||Koi No Yokan|| Park Seonghwa

||Chapter 5||

Aphrodite had always loved his dear Cupid. He had always been loyal to her, since the beginning of times when she gave birth to him.

Being the goddess of beauty was not enough to make sure humans lived in harmony between them: there were times when she frequently manifested herself on Earth, and she would see the pure disbelief of both men and women. She would witness their twinkling eyes, the way they fell to their knees with tears streaming down their faces, their mouths agape in both admiration and envy. They prayed her to grant their wishes with such ardor and faith it would put a priest of today and his whole church to shame.

But she could only do so much for them. Once she had given beauty to a man, she had to watch it fade over time. Once she had granted a girl's wish to have the most breathtaking flowers in her garden, she had to watch them falter and die from their owner's lack of consideration

Something was missing.

Love was missing.

So, once she gave birth to Seonghwa, she had given him a precise task to fulfill: to bring love to the world, so that beauty could shine forever as the planets would shine because of the sunlight. However, she had to make sure he never fell in love, never. It would've been the death of him: she knew it from the very moment he was born.

"How are things on Earth? Are you doing your job well?"

"Yes, Mother"

Aphrodite watched her son drink his cup of ambrosia, while the servants in the room kept on bringing exquisite food of every kind.

"Perfect. I know you're doing so well right now, but I need you to...to intensify your activities. So many humans seem to have lost the concept of love, and only follow and adore me. As much as I am flattered, I know that it's not healthy for a human to yearn for something they can't achieve because of their own nature. That's why I thought it would be better if you stayed on Earth permanently until the situation is more balanced"

Aphrodite didn't miss his son's eyes twinkling in joy: his son was quite keen on humans and she knew that all too well.

"If that's what you desire, Mother, I'm at your service"

Aphrodite observed the necklace she had gifted him at birth. It was made of the purest gold, with a pendant that had a rose carved in it. "So you know that I'm always watching over you and protecting you" she had said to him.

"You will start tomorrow. Your belongings have already been moved to your island, so do not worry about that. I also asked Poseidon to keep it guarded by his creatures so that no human will ever pass those waters"

"Thank you, Mother. You always do so much for me..."

"I have to, my precious Cupid. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for my evening bath"

She got up, her flowing attire moving graciously with every step she took towards the marble carved bathroom.

Once she was sure his son had gone away, she stepped into the warm water. The rich smell of roses filled the air, as invisible servants made of air whispered unknown sweet melodies. She spent some time like that, relishing in the warmth of the water and the beautiful voices resonating in the room.

"You wished to see me?"

A deep female voice interrupted the celestial atmosphere. A smirk spread on the goddess' face, as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her dress clashed with the purity of her surroundings: the long kaftan was ripped at the edges and it was almost as dark as her orbs. Long black hair flowed on her back and on her pale face, deformed by a vicious smile.

"Oh, dear... you look awful" she snickered, amused at Aphrodite's change of expression.

"Do not tease me, dear. I need you to do something for me"

Aphrodite played with a rose petal flowing in front of her, inviting the woman in the pool with her. Soon the woman's dark kaftan was discarded, revealing her pale, gaunt body.

"What do you want me to do?" the woman asked, letting the water caress her ankles, then her whole body.

"My son is in danger, Eris... I need you to keep an eye on him, and that human he has fallen in love with"

There was a moment of silence. Then the pale woman spoke up.

"How do you know all of this?"

Aphrodite urged one of the servants to bring her a silver, inlaid mirror. Then she hummed a simple tune, watching the mirror lit up and show her son that was now on the invisible island sorting his work out.

"I've kept an eye on him like this since he was born... since that prophecy. And now that I see it is becoming true, and he's totally oblivious about it... I need to protect him, Eris, but I can't do this alone. I would've asked your brothers about this, but one's loyal to Hades and the other...well, he has chosen the wrong side in this battle"

Eris looked at how the rose petals danced around her, as more were falling over her head, then she spoke, her voice even deeper than before.

"Tell me what I have to do, and I will do it."

Aphrodite's features hardened, letting a sadistic smile creep on her face.

"That human, Carys...get rid of her. Use whichever means you and your sister deem appropriate, but don't lay a single hand on my son. Also, be secretive: he needs to learn the hard way that he cannot love, or he will die."

Eris reciprocated the smile, thinking about how her sister would be thrilled to get right into the action.

She suddenly thought about Hongjoong. Her brother was all caught up in Seonghwa's dream, not realizing it was about to turn into a horrific nightmare. But he had to learn the hard way, as Aphrodite had said. Love is dangerous and complicated.

Discord, on the other side, is simple and makes people thrive off of it.

"It will be done, Aphrodite" she spitefully said "I can't wait to get into action"

"Thank you, Eris. I know you will not disappoint me"

"If there's one thing that I and my sister don't do is disappoint: Cupid will have to surrender if he wants to keep his immortality"

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Hello, folks! 

So, about this chapter... Aphrodite is plotting something oooh (but she has an explanation for that, I promise akdbejhr)

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that is reading and voting my story, it really means a lot to me 🥰❤️also, I may not be able to update next week because it's exam season where I live, so I'll be busy trying to get that diploma lololol

Until next time, bye bye (and wish me luck for my exams, hopefully I'll survive this😅)

∼Medusa