20 Asterios

Asterios pov:

'Disgusting'.

'Monster.'

'Die.'

...Those were the three words I've heard the most in my life.

Father said that I caused Mother to die.

Everyone called me a monster. The look of fear and disgust in their eyes...

That's right. I'm a monster. I've been one ever since I started to exist.

Asterios. That was my name. Now I'm called the Minotaur. Everyone knows that name.

Everyone hates me.

I want to be loved.

But how can I be loved when I don't even know what love is?

Father put me inside a dark place. One that I couldn't get out of.

It was dark. It was scary. I wanted to get out.

He said to fulfill my duty as a monster. To eat and kill people in the scary place. When he said that, I felt wanted for the first time.

He wanted me as a monster. I was just happy. I wasn't a terrified child, who was alone in the dark... only when I was the 'Monster' who everyone thought of me as.

I'm a monster. Again, I bite into the flesh of a child.

I hear the screams of pain and terror.

Blood is sprouting out and spilling to the walls and the floor.

I'm sorry.

I'm a monster.

I don't want to do this anymore.

I want to stop.

.....I can't.

I'm only loved when I do this. I'm not terrified when I do this.

It was my own refuge and also my hell.

I'm crying again. No... I have to convince myself that this is delicious.

Because I'm a monster. A monster is supposed to eat people.

"It's delicious. Delicious. Delicious...!"

It's endless suffering for me.

A man suddenly attacked me. So I attacked him. I tried to kill him. I have to keep being a monster.

He's a hero, and I'm a monster. I have to fight against him. It has to be that way.

It's the only way for me.

And now I'm lying on the ground, and the man took off my mask. He seemed shocked. Because I'm a monster, I know.

But still... It hurts... I want this to just end.

It just…

"It hurts…"

"….."

_________________________________________

Few minutes before:

Eschios pov:

...What... is this?

Why is a human... The Minotaur was a human?

"It hurts..."

It's- no, he's speaking as well...

But I can't pity him or forgive him. The Minotaur being a human can't justify his actions of eating children and committing cannibalism.

I should at least try to figure out what's going on.

"Can you understand me?"

"….."

A few seconds later, he nodded his head.

"Can you tell me why… this happened? I'm sorry, this is just confusing… why is a person…"

"No…!"

Huh?

"I'm…! I'm a monster! I have to be one!"

"Explain, then. Everything."

.....

Present time:

After hearing everything, my feelings were… conflicted.

Anger, sadness, disappointment… so many emotions rushed through me.

I felt sad, that a child had to suffer this much of a cruel fate. I also felt sad for all those children who were sacrificed.

I felt angry and disappointed about King Minos' decision. He wasted a chance to create a hero of Crete and instead made many others suffer.

And I felt… fear. How much do I not know? The mythology didn't cover anything. It was just some records. What other things could be different?

What can I do? What should I do?

"…..Hey, you want to… come outside?"

"…Outside…?"

"Yeah… there's flowers there, too. They look beautiful. You'll want to see them. Do you?"

"…I do…"

"Alright, get on."

Supporting his body, I walked outside of the Labyrinth quickly with him.

As I ran while supporting him, I started to heal him, so that he'll be able to live longer for about He needed to see the outside world at least before he dies.

I can't let him die in the Labyrinth. He'll be able to live for five minutes more.

After getting outside, Asterios covered his eyes with his less injured hand.

"It's… *cough* too bright…"

"You'll get used to it after a few seconds. Ah! Here's some flowers!"

Letting down his body at a field of flowers, I started to describe the different kinds of flowers.

"And finally, this flower is called-"

"Why are you doing this for *cough* me?"

"What?"

"Heroes don't end monsters like this. I shouldn't end like this… The things I did… the things I need…"

"What? You think you're a monster?"

All I see is…

"All I see is a scarred little boy, ok? I don't see the monster I saw before."

"…..!"

Looking surprised, he stared at me with his eyes wide open.

"But I'm not wanted *cough* when I- *cough* when I'm not a monster."

"You're wanted, though. I want to let you live, and have you become a hero… but that's not possible."

"…..Can you… explain the world?"

Looking at me with hopeful eyes, Asterios asked me, his eyes losing color.

He's dying. It's a miracle that he's been holding on.

"…Sure."

.....

"The Blmmyes had eyes on their chest, and when we saw them, me and Atalanta had to look at our own chests to make sure that eyes were not growing on them! How'd you like the story, Asterios?"

…..

It was just silence, with no answer.

"Asterios?"

Looking down at him, I saw his closed eyes, smiling peacefully on the field of flowers.

His body was cold. Cold and lifeless.

"…Goodbye, Asterios."

Picking up his body, I callled for Buck, who lifted and carefully hung Asterios on his back.

…..May he be happy in the afterlife.

_________________________________________

I didn't even say goodbye to aminos. I just left. I didn't ever want to see that sh*t's face again.

I should give him one present, though. One of embarrassment.

Yelling as loud as I could, I shouted out to the entire island:

"KING MINOS WAS CHEATED ON WITH A COW!!!"

After I yelled that out loud, citizens started to talk loudly about what they heard, and Buck quickly took flight.

I feel at least a bit lighter now.

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A/N: Man, I thought you readers knew me better. You thought Asterios was going to live?

Also, it's been decided by the votes that there will be no harem and just Atalanta.