Thank you all for bringing this book to 25K reads! I really appreciate it. As a reward, here's a quick god-human AU oneshot.
—
Big, fluffy clouds floated across the clear blue sky, creamy white and caressed by the gentlest of winds . He stood upon them, looking down at the vast green world below.
'Beautiful.' He thought. 'Beautiful, but so, so fragile.'
He'd been there, alone, for who knows how long. Perhaps a century since he'd last spoken. A millennia since he'd taken up his silent vigil on that cloud, watching the world. His existence spanned much longer than that.
He hadn't spoken in so long that he felt like he didn't even know how to anymore. His memories were blotchy and scattered, mere splatters of paint in the huge blank canvas that was supposed to house his life story.
He could remember one thing, however.
And very clearly too.
She was a girl of gold and sunshine, of light and joy and music and laughter. She was the sun and the stars, the moon and the clouds, from galaxies beyond and a place he could never reach.
He'd never wanted anything, never craved anything. Never sought after anything, never needed to.
But the one time he did, it was for something unreachable, unacceptable, untouchable.
—
He'd seen her, dancing among the swaying wildflowers in the golden afternoon sunlight, hair and dress streaming about and her laughter tinkling in the air, half a millennia ago. She was a mere human, a mortal like the ones he seen many a time. He'd been watching them for a long time — watched them be born and grow and live and love and eventually, die — but he'd always looked on with a sullen indifference, so he didn't know what made this girl so different from all the others.
She was nothing special, just a sweet farmer's daughter with stars in her eyes and flowers in her hair, with a heart that dared to dream and a soul brighter than the midday sun.
He didn't know then, nor did he understand. But it was new, and to him, something new was something interesting. New was kinda hard to come by after half a millennia spent in the clouds staring at the human world. But this girl... she was new.
He watched her everyday, willing the clouds to tether themselves in place above her father's farm so he could always see her.
Day after day, she grew and lived and loved. Day after day, he watched her grow and live and love.
From a bright young girl she grew, into a beautiful young woman unlike any other. She seemed aglow with life and mirth, warmth and joy, but she too, had that staggering mortality he so despised.
He'd never realized how much he hated that mortality, until someone he — he would never admit, but — cared about was faced with it.
Days for her were minutes for him, months - hours, years - days.
Eventually, he found himself yearning for her.
He made the sun brighter for her, the sky clearer and bluer, and clouds fluffier, all for her. If she'd just look up at the sky, she'd see him. He was confirmed with the cage of his own making, and could not go to her.
But she never looked up. She loved her earth just as much as she love her family and her flowers. Her days always spent with her feet firmly on the ground, never a moment spared to gaze at the sky. Only in the night, would she raise her honeygold eyes to the sky. But then, it was dark and the moon and stars shone too bright for him to be seen by mortal eyes, so she could never saw him.
For years he pined after her, human years. In the ten long years he watched her grow from a girl of six to a woman of sixteen, never once did her eyes notice him, yet never once did his eyes leave her.
He grew frustrated, wanting her to at least look at him.
And it was then that he decided he would no longer just sit back and cling on to hope. If he wanted their future — hell, their future? He'd never thought that way before — to be more than a fleeting dream, he had to act, and he had to act now.
He wracked his brain for ideas, but always came up empty-handed and a little more discouraged.
Until one day, a sudden idea sprang to mind. After quickly weighing the benefits and the consequences, he decided against his better judgement and went on with his plan.
It would be risky, but he just had to be careful not to be found out.
—
The next evening, when the sun had sunken beyond the horizon and the moon and stars had risen into the embrace of the dark blue universe, he set out to carry out his plan.
He could not visit her in person, no, but his subconscious certainly could meet hers.
—
Her dreamland was beautiful.
Rolling hills of gentle lavender swayed in breezes of fresh mint and the salty tang of the sea floated about the air. Snow-capped mountains loomed in the distance, large but not overbearing, their tips shrouded in clouds and mist. Pristine rivers of turquoise streaked through the lush greenery, all emptying out to the vast ocean beyond. The air was filled with the soft caws of sea-gulls and the gentle lull of waves as they crashed upon the sandy shore. It was a scene of serenity, right down to the golden-haired maiden at the center of it all.
He watched her twirl and sing for a while, a gentle smile pulling the corners of his lips upwards.
It took her a while to realize he was there. When she finally managed to tear herself out of her reverie and those eyes of molten gold landed on him, she stopped herself abruptly. Immediately, those beautiful eyes shuttered and she clutched her skirts to her. The skies darkened and clouds began to gather, blotting the once clear blue sky — a sky that had now turned an ashy grey, as if an impending storm was on the horizon. The sour scent of her confusion wafted towards him on a stray breeze, tinged with the bitter scent of fear and the sharp, citrusy scent of distaste. Of course, all mingled with her signature strawberry and vanilla scent.
She was scared, that much was clear. But she more curious, and a little angry too. That was surprising. Not many would dare to not bow to him. The number was small enough that he could count it on one hand.
"Who are you?" Her voice was breathtaking. He'd seen her, but never was able to hear her voice. Now that he finally did, he was stunned into silence.
She, however, took that silence as arrogance. Temper flaring, she demanded again. "Just who are you!?"
His momentary shock must have shown on his face because she then smirk.
"Cat got your tongue?"
'No, more like you did.' He thought, but composed his features and replied smoothly. "Why'd you want to know?"
Her nostrils flared delicately as if she too smelt the ever-growing citrusy scent coming from her and replied hotly. "Because this place is mine, and I've never seen another person set foot in here, ever."
"Smart for a mortal, aren't 'cha." He muttered under his breath, for once cursing the intelligence that made her irresistible.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"You definitely said something," She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Definitely. I just didn't catch the words 'cause you were too quite."
"I said nothing."
"Liar." She huffed indignantly, trying to hide her smile. This stranger, whoever he was, couldn't hurt her, right? They were inside her dream, nothing but a figment of imagination her mind had created for amusement.
He smiled. It was gentle, and beautiful, and loving and caring and felt like it held all the good emotions in the world. It also felt somewhat like... a memory, a fleeting dream that she couldn't quite grasp. She'd never seen the stranger before, but he looked kind, was — she'd grudgingly admit — quite handsome, and... smelt nice?
His words shook her out of her reverie. "Hi, I'm—"
To be continued...
——
[EDIT: 25-06-2018] Should I make a part two or are y'all satisfied with part one? Exams are hard, you know. (Hint hint: already under lots of pressure right now)