Atropos

The Unavoidable One

In the ancient world, there were three fates that ruled over the destiny of all beings: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Clotho spun the thread of life, Lachesis measured its length, and Atropos determined its end. Of the three fates, Atropos was the most feared, for she held the power to decide how everyone must die.

Atropos was a mysterious figure, shrouded in darkness and rarely seen by mortals. She was the oldest of the fates, and her hair was as white as snow. Her eyes were black as the void, and her skin was cold as ice. She carried a pair of golden scissors, sharp enough to cut through the thread of life with ease.

Atropos was never kind or merciful, for she believed that death was a necessary part of the natural order. She took pleasure in her work, relishing the moment when she could snip the thread of life and watch as a soul drifted into the afterlife.

For most mortals, Atropos was an abstract concept, a distant and unknowable force that would one day come for them. But for some, Atropos was a constant presence in their lives. These were the ones who had been marked by fate, whose deaths had already been determined.

One such mortal was a young man named Leonidas. From the moment he was born, Atropos had known that his life would be short. She had woven his thread with care, measuring it precisely and then handing it to her sister Lachesis to mark. From that day on, Leonidas was destined to die at the age of twenty-five.

Leonidas grew up knowing that his time was limited. He lived each day to the fullest, never wasting a moment. He traveled the world, fell in love, and experienced every joy and sorrow that life had to offer. And all the while, Atropos watched from the shadows, waiting for the moment when she could claim him.

On the eve of his twenty-fifth birthday, Leonidas sat alone in his room, waiting for Atropos to arrive. He knew that she would come for him soon, and he was ready to accept his fate. As the clock struck midnight, there was a knock at the door.

Leonidas rose from his chair and opened the door to find Atropos standing before him. She was taller than he had imagined, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.

“It is time,” she said in a voice like ice.

Leonidas nodded, and Atropos drew her golden scissors from her robe. She raised them high above her head, and then brought them down in a swift, decisive motion. There was a sound like a snap, and then Leonidas felt his soul leave his body.

Atropos watched as Leonidas’s soul drifted upwards, disappearing into the void. She felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that she had done her duty and fulfilled the natural order of things.

And then she was gone, fading back into the shadows, ready to wait for the next mortal whose fate she had already determined. For Atropos was eternal, and she would continue to wield her power over life and death for all time to come.