"Tell me, mortal, how should I punish you?"
As if by an evil spell, Goddess Paliamoth's question kept echoing in Elio's ears, over and over again.
It was driving him crazy.
He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. The tempo was higher than the Jumanji drums. His limbs went limp. Luckily, he was in the water, hence no need to stand on his feet. Otherwise, he would have collapsed.
The goddess had asked a question. Rhetoric or not, he should have been trying to think of an answer, but his mind was blank.
Oddly enough, he couldn't pull his gaze from the goddess's eyes. He was sure she was compelling him. And even though he was afraid, he could sense that his body was reacting in a dramatic way.
The feeling that he was going to die grew thick and broad, spreading inside of him. Coldness seeped into him and all of a sudden he started trembling.
