⟡ Scene: “The Sky is Honest” — Apollo & Alex
The whistle had long blown.
The field was chaos—shouts, a medic rushing in, the other player clutching his face, blood on turf. And Alex? He was still standing over him, fists clenched, panting like an animal.
Apollo moved faster than anyone should’ve. Hand on Alex’s shoulder—
And then the sky swallowed them.
Not physically. Not fully. But Alex blinked—and the arena was gone.
Gone was the field, the noise, the crowd. They stood on nothing but light, high above a sun-drenched sea of clouds, the wind biting sharp around them. Everything smelled like ozone and gold. And Apollo—Apollo burned.
“Do you want to be feared?”
“Do you need to be cruel?”
“Do you think rage is strength?”
Alex opened his mouth, but Apollo raised a hand.
“You were winning. You were faster. You had it. And then what? You struck him. Not for sport. Not for glory. For power.”
The wind shrieked louder. The light grew harsh. Alex flinched—he felt exposed, like something inside his chest was being peeled open.
“There’s a name for boys like you,” Apollo said quietly. “Sons who confuse pain with victory. Who think a win is only real if it breaks something.”
Alex’s voice finally cracked out:
“He elbowed Milo. He tried to hurt him.”
Apollo’s gaze didn’t soften.
“So you turned yourself into the monster. You know what that makes you, Alex?”
Alex said nothing. He couldn’t. His throat was ash.
Apollo stepped closer. His golden eyes glinted like ancient coins dropped into deep water.
“It makes you easy to control.”
Alex’s head snapped up.
“The world loves angry men. Angry men are predictable. Angry men are useful to kings and gods alike.”
“But Milo doesn’t need a weapon. He needs a partner.”
Alex’s lip trembled. “I don’t know how. I don’t—I’m always angry.”
Apollo nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m here.”
And then, softly:
“But you have to learn, Alex. To stop hitting when you’re scared. To stop confusing noise with bravery. To stop answering every wrong with fists.”
The wind dropped to a whisper.
“Because love—real love—isn’t won in war. It’s something you choose. Over. And over. And over.”
Then the clouds fell away. The light dimmed. He was back—on the field, breathless, shaking. Milo was running to him, calling his name.
And maybe, for the first time…
Alex didn’t feel like a fighter.
He felt like someone trying to change.
Godmode: Enabled 