When Dunamis woke up, he didn't remember anything of the night before, or the mysterious whispers. His father was careful not to trigger a relapse of that night. Weeks passed, and the distance between them grew, as the man's interaction with his son dwindled into monosyllabic replies. They never physically touched for more than a moment, as the father would hurriedly move a few feet away. They never exchanged small talk, or even praises. The man could only watch, regretful, as Dunamis became more withdrawn and serious, hiding his emotions behind a blank, quiet façade.
But at night, as he listened to his son's cries as he struggled in one of his frequent nightmares, he told himself that it was the only way. To lessen the curse's influence on him, there had to be as little closeness or contact as possible. But still, he wished that he could have a little more of the time that was trickling like sand between his fingers.
Soon...I will...
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
"Father?" Dunamis was worried. His father had not been feeling well the last few days, and had been bedridden since the night before. His breathing was labored, he coughed frequently, and was in deep pain.
"Du...namis. You must...listen to me", his father managed to get out. One trembling hand reached for his neck, pulling a necklace into view from under his robes.
"This is...a curse..(cough)..that has been passed down to every guardian...since your ancestor took it in the place of King Zeus, to protect him from the terrible effects." Here he broke off to cough violently, his body convulsing. "Father! Don't speak, you need to re-"
"No!" The man was desperate now. He needed to warn his son before it was too late. "This curse...it calls you...like the Sirens. But you must resist...or it will take over...your mind and force y-" Here he stopped to cough again, blood splattering onto his hands and robes.
"Father! Please, you nee-", Dunamis begged.
"Listen to me!" His father gasped out,"Just listen to me! I only kept my distance...from you..(cough, cough)..because I wanted to prevent the curse. But it had already...begun to draw you. You must...guard this temple.I entrust this duty..(cough)..and Jupiter to you. I'm sorry. I have always lo-"
His body was suddenly racked by a violent fit as more blood sprayed from his lips.
Dunamis cried out,"No! Father, don't leave me! I don't wa-"
And then he was gone.
Dunamis could only stare at the twisted corpse, eyes wide and distressed, with tears streaming down his face.
"Father?"
...come...chosen descendent...your duty...and your destiny...awaits...
"Who's speaking?!"
...come...be devoured...this fate was already decided...by the heavens...
The whispers seemed almost familiar to the boy. Inexplicably, he found his hands reaching for the pendant around his father's neck. His father's neck...his dead father's...
No!
He drew back, disgusted with himself. This curse...I will fight it!
...why do you hesitate?...it is your fate...this man...is but an empty shell now...come...and sink deeper into the darkness...
The whispers were so loud now. They were drowning his every thought. Their words urged his fingers to move, to take the curse. Even as his hands closed around the crimson jewel, he wondered to himself. Why...why does my body succumb so easily to this necklace's words? Father...I'm so sorry. Already I have failed you.
...yes...soon the light from the sky will come...and he will rise...
The gold pieces clinked together as he lifted the pendant over his own head and let it fall against his chest. Instantly, the terrible whispers died into faint murmurs at the back of his mind. He was overcome by a sudden wave of crippling nausea. Darkness ate away at his vision and he fell.
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
A cloaked and goggled figure stood at the top of a stone structure. The person paused before walking slowly down the series of steps carved into the building's side.
"So the curse has been passed on. Looks like the guardian has finally died. The real question is, will his son join my cause willingly, or will I need to activate the curse?"
The figure stopped at the base of the structure, head tilted towards the night sky. The stars stared back silently, cold eyes forever watching in the night.
Far away, a child was grieving.
Far away, that child was falling.
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
It was so cold. But it didn't matter. Not anymore.
Dunamis stood by the tall pile of branches and twigs, a flickering torch in his hands. Beneath the firewood was the shrouded body of his father.
He felt oddly empty, almost disconnected, as if he'd cried himself dry of any feelings. But it didn't do much to numb the pain in his heart.
The murmurs in the back of his mind were mildly distracting, but he ignored them. After all, it was his own fault.
The necklace's red jewel flashed as he threw the torch on top of the pyre. Flames immediately flared up, dancing and crackling. Sparks arced through the air, spiraling wildly. Light and shadow danced across his face, gleaming off his dull eyes and reflecting off the pendant's facets.
He watched, silent, as the smoke curled up towards the stars.
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
A/N: Well, hope this chapter was okay and wasn't too boring. This will be the last chapter set in his childhood. Thanks to my first three reviewers:
Swift , SailorSun21, and zzaa3!