Chapter 77 : Trapped

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•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Psyche was famous for her beauty.

And the whole world rushed to see it.

But the Goddess Aphrodite envied her.

She asked her son, Eros, to curse the poor soul.

But it backfired.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

My mind drifted to one of Mr. Metallicbutt's Greek classes. The story of Eros and Psyche had fascinated him as a mythology tutor. So much that he explained their story with so much depth and vigor.

Eros' mom -- Aphrodite -- had envied Psyche so much that she wanted her out of the picture. It was a cruel story, but I didn't have time to go through the details.

"I heard she'll be the one to find you here in Star-crossed Inc."

Eros tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, probably wondering where I got the information. After a moment, he replied. "It's a prophecy. One I can't ignore."

Some part of me wanted to give my condolences; pat his back and say 'everything will be alright'. But It'll only make things awkward. "What if she's still trapped in a human?"

Eros stared at me with a calculating gaze like he was trying to discern my reaction. He responded after a few seconds. "Then she's yet to ascend. Either way, I can't let that human out of my sight. Who knows if it's the last I'll meet her. I can't risk it."

I bit my lip. "The human might probably reject any conversation with you."

He scoffed under his breath and leaned against the railings. "You think that's gonna stop a Greek god? Let me tell you something Poppy..."

"It's Penny."

"...nothing can prevent us from reuniting with our beloveds. It's a serious offense to come between the two. A mere human won't stop me from having Psyche back. The same goes for Hera when she ascends. As a queen, she'll do whatever it takes to have Zion by her side, regardless of who's conscious. It's inevitable."

My eyes widened at his subtle warning.

Does he mean...

Hera will come for Zion if she ascends.

But what about Pedro? Will Poseidon's beloved come for him too? And what about me?

I shook those thoughts out, trying to wane my rising anxiety. "Does Liam have a beloved?"

Eros smiled. "It's really hard to say."

I wanted him to say more but he didn't go any further. "How was it like being trapped in a human?"

For a moment, wary clouded Eros' gaze. Then he blinked, replacing it with a ghost of a smile. "It's torture." He folded his arms. The silent atmosphere was filled with unspoken tension.

He looked over the balcony, eyes distant as he spoke in an eerie tone. "Imagine waking up in a void and dark place. An endless and empty world that only echoes your fears in the worst possible way."

His mismatched eyes met mine. "With every second, you hear voices; laughter. A conversation that seems distant but so close. The voice of the body you're trapped in. Not being able to control it. Helpless. The only proof of you're existence is your ever-churning conscience. A conscience that could drive you mad.

"We gods crave control. So being trapped is something we detest. And I know Zeus is feeling the same way, if not worse. I understand his ever willingness to be released. But gaining consciousness meant he'll kill you and we can't have that, can we?"

I shook my head, remembering how Zeus nearly dropped me against a pile of boulders. "Who do you think is responsible for trapping gods in the first place?"

Eros shrugged. "No idea, but I pity those behind it. Zeus won't spare them a moment of mercy. Not only have they disrespected us, but they brought Pandora and other enemies back into existence."

I shifted on my feet. "But you never tried to kill me as Zeus did."

Eros' lips stretched into a canny smile. "Because Liam needs to fully ascend. That way he's never left vulnerable in crucial situations."

So he wants Liam to ascend.

But is that his only reason? Why do I feel like he's hiding more?

"Does he need me or Pandora?"

Eros' eyes widened for a brief second before chuckling under his breath. "My, my, my. Someone knows how to ask questions. Ever tried seduction?"

I scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."

Even though Eros had blankly evaded the question, I couldn't help but mule over other thoughts.

Like how do we kill the gods? And will Eros help in getting rid of Zeus?

"You've spaced out again. Such a curious little thing," Eros said.

As usual, he was observing me. The scar on his cheek stretched out when he smiled.

He paused and glanced over my shoulder. Shock flickered over his features for a moment. "Sorry to cut our conversation short, but my time is up."

I didn't understand what he meant until I smelt it. The strange gas was gradually dissipating.

Which means--

Eros ducked, nearly missing a lightning strike that could blow his head off.

I turned and found Zion standing to our side, his eyes burned with a hint of anger and annoyance. "You love playing a demented Villain, don't you? If you wanted to talk to Penny you could just say so."

Eros straightened up and flashed a devilish grin. "I did. But you were being such a blockhead."

Zion's irises glowed with a deadly white color.

"Wait." I stretched out my hands, trying to calm him down. "You're not seriously trying to electrocute him?"

Zion frowned at me, his fingers crackled with electricity. "He tried to effing control me."

Debatable.

"And it was easy If you ask me." Eros cut in. "Even lovesick chickens have a better chance than--"

"You're not helping," I said through clenched teeth. Eros only smiled, clearly enjoying Zion's frustration.

"Leave or I'll scorch you so bad you'll forget your name," Zion warned.

The god wagged a finger. "Careful with the threats. You don't want me taking my revenge on baby Pedro, now will you?"

Zion only smirked. "Let's see where that gets you if you try."

Eros' reply was cut off by someone else's.

"First of all, we are triplets. So there is no baby brother. If anything, it should be Hunter. He's like nine hours younger than me."

Zion and I simultaneously turned to a pouting Pedro who stood behind the god of love. Eros jerked away in mild surprise.

Pedro effortlessly continued. "And just because Zion is seven hours older doesn't make me the baby brother. But I do call him big bro. Hello big bro!" He waved frantically at Zion who rolled his eyes and subtly returned it.

"My apologies," Eros said, topping it up with a crooked smile. He made one last glance at Zion before casually leaving the scene.

Pedro rose an eyebrow and stuck a thumb in Eros' departing direction. "What was that all about?"

I shrugged and stared at Eros' receding form, my thoughts automatically shifted to the conversation we had earlier. One where he spoke about trust.

I have a funny way of showing it.

He may sound cunning and deceitful but what if there's more sympathy behind all that?

Zion breathed a sigh and massaged his neck. "It's a warning. Stay away from him. Understand?"

Pedro crossed his arms and huffed at his brother. "Okay, mom. But I didn't come here for advice." His eyes turned to me. "Liam just came back and he asked for both of you. We need to discuss our next course of action. Especially one concerning Henry and the crocottas."

Zion nodded. "We'll be right there." His eyes scanned Pedro's sea-blue buttondown shirt. The first four buttons were loose, flashing a small peak of his bare chest. "Fix your top."

Pedro's lips stretched out into a cheerful smile. "Why? Gwen never complained when she saw it."

Zion rubbed his face in frustration. "Do it. Now."

Pedro shook his head. He pocketed his hands in his dark jeans -- which hung low on his hips -- before turning on his heel and walking back into the room.

Zion rambled under his breath, muttering words like 'annoying', 'shirt', 'padlock', and 'room'.

He turned to me. "You coming?"

I nodded and we walked through the glass door, leaving the balcony and entering the main building.

Somehow, my mind drifted to the chat I had with Wyatt; how he found Pedro and me at the cemetery.

Someone told him about our location. And it only indicated one thing...

We have a spy.

Any thoughts about this mysterious spy?

Let me know in the comments.

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