A.N: Regarding the frequency, I'd like to say that these past three months I've been very busy, mainly because I was fired from my job and had personal issues along with it, plus my health took a hit due to bone pain, which I've had for over two years. And these issues have caused me to significantly delay the stories on this account. As you may have noticed, I'm of legal age and have work and studies to juggle, so my writing hobby often takes a back seat. I'm not asking for "pity" or "mercy," but simply that I *have* reasons for being absent so often. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I've written and rewritten it several times, but I still don't think I'm at my peak. But I hope it at least pleases someone. Anyway, thank you for your continued support! Thank you so much ❤️.
P.S: I believe the definition of this chapter would be "Discovering your EGO." One thing I think many have noticed is the lack of "purpose" and Asterius in the old story, so I thought I'd make this lack of "Ego" part of the story.
____________________
Everyone was strange, like fictional characters.
That was Asterius's dilemma.
"What would the answer be?"
He murmured to himself in his room, expecting nothing from his question into the void, however—
"I would say \[whatever I want], my dear hybrid\~"
Asterius's eyes quickly turned to the source of the voice, and there he glimpsed a perfect and beautiful vision, so beautiful it was grotesque and disgusting, "perfect," a perfection of beauty that caused nausea and revulsion.
"If you want an answer for your troubled heart, obey what it asks of you\~ \[If you can do it, do it!]"
"Who… are you?"
He murmured as he watched that anomalous figure, a hole in the world. A living singularity.
「Oh? Sorry for not introducing myself, dear grandnephew!」 A foxlike smile appeared before her reply came: 「I am Aphrodite\~ The Goddess of beauty and Love\~」
---
◇◇◇
¹
Like a fallen Angel, black feathers fell lightly to the ground, ebony-plumed wings flanking a curvaceous body sculpted in the most beautiful alabaster and wine, eyes with a golden hue full of joy.
But at the same time, it was an unnatural beauty, so perfect it caused disgust. It was disturbing.
\[Aphrodite], the goddess of beauty, love and sex from Greek mythology. The infamous wife of Hephaestus and lover of Ares; to have her attention was never good news.
"What's the matter cutie? Did the Griffon eat your tongue?"
"..." the Hybrid only kept watching; she was strange, anomalous, but…interesting… since Chaos, he had not encountered another deity, and feeling the divine energy flowing like waves full of Voluptuousness from her body was, in a way…pleasant, it was like being hugged by a familiar, warm heat, and along with a fragrance of natural floral wine, the Goddess before him, Aphrodite, was tempting.
"Fufufu, I'm glad I please you\~ dear grandnephew\~"
With a seductive sway of her fertile hips, she was soon in front of him; he now felt almost intoxicated by the fragrance that seemed to fill all five of his senses. He saw the goddess's smile widen, her large hands reached toward the deity—he almost touched her perfect face—and then—
"GASP!"
His hand closed around her slender, pale neck and immediately his mind returned to normal.
"Glamour," he murmured as he felt the scent diminish. He was being inebriated by the natural glamour of the goddess of love.
"Enough."
His voice was firm, still in the same indifferent tone, but a tension was easily seen in his rigid muscles and wide, alert eyes. His instincts screamed to back away.
Shouting a gong of *Danger* *danger* to him. But even in a situation where others would be peeing themselves in terror, the goddess only gave a knowing smile before her slender fingers slowly began to trace a path over the tense body in front of her.
"Violence won't solve it, my dear hybrid\~ besides, I can simply free myself from your hands with the effort of an ant\~"
The goddess's ruby-glinting eyes were a warning; he knew a half-blood did not compare to a pure blood, but still…
With some reluctance and his guard high, he released the goddess, stepping rigidly away from her, ready in his instincts to "flight/attack."
Aphrodite gently massaged her own neck, as if Asterius's gesture had been only a childish boldness. A nearly maternal smile blossomed on her lips, but her eyes were a promise of punishment.
「Ohh… how brutish. You really inherited more from the bull than from the man, didn't you?」 Murmured the Goddess in divine language, which somehow he also understood clearly.
Asterius didn't answer. He breathed deeply, like a cornered animal, trying to keep his mind clear before the intoxicating aura of the goddess.
Every fiber of his body still demanded that he attack or flee — but her golden gaze held him like invisible chains.
"Say it… what do you want?"
His voice came out rough, almost a growl.
Aphrodite laughed — not in a loving way, but an obscene melody.
"Can't I simply want to meet my grandnephew?"
"No… gods do not make… 'community visits' without something behind it…" the Minotaur retorted; Asterius was cautious; the goddess was an Olympian, as dangerous as the others, no matter her domain over "beauty" and "love," such abstract concepts could spark Wars and chaos, if what the History of Troy taught her.
"Alright, you're correct\~ I have a purpose…. But you will know in due time, nephew\~"
And again the goddess was entering his personal space.
In his mind, he concluded that he would not get rid of the goddess on his tail…
◇◇◇
²
"What a spacious room\~ of course, nothing like my temple, but larger than some of the young mortals I've enjoyed\~"
And again, Asterius did not understand "why" she had brought the goddess with her to his chambers; perhaps it was to avoid confusion or commotion, since a divinity came to Crete unannounced and without the king's knowledge. Maybe it was just his own restlessness bubbling on his skin, asking for "something" that he still did not know had been imposed on him by Chaos. But maybe it was only a perception that "regardless of what you do, she will do what she wants."
Aphrodite lounged languidly at the edge of Asterius's bed, as if she owned that space. The gold of her eyes flashed under the dim light of the room.
"Haven't you realized yet, grandnephew? I created you, in a way. Without my little… prank with your mother, you would not exist."
Asterius clutched his fists.
"So… you're saying I'm your toy?"
The goddess's laugh echoed softly, but with cruelty.
"Toy? No, no… You are…closer to 'family,' a little son of 'love.' Pasiphae burned with desire for Poseidon's bull by my will… and from her forbidden passion, you were born."
The hybrid breathed deeply, feeling bile rise in his throat. His thoughts were cloudy: a part of him wanted to crush that perfect smile; another, deeper part, wanted to hear to the end.
Aphrodite leaned in, resting her chin on her hands, like a bored child playing with little wooden toys.
"And look at you… so different, so isolated. Neither mortals nor gods understand you. But I, ah, I find it fascinating. Such chaotic misfortune, It makes you fascinating."
She approached slowly, her voice lowering to a whisper.
"And I wonder… what will you do with this existence? Will you waste it hiding in this palace, or will you accept the advice of your dear Great-Aunt?"
Asterius looked away. He knew this story, since Minos used it to say "don't shame me further." But it still made him sick to know the origin of his creation by the goddess. He did not feel disgust at his origin or parents, probably because of his bestial nature, but he felt frustration at being submissive to someone like Aphrodite.
"Come on\~ Ast?"
"I don't have an answer." It was simple and direct. He didn't know; his heart was empty of such things, he did not have the hedonistic greed of the gods, but he was not at all "human" in his ways. That's why it was agonizing and frustrating that no one could understand him.
So he gave in to lie down beneath the canopy, soon feeling the goddess fall gently like a feather by his side, her intoxicating fragrance filling his senses as she slowly wove voluble patterns across his chest.
"Oh\~ poor beloved Son\~ so alone\~ what do you think? Could I give you something? How about it? A bit of the euphoria your mother felt? Or the intrinsic strength of your father? A bestial beast? Strength and lust? Come on\~ say it?"
Each word was imbued with an aroma that drunk Asterius, a glamour like before, but this one seemed soft, intending to loosen his tense body and relax him, not to subdue him as before; therefore he did not try to push her away. Not that he would have been able to, probably.
Asterius allowed himself to fall to temptation for a moment.
"And what do I gain from this?"
He murmured hoarsely, which seemed the right answer for the Goddess of love.
"Time? Haven't I already answered? Whatever your empty heart can do\~ you, who so lament being misunderstood, perhaps\~ should try to be like the others; creating an impassable wall of actions won't help\~ maybe, experimenting is the key\~" as she spoke, her body slowly covered that of the dark giant, like a serpent coiling on its prey, her wings covered his sides, her hips landed over Asterius's lower half, her hands massaged his chest, and her delicate face came a step from touching his lips.
Touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell.
Each sense felt muffled by the goddess.
The goddess's lips hovered a whisper away, the sweet scent infiltrating his throat like poisonous nectar. Asterius felt his own heart — or that desire that pulsed within him — quicken; even so, it was impossible to deny: something inside him wanted to yield.
"Come on, hybrid… allow yourself."
Her voice was like a warm soporific mist poured over his body, relaxing. Each syllable seemed to dissolve his edges, erase his identity, dilute his stiffness.
Asterius closed his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he was not thinking. It wasn't a dilemma, it wasn't strangeness, it wasn't boredom. Just silence and peace…
But then — something roared inside him. It wasn't human, nor entirely bestial. It was something that gnawed within him, like a poisonous bomb threatening to consume everything (chaos), resonating like living fire in his mind. His nostrils burned, his muscles contracted, and instinct returned with the force of a wave crashing against rocks.
He opened his eyes.
Asterius's pupils were now slitted, ruby, incandescent. With a brusque movement, he grabbed the fist of Aphrodite that rested on his chest. He didn't crush it — but he held fast, as one who marks territory.
"No."
The word echoed with weight. It was not merely refusal; it was primal and chaotic.
Aphrodite did not step back. On the contrary, her lips curved into a broader, excited, predatory smile.
"Ohhh… how marvelous. At last I see you truly react\~"
The golden eyes flashed, satisfied.
"That's what I want to show you, my bull. Not quietude. I want to see your EGO. I want you to dare to bite the hand that caresses you. I want to see how far your fury and curiosity will take you. If no one can reach you, bring them down to your level\~"
She leaned in again, but this time briefly pressing her lips against his, ignoring the sign of a roar from the mouth currently full of fangs of the bestial Hybrid.
"Remember what I tell you, nephew: desire is not only pleasure, it is taking advantage of all the possibilities one can make. Use it. Perhaps, who knows, you may have your heart filled."
And in the blink of an eye, her weight vanished. The perfect body disappeared like mist, leaving only the sickly perfume of flowers and wine, which impregnated the room like a seal.
Asterius remained lying down, fists clenched, chest panting. In the silence that remained, he could only hear the sound of his own blood beating like war drums in his ears.
"...if I can, I do… right?"
He now murmured alone; his mind was a kaleidoscope at that moment…
◇◇◇
²
The next morning invaded the skies like a golden dawn, Helios wandered in the sun, while both gods and spirits and mortals rose together for a new day.
Some went straight to work, others offered offerings to the gods, burning incense and praying. Preparing for Work.
The royal family and their guests were finishing their akratismós (Greek breakfast).
At the same ornamented table from the previous day, there was a spacious place for breads, wine diluted in water, fruits and honey. Even if simple, the quantity and quality of the food laid on the table was noticeable from afar.
Then Farah began:
"As the agreement requires, we would like to seal our alliance in a lasting way, Dear King Minos."
The voluptuous queen with mocha skin and emerald eyes smiled at the gray-haired king, Minos, who had already considered this and agreed.
"Yes, as said, an exchange that both of us could enjoy was the agreement, right? But I cannot think of something that would please you so easily, therefore, allow her to announce her exchange first."
Minos had some ideas, involving a certain hybrid, but it depended on whether such a realm would take it as an insult or not. Therefore, observing was the best option.
"I believe I must agree with my husband, our alliance is advantageous, but the exchange should be equal." Pasiphae, who had stayed on the sidelines last night, now felt more confident to trade with the foreigners.
Who answered was the young Queen; Opala waved from her place, with a foxlike smile, she raised her cup, voicing her thoughts—
"A political marriage!"
Immediately, everyone in the royal family was surprised. Of course, political marriages were common, but it was still surprising that such foreigners were open to this idea.
All the children kept their eyes between their father and the foreign queens.
Both Androgeus and Deucalion, his sisters, Phaedra and Ariadne, were attentive. Only the hybrid remained silent at his breakfast.
"I understand." Minos murmured, scratching his chin. "And whom would you indicate on your side for such a large agreement? I think it would have to be someone trustworthy and worthy, correct?"
The king swept his eyes over his children. Marrying his heir was out of the question; Androgeus was his perfect son. Ariadne was also out, for her beauty was too perfect; better to keep her. What remained was his general son Deucalion and his spoiled, withdrawn daughter Phaedra.
And besides them….
Before he could finish his line of thought, the name spoken by the Regent Mother left everyone in shock—
"We nominate the noble youngest Prince, Asterius."
Immediately everyone froze, thoughts swirling in a stormy myriad in everyone's minds.
(Asterius? How? Why?)
That was what haunted their minds; Asterius was a solitary brute and more beast than man; even if he didn't attack anyone in Crete, he was publicly known by stories that he would easily eat human flesh from anyone who challenged him. Not to mention his debut in the coliseum, where he devoured an entire Ox when it challenged him.
Therefore, to have a noble family, a REAL royal family, desire such a man-beast as a consort?
Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Farah soon explained.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding, but let me explain the reasons\~" and soon she rose while counting on her slender fingers. "The heir son could not be given to us, the most beautiful daughter should be someone from Crete, the other two children are equally important for domestic politics. What's left, The Only Son of porcelain, but equally noble in his house, The Dear Asterius\~" explained the former Queen of Egypt. And there was logic in her words: Asterius, in the end, was the best choice; logically, a royal family would refuse to share blood with a beastly man, but she seemed enchanted— even eager— to have him. Which raised alarm in everyone's minds.
"Additionally, Such a man enchanted my daughter."
Immediately all eyes turned to the young Queen, who even under the judging and attentive gaze of everyone in the hall, held her head high, staring Asterius in the eyes.
And Asterius?
The hybrid was stunned; for the first time he was caught off guard by something he could not simply ignore. There was no fear, no combat, no challenge that could awaken as much disconcertion as the simple look from that young queen. Her eyes were clear, fixed, almost challenging — but unlike others, they carried no fear, no submission or repulsion. Only curiosity and a flare he felt strangely familiar, as if he had seen it before and could not remember where.
For a moment, the world around seemed to shrink, and he felt his own body like a stone on his back. Silence reigned, heavy. Even the court, the foreign ambassadors, Minos, Pasiphae, and even Farah herself, seemed to exist in a second plane, spectators of a frozen moment.
Then the young queen spoke again, with a firm but sweet voice that sounded like music amid the silent chaos:
"I am not interested in gaining some game or power through you, dear Ast\~ I became interested only in… you."
Asterius felt something inside him twist, a primitive and wild reflex that mixed distrust, surprise and a hint of excitement. He had always been a beast, but had never encountered anyone capable of piercing his inner wall with such impetus without fear.
Suddenly, the sensation of Aphrodite's touch from the previous night returned, subtler, less oppressive, but still present — as if her scent still tangled in his memories and served as a reminder of her Machiavellian and tempting words.
Asterius's mind spun, and he realized he needed to choose: resist, flee or allow himself to explore this new strangeness that came from something he had never admitted to feeling:
the possibility of being seen and understood by another being, not as a beast or idealization, but as Asterius.
Minos, noticing the silence extending longer than it should, tried to intervene:
"Asterius…?"
The hybrid, still motionless, briefly averted his eyes, meeting the king's gaze, his stepfather. Tension rose, and a low growl began to form in his chest, but it was not of fury. It was of expectation.
Then, in a gesture no one in the room could predict, Asterius spoke, his voice hoarse:
"So… I hope to be worthy of such interest, my queen.."
The room trembled with his declaration. A moment of absolute quiet hung over the hall, before every look turned to him, some surprised, others apprehensive. But Asterius himself could not deny the spark that had been lit inside him. For the first time, there was something worth watching, feeling and — perhaps — letting go.
But he was not the only one in that room with mixed feelings.
*Crack*
Under the table, Pasiphae gnawed the oak of her throne with pure and immaculate fury. She, who was the woman who loved, adored, esteemed and was obsessed with the genes of her sins, was about to fall into madness.
(H-how DARE she?! None of them is worthy of my Ast! I should tear off these filthy faces! Cursed be these dirty foreign women!)
"Grrr…" amid the environment, almost no one heard the bestial growl of the mother, but Asterius heard it very well.
Pasiphae and her obsession with Asterius was not new. The Queen treated Asterius as her sun, her personal star. An abnormal feeling for a mother, but in a way, nothing about Asterius and his birth was normal, and coming from Pasiphae, who mated with the divine white Bull to give birth to this man-beast who grew like Asterius, it was to be expected that she would also be abnormal.
Therefore, Pasiphae did not allow herself to accept this, but at the moment, she could not act, being contained by the promise of quality and advantage to her kingdom; she awaited the right moment. To pull the snakes' hands off her beloved son.
◇◇◇
³
After the events of the akratismós, the two sides began to discuss projects for local trades and exports, but in the end, Asterius allowed himself to leave the table. Minos nor any of his brothers or guards attempted to stop him—Not that they could, if they wanted—, and Asterius allowed himself to wander again through the Palace toward the gardens that brought him so much calm.
But ironically, it was on the way to them that a familiar figure intercepted the hybrid's path.
"Oh?! Young prince, I see you are heading to the gardens, right?"
With a grandfatherly smile, the middle-aged man smiled slightly, as if the nearly three-meter hybrid were just another grandson. What could he be considered to such a man, who had been responsible for many of the modifications and accommodations for the giant.
Who was this man?
"Good to see you, Grandfather Daedalus."
Daedalus, in original myths, was the architect of the great labyrinthe of the Minotaur and father of the tale of "Icarus," besides the man responsible for helping conceive Asterius.
"Likewise, young prince."
While greeting with a grandfatherly smile on his face, Daedalus bowed slightly to his prince. Even after Asterius grew into a giant, he was still under the title of "little" to the elderly gentleman.
The hybrid inclined his head, accepting the gesture. It was strange. Of mortals, Daedalus was the only one who did not look at him with fear, repulsion or blind adoration. His eyes, though tired and marked by time, were of someone who saw Asterius as… a living being, not a Beast or a Monster.
"I see the negotiations were heated… and that your name was thrown into the fire," commented the inventor, adjusting his simple cloak, stained with traces of chalk and charcoal.
Asterius frowned.
"You also find it absurd?"
Daedalus laughed softly, but not in scorn.
"Absurd? Young prince, I have seen men desire to marry Goddesses and women offer gold for less. The court always moves by interests, they are serpents seeking to sink their fangs into their allies, guests… and even family.. but, what amazes me… is that someone outside this palace has seen you as a consort."
The giant was silent. Aphrodite's words from the previous night echoed in his mind — "I want to see your EGO." — along with the look of the young foreign queen, firm in her desire.
"I don't know what they want from me…" he murmured, the weight of confusion showing in his deep voice.
Daedalus rested a wrinkled hand on the hybrid's arm. Compared to Asterius's colossal build, it was like a lizard's paw on a bull's. But the gesture was comforting.
"Maybe what they want from you doesn't matter, Young prince. The question is: what will you want for yourself?"
Asterius felt his chest tighten, an almost physical discomfort. He was always told what he was — monster, mistake, sacred beast, punishment of the gods. But never did anyone understand him; perhaps… he should try to seek that so-called "Ego" after all.
Silence prolonged until a distant shout broke the air: messengers were calling Daedalus to the halls, where new agreements were to be recorded and new ideas that needed the counsel of the old—but wise and experienced—engineer. The old engineer sighed and adjusted his tunic.
"I must go, little prince. But remember what I told you, seek what you look for for yourself."
With one last smile, Daedalus left, his steps echoing over the marble.
Alone again, Asterius looked up at the open sky above the gardens. The inventor's words mixed with the goddess's, and both burned in his chest.
"My… own… Ego?" he murmured, staring at the olive trees swaying in the wind.