Goddess of Beauty

The soft fabric of her white button-up shirt clung to her form in ways that defied gravity, the embroidered label over her chest reading, in bold, taunting letters:

Aphrodite.

It was unbuttoned just enough to make me sweat, exposing a sliver of skin that gleamed like polished marble.

I quickly looked back at my screen, my face heating up. "I'm busy," I muttered, my voice cracking slightly.

"Oh, I can see that." Her tone was a purr now, dripping with amusement.

She shifted her weight, bending slightly so that her presence pressed closer, her scent covered with a pinch of fresh lavender.

"You seem...invested."

I tried to ignore her. I really did. My eyes stayed glued to the screen, watching as a blinding flash of black covered Noah. 

Fuck.

The more I saw it, the more I realised how much this boy had fucked my plot.

For we weren't just writing some mortal, useless books.

No. 

Our plot was the World's fate.

Our characters were real, living beings.

And most importantly, our words were the only faith they preached.

For we were their creator. 

We were their Gods-

"You look tense," Aphrodite whispered, her voice tickling my ears as she bent closer to me.

Her voice was like silk slipping over bare skin. "Having trouble with your... creation?"

My hand twitched. I couldn't let her win. "No trouble," I bit out, forcing a bitter laugh. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Oh, do you now?" she teased, her finger lazily tracing a circle on my shoulders.

She leaned in further, her blurred face tilting towards mine, her body so close I could feel her...warmth.

"Then why does it look like your precious character is about to ruin everything?"

I swallowed hard, trying not to notice how her shirt shifted as she moved.

My nails dug into the wood of the desk, grounding me. "He's not ruining anything," I hissed.

"He's just...off script. For now."

Her laugh was a soft, sultry thing, a sound that made my skin crawl and tingle all at once.

"Mmm, off script? Sounds like your control is slipping, Bea—"

"Do. Not. Take. My. Name." I warned her, my head snapping towards her, and for a brief moment, I wished I hadn't.

Her body was pure temptation, a weapon honed to destroy mortals and gods alike.

She tilted her head, the blur of her face almost mocking me.

I let out a shaky breath, forcing a grin. "No," I growled, shaking my head. "I know exactly what to do."

I turned back to the screen, my lips twisting into a wicked grin as Noah stumbled into the dimly lit room.

He was holding the Book of Sin, which had its first page fully open now.

My grin widened, nails digging deeper into the wood.

"If this fucking character thinks he can escape the fate I gifted him, then I'll just make his life even more miserable."

Aphrodite straightened, her laughter ringing out like soft bells. "Careful, darling," she cooed, stepping back with a deliberate sway of her hips.

"Obsession has a way of turning on its master."

I didn't reply, refusing to give her the satisfaction.

Her footsteps faded, and I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

But her words lingered, teasing the edges of my mind. Obsession. Control. Chaos.

I clenched my fists, leaning back in my chair as my grin sharpened.

"Let's see how far you can go, Noah," I muttered, my eyes gleaming with dark intent. "Let's see how far you can run from me."

And then I leaned forward, materializing the artifact that made me a 'God'. 

(Insert)

[SYSTEM]

Hehehe~

It was time to twist the knife just a little deeper. 

*** 

_____________________ 

Every single nut in my bolt got loose.

Yeah—what the actual—

Um. UM. UMM.

The World's Greatest Secret?

I blinked rapidly, my mind struggling to piece together what I had just heard.

At first, I entertained the thought that this was some elaborate bluff.

A joke.

Maybe I was hallucinating from exhaustion and the pain in my fists. 

But I knew that I was wrong. 

It no longer looked like it was some old, worn, and battered book; like something you would find rotting in the corner of a forgotten library. 

No. 

It's black leather shined brighter than ever and every scratch I had managed to make on it disappeared. 

If that wasn't enough, then there was the fact that the book was placed open in front of me. 

Wait. What was I even waiting for? 

Fuck. 

I dragged my legs close to the book, staring at the pristine white page that was kept open in front of me. 

My heart raced, the rapid beating filling my ears.

Slowly and carefully, I lifted it closer, holding it as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.

And then...I read the words on the first page.

[Your world is nothing but a fiction novel.]

.

.

.

[It's a fantasy.]

The handwriting seemed strangely precise, the black ink dark and smooth against the unblemished folds of the paper.

A chill ran down my spine. I stood silently there, waiting, demanding...hoping for an answer.

No matter how hard I tried, my brain refused to form a thought.

I just could not believe what was written in this book.

"H-Howw is t-this po-possible?!" 

My mind reeled for answers, I needed to know what nonsense it was blabbering about.

Could this book mean what it was saying? That everything—my world, my life—was nothing but a fabricated story?

For all the fear gnawing at the edges of my thoughts, I couldn't stop the last shred of hope that flickered deep inside me.

If this book held the truth… if it could really tell me how to grow stronger… 

Nothing else mattered.

My hands, still scraped and bloodied from earlier, trembled as they clutched the book. The faint metallic tang of dried blood hung in the air, mixing with the dirty scent of the room. 

Even though I knew that the chances were dim, I could not stop my body from trembling.

I was excited—more than I'd been in years.

Was it possible? 

Could this stupid, frustrating, unyielding book really hold the answers to curing my empty constitution? 

I felt an ember of hope form in my heart, small but bright, warming the cold corners of my mind.

The thought of making my grandma happy and taking my rightful place made everything else useless.

My black eyes gleamed, wide and filled with a weary wonder.

I felt my eyebrows practically shoot to the top of my head as I stared at the page, my lips trembling slightly.

My hands—my bloody, bruised hands—gripped the book tighter, and I had to force myself to loosen my hold for fear of damaging it.

Maybe I was going crazy.

I couldn't look away.

The words seemed to pulse faintly, almost as if they were alive, whispering secrets I wasn't ready to hear.

The air around me thickened, wrapping around me like an unseen fog.

Was this real?

A deep breath. Another. My chest rose and fell, but my breathing was shaky.

My fingers, still unsteady, hovered over the edge of the page.

I hesitated.

A small part of me screamed to stop. To put the book down, leave it alone, and walk away before something went horribly wrong.

But I couldn't.

Not now.

I exhaled slowly, my hand trembling as I pressed it to the corner of the page.

"Alright... Let's see what you've got," I muttered, my voice cracking out of nervousness. 

The page felt rough beneath my fingertips, almost gritty, and my heart raced faster as I began to turn it.

Each millimetre felt like an eternity, the air growing heavier every second.

My shaky fingers gripped the fragile paper tightly, terrified it might tear, of what I'd find. 

The curiosity clawed at my chest as my trembling fingers continued their delicate task.

But just as I tried to turn the page, just as I was about to uncover whatever lay beyond—

I realised something.

The page wouldn't turn.

"…."

My eye twitched.

You fatherless—

You fuc—

You mindless piece of—

Ughh

I groaned out of habit, throwing my head back in frustration.

This was crazy.

My fists clenched, and my body tensed with the sheer audacity of this stupid, STUPID book.

"Calm down, Noah. Calm down." I took a deep breath, then another. My voice shook slightly as I muttered,

"No, no, it's bad manners to curse at a holy book. Especially one that could be my salvation."

I repeated the words again and again, more to convince myself than anything else.

My gaze darted nervously to the book, half expecting it to glare back or unleash some otherworldly punishment.

Was it sentient? Could it hear me? The thought alone sent a shiver down my spine.

"Right, let's do this the smart way," I said, setting the book down gently on the wooden table. 

I've always prided myself on my relatively calm behaviour. 

I wasn't the type to snap or hurl objects across the room. 

At least, that's what I told myself. 

But this book—this God Forsaken Book—was half the reason my patience had worn so thin. If someone told me it was cursed,

I'd believe it in a heartbeat.

I was sure this thing was some divine joke. A cosmic prank at my expense.

I mean, how else could I explain this fantasy novel bullshit? 

"This book," I hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at the polished black leather cover, "is literally the root of all my anger issues."

I leaned back, clutching my hair tight with both hands.

I had tried a hundred ways to open this book over the past two years, but nothing had worked.

So why was it glowing now? What had changed?

Then it hit me.

The blood.

I froze, my eyes darting to the faint red smears staining the title. Slowly, my hand crept toward the book again.

The realization sent a chill racing down my spine.

"No way…" I whispered, disbelief laced in my tone. "It can't be that simple."

I swallowed hard, dragging my bloodied palm across the title.

The iron tang filled my nose as I smeared the remnants of my earlier fight over the golden letters.

The moment my blood covered the last letter, the book began to glow again.

This time, instead of the blinding black that had covered my sight, the book only glowed with a faint shine. 

I stumbled back, realising that I had found the key to the puzzle I couldn't solve for the past 2 years. 

The next page instantly flipped over, but before I could glance at it, my hands forced the book shut. 

Right then, a sharp voice pierced the silence, shattering the moment.

"Noah! Are you awake, boy? What was that loud noise?!"

I jumped, my pulse spiking as Grandma Sylvie's voice echoed from downstairs.

My eyes darted to the door, then back to the glowing book. Panic surged through me.

"Noah, I'm coming!" 

"...Fuck!!"

*** 

A/N: With this, we have reached the end of the short mass release before I apply for the feared Contract!

Wish me luck everybody! 

Regards,

Bearateme_