Contents
10. Torture
Overview
Kharon, a traumatized Chthonic hunter forced to run the Styx crucible, seethes over Olympians and the federation’s control. He becomes obsessed with Alexis when his hellhounds react to her. During the river trial, an initiate dies after Alexis attacks and Kharon completes the kill. Kharon resolves to hunt and "devour" her.
Summary
Hours before the Styx trial, Kharon waits in his boat, bored and resentful at being assigned to oversee Olympian initiates. He rails against the federation’s marriage laws and control of Chthonics, recalling his childhood maiming in the Dolomites and the insomnia and violence that now define him. His hellhounds, Hell and Hound, mirror his restless bloodlust.
When the exhausted initiates reach the river, Hell and Hound fixate on Alexis Hert. Kharon recognizes her from the aftermath of the massacre and feels a startling pull, reading a predator’s aura beneath her frail appearance. He becomes determined to test and break her, intrigued by the hellhounds’ hostile reaction.
As the ten initiates swim, a nearby boy begins to scream. Kharon watches Alexis grapple with him and realizes she is killing him, which electrifies his obsession. After Alexis disengages and swims off, Kharon touches the boy’s forehead to unleash his own power, letting the hellhounds finish the feast.
Elated by the discovery of Alexis’s hidden lethality, Kharon turns his pursuit toward her, deciding to play a long game. He laughs as he follows her down the river, inwardly casting the die: he will hunt, break, and “devour” her.
Who Appears
- KharonChthonic hunter overseeing the Styx crucible; traumatized, insomniac, contemptuous of Olympians; becomes obsessed with Alexis and finishes an initiate’s death.
- Alexis HertInitiate who draws Kharon’s and his hellhounds’ attention; attacks a fellow initiate in the river, revealing lethal potential.
- HellKharon’s hellhound protector; senses Alexis as a predator and participates in the river kill.
- HoundKharon’s second hellhound; mirrors Hell’s aggression toward Alexis and joins the feast after Kharon strikes.
- Unnamed male initiateScreams during the Styx swim; attacked by Alexis and killed when Kharon unleashes his power.