Gates Of Olympus, No Looking Back

I had worn Kyros’s promise ring for three years. But he never finished our bonding ceremony.

Today, I forged my 100th legendary enchanted weapon.

It was also the day Kyros promised—for the 33rd time—to complete our vows at Hera’s temple.

"To our Chief Enchanter, Astraea!" One of the guild masters raised his glass in the hall.

I forced a smile and stood up.

As a Goddess of Olympus, I knew Hera, the goddess of marriage, tolerated no betrayal or disrespect.

Every time I took a divine punishment, my divine core grew weaker.

But I willingly took the pain for him.

"Thank you, Master." I raised my glass. I tried to keep my voice steady.

The strong liquor burned my throat. My ruined insides rejected it violently. I almost fell over.

My stomach churned. My vision blurred.

"Master Astraea, you look so pale." Leon, a young hunter, looked at me with worry.

I waved him off. But my eyes drifted to a corner of the room.

Kyros was on his knees. He was carefully feeding a glowing golden potion to Lyris.

"Open up, drink slowly." His voice was heartbreakingly gentle. "This is Apollo’s Morning Dew. It cures magic backlashes."

Morning Dew?

My hands shook.

I had camped at the Lernean Hydra's nest for three days to get that potion. I fought through my own divine weakness to bring back that life-saving item.

Now, he gave it to Lyris without a second thought. And she only had a scratch from a lesser Dryad.

Kyros never even looked at me.

His entire focus was on Lyris. He treated her like fragile glass.

The alcohol made the divine backlash worse. The whispers around me got louder.

"Gods, Kyros is way too obsessed with his apprentice," someone muttered.

"Poor Astraea. Her own fiancé..."

"Shh, keep it down."

Their pity hurt more than mockery.

After the party, I followed Kyros out of the hall.

The sun was setting. The golden spires of Hera's temple gleamed in the distance.

Today, we had to finish our final vow ceremony there.

Kyros summoned his griffin mount.

I stepped forward, but he put a hand up to stop me.

"Lyris is hurt. I have to take her back to camp." He sounded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. There was no room for debate. "Go home by yourself."

His words pierced my chest like a sword.

When we got engaged three years ago, he swore to the gods. He said no other woman would ever ride his mount.

On the coldest winter nights, he used to give me his only coat. He would freeze in the snow just for me.

Now, he wrapped his lion-skin cloak around Lyris’s shoulders.

"What about the temple tonight...?" I tried to stay calm.

"Another day. I have a responsibility to Lyris. She doesn't feel well, and I have to take care of her." He turned around and gave my forehead a lazy kiss. "We’ll have our vow ceremony eventually."

In the past, I would have lost it. I would have screamed and asked him who his real fiancée was.

But this time, I just gave him a small smile. "Okay. Be safe."

Kyros froze. My calm reaction surprised him. But his cold mask quickly returned. "I’ll get you an enchanted gem to make up for it tonight."

Then he got on his griffin.

He helped Lyris up and flew away without looking back.

The midday sun roasted the ground. Sweat rolled down my cheeks.

But my heart felt like it was buried in ice. It was freezing to the bone.

I took out our Demon Hunter blood-oath scroll from my pocket. It had been signed for three years but never activated. I traced the faded ink.

Eight years ago, I gave up my throne and came to the mortal world for him. Goddess Hera gave me a strict warning.

"Mortal love is a lie. You get thirty-three chances. After that, if you do not return to Olympus, my divine flames will burn you to ashes."

Now, the thirty-three chances were gone.

I loved him, yes. But I would never sacrifice my own life for him.

It was time to let go of these eight years of love.

I was the Goddess of Stars. It was time to go home.