Inhumanly Yours

✧7. The Ticking Clock✧

The days that followed felt like a dream and a nightmare interwoven, the passage of time both slow and swift. Selene could feel the weight of Zeus' words echoing in her mind, and every moment with Leander felt like it could be their last. The knowledge that she would soon lose him-the very man who had defied the gods for her-was a cruel truth she could not escape.

Their love was fierce, but it was fragile, like the last petals of a flower before the frost came. And no matter how tightly she held onto him, she knew the inevitable was coming.

Leander, however, seemed to have no fear. He was determined, unwavering, living each moment with a joy that made Selene both grateful and heartbroken. He had chosen her, and now, in his eyes, there was no turning back.

Selene, on the other hand, found herself battling a storm of emotions. The gods had given her a curse in exchange for the life she had chosen to lead, and though she would do anything to hold onto Leander, the reality of their situation gnawed at her every waking hour.

It was an early evening when the wind grew cold, carrying with it the familiar, ominous sensation of the gods' presence. Selene stood by the edge of a cliff, her hair billowing around her like a halo of darkness. The sky had taken on a deep red hue, the sun setting in a blaze of fiery orange, and her thoughts were as scattered as the wind.

Leander joined her, his steps silent as he moved to stand beside her. He didn't speak at first, but his presence was a comfort, grounding her in a way nothing else could.

"Are you troubled?" he asked softly, his voice the calm to her storm.

She looked at him, her heart aching with the knowledge that she could never protect him from the consequences of their love. "I am always troubled when I think of the future," she confessed, her voice trembling despite her attempt at composure. "When I think of how short our time together will be."

Leander reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Selene, I don't regret anything. Not even for a moment. You've made me feel alive, something I never thought I would experience. What we have, it's worth everything."

Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over. "But what if... what if we don't have enough time? What if I can't save you from the price the gods will make us pay?"

Leander gently cupped her face, brushing away the tears with the softest of touches. "Then I'll die knowing that I had the best love a man could ever dream of. I'll die knowing that I chose to live my life with you, no matter the cost."

The words struck her like lightning, the intensity of his love burning through her and leaving her both envious and broken. How could he be so brave, so willing to embrace the inevitable? And how could she face a world without him?

The wind picked up, howling around them, but neither of them moved. Selene's gaze drifted to the horizon, her eyes searching for something beyond the red sky-a sign, a miracle, anything that could change their fate.

And then she felt it. A presence, ancient and all-consuming, looming over them from the sky.

Without warning, the air around them thickened, crackling with divine energy. The earth beneath their feet trembled, and the world seemed to tilt. Selene's heart began to race.

Leander's grip on her tightened. "What is it?"

Selene didn't need to answer. The gods had come. The price was about to be paid.

Suddenly, a figure descended from the heavens, its form glowing with an ethereal light. It was Zeus, his eyes like burning coals, his presence commanding and suffocating. He landed before them with a force that shook the very ground they stood upon.

"Selene," Zeus' voice boomed, his tone like the cracking of thunder. "You have defied the will of the gods, and now the time has come to pay the price."

Leander stepped forward, his jaw clenched. "I will not stand aside. I have made my choice. If I must die for loving her, so be it."

Zeus' eyes flickered to Leander, a sneer curling on his lips. "You are a fool, mortal. You will never be able to withstand what's to come. You are nothing compared to the power of the gods."

Selene moved between them, her heart pounding in her chest. "Zeus, please," she pleaded, her voice desperate. "What must we do to undo this? What will it take to change our fate?"

The sky above darkened, the wind howling as Zeus raised his hand. "There is no escape from the consequences of defying us. But I will give you one final choice, Selene." His voice was cold, unyielding. "You may keep your mortal lover, but you will have to give up your immortality. You will become mortal, like him. And in doing so, you will live out the same lifespan, no more, no less."

The words hit her like a physical blow. To live and die as a mortal, to share Leander's fate... it seemed like a gift, but it was also a curse. To lose her eternity, to lose everything she had ever known-was she willing to give that up?

Leander's voice broke through her thoughts, steady and unwavering. "Do it, Selene. If this is what we must do to stay together, I will never ask you to turn away from it."

Her heart clenched painfully. "But I would be without you sooner than I can bear," she whispered.

Zeus watched them with a cruel amusement. "Choose wisely, Selene. The clock is ticking. Make your decision before it is too late."

Time was running out. The air crackled with the weight of the gods' judgment, and the world seemed to hold its breath.

Selene stood there, torn between love and loss, between immortality and mortality. And in that moment, she realized that the cost of love was not just the passing of time. It was the price of the heart itself, the pain of knowing that no matter what choice she made, it would lead her to a future where she would never be the same.

With a heavy heart, Selene made her decision.

"Then I choose him," she said, her voice steady and filled with a quiet sorrow. "I choose him, and I will face whatever comes. Together."

The wind howled, and the gods' presence lingered, but for a brief moment, the world seemed to still. And in that stillness, Selene and Leander stood together, ready to face the price of their love.

                         ✷✷✷✷

Don't forget to vote😇. Feel free to tell your thoughts in the comments.

With love,
hadria_lucine01