"…As long as you're beneath someone, you're subject to their whims," Yanyan said softly, repeating the truth she read in the girl's eyes.
Wang Xiao smiled.
"Yes. Like you are to mine."
Yanyan glared at him. "That's not the same thing!"
"It is," he replied dryly.
"…It's not!" she snapped, pouting. "So what? What if I want to be subjected to your whims? Huh? Come bully me then!"
He sighed. Then without warning, smack! struck her rear lightly with his palm.
She yelped, eyes wide. "Ah!"
But his voice was calm.
"I didn't mean you, I meant everyone."
He looked back toward the girl in the distance.
Everyone beneath him, gods, mortals, enemies, lovers, were subjected to the same reality.
It was never personal.
Athene, for all her righteous anger, didn't understand that yet.
She blamed the world.
But she hadn't seen the truth yet.
It was power.
Always power.
The only true whip in this world.
Yanyan sighed, folding her arms with a pout. "Boring..."
She looked away.
