His voice cracked, the weight of centuries pressing on every syllable. "I have lived in fear for as long as I can remember. Never once… not even after I took the throne, not even after building a great world for my people, never once did I know true happiness. My fear silenced me. My fear made me turn away from my brother's pleas, made me abandon him when he urged me to resist, to fight back."
Kairos leaned back into his throne, a shadow of a smile breaking through his tired expression. "As the young god said…" His words trailed off into a whisper. "I am… indeed tired."
Keles regarded him in silence for a moment, at last she spoke.
"Kairos… after all these centuries of silence, of carrying fear as if it were a crown upon your head… tell me how do you feel now that you have spoken your truth?"
Her question hung in the air, not meant to wound but to cut away the last bindings he held around himself.
