E L E A N O RMy entire body trembles as I try to lower myself onto the bed. I reach for the stack of letters on the floor, but just as I begin gathering them, a wave of nausea hits me out of nowhere. My head tilts forward involuntarily, followed closely by a sharp, twisting pain in my stomach. I clutch my abdomen, a low groan slipping through my lips as I force myself to breathe evenly, trying to calm my nerves and find some kind of stability.Then it comes — a burning heat crawling up my spine, so intense it’s impossible to ignore. My mouth opens in a scream before I can stop it, and tears gather at the corners of my eyes. I don’t even realize how loud I was until Perseus bursts into the room, the door slamming shut behind him as he rushes toward me.“Eleanor! Eleanor, what’s going on? Are you alright?” he asks frantically, practically sliding across the room to reach me. His hands grip my shoulders gently, steadying me as he kneels in front of me, trying to meet my eyes.“I... I do
A U T H O R “Please help me,” Perseus said, the words barely leaving his throat as it cracked with panic. He held Asmodeus back by the arm, gripping it like it was the only thing keeping him upright. “She’s gone through a miscarriage before. I can’t do this to her again. I can’t. There has to be a way.” Asmodeus let out a slow, tired sigh, one that made Perseus’ heart pound faster. Then, without a word, he gently peeled Perseus’ hand off him and walked toward the window. He closed the blinds, sealing them inside a room that suddenly felt like it was shrinking with every second. “There’s more to your wife than you know, Perseus. A lot more,” Asmodeus said as he crossed over to the door of his stall and shut it with a quiet finality. “Things even I’m just beginning to uncover.” Perseus dropped onto one of the stools at the counter, his eyes locked on Asmodeus, bloodshot and burning from everything he had seen, everything he feared. He felt like he was unraveling slowly—no, not slowly
E L E A N O RMy head is pounding—loud, steady thuds against the inside of my skull—as I slowly rise from the bed. The room is quiet. Empty. But the faint smell of herbs still lingers in the air, earthy and sharp. My eyes fall on the small bundle of dried leaves and roots neatly arranged on the bedside table. Jeremiah was here. I must have been out cold for hours, maybe longer.Next to the herbs, I notice the cloth I had used to wrap the box from my mother’s studio. It's still sitting exactly where I left it. Untouched.A different scent drifts toward me—familiar, subtle, but unmistakable.Perseus.He’s been here. Recently too. I inhale sharply, holding onto the scent like it's proof that he still cares, that he still sees me. But then the guilt creeps in, crawling up my spine and settling heavy in my chest. He’s still ignoring me. Not a word. Not a glance. Not a single explanation. And I’m just here… waiting.How long before he
E L E A N O RIt's dark. Everywhere is. Thick, heavy darkness wraps around everything like a suffocating blanket. From somewhere in the distance, a wolf howls, followed by the low hoot of an owl and the constant croaking of frogs. Each sound slices through the still night, sending chills racing down my spine. The wind brushes against my bare arms—cool, sharp, almost whispering.I glance down. My feet are bare, brushing over cold, damp soil. Leaves crunch softly beneath me, dry and brittle against the moist earth. The trees around me stretch endlessly toward the sky, their canopies clawing at the clouds, blocking out what little moonlight filters through. But there’s light—unusual, eerie.The air carries a reddish tint, like something out of a nightmare. I stumble toward a small puddle, drawn by the shimmer on its surface. My breath catches in my throat. Reflected in the water is the moon, but it isn’t silver or white.It’s red.Blood red.A deep, sickening shade that churns my stomach
E L E A N O RI search through the room, my fingers brushing over shelves, digging through cabinets, scanning for anything—anything that could serve as proof. The vision I had was one thing. That glimpse, that eerie clarity—it might’ve been a warning. But I need something solid. Tangible. Real.I open every drawer, check behind every picture frame, knocking gently on the walls for hidden hollows. Trinkets are scattered around, random, almost meaningless on their own—an old stamp book, a dusty coin collection, a broken pendant—but together, they feel like a trail. Like she left them for me.A sharp pain cuts through my stomach, sudden and violent. I pause, breath catching in my throat. I try to move again, to push through it, but it comes back, harder this time. My knees nearly buckle and I stumble backward into the chair behind me. I press my palm to my abdomen, biting down on a groan that escapes anyway. It’s not just discomfort—this is something else.The sun’s already sinking behin
E L E A N O R The studio is dusty. Not just slightly dusty—years-of-neglect dusty. Every piece of canvas is covered with white sheets, all yellowed with age. Even the grand piano, sitting in the center like an old ghost of music past, is veiled in a thin, brittle cloth. I hold a lantern in my hand, the flame flickering with every step as I carefully make my way across the creaky wooden floor, weaving through dusty tables, brittle palettes crusted with dried paint, and jars full of forgotten, hardened brushes. I reach the window and push it open. It creaks loudly, resisting me at first, before finally yielding. Light spills into the room in a rush, cutting through the gloom like a sword. It bounces off the glass jars, hits the white sheets and reveals more than I was prepared for. Cobwebs lace across the corners of the walls and dangle from the shelves like nature’s forgotten decorations. Dust particles float mid-air, dancing in the sunlight like they’ve been waiting for an audienc