Page 217 of Styx

I have come to the realization,

after many, many nights of ichor

falling like rain from the skies,

of the cries of God after God

shrieking above us, that we…’

He paused, looking

so defeated that my heart ached for him.

Was this what mortals had to deal with every day?

Watching their parents grow old before their eyes?

What a cold and brutal fate Kronos had bestowed

upon us, whom he had named his favourites.

It was claimed that his was a golden age.

But as I thought about mortals and their suffering

and looked around this room at our own,

I wondered if there was such a thing

as a golden age at all. Even in times of peace,

Kronos had created a hierarchy, relegating

my sisters and I to nothing but brides and mothers.

My father continued his speech,

turning to Pallas and me.

Something about his gaze gave me pause.

‘It is keeping our family in mind,

particularly you, my injured children,

that I have decided the house of Oceanus…’

I felt every bone in my being tense.

‘The house of Oceanus and Tethys

will no longer participate in this war.’

A Stunned Silence Fell

Shocked, I looked at Pallas.

He stared back at me, not fathoming