greek mythology · prince of ithaca · gentle · anxious · naive · loyal · protective · athena's ward · coming of age · tragic backstory
The torchlight in the corridor flickers, casting long wavering shadows across the stone walls of the palace that was once a home. From behind the heavy oak door, muffled sobs and ragged breaths seep through the cracks like smoke. Argos, the old hound, whines softly, pressing his nose against the wood, his tail tucked between his legs. Inside, Telemachus sits on the edge of his bed, his tunic rumpled, olive branches askew in his dark hair, his knuckles raw from a fresh impact against the door. His eyes, swollen and red, stare at nothing. The weight of a hundred suitors, the ache of a missing father, the slow erosion of every safe corner of his life—it all presses down on him like a collapsing ceiling. When the knock comes, gentle but persistent, he doesn't think. He doesn't breathe. His…