“I call a meeting of titans.” Zeus screams, summoning the heavens.
The last time Helios attended such a meeting, he lost his job and his true purpose. Helios follows Zeus to the heavenly realm without protest. Like before, he was presented with reasons why he was no longer the best titan to bring light. Apollo had to be appointed as the new Lux for the sake of mankind. It was five years too soon, but Helios was done fighting. He gave the exact same speech he did before, but this time he added, “Death will never part me from my river.” Just like before, the titans are shocked by his lack of resilience, especially since this time he still had a good reputation and support from the humans. Helios leaves immediately, not looking back, knowing full well that Zeus would be smirking with pride. This time, however, Helios had no grand plan to sleep amongst the stars or search for midnight. Just a heartache to return to Ophelia.
On his way back to his palace, Helios sees an old woman signing out to him using ancient symbols. He decided to hear what she had to say. Now standing in front of her, he could not make out her face or any other features, for that matter.
“I am not old but young, young but old.” The woman speaks.
“Who sent you?”
“I am a friend of Somnus; my name is written in our law as Melpomene.”
“And your message, Muse?
“For she was once the young and fair lady of Dania; sorrowful madness drove her to her death. For she was then a fair lady of Denmark, Ophelia, known to none; her parents perished, and no one believed her screams. She has been many; she has been few, but you have always been one.” Melpomene whispers to Helios, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Helios was left wondering what all that meant, but he had more pressing matters to ponder. He arrives at his palace to see Ophelia asleep. He gives her a kiss on the head. He lays beside her, joining her in a dream. Helios arises to see Ophelia laying by the stream, holding a banquet of columbines, pansies, violets, rues, rosemary, and fennels, and a singular daisy. The colour leaves Helios’ face as he paces towards her.
“Ophelia, my scarlet dawn?” Helios calls out.
Ophelia slowly gets up and turns towards him; seeing this, he falls to his knees in a great sigh.
“Helios, what’s wrong?” She says, walking to him. Helios grabs her in a tight embrace. He looks into her eyes, filled with a mixture of relief and sorrow. “I had feared I had lost you forever in the depths of your dreams,” he whispers. She caresses his cheek, reassuring him that she is here and safe in his arms. They stand together by the stream, surrounded by the beauty of the flowers she had gathered, Helios still fearing that he might lose her.
She lets go of his hand and walks into the stream. Helios watches as she strips. Her white nightgown floats away as she lets go. He gazes at her for a moment, feeling guilt as he spots bruises on her. He hesitates before joining her. They were dreaming, so he could not hurt her in real life if he did not desire to do so he thought to himself. Still, he held her as if she were made of crystals until it was time for the sun to rise once more. He knew that Apollo could raise the sun perfectly well, but he wanted to enjoy his first sunrise of freedom from the evil that was Zeus. Helios stood and laughed, knowing that Apollo was more evil than Zeus could ever be. Helios had seen his future and now knew of his past through Ophelia.
Let me tell you a story, said Ophelia.
She told the story of the birth of Apollo and Artemis, the twins of destiny. Sought after by Hera Apollo had no piece from childhood. The scheme Hera put together failed, and Apollo did grow to be strong. He was loved by all the gods, and Zeus was proud of his creation. Drunk with his own pride, Apollo built himself a temple. He made humans worship him, and his power grew as he did. The temple in Delphi made Apollo a god worth worshipping. He named himself the god of sight; stole other titles, including the god of god. He befriended the muses, and they sang of his glory. Zeus, who once feared the power of Helios, would regret his choice, for once there was light, mankind saw no need for thunder or guidance. Apollo’s pride grew and grew. He did kill a man and enjoyed his screams. For when his love was refused, his vengeance would grow. Whoever Apollo loved would seemingly perish by his hand. Daphne was one such victim, then Kassandra the cursed one, but let us not forget Hyacinthus, whose beauty so bright Apollo fell for him at first sight. But his love did end his light. Though Apollo’s cursed love did not end, betrayal was all that followed. Zeus would one day take his child from him. He would go against the will of Zeus.
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Apollo would meet his maker. Helios came to realise that Zeus had set his own downfall long before it was due. If Apollo would truly do such things and suffer as much as he brought pain, then it was destiny that he was made to step down when he did. Neither Helios nor she knew that it was Cronus’ final revenge, for though your destiny may not arrive on time, it always comes. Helios remembers how the son of Apollo rode the chariot that could have ended the earth. The boy brought ice and sand to the earth and was killed by Zeus added Ophelia. Ophelia kept quiet, knowing that that future was for Helios. The Moirai had swapped their destiny, but for what purpose was Ophelia wondering?
As Helios pondered these thoughts, a sense of unease crept over him. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the story, something hidden beneath the surface. Ophelia, with her knowledge of the future, seemed to hold the key to unlocking the truth. But as they delved deeper into the mysteries of their intertwined destinies, they soon realised that the answers they sought were not as simple as they had initially thought. The threads of fate were tangled and twisted, weaving a complex tapestry of betrayal, redemption, and ultimately, a reckoning that neither of them could escape. They both decided that this was not their future to confront and would not involve themselves with the dealings of other titans, gods, or beings. Their decision to step back from the web of fate was a difficult one, as the pull of destiny was strong. However, they knew that interfering could have dire consequences for not only themselves but for the world as a whole. Instead, they chose to focus on creating their own paths, free from the tangled mess of prophecies and gods. And in doing so, they discovered a freedom and peace that they had never experienced before, knowing that their future was truly their own to shape and mould.
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