Soft footsteps echoed as a figure erged, stepping through the veil of light.
A white gown fluttered gently as she moved.
The sa kind of dress Khione always wore.
I felt my breath hitch.
I had spent a lifeti preparing for battle, steeling myself against all things. And yet, at this mont, standing here, watching her step into the world once more—
I felt unprepared.
Her foot stepped forward, erging from the glowing portal—graceful, poised, and clad in elegant white heels. The hem of her gown followed, flowing like a whisper of wind, concealing the delicate curves of her body.
Then, I saw her skin.
That sa flawless, snow-white complexion, once unique to her alone—yet now, I shared it too. The moonlight touched her exposed shoulders, gliding down her slender neck and collarbone. Her long, silken white hair cascaded down her back, shining like freshly fallen snow.
And then, her face.
Her soft, perfect lips.
Her delicate, elegant nose.
And those eyes—those icy blue eyes that had always captivated .
Looking at her now, I rembered everything.
The mont I first fell for her.
The reason she would always be my first.
The one I could never replace.
Her expression remained cold, as always—but there was sothing different. A subtle change, a softness that had never been there before.
And then, I saw why.
She was holding sothing.
No—soone.
A baby.
Small and fragile, wrapped in soft white cloth. The child rested peacefully in her arms, undisturbed by the cool night breeze, its tiny chest rising and falling in deep slumber.
I stood frozen.
A baby.
My baby.
I turned to Aphrodite without thinking, still trying to process what I was seeing.
She smiled—a knowing, mischievous smile.
"She wanted to keep it a secret for your reunion."
I barely heard her. My eyes remained fixed on the child, on the small, delicate life that had co into this world while I was gone.
Khione took slow, careful steps toward , stopping just inches away. Then, without a word, she extended the baby toward .
I hesitated.
My hands—hands that had fought, killed, and destroyed without a second thought—now trembled as I reached out. Gently, more carefully than I had ever moved before, I took the child into my arms.
It was so light. So delicate.
So… beautiful.
I held my breath, afraid even the sound of my heartbeat might wake it.
This was mine.
"What's the na?" I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. I could feel sothing swelling inside —sothing overwhelming, sothing I had never felt before.
Is this how my mother felt when she first held ?
Khione's gaze remained steady as she spoke.
"I didn't give her a na."
I looked up, surprised. *She didn't?*
She nodded.
"I thought you should be the one to na her."
She reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against the baby's head, stroking the fine strands of hair. The gesture was so gentle, so unlike the Khione I knew.
I couldn't find the words to respond.
"Why did you keep it?" I finally asked, my voice quieter, more uncertain than before.
A part of had believed she wouldn't. After everything that had happened, I had thought she would never want to raise a child from .
But she had.
She had chosen to.
Khione t my gaze, her face unreadable at first. Then, slowly, her eyes softened, and she spoke.
"Despite everything, you were my only true bond."
Her gaze lowered to the baby in my arms, and for the first ti in what felt like an eternity, she smiled. A real, soft, gentle smile.
"You and her are my only reasons to live now."
I looked down at the delicate bundle in my arms once more. The tiny infant, wrapped in soft silken cloth, slept peacefully, oblivious to the world around her. Her presence, so small yet so significant, felt like the embodint of sothing sacred—sothing that tethered to a future I had never envisioned for myself.
A slow breath escaped my lips before I finally spoke the na I had chosen.
"Nivea."
The word felt right, almost as if it had existed long before I uttered it, waiting for this very mont to be spoken into reality.
"Nivea is a good na." Khione stood beside , her icy blue eyes watching with an unreadable expression. Then, she nodded, acknowledging my choice.
A rare tenderness swelled within . Holding Nivea securely in one arm, I reached out with my free hand and gently caressed Khione's cheek. Her skin, cool as fresh snowfall, quivered beneath my fingertips.
It had been a long ti since I had touched her like this—since she had felt my warmth. A shiver ran through her, not from cold, but from sothing deeper.She knew what was coming.
Khione closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttering ever so slightly.
Her lips, soft and slightly parted, invited closer.
I leaned in, claiming them in a deep, slow kiss. A warmth spread between us, a stark contrast to the frost that often surrounded her. As my fingers continued to trace gentle strokes along her cheek, I deepened the kiss, pressing firmly against her lips, tasting her, savoring her.
She responded in kind, matching my hunger, her breath mingling with mine. The world outside of this mont ceased to exist.When we finally parted, her face was tinged with a faint shade of pink—a rare sight for the Goddess of Ice.
She averted her gaze, clearing her throat as if attempting to suppress the emotions stirring within her.
"I heard about your plan… from Aphrodite," she murmured, shifting the subject abruptly.
It was a feeble attempt to mask her shyness, but I allowed it. "Is it true?"A smirk played on my lips. I turned my head slightly, my gaze shifting toward the empty space behind where no one else should have been."Amaterasu."
At my call, the air rippled. A brilliant golden light erupted, illuminating the space like a miniature sun had been ignited. Then, from within that radiant burst, a figure materialized—Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun.
She stepped forward gracefully, her regal presence undeniable. But what caught my interest most was the fleeting glimr of surprise in her eyes."You noticed ?" she mused, sounding genuinely intrigued.
"My mastery over the Forbidden Seal has grown," I replied smoothly. "I could sense both you and Khione the mont you arrived."
At this, Amaterasu's eyes widened slightly before she allowed a small, knowing smile to curve her lips. "After everything I've witnessed from you during the Trojan War, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore."
Her gaze flickered downward, settling upon the child in my arms.
A mortal and a Goddess. A child born of two vastly different worlds.
She didn't say it aloud, but I could see the contemplation in her expression. This was not sothing that happened every day—even among deities, such a union was unheard of. But if there was one thing Amaterasu had co to understand, it was that I was no ordinary mortal.I shifted my attention slightly, my sharp eyes locking onto the other presence standing beside her.
Kaguya.Her black hair shimred under the glow of Amaterasu's radiance, her ethereal beauty as breathtaking as ever. I studied her carefully, my lips pressing into a thin line. Bringing her here… I wasn't entirely sure if it was the right decision. Not because I doubted her loyalty—after all, I had her Goddess bounded to but because it could beco dangerous.
As if reading my mind, Amaterasu spoke. "Don't worry. She's only here as a precaution. If things go awry, she'll ensure you're taken away safely."I chuckled as I took a slow, deliberate step forward."I won't run away, Amaterasu."
"There won't be any need for that," I said, my voice smooth yet laced with an underlying edge of finality. My eyes darkened, a shadow flickering across my gaze. "Everything will happen exactly as I planned."
This mont had been set into motion two years ago. Back then, I had nothing—no power, no allies, and certainly no chance of standing against a God. I had been nothing more than a mortal, staring up at an insurmountable wall, knowing that one day I would have to cross it.
But today… things were different.
I still wasn't strong enough to fight a God alone. That much was undeniable. But now, I wasn't alone.
I had three Goddesses bound to my will—each one powerful, each one willing to obey. They would do anything I asked of them.
I stepped toward Kaguya, shifting Nivea in my arms before carefully extending her toward her.
Kaguya hesitated for only a mont before accepting the child, her white eyes widening in mild surprise.
"Your only job," I said, my voice calm yet firm, "is to stay here and protect her. Do you understand?"
She looked at , then at the infant in her arms. A quiet mont passed before she finally nodded.
"Yes… I understand."
A smirk tugged at my lips. I leaned in slightly, just enough for my words to carry only to her. "Do it well," I murmured, "and maybe I'll give you a baby too."
Kaguya's reaction was imdiate. Her sharp glare burned into , but the heat in her cheeks betrayed her true feelings. She looked away, her grip tightening slightly around Nivea as if to focus her attention elsewhere.
Satisfied, I turned around.
Aphrodite. Khione. Amaterasu.
The three Goddesses stood in a loose formation around , their divine presence enough to shake the very air. They had followed this far, each for their own reasons, yet in the end, they all belonged to now.
I fixed my gaze on Aphrodite.
"If you're here," I mused, "then that ans the bait worked."
Aphrodite smiled, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. "Oh, it worked beautifully," she purred. "Hers isn't trustworthy when it cos to alliances, but when it cos to stirring chaos over sothing he's never witnessed before? Well, that's another story entirely. He tricked Hera. She's coming to deal with you."
"She wouldn't co alone I suppose?"
Aphrodite's smile widened. "You're right. She won't. Poseidon will be there too. He knows about your connection to Khione after all. He would want to know everything you know about Khione."
At that, my amusent faded, replaced by sothing colder.
"Perfect."
My gaze flickered toward Khione, who stood silently beside . A storm of emotions simred beneath my exterior, but only one thing truly mattered now.
It was finally ti.
Ti to kill Poseidon—the arrogant God who once dared to claim Khione as his.
And more importantly…
I smirked.
Ti to enslave that insufferable, hot-tempered Goddess who had tried to kill ti and ti again throughout the Trojan War.
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