— For all the readers who have ever wanted to meet their favorite character.
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱
There was a lot to talk about when it came to history, but nothing had ever left me as stunned as that. The strong, warm arms of the man I had always dreamed of were around me, and he was looking at me smiling with the violet eyes I so admired.
He looked real.
"What is it?" he asked me in a husky, gentle voice.
"Nothing," I said, wondering if this was all a dream or not, but he just continued to stand there, his eyes now closed as he hugged me.
This was certainly one of the best dreams I had ever had.
"Sir" a male voice called out to him and I saw Callisto raise his face in displeasure.
"What the hell do you want?" he grumbled.
"We have learned of something that may interest you, sir" the man said, and I felt my back freeze.
"I'm busy" he said, sinking his face into my back, I could feel his breath on my bare skin and it made my face hot.
"Sir" the man insisted and by now I knew what would happen, I had read and reread that scene a thousand times, so I repeated mentally as he spoke in perfect synchrony "a girl ascended in front of Samael's cathedral".
Callisto grunted, and I could feel his fangs against my skin, but he hadn't bitten me, he was just clearly displeased.
"Then kill her at once," he growled.
"We can't, sir" the man said, and I smiled even though I didn't mean to.
Whether it was a dream or not, he was being too faithful to the book I had read so many, many times, and if it really was him, if it really was that scene, then... I was...
My gaze wandered around the room in search of a mirror, and when I found it, I bit my lip hard, hard enough to tear it open.
Hair as red as blood, ruby eyes without pupils, and skin as pale as that of a real corpse.
There was no doubt, I was Asra.
The king's concubine, the one who tried against the god-sent saint, the one who would succeed not only in healing the king's son, but who would win his heart and make him good again - as well as the one who caused his death.
Callisto looked annoyed as his arms released me, and he sat up in bed.
"Do you need your king to solve something so silly? What the hell good are princes to me?" he was clearly annoyed, but my eyes were busy on his statuesque body, on every feature of his face.
No matter how many fanarts I had seen or how many times I had imagined him, I would never come close to Callisto's true beauty.
The long black hair flowed down his back in wavy, messy cascades thanks to what we had clearly done earlier - but to my total misfortune, I wasn't even dreaming at this beautiful moment - the rose quartz eyes.
Callisto was like a true masterpiece, a wonderful body that seemed to have been delicately sculpted. Slim, slightly defined, with perfect proportions, covered with tattoos and now red marks.
I sighed and Callisto looked at me waiting for the tantrum and the morning Asra always did when he had to leave her, I remembered this scene well, I remembered how I had understood her and at the same time found it annoying.
But it was all just a dream, so who cares about the original script?
I slid my fingers up his arm to his shoulder and sat down on the bed beside him. I couldn't deny it from what I saw in the mirror - Asra was just as beautiful as Callisto, her body was perfectly designed and looked even sexier when she had so many bite and hickey marks all over her legs and back.
"Honey" I whispered close to her ear, "don't be so angry... isn't it better that they inform you, so you can go and sort it out? At least they have learned their own limits.
The brunette looked at me in surprise, this was certainly not what he expected from me, certainly not what we had agreed on, and I remember well from Asra's cries - that it really wasn't.
Callisto had promised that he would spend 3 nights in a row with her and that they would both go to the heavens and the 9 circles of hell together if she so desired, but Elaine appeared. The blonde ascended and took from Asra everything she desired, not only the love of Callisto that he said he could never give her, but also the throne that Asra had always thought one day would be hers.
Elaine was the one sent by heaven to destroy Callisto, but in the end, she destroyed far more than just the king, even if in a dream, I wouldn't let that happen again.
"You should go" I spoke, knowing exactly what he would answer and being amused by the surprised expression on Azrael's face. The fallen one didn't seem to believe what he was hearing, and I couldn't judge him for that, it wasn't something you could expect from Asra.
"But that's not what I promised you" Callisto replied, exactly as I expected him to do, and I smiled, it was the gap I needed.
It was what Asra should have done.
"Then take me with you" I whispered "you don't have to deprive yourself because you promised me you would stay with me, I can accompany you"
Azrael huffed, but I didn't expect everything to be that easy.
"I don't know if it's appropriate" he said, trying not to offend me, but it was obvious what he meant.
"You shouldn't parade around with your concubine"
"I can stay in the carriage" I said without waiting for Callisto to answer, and he stared at me as if trying to understand my change of attitude, then I shrugged, "I wasn't lying or exaggerating when I said I missed you..." I slid my fingers between his and held his hand, "so... I can wait for you in the carriage while I sort things out, I know I haven't been behaving as I should and that I constantly act like a spoiled child, but... I really want to prove to you that I can be useful."
Azrael opened his mouth to speak, and I cast him a fleeting glance, I knew of Asra's abilities, so I shouted in his mind.
"Suggest that I serve only to warm his bed and I will ensure that you don't wake up for weeks, slumped over"
I didn't mind threatening Azrael if it would allow me to change things, if it would allow me to save Callisto, but it was obvious that the king hadn't made up his mind yet, he looked at me as if questioning whether he should really do that.
Asra didn't have a good track record for public appearances.
I smiled "please..."
Callisto sighed.
"Okay, get dressed...I'll go wait for you in the carriage".
⋅• ♱ •⋅
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱I needed time, I needed certainty, and as much as it was just an extremely vivid dream, I needed to make sure that I didn't alter things too much or that everything would get out of hand.I blinked a few times in front of the mirror, it was still amazing how attractive Asra was; I had envied her when I first read the book, but now, seeing her delicate face, her naturally pink lips, and the way she looked like she had been carefully drawn... it all made me envy her even more.Asra could have had any man, demon, or angel, she just needed to want it and still, she preferred death to losing something she never had. Callisto's love.I sighed and the maids, who rushed into the room, dressed me without delay.It was obvious that I was scared, after all, Asra was never known for her kindness and charity, much less for her patience and gentleness."P- sorry ma'am" one of them stammered as she tried to tidy the hem of my dress after stepping in without me noticing.I sighed
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱She was floating above the cathedral, her eyes golden, her body completely covered by the white blanket. It was like seeing Mary herself - the virgin chosen by heaven to bring forth the life of the one who would save all mankind.Elaine was equivalent to Mary, but her beauty was certainly superior.I was not surprised that Callistus fell in love with her, or that he accepted death because he loved this woman. Elaine was like a divinity in a fragile, delicate and mortal body; she was a strong and determined heroine who was willing to do anything to achieve what her God had commanded.I couldn't deny that I admired Elaine. Not only for winning over Callisto - my big literary crush - but also for giving herself to a cause like she did (even if I secretly considered it dumb when the cause was something like religion and ancient, archaic beliefs like hers)."By the 9 hells" Callisto grumbled, and I could see his pink eyes glisten with the anger he felt at that moment.H
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ She was strong, too strong, and I could feel my breathing becoming more and more labored as she lunged towards me again. I would have an opening, Elaine always left an opening when she took an offensive stance - that was the point that Callisto used several times to knock her to the ground, earning us readers a few sighs when they almost kissed. I would use this opening. Was Callisto watching? Was he still paying attention to me? My thoughts were silly, I confess, but I can't say I'm ashamed, because even if it was a dream, it would be nice to be the only source of his interest. The only one he would look at, even if only in a fight. Even if out of self-interest. But if that's what I wanted, I couldn't give in, I couldn't fall, much less let Elaine knock me down or hit me. "Come to me" I muttered almost inaudibly, and I could feel my body heavy and my skin burn as the magic runes appeared, cutting into my flesh. It was the mark of Asra's family, but this dr
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱"You... were you worried?" I couldn't help asking, and Callisto looked at me as if that was the stupidest thing Asra had ever asked him in his entire life.Of course, I should know.Callisto couldn't care less about his concubine, but then... what the hell did it all mean?"You..." he paused, his lips ajar.I smiled."I'm sorry, darling," I said, sitting down on the bed.I should leave."What exactly are you apologizing for?" Her voice was serious again.I didn't know how to answer, this was certainly one of the few answers I didn't have to give him, so I looked to the window for anything I could use. He snorted."Are you apologizing for almost killing yourself? For being impulsive? For..." he stopped and even without looking I could hear his footsteps approaching the bed, "what the hell do you have on your head?""Brain matter and horns" I replied with a smile, turning my face to look at him, but Callisto didn't smile back."I could..." he stopped again."I'm fine
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱He was still there when I woke up, and he was still there the next night and the next.He was always there when my eyes opened, his fingers touching my skin with an almost theatrical care. It was different from history, it was almost the complete opposite, and I could remember Asra's words perfectly.He did not come to see me that night, and the next night he did not come either. After Azrael came to my room and took Callisto with him, I did not see the king for many, many days. At least until I walked through the garden and came across him and a beautiful girl one night with a crimson moon, talking in front of the blood fountain.He was smiling.That was the moment Asra knew that she had lost Callisto. That nothing could bring him back into her arms, because Elaine could give him something she could not: a love beyond physical touch. A love like that of his first wife.Pure, friendly, and that pushed him to be someone better.But Asra could never achieve something
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱Callisto's arms wrapped around my hips."Are you sure you want this?" He asked me, and in his eyes there seemed to be a mixture of doubt and fear.It was obvious why. Asra was trouble, but, besides, I had hurt myself the last time I tried to help. He must have thought that there was nothing I could do without nearly screwing everything up along the way.I sank my face into his chest.I wouldn't give up."Yes, that way you can work, and you won't have to endure Azrael on your foot... and..." I smiled, kissing his chin gently, "you can stay by my side too."He squeezed me tighter in his arms and I knew he was thinking, was really considering, but if I let him leave without giving me an answer, he would ask Azrael and that damned angel would go out of his way to make sure I didn't get involved in anything he considered "serious," like, for example: anything involving Elaine."Please" I spoke getting on tiptoe and sealing the king's lips, "I promise... I won't cause an
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱There were many stories within the world of the novel that I read. Among the various stories, there was one that told about the first love of the demon king. The king of all monsters and the one who brought about the destruction of peace and balance. The one who caused the chaos.Particularly, this was always my favorite story. The one that told in the sweetest way how Callisto - the king of the entire underworld and lower plane - fell madly in love with the purest being ever created.The story said many things about that love, but among them was a truth that would probably never be accepted by the faithful few left in the place where the mortal world had once been: it was not the Black King's fault that everything happened.It was God's."Ma'am?" The maid called me again, and I forced myself to smile."Just prepare it the way you think best, I trust your taste" I spoke finally, trying to get rid of all that and especially something as tedious as caring about the d
♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱"Who are you?" the childish voice questioned me, and bluntly, I stared at the little being who was sneaking around the gardens of the emerald palace.What was I supposed to say? It was obvious who this child was, for there, in the midst of hell - children, were rare. As rare as dreamy happy endings.That little boy was Loren, Callisto's son and his one true love until then.The being to whom the king dedicated his life and the reason he opened himself to Elaine. There were even some fans who said that Elaine was not so good and had blatantly used the boy to get closer to the king.At the time, I remember disagreeing and defending the heroine."I am Asra" I replied simply by extending one of my hands to him to help him stand up.The little boy wore black clothes that stood out on his excessively pale skin. There were reddish circles under his crimson eyes, and he smiled briefly as he took my hand."Asra? Like the phoenix that swallowed the deadly sun?"He looked exc