The Lonely God (Rosekook)

10

Jeongguk felt the cool air whirling around him before he woke up.

Right away he knew he was back on Olympus: something about the taste of the air was sharper, more distinct, familiar in ways he couldn't ever describe but it made his bones thrum with the thrill of finally being back after his inter-dimensional jaunt.

To be more precise, he judged he was halfway up the mountain, at his residence. He never liked staying right under the Gods' noses anyway, unlike his suck-up peers.

Yet there was something tangibly off about his surroundings, his body definitely sensed it: the hair on his arm stood on end.

The sharp smells of pine and cold taste of mountain air were all present and correct. Yet something was amiss.

What was different?

He opened his eyes and found himself in the small patch of yard in front of his retreat. The two old roosters, named Jin and Jimin after two of his stuck-up mutuals, strutted around and scratched at the dry ground. He heard the hens clucking restlessly in their pens. The cypresses swayed in the breeze like always.

"Ahem," somebody said, "when you're quite done with admiring your rather run-down shack...."

Jeongguk whipped around. 

Eris was standing behind him, her dark miasma standing in stark contrast with the green rolling hills and deep blue sky.

And then the realisation hit Jeongguk like Zeus' thunderbolt: the nauseating, rotting stench of death, pervading his senses. It sent him reeling and he covered his mouth with his sleeve in disgust.

"Seems like your magical sensation has returned if you can smell it," Eris nodded in satisfaction as she swept aside to reveal Rosé's body lying at her feet. "Oh for the record, she's not the one reeking of corpses—it's my new and improved magic."

But Jeongguk wasn't listening—his attention was solely on the lifeless girl. She lay on her side with her back to him and one hand stretched out under her head, her sunset-hair strewn across her shoulder. The wound in her back held Jeongguk's attention like a malevolent eye casting a spell.

He felt himself about to sink to his knees in defeat and stopped himself just in time, gritting his teeth and refusing to give in to the goddess and her games.

"What do you want more from her? Leave her body in peace and I'll...I'll give it a proper burial."

"That's rich coming from you, oh robber of the graves," Eris deadpanned with a wicked sneer. The comment hurt like a slap to his face but he ignored it.

"I'm not a good man, I know, but she's innocent and the least I can do is ensure she has a peaceful afterlife...now."

Why did it hurt so much to say she was gone?

"Oh but the problem is, I'm not quite done with her yet, darling. I have big plans for the little one," Eris simpered, "look closely."

Jeongguk clenched his teeth at the endearment. "Stop playing games and get off this mountain, or I'll make you."

With satisfaction, he welcomed the familiar rush of energy pooling in his hands as he readied a bolt of energy to fire at the Goddess but she was quick to stop him with a raised finger.

"Now now let's not be hasty eh? We don't want your little chipmunk to be blasted off the side of the mountain as we haggle over her now, do we? I just want you to do this one simple thing... watch the girl carefully Jeon, and tell me: What do you see?"

He paused, lowering his hand to let his eyes travel back to Rosé's figure.

In the blazing sun unfiltered by the pollution from the alternate Seoul, her skin practically glowed. He was half-tempted to run over and tickle her awake, she lay so sweetly and naturally, as though asleep, weren't it for the giant red dot blotting through her shirt in the middle of her back.

"A dead girl," Jeongguk said miserably, "just a dead girl. Haven't you had your fill of toying with me?"

Eris rolled her eyes. "Look harder."

Thinking it was a ploy to draw out his pain, he complied nonetheless and what he observed had his heart skipping in his chest as doubt and hope simultaneously flooded him. It was impossible, she had lost so much blood—but there! And there! And there it was again: her side rising and falling shallowly as she breathed.

"She lives," Jeongguk whispered, overjoyed. He stepped forward, reaching out to scoop her up in his arms and rush to Apollon. There was still a chance to heal her—

A long tentacle slashed through the air and trapped his forearm. He yelped in shock and tried to wrestle his arm free but the tentacle held on strongly.

"Ah no touchy now Jeon, this one's mine," Eris purred as she pushed him away and held on the shadow tentacle like a leash. She settled next to Rosé and stroked down her shoulder fondly, as one would stroke a cat. Jeongguk struggled against his leash as it snaked up his arm and wrapped around his throat, squeezing tighter. He choked, gasping for breath.

"Eris...stop it ack—"

"You still haven't looked closely enough, you besotted mortal! Or else you need some magnifying glass. But here, let me help you: look at her wound."

To illustrate, Eris lifted Rosé's shirt unceremoniously.

First, he felt the heat scale up his ears which was stupid, because he had seen naked female backs before.

Second, he sucked in a breath seeing the actual wound penetrating the flawless, caramel-toned flesh.

Third, his eyes bulged in his head as Eris angled the body ever so casually towards the sun—

and Rosé's blood flashed golden.

He thought it was a trick of the light but then he blinked again and amongst the normal red blood, traces of gold gleamed like shiny coins.

It was preposterous. It was fantastic. It was unbelievable.

"Ichor," he whispered, "the blood of the gods...."

Rosé was a demi-god.