Smirking, she looked down at herself. Her clothes were in tatters, bloodied and muddied, hanging off her in shreds. Her lily-pale arms were exposed, crisscrossed with stark crimson gashes, and long faded scars. And her neck- her colorless nape, blemished by a jarring char, one that took form of a black, ugly scorpion. At the sight of her, Dean's blood ran cold, and sweat made its way down his back freely, chilling him to the bone.

"Aphrodite," he whispered, hoping desperately that it'd bring her back.

Her pupils dilated, and for a split second, he hoped. Then darkness overtook her, engulfing her once again. Seeking control.

"I know of no Aphrodite." her voice reminded Dean of daggers, is shattered glass over molten honey, sweet but deadly. Shit. What was he to do now? Curse this goddamn mission, why the hell do I, a wonderful son of Hades, have to babysit the Gods? Shouldn't it be the other way around? He swore colorfully, but of course, no one heard him.

"You're Aphrodite, remember? The Goddess of Love? Wife of Hephaestus?" Dean pleaded, hoping that she'd remember. Her eyes narrowed, and she doubled over, clutching on to her ears as if they betrayed her.

"I... Know...No...Aphrodite..."she drawled out, but something flickered behind her eyes, and Dean knew she was lying. Lowering his voice, he forced himself to stay calm." What happened? "
The ethereal slip before him shook, and if he didn't know better, he'd have thought she whimpered.

"They.. They took away... My child," she ground out, tears forcing their way out of her sundered eyes, and her bony hands slipping down, clutching at herself. Dean let out a loose breath, but pressed on. "Which one?" he bent down, eyes seeking hers. Her stormy eyes cut straight at him, and she whispered, " my only one."

Dean's eyes widened. That's not possible. The ambiguous Goddess of Love, infamous for being unfaithful, having only one child? Dean couldn't even name all her children, those he knew with the fingers on his hand. "Quit this, please, you're Aphrodite. You've more than one child." this time, his voice shook.

Upon hearing this, Aphrodite seemed more frenzied.

"Take me away, please. That's not me. She's not me. I never cheated. She's not me." her eyes darted frantically over the room, as if finding, no, searching for a safe place to be. That would never be here. Because those who'd lost something, who'd never been save, would never find whatever they're looking for.

All they'd find was an empty space, a boneless voice, rattling around in the dark. An emotionless mask, a non-existent face. Which never, ever left them alone. Still, they felt lonely.

"Help me," Aphrodite latched onto Dean's arm, shattered nails driving into his flesh, drawing blood. Dean watched numbly as warm blood trickled down his skin. Something stirred within him, beckoning him to move forward, but a small kernel of fear left him rooted to the ground.

"You're afraid of me," it wasn't a question, but a statement. Her voice changed, calculating and manipulative, as her fingers danced around his wounds. "You're a coward. "

At this, Dean's temper stirred. I'm not a coward, " he spat, "you are. "

It was as if this were the cue she'd been waiting for. She edged closer to Dean, inches away from his face. Were she human, he'd have felt her breath on his face. Instead, the waft of ashes hit his nose, like crumbling cinders left outside, too cold. "Really? " She took a small step closer. "Really?" Shit. As much as Dean longed to move back, he found himself incapable of doing so. Thrusting all of his energy behind him, all that met with his back were what felt like icy, jarringly sharp boulder shards, driving into his back. "Then you've no idea who I truly am, do you? And why I've been locked up in this festering shithole. Do you really think I'm Aphrodite?" the corners of her mouth stretched to form a grotesque smile, as Dean struggled against invisible bonds. No, was what he wished to answer, but-

" Yes. " Aphrodite's-whoever she was, eyes darkened," Then it's either that you're a fool or that I'm a better actress than I give myself credit for."

"And don't bother fighting against the bonds. Even your father, and that ungrateful bastard uncle of yours, can't save you now."

If Dean were unrestrained, he'd have done something very, very foolish. But the world seemed to twirl beneath his feet, and his vision like a windscreen on a rainy day." You've no idea who I am, do you? The Gods sent an unprepared demigod, a boy, down for a conniving task. I've met countless fools before, but none of them quite like you." her fingers traced over his skin, embedding itself into it in some places. His mind felt woozy, as if he hadn't slept for days. In distant horror, he looked down at himself, at the marks she were making, at the claw marks on his arm, blood still flowing freely down. Weird... The blood should have crusted by now...
Only to find her fingers wrapping around his chin, willing him to look at her. Her eyes were filled with grey wisps, unnerving and dead-looking. Her eyes reminded him of molten mirrors, and her matted blonde hair turned grey. "Do you truly not know who I am?"

Shaking his head weakly, he nodded.

"I have no idea who you are." his head throbbed and his back burned, his insides were like butterflies on fire. Consciousness dripped and trickled out of him slowly and painfully. Her grip hardened like diamonds. " Remember me, child. My name is Maniai. "

The Phantom. The words echoed through his head like a long forgotten rhyme. It was a name he'd heard so, so long ago. Whispered only once, in the shadows of a now-rusted dining table.

"Mother," the words stretched across their faces. Her anguished face flashed before him, before the world became nothing to him but dense and swirling shadows, and he was falling down, down and down.

Into an unending abyss.

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A/N: 1024 words! I've been stuck here for so long, I'm so glad I've finally finished this oneshot. @TrushaJi jie, thank you for your kind words. Though I'm not writing a novel anytime soon, thank you for taking the time to bother with me! (>0<)