The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

"I knew it!" Rosette exclaimed. "Misty didn't believe me. Faeryn called it a wild goose chase. Everyone thought I was insane and jealous, but I knew it! I always knew it!"

Aeric stood still as his heart thundered in his chest, but outwardly, he remained calm. 'So this is why the Deadwatch had ordered me to activate it. I had no idea that it even had the feature to see possible dangerous situations.'

A bittersweet smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Rosette took a menacing step forward, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword while the other pointed accusingly at him. "I've caught you now!" she declared, her voice laced with fury. "I knew it! I knew you were evil!"

"Ha! Ha! Why are you just standing there like you don't know what I'm talking about?!" she glared at him. "What is your evil plan? Tell me now and I will ask that your punishment be reduced. As long as I get to take the praise for it, of course."

Alzera looked around at everyone present. "Excuse me. I am so confused. What is happening here?"

Faeryn glanced at her. "You are Alzera of Starlight. I've heard many things about your missions and challenges in the Dungeons. You do fine work."

Alzera froze, then narrowed her eyes at her. "And you are..." Her eyes widened. "Oh my. You are Daughter Faeryn of Elysium. And you two." She looked at the sisters. "You resemble royalty, which means you must be Daughters Rosette and Misty of Starlight."

Faeryn nodded. "That is correct."

Misty smiled cheeringly at her.

Alzera didn't seem at all clarified as to what was going on. "But I don't understand. What are you doing here and why are you referring to Dagwood as Aeric? Do you mean Prince Aeric?"

"Pfft! Dagwood!" Rosette hissed. "What a stupid name. This boy right here is no Dagwood. He's my brother!"

Everyone gasped.

Kael's eyes widened as he gazed at Aeric. "The Son of Starlight. I disrespected the prince!" He bowed his head.

Bel also was befuddled. "I dishonored the prince!"

Alzera placed her palm on her lips, eyes showing her disbelief. "I slept with the prince."

"What!"

"Huh?!"

"Back up!"

"What did she say?"

Everyone fell silent, staring at Alzera the Fierce and Aeric of Starlight. It was Ryn who laughed, finally breaking his cold demeanor. "Ha ha ha! I think Alzera wins that one."

Rosette stomped towards Aeric. "So this is what you're doing?! Dressing as a commoner so you could sleep with unknowing women!"

That was a dumb theory. A commoner had lesser chances of bedding a woman compared to a literal prince.

Aeric still didn't say anything. He still remained calm, he still remained quiet.

"Say something, you moron;" Rosette stomped a foot on the ground. "Or have you suddenly become dumb because I caught you?!"

Slowly, Aeric's grin unfurled, sharp and mischievous, startling everyone. His crimson eyes gleamed with an unnerving confidence as he tilted his head, the ghost of a laugh escaping him. "Have you really caught me?"

Rosette faltered, confusion flashing across her face. "What…?"

Misty frowned. Alzera's eyes widened as she looked at Aeric, seeing as he completely turned to a different person. He truly was no common villager. He acted, looked and felt like a dubious prince! Like royalty! How come she had never noticed it?

The others murmured among themselves, their unease growing as Aeric's demeanor remained unnervingly composed.

"You're always acting smart and tough, Aeric!" Rosette said to him. "You think by being mysterious and silent it makes you right or cool. Your games have come to an end! I've caught you now! It's over!"

When Aeric didn't react to that, except maintaining the smirk on her face, she walked closer to him, now face to face. "Do you hear what I said? I said you're done! Game over!"

Aeric downturned his lips tauntingly. "I disagree, sister. I think the games have only just begun."

Rosette frowned. "What are you doi—?"

"Return to Anchor Point!" Aeric declared.

"What?!"

And then, the world shifted.

Aeric exhaled, his will and voice commanding the Deadwatch — a thin, golden mark glowed on the inside of his chest and began to pulse faintly, glowing with forbidden energy.

It ticked and it tocked, then it spun around, until it showed a time ten minutes before the present. Then, the present time itself seemed to ripple and buckle, answering his silent call.

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The air around him warped, and in an instant, everything shifted into motionless chaos. The people before him moved backward in time, their bodies blurring into streaks of light and shadow.

Rosette's determined march reversed, her sword slipping back into its sheath. Kael's voice distorted, his words becoming unintelligible echoes that melted into silence. Misty's expression of shock unraveled, her features flickering like a forgotten memory.

Aeric stood perfectly still, his crimson eyes observing the scene with detached clarity. Around him, time rolled backward in cascading waves, resetting itself to a moment already passed.

The stones from the obstruction were rebuilt by Kael and the rest while Rosette, Misty and Faeryn reversed in motion until they completely disappeared from the scene.

Bel was sweating, Ryn was sweating on the floor, Kael was removing two stones at a time.

Aeric watched all of this with awe as the Deadwatch did its awe-inspiring magic, and then, the ten minutes arrived, and the Anchor Point caught him.

He blinked and found himself kneeling once again in front of Alzera, his hands steadying her trembling hands as though no time had passed.

The oppressive weight of the obstruction loomed above them, and the voices beyond the rocks had not yet broken through.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He saw her face once again. And it wasn't the face of disbelief a second ago, but the face of lust she had when he was fucking the hell out of her ten minutes ago which was now the present.

The Deadwatch's power lingered on his mind, faintly pulsing before fading. Aeric's breath was steady, his mind racing. He tried to act as normal as he could, all things considered. But going back in time was just something else he never knew he would experience.

Alzera looked up at him, confused but trusting. "Dagwood? Are you… alright?"

Aeric smiled faintly, a ghost of his usual grin. "Just fine," he replied, his voice calm, masking the storm within. He tightened his grip on her arm, his mind already calculating his next move.

"Then please," Alzera begged with her needy, obscene eyes. "Go ahead and keep fucking me."

"Keep fucking me hard, master."