[Third Person's PoV]
"Unbelievable…" Lucian muttered, burying his face into his palm. He glanced hesitantly toward Medusa before asking, "So... does that technically make you my guardian or something?"
It wasn't Medusa who replied but Medea instead. "In a sense, yes. I mean, there's nothing official, obviously. I had you while in isolation, alone. So there's no paperwork or anything—no birth certificate, no ID, nothing that mortals are supposed to have."
Lucian dropped both hands on top of his head, stunned. "I don't even have formal identification…" he mumbled in disbelief.
"You don't need to worry about that," Medea said, waving a hand dismissively. "Your father is literally a god, Lucian. He can just make one appear. I don't see why you're stressing."
Lucian blinked, slowly lowering his arms. "Oh… right. He could just do that, couldn't he?"
Then, with his brow furrowed in thought, he asked, "Speaking of Fathers… if I have a godmother—" He turned to glance at Medusa before shifting back to look at the crystal ball, "—does that also mean I have a godfather? Like… am I allowed to have one?"
"Of course you do," Medea said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Wait, seriously?" Lucian blinked in surprise. "Who is it?"
"Persephone, of course," Medea answered proudly.
Lucian nearly choked on air. "What?! The fuck you mean Persephone?!"
"Lucian! Watch your language," Medea scolded him with a reprimanding glare.
"Fuck that! You just told me Persephone is my godfather! How the hell else am I supposed to react?!" he exclaimed, turning to Medusa for backup.
Medusa only offered a helpless shrug, unsure what to say or do.
"Lucian," Medea continued, "Persephone is a goddess. She can change her form however she pleases—and yes, that includes becoming a man. A very handsome one, might I add," she said with a dreamy, nostalgic tone.
Lucian stared at her, confused—until his eyes slowly widened with horror, his expression shifting into pure mortification. "AaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he cried as he collapsed, his legs giving out on him, clutching the side of his head.
Medusa quickly looked away, covering her mouth. She shook her head, shooting Medea a glare as Lucian's distressed wailing echoed.
"What is wrong with you?! AHHHHH! Why would you say that?! That image is burned into my brain! You're evil!" Lucian cried.
Medea just looked entirely pleased with herself. "Anyway, quit your whining. You're being dramatic. Since Persephone could take a male form, we just... took the term 'godfather' quite literally. So there."
Lucian whimpered as he turned away, defeated. "I'm going back to washing dishes. I don't care anymore," he grumbled, arms swinging in exasperated rhythm as he trudged toward the kitchen.
"Disgusting… disturbing… absolute weirdos…" he muttered as he vanished.
Medusa stared after him, then turned to Medea with a hard glare. "Did you really have to traumatize the poor kid, Dea?"
"Ohoho~ Already jumping to his defense? What a doting godmother you'll make, Mei Mei," Medea teased with a smirk dancing in her eyes.
Medusa rolled her eyes. "You're still just as annoying even in death, aren't you? Always a pain in the ass. You just show up out of nowhere and drop the bomb that I have a godchild?"
Medea's expression softened. "I'm sorry. Really. But you were the only one I could think of. I knew if it was you, Lucian would be safe. You'd love and protect him. I could've left him with HER, but… who knows what would've happened to him?"
Medusa's cheeks tinted with red, clearly caught off guard by the compliment and flattered. "Honestly…" she sighed.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner? After summer camp, he could've stayed with me. I would've looked after him," Medusa said, her voice laced with regret.
Medea raised two fingers. "I had two reasons."
She held one finger up. "First, from what I heard via Hades, Lucian was doing well—he was growing, making friends, finding his place. Moving him again right after camp would've disrupted all that. He needed stability more than anything."
Medusa nodded slightly. "And the second?"
Medea tapped her head with a grin and stuck out her tongue. "I completely forgot~"
"You're seriously not cute," Medusa deadpanned.
"What are you talking about? Look at me~ I'm a natural-born enchantress," Medea said, puckering her lips and blowing a kiss.
"But in all honesty, it really did slip my mind at the time," Medea said, her voice distant, eyes unfocused as her expression turned melancholy.
"I knew…" she continued slowly, the words catching in her throat, "I knew that my time with Lucian was limited—painfully limited. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I'd ever see him again, or if Hades would even allow it," she continued, her voice heavy with emotion.
"So I did what I thought was best... I pushed those thoughts away, buried my fear beneath a smile. I tried my hardest to live in the moment, to savor every second with him. I wanted our last moments together to be filled with happiness… with laughter.
I wanted to create as many memories with Lucian as I could—something he could look back on fondly. Something that might keep him company if he ever felt truly alone. I thought… if I could just give him enough good memories, maybe—just maybe—those memories would be enough to keep him warm when he felt alone. That's all I wanted: for Lucian to be happy. Even if I couldn't stay by his side, I wanted him to carry something bright with him."
Medea gave a sheepish chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck, awkward and a little embarrassed. "I know… I'm not exactly the shining example of motherhood," she admitted with a sigh. "In fact, let's be honest—I'm a total disaster when it comes to most maternal instincts. But even so, Lucian... he's the light of my life. He's everything to me. He's my pride and joy. Honestly, sometimes I can't help but wonder how I could have gotten so lucky with him."
"What I did was… selfish, in a way." Her smile dimmed a little. "I always tell myself those memories were for him, but... that's only half true. The other half? They were for me, too. I wanted to hold onto those fleeting days, to etch them into my soul before they disappeared. I just wanted more time with my son, even if I knew it couldn't last. Everything else— formalities, responsibilities—they all slipped through the cracks. Sometimes I wonder if, in doing so, I hurt him without realizing it. If my selfishness… ended up costing him something important."
…
In the kitchen, Lucian stood quietly, leaning back against the sink. His arms were folded tight across his chest. His head was bowed low, messy hair falling forward and casting shadows over his face. He didn't move, didn't speak—just stared at the floor, completely silent as he absorbed every word.
…
"Dea…" Medusa said her friend's name gently, her gaze soft as she looked at a side of her she had never seen before. "Seriously, there's no need to beat yourself up about this. I believe the phrase is 'you're only human'? Or in your case, 'you're only a mortal woman.' You did the best you could at the time.
You raised that boy well, Dea. Let me tell you—when he talks about you, it's with so much love that I almost can't believe we're talking about the same person. It didn't sound like someone who had an unfit mother.
"So what if you were a little selfish?" she added, shrugging. "Who wouldn't be in your shoes? You wanted more time with your son. That's not a crime—it's called being a mother. And don't forget, I already told you before: Lucian's a remarkable young man. That didn't happen by accident. That happened because of you. So even if things weren't perfect, and even if you slipped up here or there, what matters is that you gave it your all. And honestly? That's more than enough."
…
Lucian's lips twitched slightly, a small smile forming on his face. He tilted his head back, eyes fluttering shut as he let out a deep, quiet breath.
'There really is no better person to confide in than your best friend…' he thought warmly. 'Looks like Mom really needed this. She's been carrying that weight for so long, unable to share it with anyone else. I'm glad she finally let it out… Honestly, I should have done this sooner'
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