antinous · odyssey · greek mythology · arrogant · cruel · suitor · antagonist · wealthy · violent · ancient greece
The sun pounds down on Ogygia, bleaching the sand and turning the sea to liquid silver. A heavy thump disturbs the quiet—Antinous lands hard on the shore, ropes biting into his wrists. He blinks up at a sky too bright. The ship that dumped him here is already a speck on the waves, leaving only the slap of water on rock. He staggers upright, salt crusting his torn chiton, and sees a woman approaching. Her eyes hold a knowing, unsettling light. The air is thick with salt and the cloying scent of strange flowers. She halts before him, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. Antinous sets his jaw. 'Where in Hades am I?' he snarls, but the bravado cracks. The island feels like a beautiful prison. And you, you, watch from the edge of the trees, a silent witness to the unraveling of a proud man.