Song* - Sorry hurts, Blake Neely

"The world crashing around us to deafening to interrupt..."

Bleu de France (Part 2)

We sat in silence as the humming of the wind echoed through our hair and over the lake.

I held my hands to stop them from shaking, but it had been about an hour since last they had, and now I was frozen in time; my mind still and sore.

There wasn't much to say; there wasn't anything that could be done.

Alexus sat next to me, her head bowed and her eyes troubled.

We hadn't spoken since she sat down- the feeling of the world crashing around us to deafening to interrupt.

Words were hollow, but actions- those left scars.

Just ask Delilah.

Delilah- dead, by her own wildness.

But that wasn't entirely true...

We sat and watched as the sun was being eaten by the mist and fog; light struggling to break free, but there was no need, we had no use for the sun today.

Just like Delilah had no use for my words- she knew it would all be for naught.

I tried to cry, but there was no emotion in my face; everything had travelled down to my heart and it was bursting at the seams.

Alexus didn't try to ask me how I was; it was clear on my face- my cold, cold face.

My mind was still trying to process it. Thanatos had explained to me, in my shocked state, that when a mortal dies in the underworld, their soul cannot travel on from here, but instead, it becomes a Shade. Shades were servants of Hades, and the ghost-like form of the mortal- meaning the Delilah I knew would never exist again.

Thanatos slowly walked up to us; his hard boots tapping softly against the stone. His voice broke the silence and I wanted to shut it with my hand; "Her body is being taken to the burial site." His voice faltered.

I kept my eyes on the struggling sun.

Her empty, soulless body.

The icy wind picked up.

Thanatos watched me with care. He spoke up, his words almost a whisper against the loud howling; "I'm sorry."

I stood up slowly; my dress blowing in the wind. I walked slowly past him, my eyes on the glass door to my room. Thanatos didn't attempt to stop me as I passed.

My hands were cold, my words were colder;

"You should be."

Hypnos opened the door with a frown; "Aurora, can I help you?"

"I think we should try again- to find Hecate."

Hypnos held the door, but didn't move to let me in; his eyes scanned over my shoulder- "Where is my brother?"

"He won't be joining us..."

I stepped through into his room, not bothering to wait for his invitation. My mind was going at a hundred kilometres an hour and I had no idea if it could stop.

Delilah was dead.

"Aurora..." His tone was cautious, as if handling a wild animal; "You should rest."

I laughed; "Don't be ridiculous! I have stuff to do, and so do you. Let's start."

Hypnos' sunset eyes widened at my harsh tone. I was prone to snapping when I felt stressed and depressed. It was something I'd never quite learned how to control, but Hypnos wasn't having any of it.

Like his brother, he didn't bother to take any crap; "You need to calm down and rest, your body and mind are going into overdrive from all the excitement in the past few days-"

"Excitement?" My voice froze over with ice; "You call yesterday, when a young woman jumped from a tower to her death, exciting? You're all the same; you don't care about anyone but yourselves!"

"Delilah was broken long before Thanatos met her- she was damaged, Aurora. There was nothing to do about it."

I scoffed and clenched my jaw- how dare he?

"He could've showed her he didn't want her! He could've made an effort!"

"He tried!" Hypnos was now yelling, as was I, and his calm demeanour had withered away; "Delilah was- ... She was troubled."

I dropped my hands to my sides and stared at Hypnos, my heart aching and my eyes dry. I felt like crying, but the only person I wanted to cry in front of was Thanatos. It pained me to be angry with him, but I was. I was so angry with him.

"Why are you defending him when we both know how things are?" My voice was soft.

Hypnos shook his head as if the answer was obvious; "Why aren't you?"

I froze.

Words flowed from my mouth like water from a faucet; there was no point in lying to him- "I'm angry. I- I should've helped her. I'm angry with myself!"

Hypnos sighed and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. My feet stayed put as I lowered my eyes to the floor in hope it swallow me whole; "Look, I know there's no point in being upset- she's gone, but Thanatos needs to realise that his actions have consequences. I don't want a man who can't... feel."

Hypnos looked up at me with dark eyes and a grim frown; "Of course he feels, Aurora. More than most, but being in control of all of those emotions, it's difficult and it's confusing."

"Thanatos is a grown man; he needs to be able to account for his actions."

"I agree," Hypnos rubbed his clean chin, "but so should Delilah. She's not innocent in this..."

I closed my eyes, a rush of longing filling my lungs. Was I being selfish for trying to fix Delilah's loss? Was it because I felt my own guilt and wanted to pin it on Thanatos? Hypnos could see straight through me as I thought.

"None of this was your fault. You need to know that. You tried more than most people would, and even after Delilah made it clear she wanted to hurt you. Aurora, you have no need to feel guilty, and Thanatos may have caused her pain in the past, but never intentionally. Delilah knew what Thanatos saw her as, but it wasn't what she wanted. What Delilah perceives as wrong is not the universal wrong."

I knew he spoke the truth and with love when he said this; "You can change my brother into a better, more whole man. I'm grateful to you for that, but don't try and fix him; I won't let you."

"He doesn't need fixing..." I sighed and sat down on the chair behind me. I hung my head in my hands and wiped a tear from my cheek- my eyes had decided to function again.

"I don't want to fix him, Hypnos... He's perfect." I contemplated my words, setting up guard around my mouth as usual, but then I decided not to bother- who had time for detours anymore?

Not me.

I looked up at the calm twin as he stared down at me; "I love your brother."

Hypnos' eyes widened in shock at my words. I let his silence fuel me on, my words desperate; "I am so in love with him and it hurts me to think that he could toss me aside with ease- like Delilah. That's why I'm so scared, that's why I want him to feel! Gods! I'm so selfish! The poor girl is dead and all I can do is think about myself!"

Another tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn't catch it.

Hypnos slowly sat down in front of me; his eyes still full of surprise and astonishment. "I knew you cared for him, but love... Are you sure?"

I nodded, my eyes filled with water, but I refused to let them fall.

Suddenly, a wide smile spread across the young god's face and it brightened up the room in an instant. His voice was like honey as he smiled at me in reassurance and joy; "I'm so happy to hear this! I was hoping you were...It would've been so heartbreaking if it were only one-sided."

He looked down. I imagined he had momentarily been reminded of his unrequited love, Alexus. I furrowed my brows in response to his words and shook my head; "What do you mean one-sided?"

Hypnos took my hand in his and stroked it softly; "I can see the way he looks at you, my brother is more than in love- he's beyond hope."

My heart fluttered awake at his words, but I stilled them again. There was no point in getting wound up when there was no factual evidence, but my mind kept telling me there was- all around me. I tried to be rational and to think with my brain.

My heart fought back.

"You think so?"

"Of course, Aurora." Hypnos smiled with delight; "I've never seen him be nearly as kind and protective towards his own siblings like he is with you. Thanatos doesn't deal with emotions well, and he probably doesn't know he's in love, but he is- in love. He cares so deeply for you. I love seeing him with you; it's... beautiful."

I smiled softly; "Thank you..."

We sat in silence a while as I contemplated his words; my heart filled with excitement, but my head still sore.

"Sorry for barging in like that, I had no right."

Hypnos waved his hand and smiled; "No worries, dear. I'm more than used to Thanatos invading my personal space."

I laughed and it bubbled over into a giggle as my thoughts raced to the darker brother. I wanted to see him.

"Are you sure you still want to do this now? It will take a lot of energy and after yesterday's..." Hypos avoided the word 'excitement'; "-ordeal, and the day before, I don't think it's wise."

I nodded; "I value your concern, but I need to at least try. I need to find my path; I know I'm missing something big. I can feel it."

Delilah had said I should be careful about who I trust- I wasn't going to let her last words be for naught. Thanatos would be my light, like I had been his. I would trust him with my life, but no one else; not even Hypnos. Not until I knew we were safe.

"Alright." The god of sleep threw some pillows on the floor for us to sit on and indicted for me to sit down so we could start; "You know how it works; form the place and I'll try to keep you grounded."

I looked up at Hypnos before I went under the trance, my eyes full of longing; "Could you call Thanatos, please. I want him here, next to me."

Where he belonged...

Undeniably sad when a character dies, doesn't matter how broken she was. To be honest, that's why I loved Delilah and I hope I made her even more human in her last few moments.

And Aurora is only human too, and we all deal with grief differently, but she's strong and we'll only see her continue to grow.

Now... Let's see what Hecate's left us... ;3