Katabasis, Act I
this au’s been brewing in my head for like two months, but actually writing it’s probably taken five years lmao
Pairing: NozoEli Words: ~11,000 Summary: The Hades and Persephone myth: hopefully with more consent, definitely with more sapphic ladies. In which Nozomi falls down a hole, has an architectural revelation, and grows a flower.
“The gates of hell are open night and day; / smooth the descent and easy is the way…” - Virgil, The Aeneid
Nozomi opened her eyes.
Clumps of dirt fell from her head as she pulled herself up into a sitting position; she winced, probing at her skull, then at her lower back and arms as more sore spots made themselves evident. In the dim light, she could see golden-purple bruises blooming across her shins.
That was odd. Injuries rarely lasted long, not even the time Nozomi had climbed a cliffside in her youth - ignoring Hanayo’s anxious warnings - slipped on a loose rock, and fallen ten meters. The broken bone had healed within the hour. Something as simple as bruises shouldn’t have taken so long to heal.
How far had she fallen?