Prologue

I still cannot believe it has been ten years already since Apollo suddenly disappeared from my life. There are so many questions I have to ask, which are all still left unanswered. Not even a word about the incident from his father, the current ruler of Neapolis, or even his mother, the queen. Why wouldn't either of them grieve for their loss? For goodness sake, he was their own flesh and blood.

They did not even search for him which is the most disturbing part of it all. He was supposed to be the king, and I, the queen. Feels weird even to say ´it´ after so long. Me, a queen? Who would believe that, do I still remember what he looked like? The only thing I remember vividly is his long white silky hair and that beautiful smile of his.

As the girl walked around the mansion where she was working, she kept thinking about her dear childhood friend.

After all, today was the anniversary of the incident that changed her life forever.

In the mansion of one of the members of the Neapolitan court, the girl worked as a housemaid. While preparing for that evening's supper, all she heard was someone screaming her name. "Philia, get here this instant!" She rushed all the way from the kitchen to the man's chamber, where the scream came from.

She answered with a clear sign of exhaustion on her face, "What seems to be the issue, my Lord?"

"Come rub my feet, you lowly peasant", he screamed again. The man was well known for taking advantage of his maids and ´forcing´ them to do despicable things at his request, but this was only my first week here. What should I do? She struggled to let a word out and ultimately stood there, too stunned to speak.

Apollo… please come back and save me from this hell.

"Are you just planning to stand there and do nothing? Either take off your clothes this instant or I´ll have the guards throw you out for not listening to orders!" She was still standing in the man's chamber, frozen in place, but suddenly her body moved without her willing it. She suddenly started running and running as fast as she possibly could through the hallways, trying to find a way out of this cursed mansion. She knew every crook and cranny of this place after only working here for a week, that is how vivid of a memory she possessed, but at this moment in time - she forgot it all.

Finally making it to the huge entrance door, she gasped heavily as she pushed it open with all her remaining strength. The cold breeze of autumn hit her right on her soft and tender skin, as she opened the door, making her shiver like she saw a ghost.

The cold meant nothing to her at this point - all she wanted was to leave this place and move on with her life with both her dignity and chastity in place.

Escape. Bolt. Run. Flee.

Those were all the things on her mind, as she made it to the woods not too far away from the mansion.

A little more and I´ll be at a safe distance from everyone and everywhere.

That is when it struck her. The Apollo memorial site is not too far away. Maybe there I´ll be safe.

Maybe.

After running for what seemed like an eternity, she made it to the sacred place where Philia thought she would find peace and tranquility, at least momentarily.

Unbelievable… it looks the same as before, even the flowers I came with last week are still here. I seem to be the only one looking after his grave. Walking towards the grave, the closer and closer she got, tears started to run down her blushed cheeks.

It must be the cold breeze that is making me tear up.

Yeah, it must be that…

She then proceeded to crouch down and rub the dust off his tombstone.

Long time no see, mea lux*. Have you missed me? I know… it's ironic, because I have missed you so, so dearly.

Look at me… am I really talking to myself? What has my life come to?

The fall from grace hurt me more than I thought.

(mea lux* = ´my light´ in Latin)

Leaves rustling and owls hooting, it seemed like a normal night in Neapolis, but one thing stood out.

I heard something closing in on me. If it were a wild animal or a human being, I would never know unless I checked for myself.

In all honesty, all I wanted at this moment was to stay here forever, with what was left of Apollo.

Sadly what I feared most suddenly happened.

"Look who we have here!" someone said menacingly behind her, but with a hint of uncertainty, as if what he was doing was not of his own volition.

Afraid for her life, her body would not listen to her command and turn around to see who spoke those words. No, on the contrary it was more like she could not.

"It is okay mea lux, you do not have to be afraid of me.", the man said as he was coming closer and closer to where I was.

How does he know that?

How?

Apollo only called me that. How could some random stranger know that?

I risked it all and turned around because I needed to know who knew ´our secret´ term of endearment for each other.

My eyes could not believe what they were seeing. Was it all a lie from the beginning?

How can you be here? I thought you were dead?

Why are you even alive?

If you are here, does that mean that he is too…

He grasped my chin and whispered ever so slightly into my ear, "First him, and now it is your turn, my queen."

What did he mean by that?

So many questions, yet nothing came out of my mouth other than a few words.

"Save me… someone… anyone… Apollo", I said while struggling to breathe.

To the best extent of my abilities in the brief time I had left, I tried to put the pieces together as fast as possible. All that I came up with was, nothing. The memory that I was so proud of was useless. Brilliance, beauty and benevolence, none of the qualities I had mattered as my life was snuffed away from me.

I had to face the harsh reality.

My life had already ended before it began.

With Philia's dead body in his hands, the killer turned around and screamed at whom she thought was the mastermind of the whole operation. A slender man who stood around 7 ft tall with long silky white hair.

"The deed has been done, you hear me, I killed her as you instructed, now let me go."

Complete. And. Utter. Silence.

As if time itself had stopped.

And what could only be described as a sense of a time illusion.

Yes, something along the lines of a chronostasis.