All Chapters of Gates Of Olympus, No Looking Back: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I had worn Kyros’s promise ring for three years. But he never finished our bonding ceremony.Today, I forged my 100th legendary enchanted weapon.It was also the day Kyros promised—for the 33rd time—to complete our vows at Hera’s temple."To our Chief Enchanter, Astraea!" One of the guild masters raised his glass in the hall.I forced a smile and stood up.As a Goddess of Olympus, I knew Hera, the goddess of marriage, tolerated no betrayal or disrespect.Every time I took a divine punishment, my divine core grew weaker.But I willingly took the pain for him."Thank you, Master." I raised my glass. I tried to keep my voice steady.The strong liquor burned my throat. My ruined insides rejected it violently. I almost fell over.My stomach churned. My vision blurred."Master Astraea, you look so pale." Leon, a young hunter, looked at me with worry.I waved him off. But my eyes drifted to a corner of the room.Kyros was on his knees. He was carefully feeding a glowing golden potion to Lyris

The next morning, I was erasing the last traces of myself from the room.The door suddenly opened. Kyros walked in looking exhausted.He reeked of Siren perfume. The cheap, sickly-sweet musk of lesser Sirens practically choked the room.My hands paused. I threw my old cloth cloak into the cold forge.The flames swallowed the fabric. They also swallowed the last bit of warmth from the "mortal Astraea."Over the years, Kyros had been obsessed with monster scents. Once, I used a drop of Aphrodite's morning dew to wash my hair, and he snapped at me."That smell is too strong. Wash it off!" he had said.So I, a proud Goddess of Olympus, never dared to wear perfume for three years.It turned out he didn't hate perfume.He just hated it on me.For the first time ever, he actually offered an excuse. "Lyris's wound kept hurting last night. I rented a room at the tavern to rest."This was the first time in three years he explained staying out all night."Mm," I replied calmly.My cold reaction m

Kyros's POVInside Apollo's Healing Temple, a soul-tearing pain ripped through my chest.I could feel it clearly. Astraea was gone."Impossible." I shook my head hard. My fingers trembled uncontrollably.I rushed to the communication rune on the wall. I tried to reconnect with her."Astraea! Answer! Answer me!" I roared at the rune.Only a cold, robotic voice replied."Warning. This soul mark has been erased by divine decree."My eyes widened in disbelief. I forced all my magic into the rune.I didn't care if the magic backlash burned my veins. I didn't care if the edges of the rune started to crack from overload."She wouldn't leave," I mumbled, staring at the dead stone. My voice shook violently. "We agreed to do our vow ceremony tomorrow! She promised me!""Kyros, the magic is too loud. My wound hurts again," Lyris whined weakly from her bed.I didn't hear a word she said.A blind panic gripped my heart. I could barely breathe.I smashed through the temple doors and whistled for my

Kyros's POVLess than a minute later, the comm-stone flashed blinding red.The Grand Elder's furious voice boomed through the magic link."Kyros! Have you completely lost your mind? Five years ago, Argus Panoptes tore out half your organs at the edge of the mountain! Do you remember how you forced the guild to save you? You threatened to leave the guild! Right in front of us, you swore a blood-oath on the River Styx!""You swore you would never step foot near Olympus again!"Of course I remembered.That cursed oath was still carved into my soul.Breaking an oath on the River Styx meant having my soul burned by hellfire.But right now, compared to losing Astraea forever, what was a stupid oath?"I don't care anymore," I said. My voice was hoarse and desperate. "Elder, please. You have to open the gate for me."Dead silence fell over the stone.Only the static of magic echoed in the cold air.A moment later, the Elder's voice turned freezing cold and sharp."Who are you putting on this d

That thunderstorm didn't make Kyros back down.For a whole year after that, whenever the portal to Olympus opened, he would storm up like a madman.He was always covered in wounds. He dragged his lightning-scorched body up to my temple step by step.Almost every week, he stood at the bottom of the stairs all night.His blood stained the white marble. His begging voice shattered in the howling wind.But I never opened those doors for him. I didn't even give him a single glance of pity.I was no longer the mortal who left a warm light on for him on cold nights.I poured all my energy into reclaiming my divine power.I fully mastered the runes of stars, tides, and storms.In the summer, I threw myself into the abyss of Tartarus. I fought through hellfire and wraiths to burn away my last lingering weakness.In the winter, I walked into the freezing tundras. The biting blizzards polished my soul and reforged my unbreakable will.By the Pantheon Festival at the end of the year, I won the ult