Chapter 5: Threads of Chaos

A strange sensation coursed through Cupid’s body the moment he touched Nethra’s arm. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before—an unfamiliar, almost magnetic pull that sent shivers through his divine essence. His brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it, but Nethra only looked at him with irritation, clearly unimpressed by his sudden intensity.

Cupid couldn’t ignore it. “Did you feel that?” he asked her, his voice tinged with urgency.

Nethra crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. “Feel what? I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

Something about her was stirring forces within him that he couldn’t comprehend. He tried to rationalize it, to recall his previous encounter with her. The last time they had been this close—when he had healed her face—nothing like this had happened. This was new, and it unsettled him.

Without waiting for her consent, Cupid stepped closer and, in a swift motion, wrapped his arms around her. Nethra stiffened in his grasp, her irritation turning to outrage.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she snapped, pushing him away.

Cupid released her, but his mind was spinning. He needed answers, and instinct told him they were buried somewhere in her past. “Nethra,” he began, his voice low but firm, “do you know how your parents died?”

The question hit her like a slap. Her expression shifted from anger to shock. “Why are you asking me about that?” she demanded.

“I need to know,” Cupid insisted.

Her lips trembled as she answered, reluctantly. “They died in an accident.”

“When?” he pressed.

“Twenty-five years ago,” she replied, her voice softening with the weight of painful memories.

“And where?”

She hesitated before answering, as if the mere act of remembering was unbearable. “Near the Henry Hudson Bridge.”

Cupid’s heart sank. A flicker of memory—dark, fragmented—surfaced in his mind. His voice grew quieter. “Nethra, I need you to listen to me. Your parents... they didn’t die in an accident.”

Her head snapped up, confusion and disbelief etched across her face. “What are you saying?”

“I killed them,” Cupid admitted, his words heavy with guilt. “With my own hands. On the 14th of February, 1985.”

Nethra stared at him, her entire body trembling. “What?” she whispered, barely able to form the word.

The realization hit her like a tidal wave, and tears streamed down her face. “Why?” she screamed, stepping toward him as if to strike him, but Cupid was already beginning to fade.

“Why?” she yelled again, her voice breaking. “Why did you do this?”

But Cupid was gone, vanishing into the ether as her cries echoed into the night.

Place: Loviator’s Sanctum

Cupid appeared before Loviator, his form trembling with anger and confusion. “I need to speak to God,” he demanded, his voice sharp.

Loviator, seated on a high throne, looked down at him with measured calm. “Why the urgency?”

Cupid’s fists clenched. “Don’t play coy with me. You know why. I’ve remembered everything. I killed Nethra’s parents . Once in this life, and many times.”

Loviator’s calm demeanor faltered. “Twice?” he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Before Cupid could reply, a brilliant light filled the sanctum, and God Himself descended into their midst.

“You seek answers,” God said, his voice resonating with divine authority.

“Yes,” Cupid replied, stepping forward. “Why did I kill her parents? And why does she matter to me?”

God regarded him solemnly. “The truth lies in your origins,” He began, beckoning them both to follow.

With a wave of His hand, the trio was transported to a shadowy prison deep within the celestial plane. There, behind bars forged of divine energy, stood Adam—Cupid’s father and the source of his torment.

“Adam,” God said, His voice cold. “Your son wishes to see you.”

Adam stepped forward, his face weathered and lined with guilt. “My son?” he murmured, his eyes searching for Cupid.

Cupid’s voice cracked as he spoke. “Why did you make me like this, Father? Why am I cursed to destroy everything I touch?”

Adam’s gaze darkened. “What have you done to my son?” he growled, directing his anger toward God.

God raised a hand, silencing him. “Enough. This cycle of pain ends now.”

He turned to Loviator. “Bring the Holy Sword.”

Loviator hesitated but obeyed, summoning a radiant blade into his hands.

God’s voice was unyielding. “Adam’s existence has brought imbalance to the world. He must be erased, along with the memories that haunt Cupid. Once Adam is gone, this cycle will cease, and balance will be restored.”

Cupid stepped between them. “You can’t erase him,” he pleaded. “He’s my father. Without him, I wouldn’t exist.”

“And yet,” God replied, “his existence is the root of your suffering and hers. This is the only way.”

As Loviator’s holy sword struck Adam, a brilliant burst of light consumed the chamber. Adam and Cupid’s forms began to merge, their essences intertwining in the air. The light quickly faded, replaced by a suffocating darkness that engulfed everything. The sacred sanctum trembled, and a chilling voice whispered through the void.

“How dare you, Eris?” God’s voice boomed, cutting through the oppressive gloom.

Loviator, still clutching the now-empty sword, turned frantically toward the sound. “Eris?” he exclaimed. “Where is she?”

The weight of God’s next words fell heavy. “Because of your stupidity, Cupid is dead.”

The accusation struck Loviator like a blow. “What?” he stammered, his voice filled with disbelief. “I only killed Adam! You ordered me to do it!”

God’s form pulsed with divine anger. “You were fooled,” He said, His voice laced with fury. “Eris deceived you. She changed her form and pretended to be Me, manipulating you into striking Adam. This was her plan all along.”

Loviator’s anger flared. “If you knew she was meddling, why didn’t you stop me?”

God closed His eyes briefly, a rare vulnerability slipping into His tone. “While I rested, I felt a disturbance—a shift in the balance. By the time I realized what had happened, it was already too late.”

Loviator’s frustration boiled over. “Eris, are you insane? What do you hope to gain from this chaos? Show yourself and face us!”

From the shadows, God’s voice rang out, commanding and unyielding. “Do you think your tricks are clever, Eris? I will not allow this imbalance to continue.”

Loviator scanned the darkness, his voice dripping with defiance. “Come on, Eris! I know you’re here, watching us. Stop hiding behind your games!”