ADLER

"The gods have not forgotten us," I urge for her sake, not my own, "...I hope you know Enoch was up to this. From the beginning, I guessed he would turn our power over to the council."

She remains curled up, peering down into the abyss where dead stardust drifts in an ocean of murky waters.

Little does she know that we already are on planet Juju.

Yester-evening, I moved us down here while Enoch took care of issues above with the Eyu people. This planet's caverns are similar to those on our home star, Ashta. How I miss Ashtium now, my perfectly shaded city. 

However, waiting down here is a nice break from the blinding bright colors of the city above. 

"This reminds me of the caverns. You remember...on our home star. It is not so terrible here. We are used to being alone, in our own ways, of course."

Long silver hair curtains her back. Now, her tunic barely covers her thighs. The council stole the robes from our backs. Such luxurious garments are worth more than their puny ships.

She folds her arms, concealing her breasts from my sight as she crosses her legs.

"I do not like it here. Why must we wait down here, Adler? What is really going on? You have done something horrible again, haven't you? I can feel it."

***

GRETA

Unspoken desire stirs in me as he begins to rub my shoulders. I frown, narrowing my eyes in his direction as he decides on sitting beside me.

"What a splendid view for us to behold. No other souls placed on this planet could have admired such a sight. I'm sure they all died alone in this darkness. At least, we can see...and we have each other. We need only wait a few hours now, and then, we can leave."

With regret, I look into his silver-white eyes. A shiver races down my spine as he caresses my face. His perfect lips form into a wide grin as he draws near.

"Do not worry, my sweet. The world is dead, and always has been, to us."

I tense feeling his heavy hand touch my shoulder.

I cannot escape this soul. He has devoured my hope and trapped me in this abyss of filth and darkness.

What's the point of seeing in this darkness?

There is no meaning.

Slowly, he presses me onto my back.

"You are afraid of me."

"I do not want s-sex, Adler. I do not want it!" I shout through tears. Damn him for always turning me into an incubator. My world disappears as I scream even louder hoping my head will just blow up into stardust. "I do not want it! I do not want it!"

He has turned me into this!

I hiccup, crawling away from him. I make it to the edge of the rocky ledge where down below black water splashes violently.

I turn around. My heart lurches seeing Adler shrunken to the size of a baby. He remains still, his eyes boring into my own from a distance.

His dark lips are set in a seemingly permanent pout as little tears trace down his face. I stand by the edge of the cliff. He crawls after me, but he is too slow.

"Mother...father..." I whisper. My feet leave the ground. Then I am falling, weightless.

Free.

My eyes open as I expect to meet rocky water but instead land on the cushion of Adler's cloud. A man watches me from high up...the cliff where I jumped. My heart hammers as the mystical cloud rises rapidly carrying me back up to my tormentor.

"Sweet, Greta. You are not alone. I will be with you always. You will never be alone. You are my twin star."

A heavenly light encompasses the fluff around me. I blush deeply. The light makes me feel pretty like never before as my god's energy sparkles along my skin hiding every scar from sight.

This is my god's love for me.

"What is a twin star?"

I can barely think straight. He is so beautiful.

"Stars that survive together by sharing light. Don't be nervous, little pearl. Rejoice, we have saved each other. Now the world can not hurt us."

Adler hugs me. Suddenly, my very own beautiful crescent bursts from my head with light. It hovers back and forth on an antenna just like my god's!

I cannot hide my wonder.

"I don't want to suffer anymore," I say feeling lightheaded. I return my god's hug.

"Know our suffering is together, little pearl. I will leave this world with you so you do not have to be afraid. We will be together in death. Here, we are very much alive. So let's live!"

"I would like to live," I say. I do not understand his tears. His eyes trap me. Suddenly, his spyrt touches my own.

"Forever, we will be together."

I tense up. Adler has never spoken so serious to me.

"Forever?" I waver.

"Yes."

His lips press against my neck. Pleasure ripples through me as he cradles me close.

☁️