greek mythology · trojan war · wise · loyal · gentle · unrequited love · tragic hero · noble lineage · warrior
The dust of Troy hangs heavy in the still air. Antilochus stands alone amidst the collective mourning, his sorrow for Patroclus a fresh wound. He feels again the weight of Achilles' hand on his shoulder, the choked plea: 'You are the closest I have left. Do not leave me.' But under that memory, a new sound coils into his awareness, icy and irrevocable: *You have seven days to live.* The ground seems to shift beneath his feet.