They sin like the Devils do, and love like the angels do.

The memory of her lingered in his mind again for about the ninetieth time.

Why had it been so hard for him erase her words even though they hadn't been said for too long? Why was it so hard to get rid of her? Why did he love her?

All that resonated was her smile, the faint glow on her face as she discussed the book. Merely everything.

A faint image came to his mind again, the encounter the day before.

"Thanatos," Nyx breathed out, "Are you alright?" She spoke gently.

The cold breeze tapped his face repetitively, his hair moving with it. The leaves on the trees swaying with it. The meadows carrying their smells with it.

His mother opposite him, a concerned look on her face.

"I suppose, I'm okay." His feet becoming restless, tapping on the soil beneath him. "I just-" he sighed,"—Mother, why was it me? Why was I chosen? Why not Hypnos?" Tears began lining the rims of his eyes, slowly making their way down his cheek. "Why was I named the unlovable?" Sobbing slightly, the sight pained her.

"My dear, I never wanted this to happen to you." Nightfall began to strike, "I wanted it to be Aphrodite's children. I never wanted it to be my own. I want you to find love. But that's not the case for us, especially as gods. If it had been, don't you reckon that Hestia, for example, would have married a human?" She wiped his tear, watching the next one fall. "Why? Why now, though, what made you think of it?"

"I," he choked on his words, all of a sudden everything happened too hastily. He was supposed to plan what he wanted to say, but it all came out. "I think I'm in love, not like I would know what that feels like.

"I hate it. I know she's not going to love me back. I want love. I want to love. When I see her, my heart skips a beat. My breath becomes hitched, I want to live. If that's what love is, let me love. Please. I beg of you." His knees gradually becoming weak, giving up on him slowly.

His cries filled the forest, the animals hid for shelter.

All Nyx could do was watch, even though she'd birthed him, the pain was so intense that she couldn't do anything. Daggers. The feeling of daggers in her skin multiple times, her child was in pain and she couldn't do anything for it.

"Thana, tell me about her." It was pitch black now, his wails quieting down.

He hesitated, contemplating whether or not to. After a while, he gave in.

"Her smile, gosh, I don't know how to tell you that's what keeps me going." A soft smile was plastered on his face, looking up at Nyx with tears brimming his eyes again. "Her voice no goddess could compare to. She's lovely." He sighed, looking down to the floor his knees were resting on.

"Her name's Artemisia. She doesn't know me. She doesn't know my name, she thinks it's Chris."

Everything was getting too much. He hated it. Remembering his own mother confronting him about him not being as cold and harsh as he usually was, about him not wanting to kill people even though that was what fuelled him, about him becoming what he despised, about him feeling 'out-of-it' like he was some type of mortal. It was annoying, he just wanted it to stop. Everything had to go back to normal.

So he went to the only two knowledgeable people when it came to love.

Eros and Apollo.

"Eros?" He whispered as he ventured through the luscious forestry around Mt. Olympus. "I know you're here, and that you probably don't want to talk to me but I need your help."

"What is it you want?" Eros swaggered out from behind a tree, his bow and arrows slung on his shoulder. "If this is some type of ridiculous scheme to manage to get me to kill someone again, I'm not doing it."

"It's not, I swear." He began fiddling with his fingers, "It's about a girl. I think I'm in love."

"You? Surprising." Eros sighed. "Alright, who?" He crossed his arms, smirking slightly at the God of Death standing in front of him, asking for his help.

"Her name's Artemisia, she's quite far from here though." He gulped, "She's in Bath, you know, in Engla-"

—"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Okay, great, you think you can help?"

"What do you want me to do, exactly? Get her to love the unlovable?" He scoffed, moving a strand of his hair out of his face.

"Well..." Thanatos trailed off, "Sort of."

"Listen, I help people fall in love. I don't perform magic."

"Please, or I'll have to ask Epione or Hecate," he glanced at his shoes, "And I don't want to be made fun of for the rest of eternity."

"Alright, alright, fine. This girl really must be special if you're begging for help." Eros snickered.