BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Chapter 5: Eat Me, and You Will Die

The Minotaur had sensed the strangeness in Anubis from the start, but his  cryptic words now felt like a direct challenge. It was a challenge the Minotaur couldn't resist. His lips curled into a chilling smile, barely restraining the feral glee bubbling beneath the surface.

"Do you think you can underestimate me?" the Minotaur growled.

In an instant, the Minotaur's colossal frame moved with surprising speed, slamming Anubis to the ground. The god's body lay crushed beneath the Minotaur's weight, pinned against the cold rock. Their faces were mere inches apart, and yet, despite the force pinning him down, Anubis smiled. A serene, unnervingly beautiful smile. The sight of it sent heat surging through the Minotaur's chest, as if something was on the verge of exploding inside him.

Anubis' eyes gleamed with a knowing light. The longer the Minotaur stayed in physical contact, the more of his life energy seeped away, absorbed by the divine figure beneath him. With every passing second, the Minotaur's monstrous strength drained, his power fading as Anubis' influence grew.

"How dare you!" The Minotaur's rage flared as he felt his own body grow heavier, as if weighed down by an invisible force. He tore at Anubis in fury, shredding his clothes in a violent frenzy, preparing to devour him as he had devoured countless human sacrifices in the labyrinth.

But when the Minotaur ripped away Anubis' garments, what he saw stopped him cold.

Beneath the tattered fabric was a body unlike any he had seen before—perfect, almost radiant, like the marble statues of gods in his father's palace. For a moment, the Minotaur's wild instincts faltered, his aggression replaced with something far more primal. A need, a longing, gnawed at him, but even that moment of hesitation was costly.

His strength had been diminishing rapidly, weakened not only by the proximity to the Valley of Death but also by the very touch of Anubis. Furious and desperate, the Minotaur gripped Anubis' throat, his claws tightening with the intent to crush him.

With the last of his waning power, the Minotaur bit deep into Anubis' neck, expecting the warm, metallic taste of blood. But what flowed from Anubis was no ordinary blood—it was the blood of a god. Anubis had been the vessel of divine judgment, carrying the weight of souls in torment. The Minotaur tried to tear him apart, but the bite only deepened the curse.

The blood of Anubis flowed into the Minotaur's veins, and with it came an unexpected consequence. The blood that was meant to judge and punish, instead, began to heal. The curse that had plagued the Minotaur—the monstrous rage born from his father's sin—started to lift.

The Minotaur's body trembled as the transformation began. His hulking frame softened, shrinking, his monstrous limbs turning into human arms. His beastly snout receded, replaced with the human features he had long forgotten. The creature of legend was no more, leaving behind only Asterion—the forsaken son of Queen Pasiphaë.

Asterion stared at his hands in disbelief. They were no longer hooves but human hands, perfect and whole. His heartbeat was calm, his chest no longer tight with anger. For the first time, he felt... at peace. Tears streamed down his face, unchecked, as he looked at Anubis, who still lay motionless before him, his neck torn and bloodied.

"Who... who are you?" Asterion whispered, his voice trembling.

But even as Asterion spoke, he watched in awe as Anubis' torn neck healed before his eyes. The wounds closed seamlessly, and the blood that had once flowed disappeared without a trace, leaving Anubis' body whole and untouched. He rose slowly, his expression calm, his divine presence as formidable as ever.

Between sobs, Asterion reached out and touched Anubis' face, his fingers trembling. He had been cursed for so long, consumed by hatred and the wrath of the gods. But now, that weight had been lifted. Anubis had freed him, even though that had never been the plan.

"I told you," Anubis said softly, his voice gentle yet unyielding, "I could take you to a better place."

Behind them, the portal to the Valley of Death glowed, absorbing the remnants of evil energy that had once fueled the Minotaur's rage. The souls trapped there—the ones who had cried out for vengeance—were now at peace. Anubis had not only freed Asterion from his curse but had also ended the torment of the souls that had suffered at his hands.

The Minotaur's curse had been an accident, a twist of fate, perhaps a blessing from the gods themselves. Not only had Asterion been spared, but he had also been forgiven.

Anubis rose to his feet, his calm demeanor unchanged. "Go back to the palace, Asterion," he said, his voice echoing in the cave. "The gods have forgiven you."

Without another word, Anubis turned and walked toward the portal, the light swallowing him whole. Just as Asterion reached out, the portal vanished, leaving him alone in the cave.

Asterion collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. His monstrous form was gone, but the weight of what had just happened remained heavy in his chest.

"What... what did you do to me?" he whispered, his voice broken.

The Minotaur was dead. All that remained was Asterion, kneeling in the darkness, weeping.