Son of Eros

High on a mountain peak, a man sat under an ancient elder tree in deep meditation. His eyes were shut and an onlooker would think he was no longer alive. The man’s body was powerfully built, dressed in ancient armor and mail, exuding power and domination. Vines entwined around him and flowers grew out of his armor, making the spectacle extremely bizarre.It was a bright but cool morning, and nature was in perfect harmony. Insects raked, birds sang, and animals joined the chorus. Nobody would expect what universe-altering event was about to happen.The man was old indeed, but only of age. He had lived for centuries and yet had the physical constitution of a forty-year-old man in his prime. His aura was thick and divine like a god. He was, in simple terms, an immortal. The tiny planet, Erode, was his sanctuary and prison. It was a quarter the size of the earth’s moon. One could drive around the planet’s circumference in a day. It had a modest blue sea and two new-fold mountain ranges. P

“Pan Osbourne, right?” Jessica asked cheerfully, walking ahead of him in the corridor. It was a windowed passage that led to the college gymnasium. Ample sunlight lit the entire length of the gallery.“That’s correct.”“Ah, then Leo Osbourne is your brother?”Leo was twenty-two and in his third year at Cloyster Academy. He was the Student President of the academy, and a popular figure for his good looks and grades.Compared to his brother, Pan was a nobody.“Yeah… He is…”Did Jessica want to use him to get to Leo? “Your parents are elite suppliers of construction equipment, aren’t they?”Pan nodded. His parents started the business when they were alive. It was taken over by his uncle shortly after their untimely deaths.“Yeah, but I am not a part of the main Osbourne family. I work there as a servant.”“I see…”“Can I say something, Jessica?” Pan posed.“Go ahead.”“Umm, you are quite popular. I hate to say it… but you should not be seen with me. Since I’m from the lower society.”“Sh

Pan almost died underwater. If what he was currently experiencing was one last dream of fantasy, then it was pretty entertaining. If it was fake, then he had nothing to lose.If it was real, then his life was about to change forever. But first, he needed to win the successor contest.He nodded to the talking frog, finally having wrapped his head around the situation. "I agree. Please begin."Jewel hopped down from the leaf pedestal and said, "Excellent! Let's proceed. Currently, we are on a lower slope of Mount Filo, which has four rungs. You must pass three of them successfully to get to the top. The fourth rung is the summit, where you can meet your divine parents." Pan nodded."Let me open a portal to the first rung," Jewel said.The talking frog croaked in a musical rhythm. Water from the pond rose and formed a large, swirling circle in front of them. "Follow me!" he instructed before hopping into the magic ring. He did not come out the other way but vanished.Pan took gradual and

The Liaisons Council sat in a closed circle. Nobody spoke a word for several minutes. They had provided the candidates with refreshments for the time being while the liaisons excused themselves to evaluate performances.Felix, the hedgehog, was in deep thought, tapping his tiny claws on the sandy ground."I had no idea he had the flame," Jewel croaked. "I swear in the name of the gods!"Felix glared at the frog and said sternly," You have landed us in a lot of trouble, my friend. Such an incident had not happened over centuries!"Jewel sighed and hung his head."Umm… What is the flame?" Coco the parrot asked. She was a fresher liaison and unfamiliar with ancient history and godlore.Felix wrung his hands and spoke up. "Fine. I will explain everything for the benefit of everyone who does not know. I'm getting old, so I'll depend on Jewel and Fluffy to fill in the gaps in information if I leave anything out. They are the only other seniors who have been to the assembly of gods."Jewel an

“Alright,” Felix the hedgehog began. All the candidates seem to have arrived through the portals. I’ll explain how this rung works shortly.”The liaisons had transported the boys and girls into what appeared to be inside a cave. They stood in a narrow, winding tunnel with dingy stone walls surrounding them. It was dark, but Felix had conjured an orb of light with magic.“Do not be alarmed,” the hedgehog insisted. “We are in the heart of Filo mountain and closer to the summit than earlier. If any candidate feels uncomfortable or has trouble breathing, let me know. We will portal you right back. However, remember that would be considered a forfeit from the contest.”The candidates nodded. The contests were getting weirder.“What sort of test will you conduct here?” Blaze asked. He was so tall that his head almost touched the tunnel’s roof.“In the last rung, we tested whether you could re-ignite love through your words. In this one, we’ll test if you can resist love.” The candidates lo