Achilles
Why couldn't she remember her name? Where was she?
...Why was it so cold?
Those were the first coherent thoughts of a lost young woman. And just as soon as she had those thoughts, she felt the cold wisp of the air bite at her skin. Almost reflexively, the young woman closed her arms, hugging herself in a vain effort to ward away the chill. Yet, even that lonely embrace was devoid of warmth, as she felt the unnatural air flow along her bare skin.
Bare skin? Wasn't it burnt?
... Why did she think that?
The girl let out a pained grunt, a sharp pain instantly forming against her temple, worming its way through her head as the sudden flare quelled her meagre complaints of frost. If anything, she began pining for the numbing cold—it was painfully lonely, but it didn't hurt—yet her body felt neither heat nor chill, her senses slowly being overwhelmed by the paralyzing sensation of the mysterious wound. It was though her very nerves were protesting, convulsing and trembling with a growing sense of being torn apart, the sharp bite snaking through her-
"...t ... ild..."
The young woman opened her eyes, not even realizing that the twisted pain had forced them shut. Whether it was through intuition or instinct, the woman had found herself trying to find its source. Her verdant eyes began scanning her surroundings, and for the first time, she had noticed that she was alone in a room of pitch black. Where was she? What was that noise? What's going on?
"...rr ...y ch...d..."
Once again, a voice echoed, barely carried forth by the wind. This time, the broken words carried a soft air about them, each shattered syllable gliding through the stale air. No, it wasn't stale... Not anymore. Following in the wake of that lilting aria was a gentle breeze, a faint mist of something that felt familiar to her. Calming. Soft.
It was then that the girl noticed her surroundings. No longer were they a smothered room of empty darkness; instead, a comfortable twilight seemed to illuminate the room. It wasn't quite light, and it wasn't quite dark, but it was more than enough for the redhead to gather her bearings. Gather herself.
... Wait. She wasn't hurting anymore. She wasn't cold anymore.
"...Worry not, my child..."
The voice was clear this time, yet the woman was still unable to find its source. Curiosity fueled her this time, her gaze shifting from corner to corner as she tried to find the owner of those calming words. Why was it so familiar to her? And why did it keep calling her its child? Did it know who she was?
Curiosity was replaced by necessity, a desire for knowledge and for answers. The redhead spun around, then spun around again, searching in vain for that mysterious voice. That mysterious voice that now stood silent. It was there, right? She wasn't going crazy, right?
But nothing answered her. Not even the wind was willing to offer the young woman solace, as dormant and still as the rest of the world around her. A different kind of cold washed over the young woman, and she fell to the floor. She could feel a pit growing in her stomach, and while she didn't quite understand the cause... she felt its effects. She wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, pulling them close to her, trying to accomplish... something. And yet, she...!
"Shh... Do not cry... You're safe now, my child."
In an instant, her worries washed away, as she felt the comforting sensation of a tender embrace. Once more, she heard the tender voice of the mysterious... woman. Yes, the voice was definitely female. Almost motherly... Was that why she was calling the young woman her child?
At those thoughts, the redhead froze. These words... what if they weren't meant for her? She didn't know who she was, let alone the mysterious voice. And even if she knew nothing else, the young woman knew that it was wrong to... find comfort in this misunderstanding. The redhead gathered her strength, taking in a deep breath before reluctantly crawling back up to her feet.
She could feel the comforting air turn into one of confused hesitance. It still had the same warmth as before, but now it seemed to carry a hint of worry, mixed with curiosity and concern.
The young woman couldn't let this continue. Even as she felt her voice freeze in her throat, the redhead forced herself to confront the issue. She clenched her eyes, letting out a breath that she didn't know she held, before whispering to the air.
"I'm... Sorry... But I don't think I know you. Who are you?"
There was a pregnant pause, and the warmth slowly pulled away. Yet, the redhead could still feel the mysterious woman's presence, completely transformed from concern to curiosity. She had to force herself to turn around, but the young woman needed to confront this well-meaning stranger. She was in the wrong, after all, and she needed to apologize.
The young woman turned around... and saw a woman of flowing hair and aquamarine robes. If she had to use one word, would she call her beautiful? Yes, but not because of her aesthetics. While this mysterious lady-of-blue was fair in her own right, the first thing the redhead truly noticed was the air of concern around her. This woman seemed to carry herself, not in vanity or pride, but in-
"You... Who are you? ...What are you doing here?"
Whatever thoughts the redhead was entertaining was quickly halted by the sudden question. New thoughts grew in their place, as the question echoed into the young woman's mind. Her brow furrowed, and her green eyes instantly fell to the featureless floor as she tried to come up with an answer.
But neither the dull floor nor her fading memory could find an answer.
"I... I don't know. I'm sorry, miss..." The redhead's voice trailed off, shame replacing whatever mood had taken her prior. Part of her instantly curled back on itself, trying to hide from the-
"Thetis."
The woman's soft voice spoke out, breaking the young woman out from her thoughts. This still wasn't enough to calm her, however, and the lost little woman hesitantly turned her gaze back to the mysterious blue lady. "I'm... sorry?"
"My name is Thetis." She was greeted by a welcoming smile. However, that smile faltered slightly as the woman stared back at her, the corner of her lips curling downwards slightly. "And... I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know who you are either."
That was enough to bring the woman back down. Still, at least the myster- No, Thetis was willing to talk with her, right? The redhead gave a soft smile at that thought, enjoying the idea of being treated as... Not crazy? Normal? Yes, normal. That was enough for her.
"Do not lose hope, young one. Just because I don't know who you are doesn't mean I can't find out." Thetis' voice filled the air once more, the same comforting tone that had washed away the redhead's previous sorrow. "That is, if you want me to. If you simply want to ... lie down and rest, you may do that too."
The redhead could barely spot the regret that appeared on Thetis' face as she spoke that last sentence. Why was she so crestfallen about the idea of ... resting?
Well, that didn't matter. The young woman wanted to know who she was, and where she was, more than she wanted to nap. So, without a second thought, she turned to face the lady-in-blue proper.
"Miss Thetis-"
"Tut tut. I said my name was Thetis." The blue-robed woman playfully pouted at the redhead, wagging a finger at her. "Now, try again."
"Sorry, Thetis." The mysterious woman in question smiled this time. "If it's not too much trouble... I would like your help in finding out who I am."
Thetis' smile faded this time, turning to one of resolution, her eyes fixing themselves on the redhead's verdant green eyes. "Are you certain, young one?"
There was only one answer she could give. Matching the woman's determined stare with her own, the redhead nodded in response. "Yes, I am."
And then the darkness faded to white.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
A masculine voice snapped the redhead out of her reverie. Reverie? Was that what that was? No... it was something else. Something important. Why couldn't she remember it? Yet, she couldn't afford to think on it now. Someone was addressing her for some reason, and she had to show them proper respect.
The myrmidon—wait, myrmidon? And yet, she noticed herself garbed in an armoured attire of red and gold. Perhaps she was a myrmidon.
Regardless, the young woman turned to the owner of the voice, only to find herself face to face with a... familiar figure. She couldn't place a name to the man, but there was something about the person and his tall, imposing stature. The man's hair was black, yet had flicks and traces of aged white. From his posture alone, the young woman could guess that, under normal circumstances, his face defaulted to an implacably stern frown.
So why was his head bowed towards her, his eyes face-down in shame?
"Please forgive me. I have angered you, and a cruel fate has befallen our warriors because of it."
Warriors? Angered? What had happened? More importantly... What happened to these warriors? Confusion was apparent on her face as she turned towards the man. There was something wrong with the way he bowed, as though it didn't fit. Yet... the apology was genuine. The redhead could hear that in his voice, and it honestly tore the man up. Just what had happened?
"I committed a terrible deed against you, for the sake of-"
"Please, don't speak of it anymore." The myrmidon hushed the warrior. General? The military man. She could see that it was something important and painful. "Whatever it was... I forgive you. It was necessary, wasn't it?"
She still didn't know what it was, but... she had a feel that that was the truth.
"... Do you truly...?" Disbelief washed over the older man, as he turned his gaze up to face the young woman, blue eyes staring straight up at her.
The redhead only offered him a reassuring smile and a gentle nod.
At that moment, the general's expression changed. No longer in awe, the man straightened his posture, putting on a professional air as he settled his gaze on the young woman once again. That's when she noticed that his eyes were no longer blue, but a faint... silver?
"... You hold not the wrath. Perhaps you are not her child."
And before she could even question the sudden shift in tone, the redhead's vision faded to black.
Once again, the myrmidon found herself free of her lucid daydream. Was that what it was? Yes, that must've been it... all she could remember was a vaguely masculine voice and the faint glow of... white? Steel? No, it was something.
As much as she would've liked to figure it out, she was now awake, and that meant she had to figure out what she was-
A sudden knock tore the woman from her thoughts. A common occurrence as of late, but one she found surprisingly simple to accept. Rather than complain about it, she made her way to the door, opening it to find... A blonde man about her age. A blonde teenager? Her heart froze instantly, some part of her recognizing the stranger, as her green eyes found themselves drawn to his blue eyes.
His dull blue eyes, heavy with desperation. Just what had happened?
"...Please. I beg of you. At least... lend me your armour?" His voice was heavy with sorrow, and the young woman instantly placed it as... concern. Concern for who, she could not say, but she knew full well that the young man before her was willing to go through any lengths to help... whoever it was he intended to help.
The myrmidon took only a moment to glance at the armour he had pointed to, a brilliant plate of mysterious metal. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed it, handing it to the young man, before drawing her own equipment.
To say that the man was surprised would be an understatement. Yet, before he could question the redhead's actions, she took the opportunity to speak out first.
"Let's go. I know that look anywhere. We're going to help someone, right?" Those words came naturally to her, flowing from her lips the moment her mind birthed them. Yet, that was who she was, and rather than question it, she flashed the blonde a smile.
And that's when she noticed that the teenager's face was no longer haggard. Instead of the desperate exhaustion in his gaze, there was a... serene smile. His cerulean eyes were replaced by silver, and he looked so... different from before.
"You hold not the pride... Perhaps you are not her child."
Part of her wanted to question the sudden change, but only a small part; the rest of her prepared for what came next.
She awoke once more, and this time, she wasn't going to be fooled. These were daydreams or lucid dreams or whatever. Something was definitely going on, and she was going to find out what.
Each of these events seemed related to... something. A coherent story, perhaps? Yet, for all their similarities to things she knew, the underlying tone was something fundamentally foreign to her. The redhead had no real idea what was going on. And really, acting on disjointed maybe-dreams probably wasn't the best way to-
"Hey! Brat! You gonna stand there all day?"
Okay, she had a small track record for being suddenly interrupted by mysterious voices, but she could hardly be blamed this time. Unlike the vague wisps of tones she barely remember from her earlier... dreams, this one was deliberate and lively. She immediately turned her attention to the source, only for her eyes to widen as she saw the owner of the voice.
Laying flat on the ground beneath her, pressed against the stone floor, was another familiar face. However, there were three key differences between this one and the previous ones: Firstly, this face evoked a sensation of disgust and animosity, which was only furthered by the smirk he seemed to wear; secondly, the air that this man carried around him was in stark contrast to his previous dreams, making them feel like actual dreams in comparison; And thirdly? He had her spear driven firmly into his stomach.
That was enough to snap the redhead out of her thoughts.
"Ahh!" She jumped back, pulling back her weapon as she did so. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea, as the well-dressed man gave out a second pained cry.
"Ghhk-! Damnit kid! Are you trying to kill me?"
Despite the man's enthusiasm, the myrmidon could could see that she had... inflicted a grave wound. Surprise instantly switched to concern as she knelt down beside the man, his white suit slowly growing redder with each passing moment.
"A-are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Wait, really? That's your first question?" The suited criminal—her gut told her that he was a criminal—seemed to laugh at her words... Though it was more of a dry chuckle. Pained chuckle, an attempt to make light of a dark situation. A fake smile.
Why'd she recognize that of all things?
"Heh. You really did a number on me, kid." Yet, he continued flashing it at her, one hand trailing down to his stomach as he poked at the wound. "But really... that's your first question? C'mon, you know as well as I do that I'm not coming back from this. Your messed up weapon stops wounds from healing, remember?"
The suited man tried to chuckle again, but broke out into pained coughs instead.
She didn't even need to see the criminal's wound to know that it was getting worse. Yet, she wouldn't let someone die, just because they were-
"Oh, wipe that look off your face, kid." Against any sort of common sense, the criminal slowly tried to sit himself up, one hand propped against his signature cane as he tried to steady himself. This did little to assuage the redhead's concerns, though, and she was about to say something before he spoke out once more.
"You and I both know I deserve it."
He smiled at her once more... Only this time, it was genuine.
The redhead froze, her green eyes fixed on the criminal's own hazy eyes. There was no question anymore: She was going to do something about the person dying right in front of her.
She wanted to say that she didn't know why, but the myrmidon was never one to lie to herself: She of all people knew what labels and images meant, and how much could be buried behind a facade.
So to hear that this man truly believe he deserved his fate? Well... That meant he had something inside him, right? Something that recognized he had chosen his lot in life, and regretted it. Sure, it might not be much, and she might even be wrong, but... what if she wasn't? What if there was something else he could be besides what circumstance had railroaded him into?
"Okay, calm down for a minute cereal box." Once again, the man spoke up. However, this time, he did so with neither pain nor stress.
The redhead's eyes widened, shifting down to the man's stomach, only to see that his wound was completely gone. Her gaze shifted back up to the criminal, only to find his back turned towards her.
"Obviously, you brats don't learn anything about life. Stuff like the world being unfair just doesn't get through to you, huh?"
She couldn't see his expression this time, and his words were tempered enough that she didn't know whether he was being fake or genuine.
"So, you know what? Do whatever. I don't care." And with that, the criminal began walking off into the darkness. The redhead tried to stop him, but found herself completely unable to move.
"Oh, and before I forget... I'm supposed to say something cryptic and annoying, but we both know who you are and who you aren't."
Just what did he-
Her eyes opened. Truly opened.
Was it all a dream? Her first thought was that it wasn't, that it was some weird journey that this place—where ever she was—had forced her through. But then she felt the warm fabric of a blanket, the soft support of a mattress... The dim glow of a soothing candle. Had she really been asleep?
"Perhaps... Or perhaps not."
That voice.
"Thetis...?"
"That's right... And you, little one... I think I've finally figured out who you are."
The redhead froze at that statement. Had she really? She turned her gaze over to lady-in-blue, eager anticipation on her face.
"Really? You know wh-... what... What's going on?"
Anticipation was replaced by confusion and... not quite fear, but certainly trepidation. How could she feel anything else? After all, the woman named Thetis was seated beside the bed, her eyes practically glowing with a silver sheen, staring back down at the redhead.
"Shh... Worry not, child. You need only answer one last question, and all will be revealed."
There was something about the way she spoke that calmed the young woman down... And it wasn't forced, either. For all her mystery, Thetis clearly radiated an air of concern and worry. The redhead's intuition told her that, at the very least, this mysterious woman didn't mean her any harm... And she didn't really have much of a choice anyways. "What... What's the question?"
"Something simple, yet something so very profound." The air itself seemed to hum, as Thetis settled her gaze onto the warrior of bronze and red.
The young woman sat still, anxiety and uncertainty mixing together with a sense of anticipation and... a desire to finish it. To finally close the chapter on whatever it was this place had decided to push her through. "What...?"
"Tell me, child. What would you prefer?"
Thetis brought her left hand up, and an orb of pure white echoed though the darkness. Yet, rather than be blinded by the sight, the redhead saw the small sphere clearly... And in it, she saw herself, spear raised as she stood inside a Colosseum, beneath the cheers of thousands.
Thetis brought her right hand up, and an orb of brilliant blue washed over the shadows. Just as before, the flash of colour did little to dissuade the young woman, and just as before, the small sphere held an image of herself within: This time seated at a... table. With seven other people, laughing and chatting and talking about who knows what.
Her chest hurt. Her eyes flickered for just a moment. It was then that she understood the question, and it was then that she found her answer.
"To live a life of glory, flickering like a wondrous blaze? Or..."
"... To live a peaceful life, surrounded by obscurity, normality, and those close to me."
The redhead was not finishing her sentence, and Thetis knew this.
She was making a choice. One that the child of Thetis would never consider.
"So that is it. You are no child of mine." Though the words were harsh, the redhead felt no malice from them. Instead, she could feel... an endearing sense of pride. Thetis wrapped her arms around the redhead, pulling her into a loving embrace, and the young woman couldn't help but return the gesture.
"So... Are you going to tell me who I am?"
"Nope." The lady-in-blue popped the 'p' in the word, flashing the redhead a playful grin.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"Sorry, but you'll have to do better than that to get a straight answer from me." The lady-in-blue practically ruffled the redhead's hair, turning it from well-combed locks to a messy splay of red fibre. "Still... How about this? I'll tell you what you're not, okay?"
"Are you going to say I'm not your child again?" She wasn't sure why, but the redhead was actually happy about that little statement.
"Better! I'm going to tell you that you're not immortal."
"... What do you mean by that?"
Thetis flashed the young woman an obscure grin, chuckling at the confusion that was no doubt on the redhead's face. "Well, you see, you're the complete opposite of my child. I don't want to get into the whole what-he-is, what-you're-not, and vice versa, but you deserve to know this much, at least."
The silver-eyed woman settled her gaze firmly on the myrmidon.
"Where he chose glory, you chose humility. You chose acceptance where he chose fury. You chose forgiveness where he chose wrath."
Images began flickering in the air, small spheres appearing behind Thetis's form. Yet, despite their numbers, the redhead could hardly make out a thing, as each one seemed to dance with a distant blur.
"But most importantly, child... Where he chose fate... you chose destiny."
The woman's eyes widened. Just what did that mean?
...No. She knew what it meant.
"And that's why you're not immortal. Because, for all fate tried to recreate him in you... it failed."
Thetis smiled, bringing a hand up to the redhead's face as she gently stroked at the woman's hair. And honestly, the redhead couldn't see it as anything but motherly, a soft blanket of comfort as she felt her eyes begin to close. "This is my last present to you. After all, my child's final chapter ended with him far from his homeland... So wouldn't it be fitting for your chapter to begin near the steps of yours?"
Once more, darkness began creeping up at the edge of her vision...
"Young one... You need not seek immortality, For you already stand as a paragon of virtue, eschewing glory to rise above it all. From the infinite distance of death itself, I release your soul..."
"... And by my shoulder... I protect thee..."
Her eyes suddenly shot open, surprised at the sound of her voice leaving her lips. Where was she? Had she fallen asleep? What... what had happened? The redhead didn't know. Everything was a... blur. For some reason, she felt exhausted, her entire body sore. Not only that, but for some reason, the last thing she remembered was... fire?
But then... why was she so cold? Where was she?
And why didn't she remember her-
"...Pyrrha? Is that... really you?"