Ch. 134: Bonus Chapter — Untold Pains
I tapped away at my laptop, desperate to find any information I could about this Pandora character. She didn't seem to exist in the database, unless she was soone who had been illegally hidden from it. The thought of being outsmarted again gnawed at like a rat chewing through fabric. I could not stand to lose like that again, to lose to Mr. Anonymous the way I had once done. He had played , had dancing on his ropes while Hades chased his calamities. I would stop Mr. Anonymous myself— most preferably outsmart him rather than fight him physically.
It was always a bore to get physical. I thrived on strategy, on manipulation, on weaving webs of deception.
As I worked, I felt sothing trickling down my nose. I instinctively wiped it away with the back of my hand, only to notice the red liquid staining my skin. Blood? I was bleeding? I glanced at the screen, my mind racing. Was it because I was overworking myself and hadn't slept in days?
"Damnit," I cursed under my breath as the reality of my situation hit . I needed to get a napkin to wipe off the blood, but leaving my seat felt like hell. As my legs touched the ground, they pulsed like firecrackers, rattling . I had fallen asleep from sitting in the chair too long, practically having to lean against the wall just to keep myself upright.
Usually, I would stretch my legs while I worked, but now I was too engrossed in my research. I never once lived a healthy lifestyle, but still, I wondered if I was playing it safe.
My lips were dry, my stomach empty. I hadn't eaten since I had emptied the snack bag on my table. After Hades left, I had done all I could to be of use to him.
Did I push myself too hard?
I hated working at a lower operating efficiency; it always caused work loss. So, I made my way to the fridge and devoured whatever junk food I could find. Fruits? No way. I hated them. Anything green was a no for — too many mories from when Hephaestus would force to eat my veggies, making suffer through every bite.
Thinking about Hephaestus made my head ache again, and my mind blanked out. The next mont, I opened my eyes and found myself back at my table, working my butt off. I sifted through every file that could relate to the Circle or Poseidon.
I wanted nothing to do with the guilt I felt about the past, so I worked harder, multitasking and burying myself in my tasks. But the emotions battling within persisted, creating a bottleneck until I could no longer ignore them. I shut down.
When I next woke up, I was sprawled on the floor, my body flat against the cold surface. I felt hot, and my eyes fell on the clear black inkings on my hands, indicating the activation of my curse. The curse of knowledge— the more I knew, the more I forgot.
I curled into a ball, gnashing my teeth as I battled the searing pain spreading across my body. What was this feeling deep in the pit of my stomach? It felt like icy waters. The more I tried to forget, the more it returned. Hephaestus' face right before he died haunted , knowing he had died without accepting my apology. It made feel cold.
I did the right thing by rejecting him. To be honest, I had never cared about his apology. But watching him die before made wonder if I would have been happy had I just forgiven him.
I hated emotions
. They always held people back. Every one of my cases was fueled by a misuse of emotion. Emotions were a setback; all I wanted was to forget everything— every pain and every ounce of guilt that weighed down.
Maybe the curses weren't really curses. Maybe it was just who I was underneath. What I truly wanted was to be soone who was not tied to anyone.
"Ahhhhh!!" I scread, an unearthly shriek tearing from my throat as the cursed marks began to burn more intensely across my body. As I felt the pain, a deeper recess of my soul found comfort in the thought of forgetting everything. My phone rang, breaking from my self-delusional state.
Did my phone ever ring before? I thought it was on vibrate. No, wait. I had never set it on vibrate because I had never received calls.
I mustered every ounce of strength left in my feeble body to sit up just as the cursed marks faded from . I reached for my phone, and when I saw the na displayed on the screen, my heart sank.
"Broody." I recalled that was what I had saved Hades' contact as.
Why had I really done that? I was not a fan of humor, yet I had made that choice. Sotis I just didn't get myself.
I didn't pick up the call. Instead, I watched it end before going to the chat icon and initiating a chat with Hades. He must be checking in for an update from at the mont.
"Don't call, chat, dummy." —Midnight Bird
I sighed as if sothing heavy had lifted off my chest. I did not know what would have happened if he had not called. Would I have been consud by my curse and beco a mindless automaton?
"Talos?" —Hades
My thumbs glided across the screen at a rapid speed.
"Aphrodite? The alliance? What's the progress?" —Midnight Bird
I broke it down, careful not to sound too eager for the new developnts.
"Aphrodite's in. I made Hers confess to the murder of Hades. Talos found out. It'll take ti to recover from this." —Hades
So, he had already gone that far.
"So the alliance is failing then." —Midnight Bird
I had to wait a while before I received a response.
"You don't have to always say things like that!" —Hades
I wondered what he ant by that. Wasn't I just speaking the truth to him?
"It's the truth." —You
My racing heart began to calm as the effects of the cursed mark faded. I could breathe again.
"How are things on your side? Most especially, how are you coping?" —Hades
I raised an eyebrow. Was he still focused on that night? I was fine.
"I'm fine. Back to work." —You
"Couldn't find info on Pandora yet. Will update you when I do, though." —You
I typed even faster than usual, but this ti my heart wasn't racing.
For soone who worked quickly, waiting for his reply felt like waiting an eternity.
"Don't push yourself too hard." —Hades
I stared at the screen, doing nothing. Even now, he was still looking out for .
"Go, have so sleep." —Hades
Sleep? I would have scoffed at the humor, but I didn't. Could I rest knowing there was a killer out there on the loose?
My thoughts spiraled into chaos, each one pulling deeper into a well of anxiety. No matter what, I would win this. I had to. The stakes were too high.
Suddenly, the screen flickered, and an alert popped up. My heart raced. It was a notification— another file had been added to the database. I clicked on it, my breath hitching in my throat.
"Potential lead on Pandora found."
My mind reeled. I had to know more, but as I opened the file, a new ssage appeared on my screen, pulling from my focus.
"Talos, we need to talk. It's urgent."
The ssage was from an unknown number, but it sent a shiver down my spine. I hesitated, my finger hovering over the screen. Should I respond?
"Who is this?"
I typed back, but the answer I received left reeling.
"Soone who knows about Pandora. et at the old clock tower. Midnight."
My pulse quickened as dread settled in my gut. The clock tower was a place I had avoided ever since the incident that left scarred. It was a beacon of mories I wanted to forget, but now, it was a summons I could not ignore.
I needed answers. I needed to find Pandora.
"Talos?" I murmured to myself, the na feeling heavy in my mouth. I had faced fear before, but this felt different— like stepping into the abyss without knowing what awaited on the other side.
As I stared at the ssage, the cursed marks on my skin began to glow faintly, reminding of the pain I had tried to bury.
"I'll be there."
I hit send, my heart pounding as I stood. The room felt like it was closing in on , the walls whispering secrets I didn't want to hear.
What awaited at the clock tower? Would it be Pandora, or sothing worse?
The questions clawed at as I prepared to leave, uncertainty and dread swirling in my chest. I grabbed my jacket and my phone, the gravity of my decision weighing heavily on my shoulders.
As I stepped out into the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
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