𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇. Meguru Bachira

VI

She had told him she'd accomplish it. However, she never said they would win the match. She set it up. One day before the match. Everyone could only train in anticipation for what was coming next. Pink hair. Long pink hair. She stared at him from afar. Not because she was curious, but because she needed to pretend it was like so.

Carefully, she came close to him. He moved away instinctively. She feigned hurt. "Ah, I'm sorry." She didn't feel any sort of guilt for the situation she may have caused. He gave her a weak smile to say it was okay without responding to her kind words. "We have a game tomorrow. He could only look away; he had heard this conversation before. "I'm not going to ask you to love football." That was new. "But see everyone here, they love it. They're here because they can't give up. Yet you make a joke out of that. Forgive me, Chigiri, but you are annoying. You have to contribute."

She looked him over. "If you truly want to give up, then you shouldn't waste my time remaining in blue lock. Because if you fail, it affects me too. Don't hinder me anymore, please." A smile was plastered on her face as if she had spoke kind words to him. Something in him burned. She could tell. He didn't know if he liked football now, but he wanted to play. He wanted to prove her wrong. Did he really want to give up? He wasn't sure anymore. "It's your leg, right?" His eyes widened. How she knew that, he did not know. It pestered him.

"However you may have injured it, I don't care Chigiri. You know why?" He shook his head. He couldn't control his actions in her presence. As if ignoring her words was the equivalent to committing a grave sin. "You will play football" That was the honest truth. He had no choice but to listen to her words as she spoke. He did not understand her determination to make him play. But for a moment, he began to think it was out of the kindness of her heart.

It was not. It was self preservation. If she managed to give Chigiri the will to play, then she was lucky. She would escape the worst of her. But was there nothing worse than being affected by someone like him. He had much left to say, but the girl was gone. Her back turned towards him. Look back, he hoped. But Eris did not turn heads for those who were undeserving of her lingering gaze.

The sky was grey even with no sky to see. No stars to watch at night. No constellations to reach for. Her only hope was those. Not praying to the Gods. Because she began to believe she was hated by the Gods themselves. He could only wait for her gaze. He could only wait. His new determination. He was determined to be something to Eris. It would keep him hooked. It was not something that he could stop once accomplished because it was impossible. To gain affection from Eris Vasílissa was a foolish dream.

If she herself, never even felt affection towards her. And so, the fateful day arrived. Her fingers were shaking in a manner so subtle that one with great eyes could not determinate. Still, they shook. Her eyes glossing over the boys as they played. She muttered commands in hope for their win, but no. Like a pile of sand, little by little, they got crushed into nothing. She didn't look down at them for too long. Some people began to understand the problem but no time. The world does not stop for ones such as them.

She knew it too. But her head never stayed down. It was weak. So she looked up for too long. Her eyes in contact with the king. He looked at her with such disdain that it felt funny. The game ended all too quickly. Although she wanted to act on her anger, she did not want to become like him. Of all species of human beings, she hated him the most. Those far more vile than she was. Those who believe they could put chains on a goddess. He could see it. Some sort of fear. Stupidity was his greatest barrier. To fall into the idea that Eris would fear you?

Silly boy. Still he believed it so deeply. She looked at the boys as the came out. Their heads held down. Except Isagi Yoichi. His head high. She put his head back down gently. "Good work." A small smile began to spread on his face like a pandemic. Why were they all so dependent on this woman? She turned her back to him. Not because she trusted him, but because she overpowered him. The boy could not hurt her even if he wished to do so. And so they all walked out.

It was pathetic how they continued to sulk. They should discuss why the problem had occurred. But she had bugger problems to deal with. "Vasílissa, come to my office." The words made her freeze this time. She didn't want to. Not when it would further entangle her with him. The last person she wanted to hear a word of. Everyone watched her. She didn't move an inch. However, she knew she would have to go. So she succumbed to it.

Hesitantly, she walked away from the room. Bachira having a frown on his face at the discomfort of his 'monster'. Nobody knew, but her hands were shaking. Was she truly scared? A goddess who was terrified of the wrath of a mere human. Pathetic. But it wasn't Ego she was scared of. It was him. He was a God, but she did not worship him. She despised him.

Knock. She only knocked once. "Hm." She heard through the door. Ego was a lazy man. She twisted the knob. She entered the door carefully. Her mouth unmoving. "They lost." He stated. He had no need for complicated metaphors like she did. Not because he could not understand them, but because he was too lazy to process them. He was a human that would not put in the effort to impress even a being of extreme divinity. A mortal who did not appreciate the existence of those who were undying.

A mere mortal. Suppressing a divine being. Pathetic. "But that wasn't my task. You asked to fix your 'diamonds in the rough', so I did." She didn't say what she did. Equivocation. He wasn't daft. But he played along. Egos mind worked faster than most. He knew techniques. He understood her words, but he didn't understand her. He didn't want to. He didn't need to understand her. She wasn't a presence that concerned him at all. All he needed was for her to strengthen his gems into something powerful.

"Vasílissa, do not attempt to sway me with words. I only appreciate results not words. Not the effort in which one makes but the results one produces." He was just like everyone. Expecting results from mere humans like pawns. She didn't argue. "Do I have permission to drag your boys through hell?" He paused. Hell. He didn't know what he'll to Vasílissa was. But hell often burnt more than the scorching sun. He didn't know if he could give her permission to do that. "Yes. If you do not produce results, I won't be paying you for the results."

But she wouldn't get the pay. Which is why it was bothersome. It would get her in trouble with him. It was something she couldn't bear to think about. The idea of him talking to her in such a belittling manner once again. The thought of the things he would do to her made her feel sick. So sick that she could almost feel the vomit seeping into her throat. She nodded before carefully exiting the room. The door slamming shut.

It made her sick.

—★—
Chapter end

I don't know how I feel about the last chapter. But I do know that chapter 8 won't be rewritten in case you read this book before. Because I like that chapter so much. I'll have to figure out a way to make chapter 7 correlate with it and this chapter as well without missing anything that's important.

Word count: 1435
Chapter rewritten: 19/05/2024

Sleep well, eat well and hydrate because if you don't you'll end up as the final moon. Goodnight, good morning, good afternoon, good evening my loves.