The unknown is but a fog to be dispersed.

It can follow you wherever you go as well. Which is highly unusual in these types of phenomena. Also… you feel like it is keeping a distance from you on purpose. Never too close for you to catch them in the act, but never too far to make you drop your guard down either. You feel both confused and frustrated. If only you can know who is doing this. 

Is this person doing this to torment you? To make you walk on eggshells at all times? Or do they have some sinister ulterior motive that you fail to imagine? The possibilities seem endless and you are definitely losing sleep over it. Paimon had always said to pay  it no mind, that it could just be your subconscious fighting with your better judgement but you just cannot shake the feeling of unease, of having someone highly skilled watching your every move. You shudder once again as you feel the eyes glued to you like a hungry wild animal, not wanting to let go of its prey. Scanning the scenery once again, you sigh as you look away with mounting loathing about the helplessness of your position compared to your skillful observer. 

That was a close one. Blending into an overgrown bush with his green attire, Kinich breathes out a sigh as well, but not out of frustration or any negative emotion, but of relief that you once again did not notice him. It is a massive inconvenience to not have Ajaw nearby, because the pixel dragon’s powers could have made this process easier, but he cannot risk the little foul-mouthed creature ruining his stealth. Hopefully, the almighty dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw is enjoying time for himself back home. You sure are observant, barely missed him on several occasions. Adjusting his breathing from the prior strenuous climb, Kinich watched you talk to your companion, Paimon, about the next commission job. The way you lean over and smile is… mesmerizing. 

He knew this was wrong. That nobody in their right minds with basic morals would condone what he is doing. Even for someone like Kinich, someone with an epic disaster, an absolute dumpster fire of a childhood is aware of how unhealthy it is.  But Kinich found himself unable to resist the allure you exert. It was easy to act indifferent and brush off any sentiments on paper, but of course, matters of the heart are always easier said than done. Having given up on establishing a normal life years ago, the usual path of dating, starting a family and growing old with someone is something Kinich wishes to avoid. He knows he is not ready for deep connections with another being, and there is a chance that he never will. Being alone seems to be the safest option compared to risky romantic connections… Or he thought before getting to know you. 

Your hair, your bright eyes, the way you carry yourself, your laugh… Pretty much anything about you can make Kinich intoxicated in your presence. A glance at you from afar can leave his usually calm heart beating for hours. It is a feeling so foreign to him that Kinich almost thought he had gotten sick, that he perhaps developed a heart condition, not that it could be worse than his present predicament. This intense, all consuming feeling of wanting to be near someone… It drives him to the brink of insanity. And there is nothing he can do about it except letting himself sink further down this abyss. Right now, he is content with watching you from afar. But knowing the greedy and pathetic man he is, Kinich is sure that his heart will soon start to demand more. He wants to learn more about you, what you do everyday, what food you like and dislike… His heart yearns to be close to you, to touch you, to do unspeakable things-

Nightmares of your past were not a rare occurrence. You woke up after a lucid nightmare that took you back to your hometown, a place long gone, devoured by black tides and chaos; you recall having to run away, tripping over crumbles to fallen buildings as scattered corpses lay beneath the rubble. Meanwhile, those who were still alive tried to reach out to you with bloodied hands, begging and screaming against your helplessness and refusal to help them live. You still hallucinate the exploding noises caused by the crashing of tall buildings, propelling dust and ashes everywhere, making it hard to see and enabling you to properly find an exit. But that was in the past; you wake up in a cold sweat each night, and the ringing of the crashes is still at the back of your head. No, now they’re real once more. Once more, you’re stuck in this spiralling abyss of hopelessness that forces you to run away from the black tides for as long as you can, just until you drop dead and become one of those poor souls trapped under rubble begging refugees for help, knowing that from the start you were meant to perish in this depressing way.

Once more, you chase this fleeting dream of finding a new city to live in, knowing that one day, you’ll no longer have the ability to pursue this false dream of hope. For as long as you can remember, your clan and kin had been constantly seeking refuge from city to city before they got overtaken by the seemingly endless black tides. Unfortunately, the once peaceful and beautiful town that your ancestors once inhabited now only exists in the memory and words of elders. Although people from the towns you took refuge in understood, and some even sympathized with the situation of your clan, refugees were never accepted or welcomed beyond bare acts of kindness. Growing up, being seen as an outsider in every place and never having a place to belong had made you really tired. Tired of being on the run, being seen as freeloaders to hardworking people, and having no place to call home. You longed for a secure place to be; it had become your birthday wish for over a decade.

But yet, even in another city, you barely escaped the encroaching black tide, thanks to the brave, handsome Chrysos Heir who came to your aid at the last minute. His reassuring smile, a rare ray of sunshine piercing your once colourless, depressing worldview, had lit up your world. The confidence and charm he exudes are, without parallel, the kind that only belongs to heroes willing to give their lives for their cause. You were drawn to that, of course. It also does not help that he looks extremely attractive. When he bent down to help you up from the rubble that could’ve been your grave, calloused fingers from sword training intertwined with yours, you almost could not believe your eyes. Would a wonderful man like this really exist? Or are you just hallucinating from fear and hunger?

“ I am Phainon of Aedes Elysiae; you are in safe hands now.” he said. Phainon had been an example of courteous and politeness when he escorted the remaining members of your clan to Okhema, telling you about the culture and recommending places to check out. It is as if he is a tourist guide and not a warrior who just saved your clan from destruction. He seems… friendly. Overly friendly, perhaps, but you were so overwhelmed by the idea of staying in Okhema that it went unnoticed at the time.

When you approached the city walls, Phainon “kindly” asked if you would want to stay in the “crowded and pesky refugee shelter” just outside or if you would want to live in the glorious city. He said he has guest rooms in his quarters, and you can stay there until you find your own place and work. You were so naive at the time… You did not even realize there is a reason refugee shelters are outside of city walls.

Residency in Okhema is not granted to anyone, and Phainon personally applied for an exception for you to stay in the city (with him). You were blinded with hope and faith. Unbeknownst to you at the time, Phainon was only willing to keep you by his side; contrary to his heroic, all-loving demeanour, he would remark things like: “Okhema is not meant for refugees. I can only shelter so few people due to higher up orders, my apologies but most of you will have to find yourself at home in the refugee shelters”, though they were just excuses to leave your clan in those shelters outside the city, at the responsibility of others, who weren't him.

In addition, by accepting his sponsorship offer, you bound yourself to him in a strange city that revered him. Of course, you would not notice this until much, much later. Your family was unhappy that you alone would live in the fancy city (with an unknown man), but they had to resort to the shelter… But they could not deny any request from Phanion as the man had quite literally saved their lives. As you entered the city gates, chatting happily with the hero and laughing at his clumsy joke attempts, their worried gazes were glued to your back. Although you were sad to be separated from them, the excitement of seeing Okhema overshadowed it completely when Phanion granted you permission to visit the refugee shelter anytime, as long as you were accompanied.

The luxuries he showered on you soon made you quite complacent. After a life on the move, you were content to have a safe, permanent home to return to. You do not even remember when the last time you slept uninterruptedly was until you woke up naturally. Although busy, Phanion tries to spend time with you whenever he has time. Whether it be wandering through the endless shops or loitering in the carefully trimmed gardens, he is up for it whenever you are. He just didn’t seem to leave you alone as long as he could help it.

Of course, you noticed his advances. How could you not? Although you did not have any romantic experiences in the past (survival tends to be prioritized before any feelings.) , you heard and read enough stories of how people form unions and start families. Phainon is not particularly good at hiding his feelings but is not trying to. His blatant affection towards you can be felt daily, through every accidental skin-to-skin contact (like when he passed you a fruit and his fingers lingered on yours for a bit too long) and every little gift he left you at your bedside table when you were fast asleep. The rumour mill of Okhema did their part, too. Soon enough, there are multiple versions of how you had the fortune of winning their hero’s heart and landing yourself in a life of luxury and pampering. 

But you are hesitant. Should you owe him more than you already do? You kept yourself busy by doing chores around his quarters, even though he has stated multiple times that there are servants available, observing the elegant structures and the beautiful skies, something you were never able to do before, considering all of what you’ve learnt to know has been demolished, the polluted air from ashes made the sky invisible. All structures of your cities were left crumbled down. It is bad enough that every time you try to go find work in the city, Phainon is “suddenly free from his duties” and wants you to accompany him somewhere. He is a kind man without bad intentions. You are sure.

However, he does not want you to gain independence and move out of his suite. This thought had been brushed off enough times before you decided it could not continue. You remember how he told you: “I’m sorry, I can’t seem to understand why you're so pressured to leave… You’ve been so kind to me, and I’ve been generous to you as well, so I don’t see why you can’t stay a little longer…”You find him attractive and owe him a great debt, but you still want a life in Okhema without his aid. You can always find other ways to repay him, you thought to yourself as you prepared for a “crucial discussion.”

The night before the “crucial discussion”, you tossed and turned for what seems to be hours, unable to enter dreamland, although the nightmares that used to plague you before had completely vanished since you moved here. Unfortunately, anxiety seemed to have filled that void recently. Would you be an ungrateful leech if you continued to refuse his charity? Considering Phainon has been nothing but an absolute gentleman, could it be your leftover insecurities working against you and not letting you accept this life, making something so wonderful feel surreal that you must end it? Or could it be a product of your overthinking, and everything will be well when you accept his advances?

He seemed to be so hungry for your love, making promises of eternal protection if you stay forever with him, calling you by numerous, ridiculous pet names, which end up making him say things such as: “I’ll protect you for as long as you are in Amphoreus, my dear, and even after that, I’ll chase you to the ends of time and protect you from there on.” He would savour your responses to his devotion, like how one messily eats a pomegranate to enjoy it, not caring about the mess it makes. The more the ideas circle in your mind, the more restless you become. You were so deep in thought that you did not realize Phanion checked in on you through the crack of the door, as he always does, and his brows furrowed at your anxious state. You loved him, no, you adored him, but you felt this newly found peace would soon become more devious. All challenges in your life have been fatal and grandiose; you’ve never known fate's generosity, and you theorized that fate wasn’t ready to be generous to you just yet. Something must be done quickly if he does not want to lose you.

Overstaying your welcome? Never. Phainon did not think that at all! How about you stay with him indefinitely, for the foreseeable future?

His youth made him look so innocent and kind, yet when he says those things… it is like he cannot hear you at all. You were about to reiterate your point when he roughly grabbed your hand. His ignorance towards your concerns fueled your restlessness, which made you think that maybe this relationship would’ve been normal if you had never suffered decades of fear and a feeling of being unloved by fate or if he had ever learnt to adequately address your concerns without using backhanded excuses.

“I said you can stay here indefinitely. You missed that, eh?” Still that same charming smile, the same as the one he wore when you first met, but now it does not reach his eyes. There is a dangerous gleam of anger in those blue eyes that were once filled with compassion and bravery. His once soft grip had become almost iron-clad, his fingers digging into your palm painfully. It slowly seemed as if even though you didn’t have to save yourself from black tides, you now needed to save yourself from him. That night, tears shed from your eyes. You had no reason to cry; you weren’t crying out of sadness, but out of feeling hopeless and confused again. Your joy wilted like a rose that has been isolated from the natural environment it belongs to, a symbol of romance that was never meant to last. You held onto the silk sheets, hoping for a sign from the Titans that would help you decipher if his kindness was just a tool to be used against you or if he truly was a man of generosity and you were too overwhelmed by the drastic change caused by him to realize that. Tears fell down your face like blood dripping out of an open wound, something you were familiar with due to the past, but yet you had never been trapped in luxury, yet practically dying to be saved. It was like a dove in a golden cage. It was safe from the predators of its environment, but it was trapped in a cage of luxury, where the bars were made out of gold, a symbol of wealth, yet the remaining bars were something that kept the dove from flying into the open skies.

Phainon had his eyes on you since he first pulled you out under that pile of rubble. Technically he had tried to suppress it at first, knowing the power dynamic could potentially result in a toxic situation. But the way you cling to his arm with those fearful doe eyes just made his already withering resolve shatter. You ultimately addressed him as if he was your only saviour, one that could make you forget your misery instead of coating it in gold and accessorizing it with pretty ribbons. The feeling of being entirely responsible for you and providing for you had given him a taste of delicious power imbalance. Watching your expressions and mental state transform from worried to relaxed had also satisfied a buried desire he never knew existed. One where he was a saviour, an honourable hero, something he truly wanted to be, but yet earning your respect, and maybe soon devotion and worship as his token of appreciation from the universe, thanking him for his heroic efforts.

“Let me protect you, please.”

Those sincere-sounding words feel like invisible chains already wrapped around your wrists, shedding their sweet, innocent disguises of soft ribbons. These chains, although never physical, nor did they cause you open discomfort, had essentially trapped you in this helpless position. His begging forced you into a state of empathy for him; maybe he was just lonely, but you remained in fear since his wish to protect you felt more like a command than a plea.

How can you say no to those pleading baby blue eyes, not to mention they belong to a man whom you and your entire clan owe an enormous debt to. Silly you. You had become so relaxed around him and let your guard down so much that you failed to realize how much power this man had gained over you in all aspects of life. His love and desires grew, and he restricted your life and rights a lot more in the process. The worst part is that you can’t do anything about it now, even though you could’ve prevented it. You were so in love with him that you forgot the dangers of obsession and quickly lost the wheel of your life. If you had never let your walls crumble, you might still have freedom again.

You considered escaping, like leaving the town and never returning. But where would you go? With the chaos and death across the land, Okhema was the only place that was definitely safe. Plus... What would happen to your family and clan if you got away? Would... Phainon take his anger and frustration out on them?

Would it really be that horrible to stay by his side? As Phainon pulled you into his muscular arms rather forcefully and whispers sweet promises of protection, you quietly weighed the pros and cons of staying.

If you think 1 dollar is way too little

1.You are not being paid to write a fic. You are being paid to GIVE AN OPINION ON A FIC.

2. "People have lives outside of Tumblr and games." Do you think I don't? Anon? Do you think I am just a content-creating vending machine? 24 hours to reply to someone who pays you to read their stuff is too little? Welcome to the real world anon, where companies do require you to respond to emails in a given timeframe.

3. I did not say they have to reply to my messages right away (like unreasonable time frames) or play the update the night after. Also, if they do not have the time or do not meet any of the conditions, they don't apply. Simple as that. "Last part is on them" You almost had it. Almost. But then you ruined it with the "but still"

4. I am a broke college student, and I have limited funds. The pay here is coming out of my part-time job. And the currency in my country is not as strong as the USD so this is what I can afford.

Would you send this with your CV to a future employer? Probably not. You are doing this because this is consequence-free, anon. Because you are an anonymous entity, which is pathetically cowardly of you.