Mythical character with a strange, exhausted call (10)
I believe the answer is:
persephone
'mythical character' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'a strange exhausted call' is the wordplay.
'a' becomes 'per' (eg 'one a day' means 'one per day').
'exhausted' suggests removing the centre (the word is emptied out or exhausted).
'call' becomes 'phone' (phone can mean to call by telephone).
'strange' with its centre removed is 'se'.
'per'+'se'+'phone'='PERSEPHONE'
'with' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for persephone that I've seen before include "Girl away all winter" , "wife of underground boss" , "#The wife from hell" , "Daughter of Demeter abducted by Pluto" , "Infernal woman" .)