Selfless Sacrifice
Cupid at Heart
None could believe the grand return of cupid—not in this way, not when the princess had sacrificed so much to retrieve him, only to be separated from him again in the end.
Woohyun held his lover cradled in his arms, slightly rocking her body to initiate some movement in her, but her soul had departed for good this time. His thumb gently rubbed the fresh tears from her eyes, not expecting the moment he’d see her again to be the last. Her bit his own lips, the scarlet color turning white from the pressure.
“Cupid, what are you doing here?” Aphrodite questioned, a sudden fear encompassing her beautiful face.
Woohyun gritted his teeth, looking up at his mother with beastly eyes yearning for revenge. He tightened his grip around Hyunmi’s arms before finding his voice to speak. “I was recovering, because your agreement stated I would regain my strength once she brought you those three items. Yet, you tricked her into taking her own life.”
The others who stood by, watching with pained hearts, were immediately alerted. They looked at the goddess, discovering the frown of a wanted criminal on her face.
“What have you done?” Myungsoo asked, directing the question to Aphrodite.
“Persephone’s Box does not contain a magical power to exchange one’s life, but a curse known as stygian sleep. It is a sleep so strong the victim is considered the living death,” Woohyun explained, narrowing his eyes towards his own mother. “I hurried my way here to prevent Hyunmi from opening the box, but…”
He paused, turning to the princess who laid idle in his arms. He could not contain his own misery and let the tears flow from his eyes, as equally pure and heartbroken as Hyunmi’s were. Both realized they loved the other too much to the point they could never be together.
“She is a mortal. She caused you to disobey me!” Aphrodite raised her voice.
“I do not need to obey a mother who murders the woman I love,” Woohyun spoke. He dismissed his mother’s loud gasp, and got up on his feet with the princess carried in his arms. He approached their friends who had been watching in silence, not knowing how to express their mourning.
“Fear not. It isn’t the end. Hyunmi shall return alive and well,” Woohyun told them, forcing his lips into a sheepish smile. They could see it quiver through the frozen trail of tears on his cheeks.
“Where are you taking her?” Seulyi asked, knowing she could entirely put her trust in cupid.
“I shall bring her to Olympus. Perhaps the other gods know of a way to lift the curse,” Woohyun explained, watching them slowly bob along their heads. He broke into another smile, more genuine this time. “I am grateful to every single one of you. Thank you for aiding Hyunmi throughout her journey.”
“You played a big part in her success,” Sungjong said, reluctantly acknowledging cupid’s help.
“We all did what we could in order to succeed. My task is eminent. I must revive her,” Woohyun said, unconsciously letting the corner of his lips linger into a pained smile.
“We shall await your return.” Sungjong moved his gaze between cupid and the princess. “Both of you.”
Woohyun nodded, and repositioned Hyunmi closer against him. He stretched out his majestic angel-like wings, setting off a gush of air from the precise movement. He nodded at them, and departed to Olympus through the windows, moving so fast no one could catch his departure.
Aphrodite was long gone by then.
Olympus was home to the twelve main gods and goddesses. It was a land hidden behind the clouds, consisting of an euphoric scenery no mortal had ever witnessed. The classic Greek architecture made it seem like an ancient shangri la.
Cupid flew right to the main colosseum where the gods and goddesses were gathered for discussions and meetings. He did not alert them of his visitation, immediately barging in through the opened window. Several deities looked surprised when he landed in front of them, carrying the human in his hand.
“This is preposterous! A human, in Olympus?” Athena yelled, wanting the sacred grounds of the gods belong to only the gods.
“Please, I need your assistance,” Woohyun pleaded, kneeling down on the ground as he gently held Hyunmi in his arm again. “She is cursed with the stygian sleep.”
“I am aware of that,” Zeus said, being the first to get up of his throne. He approached the couple, wincing when he saw Hyunmi’s pale face. The human’s beauty did not decay as death accompanied her. The sight saddened him, for he had known of her steadfast endurance and effort despite the impossibility of each task. “The stygeon sleep is a curse beyond our power. Only Kronos, the god of time, bears the ability to reverse its effect, but I doubt he is willing to offer his assistance.”
The answer stabbed Woohyun’s poor heart, rejecting his hopeful expectation with a dejected solution. “Is there no other way to revive her? I can’t let her stay in this state where she is neither alive nor dead. It is far worse than death itself.”
The deities stared at each other, trying to think of a solution. Some were more willing to help out, whereas others remained seated in their seats, unwilling to be involved.
“I remember something,” Apollo suddenly spoke up, and every head turned to him. “After she had returned from the Underworld, the mortals mentioned about mermaid tears that grants a selfless wish. Should they have collected it, it may act as your solution.”
Woohyun’s eyes sprung open, and his pupils frantically moved all over the place to think of an answer. He knew she had managed to gain her father’s health using the mermaid tears. Knowing her, he was certain she had stored the remaining tears should a need arise for it in the future. Such was the current situation. He needed it.
His eyes grazed over her dress, muttering a small apology as his hand reached out to her pocket. He felt the emptiness in the pocket of her dress and quickly retracted his hand back. Perhaps she had left it back in Heart whilst brewing her medicine. Perhaps he incorrectly predicted her actions, and she hadn’t been that thorough in her actions.
“It is located at Diamond kingdom,” he muttered to himself, remembering the Well of the Mermaid they had been at. The more he considered the idea, the more appealing it was. He was certain the mermaid tears could awaken the princess from the stygian sleep.
“Will you head there? I could lend you my winged sandals to increase your speed,” Hermes suggested. Considering cupid had no temples built for himself, getting around became a tedious task.
“Thank you, Hermes. I was planning on leaving with my pegasus and—”
Woohyun stopped speaking when he noticed a string dangling from Hyunmi’s neck. Odd. He had imagined her every single day in his wake, and dreamed about her at night. He was certain she never wore a necklace unless it was for a royal occasion, such as the masquerade ball. His fingers gently picked the thin string up in his hand, trailing its direction towards a vial shaped like a crystal icicle. It bore a translucent colored liquid inside which he immediately recognized as the mermaid tears. He gently set her upper body straight against his chest, allowing easier access to retrieve the necklace from her.
“Gods are nullified from the mermaid tear’s power,” Athena spoke, narrowing her eyes at the idea. It was absurd. She had all the knowledge in the world, knowing right from wrong before anyone else could judge.
Woohyun clenched the vial in his hand, staring at Athena with a smirk. “Powerful gods may be exempted, but I am not a part of the twelve Olympians,” he spoke, staring at the twelve gods staring down at him. Aphrodite’s presence was almost unknown as she had hidden herself at the very back, but Woohyun spotted his mother with ease.
“It is worth a try,” Zeus encouraged the young god to proceed.
“Are you aware of its consequences?” Athena questioned once again. Despite her cold and menacing tone, her questions were for the sake of cupid’s safety.
“It shall weigh a person’s wish, judging it as a selfless or selfish one to determine the fate of one’s life,” Woohyun recited, knowing the function of it all too well.
He opened the lid of the small vial, holding the clear liquid against the sunny rays from the land. It shimmered nearly yellow in color, but remained odorless. No thoughts entered his mind, other than his desire to see Hyunmi freed from the curse. He wanted her to survive, despite not knowing whether or not he would make it. They’d be no different from star crossed lovers whose path were always obstructed from being together. However, he was content knowing she was safe. He loved her enough, more than his own desire to live.
He pressed the vial against his lips, swallowing the liquid in one gulp. No one expected him to lean down afterwards, meeting the princess lips for a bittersweet farewell kiss. Whatever may happen, his feelings for her would never waver. Despite her betrayal and her mistakes, he knew she loved him unconditionally. People made mistakes, and a part of loving someone was the courage to forgive and accept their faults. Tears began falling from his eyes, dispersing against Hyunmi’s porcelain skin. He kept his lips pressed on hers, tightly laced his fingers around her smaller ones, and felt the ramming of his heartbeat in anticipation for her return.
As seconds passed, so did his consciousness. He fell down beside his lover, his fingers still wrapped around hers, unwilling to part even as death welcomed him.
“Cupid!” the deities yelled with appalled shock, growing pale despite their pure glow. They rushed to circle around the couple, not knowing what to expect when both laid lifeless on the ground. Some tried shaking their idle bodies, uselessly hoping the movement would breath life into them. However, they weren’t the controllers of the living and death.
A sudden twitch of one’s finger caught their attention, and they kept their silence as the eyes of the princess fluttered open. In her wake, the deities realized her beauty truly outmatched the goddesses of Olympus. Yet, they found no reason to hate her. All were mesmerized at her child-like curiosity as she stared at her surrounding with fear and amazement.
It was then when she felt the touch of Woohyun’s hands encapsulated in hers. The look of fascination transformed into panic and hopelessness, unable to control herself as tears collected itself in the corner of her eyes once more. She began making inaudible noises no one could comprehend, trying to awaken Woohyun. Her fingers wiped the tears from his eyes, noticing he had been crying as well.
“No, this was not part of the agreement,” she spoke, her voice trembling terribly with the fear of losing him. Her hands cupped his cheeks, savoring the way his skin felt under her touch. She forced a smile on her face, pathetically illusioning reality with a make belief lie. “Your mother said you will regain your strength if I completed the three tasks. And I did, Woohyun. I really did. Won’t you return now? Won’t you open your eyes and look at me?”
She bent down, pressing her lips against him, unable to give him a proper kiss. Instead, she broke down in loud hysteric cries, embracing his entire body. She refused to accept a different reality from the one she was promised. She had sacrificed so much for him, not to have him disappear from her once again. Perhaps she was selfish in a way, but she wanted him to live in her stead. She’d rather die than live without him.
“Please,” she wailed, sobbing horrifically without a care. “Come back to me.”
It seems fate desn't want them together. What do you think? Happy or bad ending? XD
Yay! Won the bid today! I hope you will enjoy the story~ Would love to know your thoughts, so please do leave comments too~ Thank youuu <3
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