The sky had ignited in a cascade of dazzling light, the kind that would have made even the stars feel inadequate. Zafron's breath caught as a brilliant streak shot across the sky, trailing gold and crimson fire before crashing into the earth with an ear-splitting boom. The shockwave sent ripples through the air and had him gripping Thera's hand as they raced toward the impact site. Calista and Aurelia were hot on their heels, their curiosity piqued despite the urgency.
The ground where the light struck was scorched, a perfect circle of molten glass glowing with heat. In its center, a figure slowly rose, steam curling around a body that seed sculpted from pure, shimring gold. As the haze cleared, Zafron's eyes widened, and Thera's jaw dropped.
The figure stood tall and imposing, his hair a cascade of shimring gold, eyes blazing with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. His chest was broad, every muscle defined with a perfection that bordered on obscene. His features were sinfully beautiful, like a sculpture brought to life by an artist with a penchant for pure decadence. But as impressive as the rest of him was, it was what hung between his legs that drew every gaze like a magnet—an appendage so massive, so ridiculously prominent, that it swung with each step he took, making its own entrance before him.
There was a beat of stunned silence, and then—
"Holy…" Thera's voice cracked, and she seed unable to finish her thought, her cheeks reddening.
Calista blinked rapidly, her eyes darting between Eros's face and, well… elsewhere. "Is that… anatomically possible?" she muttered, barely able to keep her voice steady. Her tail twitched nervously, and she bit her lip, a mixture of awe and disbelief crossing her features.
Aurelia's usually calm deanor shattered like glass. She stumbled over her words, her fingers twitching at her sides. "Th-that's… I an… is he even aware that it's… that size?" Her eyes widened further. "Is it glowing?"
Zafron, caught between confusion and mounting embarrassnt, cleared his throat loudly. "Ladies, please." He was trying to maintain composure, but even he couldn't help a quick, mortified glance.
The golden figure tilted his head, a slow, knowing smile curving his lips. "Ah, forgive my… startling entrance," he said, his voice rich and decadent, dripping with charm. "I am Eros, god of love and lust, and I sensed a disturbance of the kind only a god can truly appreciate." His gaze swept over the group, lingering a fraction too long on each of the won, and they shivered as if caressed by invisible hands.
Thera shifted on her feet, a bead of sweat trailing down her temple. "Eros… as in, the Eros?" Her voice wavered, and she quickly averted her eyes from the god's lower half, failing miserably.
Eros stepped closer, and his presence radiated warmth and desire. "Indeed." He leaned in slightly, his eyes dancing with mischief. "And you must be Thera. I've heard about you."
She squeaked in response, her lips parting, and then closing again as she tried to form a coherent sentence. "You… heard? About… ?"
"Quite." His gaze dropped lower for a tantalizing second before returning to her eyes. "And may I just say, the stories hardly do you justice."
Calista's hands shot up, palms facing out as she tried to hold back whatever wild thoughts were racing through her mind. "Okay, okay, we get it. Big, shiny, god of lust. Can we focus? Aphrodite is, uh, indisposed right now."
"Indisposed?" Eros's eyes darkened, and his playful deanor shifted. "You an to say she is resting?" He strode forward, his golden skin seeming to glow brighter with each step. "Where?"
"Wait—" Zafron moved to block him, but Eros rely placed a firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently aside.
"You may have courage, mortal," Eros said, his tone light but unyielding, "but when it cos to Aphrodite, I do not wait."
He continued his advance, leaving the trio scrambling to keep up.
Thera, still fighting the heat in her cheeks, muttered under her breath, "There's a whole lot I'd let him not wait for."
Calista shot her a sharp look but couldn't suppress the smirk on her own lips. "We all felt that," she said dryly. "Trust ."
They reached the temple, where Aphrodite lay resting, and Eros burst through the doors, his presence a beacon of light and energy that flooded the chamber. "Aphrodite!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls. "We need to speak!"
Zafron, still reeling from the encounter, could only watch as the god of lust pushed forward, a force of nature that left everyone in his wake breathless, flustered, and more than a little conflicted.
---
Eros stord out of Aphrodite's chambers, his golden skin still radiating a glow that illuminated every crevice of the temple. The heavy doors slamd shut behind him, leaving an echo reverberating through the chamber. The god of love and lust walked with the air of soone who owned the heavens themselves. He might as well have, considering how everyone else in the room seed to have their focus trapped in one particular place.
Calista was the first to break the silence, though not without a breathy sigh. "So, where are you going now?" she asked, her eyes flitting back and forth between Eros's face and, well, everything else. Her voice dripped with sothing that was equal parts curiosity and hopeless awe. "You're just… leaving? There's clearly sothing wrong."
Aurelia, usually composed, found herself twirling a lock of her hair, her words spilling out in a daze. "Maybe… you'd like to stay a bit longer? You know, until things are… uh… calr?" She bit her lip, trying—and failing—not to let her eyes wander.
Thera's laugh was high-pitched, borderline hysterical. "Right! Maybe discuss… all the issues. We're good listeners. Very… receptive." Her cheeks flushed bright red as she spoke.
Eros paused, turning to face the trio. He flashed them a smile that would have lted glaciers, a hint of amusent sparking in his eyes. "I appreciate the… offer," he said, his voice low and sultry, "but there is no ti to linger. The balance is off, and I must return." His tone grew serious, and a shadow crossed his features. "The disturbance is greater than I imagined."
At that mont, Zafron stepped forward, shaking himself free of the overwhelming aura radiating from the god. The others seed entranced—no, bewitched—by Eros's re presence. Zafron felt a stab of irritation and a grudging admiration. Of course, it had to be him who kept everyone's feet on the ground.
"Wait," Zafron said, his voice surprisingly steady. "Where exactly are you going?"
Eros's eyes narrowed slightly, as if truly noticing Zafron for the first ti. The god's gaze bore into him, and for a second, Zafron felt as if every secret he'd ever had was laid bare. Then, sothing flickered in Eros's eyes—recognition, curiosity, perhaps even respect. "You… you are the mortal," Eros said slowly, as if piecing together a puzzle. "The one with the Vitality System."
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