Inhumanly Yours

✧1. A Fateful Encounter✧

The air buzzed with the hum of lyres and the excited chatter of a hundred voices. A full moon hung heavy and bright over the city of Delphi, casting a silver light over the temple of Apollo. The festival was in full swing, celebrating the gods with dancing, song, and offerings. Torches lined the streets, and the smell of roasted lamb and honeyed wine filled the air.

Leander moved through the crowded square, feeling the festival's joy around him, but his mind was elsewhere. He was a humble fisherman, lean and strong, with the sun's bronze still staining his skin even in the moonlight. In the past year, his family had been struck by illness, and despite his prayers and offerings, the gods had remained silent. Yet tonight, he carried one last hope in his heart-an offering for the goddess Selene, the silent watcher of the night. He had heard rumors that she sometimes favored the desperate, though she had never revealed herself to mortals.

He approached the temple steps with a bundle of white flowers-moonflowers, which only bloomed under Selene's watchful gaze. His calloused hands trembled slightly as he laid them before her altar, the cold marble biting into his knees as he knelt in prayer.

"Goddess of the moon," he began softly, his voice almost lost amid the laughter of the revelers behind him. "Hear my plea. I have nothing to offer but my devotion. Grant me a sign-anything-that my prayers have not been in vain."

He waited, but the night remained still. He felt foolish and alone, a single soul in a sea of revelry. Disheartened, Leander rose to leave when a cool breeze stirred, gentle but sharp as the edge of a blade. The torches flickered, and the air seemed to hum with a low, musical note. He turned, and there she was.

A woman stood by the altar, barely visible in the shifting shadows, dressed in robes as silver as moonlight. Her eyes glowed like the stars, and her skin seemed to shimmer as if kissed by the moon itself. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen-otherworldly, radiant, and untouchable. Yet there was a sadness in her eyes, a longing that mirrored his own.

Leander's breath caught. "Who... who are you?" he stammered, though he already knew the answer.

The woman did not speak at first. Instead, she stepped closer, the flowers he had placed at the altar blooming more brightly in her presence. Her lips parted, and when she spoke, her voice was a melody that wrapped around him like a lullaby. "Why do you seek me, mortal?" she asked, and though the question was gentle, there was an edge to it-a warning.

"Are you... the moon goddess?" Leander asked, barely able to breathe.

She inclined her head, neither denying nor confirming. Her eyes held his, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to blur, leaving only the two of them standing in the moonlight. "What do you seek from a goddess?" she asked again, softer this time, her curiosity genuine.

Leander hesitated, feeling the weight of his desire and his doubt. "I seek a sign," he said, his voice steadier. "A sign that my prayers are not lost... that I am not alone in this world."

The goddess's expression softened, and she reached out, her fingers brushing against his cheek. It was a touch like ice and fire, and it burned him to his soul. "You are not alone," she whispered, and then she was gone-a shimmer of moonlight dissolving into the night.

Leander stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. He was left with only the lingering chill of her touch and the moonflowers, now fully open and glowing with an otherworldly light. His breath hitched, and he fell to his knees, knowing that something beyond his understanding had just occurred. The air felt heavier, charged with the weight of a secret revealed, a mystery yet to be unraveled.

He left the temple that night feeling both blessed and cursed, unaware that the goddess had not gone far. Hidden among the shadows, Selene watched him leave, her heart beating with a dangerous curiosity. She had never meant to reveal herself, but something in the young fisherman's eyes-a desperate, unyielding hope-had caught her off guard.

As he disappeared into the crowd, she whispered to the night, "Foolish mortal. You have no idea what you've started."

And so, it began-the dangerous dance between a goddess and a man, a love that should not have been. A love that would defy the heavens themselves.

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Author's Note:

Hello, dear readers!

Thank you for picking up Inhumanly Yours. This is my very first story, and I'm thrilled to share it with you. It's an AU (Alternate Universe) romance that blends timeless love, sacrifice, and a touch of the divine, set in a world where mortals and gods collide.

Please note: The goddess Selene as the heroine is purely a work of imagination and is not meant to reflect any real mythology or beliefs. Any resemblance to real people, events, or other works is purely coincidental. This story is meant for entertainment, so please don't take it too seriously-just enjoy the journey!

As this is my debut work, your support means the world to me. If you enjoy the story, please vote, comment, and share. Your thoughts and feedback will help me grow as a writer, and I'd love to hear what you think!

Thank you for joining Leander and Selene's journey. I hope their love story stays with you long after you turn the final page.

With love and gratitude,
hadria_lucine01