Cerberus p.o.v
“...rus” I felt a light tapping on my cheek
“...berus" 'leave me, I don't want to leave here' I thought to myself as i could not bring myself open my mouth.
“Cerberus.!!!!” My name sounded closer and closer each time “Cerberus” she, Mene smiled at me. Having a look of relief wash over her features.
“You’re awake! You ran off and I could not follow you to the stynx river area. It burned getting close to there and .... “ she sighed as if remembering to take a breath after talking so much. “I am sorry, I got here too late, The woman that carried you out said that Lord Hades....” she bit her lips, looking at me some kind of way. I did not like it. "are you-"
I pulled myself away from her hold, the warmth leaving me as quickly too.
‘I did not need this.’ I thought as I let out a breath. “please leave” I muttered causing her to stop talking.
“I know losing your...”
“I SAID LEAVE!!!!” I felt my chest heave “Please... please just leave” I said a little calmer as she looked terrified.
“Cerberus,” she called softly, her voice a gentle echo in the stillness. I turned my face away. I could not bare to face her, to acknowledge her presence. I couldn’t bear to see the concern in her eyes, the worry that I knew would be there.
It was all fake.
They pretend to love you and then they leave. I laughed at the thought. At least the other gods out rightly rebuked my presence.. but Hades... i gave a quiet laugh again.
Who was to say that she would not do worse?
“Cerberus,” she said again, closer now, She reached out, her hand brushing against my arm, and I flinched away, the contact sending a jolt through me. It wasn’t pain, no. It felt better. It felt like....
‘no’ I shook my head. ‘I could not afford to enjoy such feelings. I never felt this way for Hades and him leaving is making me feel this way. What if she were to leave? I could not get in too deep’
“Leave me alone, Mene,” I growled, my voice harsher than I intended as I forced myself out of my thoughts. I didn’t look at her, didn’t dare meet her gaze.
scylla! I thought for a brief moment but it was gone as quickly as it came as I looked at the woman in front of me. I growled, warning her to keep her distance
She didn’t move, didn’t pull away. instead, she looked at me with a confused gaze, and that only made the frustration bubble up inside me.
“Did I do something wrong?” she tried to come closer to me, her hand brushing the hair out of my face. I snapped my face to the side, effectively getting out of her reach.
. “Just… go,” I snarled, my hands clenching into fists at my sides As my voice wavered. I pleaded the gods that she would indeed listen to me and just leave. I did no know what I was going to do.
Was I going to snap at her?
Was I going to fall into her arms and cry?
I felt like a shell of myself, a ticking bomb that could explode at any moment.
“Cerberus… i am trying to be here for you, i know what happened is...” she began, her voice soft, pleading, but I cut her off, my anger spilling out like poison.
“You don’t understand, Mene!” I snapped, finally turning to face her. My eyes burned with a mix of rage and sorrow, my vision blurring as I tried to focus on her but the tears were already at the verge of falling. “You can’t understand. They all left. All of them. the gods—they left me, abandoned me, because that’s all I’m worth. I’m just a tool, a weapon, something to be used and discarded when it’s no longer needed. And then the one person.. the one person who I thought would stay with me regardless... he’s left me too. So please, don’t say you’re here for me when I know you are not going to keep that promise too..”
She opened her mouth to speak, but she did not say anything. It was as if at a loss of words.
She pitied me.... I felt something bitter in my mouth as I watched the way she looked at me.
I was shaking now, , my chest heaving as I struggled to keep it together. “ no one cares about me. No one does. Not Hades, not the gods, not anyone. I’m alone, Mene. I’ve always been alone. And you… you should leave too. Before you end up just like them.”
Her eyes were wide, filled with an emotion I couldn’t decipher, and for a moment, I thought she might actually listen, might turn and walk away like I’d told her to. Part of me wanted her to, needed her to, so I could sink into the despair that had become this nagging feeling at the back of my mind But another part, a smaller, quieter part, was terrified of that possibility, terrified of losing the only person who had ever truly seen me. She did not even bait an eyelash when she saw mu true form.
“Cerberus,” she said, her voice steady. “You’re not alone. I’m here. I won’t leave you, no matter what you say, and honestly , I am kind of offended you would compare other gods to me” she said in a straight voice that I would have missed she was teasing me if I were not looking at her face.
“Rest, Cerberus,” she said, her voice soft as a lullaby. “You’ve done enough. Let me take care of you now.” I felt trapped as her hands circled me. It was as though I had no control of my body
And with those words, I let go, surrendering to the darkness, trusting that in her arms, I was safe.