Enjoy reading, My Pearls 🕊️🤍

Black clouds surrounded the palace from all sides, and when the last of the guests who had arrived for the ceremony left its interior, the rains formed a wall around it. Lightning struck once from its right and once from its left, illuminating the throne room bathed in darkness and bouncing off the golden armor of the Spartan standing in its center.

Jeongguk was leaning over the body of the heir to the throne, which was losing more and more blood in convulsions, forming a large scarlet stain. He waited for Atropos to cut the thread of his life to make sure that the villain lying before him would no longer be able to harm his beloved Pearl. When Menelaos' eyes went blank and his body stopped twitching, he pushed them away with his gold sandal-clad foot, paving a path leading directly to the king, who was watching his actions. He lifted the gaze of his ebony eyes, which blazed with pure anger, and, straightening his muscular figure, moved toward him driven by the adrenaline bubbling in his veins. Wet hair stuck to his handsome face, and drops of sweat trickled down from his temples, only to end a moment later, rolling off his sharply defined jaw.

"Impressive!" the king exclaimed. He rose from his richly decorated throne, clapping his hands in a gesture of appreciation. "Oh, truly they will sing songs about you, praising your bravery and courage, warrior of Ares!"

Jeongguk only snorted at these words, gritting his teeth.

He stopped, clenching his hand on the hilt of the sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white, then aimed his blade at the Corinthian ruler, who was calmly walking toward him.

"I have a proposition for you, so lower your sword and listen to me," he spoke again, facing the Spartan, a few inches in front of the blade aimed at him. A broad smile was on his lips, and a seasonable madness lurked in his eyes.

The warrior did not move even a millimeter, still holding his sword high, ready to attack. He had no intention of complying with the king's request, let alone accepting any of his proposals, knowing full well what he would hear in a moment.

"Become my warrior, Jeongguk Commander of the Spartan Forces. Stand at the head of the royal guard and lead our troops to full glory, conquering all of Greece."

"That'll be the day, Hilarion, King of Corinth. Your end is near, and I will never serve a monster like you," the Spartan growled.

"Ouch, you have stabbed me in the heart," the king snarled, putting his right hand to his chest. "I may rule with a firm hand, but of the two of us, you are the monster. From an early age you were taught to murder, and we have beautiful evidence of that," he continued, pointing to the bodies lying on the red carpet. "You had no resistance to kill four of my sons in cold blood, depriving Corinth of its heir to the throne."

"Yes, I was taught to murder and never hesitate to strike the final blow. However, I became a warrior who fights with honor, defending myself and my subordinates. I kill as a last resort and those who deserve to die. That's why your guard is still alive, captured by my warriors, because they only obey your wicked orders. In contrast, your sons were disgusting villains, exactly as you are. Their place is in Tartarus, not on earth, which is why I took the liberty of sending them away. I will send you back there as well, so that your reign will come to an end and no one will suffer anymore because of your deeds." Saying this, Jeongguk drove the gaze of his dark eyes into those of the king, like daggers into the enemy's windpipe. His voice was firm and composed, despite the blood boiling in his veins. He wished to end this pointless conversation as soon as possible and exterminate the tyrant to free the Corinthians from his reign. His honor, however, did not allow him to simply cut the defenseless king down by the head. That's why he lowered his sword and took a few steps back to grab Menelaus' discarded sword during the fight with his left hand.

"Get your sword and fight me," he said, throwing the weapon toward the ruler.

"Do you think you can beat me?" Hilarion sneered and, seizing the weapon, aimed its blade at the Spartan.

"No," the warrior replied, sending him a bashful smile. "I know you won't defeat me," he added, and, without waiting a moment longer, pressed on his opponent, crossing their swords with a loud jaw.

The ruler staggered backward, barely keeping his balance. He tried to fend off the attacks of the Spartan spinning around him, but it was exceedingly difficult. The first contact between his skin and his opponent's blade came just seconds after the fight began, when Jeongguk precisely hit his thigh, slashing it lengthwise for several centimeters, reaching his knee. The next place where a large scar formed was his right side, which he immediately grabbed for, checking how extensive the wound was. It then hit him in the face, decorating it with a crimson streak, starting at his left eyebrow arch and ending at the line of his jaw. The king was losing strength with each successive scratch, which dropped his blood. He finally had to admit that he had underestimated him, even though he was well aware of how great a fighter he was up against. Jeongguk was in his element. He looked so beautiful, as if he were dancing rather than fighting to the death. His movements were deliberate and each sword thrust perfectly balanced. The only moment that managed to distract him, allowing the king's blade to scratch his tense shoulder, was when he heard the stifled voice of his only love.

However, knowing that his dearest Pearl was in good hands and in no danger, he once again gave himself over to the fight, cutting the legs of the surprised king and sending him to the red carpet-lined floor.

"It's over. The last word?" Jeongguk growled, pressing the blade of his sword against the tyrant's left breast, exactly where his heart was beating.

"Don't kill me," the king groaned. "I will make you my right hand, together we will rule this city and conquer more."

"I've said it before, but let me remind you: I would rather spend eternity in Tartarus than humble myself before you by accepting your proposal. Your time on earth is just about to come to an end..."

"Wait!" he shouted, stopping the Spartan from giving one last push. "I beg you, do not take my life. You exterminated all the heirs to the throne, and the Corinthians must have their own ruler, don't take that away from them."

"I did not take away their heir to the throne, but gave them a new and better beginning," he said in a composed voice, and seeing the confusion painted on Hilarion's face, he added: "One of your sons is still alive, and he is the only one worthy to sit on the throne. It is thanks to him that Corinth will flourish, receiving its due glory."

"Athanasios," the king muttered, recalling the youngest of his descendants. "He must not sit on the throne. Then it would appear that he is from an illegitimate bed, and that would cause another war."

"But from what a divine bed," he stated, and a smile full of satisfaction appeared on his lips as the ruler's expression betrayed that the meaning of the Spartan's words had reached him. He had discovered his secret and greatest weakness. "And believe me, everyone knows very well that his mother was not a queen, as his ancestry is painted on his beautiful face."

"Athanatos cannot become king. Don't let that happen. Spare me. I will do anything..." he begged, spitting out streams of words. He knew he was treading on thin ice, putting Jeongguk's patience to the test, as it was the only thing that still held his belligerent nature in check. He had nothing left to lose. This was his last chance, so he decided to take a chance, putting his most precious treasure on the line. "I will give you the Pearl of Aphrodite, making him your daughter of Corinth."

With this one sentence, the magic of bitterness overflowed. Fury seized the Spartan's body, dyeing his ebony eyes a fiery red, for he hated no one as much as the common cowards who would deliver an innocent person to the worst torture, as long as their misdeeds did not come to light.

"How dare you!" he roared, gloating in horror not only at the king, but also at all the guards and warriors in the throne room. "Taehyung is a descendant of the gods! Son of Eros, grandson of Aphrodite and Ares! He should sit on Olympus! And you, motherfucker, wanted to use him for the pleasure of yourself and your filthy sons, stripping him of his dignity and depriving him of his freedom!"

"Your place is in Tartarus, so rot there for eternity!" he thundered, looking straight into the eyes of the ruler, wide open with shock at the news of the boy's divine nature, inhabiting the temple of Aphrodite. After which, not allowing him to utter even one more blasphemy, he raised his sword above his head, grasping its hilt with both hands, and pierced his heart with all his strength, crushing the blade against the floor.

The king let out a stifled groan that ended his earthly reign, and then there was silence, broken only by the warrior's heavy breathing. It didn't last long, however, as thunder cut through the air, immediately followed by Arete's fear-filled scream. Jeongguk raised his head, hearing his name, and turned behind him, moving away from Hiliarion's corpse. He wanted to find the Artemis warrior with his eyes, but before he did, he saw him. Taehyung ran toward him, lifting his golden robe to avoid tripping over its material. His cheeks were flushed, and unruly dark curls, unsupported by golden pins, fell on his forehead, obscuring his eyes that were shimmering from tears.

"You are no longer in danger, you are safe," he said, catching his beloved in his arms.

"Remember that I will always love you," Taehyung murmured in response, clinging to the spartan's parted lips, eager for their touch.

Jeongguk, hearing him speak, furrowed his eyebrows, and his heart sped up, sensing that something was wrong.

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A quiet sigh left Iphigenia's lips, painting a feeling of relief on her face. It lasted only a few seconds before it once again took on a harsh expression, turning its owner into a marble statue devoid of feelings. Despite the small setbacks, everything still went according to the plan she had devised. According to her destiny.

She tore her gaze away from the outhouse door, which slammed behind Taehyung and her entourage, before turning around and moving toward the palace. She walked slowly with her head held high, and the Corinthians who passed her bowed their heads low, paying their respects to their high priestess. She only briefly graced them with a glance of her dark brown eyes.

When she finally reached the palace gates, then crossing the beautiful courtyard, she opened one of their wings and slipped inside. The interior of the building was illuminated by the warm glow of candles lined up along the main corridor. She looked around it, carefully scanning each of its three branches and, not noticing not a living soul, once again breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, she fixed her gaze on the golden door in front of her, guessing that all the royal servants were right behind it, preparing the throne room for the reception to be held later that afternoon. She then bounced out of the entrance gates, to which she unconsciously pressed her body, and headed down the left side of the corridor.

When she was at the end of it, she grabbed one of the candles in her hand and slowly began to descend the stairs leading to the underground. There, there was already complete darkness and a grave silence, which was broken by the sound of her footsteps. She found the entrance to the storage room that belonged to her, then pulled out a key tucked behind the belt of cloth wrapped around her waist and opened the door. She entered the room, which was in a soft twilight, punctuated by streaks of sunlight streaming in through a small window. She set aside the candles she held in her hands and the key on the table, then approached a large trunk, standing in the right corner of the room. She lifted its lid and pulled out an anthracite-colored silk cloth from inside. She gently unfolded it into a wedge and hastily threw off the long, snow-white toga she was wearing to replace it with this slightly shorter, knee-length one. She pinned her light hair, which had hitherto fallen to her shoulders, into a high chignon as she approached the open trunk again. She knelt down in front of it, squatting on her heels, and pulled out another object from it. This time it was an oblong wooden casket, on the lid of which was carved a butterfly. She ran her fingers over it, marking the curve of each wing, and then lifted the lid. To her eyes appeared an arrow of rose gold, lying on a delicate pearl fabric.

"The arrow of Eros with rose gold decorated, for giving great love is created, but when it is in the wrong hands found, it can a beloved heart deadly wound..."

Iphigenia spoke the words of the prophecy, moving her fingertip from arrowhead to aileron, and under her touch the rose gold changed its color to onyx black. She followed the transformation with her eyes in fascination, recalling a legend she had heard as a child about the two arrows of the god of love that could bestow eternal love or cruel suffering. But no one had any idea that the arrow was only one, and what made it dangerous was the intention of the person by whom it was to be shot.

The priestess was so immersed in her own thoughts, repeating the words of the epiphany like a mantra, that she didn't notice how the sun's rays stopped illuminating the chamber she was in. She only awoke from her trance when the thunder of an approaching storm reached her ears.

"Zeus," she muttered in fright, dropping the casket, and sprang from the cold floor. She moved so quickly that the candle standing on the table went out, plunging the room into complete darkness. She didn't bother to pick up the wooden box or to close the trunk. She ran out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

She reached the main hall a moment later, stopping at the top of the stairs. She froze at the sight of the Spartan army entering the palace, and the arrow she still held in her hand almost completely changed its color due to her strong grip. Fearing that one of the warriors might spot her and thwart her plans completely, she squeezed into an alcove where the entrance to one of the smaller audience halls was located. She persisted, pressed against the golden door until the jaws of armor, accompanying the marching Spartans, fell silent.

Iphigenia took a deep breath and tucked the arrow behind her back, tucking it behind the belt encircling her waist, then left the hiding place on a run, directing her steps toward the throne room. Reaching the door, she dropped a vase of flowers from the table that stood to their left, and stepped on it to remove the bow that, along with other divine attributes, adorned the wall. Holding the weapon in her hand, she wanted to jump down from the wooden surface, but at that moment the door from the throne room opened with a flourish. With all their force, they hit the table she was standing on, causing it to sway dangerously, and she lost her balance and fell to the cold floor.

From inside the room, the Corinthians began to run out. Fear could be seen on their faces, making the priestess' lips stretch into a mischievous smile. Nothing gave her such satisfaction and a sense of superiority as fear painted on a human face. Now she longed to see the terror on Taehyung's beautiful face, shading his sapphire eyes with pearly tears. She wanted him to suffer, and only one thing could make his heart shatter from the overwhelming pain. Therefore, taking advantage of the chaos that erupted in the palace due to the Spartan army, she rose from her knees, wielding her bow in her hand, then squeezing between the Corinthians, she unsteadily entered the throne room.

"Where are you, Pearl?" She whispered, hiding behind one of the columns on the left side of the mezzanine, and looked around the richly decorated room.

In its center, a sword fight was taking place between the royal guard and the Spartans. The warriors were merely fending off an attack so that their commander could get to the king and his sons unhindered. Iphigenia tore her gaze away from him as he began to clash with the first of the Corinthian ruler's descendants. Her attention was drawn to a commotion to the right of the royal throne. She shifted her gaze there and spotted Taehyung, who was trying to break free from the embrace of Athanasios and Delphine to be at his beloved's side as soon as possible.

"Very well, come to him," she muttered. Moments later, she cursed under her breath, seeing how the young man let the couple convince him to stay under her care. However, they failed to get him out of the throne room, which was Iphigenia's chance to fulfill the prophecy entrusted to her.

Without waiting a minute longer, she reached behind her back and pulled an arrow from behind the belt wrapped around her waist. As she put it to her bow, drawing the string, it shone strongly with its rose-gold glow, and where the priestess's fingers came in contact with its beam, it again began to change color to onyx black. Iphigenia turned slightly to the left and aimed exactly at the temple, leaning over the king's body, of the Spartan. She didn't have time to fire the arrow, however, because the silence that fell after Ares' warrior delivered the final blow to the Corinthian ruler was shattered by Arete's scream of terror.

The warrior raised his head, searching with his eyes for the person who had shouted his name, thus taking away the priestess' perfect target. Iphigenia moved restlessly, sending Arete into the deepest recesses of Tartarus. A fraction of a second later, a horrified smile crossed her face as she noticed the sapphire eyes staring at her, in which one could see, given by Dejmos himself, fear.

"The time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled," she muttered, then found the Spartan again and aimed her bow at his heart, covered by golden armor. The arrow became covered with onyx, and her eyes became clouded with mist, losing visual acuity. She let go of the bowstring, along with uttering the words of the epiphany she had carried, in her hatred-poisoned heart, for years:

"High priestess chosen by the goddess of the human soul, so that at her hands' vengeance on the god of love would meet its goal. And when, in the embrace of the warrior of Ares, a quiet sigh escapes from the lips of Eros son, with his father's arrow his divine existence will be gone..."

"What have you done!"

She heard a cry of despair as Arete's sprawling body knocked her to the ground. The warrior woman began to blindly cover her with her fists, and bitter tears ran down her cheeks. Iphigenia did not even try to shield herself, taking each blow. Pain spread through her body, blood ran down her face, and she finally felt a sense of relief, as if she had shed the weight she carried on her shoulders like Atlas sky. Bliss lit up her face, and then darkness came.

Arete stopped her movements, snapping out of her amok, when it reached her that the priestess had lost consciousness. She looked at her closely, and her heart squeezed tight with grief. She burned with hatred for everything she had done to her, but still she would not be able to kill her. She leaned over her and gently ran her hand over her wounded cheek. She lowered herself a little more, putting her head to her chest, and hearing the quiet, steady beating of her heart, she sighed heavily. She began to cradle her, and when the priestess opened her eyes, the warrior girl's heart stopped beating for a moment, only to immediately start up with renewed vigor. The girl's eyes regained their natural almond color, she looked again as she did then.

"Arete?" she called back in a hoarse voice, and seeing her friend's tear-drenched face, cold fear came over her. She didn't know where she was or what had happened. She looked around, realizing that she was lying on the floor of the mezzanine in the great throne room. She shifted her gaze to its center, where there was a red carpet leading to the royal thrones, and what she saw there shattered her heart. "Taehyung?" she choked out, and her voice broke down on the last syllable. In a panic, she shifted her gaze to Arete, raising herself to sit down and grabbing her by the shoulders. "What are we doing here? What has happened? Why are you crying? Why do you have blood on your hands? And why Tae... Taehyungie... Oh, Gods!"

The warrior woman watched with increasing shock as the high priestess began to tremble, throwing out more questions that she seemed not to know the answers to. As Iphigenia's body was shaken by a strong sob, releasing a torrent of tears, Arete embraced her, pressing her tightly against her body. The girl confidently snuggled into her body, entwining her arms around her waist, which worried her even more. Something was definitely wrong. She began to search her memory for the moment when Iphigenia dramatically changed her behavior, and when she came across this one particular memory, tears once again shone in her green eyes.

How could she have been so stupid and ignored it for so long without seeing the truth.

"Ifigenia, tell me what you remember last," she asked, pushing her away. She looked at her sad face and wiped the tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"I..." she started, but immediately stopped, not knowing what to answer. She clutched her head, feeling a throbbing pain in her temples. She tried to remember, but couldn't.

"Ifi, you have to remember. Do it for me," she instructed, and when the girl looked at her with her sparkling, almond-shaped eyes, she knew perfectly well what she was about to hear.

"Like every day, we were in the garden. Taehyung was sitting on the grass and weaving a garland of daisies, humming a song under his breath that he only knew. You sat next to me on the bench, pretending to listen to what I was saying to you, and the only thing occupying your thoughts was him. More beautiful than all the Greek gods put together. You stared at him with a wide smile and pure adoration painted on your face, and I..." she paused to swallow the gulp that had begun to tighten her throat, then, grasping Arete's hands, she spoke aloud what had been weighing on her heart for a long time: "And I was so damn jealous. I could feel this awful emotion coursing through my veins, reaching my heart in the blink of an eye and reassuring it that it couldn't take it anymore. I don't know who I was more angry with at that moment. At myself for not being able to confess my feelings, at you for not being able to see them, or at him for taking you away from me and not even realizing it. The argument I caused back then is certainly one of the ones Eris is most proud of."

"What happened next?" Arete asked after a long moment of silence. She was embarrassed, which was confirmed by the dewy blush forming on her cheeks. She would never have thought that Iphigenia had feelings for her. She was almost certain that she was in love with Taehyung, and her reluctance derived from the fact that he was not interested in her. None of the women. She could no longer dwell on it, all that mattered now was what happened after that fateful exchange of words.

"Then I went to the temple of Aphrodite. I begged our goddess to take from me the gift of love she had given me. I wanted it to stop hurting. And just when I had lost hope that she would listen to me, she appeared right in front of me. She was so beautiful. She was dressed in a long white toga. Her light-colored hair was pinned up on either side with gold pins so that it didn't fall over her face and cover her deep brown eyes."

Arete, hearing the description of the goddess of love's appearance, held her breath. She had never seen her with her own eyes, but she knew one thing for sure. Aphrodite did not have brown eyes. Her eyes were the same shade as those belonging to Taehyung. Sapphire.

"What did the goddess tell you?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"She said that if I became her high priestess and fulfilled one small wish, she would make whatever stood in the way of my love disappear irrevocably. And I agreed without the slightest hesitation, not thinking what the consequences might be," she replied, and tears came to her eyes when she realized what the goddess meant. "It was about Taehyung, wasn't it?"

"What you're talking about happened three years ago. Three years ago..." she groaned, lowering her gaze to their entwined hands. She extricated herself from the embrace and stood up from the cold floor where they were still sitting.

Her head was spinning from the flurry of thoughts, her heart was racing with grief, and she wanted to disappear, because it was all her fault. If she hadn't said a few words too many that day, hurting her dearest friend, and hadn't just let her go, none of these cruel things would have happened.

"What do you mean three years ago!?" The priestess shouted, jumping off the floor and grabbed the warrior woman by the forearm, not letting her go. "But it was..." she broke off, searching in her head for memories that would confirm that Arete is deceiving her, that it was a while ago, but she found only emptiness there. A big, dark, cold emptiness.

"After that argument, I was so angry that I didn't want to see you, but Taehyung said that despite everything, I should go and talk to you and reconcile, because friendship is the most precious treasure. Our dear pure-hearted Pearl." She began, smiling through her tears. "So I went to find you, but the person I met at the temple of the goddess of love was not my friend. You were so cold towards me like a marble statue without a heart, and your beautiful almond eyes were dark and empty. Now I know why," she interrupted again. She took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, then confessed the cruel truth: "It was not Aphrodite who came to you, having listened to your prayers to relieve your pain. It was Psyche who came to take advantage of your jealousy, which spawned the desire to get rid of Taehyung, in order to take revenge on her husband Eros, who fell in love with a mortal woman and begat a child with her. More beautiful than all the Gods seated on Olympus."

Lightning cut through the sky, and Iphigenia felt as if she had been electrocuted, brightening her mind. For a brief moment, she moved to the temple of Aphrodite to find the missing memories. Again she knelt in the middle of the naos, begging the goddesses of love for mercy on her broken heart. Seeing the beautiful woman walking toward her, she thought her pleas had been heard, so she immediately acceded to the proposal she received from her. She realized how big a mistake she had made and who she was really dealing with only when she heard the task entrusted to her, a prophecy that had to be fulfilled.

But by then it was too late.

She had become a tool in the hands of Psyche, deprived of free will and obeying every slightest command. The past three years flew before her eyes, showing how shameful acts she had committed. How she became the executioner of her beloved friend, inflicting pain and suffering on him day after day. Until the day she was about to deal the final blow.

Her legs buckled under her, and she fell to the floor, breaking down, breathless, crying. Arete was at her side in a flash, hugging her to his chest. She still didn't know how she should forgive her for all that she had done, but one thing she was sure of, she could no longer condemn her and leave her alone in this situation.

She, too, was a victim of divine vengeance.

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Taehyung turned his gaze to the mezzanine and froze, spotting the high priestess. Iphigenia wielded a bow in her left hand and a glittering rose gold arrow in her right. Sensing his gaze on her, she turned toward him. Their eyes met, and Taehyung had the feeling that those of hers had again become almond-shaped and full of warmth, just like when, being children, they played in the gardens surrounding Aphrodite's temples. He could again hear their joyful laughter, carried by Eol along with the wind. It lasted only a fraction of a second for them to become dark and empty like an abyss again, and the laughter turned into words spat out with venom:

He will kill him, and you will watch your beloved warrior take his last breath and leave this world forever.

His heart, which had just broken into a frantic gallop, still did not allow him to believe that his friend could simply become cruel and commit acts that inflicted pain and suffering on another human being. It had held out hope all this time that something must have happened to change her that way. Now that he had the full picture of his history driven by the desire for revenge, he understood that she was also part of it, a meaningless pawn, in the hands of Psyche, not backing down from anything. He knew that the words she had spoken were not just a threat, but also a promise she was just about to keep.

Taehyung watched as her lips curved in a sinister smile, as her gaze found its earlier target, and as her hands lifted so that a moment later the arrow was between the bow and the string, taking on a deep black color. The moment Iphigenia let go of the arrow, he slipped out of Delphine's embrace and dashed toward Jeongguk, praying to all the Gods seated on Olympus to reach him first. He felt as if his legs were made of lead, but he pushed forward as hard as he could, keeping his toga raised high. His eyes welled up with tears as Jeongguk spread his arms in anticipation. He fell into them a moment later, pressing into his torso. He heard the warrior whisper something to him, but the blood humming in his ears prevented him from understanding even a word.

"Remember that I will always love you."

He managed to choke out before tears clenched his throat, and fell into the Spartan's mouth. Immediately he slipped his tongue between his lips, knowing that this was their last kiss, that a few heartbeats separated them from the end of their little world, and that their destiny was being fulfilled at that very moment. And as Jeongguk responded to his caress, entwining their tongues in a fervent dance, he felt the arrow reach its target and pierce his heart, stopping with the arrowhead in the golden armor protecting this Spartan. Taehyung's mouth filled with blood, salty tears began to flow from his eyes, and his heart ended its beating.

Jeongguk, feeling the metallic taste settling on his tongue, pulled away from his beloved. He looked at his beautiful face and held his breath. The first thing that shook him was Taehyung's eyes. The irises had lost their beautiful sapphire hue, and the pupils had completely disappeared. They looked like two pearls sparkling in the sunlight. Next were his full lips, which had turned the color of a ripe plum under the influence of the flowing blood, losing their natural ruby hue. The last thing that broke him completely was the arrowhead protruding from Pearl's chest and the scarlet stain on his golden robe growing larger by the second.

He shifted his gaze to the golden armor and saw that there was an arrow mark at the level of his heart, and the crack spread to the four sides of the world. If Taehyung had not shielded him with his body, the arrow would have pierced him through without the slightest problem.

The son of Eros gave up his divine existence for the life of a mere mortal. For his life.

When it came to him, his legs buckled under him, and he fell to his knees, dragging Taehyung with him. With one hand, he hugged him to his chest, while with the other, he reached behind his back and entwined his fingers around the dart to pull the onyx arrow from his body in one swift motion. He looked at the deadly tool and parted his lips in disbelief. In his hand, he no longer held a black weapon, but a beautiful arrow of rose gold, decorated with tourmaline in a delicate rose hue. The property of Eros, which had been returned to its splendor by the touch of a good-hearted person, to be able to bestow love again. The warrior put it down carefully on the red carpet and returned his gaze to his beloved. He brushed the hair away from his face and wiped his lips of the dried blood, placing a kiss on them. Only then did he let all the accumulated emotions escape.

"Dearest," he sobbed, pulling his lips away from his cold lips, and drew him to his chest, embracing his waist with his right hand and weaving his left into his curly hair. He began to sway, and tears cascaded down his cheeks.

There was silence in the throne room. The Spartans stopped jostling with the royal guard, hearing the sobs of their commander. Delphine, who was watching the whole situation, covered her mouth with her hands to prevent a moan of despair from escaping. Athanasios, who was standing right next to her, put his arms around her, allowing her to hide in them. He, too, cried, feeling that he had failed.

"I'm sorry, Pearl. I should not have allowed this to happen. I was chosen to protect you, and I was the one who was supposed to save you from a cruel fate. Unfortunately, I failed," Jeongguk whispered directly into his beloved's ear, pressing his trembling lips to his. "You must forgive me, but if you thought I would humbly accept your sacrifice and let you leave this world, leaving me alone, you were gravely mistaken. It's time to correct your mistakes and regain what was lost..."

When he said this, he laid his beloved's body on the carpet. He took one last look at his beautiful face, placing a kiss on his lips. He got up from his knees, wiping away his tears. He found his sword and, raising it high above his head, slammed it with all his might into the floor, which cracked under the impact. He straightened his muscular figure, and as he thundered, making the palace walls tremble, an expression of confidence and determination appeared on his face.

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld! I, the warrior of Ares, implore you to return the soul of the Son of Eros! If I were to go down to the underworld and pull it out of the Styx with my own hands, I would do it! If I were to go even lower and undergo the worst torture in Tartarus, I will do it! If it were to be my soul in exchange for his, so be it! I will do whatever you order! Only I beg you, return the life of my only love..."

"No!" A shout from the high priestess spread across the room. "You can't do that. Taehyung would rather give up his life than watch you die. He loved you so much that saving you from death was the most important thing for him. You can't let his sacrifice be in vain and his greatest fear come true."

"You are the last person who has the right to tell me what to do and what my dearest Pearl wanted," he roared in response, watching Iphigenia run up the stairs leading from the mezzanine to the throne room. "Stand still and don't take another step, or I will unscrupulously cut you short just as you drove an arrow into Taehyung's heart."

The high priestess stopped, hearing the warrior's words. Tears shone in her eyes again. He was right. She had committed an unforgivable act and, as much as she wanted to turn back time so that it would never happen, she simply could not. All she could do was stop the Spartan and prevent another tragic act. She wasn't going to listen to him and moved towards him a moment later. Heedless of the fact that, Jeongguk grabbed his sword and aimed the blade at her, preparing to attack.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do that. Unless you want the son of Eros to strangle you with his bare hands. For my taste, he is a bit nervous and could go to that extent. But you'll do as you think, I'm just saying what I see."

A low, masculine voice stopped Jeongguk from delivering a blow, which Arete took advantage of. The warrior woman reached the priestess, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her toward the columns to get as far away from the agitated Spartan as possible. Only when they were safe did she look in his direction again.

At the spot where the warrior had thrust his sword moments earlier stood a tall man with short-cropped black hair and eyes of the same color. He was dressed in a gray toga slung over one shoulder and reaching the ground, decorated with black streaks like smoke that trailed around his feet. In one hand he held a scepter, and in the other he held the keys, which he had just rotated around his index finger. A mischievous smile was on his face.

"Hades?" the Spartan choked out, looking obliquely at the newcomer. His eyes were wide open, as if he did not expect to see him here.

"Why this surprise, warrior of Ares?" the god of the underworld asked in amusement. "After all, you invited me here yourself, and since I liked the show, I thought I'd drop by," he continued, winking at him. "And I'll clean up a bit here, because you made a mess," he added and snapped his fingers, and the bodies of the king and his sons crumbled into dust.

The Spartan turned toward the god, looking at him carefully. He then swept his eyes around the room, which sparkled with cleanliness, as if nothing had ever happened in it. Only Taehyung's body lay in the same place. The blood stain located on his chest had disappeared, and he looked as if he was asleep.

"How did you appear here so quickly?" Jeongguk asked after a moment of silence. His body tensed, showing his bashful attitude as he added: "After all, the Gods don't interfere in people's lives."

"Right, but in this case life wasn't quite human, and neither was the soul you wanted, was it? Your Pearl is so determined to protect you that it doesn't even think about wandering into the underworld. Not to mention bathing in such a wonderful Styx," he replied, sending a disappointed look to Taehyung, standing on the right side of the Spartan, whom only he could see. "Also, your first proposal, although I admit that it is extremely tempting, is unfortunately not an option. As for the second, torture in Tartarus is not my connoisseur. So perhaps an exchange would be the best idea, don't you think?" The question was intended for the warrior, but his gaze was already on the man, who was still cradling the woman in his arms, who stared at Hades in horror. "Athanasios, the divine soul in the royal descendant. We can strike a bargain, Warrior of Ares, I will give you the soul of the Son of Eros, and you will give me this magnificent specimen in return," he ordered, still twirling the keys around his finger.

"If it is God's will, then so be it," Athanasios spoke up, letting go of Delphine and, ignoring her protests, moved toward the god of the underworld to make the exchange.

"No," the Spartan objected, his voice dripping with anger. He aimed his sword at the heir to the throne to stop him in his tracks. Only when the man stopped did he say to Hades: "Athanasios is the last remaining son of the king, and it is his duty to sit on the throne to lead Corinth to glory. That's first, and second, I don't want any more innocent people to have to suffer because of the mistakes I made. The only soul you can receive in return is my own."

"Once again, you prove that you are a brave and virtuous man. Praiseworthy, although a real shame. With your fighting skills and unflagging strength, I would gladly take you as my right hand to do all the dirty work for me. And while that's not an option either, I'll show you mercy. There is one thing you would have to give to your beloved in order to regain his divine soul," he said mysteriously.

"What kind of thing is that?" Jeongguk asked, being ready to give up everything for Taehyung.

"Heart. It is enough if you give him your heart," he replied, smiling deviously.

"But I gave him all my heart long ago. I love him more than life..."

"It's not about love, silly. It's about the organ that rages in your chest whenever your thoughts run towards the son of our dear Eros," he said, walking up to him, and tapped his finger on the golden armor where the arrow left a gouge, where his heart beat. "Taehyung is beautiful, so I'm not at all surprised that you want him so much. Give him back what belongs to him, and his soul will return to its place."

"No, Jeongguk, don't listen to him!"

"Stop it," he muttered to Hades, not wanting to listen to Arete's objections. No amount of pleading would dissuade him from what he intended to do.

Without hesitation, the god of the underworld formed a wall of black, biting smoke, separating them from everyone in the room, and then stuck the gaze of his black eyes on the Spartan.

Jeongguk took a deep breath, then nodded in confirmation that he agreed to the proposal made to him. Hades also did not speak, only a contented smile appeared on his face. He pointed with his hand to Pearl, letting him know that the warrior should have already completed the sentence he was instructed to do.

"He's been here the whole time, right?" The warrior asked, feeling a gentle touch on his cheeks.

"He doesn't leave your side," Hades confirmed, watching as Taehyung's spirit held his beloved's face in his hands, stroking his skin with his thumbs. His lips trembled as the words that came out of them formed into fervent pleas.

"I love you, Dearest," Jeongguk said, and closed his eyes to enjoy that pleasant sensation of warmth spreading throughout his body for a moment longer. When he opened them again, he felt like he was looking into Pearl's sapphire eyes again. "Take him away from me. I know you can do it," he said to the god of the underworld, who immediately stood in front of him, suspending his hand at the level of his shoulder. He moved his fingers as if tightening them on something, and then moved away from the Spartan for a few steps.

"Hurry up," he ordered, and squirmed with displeasure. Taehyung's soul began to struggle, screaming in despair and trying to free itself from his grasp. Hades snapped his fingers, and a black ribbon of smoke wrapped around him to prevent him from making any movement.

At the same time, the warrior took off the golden armor protecting his torso. He put it down on the floor, kneeling by the body of his beloved, then leaned over and kissed his lips.

"Forgive me," he groaned. He wanted to say as much to him, because he knew he could hear him. However, he couldn't, as his throat tightened painfully. Thick tears gathered in his eyes, settling on his lower eyelid.

He did not want to delay the inevitable and make Hades change his mind through his reluctance. So he grasped the fabric of his toga in his hands and with a strong tug tore it from his shoulders, revealing his muscular chest. He picked up the arrow of Eros and rose from his knees. He turned back to Hades and, looking into his black eyes, thrust the rose gold weapon into his manubrium to slide down its shaft in a smooth motion, splitting it into two equal parts. He tossed aside the arrow and slid his hands into the wound on his torso to push aside the heart-protecting ribs. He let out the accumulated air in his lungs that he had been holding back until now. His face expressed no emotion, although internally he was screaming in pain. He entwined his fingers around the organ, which was beating at a frantic pace, and clenched them tightly. He ripped the heart from his chest a moment later, immediately directing it toward the soul of the son of Eros so that it could return to its owner. His knees buckled under him, but before he collapsed to the ground, he felt his beloved's arms surround him.

"You're back," he exhaled in relief.

Then his eyes went blank, and his head fell inertly on Taehyung's shoulder.

🕊️🕊️🕊️

The storm has subsided. The wind chased away the dark clouds, and the sun appeared in the sky again. Taehyung stood on the seashore, letting the waves crash against his bare feet. Tears glided down his cheeks, which, reaching the edge of his jaw, turned into small pearls and then fell directly into the wound on the torso of the warrior he held in his arms. When they had completely filled it, tightly wrapping around the ripped-out heart, which had returned to its place, the arrow-slit skin healed, leaving a scar on his chest that stretched across his sternum.

"You called me, Son of Eros."

The young man tense up, hearing a woman's voice behind him. It was true that he had been praying fervently for several minutes, begging the goddesses to come. However, he did not suppose that she would actually honor him with her presence. He hugged his beloved's body more tightly to his chest, placing a kiss on his uncovered forehead, and only then turned to face Psyche.

The first thing he thought of when he saw her was that she was unrealistically beautiful. In beauty, she outshone Aphrodite herself. An ankle-length white toga perfectly framed her shapely figure. Her light, long hair shimmered in the sunlight, and golden flecks could be seen in her brown eyes. Taehyung had no doubt why the god of passion himself had fallen in love with her, and why the goddess of beauty was so insanely jealous of her.

"Why did you want to see me after all I had done?" She asked, breaking the unpleasantly protracted silence.

"Because I believe that somewhere deep in your heart you are still the same gentle and helpful girl who set out into the world to find her beloved and undertook the hardest work to get him back," he replied, looking into her eyes. "And I hoped that this girl would also let me get my beloved back," he added, shifting his gaze to Jeongguk.

A look of surprise appeared on Psyche's face. She was almost certain that Taehyung would want to repay her for the wrongs she had done to him. He, however, was only thinking about the lost love he wanted back. Looking at him, she saw that boundless affection directed at the Warrior of Ares and a soul as pure as a tear. Blinded by anger and a desire for revenge, only now did she realize how big a mistake she had made.

"Betrayal is something unforgivable, and I realize how much pain you must have gone through, finding out about it, but that did not give you the right to blame a small, innocent child and punish him for his father's actions," he spoke up, again crossing the gaze of his sapphire eyes with those of the goddess. "Despite the fact that my short life has been filled with suffering, I do not intend to take revenge on you."

"Then what do you expect from me?" she asked.

"I see some similarities between what happened to us in life, and I dare say that in addition to punishing me for Eros' betrayal, you are also repaying me for the wrongs done to you by Aphrodite. So if you are so eager to become like your mother-in-law, and my grandmother then show me your grace and tell me what I have to do to get my Spartan back," he chuckled, in his voice you could hear the defiance and in his attitude see the determination needed to achieve his goal.

"To tell the truth, I am very impressed," Psyche admitted, and on her face, for the first time in a long time, a broad smile dawned. "You had the audacity to stand in front of your goddess and point out to her all the mistakes you made in order to arouse her remorse and the desire to rectify the deeds you committed. You were able to break free from the bonds of Hades and return to your body to catch your dying beloved in your arms, protecting him from falling, and then so poetically scold the god of the underworld for daring to come up with something so cruel and tell him to go back to where he came from before sending him to Tartarus. None of the souls, of which I am the guardian, was as special as you, Taehyung, Son of Eros, Pearl of Aphrodite."

"Am I then worthy of obtaining indemnity from you?" Taehyung asked, lowering his gaze in embarrassment.

"If I receive your forgiveness," the goddess replied, in a contrite voice.

"I forgive you, Psyche, goddess of the human soul," he replied without hesitation, and relief was painted on his beautiful face, as if he had dropped a boulder from his shoulders.

"Thank you," Psyche whispered. She approached him to put her arm around him as a sign of her gratitude. "Unfortunately, I am not able to resurrect your beloved," she said, gently stroking the warrior's cheek, after which she made the same gesture on Pearl's cheek. "But I can unite your souls to be reborn at the same time and find each other to be together. I can give you a better tomorrow in your new life. There is only one condition."

"I have to give you my soul, right?" He asked, and Psyche gently nodded her head in confirmation. "Let it happen then. I don't want to live a second longer without you, my dearest," he said, placing a gentle kiss on the Spartan's lips, then he moved away from the goddess, turning toward the sea, and with the body of the warrior in his arms, he moved toward it to give his life in its depths.

Psyche watched Taehyung sacrifice himself for his love and turn into sea foam. All that remained was to wait for his soul to return. Tears gathered in her eyes, and the words he had spoken moments before rang out in her head. He read her intentions perfectly, as if she were an open book to him. Learning of her husband's betrayal, she did not want to take revenge only on him, but also on his mother. Therefore, the curse she cast on the boy was a reflection of the lack of love she was about to experience and replaced it with desire, which took over Eros. She learned several years later that Ganymede had united Pearl and the warrior of Ares with boundless love. Knowing that destined people always meet in the end, she hatched a plan involving Pearl's close friend to prevent him from meeting the Spartan. She was to keep an eye on him, and in due course place him under the authority of the king, which guaranteed to keep the treasure sent by the goddesses of love under lock. If this were not to work, however, she additionally entrusted her with a prophecy in which she was to take away the happiness of lovers in the most cruel way. As a weapon, she chose the arrow of Eros, with which she too was to be stabbed. Now that she thought about it, she was ashamed that she had let jealousy take control and matched Aphrodite's cruelty, although she had vowed never to stoop to her level.

Psyche's thoughts were interrupted by the sea, which parted sideways, revealing her goddess. Amphitrite was dressed in an airy toga in a shade of turquoise, identical to her eyes. She wore a diadem of shells on her head, and her black hair was pinned up in a low bun. She walked towards her, leading by the hand the soul of the Pearl of Aphrodite, who was more beautiful than his human shell.

"I brought you a stray soul," she said, smiling radiantly. "Taehyung found the shipwreck in which his mother died, and he found it hard to part with the place. I told him that the person who gave him his heart was waiting for him, and only then did he agree to come with me."

"Thank you, Amphitrite, for bringing his soul to me. I will take good care of it," she replied, bowing to the goddess of the sea, after which she extended her slender hand toward Taehyung, "It is time for us."

Before the hand of the son of Eros had time to touch the hand of the goddess of the human soul, they heard a female voice.

"Wait!"

From between the rocks connecting the sea with the hill on which Acrocorinth was located emerged Persephone. She was clad in a multicolored toga, reminiscent of spring awakening to life. She had colorful flowers tucked into her shoulder-length brown hair. Her golden eyes sparkled vividly, and her pink lips curved in a subtle smile.

"You seem to have forgotten someone," she said, and stepped back to show who was accompanying her.

All eyes turned to the warrior of Ares, and a barely audible sigh of delight rolled from the lips of the son of Eros. Jeongguk did not resemble the Spartan he undoubtedly still was. His short red toga and heavy gold armor had been replaced by a long white toga adorned with pearls. His long black hair, in which white flowers were pinned, fell in waves down his back and shoulders. His soul was as pristine and beautiful as the one it was destined for.

"Hades took to his heart the words that our Pearl shouted to him in grief, and jumped into the Styx himself to fish out his beloved's soul for him. However, not wanting to face him a second time, he asked me to be the one to hand him over to the right hands," the goddess of the underworld giggled, and Taehyung and Psyche's eyes widened in shock. Only Amphitrite stood unmoved, as if she was perfectly aware of the situation. "Taehyung, Son of Eros, Pearl of Aphrodite, I give you your only love and wish that your future life will be strewn with the most beautiful roses," she said and nodded to Jeongguk, and he, understanding her message, immediately moved towards him.

When the souls of the lovers finally faced each other, looking deeply into each other's eyes, thousands of white and black butterflies flew into the sky where Iris had painted a rainbow, swirling around them. The Spartan grasped in his hands those of his Pearl, who covered the last distance separating them, joining their lips in a sweet kiss.

"Aren't they adorable?" Persephone swooned, scattering flower petals at their feet.

"Of course they are," Amphitrite nodded, smiling sincerely. However, her smile faded when she noticed Psyche gazing at the pair of lovers. Her body trembled, and her lips tightened into a narrow line to hold back the sobs gathering inside her. "They have already forgiven you, now you should forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, even the highest of gods. The most important thing is that you have seen through them, expressed remorse and a desire to make amends," she said, hugging her. "Now do your duty, take care of them, and when the time is right, let them be reborn again."

Psyche returned the hug to the sea goddess, silently thanking her for her words of encouragement. She took a deep breath and approached the warrior of Ares and the Pearl of Aphrodite, who were already waiting for her.

"It's time to go home," she said, extending her hands to them.

When the two souls touched them, they turned into butterflies shimmering with a million colors, so that they could wander with their goddess to Olympus and wait in its beautiful garden for their next incarnation.

~ The End ~

Translated by Ayashee11

JustVtine:

And this is how the story of Aphrodite's Pearl ends. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read it.

I must admit that writing AP was a huge challenge for me. I wanted the story to be a Pearl not just in name, so I put all my heart into it, and I hope I succeeded at least a little. I also shed a sea of tears as I struggled with creative block and lack of motivation, which made it take me a very long time to finish the 6th act. You guys were lucky enough to be able to read the AP in full right away. My Polish readers waited a year and a half for the finale.

I would still like to thank two people without whom this story would never have been written.
HumanCalledNicky, for giving me the idea for the story about the Spartan and his Pearl, for being by my side throughout the process of creating it and cheering me on in this uneven struggle.
Ayashee11, for the fact that I can always count on you, for supporting me and believing in me when I stop. And of course, I am extremely grateful that you translated AP into English. I couldn't think of a better birthday present.

Characters:

Taehyung, Pearl of Aphrodite, Son of Eros

Jeongguk, Spartan, Warrior of Ares

Arete, Warrior of Artemis

Iphigenia, High Priestess of Aphrodite

Kyros i Eudokia

Tryphena with little Taehyung

Athanasios, son of the King of Corinth and Aphrodite

Delphine, Athanasios' fiancée