A young woman stood by the door. She had dark hair which was tied loosely over one shoulder, grey eyes bright and sharp behind stylish glasses. Her beauty echoed Veronica's, but refinef like a sculptor's second, perfected attempt. All soft curves and an hourglass silhouette beneath a fitted black leather jacket.
Her gaze landed on Eros and lingered there.
For a moment, Paige could only stare. His presence hit her like a warm breeze scented with summer nights. She felt her heartbeat flutter, almost embarrassingly loud in her own ears.
"Mother… who is he?" Paige asked, trying and failing to sound casual as her gaze dipped over the broad chest barely contained in the tight shirt Veronica had given him. But her glance kept on falling towards his cock.
Veronica, utterly unbothered by her own lack of proper clothing, brushed her hair behind her ear, her breasts bouncing.
"Paige, this is Eros. He… needed help, so I let him stay here for now."
Paige blinked. The name stirred something familiar, mythology class? Cupid? Wings and arrows? But none of that lined up with the flesh-and-blood beauty sitting in her kitchen.
Eros stood up, and Paige subconsciously straightened her spine as his eyes, impossibly blue, swept toward her. For a split second, her pulse skipped. It felt like those eyes saw not skin and shape — but desire itself.
"Greetings, Paige,"I am Eros god of love and desire." he said with a small, proud tilt of his chin.
Paige let out the tiniest laugh — not mocking, but breathless. He thought he meant it as a joke. "Right. Like… Eros Eros?"
He stepped closer. "There is no other."
The air shifted warmly. Veronica bit her lip, suddenly aware that Paige felt it too: that aura. That pull towards him.
Paige swallowed hard, cheeks warming.
"Well… uh… welcome to Earth?"
Eros smiled.
Veronica eventually cleared her throat and stepped away from Eros, smoothing her hair back.
"We should probably… put some clothes on properly," she said.
Eros raised an eyebrow. "Mortals concern themselves with fabric far too much."
But he allowed her to guide him to the hallway anyway.
----
A few minutes later, Veronica returned in a fitted blouse and jeans. Eros followed, still too large for the borrowed clothes, but at least presentable. Paige stood with her arms folded, studying him like a puzzle she wasn't sure she should believe in.
"So," Paige said, narrowing her eyes. "You claim you're the literal Eros?"
"Yes."
"As in Greek god of love and desire?"
"That is correct."
Paige snorted. "Uh-huh. Right. And I'm Athena."
Eros sighed almost annoyed. "You mortals always demand proof."
He lifted his hand.
A soft glow pulsed from his fingertips, faint at first, then blooming into shimmering, rose-colored light. The air hummed warmly and Paige felt her heart twist suddenly with memories of every crush she'd ever had, every late-night longing, every secret desire she locked behind sarcasm and study.
Her breath caught. "What… what is that?"
Eros closed his fist, and the light vanished.
"A fragment of what I once commanded," he said quietly. "Only a sliver remains."
Paige stared at him her disbelief gone, curiosity now burning hot in its place.
"…Okay," she breathed. "You're either a very convincing illusionist… or you're telling the truth."
Eros sat down.
"I once ruled not through fear, but passion," he said. "I shaped the hearts of gods and mortals alike. And for that they feared me."
Paige leaned forward. "Feared you? Why?"
Eros's jaw clenched.
"Psyche," he whispered. "The woman the Fates chose for me. My heart in every sense. Her beauty rivaled Hera and Aphrodite. And Hera, enraged by that truth, conspired against us."
That was not the real reason, but he could let them believe that for now. Ofcourse it was also true but not entirely.
Veronica frowned. "That's… awful."
"Aphrodite sowed jealousy and betrayal. The gods turned on me. They ripped away my bow… my wings… and sealed my Six Heart Relics across the mortal world." His voice cracked for only a second. "Then they stole Psyche away, and cast me down."
Silence hung heavy.
Paige's voice softened, unwillingly sympathetic. "So you're here to find these relics… and Psyche."
"Yes," he said. "Only then will I reclaim my full divinity and tear open the gates of Olympus if I must."
For a moment, all Paige saw was a broken god fueled by longing. Then she steeled herself. "And what if the gods try to stop you again?" she challenged.
Eros looked up and despite his weakened vessel, there was fire behind those eyes.
"Let them try."
A chill ran down Paige's spine.
"Thanks to Veronica, the Crimson Heart has awakened," Eros said, flexing his fingers as a faint red glow pulsed beneath his skin. "A spark of my divinity has returned. I'm no longer powerless....now I can fight, and I can hunt down what belongs to me."
Paige raised a brow. "And how many pieces are you missing?"
"Six," Eros repeated, holding up a hand as if counting invisible stones.
"I only possess the Crimson Heart now. It's Passion. It grants me strength and influence but only a fragment of what I once commanded."
Paige raised a brow. "And the others?"
Eros's eyes dimmed, voice low with resentment. "They scattered them across this world... binding each relic to a place or person touched by desire. The gods thought the mortal realm would swallow my power."
His fingers brushed the center of his chest.
"But thanks to Veronica," he said, glancing at her with a rare softness, "the Crimson Heart has awakened from dormancy."
Veronica blushed so hard she had to turn away, her hair falling over her face to hide the warmth in her cheeks.
"Well… I'm glad I could help," she murmured, though her voice wavered.
Paige crossed her arms. "So when you say 'nearby'…"
Eros nodded. "Yes. One of my Hearts lies somewhere in this town. Its aura is faint but its defenses is strong. I must meditate and refine my sense of it before I can track it properly."
Paige leaned forward. "Which one is it? What's its power?"
Eros closed his eyes and inhaled, as if breathing in silent currents only he could feel.
"I recognize its pull," he whispered. "The Rose Quartz Hear, the Heart of Love. It allows me to read and bend bonds of affection… romantic or otherwise. With it, I will gain clairvoyance over the hearts of mortals and gods."
Paige swallowed. "That sounds… incredibly dangerous."
Eros smirked, a tired yet wicked glimmer returning to his expression.
"Dangerous enough that Olympus fears it."
His gaze drifted toward the city outside--- a skyline brimming with mortals, secrets, and hidden divine interference.
Paige uncrossed her arms, an idea flickering in her mind. "So you're just going to sit here and wait until you 'sense' it? What if someone else finds it first?"
Eros's expression darkened, the question clearly troubling him. "That is exactly what I must prevent."
----
A violent CRASH shook the street outside.
Paige spun toward the window, heart racing. Veronica flinched, clutching her chest.
"What was that?" Paige whispered, fear creeping into her voice.
"They've found me," Eros murmured, jaw tightening. "Sooner than expected… far too soon."
"Who's found you?" Veronica asked, stepping back instinctively.
Eros slowly turned toward the door, eyes glowing faintly with divine fire.
"Not who, Veronica." His voice dropped to a dangerous growl.
"What."