When You Return, That Golden Arrow of Love Will Pierce Your Heart
Afternoon on the Argo.
As the heroes aboard the ship heard Promise's lyre, signaling that it was time to depart, they all returned to the ship.
But when they arrived, there was no sign of the young man, leaving them puzzled.
"Hercules, where's Promise?" Jason, leading the group, asked the towering man in front of him, his expression filled with confusion. "Wasn't he the one who called us back?"
Hercules didn't reply immediately.
He raised his head and looked seriously in the direction of the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty on the island.
As the hero closest to the gods in Greek mythology, Hercules had already sensed the shifts in the atmosphere of the island.
He too was confused.
After all, everything had long since settled, so by all logic, Promise should have returned by now.
Then, a voice that sounded rather gloating was heard, breaking the silence.
"He won't be able to come back... well...anytime soon... Serves him right for playing such a big game this time."
Medea, who had been looking up in disbelief, saw the goddess Hecate appear before them, dressed in her black gown, with Helen in tow.
"Teacher?!"
While everyone else was confused and shocked by Hecate's sudden arrival, Medea ran up to her, her emotions a mix of excitement and frustration. "Teacher, why are you here? And how could you kick me out like that back then? You're too cruel!"
Upon hearing her words, the first to be surprised wasn't Jason or the others—it was Helen.
She, having seen Hecate in action twice before, was amazed to realize that Medea had such a close relationship with the powerful goddess.
"Cruel? You think I'm cruel? I think I'm the one who should be complaining!" Hecate snapped, her frustration boiling over as she recalled how Promise had used her again and again, dragging her into his messes because of this very student.
Hecate felt a brief urge to give another slap to her butt, but seeing the girl's confused, hurt, yet joyful and dependent expression on her appearance, she couldn't help but recall the scenes she had just witnessed with the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite and Adonis, and her heart softened once again.
Sighing softly, Hecate bent down, ruffling Medea's hair and pinching her cheek lightly.
She wanted to say something but held back, knowing it wasn't the right time.
So, with a final glance, she dissolved into a swarm of underworld butterflies and disappeared.
Even after Hecate's departure, the group remained in a daze. Fortunately, one person still knew something of the situation.
Naturally, all eyes turned to Helen.
Under the group's expectant gaze, the girl hesitated but knew she couldn't reveal everything that had happened.
So she kept it simple. "Brother Promise was taken by the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. I don't know when he'll be back."
As she spoke, her thoughts wandered back to the goddess' tear-streaked face as she left, trying to maintain her composure but clearly shaken.
Brother Promise… He'll come back, right?
"Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty..." Atalanta murmured the name softly, her gaze sweeping across the gathered heroes.
"Set sail." She spoke in a calm, steady voice. "We shouldn't wait for him. He won't be back anytime soon."
"What?!" Jason looked at her in disbelief. "What are you saying?!"
Atalanta, however, didn't feel the need to explain.
She simply turned and walked away, her decision firm.
Hercules furrowed his brow, glancing at Helen.
Although he could see that she was a little absent-minded and obviously hiding something, after some hesitation, he did not choose to ask any further questions.
Something about the situation reminded him too much of the time Promise had hunted Hermes—a matter best left buried, never to be spoken of.
And this, too, was clearly another one of those things that should stay locked away, deep in their hearts.
"Wait till the morning... If Promise still hasn't returned by dusk, Jason, we'll set sail." So in the end, Hercules came to the same conclusion as Atalanta.
"Wait, Hercules, what are you talking about? Are you planning to leave Promise here alone?!"
Theseus came out at this moment and stood in front of Hercules excitedly, confronting him. "Are you trying to abandon him? Don't forget why we all came together in the first place—it wasn't for Jason, it was for Promise!"
Upon hearing this, Jason opened his mouth subconsciously, wanting to say something, but found that he could not refute.
It's true… But come on, I'm standing right here after all; at least give me some face here!
"It's not that we're abandoning him. I know he's off doing something more important."
As he spoke, Hercules swept his gaze over the group, especially focusing on the likes of Meleager, the stag Actaeon, and Orpheus. "You all should understand that, right?"
Meleager and Actaeon exchanged glances, recalling their past experiences with Promise and then nodded in agreement.
"If I had to guess, the gods have turned their gaze toward him again, and now he's off on another distant journey," Orpheus said with a smile, strumming his lyre gently. "I agree with Hercules. We should set sail. Otherwise, how can we ever hope to catch up to his footsteps?"
"Let's face it, my friends—Promise, the one we once sought to protect, is no longer weak. His name has spread throughout the world. He's become our pride, shining like a star in the night sky—a great hero."
Hearing their words, Medea, who was watching Atalanta walk away, suddenly realized what was happening.
The boy they had all wanted to shelter had once again gone off to paint the gods themselves.
"There's no need to wait until dusk.
Let's leave now." Melanie, now much more mature after all they had been through, said with a smile. "Orpheus is right. We're no longer the ones protecting him now; we're chasing after his brilliance."
"And there is no need to worry that he can't catch up with us."
He added, his voice full of confidence. "Because he's already caught hold of the falling star from the heavens. No matter how far we sail, that star will guide him back to us."
The heroes, upon hearing these words, fell silent. With resolve in their hearts, they raised the sails and prepared to embark once more.
Helen stood quietly, observing everything.
She knew the heroes' judgment was correct.
It was undoubtedly the right decision—otherwise, they'd only end up as a burden to Brother Promise.
Still, she couldn't help feeling a pang of regret, wishing she could stay by his side for a little longer.
As the Argo set off once again, Helen approached her twin sister, Pollux.
"Sister Pollux, you told me that Brother Promise was so weak that he could be easily held onto."
She came in front of Pollux and said with some dissatisfaction and complaints.
"But now I see that he's so far away; no matter how much I try, I can never seem to reach him."
Pollux blinked in surprise, looking at her younger sister with confusion and curiosity.
Standing at the edge of the ship, facing the sea breeze as they sailed once more, Helen's expression darkened with sorrow.
"What happened, Helen?"
Pollux gently ruffled Helen's hair, her heart aching for her sister.
Even if she didn't fully understand what had happened, no one could remain indifferent to the sadness in Helen's eyes.
"In fact, I know that Brother Promise has always seen me as just a child," Helen said softly, her gaze wandering up to the sky as if searching for someone. "I tried to mask that, to do everything I could to draw his attention."
She paused, her voice tinged with longing. "The goddess of beauty herself told me that one day I would become the most beautiful woman in the world, and no one would be able to resist me. So, I always thought I had time. I believed that I only needed some time, and once I grew up, Brother Promise would naturally fall in love with me."
"But recently... no, if I'm honest, I've known for a while now. I just didn't want to admit it." Helen's voice trembled slightly. "The truth is, I never had that chance, because his eyes have never truly seen me."
In fact, it's not just me; they are the same... Thinking of this, Helen couldn't help but cast her gaze towards Atalanta in the distance.
A person's eyes cannot be concealed.
The moment Helen saw Atalanta she knew.
The way Atalanta's gaze constantly found its way to Promise told Helen all she needed to know: she was her rival.
Over time, Helen had realized something else.
Of all of them, this huntress was the closest to Promise.
Yet she didn't understand why Atalanta never tried to reach out and take hold of him.
The reason was simple, though: Atalanta had given up.
To be precise, until the day Promise dies, Atalanta will never place that silver leaf at the finish line.
Because she knew something that few others did: Promise's gaze had never truly rested on anyone.
He has always been looking ahead, toward something greater, something far beyond them all—a grand finale that would be the greatest conclusion of the entire Age of Gods.
So, when Promise rewrote Atalanta's fate and when Artemis entrusted her with the silver leaf, Atalanta made her decision.
She would never be an obstacle in Promise's way.
Instead, she would bear witness to the completion of his dream and, at that moment, offer him her final blessing.
Since she couldn't get the love she wanted, she would give him the love he did.
Helen didn't know any of this, nor would she have cared.
She was Helen, a devoted follower of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. And Helen was faithful to her own desires.
"I won't be foolish like the goddess Aphrodite," Helen said firmly.
Pollux looked at her in confusion, watching as the girl extended her hand in the motion of drawing a bowstring.
And with that motion, the golden bow, hidden within Helen by the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, materialized in her hand.
Helen hesitated no longer; her resolve was clear.
"When you return, Brother Promise, I swear to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, that I will shoot this golden arrow, the symbol of love, straight into your heart!"
With her vow made, Helen's fate was sealed.
.
.
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