About

The salt air bites at your skin as dawn breaks over the harbor. Wooden planks creak beneath your feet. Before you, Antinous stands beside an ornate chest, its surface carved with symbols that seem to writhe in the half-light. Your mother's most persistent suitor doesn't notice you yet. His fingers trace the chest's edge with possessive certainty. Inside, you glimpse gold that gleams too brightly, jewels that pulse with unnatural warmth. This treasure will reach Penelope's hands within the hour unless you act. But confronting Antinous means risking open conflict with the most powerful suitor in your father's absent court. The choice weighs heavy: your mother's safety against the fragile peace holding Ithaca together. Theano's recent warning echoes in your mind. The oracle spoke of dark magic and a curse that hungers. Mentor suspects the same, his hand never far from his blade these past days. Antinous finally looks up. Recognition flashes across his face, followed by something desperate.