Chereads / Setta of the Stygian Furnace / Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Miracle

Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Miracle

"We have been waiting three millennia for the pantheon to return," she said, levitating to Zagreus. "And you believe my proposal is drastic and unacceptable!" She yelled.

"What would you have me do?" Zagreus sparked.

"Act! Act, brother!" She tightened her fist. "We have all of eternity; they don't."

Zagreus was taken aback by his sister's firm stance, and his gaze softened as he turned to face Varo. "You have never spoken in such matter."

Her aura loosened its piercing intensity. "You feel it, too. The scales are tipping."

She turned to Varo, who was watching in terror. The chaos on the plane caused by their outburst, but she concentrated on Varo.

"I am confident that he can..."

Zagreus flew to his sister and took her hand. "Promise," he said. "Promise me that this will—" His gaze darted to Varo.

"Something is wrong with him."

He rushed towards Varo, and Melinoë followed quickly.

Varo groaned and wailed in agony, the crack in his body widening as ichor streamed out.

"He will perish." Zagreus said.

Melinoë clasped her hands. "I will perform the miracle." She had to do it, even though it was dangerous.

Zagreus looked at her, astounded. "Without the ritual? Are you certain?"

She nodded, without looking at him.

Melinoë began to incant, it caused her aura to whirl and shift the air like a hurling cyclone. Her voice overlapped and echoed, as thousands of threads flew from Varo's chest up.

Zagreus' aura surrounded them like a protective shell, containing the clattering chaos that rumbled throughout the domain.

Varo convulsed, his senses distorted by the bright colours. His body felt light as he was dragged through a funnel-like discoloration, swirling around for a wild ride. There was a low growl, and though he could not see clearly, he knew there was a beast in the distance.

"In the dark, we will meet again," her voice echoed. It was the last thing he heard before the sweeping silence of the dark.

*****

Varo shot up, clenching the soft fabric of the bedding; the filtered sunlight soothed his face. He sighed.

He could hear beepings and chatter muffled by the thick glass door. A small tube extended from a tall cylinder to his wrist. The cylinder contained strange blue liquids. He turned observing. 'I'm in some sort hospital,' he thought.

He relaxed a bit before realizing; his chest! It felt bare. He removed his gown, nearly ripping it, because he needed to be sure.

There it was, his torso pale, sickly, and drenched in sweat, but there was no wound or scar. He also noticed that the inscription above his pelvis was gone.

He wanted to get out of bed, but was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Varo prepared himself. A subtle creek, followed by a gentle push, opened the door. Waltzing in, if Varo guessed right, was a nurse. She froze and nearly jumped when she saw Varo. Her green eyes stared at him, barely concealing her surprise.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. She did not want to appear jarring.

Varo stared back blankly, he was a bit addled and his eyes were drowsy. "I feel light," he answered.

The young woman sat by his bedside and placed the back of her palm against his cheek. "Try to stay awake; I will be back," she said.

Varo nodded.

It took a while for the nurse to return. Varo sank back into his bed, lost in his thoughts. The room was calm, with occasional sounds of children laughing outside the window. There was a lot going through his mind, but he felt grateful the most; it was the most peaceful he had felt in forever.

The nurse opened the door gently. "Varo, are you still awake?" she asked, whispering. She entered with another woman behind her.

She was much pale, ghostly. Her gaze was fixed on Varo.

"Well I'll be damned. He really is conscious and without a scratch," the woman exclaimed.

She appeared to be in her late twenties. She sat close to Varo. "Be a doll and bring me a retinoscope," she instructed.

"Here, Ma'am." The nurse handed her a small flashlight, which she took out of her uniform pocket.

She received the torch and leaned closer to Varo. Her voluptuous chest pressed lightly against his shoulder, turning him red. Despite knowing this, she ignored his embarrassment and proceeded to observe his eyes. Varo appeared perfectly fine, and it was hard to believe that only two weeks ago he was nearly dead.

"Are you hungry?"

"N-not really," Varo replied.

"Get him some Jell-O," she said to the nurse.

"Yes, ma'am," the nurse said, scuttling out of the room.

Watching the nurse leave, Varo relaxed his gaze. He turned to the woman, assuming she was the head nurse or doctor, and was about to say something to her. Even as she watched him in awe, she noticed his intent and smiled softly, as if she could read his mind.

"Don't worry, Leora will come to visit this evening," she said watching Varo's face light up, his smile contagious.

She sighed, her brow arched into a serious expression.

"A blade cut across your face..." She gestured a horizontal line at her eye level. "We had to gouge your eyes to prevent infection."

An icy dread slithered underneath his skin, freezing him in place.

"Then there's that," she said pointing to his bare chest. "You were practically dead, a sad soul fighting for its final moments."

Varo bowed his head, unsure how to react or respond. The woman noticed his gloom and gave him a light shove.

"I'm not telling you this to make you feel down. All I'm saying is that you are something more than a miracle," She said getting up from Varo's side.

The nurse entered the room with a small serving of Jell-O. She was surprised to see Varo so stressed.

"My name is Inkravoich, but you can call just me Ink." She smiled as she walked toward the door. "Enjoy some Jell-O and relax. I just need to figure out how you regenerated."