[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian had long since finished cleaning and washing the dishes. By now, he was rely giving dea and dusa their well-deserved privacy — a rare opportunity for them to reminisce and reconnect without interruption.
'This might actually take a while, won't it…' Lucian thought wearily, shaking his head with a soft sigh. 'Won.' He leaned back against the sink, folding his arms, resigning himself to a long wait.
After what felt like an eternity, dea's voice finally broke through the quiet, sounding sowhat amused.
"Anyways, I think we've chatted enough for today, don't you agree?" she said lightly.
"What are you talking about? You're the one who did most of the talking," dusa imdiately shot back, her tone dry and teasing. "We both know you just love the sound of your own voice."
The comnt was enough to spark yet another playful argunt between the two, their voices bouncing off the stone walls as they bickered back and forth like two stubborn siblings.
Lucian let out a deep breath and facepald, rubbing his temples in mild exasperation.
"Be sure to co down here and visit , alright?!" dea called out loudly, her voice filled with a forceful cheer that made it clear she would not accept any form of refusal.
"What do you an 'co and visit you'? That's no different than telling to go and kill myself!" dusa shouted back, her voice rising in indignation.
"As long as you understand my ssage," dea responded sweetly, her tone as polite and sophisticated as ever, as if she hadn't just delivered a verbal blow.
"You should have been burned at the stake," dusa cursed under her breath in ancient Greek.
In response, dea simply began blowing exaggerated kisses through the crystal ball, giggling. "Love you too~ Now, let say goodbye to Lucian. That boy doesn't even call unless I call him first. Who knows how long it'll be before I hear from him again?"
Lucian finally re-entered the room, hands tucked casually into his pockets.
"The most I haven't called was three days. Relax," he muttered with a tired sigh.
"Three days too many," dea pouted dramatically. "And now, you only ever call when it's for lessons on magic, not to spend ti with your dear, sweet Mommy."
Lucian chuckled awkwardly but said nothing. After so final, playful exchanges, dea's image in the crystal ball began to fade, dissolving into a mist before the crystal itself began to shrink rapidly. Within monts, it had diminished to the size of a marble. Lucian extended his hand, and the small red orb zipped toward his ring, embedding itself seamlessly into the skull-shaped design.
He absentmindedly wiggled his fingers, watching the ring glint under the dim lighting. However, before he could get lost in thought, he felt a gentle hand reach out and ruffle his hair — hair that had grown long past his nape and now brushed against his shoulders.
"Thank you," dusa said warmly, her voice filled with rare sincerity. She rested her chin lightly on her fist atop the table, smiling up at him with a softness that took him by complete surprise. "It's been over a decade since I last spoke with her. I'm truly grateful you gave the chance to catch up with an old friend."
Lucian froze, staring at her. She looked different when she smiled like that — lighter, younger almost. Her teeth peeked out as she smiled, her head tilted charmingly to one side. For a mont, the world around him blurred, and all he could think was, 'I wouldn't mind seeing that smile every day...'
Realizing he was staring, Lucian shook his head hastily, clearing the thought from his mind.
"Don't worry about it," he said, scratching the back of his head. "It's sothing I should've done a long ti ago. I shouldn't have kept putting it off."
dusa chuckled softly, clearly amused by his awkwardness. "Regardless, I'm grateful," she said, her voice full of fondness.
Lucian shifted in place, uncomfortable under the genuine warmth of her gaze. Still, sothing weighed heavily on his mind — sothing he had been debating whether or not to bring up. Gathering his resolve, he cleared his throat.
"Speaking of putting things off…" he began hesitantly. "How would you feel if I said I could… get rid of the curse placed on you?"
The air between them shifted instantly.
dusa's smile faltered, slowly fading into a colder, more guarded expression. Her eyes hardened, and for a mont, Lucian wondered if he had crossed a line he could never uncross.
"I would have been furious," she said slowly, voice dropping dangerously low, "if you were joking. I would have thought you were making light of sothing that ruined my life."
"Would have?" Lucian repeated cautiously, picking up on the deliberate choice of words.
dusa nodded, her gaze softening ever so slightly. "However… while I may not have known you for very long, I know enough to say you aren't the type to make jokes about sothing like this."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him, her curiosity apparent. "So, why do you say you can remove my curse?"
"Because I can," Lucian answered simply, his voice steady with conviction. "I possess a special ability — though I never bothered to na it properly until now. Let's just call it [Curse-Eater] for now."
dusa arched a brow, intrigued despite herself.
"You see, I specialize in dealing with curses," Lucian continued, crossing his arms. "And this ability of mine allows to literally digest and absorb curses from others. To put it simply… I can eat away your curse."
"I see…" dusa murmured, placing a thoughtful hand under her chin. Her erald eyes flickered with cautious hope. "Let ask you this then: would it harm you? Would taking on my curse hurt you in any way?"
Lucian smiled, sensing that despite her own desperate desire to be free, she was still more concerned for him than herself. It touched him more than he could say.
"On the contrary," he replied. "Digesting your curse would actually help . When I absorb a curse, my own magical power grows stronger. Eating your curse would benefit more than it would hurt ."
dusa closed her eyes for a mont, "Right, with who your parents are, you possessing such an ability wouldn't be far-fetched."
When she opened them again, her eyes shimred with unshed tears, heavy with years of longing and hopelessness that were finally cracking.
"If that's truly the case… Please, Lucian," she whispered, her voice trembling, "Please… help . Help be free."
Lucian gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Of course. All you had to do was ask," he said, his tone gentle.
dusa gave a shaky laugh, brushing a few stray locks of hair behind her ear, her expression deeply touched. Without hesitation, she stood up, pushing back her chair and facing him squarely.
"Alright," she said, determination flashing in her eyes, "what do you need to do?"
Lucian chuckled, motioning for her to co closer.
"Nothing at all," he said casually. "Just stand there and let enjoy a five-course al~"
dusa stood before Lucian, reaching slowly for her glasses. She knew full well that, thanks to Lucian's own cursed eyes, her petrifying gaze would have no effect on him. As she removed them, her form began to subtly shift. Her once-tad hair stirred restlessly, transforming into a writhing mass of serpents, each one hissing and baring its fangs. Her pupils narrowed into deadly slits, shimring with an ancient and dangerous power.
"Before we begin," dusa said softly, her voice carrying a strange mix of warning and resignation, "I feel it's only fair to tell you the true nature of my curse. Most people believe that my punishnt was simply being turned into a Gorgon... and while that's partially true, it's a misconception I never bothered to correct."
Lucian tilted his head slightly, confusion plain on his face as he watched her. dusa rely shook her head with a rueful smile.
"I have sisters, you know. We're called the Gorgon sisters, after all. Why wouldn't I have been a Gorgon to begin with?" She chuckled bitterly. "What I lost that day was far greater than just my purity... I lost my freedom." Her voice lowered, heavy with centuries of unspoken pain. "The curse the gods placed on stripped of my autonomy. It shackled to the monstrous form you see now, made unable to revert to my forr self. I was dood to remain a beast for all eternity, and anyone who dared et my eyes would be turned into stone."
She closed her eyes for a mont, breathing deeply before continuing.
"Gorgons were not originally monsters," she whispered. "But after the curse, that was all the world ever saw as — a creature to be feared, hunted, and slain for glory. Demigods ca from far and wide to claim my head as a trophy, proof they had vanquished a monster." Her gaze softened as she looked down at Lucian. Her smile — sad, hollow, beautiful — spoke of a depth of sorrow that words could never fully convey. "The gods stole from the two most sacred things a being could possess: my freedom... and my purity. That is the true nature of my curse."
Lucian lowered his head, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. A heavy silence hung between them before he finally spoke, his voice low and pained.
"I'm sorry…" he murmured.
dusa opened her mouth to protest, to tell him that she hadn't spoken her story to elicit pity or apology, but Lucian raised a hand to stop her.
"I'm not apologizing for what happened to you," Lucian said, his voice gaining strength. "I'm apologizing for what I can't give you back. Your purity... it's sothing beyond my ability to restore. And for that, I am truly, deeply sorry."
Slowly, he lifted his head, his crimson eyes locking with her serpentine gaze. They glowed brilliantly, like twin embers burning in the darkness.
"But," he continued, "what I can give back to you… is your freedom."
dusa stared at him, stunned, before closing her eyes and smiling — a soft, genuine smile full of gratitude and unexpected hope.
"That," she whispered, "is more than I ever dread of receiving."
Lucian moved closer, the shadows around him rising like smoke, lifting him to her level. "May I?" he asked quietly, extending a hand toward her.
dusa chuckled, her voice warm. "Yes, Lucian," she said with amusent, "you have my permission to touch ."
Lucian's hand gently cupped her cheek. dusa flinched instinctively, the serpents in her hair hissing and baring their fangs at him in warning. Yet she stood her ground, allowing his touch.
Lucian closed his eyes — and in the next instant, dusa's snapped wide open, her pupils dilating and turning pitch black. Her mouth opened wordlessly as she stared upward, her body stiff and trembling.
Lucian's eyes shot open just as he felt an overwhelming surge of malevolent energy, far more ancient and corrosive than he had anticipated. Horror flashed across his face, but before he could react, dusa let loose a wail — no, a roar — a sound so raw, so powerful, so soaked in millennia of resentnt and hatred that the very air quaked around them.
The shockwave blasted Lucian backward like a ragdoll, his body smashing through the nearby wall, crashing through statues, and splintering another wall beyond it. He skidded violently across the dirt, tumbling like a broken doll, before slamming hard into a massive tree. The force shattered the trunk, toppling it with a thunderous crack.
Lucian lay trembling, coughing up blood, his chest heaving with shallow breaths. Every inch of his body scread in protest.
"Damn it..." he wheezed, barely able to get the words out. "My greed really will be the death of …"
Suddenly, a monstrous, inhuman roar tore through the sky, shaking the ground beneath him. Birds erupted from the trees in frantic flocks, fleeing the unnatural sound.
Lucian grimaced, covering his ears against the deafening noise as he struggled onto all fours.
"Just my damn luck," he groaned, spitting blood into the dirt. "Of course the curse would turn sentient the mont I make contact with it! You've gotta be kidding !"
He staggered to his feet, glaring up at the trembling sky.
"Co on, Fates!" he cried out angrily. "I thought you were supposed to be on my side!?"
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