"Always trust your instincts, they are messages from your soul."

- Anonymous

Athena had her luggages unloaded and found herself engrossed with the hung up pictures of her pale brown-eyed Prince once again.

The environment of the school and the room was almost too perfect for her. Cozy and tranquil. It was only that.

When she was told she belong at 'Block Plabeian', she thought the place would have had spider webs at the corners of everywhere and it was also very likely to be haunted. But, it was very far from that.

It was similar to her room at Ace's house to say the least and she couldn't have asked for more. If a building meant for plabeians could be this beautiful, she could only imagine for the royal ones.

Athena thought to crash at Ace's place to change up but Ace didn't give her enough time to do that and so she decided to use her dorm for tonight.

She lifted her arm to know the time.

8.14p.m.

Ace had arranged a celebration for her arrival at a place that Ace didn't want her to know of yet.

However, she could see pass him like an open book. She imagined the high end party with some- no, lots and lots of haughty rich kids.

So her, being a major part of the carousing with his friends, punctuality wasn't a trivial matter.

"Be there by 8.30, Princess. Don't be late."

Those were his exact words to her and Athena didn't take it lightly. As much as it was unnerving to her, she wanted to fit in quickly with the others. The cool kids. The rich kids. Especially, the friends of Ace.

They are indisputably the most important people in the planet.

Athena didn't have much time to dawdle. Her actions were fast forwarded from that point on. She let her soiled clothes drop from her body while she stuck her toothbrush into her dry mouth, her hands then violently combed pass the tangled ones.

That hurt like a bitch!

She didn't had time to stop nor yelp though. She had a damn party to attend and she swore to be the chick who captures all attention. She nodded confidently to herself in the mirror and continued hopping out of the bathroom with one boot on.

Meanwhile, just a few blocks away from A-list.

Lust- an infamous nightclub among youngsters was more conspicuous tonight than it was in normal ones.

The lounge were purposely dimmed to almost pitch black, the seats blanketed with silks that had red petals sprinkled on it, and most of all, extravagant ivory sheets were specially decorated in their VIP private chambers, in case if one of the five Gods demands to spend the night there.

The workers scurried everywhere, they had to make sure everything and everywhere were beyond perfect. As soon as the bell of the entrance rang with a vigorous force, it was as if time had halted for a while.

A waitress dropped the tray of glass she was carrying, the bar tender overpoured the vanilla syrup, his gaze fixated upon the godly being that stepped in, and drools were coming out of the lips of the girls who were all over their boyfriends and husbands.

The males fought so hard not to shoot a look that could kill as they knew the outcome, and they would not throw what they had then just because of mere jealousy.

The very first thing that had the pulse of everyone became erratic was the sound of his exorbitant black leather shoe coming in contact with the clean tiles underneath them.

His footsteps were then joined by the other four behind him. The silence in the ambience lay on their skin like a prickling poison. It spreaded to their entire body, disabling their brains, and their bodies were too adamant to move.

The leader of them swung the tinted glasses off of his inconceivably gorgeous face. "Ahh... Don't you all love to have a nice fuck in a dim-litted nightclub," he stated with his arms spread out, his head tilted to admire his staffs creativity.

Felix, the most adventurous one, didn't have the patience as he succumbed to his lecherous covet. He didn't need to maneuver himself to get to the other end of the room as everyone made way for him like bees to their Almighty Queen.

Felix's eyes shifted around to search for his victims. In the corner, stood two couples, pure lust captivated their features. He smirked, his feet taking himself towards them as he folded up his sleeves to get ready for some fun.

"Hey ladies," He started with a sultry manner, landing his toned arms around the women as he gave gentle pecks onto their cheeks in which they returned with soft giggles.

Their partners didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, their eyes blazed with an equal amount of ardentment as their spouses. Felix turned to the two gentlemen, beckoning them to join him with his finger. They didn't have to be invited twice.

"Two hours, max!" Felix called out to his members, giving a peace sign as he and his new companions sauntered into their chambers, for a fivesome.

Derek, the wiser one, had his lips slanted on the side, giving a quick shrug. "Felix is being Felix again. We all know his bullshit two hours. He be here all night and all week."

Xerus pushed pass the only friends he had and took his usual spot, plopping down on the sofa, the scent of leather and a hint of rose rushed into his nostrils, causing him to relax from a long day.

"Just let him be, let's take a moment for ourselves instead." His arms splayed onto the couch on each side of him, his exhausted body sunk into the seat.

Derek looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, then chuckled. Normally, Xerus would be the first to take up girls, so, why the lack of enthusiasm?

"What? Ain't having any chicks tonight? These pitiful girls would be devastated. Look." He showed Xerus with small movements of his eyes only to make Xerus even more disgruntled, a low growl erupted from him.

"Not tonight. You guys go ahead. The girls here are a dime a dozen. My cock can't work with them," he said, taking hold of a glass of orange juice served by one of the waitresses who tried to wink at him but blinked both eyes awkwardly because of the nervousness.

He flailed his hand to get rid of her. One look and he knew she wasn't a virgin, and even if she was, he had no sort of interest.

Derek downed his liquor in one go. The burning sensation hadn't wear off, yet he pointed at Xerus' glass, "Being a goody two shoes today, what for?"

Xerus rolled his eyes, "What a fucking ghost friend. How many years now and you're oblivious that I don't fucking drink," He twirled his juice, sipping it bit by bit, his teeth putting pressure on the pulps, and that was the best part.

He felt the surface of the sofa beside him sank gently. The young man who picked a spot next to him had his eyes locked nowhere else but his small notebook in which he was busy sketching his artwork.

Xerus turned to the man with the lightest shade of brown hair, he could feel his haywired joints began to subside. Out of all the other members, he was the closest to this man and not a single soul could reach the tier that this man had in his heart.

It was his state of serenity that made his hot temper cool everytime. Seeing him busy with the thing he loved to do most: sketching, he didn't want to disturb him. So, Xerus only laid his heavy head onto the sofa and shut his eyes.

For some reason, Xerus felt a foreign feeling swelled within him ever since he'd woke up that morning. What reason? He knew not. He only knew something ought to happen that night. Feeling precarious, he took another mouthful of his drink.

On the other hand, Derek scrutinised the most calm and composed member. The book in his hand were shaking, though it weren't at all noticeable, Derek had known him long enough to know his ways. Also, the fact that his favourite earplugs weren't shoved into his ears were all clear signs to him.

He was facing problems, he calculated.

But, of course, Derek still couldn't decode anything with the poker face he wore. To get something out of him, he initiated a conversation. "So Theo, want a hot drink to melt some of the facade of that face?" He asked as he laughed to himself.

If there was one thing that could reassure him that Theo was still himself, it was the deafening silence that played in the air after his playful question. Only the faint jazz music and the sound of Theo's pencil scratching against the paper was heard.

In all honesty, Theo never liked leaving home, and wanted to be alone, especially that night. He was already tired from all the sex he had with his current girl.

She was insatiable.

He wasn't in the mood at all but he found himself getting soft whenever she would beg him for some pleasure.

When Xerus noticed his sketches became more vigorous, he gave him a light tap on his shoulder. "Is the new one giving you a damn hard time?" Xerus asked, despite knowing the answer.

Just then, a waitress came by to place a hot tea with a strong scent of chrysanthemum infused in it, made specially for Theo's liking.

He completely ignored Xerus as he gave his entire attention to the waitress, his lips curled into a smile that made her heart taste lava, hot and unbearable, but it was a different kind of unbearable. It was the type where you could hardly endure the swarm of butterflies bursting from your abdomen, the kind where oxygen were deprived off of your lungs, and the sort where your hands could hardly keep to themselves.

"Thank you, it smells splendid." His soft compliment rolled off of his tongue smoothly like chocolate fondue enveloping a fruit. It made the waitress's legs noodles.

"Y-your welcome," she intentionally made a piece of her hair fall in front of her face to cover her shyness.

Xerus snapped. "What the fuck? Hell right, it was apparent enough I was talking to the air! It is bloody Sunday and y-" He was cut off by Theo tapping his pencil rapidly against Xerus' lips.

And, that sincerely hurt his ego. As well as his killer lips.

"Don't scare the lovely lady here," was all Theo said before resuming his art. If it had been anybody else, the consequences of abraising the dignity of the leader of the God would certainly take place, but this was Theo, and Xerus was always immature to the ones he was very fond of.

Xerus only imitated Theo's words with distorted lips and stuck out his pointer finger, like a spoiled child who got grounded by his parents. Derek tittered at his childishness.

"When did Her Highness over there," Xerus pointed at the waitress who was now a blushing mess, "Became more important, and not to mention, visible than me!" He was facing Derek, trying to reason with him, in hopes he would take on his side.

Theo agilely set down his teacup with the faintest clank, crossing his arms, he told Xerus, "All women should be treated fairly." He took his notebook into his hands again as he continued, "They are the reason Derek have the chance to want to have a nice schmooze, you, squabbling over nonsensical matter, and I, doing what I'm doing now." He declared, for the first time that night, looking up and talking to them face to face in which he went back to his art right after stating his point.

When both of them thought he was done, he spoke again."So the least you could do is respect them."

For someone who rarely speak at all, this was a big milestone for him. The chances of this occurring again was zero to none at all, unless necessary times when he had to whisper sweet things to his girl or stand up for any other women.

Xerus rolled his eyes. Putting on a deaf ear whenever Theo talk about girls was a habit and he would keep it that way. Every girls he met was nothing to him and he had a terrible experience with them in the past.

He had enough of these cheap wrenches.

Feeling the excruciating tension in the air, Derek cleared his throat, snapping Xerus out of his trance. Derek shifted in his seat as he tried to look around for the last member.

Why the hell do I have to be the middle man of this two? Where the fuck is Ricardo?

He clicked his tongue when he remembered Ricardo telling he will be late as jam caught up to him. So, currently being the only one who was still sane, throwing away the actuality where he was also the only one chugging down liquors, he attempted to switch topic.

"Say lately, you guys been kinda lazy. I wouldn't be surprised if you only had two or three virgin in your cart for this month," he pressed, smirking.

Xerus scoffed. "Oh, you wish."

"So spill it. How many so far?" Derek cocked an inquisitive eyebrow, Leaning his body forward a little to preserve their secrecy.

"I lost count. The last time I knew was..." He pinched his chin, head tilted, his lips displayed a satisfied smug.

Surely a primal matter as such were priorities to him. He could never had forgotten how many. "Thirteen," he finished his sentence with a random number he came up with.

Derek could hardly keep a still face. "Lies. Lies. Lies." He kept on going until he was interrupted by Xerus who had a feign confused look plastered on his handsome face. "Then? What do you reckon?"

"Not thirteen ghost. You're probably got fucking hundreds on your list by now. And, for this month only. Tell me, didn't you fucked Sarah, my youngest sister, last Saturday?" Derek felt the somewhat strong leash of his inner monster ebbing away as he picture his best friend taint his sister's innocence.

"Well, she begged real hard for it and you told me specifically to spoil her rotten, didn't you?" Xerus fired back, as if Derek was the one holding responsibility.

Speculating on Xerus' callous words like it meant nothing, he decided to fall back this time round. He knew damn well Xerus was a playful brat, but a hell of a powerful one as well. So, the subject changed again.

"And Marissa? Don't tell me her too?" Derek tipped his head.

Xerus already had a mischievous smile on. "Fucked."

"Adda?"

"Fucked."

"Astrid?"

"Fucked."

"Even Natalia?"

"Fucked."

"Come on, it can't be Daisy too?"

"Fucked."

Derek crossed his leg, shaking his head in disbelief with a hand out. "It seems like you've fucked the whole world."

"I did not fuck you." Xerus retaliated, getting another splurge of his orange juice while showing Derek he was wrong with his index finger.

Derek gave up. He could find no patience to handle this ditzy and rowdy friend of his longer and turned to the man next to Xerus."You, Theo? Want to share your number?

Derek took a moment to know for sure if Theo wanted to reply to him as Theo had the slowest reaction possible when being compared to anyone.

"Unfortunately, I didn't count." Theo stuck his pencil in one of his notebook's pages, handing it over to Derek as he stood up.

The book must have had thousands and thousands of forlorn sketches in it. Why the hell did he give him then?

When Derek turn over, numerous amounts of different portray of beautiful women came to his view only then, epiphany dawned onto him.

It was his collection.

The girls who he had been with.

Theo followed where his legs screamed for him to go, and so, he ended up at the balcony of the nightclub. He could see so many iridescent stars, not stars from the sky, but in the capricious mind of his.

The familiar guilt that came from his chest rose to his throat to throttle him. His hands found their way to the railings, his head felt heavy and he laid his chin there, his eyes at first, wandered along his fingers then finally to the magnificent golden wreath that fitted perfectly on his finger.

He brushed it gently, gradually his gentleness declined, and his touch was much rougher, rendering a red mark onto his flawless skin.

"I can't keep this from you for long, can I, Tatiana?" He brought up his hand and kissed the symbol of his vow to his one and only.

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This is a slow burn story. If you have read my other work, you should know my writing style 😉 I like to take my time to write my scenes!

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