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00: PROLOGUE
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A SEVEN YEAR OLD EUPHROSYNE sat closely to her mother, tears making their way down her face. Her mother, Theia, had her arms wrapped around the girl.
"It's alright, Euphro." Theia rubbed soothing circles on her daughter's arm. "It'll be over soon, I promise."
They had been hiding in the back of her mother's jewlery shop for hours. Her mother had claimed how they couldn't go outside, not yet. It was too dangerous. The sound of explosions were heard all around them. It had been going on for hours and hours.
"I don't wanna die." Euphrosyne mumbled, wiping her tears with the back of hand.
"I know, I know." Theia whispered. "But death isn't so scary, you know? It happens to all of us."
"But what if-" A sniffle. "What if the Grim Reaper gets me?"
The Grim Reaper. A figure that was known by everyone. A myth that was known by everyone. He was often used as a bad guy in many children's books of the Capitol. Not only that, but some kids at school found it fun to taunt people using the Grim Reaper's name.
He would hunt down some unfortunate soul, slashing them with his scythe, all whilst showing no mercy. It happened when you least expected it. And once he was there, once you saw him, there was no escaping. He would take the soul of the slaughtered body, bringing them to a place where they would be tortured for all eternity.
Or atleast, that's the story people chose to believe. A story that wasn't accurate.
"The Grim Reaper isn't a bad guy." Her mother stated, holding her daughter close. "And whatever you heard about him probably isn't true."
"But he-" Euphrosyne leaned in, whispering in her mother's ear. "kills people."
"No, he doesn't." Theia chuckled. "That's just what people want you to believe. Let me tell you a story. It's called 'Don't fear the Reaper'."
The girl sat up a little straighter, putting her head on her mother's shoulder as she listened closely.
"A long, long time ago there was a little girl, a bit older than you, named Asaka. Asaka's family was poor and because of this she helped her family work in the fields every single day." Her mother started. "Things weren't great, but she was happy. She loved her family and they loved her right back. Like us."
"Yeah, because I love you!" The girl exclaimed, earning a chuckle from Theia.
"And I love you back." Her finger's combed through her daughter's hair. "One day, however, her mother had died of a disaese. Then her father, then her younger brother and sister. Only her and her older brother were left." Euphrosyne let out a small gasp at this. "Because of this, Asaka feared death more than anything else. Now, with only two of them left, things had gotten lonelier. Even with less mouths to feed they both still had to work hard in order to survive."
