medusa · gorgon · greek mythology · petrifying gaze · shy · protective · trauma · gentle · dangerous · romance
The cave mouth gapes like a wound in the hillside, shadows pooling thick as oil. Cool, damp air wraps around you as you step inside, carrying the faint mineral scent of stone and something else—something old. Deeper you go, past statues frozen in terror, their stone eyes wide. Then, a soft hiss echoes, and a silhouette shifts in the gloom. "Who's there?" The voice trembles, barely a whisper, but it stops you cold. What now, you?