15. Christos

15

CHRISTOS

I hold my breath as Aria's eyes flutter open. Relief crashes over me like a tidal wave, and I realize I've never been so terrified—not even during my own Change. Her survival means more to me than I ever thought possible.

"Aria?" I whisper, my voice hoarse with emotion.

She blinks, those familiar hazel eyes now flecked with gold. Her gaze focuses on me, confusion evident in her furrowed brow. I reach out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her skin is cool to the touch, pale as moonlight. "How do you feel?"

Aria shifts, wincing slightly. And then her head whips back as she looks at the wings behind her. "They're beautiful."

I continue to watch her as she slowly sits up, testing everything. "I'm…I feel good."

A smile tugs at my lips. "Good." My eyes run over her, taking in her changes. "It can be hard going through all that."

Our eyes meet, and suddenly I'm overwhelmed by the depth of my feelings for her. The fear of losing her, the joy of her survival, the awe at her transformation—it all coalesces into a single, undeniable truth.

I love her.

The realization hits me like a physical force. I've never felt this way about anyone, human or vrakken. Aria has become my whole world, and I can't imagine existence without her.

"Christos?" Her voice pulls me from my thoughts. "You okay?"

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Instead, I pull her into a gentle embrace, mindful of her newly changed body. She fits perfectly against me, her wings folding instinctively to accommodate the closeness.

"Thank you," she whispers into my chest. "For giving me this chance. For staying with me."

I pull back slightly, cupping her face in my hands. "I couldn't have left you, Aria. I—" The words catch in my throat, too big, too important to rush.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I'm about to say. My heart races, a sensation I thought I'd left behind with my humanity. But Aria awakens feelings in me I never thought possible.

"Aria, I... I couldn't have left you. I couldn't let you go if I tried." The words tumble out, raw and honest. "I was terrified. Petrified, really. The thought of losing you..." I trail off, the memory of that fear still fresh and painful.

Her eyes widen, those new golden flecks catching the light. I press on, needing her to understand the depth of what I'm feeling.

"I couldn't stand the thought of a world without you in it. And now you have to know..." I pause, searching for the right words. "I love you, Aria. I'm in love with you. And I know that we just met, but I've felt it since the first time I was pulled to you-"

"I love you, too."

I freeze, staring at her. "What?"

A small smile spreads across her lips. "I love you, too."

My heart soars at her words. Aria leans up, closing the distance between us. Her lips meet mine in a tender kiss, full of promise and newfound understanding. I pull her closer, careful of her newly formed wings, savoring this perfect moment.

But then she shifts, straddling me, and I smell her desire already. I remember how I felt when I first scented her, and I understand this need.

But I pull back, looking at her. "Do you need to feed?" I ask her.

A glint flashes in her eyes. "Oh, I know exactly what I need." She kisses me and starts working her way down my body. I tense as she reaches for my pants, eager to have her, too.

With an arm around Aria, I gather as Nyx call all the vrakken to the clearing as night falls. The air crackles with anticipation, and I can sense the nervous energy radiating from the fledglings. Aria stands close to me, her eyes wide as she takes in the gravity of the moment.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifts. The very air seems to thicken, and an otherworldly presence fills the clearing. My skin prickles, and I instinctively straighten my posture. Akeldama has arrived.

He materializes before us, his form shimmering and shifting like smoke given substance.

I stare in shock as I see myself standing before us, an exact mirror image. My mind reels, trying to comprehend what I'm seeing.

Beside me, Aria whispers, her voice trembling, "I thought he was a god."

Confused, I turn to her. "What do you see?"

Her eyes are wide, locked on the figure before us. "I see... myself."

A deep chuckle resonates through the clearing, Akeldama clearly entertained by this. His presence is overwhelming, filling the space with an energy that's both alluring and terrifying.

Akeldama's gaze sweeps over us, and I feel the weight of it like a physical touch. It's as if he's peering into our very souls, judging our worth. When his eyes land on me, I fight the urge to look away. The power radiating from him is palpable, a force that threatens to bring me to my knees.

His voice, when he speaks, is a multitude of sounds at once - a whisper and a roar, the rustle of leaves and the crash of waves. It reverberates through my body, settling deep in my bones.

"My children," Akeldama intones, his form solidifying into that of a man with features that seem to constantly shift and change. "The time has come."

I feel Aria's hand slip into mine, squeezing tightly. The god's presence is intoxicating, drawing us in even as it fills us with a primal fear. This is power beyond comprehension, ancient and terrible and beautiful all at once.

Then, gasps erupt from the gathered vrakken as Akeldama's appearance begins to shift and change like smoke in the wind.

Aria's grip on my arm tightens. "Now I see you, Christos."

But as I look back at the deity, my heart nearly stops. The face staring back at me is no longer my own, but one I haven't seen in years. My father's kind eyes and weathered features gaze at me, a sad smile playing on his lips.

I swallow hard, emotions I thought long buried surging to the surface. The sight of my father stands before me, impossibly real and yet clearly not.

Akeldama's voice, a blend of my father's familiar tones and something ancient and powerful, fills the air. "Interesting, isn't it? How we all see something different?" He smirks. "Did Nyx not tell you that I do love a little…trickery? A little chaos? And what are you all but my best trick of all?"

I stand transfixed as Akeldama's words wash over us. I am standing before a god, and the time has come. We're really leaving Earth. The reality of it hits me like a physical blow, and I struggle to breathe.

My grip on Aria's hand tightens as memories flood my mind. The small Greek village where I grew up, the salty breeze off the Aegean, my mother's laughter echoing through our kitchen. The countless hours I spent in university labs, pursuing my passion for marine biology. All of it - gone forever.

I think of my parents, blissfully unaware that their son is about to vanish from this world. Will they spend years searching for me, hoping against hope that I'll return? The thought twists like a knife in my gut.

Even the simple pleasures - the taste of my favorite souvlaki, the feeling of warm sand between my toes, the sight of a sunset over the Mediterranean - I'll never experience them again. The weight of what I'm leaving behind threatens to crush me.

I glance at Aria, seeing the mix of excitement and trepidation in her eyes. She's giving up her entire world too, and for what? A leap into the unknown, based on a connection we've barely had time to explore.

Doubt creeps in, cold and insidious. Have I made a terrible mistake? Am I dragging Aria into something she can't possibly understand? The responsibility of it all feels overwhelming.

As Akeldama continues to speak, his words become a distant hum. My mind races, grappling with the finality of what's about to happen. There's no going back, no changing my mind. In mere moments, everything I've ever known will be left behind.

The enormity of it all leaves me reeling. I'm about to step into a new world, with new rules, new dangers. Can I protect Aria there? Can I even protect myself?