Page 42 of The Stars

“We’re here to understand,” Amy said her voice steady despite the fear flickering in her eyes. “To figure out our path.”

Prometheus tilted his head, studying her, his expression unreadable. “Your path?” he repeated, almost mockingly. “Your path has already been written. You come here, again and again, always seeking answers, and always trying to change what cannot be changed.”

His gaze darkened, and he took a step closer, his towering presence growing more menacing. “And you, Pandora”—he spat the name like a curse—“you seek to awaken that which should remain buried.”

“Why must it remain buried?” Amy’s breath hitched. “We’re trying to stop this. To stop the gods from⁠—”

“From what?” Prometheus interrupted, his voice rising with anger. “From the inevitable? You were given the gift of foresight, Epimetheus, but you always arrive too late. Always too late to prevent the destruction that you cause.”

Dante clenched his fists, his pulse racing. “We’re trying to fix this!” he snapped, stepping in front of Amy, shielding her from Prometheus’s growing rage.

The Titan’s eyes flashed dangerously. “You think you can fix what the gods have decreed? That you can stop what has already been set in motion?” He turned his gaze to Amy, and his expression twisted into something darker. “Pandora is the key to all worlds demise. She must not awaken.”

Before Dante could react, Prometheus’s body was engulfed in a bright yellow light and he lunged towards Amy, his hand outstretched as if to strike her down.

A primal fury ignited in Dante’s chest, hotter and more powerful than anything he had ever felt. He moved without thinking, his body surging forward with strength he didn’t know he possessed. His hand caught Prometheus’s arm mid-swing, stopping the Titan in his tracks.

Prometheus’s eyes widened, surprise flashing across his face as he stared down at Dante. “You...”

Dante didn’t relent. He shoved Prometheus back with a force that sent him stumbling, his power shocking him for a moment. His heart pounded in his chest, his muscles burning with the raw strength coursing through him. His entire body was engulfed with a hot blue light that pulsed from his core.

Prometheus straightened, and for the first time a slow smile spread across his face, cold and calculating. “Ah, there you are, brother.”

Dante’s breath caught. The way Prometheus said the word brother suddenly caused his mind to wake to a memory he hadn’t realized he carried. He wasn’t just Epimetheus reborn. He was something more, something ancient, connected to the Titan before him in ways he couldn’t yet fully understand.

They were… friends. Brothers.

Prometheus chuckled darkly, his gaze shifting between Dante and Amy. “Welcome back, Epimetheus. You always did have a penchant for protecting her. But the question remains... how long will you last this time?”

Dante’s hands clenched into fists, every instinct screaming at him to strike again, to keep Amy safe at all costs. But Prometheus turned away, his smile fading as he looked towards the temple’s entrance, the weight of centuries heavy in his posture.

“I grow tired of these games. You’ll learn soon enough,” Prometheus muttered, his voice lower, almost regretful. “This battle is not yours to win. It never was. This is why I gave the world Elpis.” His eyes turned to Amy. “She is yours to find. But she too requires a catalyst. Find me in my future to wake her if you want to win this war once and for all. We are your missing pieces.”

And with that, he disappeared, fading into the shadows as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Dante and Amy standing in the ancient temple alone.

Dante’s fists unclenched slowly, the strength that had surged through him fading, leaving him feeling both powerful and vulnerable all at once. He turned to Amy, whose wide eyes met his, the shock still lingering between them.

“I guess we found our secret weapon,” Amy said with a sigh.

“Did you feel that?” Dante asked, his voice thick with disbelief.

Amy turned to him and nodded, her breath shaky. “You... you glowed and you stopped him. Like a god.”

Dante’s mind raced, the words Welcome back, brother echoing in his mind. He swallowed hard, trying to piece together the fragments of his past life, of their shared destiny.

“Funny thing, I think we’re friends,” Dante said, his voice low.

Amy stepped closer, her hand finding him, her grip warm and firm. “Do you think you can control it? The power?”

He stepped back and thought about protecting Amy. Instantly, his body and his power reacted.

“Cool.” She smiled at him. “Does it hurt?” She reached out and gently touched his glowing skin.

“No, just… it’s different. I feel…” He flexed his arms. “Powerful.”

After the adrenaline from the encounter with Prometheus subsided, they sat together near the entrance of the temple, unpacking the rest of the food they’d brought with them and eating before they started the long journey back down.

Neither spoke much as their minds lingered on the revelations of the day. The ancient writings in the temple, Prometheus’s appearance, Dante’s newfound powers—it was all too much to process at once.