lzeen:

How to be Immortal:

I. 

‘Learn to rip hearts’ Aphrodite murmurs. Artemis smiles. ‘And enjoy the taste of the blood on your hands.’ She runs her hands through dark tresses. ‘Enjoy the hunt and dance to their screams.

II. 

‘Know the constant war between chaos and order.’ Poseidon says, ‘the ebb to the shore and the hurricane to the sky.’ He dips his hand in the saltwater, watching his waves. ‘A war that can be tipped to either side by a single breath.’

III.

‘Master balance.’ Themis tugs at her weights, ‘The tips of the scales does govern.’ Athena sits beside her. ‘And your limitations will be only your mind. The cosmic laws will bend around you, enforcing them will be your task.’

IV.

‘Memorize the color red.’ Ares says, the sound of clanging metal not far behind. ‘The color of wine. The color of blood. The color of pain.’ Dionysus adds and glance at Hermes who dips his head in agreement. ‘For every path you journey, each step will seem like a century. It will be the color that greats you one border to the next.’

V.

‘Embody the lesson of stone’ Medusa hisses, ‘Unmoving. Enduring. Set.’ Her hair twists and tangles together, the scales with a mind of their own. ‘Know you will last as lesser things crumble. Dust between your fingers.’

VI.

‘Be at home in the dark.’ Nyx whispers. She leans her head on Hemera, ‘And appreciate the comfort of the dawn. Promises of tomorrow on her lips. You will steal them one by one for each time you see the sun set and the darkness take his place.’ Her dark eyes drift to the sky. “And you will learn the wrath of the stars.’

VII.

‘Understand that your memories will be your enemy.’ Mnemosyne tilts her head back, eyes closing. ‘Ghosts that will plague you, twisting and clawing until all that remains of you is the fights of your past and the demons.’

VIII.

‘Accept change.’ Psyche murmurs, her head dipped in the clouds, ‘You will have nothing and everything one second to the next.’ Persephone smiles before adding, ‘You will force revolutions and watch as the structures topple. Laugh at fate for the bounds you are born to will not be those you end up with.’

IX.

‘Take pleasure in your power.’ Zeus declares with Hera at his heels. ‘Take pleasure for you will be vilified for it.’ She says, ‘They will fancy themselves judge and jury of your character, but you are above them. Beneath you, they burn.’

X,

‘Realize the blurred line between sleep and death.’ Hypnos and Thanatos say, arms around each other, ‘and remember that you have crossed both.’ Atlas nods, shifting slightly under his burden, ‘You will bear the weight of time.’ He steals a glance to Hades. ‘And you will wish you could collapse beneath it.’

– L.H.Z // How to be Immortal