Apollo’s gaze lingered on the constellation above them. For a moment, the only sound was the wind moving through the grass.
Apollo: “You always tell it like it’s funny, Hermes. Like Orion was just a clown who got what he deserved. But that’s not the story. Not for me. Not for Artemis.”
The group fell silent. Even Hermes tilted his head, less smug now, listening.
Apollo: “Orion was powerful, yes. Stronger than most mortals, faster than most beasts. And he was charming—too charming. That was the problem. He thought everything he wanted was his by right. He was my sister’s friend, and she trusted him. But friendship… wasn’t enough for him. When she rejected him, he grew desperate. And desperation in the hands of someone so strong is dangerous.”
Marco frowned. “So he tried to—?”
Apollo’s jaw tightened. “He tried. Artemis fought back. She screamed at him that she wanted only friendship, nothing more, but Orion didn’t hear it. Or he refused to. I saw it. From a distance, yes, but I saw. And in that moment I knew: if he kept living, it would happen again. Maybe not to her. Maybe to someone else.”
The silence deepened, pressing in like the weight of the night.
Apollo: “So I made a choice. I didn’t want to. I was her twin, her other half—I should have let her deal with it herself. But I couldn’t risk it. So I called the scorpion. I made the sea rise. And when the moment came, I tricked her into loosing her arrow. Her aim was perfect—as always. The shot pierced him before he ever reached shore.”
Apollo’s voice dropped, heavy with guilt.
Apollo: “She never forgave me for the trick. She wept for days. And I… I had to live with the truth that my sister’s greatest sorrow came from my own hands. That is Orion’s story. Not just a lesson about hunters and beasts. It’s about choice. About the blood on my hands. And the silence that followed.”
Laura hugged her knees to her chest, whispering, “That’s a lot darker than Hermes’ version.”
Apollo: (with a bitter smile) “Truth usually is.”
Hermes exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “And that, my friends, is why I don’t tell it Apollo’s way. Nobody likes a star-gazing session ruined by tears.”
Godmode: Enabled 