Tears of a Mortal, Regret of a God

On Mount Olympus, one law is ironclad: a god must never fall in love with a mortal.

But Aresios, heir to the King of the Gods and the God of War himself, bound his very soul to mine.

He had defied the gods for me, enduring divine lightning for the chance to take me away.

The gods finally relented, on one condition: he had to leave behind a pure-blooded divine heir.

I waited three years, only to learn he had fathered a child with Cassia.

After he condemned me for poisoning their child without a second thought, I sank to my knees, letting the blood from my palm drip into the river that flowed beneath the cage.

I prayed to the Elder Titans. "I am willing to leave Aresios."

"Please, send me to a corner of the mortal world where the gods can never find me."

...

A low hum echoed from the water, deep and distant, like an ancient bell.

"A single trip to Cocytus seems to have taught you your place. A mere mortal, thinking she could taint our noble, divine bloodline?"

"In ten days, I will open a passage at the world's edge to send you away."

Oceanus's voice dripped with contempt. "When that time comes, you will never appear before Aresios again."

The ripples in the water subsided. I leaned against a cold, colossal pillar of the temple and managed to pull myself to my feet.

Not far away, Aresios was bathed in a warm, sacred glow as he played with their daughter. Cassia rested in the crook of his arm, her belly slightly swollen, a look of pure contentment on her face.

A family of three, bathed in divine light, like a holy tableau.

The sight was a divine arrow to my heart.

"Elara's back?" Cassia noticed me first. She immediately sat up, alert, and instinctively pulled her daughter behind her.

Aresios instinctively retracted his divine power and handed the child to a nymph, who carried her back to the inner sanctum.

Their guarded gazes stung more than a viper's strike.

The man who once swore he would only claim a child born of my womb now regarded me as if I were a godslayer.

Only after the child was taken away did Aresios walk over. He reached out, as if to check me for frostbite from the underworld's chill. "You're back. Were you hurt in the cage?"

The man before me was the one who had taken ninety-nine lashes of divine punishment for my sake, yet now he felt like a complete stranger.

A bitter pang shot through me, and I turned my head to avoid his touch.

He frowned. "Elara, in a situation like last night, the more I protect you, the harsher the gods' punishment will be. You have a mortal body. If they truly decided to inflict a divine punishment, you wouldn't survive..."

"Besides, we're about to leave this realm. I don't want any more complications. The child is innocent. Why do you resent her?"

"I told you, it wasn't me," I said, my eyes burning. "Hydra's venom corrodes a god's ichor. How could a mortal like me ever get her hands on it?"

Aresios seemed taken aback by my fierce reaction. He paused for a moment before softening his tone. "Alright, alright, it doesn't matter now."

It doesn't matter now.

The careless words stabbed my heart like an icicle. He still didn't believe me.

Seeing the atmosphere grow tense, Cassia approached, stroking her belly. "Elara, I should apologize as well. I was just so anxious. As a mortal, you might not understand a god's instinct to protect one's bloodline..."

She raised a hand to brush back her hair, and a simple, jade-colored pendant on her fair neck glinted faintly.

My breath caught. I grabbed her shoulder. "Where did you get that pendant?"

"Cassia liked the little trinket from the mortal world, so I gave it to her."

Aresios pulled my hand away, his tone matter-of-fact. "Consider it an apology from you to her. It's just a pendant."

"That was the only thing my mother left me!" My voice trembled. "How could you give it away? You knew how much it meant to me!"

I reached out to snatch it back, but Cassia used my lunge to her advantage, staggering backward as if she'd been struck. She fell, clutching her stomach and groaning in pain.

"Ah, my child! My divine power is in turmoil..."

"Elara!" Aresios shoved me away, his eyes filled with a terrifying cold. "She carries my heir! Haven't you done enough?"

A war god's strength is absolute.

I was thrown hard against a temple pillar behind me. My head struck the stone, and warm blood trickled through my hair.

But Aresios never looked back. He swept Cassia into his arms and vanished in a flash of golden light.

"Aresios..." Cassia sobbed weakly in his embrace. "Our child... is he all right..."

"Don't be afraid. I'm here." His voice was gentle, yet each word pierced my ears. "You and our children are the future of this realm. Nothing will happen to you."