Chapter 1 - The Arrival

The chains had been lighter than expected. Sisyphus could feel their weight in every link, but after an eternity of pushing stone up an endless slope, anything that didn't roll back down felt almost like freedom.

Almost.

He rolled his shoulders as he climbed. Where the boulder's weight had carved grooves in his bones, now only air pressed against him - a different burden entirely. Each step up the stone stairs carried him toward unknown labor, the air sharp with scents that he'd almost forgotten: olive groves and sea salt.

The tower stretched upward, reminding him of his eternal ascent, only this time more cramped. The Guard Captain climbed ahead of him, armor clanking with each step. He checked over his shoulder twice, unnecessarily. Where could Sisyphus run that the gods couldn't find him? As they climbed, arrow slits framed glimpses of the waking palace below.

"Here," the Guard Captain grunted. He stopped before a heavy door, inserted a small key, then pushed.

The door creaked open, revealing the workshop. Mathematical instruments cluttered every surface, and architectural drawings covered the walls: blueprints for structures that seemed to shift when viewed directly.