Previously
She smiled and drank from the cup again. Then, she placed it down and looked into Ivanka's stoic, silver eyes. ". . .You're confused. You smelt him and you just can't remember when. Or, where."
"Right," Ivanka replied. She wasn't that shocked with her sister's ability to descry simply from a slight shift in her features. It'd be weird for the Demon God to not have such a mortal ability. "And?" Ivanka almost rolled her eyes when she saw Nyx reach for her drink again. Another thing she remembered about her sister was how dearly she loved theatrics. . .and suspense.
"Do you still not understand?" Nyx covered her mouth, stopping herself from chuckling when Ivanka's eyebrows knitted tight in concentration. Then, she figured it out.
"No," Ivanka was absolutely baffled. "This early?"
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Then, the table and chairs all disappeared but Ivanka wasn't so weak to get caught up in the suddenness. The instant the chairs disappeared, a similarly sized chair had been crafted from a stump that grew from the dirt. Ivanka grumbled under her breath, "Rude."
Nyx chuckled. She turned her back to Ivanka and started to walk around. "The gears of fate are turning." She picked out an apple from a nearby tree and bit onto it. "And it appears, this time, the fates to me are as sweet as this apple."
Ivanka's lips parted in surprise, a slight expression shown on her otherwise stoic face. "It's started."
Nyx grinned at that. She bit onto the apple again but this time, it tasted sour. "Yes, dear sister of mine. The celestial horns of war have been blown. It's begun again." Her aura of darkness rose and the apple in her hand disintegrated into simple ash. "This time, I'll win."
"I see," Ivanka said. She closed her eyes before saying, "And you need me for something."
"As expected of you, Iva," Nyx teased and enjoyed her glare. Anyone else used that nickname and death would be mercy to them. "But do not mistake me. I remembered I need you for something." Nyx's face settled on her usual, mysterious smile again—something Ivanka hated seeing on her face.
"Perhaps it wasn't an accident that I teleported here," Nyx whispered so quietly under her breath. She pointed at Ivanka. "Simply said, I have a. . .request from you."
"A request?" Ivanka questioned. "Not a task?"
"Not a task," Nyx replied. She nodded back at the sleeping beauty. "It concerns him." She stopped walking. "No, it's safe to say this entire thing now revolves around him. A new story unfolding, with him as its protagonist. Not me, not the Celestial Hero and certainly not my abhorrent sister up above. Him."
Ivanka folded her arms and her eyes glowered. The trees shook and the four winds blew in response to her heart. "What do you want?"
Nyx didn't mind the spirit pressure that would surely kill even a low-leveled god. And here she thought she loved theater. "It's simple, really." She snapped her fingers and the tentacle bed brought Willow forward, resting his sleeping form between them.
Now that Ivanka could take a close look at him and his familiar smell, she could definitely see traces of her in him. As expected of an incarnation of the Maiden, he had beauty enough to topple kingdoms on his worst days but on his best? Well, who could tell but the highest feat done by an incarnation was kickstarting a whole Celestial Civil War. She didn't know what Nyx wanted her to do but everyone blessed with knowledge knew better than to associate with the Maiden who had another, more unholy name.
She prepared herself for the words that would spill from Nyx's lips.
"I want you to watch over him."
". . . ," Suddenly, Ivanka's aura died down. A rare dumbfounded look appeared on her face. "What?"
"I don't believe I've tripped over my words," Nyx said. Ivanka stayed silent for a moment to try and find her next words but could only formulate a single word no matter how hard she racked her brains to find an answer.
"Why?" Ivanked asked.
"Why not?" Nyx retorted.
"Our strength equals in your current form and mine hindered with the chains," Ivanka started. "But you have a whole army under you, along with a castle you can lock him up in. I simply live in these woods." She continued. "Besides, do you not wish to finally spend your days with him? I wouldn't even let him leave my bedroom, if I were you."
Nyx responded by raising a finger. "He is still too weak to endure my love." She raised another finger. "Mine personnel won't take it too kindly to a human and a mortal at that, receiving my favoritism."
Then she raised the third finger and her body went rigid. "The prophecy still continues."
Ivanka's lips parted. "Ah, how could I forget." She went on to ask her next question, this time it was a question that satisfied her sister. "How long does he stay with me?"
Her fingers reduced to a single digit. "One year."
"One year?" Ivanka asked, confused. "Only one year?"
"Yes, only the one," Nyx replied. Then, her body started to twitch and spasm like something inside wanted to break out. "It appears that our conversation will have to be cut short."
"So it seems," Ivanka nodded. Nyx looked like she wanted to say something but her body's twitching intensified. Ivanka sighed and waved her off. "Go. I'll take care of him but this is the last time, you hear me?"
Nyx just smiled. "The end of the world begins, sister." Then, the Demon God disappeared from the place, the winds carrying her shadowy figure to wherever she was destined.
Ivanka shook her head and sighed after her sister had left. She was always too much trouble and honestly, not much worth the hassle. Then, she turned to look at the beautiful boy who would cause the world's end. "Looks like I'm with you now, boy."
****
Willow woke up with a slight groan. He got up to his knees and stretched, enjoying the satisfaction of hearing his nubile bones crack. He felt great, like he had just awoken from a thousand year long sleep. . . until he opened his eyes to see that this was definitely not his room.
"Ouch!" Before he could panic however, his brain started to cramp from the influx of memories that rushed him, providing him with a recap of everything that had happened. Oh crap, he was still in the game but that wasn't his biggest worry right now.
"El-?!" He stopped himself from screaming his sister's name—stopping himself from committing what would have been a huge mistake. He checked the room that he was in and other than the pelted head of a manticore above a dead fireplace, he was alone, aka, no Demon God that would rape him as of right now. He needed to take this chance to plan his actions.