Presented with the decapitated head of his own mother, Perseus felt an overwhelming surge of despair and fury rise within him as the intense emotions caused his legs to give out from beneath him.


    His mind refused to ept the grisly sight before him, causing him to struggle while breathing as his chest tightened with every passing second.


    Sophia, on the other hand, let out an anguished wail that echoed through the prison, as tears streamed down her bruised face, mixing with the dirt and blood that marred her once beautiful features.


    "Mother… no… this can''t be real…" Perseus muttered, his voice barely a whisper, as his body shook uncontrobly.


    He reached out with trembling hands towards the severed head, his fingertips brushing against the cold, lifeless skin, as for a moment he hoped that this was all an illusion, a psychological trick by their father to torture them, however, as his fingers actually touched his mother''s life less skin, it was only then that the reality of her death hit him like a tidal wave, causing him to recoil in horror.


    Meanwhile, Sophia continued to sob uncontrobly, her cries of grief filling the dank, oppressive air of the prison, much to the annoyance of Escanor who stared into her eyes with obvious frustration.


    "Shut up…. It''s not so bad. Why must you whine and cry over the life of a worthless mortal?" Escanor asked, as his question made Sophia lose her calm, causing her to snap-back. Enjoy exclusive chapters from mvl


    "Why? Why would you do this?!" she screamed at Escanor, her voice cracking with the weight of her sorrow. "She was your wife! She loved you! How could you?"


    Escanor stood there, an inscrutable smile on his face, as he watched his children break down before him.


    His eyes gleamed with a cold, detached amusement, as if he were observing a particrly interesting piece of theater.


    "Your mother was a wed woman," he said calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Her imperfections were a stain upon our family….. So I did what was necessary to cleanse us of that taint."


    Perseus''s rage red at his father''s callous words, as he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. "You''re a monster," he spat, his voice trembling with barely suppressed fury. "How can you speak of love when you''ve just murdered the woman who bore your children? How can you justify this as necessary?"


    Escanor''s smile widened, as he took a step closer to Perseus, his presence looming over him like a dark shadow. "Love is an illusion, boy," he said, his tone almost mocking. "It''s a weakness that blinds us to the truth. Your mother''s death was not an act of hatred, but a liberation from her own frailty. In death, she is perfect and unchanging."


    He paused, his smile fading into a stern, menacing re. "Now that you have failed me, your fate will be no better than hers, boy, rest assured that I will give you an equally cruel, if not worse death for I would rather live with the memory of your perfection than ept your defeat and weakness.


    You were once a son I could be proud of …. There was a time when I thought you had potential, when I saw strength in you that mirrored my own. Buttely, you have shown signs of weakness, signs of failure. You are no longer the son I believed in." Escanor said, as he seemed genuinely disappointed that Perseus did not be the man that he hoped that he would be.


    Turning his gaze to Sophia, Escanor''s expression hardened even more. "As for you, Sophia, I never truly epted you as my child. Your very existence was a mistake. I tolerated you because you were useful, but now, you are nothing but a burden."


    Without warning, Escanor''s handshed out, pping Sophia across the face with such force that her head snapped to the side. Her sobs intensified, as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Escanor, seemingly incensed by her crying, raised his fist and punched her hard in the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.


    Perseus, filled with a mix of rage and helplessness, struggled against his chains, screaming at his father. "Stop it! Leave her alone! She''s your daughter!"


    Escanor looked down at Sophia, whoy on the ground, trembling and whimpering. "You disgust me," he spat. "Your weakness, your tears… They are pathetic. You are not worthy of my name, of my blood."


    Turning back to Perseus, Escanor''s eyes were filled with cold, ruthless determination.


    "You will learn, both of you, that failure is not tolerated in this family. You will either rise to meet my expectations, or you will be broken. I have no use for weaklings." he said, as he stormed outside of the prison cell, leaving his two kids to drown in the pit of their own despair.


    "Two days…. The family meeting is in two days and I will present both of you to the Olympian House in two days and it will be the elders who will decide your fate.


    Consider yourselves lucky that you share my blood which prevents me from killing you out-right like your mother, because without it, the two of you would be long dead" Escanor said, his voice receding as he seemed to be walking down the corridor, but even while leaving, he gave his kids something to fear about, as he knew that the two of them were not going to enjoy a nice fate at the next family meeting where everyone was as ruthless as Escanor, if not more.


    "Why….. Why did I have to be born in this cursed family?


    I do not want demi-god powers, I do not want to be the Champion Of Poseidon, all I want to be is loved and happy, like every other kid is….." Sophia muttered once Escanor was gone, as she seemed to hate everything about herself at this moment, slowly losing her will to live entirely.