolf simply ignored her, its attention solely focused on the obvious threat.

“Yes, mutt, how about you step aside and let me finish my task?” The titan-like creature standing right in front the both of us then added, its frightening ember eyes darting towards me for the briefest moment, that pure evil reflecting inside them sending a cold shiver crawling up my spine and like a scared child seeking for protection I quickly moved even closer to the creature I most certainly knew that was my brother, feeling the heavenly soft fur underneath my fingers as I gently touched its neck.

My brother fiercely snarled at him, once again baring its large canines, its strong jaw snapping as a form of warning, right before it suddenly lunged at the god.

But before Rem could even take a bite from the god’s neck, Hades swiftly threw a hard blow, sending him flying towards one of the stone-built walls, causing a large gap in his wake.

“No!” I screamed, my vision turning blurry as I watched my brother struggling to get back up, a small, dark red rivulet slowly making its way down the side of his muzzle.

“Rem!” I quickly tried to take a step and run towards him, only to be harshly tugged right back in my spot and before I could even comprehend what was going on, a large hand wrapped itself around my neck, ultimately facing the horrifying creature threatening to end my life.

Blazing ember eyes stared deep right into mine, their fire making me cower under its intensity, letting out a small whimper as his fingers curled even tighter around my throat, feeling his abnormally large palm sneaking underneath Raphael’s t-shirt, slowly trailing upwards against my bare skin, my entire body instantly tensing at the awful sensation.

Feeling his hand stop right over the middle of my chest I lightly squirmed against him, my eyes widening as claw-like nails slowly pierced my skin, forcing out a strangled cry escape my lips.

“Please...” I rasped, tears falling down the sides of my face as I lightly trembled in his deadly embrace, watching how his features suddenly contorted into something I couldn’t quite decipher, a strange look now glinting inside his ember gems.

Long moments followed, his every action suddenly stilled, finding ourselves locked in that very same, uncomfortable position, like in a trance those burning eyes still boring deeply into mine, seemingly rendered incapable of completing his initial task.

“Hades, what are you waiting for? Destroy that wretched soul!” Zeus’ highly annoyed tone reached our ears, the god currently holding me so painfully tight though completely ignoring him, until a different, strikingly familiar voice suddenly echoed across the entire arena,

“I’m afraid I cannot let you do that.”

A small spark of hope flickered inside of me at the mere sound of that specific voice, instantly recognizing it, even though I only heard it once before.

“And why is that?”

“Because, that very soul, my godly friend, contains one of the Seven Deadly Sins. And guess which one it is.”

Everyone fell deadly silent for a few fleeting moments, their dumbfounded stares directed somewhere past us, obviously shook just as much as I currently felt after that so sudden disclosure.

I have a Sin living inside me...A lethal, soul-eating Sin...

I blankly stared into nothingness for a few moments, small tears prickling at the corners of my eyes for I have finally found out exactly what have been causing all those innocent victims, a sudden, very strong sense of loathing towards my own body blooming inside me, now truly whishing that I could rip my damned soul out, this way destroying that monstrous thing currently inhabiting it.

Firmly wrapping my hand around Hades’ thick wrist I deadly stared him right in the eye, my voice low as I firmly commanded,

“Do it.”

He blinked a few times, obviously taken aback as he failed to react, his gaze momentarily darting somewhere past me, my anger only increasing tenfold, pressing his claw-like nails even harder against my skin, hot tears now falling down my cheeks as I practically roared at him,

“DO IT!”

“Please!” I begged, hopelessly staring up at the terrifying creature standing still right in front of me, desperate to convince him to take it out.

“Please do it...Please take it out...” My trembling voice gradually quieted out, small sobs escaping my lips as I still waited for him to end my miserable existence, my breath stopping in my throat in anticipation as I finally felt his hand around my neck lightly twitching, mere seconds before my father menacingly warned,

“Hades, don’t you dare! That Sin, just like the rest of them, is MINE to deal with and you know it! Pandora and I agreed over that a long time ago! Don’t make this any harder for you than it already is!”

The god currently holding my very existence in the palm of his hand seemed to hesitate for a few moments before he suddenly let go, my body limply falling on the heated sand, loud sobs and whimpers coming past my lips as I cried my heart out, letting that deep sorrow and despair completely drown me.

Strong, warm arms quickly wrapped around me, a very pleasant yet very unfamiliar scent now engulfing me, followed by that same, unmistakable voice,
“Hush little child...Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to fix this, I promise,” He soothingly assured as I lightly sobbed in his immaculate white shirt, gingerly caressing the top of my head.

“Now let’s leave this wretched place,” I heard him gently say, right before he slid one arm under my knees and effortlessly cradled me close to his chest, only now truly processing what he just said, quickly remembering that my brother was also somewhere close by, severely injured and probably about to be punished as well for his recent actions.
So with a small tug at his dress jacket I looked up into those kind silvery eyes, weakly rasping,
“My brother...We need to take him with us...”

He only nodded, quickly hearing him firmly command,
“Raphael, retrieve her brother.”

My attention suddenly piqued at the mention of his name for I have never noticed before that he was also here, craning my neck a little higher to look around until I finally noticed him, his still half-bare body covered in dark red liquid as he strode straight towards Rem’s wolf form, the mere sight of all that blood suddenly triggering something inside my mind, those moments before I suddenly found myself in this place returning back to my memory.

“...hand us over our dear niece...”

“Her! It was her! She did this! She plotted my execution!” I suddenly found myself screaming, tightly clutching onto his jacket, widely staring up into those silvery eyes, earning a simple nod and a pitiful look from him, quietly saying,
“I know, munchkin. I know...”

Small tears prickled at the corners of my eyes as my gaze then darted around, searching for the vile, cunning goddess who unfortunately gave birth to me, my voice trembling and hurt as I bitterly said,
“You sent those gods to take me, didn’t you? And don’t even dare lie to me, I know it was you! They even had the insolence to call me niece!”

“I did,” She calmly admitted, my lips parting in utter shock as I could only stare back at the monster that I used to call mother, listening to her cruel words,

“Because I knew that you will someday disappoint me, just like he did! You resemble so much to him, after all.”

“Disappoint you? How could I-” My father suddenly spoke up, only to be abruptly interrupted by her angered screams,
“You left me! You planted a child in my womb and left me!”

“Oh please, it’s not like you harbored any kind of feelings towards me! You were still grieving after your precious mortal, remember?”

“And don’t you dare put this on me, you never told me you were with child. I only found out about her existence a few weeks ago!”

I watched how her pale features contorted into something undecipherable after father’s last words, rendering completely speechless, the air seeming to still for a few moments before she lowly seethed,
“Leave. I do not wish to see any of you ever again. You have all failed me.”

“Very well,” I heard my father answer back in a rather calm, uninterested tone and before I could even comprehend what was happening we were already gliding through the air, my gaze landing on the tiny mountains beneath us, my lips escaping a small shriek, clutching tighter onto my creator’s neck.

“Shh, it’s alright darling, you’re safe now,” My father soothingly whispered, holding me even tighter in his warm embrace, a foreign, yet very pleasant sensation blossoming inside me, for once feeling so safe and cared for.

“So...where off to now?” I heard Raphael asking from somewhere close by, followed by my father’s calm, yet serious answer,

“To the only ones who can truly help her.”

“Oh shit.”