For Persephone - Chapter 32 – A Sin Committed (1)

The woman with the mean smile was more beautiful than anyone Persephone had ever seen. From the beginning, she looked good together with Hades, like a portrait.

Those who she has met throughout her life have heard of Ceres only through rumors, and Aphrodite, who had numerous followers, would also blush in front of the goddess, as well as princesses known for their beauty.

Persephone felt nauseous. Having such a woman next to Hades while she was away stirred up a fit of hard jealousy.

“Only I will love Hades, not you.”

“Crazy bitch…” Without a warning, Ceres darted forward and gripped her fingers around Persephone’s neck. “Kerberos was supposed to tear you apart and swallow you, you bitch.”

Her fingers were ice cold and strong, so Persephone felt like a small animal being attacked.

“Ugh!” Persephone, who was struggling to breathe, grabbed the backs of Ceres’ hands with her fingernails.

“Are you scared to die now?”

The woman’s grip grew teasingly stronger. Persephone felt like her neck was going to snap. Her face turned blue with fear, and tears started falling out of her wide-open eyes while Ceres grinned devilishly; she then loosened her grip.

“Weak, little bitch.”

Persephone’s head staggered and fell on the bed. Her world was disturbed by anger. “Do… you know…” Persephone was so full of rage that she could barely open her mouth to speak. ‘Do you know who I am? Look at me! How dare you attack Demeter’s daughter like this?’

“What the hell did you say?”

“You know who I am; are you crazy?”

Ceres’ lips closed shut as Persephone tightened her trembling shoulders and opened her eyes. A brief silence fell between the two. The voices lurking inside Ceres began to open their lips and rumble.

A boy; a girl; a man; an old woman.

‘Who is she?’

‘Look at her eyes.’

‘I thought they were strange from the beginning.”

‘Let’s secretly throw her into Tartaros.’

‘Secretly how? If you say something blasphemous like that again I’ll slap you.’

‘Don’t! Why do you have to hurt me?’’

Ceres, who was annoyed by them, screamed obscenities into the air and put the voices to rest.

“Who are you then?”

“….”

“Just tell me little by little. Little child, I see you haven’t learned to respect gods and goddesses.”

“….”

“Did you say Hades forgave your insulting behavior? Does he know that your eyes are so presumptuous and you’re trying to dismiss death? You, you’re not a nymph; you’re just a little girl.”

“….”

“If you’re not crazy about madness, there’s no way you can be such a nymph.”

“… I am a nymph. I… The river…”

“You swear to Styx River?”

Persephone couldn’t say a word.

Ceres’ lips formed a chilling grin, similar to the intoxication of a victory. It was a rope that bound Persephone’s neck.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not. Don’t come between Hades and me.”

“The king of the underworld who is standing at the end of this mess is my master, and I can look past a little girl who tries to toy with him. You’re just one of Phoibos’ slaves; whose fate were you going to destroy this place with? Did your master not learn anything? It’s so clear why you have to worship down here before your death comes.”

Ceres turned around and walked away, leaving only a threat wrapped in elegance.

*

Standing in front of the secret room’s weapon cabinet, Persephone stared at the Cap of Invisibility. That was a symbol of Hades and a treasure in the unseeable world. She ran her fingers over it for a while, then, with both hands, took it off the hook. Clank. The sound of the metal clanking could be felt down to her bones.

A mystical voice, Reason, then whispered in her ears, ‘You want to kill her?’

Persephone was sorry for her mother who gave her everything on the island but wasn’t grateful for it at all. Her island doesn’t even have clear seasons, it’s a blue paradise all year round. The same nymphs every day, the same flowers every day, the same animals on the same island, the same sea every day… It was like living in a box.

Very often, when the island’s indigenous yellow daffodils bloomed or the acorns bore fruit, it was so insignificant that she lost three or four days in excitement.

Considering her position as the owner of a worthless island, she sometimes has felt that even she was worthless. Furthermore, it became unclear if she was even alive, and when she was—

Only the small animals rustling in her hands comforted her.

At first, it was only small island mice or birds in a nest. The mice rolling around in her hand seemed to be looking at her. ‘I’ll keep you safe.’ Baby birds sometimes followed her big eyes into the nest like a mother, opening their beaks and chirping; the full vitality gave her joy. So before they learned how to fly, they quietly dug up the soil.

A memory then struck Persphone as she touched the Cap of Invisibility.

-Kore, what are you doing now?

The nymphs looked at her with astonishing eyes and talked among themselves. But Persephone thought they were hilarious. They said there would be nowhere to live if she left paradise— prison. Do they mourn for the children who will remain here forever?

-They say it’s dangerous out there.

A little more time went by, and her attention was drawn to the animals larger than the ones in the palm of Persephone hand. Rabbits, wild cats, and large birds that sometimes flew alongside her mother entertained her

Because she let them eat her island’s food carelessly. Because she let them peck at her favorite flowers. Because they tried to leave at their own will. They had freedom she never had. Hence, Persephone threw them under cliffs, crush them to death with stones, or hanged them like decorations by attaching a string to a flower crown woven while laughing and talking with nymphs.

As the animals grew bigger, Persephone was more likely to get cuts and bruises on her hands and arms, so she was criticized by the nymphs.

-Kore. What in the world happened to you? Why do you scare us like that?

They said she was pretty, but the animals by her side left. She said she would do her own thing, but the nymphs didn’t understand her at all and criticized her. When angry, very often, when uncontrollable anger came, Persephone paid the price.

Persephone stood outside the royal palace.

‘Kill her.’ The voice again whispered to her.