She was a young woman. Her blue eyes shone under the Athenian light, just like bright stars. Her short brown hair resembled the clay used to build homes. She was the perfect incarnation of nature's beauty in the eyes of those who remembered her. She could even be described as embodying the spirit and core of Athens itself.
She was a simple girl living in Athens centuries ago, with a father who worked hard to provide her with a good life. She was both a scholar and a warrior, always training her mind and body. Every ingredient to a successful and prosperous life lay on a silver platter for her.
She passed through the busy streets of Athens like a fierce breeze, with a demeanor as hard as a diamond. Her true name is lost to time, but she was called "Zephyr"—like the wind. And much like the wind, she strayed too far from where she first came from, never being able to return.
The Backrooms claimed another victim.
Zephyr wakes up to a brand new day in the village. She has to help her father skin the prey he had hunted the previous day, which is her favorite part of the morning. She likes to be helpful and to spend time with him, since he's the only familiar face left by her side in this faraway land. It's been a few years since they've had to settle in this otherworldly village, but it has become her home after growing fond of it. It is the closest thing she has left of her home in Athens.
She dons her peplos and sandals after removing her chiton armor, deciding to wear a golden bracelet just to feel more confident than usual. It was precious to her, being a family heirloom inherited from her mother.
She walks into the kitchen area, seeing her father already busy cleaning the creatures he hunted. He's so preoccupied that he fails to notice her at first. She decides not to disturb him, and instead she makes other food for her children — Daphne, Acacius, and Agnes. They are three beautiful and intelligent children, always eager to help her with house duties. They truly resemble their father in everything they do.
She spends some time thinking about her beloved Alexander while preparing some bread and fresh cheese. He is outside busy with work, and she truly wishes he could be home when she wakes up in the early morning. Despite that, she doesn't blame him for having to leave soon; he's trying his best to help the family, after all.
When she finishes the food, she walks to the children's sleeping quarters and softly wakes them. "Wake up, my dears! It's a new day!" She says it in a cheerful tone.
Daphne is the first to awaken. Being the eldest, she is always the one up first to help with more tedious tasks. Acacius, the middle child, is the second to wake up with a loud yawn. He is a deep sleeper, but he tries to wake up in time. Lastly, Agnes — the youngest — is left to sleep quietly until she feels fully rested. She isn't old enough to help around the house yet.
"Mother, what did you make for breakfast today?" Agnes sheepishly asks as she struggles to properly don her peplos. Zephyr assists her before placing a plate with fresh food on the kitchen table. Acacius looks enthusiastically towards the cheese, since it's his favorite food.
"Cheese and bread! I've also poured a bit of oil on the bread to make it less dry. Make sure to eat everything!" She recommends before caressing the heads of both of her children. The two smile and eat everything quickly, leaving leftovers for their younger sister. Then, the children get up and begin doing their daily chores. Agnes goes to clean around the house, and Acacius works on carving wooden tools and equipment to use.
Zephyr approaches her father once she notices that he has stopped skinning the prey. He is taking a break to rest since his hands are sore and tired. "Father, allow me to help you now. You should stop for today, and I'll cook the meat when I'm done." She smiles gently. Her father is old now, and she doesn't want him to exhaust himself more than necessary.
"Thank you, sweet breeze. You're sparing your old father from further pain!" He chuckled wholeheartedly before allowing her to take over the job. He exits the room to take a breath of fresh air.
Zephyr spends hours skinning and cleaning the prey. She stored a great majority of the meat in salt and ice, before roasting the rest of it for lunch. The creatures in this world were not like the normal animals she remembered back home, but most were edible if cleaned correctly.
Her youngest daughter wakes up while the meat is cooking, so she holds her in her arms and gently fixes her hair.
"Mama, you're very beautiful." Agnes says with a cheeky smile as she plays with her mother's face. Zephyr enjoyed the ticklish feeling of her little hands poking at her cheeks. "You're beautiful too, Agnes. You're a precious little diamond." She replies in a tender tone, petting the top of her head before slowly putting her down.
"Will I become like you when I'm older?" The little girl asks with hope in her eyes. She admires her mother so dearly. She would even say that her mother is more beautiful than Philia herself, but people wouldn't be happy to know she used a goddess' name in vain.
"Of course, darling. You'll become the most beautiful woman, just like your sister!" She reassures. She truly believes that all her children will grow up to be beautiful and kind people. It was the one thing she desired most, and she would often visit the temple of Philia to pray for her blessings.
"Now, you should go play with your sister. I must head out of the village to purchase more cheese. Remind your siblings to stay with their grandfather and help him if he needs!" She recommends it in a serious but playful tone.
Agnes nods in understanding, wanting to fulfill her mother's request and make her proud. She exits the kitchen soon after that.
Acquiring cheese in was rather simple, but the cost is far too high nowadays, especially in light of the upcoming Harvest Feast. Thankfully, Zephyr knew a merchant based outside the village who sold fresh cheese at a low price. She knew it wouldn't take long to return. She takes a basket from the table nearby and ventures outside her house, passing by a few temples in the busy streets. Everyone is so cheerful and festive. The streets are all decorated, and people are drinking the most delicious wine in celebration. Zephyr isn't the type to celebrate early, but she will definitely bring her family to the village center later to partake in the festival.
Zephyr decides to stop by the temple of Protastheia to pray for a bountiful harvest and for a bright future for her and the children before leaving the village. The trip only takes around twenty minutes, and she is able to use the last of her money to buy enough cheese along with a bottle of wine. She bids farewell to the merchant and begins returning home. She wonders if her husband is home by now, awaiting her arrival with their children. She can't wait to see all of them again and hold them very close. Zephyr loves her family so much… they are all she has left, after all.
Stepping foot back into the village, Zephyr realizes that everything is strangely quiet. It was incredibly odd, considering that it's a festive day and the streets are usually busy around this time. Where did everyone go? She begins to take notice of smoldering ruins and pools of blood, as a fearful realization begins to set in. She runs back to her house as fast as she can, only to find…nothing. All that remained in its place was a smoldering pile of rubble stained with blood. Not a trace of her family remained.
Zephyr falls to her knees, wailing in despair and clutching onto herself as tears begin to flow. Her husband is gone, her children are gone, and her father is gone too. Not only them, but all her friends and neighbors too.
In the distance, she sees him a tall, ominous white-haired figure with the cold beauty and appearance of something above humans; a god. The Greyking of Stupor engorged himself with the corpses of those he slaughtered, melting into a putrid gray sludge. He disappears in a matter of seconds, before Zephyr can truly process what she has witnessed.
Zephyr was left with nothing to believe in any longer. One of their gods, whom they loyally worshiped and placed their trust in, merely destroyed them like insignificant ants. Had Zephyr not been out of the village when it occurred, she too would have befallen the same fate.
She shut herself inside her empty home for days, paralyzed by grief and trauma. Over time, she would hear other villagers returning to the desolated site, succumbing to the same visceral despair as herself. She hadn't the strength to comfort them or be comforted. She no longer feels any reason to keep living, besides laying by the scorched, bloody smear on the floor that had once been her family. She refuses to eat, drink, or move in any way. She only wishes to be free of this pain and to reunite with her loved ones on the other side.
Her vision gradually grows blurry. She can almost feel the embrace of death slowly reaching out to her, like a gentle sea wave washing over her body. The last thing she sees is a dark figure looming over her, before everything went black…
Is she finally dead? She hopes that she will see her loved ones when she opens her eyes. However, to her disappointment and anger, she found that she was in fact still alive. She lay in a warm and comfortable bed inside a house she had never seen before. She lacks the strength to rise from the bed, despite her best efforts.
Eventually, the man she remembers seeing before fainting walks into the room. Now that she has a proper look at him, she can see more distinct features. He looks much older than her, probably in his late thirties. His eyes and face are faintly wrinkled, betraying tire wear and fatigue. His gaze is one of pity, contrasting with his intimidating build. He seems to be concerned for her wellbeing.
"Why did you save me?" Zephyr asks weakly. "I have nothing to offer, nothing to live for. I've lost everything…" She says it with a broken and defeated voice, feeling tears drip from her eyes once more.
The man's gaze softens at her words. He looks down, almost with shame, as he tries to find the right words to say. "You must not die. You are one of the only few left in the village. You must fight for your family, and avenge them by searching for justice. If you die, they will never receive it. If we do nothing, more will die just like them." His speech almost sounds like that of a general encouraging his soldiers. His words indeed had an effect on Zephyr, but she was not yet entirely convinced.
"You say such inspiring words, yet you seem to forget that we are up against a God. Such beings may not even be vulnerable, let alone killable…" She looks up at him from the bed with a desperate gaze, feeling hopeless and weak.
"You shall not be alone, for this cause is also my own, and others' as well. I can sense that you have the willpower and the drive, but you must rest and allow strength to return to you. There are other survivors of the massacre, who all share this goal of revolution… I know you feel the same way."
Zephyr falls silent. She finds enough strength to sit up in bed. She feels conflicted, but a burning determination grows within her. She empathized with everyone else who lost everything, and she knew that she could not find rest until that loss was avenged. A small number of humans may not be a threat to God, but if enough came together… "Very well…I will help you. I will fight for the sake of my family, but I cannot do much in this condition…" She looks away, trying to stop her tears in order to calm her demeanor. She knows she will have to if she is to fight.
The man seems pleased with Zephyr's answer. He begins nursing her back to her full strength, feeding her bread and milk. "Refer to me as Kushim henceforth. What is your name?" He asks while retrieving empty dishes from her. "Call me Zephyr. It's what everyone has called me." It was all that remained of her mother, besides the golden bracelet.
"Very well, Zephyr. That name lends you an aura of power. Now tell me, do you have any experience in combat?" He observes her carefully, as if attempting to analyze her physical abilities.
"I've trained in archery, for hunting. It's the weapon I'm most familiar with."
Kushim slowly nods. "You shall make for a great ranged fighter. I trust that you will do just as well against beings that are more powerful and intelligent than mere animals. I suppose you must also have extensive speed on par with your skill?"
Zephyr nods. She has good reflexes and speed, which helped her outrun bigger creatures in the past.
"I aim to create different factions for our revolutionary group, each specializing in a different field. Seeing as you are proficient in archery and hunting, perhaps you could lead our stealth-based faction. What do you think?"
Kushim's proposal is quite interesting to Zephyr, who gained a general idea of his vision from it. "I think it can work… Do you have a name for these factions, yet?"
Kushim faintly smiled. "Our group shall be known as The Iron Fist; thus, each faction shall be named after each finger: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sol, and Mercury. Yours shall be Mercury." He gets up quickly, seemingly remembering something important. "There's someone I'd like you to meet before we begin your training. He is my second-in-command."
Kushim helps Zephyr onto her feet. She struggles to balance at first, but she quickly regains her strength after a few minutes. He guides her outside the house he brought her into, which seems to be his. Outside, they find a tall, dark-skinned man with long, dark braided hair and brown eyes waiting for them nearby. She finds him extremely handsome and intimidating, with his muscular build and cold gaze — so much so that she ends up staring at him for a bit too long. He reminds her of her husband, which makes her heart ache briefly at the realization.
The man looks at Zephyr quietly, waiting for Kushim to introduce them to each other.
"This is Magtanggol. He is a noble warrior whom I have long been friends with. Much like you, he lost people close to him, and we shall fight to avenge them too." Magtanggol seems to become more rigid at the mention of the massacre, much like Zephyr. Kushim decides not to bring it up again for the time being. "Why not introduce yourself to him, Zephyr?"
Zephyr takes a quick breath, feeling a bit nervous about the conversation. She tries her best to be quick with her words. "I'm Zephyr. Kushim made me the leader of Mercury. I don't yet know what to say about myself other than being good at wielding a bow." She feels relieved once she finishes introducing herself, hoping that she made a good first impression.
"It's nice to know who I'll be working with," Magtanggol simply replies, confirming Zephyr's suspicions that he was not a big talker. She could not help but wonder what thoughts are currently passing through his mind, if he's burning with just as much rage and grief as her. She feels that the two of them are similar deep down, yet she says nothing about it. It's not the right time.
"I hope we can both find peace and fight for the sake of our people…" is all Zephyr can say in reply, before offering him a handshake. He is surprised, but timidly accepts it. He's not used to this kind of friendliness in the Backrooms. It makes him feel strange. Something about the woman in front of him makes him feel a greater need to return that friendly act. That is when he notices Zephyr is smiling at him—or at least she's trying to. She doesn't know what kind of strength took over her to allow her to smile while also feeling so much bottled pain, but she figures it's an attempt to reassure the man in front of her. Magtanggol decides to return the smile.
Both examine each other's hands in those brief seconds before letting go. Zephyr now knows that his hand is rough at the touch with a strong grip—fitting for a warrior like him. She noticed that he held back when holding hers, perhaps to avoid hurting her. Zephyr now believes that the tough warrior in front of her has a hidden, gentle side that she wishes to see more of in the future. As for Magtanggol, he now knows that Zephyr's hand is slender and hard to touch. He felt the calluses around some of her fingers, which are symbols of a hard-working person. He didn't want to frighten her during that moment, so he controlled his strength to be on equal ground with hers. They have much more in common than they think.
This handshake and her decision to become the leader of the Mercury faction are all symbols of the beginning of her justice-filled path. For the sake of her children, husband, father, and all those innocents who died, she will fight for what she thinks is right.
She will be as unstoppable as the iron fist of an emperor. Made to command and spill blood in the name of revenge.