Cupid's Karma | ONC 2024 ✔

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Ayra couldn't figure out the reason why but she felt sad that her adventures with the mischievous god of love were coming to an end. She had started to treat him like a close friend by then, his hilarious antics and witty remarks brightened her day and to think that it all was ending hurt just a little.

Like always, she would not pay attention to that problem until it ceased to exist. That was how she dealt with most of the things she couldn't figure out anyway.

Much to her surprise, Eros had also been a bit silent throughout that trip. They went to Florence then Padua and finally returned to the lighthouse Aria which was the first place he took her to. But he hadn't spoken even half as much as he did usually.

However, as they reached the lighthouse Aria, he grew alert as if something he had been waiting for was about to happen. His hands gripped the rails and Ayra also leaned closer to get a clearer view.

"Look," he pointed into the crowd, her eyes following his gaze until she saw what he was referring to, "Isn't that Spencer?"

Surprisingly, she didn't feel that odd twitch in her chest upon hearing his name, "Yes, so?"

"Before I met you, I had to set Spencer up with someone else," he explained and soon enough Ayra spotted the woman he was with at the moment, keeping close to his distant but unmistakable figure. "I tried to tell you but then I saw you didn't like talking about him so, I didn't..."

She took in a deep breath, not feeling the hurt she had expected to settle inside her at seeing Spencer with another woman, "Is he happy?"

Eros stole a glance at her but found no trace of emotion on her face, a common occurrence whenever he brought up Spencer Keynes, "Yes. It seems so."

"Then that's good," she managed a slight smile, "He was not a bad person, y'know. He deserves happiness."

His expression changed and for the first time since he had come to her apartment that morning, she caught a flicker of that spark in his blue eyes. It was almost as if she had said something that he wanted to hear from her.

"I think it's time for you to be free too then," he remarked, touching her pinky finger that revealed those strings of fate.

He picked out the one shaded deep red, which he had told her earlier that connected her to Eros. That line was stretching out ahead of them and Ayra knew it would stop at Spencer's finger.

Then Eros handed her a small black blade as he said, "You should cut this yourself. It only makes sense for you to accept it and move on."

She took the blade but stared at the thread reluctantly, "What would happen if I cut it off?"

"You will be free of this connection. Your paths won't collide again, you won't have to feel the guilt or remorse of leaving him behind. In short, you will be able to move on. Fully."

Hearing that, she nodded and took that blade, carefully slicing through the red string of fate. It shattered with a snap and she could no longer see the other strings. But as soon as she had cut it off, she felt a weight lift from her heart, and a surge of energy coursed through her veins.

He was right, cutting that string herself was the final step of moving on. And she had achieved it.

"How do you feel?" He asked, curious to know her answer.

"Much lighter than before," Ayra replied, a smile gracing her lips, "Is this really what people feel when they let go?"

Eros shook his head, "I wish I could say so. It's not the same for everyone. You feel lighter because you accepted that you have to move on and there is no use in dwelling on this broken relationship. Others might not feel the same way."

"I feel like I should have done this earlier."

He smiled softly, "No, it wasn't the right time then. Now you know exactly why you let him go and what you have to do in your future."

She nodded, recalling everything she had learned in those few days that she had spent with him. He had kept things light-hearted but his advice was often hidden in the words he uttered, the meanings he gave, and the feelings he tried to interpret for her through other people and their experiences.

In those few days, she had truly learned a lot.

As their trip had apparently come to an end and he had gotten her to carry out that last task, she reminded him of the only thing that was left, "You didn't show me your wings."

He laughed, a faint pink creeping on his cheeks and ears, "Alright then. Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to."

She did as she was told and felt the golden light engulf them which indicated that he had unfolded his wings that were now either spread wide or enveloping her in a protective halo.

However, she felt his hands gently clasp hers and he took a step closer. Ayra didn't know what he was about to do but was curious nevertheless. Perhaps he was just looking for that one way he said he could make her see those wings without going blind.

But then, his lips touched hers delicately and Ayra's eyes flew open in shock. She saw that they were surrounded by golden light and his beautiful golden wings were engulfing her in a soft cocoon of their embrace.

But she couldn't focus on the wings as her attention was rooted on the strikingly handsome immortal, his lips connected with hers and his eyes shut too. At last, he pulled apart slightly and the spell of the moment was temporarily broken.

Blue met astonished brown as he opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. A soft smile flickered on his face, and he gently let go of her hands that were held in his.

"Farewell Ayra," he breathed, the ethereal light around him glowing much brighter by then, "I wish you're loved. Always."

And with those last words and the indescribable feeling of his lips against hers still fresh in her memory, he had vanished, the golden glow around her slowly fading.

Her hand reached up to touch her lips, right where he had kissed her just a few seconds ago. Golden dust tainted her fingertips, vanishing later as she stared at it long enough.

The sky was also turning golden above the serene blue shades of the sea that spread out ahead. It was almost as if she could see him soaring through the clouds, eventually becoming a speck of dust and vanishing in the depths of the universe.

He wasn't just a hallucination, he had been there with her. But if she told her story to anyone, there was a high chance they wouldn't believe it.

Besides, she had promised never to reveal his true identity to anyone and she intended to keep that promise till the very end. If their fates were intertwined and the string on her hand was still connected to him, perhaps she would see him again sometime in the future.

With that hope and a slight spring in her step, she descended the stairs from the lighthouse Aria. Preety would be waiting for her at home, and if she didn't hurry, she would miss the bus that departed for her town.

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