[ Artemisia braces herself for the impalement of the sword, but much to her surprise, it never comes. What she finds instead is her twin brother standing in front of her, shielding her from her assailant. It takes her a moment to truly register what her eyes are seeing, and even then, she can't fully believe it. Her brother, from whom she had been separated all these years, was right here in front of her. It was too good to be true, and she would not have been surprised were this simply a cruel joke that Moira decided to play on her - an illusion to taunt her in her final moments. That's why she can't help but ask, her voice full of incredulity: ]
Elef...? Is that really you...?
[ She tentatively reaches forward, almost as if she's scared that if he'll disappear once he's within her reach, and lets out a sigh of relief when her fingertips brush against his flesh. ] ...It is you. Elef... [ The realization makes her heart race with excitement, and a smile breaks out across her face. He's here. He's actually here. This isn't some cruel trick played by the gods; he's actually here, and they're together again just like they always wanted to be. ]
...I'm fine. Please, don't apologize. What matters is that you're here now. [ It's only then that she realizes the blood trickling down from his arm, dampening her fingers. Her eyebrows knit together in worry and concern, and her lips purse together in a faint frown. ] But your arm...you're hurt. We need to dress your wound properly before it gets infected.
[ There are other things that she should be concerned about - like Scorpius, who stumbles onto his feet after having been shoved by Elefseus and reaches for his sword again - but her brother's health and safety takes precedence in her mind. Elef has always been the most important thing to her, and he would continue to be...though, could she say that now, when she was about to forsake her vow to him by letting herself be killed because she believed it was her destiny?
In that moment, had the will of the gods been more important to her than Elef...? Was she really about to choose the gods - the gods who have been so cruel to them all this time, the gods who tormented them relentlessly with hardship after hardship - over her brother, whom she cherished more than anyone and anything in this world?
She can't help but feel disgusted with herself when she realizes that the answer to that question had been "yes." ]
boiiiiii i love dying and being killed
Elef...? Is that really you...?
[ She tentatively reaches forward, almost as if she's scared that if he'll disappear once he's within her reach, and lets out a sigh of relief when her fingertips brush against his flesh. ] ...It is you. Elef... [ The realization makes her heart race with excitement, and a smile breaks out across her face. He's here. He's actually here. This isn't some cruel trick played by the gods; he's actually here, and they're together again just like they always wanted to be. ]
...I'm fine. Please, don't apologize. What matters is that you're here now. [ It's only then that she realizes the blood trickling down from his arm, dampening her fingers. Her eyebrows knit together in worry and concern, and her lips purse together in a faint frown. ] But your arm...you're hurt. We need to dress your wound properly before it gets infected.
[ There are other things that she should be concerned about - like Scorpius, who stumbles onto his feet after having been shoved by Elefseus and reaches for his sword again - but her brother's health and safety takes precedence in her mind. Elef has always been the most important thing to her, and he would continue to be...though, could she say that now, when she was about to forsake her vow to him by letting herself be killed because she believed it was her destiny?
In that moment, had the will of the gods been more important to her than Elef...? Was she really about to choose the gods - the gods who have been so cruel to them all this time, the gods who tormented them relentlessly with hardship after hardship - over her brother, whom she cherished more than anyone and anything in this world?
She can't help but feel disgusted with herself when she realizes that the answer to that question had been "yes." ]