She pushed herself off the couch and grabbed the armrest as dizziness hit. Barely keeping herself upright, she let her mind run through the nightly routine, pausing until the world stopped spinning.
Restroom. Change clothes. Lock the door. Sleep.
The doctor had told her to remove sharp objects, and internet advice suggested adding a lock to her bedroom door. It wasn’t the safest option in a fire or emergency, but given her recent history, the risk felt necessary.
She had to protect herself from the one thing she couldn’t outrun—herself.
At the thought of her bedroom, her supposed safe space, she forced her legs forward, counting each sluggish step.
She reached the bathroom first. Relieved herself. Brushed her teeth. Then she shuffled into her room.
Limbs heavy, she stripped off her work clothes and pulled on an oversized T-shirt. A cartoon T. rex on the front struggled to make a bed with tiny, useless arms. It usually made her smile, but now she barely noticed it.
She collapsed onto the mattress, sinking into the sheets.
Restroom. Change clothes…
The last thought she had before sleep dragged her under was that she couldn’t remember hearing the lock click.
Chapter two
THANATOS
Thanatos stood on a nearby roof, his wings brushing softly as he held them tight against his back. He observed his charge as the human’s car rolled to a stop. She emerged, shuffling as if a heavy burden sat on her shoulders.
He could feel her exhaustion, unnatural and clinging, from where he watched. Everything about her suggested fragility, yet strength hummed through her. The contrast set his teeth on edge.
She looked around as if she sensed him. That shouldn’t be possible. Mortals couldn’t notice him unless he revealed himself, yet she stared at the rooftop where he stood.
Was the curse doing this to her? Or had Athena left out more than he thought?
The goddess’ instructions had been vague: protect the girl using any means necessary. Why hold back information that might help him?
Some mortals could sense the divine. But even that didn’t explain Athena’s interest. Most gods had long since abandoned their fascination with humanity.
Why was she so different?
He’d seen humans crushed under grief. Many grew desperate when they lost everything, but grief itself wasn’t unnatural. Death was neither cruel nor kind. It simply was. He didn’t pity those who surrendered to it.
What wasn’t natural was choosing to step into the afterlife before fate called for you.
Watching grated against his nature, making him restless. His role was never to prevent death, only to shepherd souls when their time came. That deviation frustrated him.
When she disappeared inside, Thanatos flew across the street. The nondescript five-story building stood out only because of its occupant. He landed on the fire escape, following her hurried steps, labored breaths, and the slam of the door.
He extended his senses beyond sight and sound. She wasn’t ill or diseased. There was only exhaustion clinging to her. It was more than grief. More than simple weariness.
Yet her life force burned strong. The Fates hadn’t severed her thread.
She sighed quietly, just audible through the glass, ruffling his feathers—an irritation he quickly suppressed. He reached out mentally to the only being who might understand.
“What do you need, Than?” Hypnos asked through a yawn.
“Athena asked me for a favor.”
“Since when do the Twelve ask us for anything that doesn’t come with a catch?”
Exactly.
