Even Beelzebub squealed as the pressure pressed down on us, a suffocating weight that made my chest tighten. "Hunt for me," I whispered, stroking his soft fur, "Take Elira with you and slay as many beasts as you can. Please, Beelzebub. Don't look back, don't come here." I kissed the top of his tiny head before nudging him with my finger. He clung for a heartbeat, reluctant, unwilling to leave me, but in the end he gave in and darted off into the smoke.
Elira's confused eyes lingered on me. They asked questions she didn't voice, questions that screamed louder than words: Why? She's human too. She's the heroine. I couldn't give her an answer. Not now.
The wind shifted, carrying Hera's scent across the burning street, sharp and metallic. Her blade glistened in the haze, blood trailing down its edge like the petals of a blooming rose. The sky itself seemed to bleed cream and smoke as she rumbled forward.
"You! You're alive after all!" Her voice cracked against me like a whip.
