Arachne — Volume 02

In the sun‑baked outskirts of the bustling port town of Tennis, a stark white warehouse towers over a newly‑tended garden, its stone walls holding back the restless sea. The building, owned by the wealthy cloth merchant Archias, becomes a temporary home for his artistic nephews, the sculptors Hermon and Myrtilus, and his spirited daughter Daphne, who sets up bright striped tents amid the palms and figs. As the early morning mist lifts, Daphne awakens eager for the hunt, accompanied by her pack of hounds and a lively retinue of slaves and freedmen.

The day quickly fills with the clamor of a bustling market, the splash of boats returning from the harbor, and the triumphant cries of hunters bringing back a bounty of waterfowl. Daphne inspects her catch—gleaming pelicans, soaring vultures, and countless birds—her eyes alight with the thrill of the chase. Yet, as she turns to admire the spoils, a fleeting shadow passes over her, hinting that the tranquil garden may conceal mysteries beyond the day's hunt.