4 A Sacrificial Lamb

Princess Asteria's breath hitched, tongue-tied.

"I-uh…"

She racked her brains for anything to say but found her lips couldn't.

The stranger suddenly removed his hands from the wall and stood still, "They're gone now."

She nodded, noticing that indeed, the royal guards swept past them.

She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks flushing red. "T-thank you again."

She was about to walk away when the handsome man stopped her, "Wait!"

When she turned around, the man was smirking as he held a book up high, "Where did you get this?"

Her eyes widened and she instantly jumped to get it but since the man was taller and held the book higher, she couldn't, "Take it back!" How did he even got it? She made sure to tuck it inside her pockets! Unless this man got inside her gown? No!

"Na uh, answer me first, where why did you get this..forbidden and enclosed book?"

She gulped, "It's not your business. Now return it to me, while I'm asking nice."

The handsome man seemed to find the situation hilarious. Furious, Asteria was forced to take the book when her hand grazed his and she stopped when a sudden electric shock struck her bones.

The strange man seemed to also feel it as he stopped and his eyes went wide and gasped, "Did you feel it?"

"Felt what?" She asked, playing dumb but the man just smirked.

"I finally found you. After 1000 years." He whispered. "Come with me, miss. I'll return the book once you'll come with me."

Princess Asteria pushed him away, "No! Are you kidnapping me?"

He shook his head, and looked at her as if offended, "Of course not! Well, I'm taking you with me but I'm asking nicely so please just agree, I promise not to harm you. It will just be a moment."

He then thought of another thing then brightened up, "You want to revive Lord Eros, I believe?"

She gasped, "How did you know? I mean…no!" She tried to lie, but he saw it already.

"Good, well, we seem to have the same goal, given that I'm also trying to revive my twin.."

"Your twin? How-"

"It's a bit a long story and time is running, I'll explain it to you later."

And instantly, she felt him snapping his fingers and a large gush of win came to take them.

****

She woke up with her mouth covered with cloth together with her eyes. She felt like her mind was still spinning with all the amount of wind that they used as transportation. She didn't even struggle and let fate take her knowing this will not be her end anyways and that it is only for the plot development. Someone took it from her and she adjusted to the sudden brightness.

She saw the man from earlier who stood in front of her. The man who's saying he's Lord Eros' twin…

She blinked, and let out the first words from her mind, "Am I being kidnapped?"

"Kind of." The handsome man answered, "I'm sorry that you have to experience that kind of a mess. I just need to do that to make sure we are not being followed." He then cleared his throat.

He then offered his hand, "Anteros. My name is Anteros."

Asteria accepted his hand hesitantly, "I'm Ast-"

"Yes, Princess Asteria. I know you. Your name is practically all over the kingdom. I must say, the rumors were exactly true. You look so beautiful."

His remarks didn't catch her attention, but what bothered her was his name. Anteros? Oh my goodness. How could she be stupid! Anteros as in the twin of…Lord Eros from the novel? Her mouth gaped open. At this time, she's supposed to be married off to some prince back at the castle. She looked around and realized she was taken to a cave. No, if her memory serves her right and with Anteros here, there is only one answer to this.

She's going to revive Lord Eros. This has not happened in the novel!

Anteros cleared his throat, "Well, firstly, do you know how dangerous you are?"

She cocked her head, "I don't know what you are talking about…"

He looked confused then nodded, "I see, no one must have told you how incredibly rare and dangerous power you currently possess."

It took her a moment to process what he said, "What?"

"You, possess a very rare power. And a very dangerous one." He repeated, this time slowly for her to hear it clearly.

Her ears perked up in interest at that. She didn't have any power in the novel…and knowing that this random character...is telling her that she has one just made her both happy and at the same time scared. What is happening now?

Are we still going through the same storyline from the novel? Uhm, hello, author of this story? She wanted to scream that right now at the void. The last time she remembers, she's practically powerless and mana-less. The royal family and very few people had their own special elemental mana while she, a random extra who turned mana-less never had any so why is Anteros here saying some dumb stuff to her?

Unless the story changed? Or she change the story?

Anteros looked at his watch, hearing it strike six in the evening. She didn't even notice how time passed by that quickly.

"We're losing time now. You have a ball to attend later too. I'll explain everything later but right now, we must first focus on our goal. To revive my twin brother, Eros." He said then asked, "But why do you want to revive him if you don't mind me asking?"

"I…need something from him.." That was all she answered.

"Alright, then you have to help me now." He pleaded. The book of Ardis appeared out of nowhere and he showed it to her.

"Since you're the only one who possesses the rare power, you're the only one who can do this. I tried multiple times alone but ended up failing in the past." He said and she opened the book.

The letters were written in another language, yet she wondered how her mind could translate them. This must be one of the perks of her gift if what he's saying is true...

She let her eyes wander in the pages and the letters read, "It says here that only a woman with a rare gift can perform the ritual. She has to be alone, offer her blood, her greater resolve to revive the person should be stronger and sacrifice herself to the cliff-wait what?" She looked at him with are you serious expression.

"Oh so that's why my air spells were not working!" Anteros exclaimed.

"You didn't warn me, Anteros, that this will cost my life." She said. Goodness, does her resolve to revive him stronger than surviving in this world?

She pushed him, "So basically, I'm a human sacrifice for your brother? Are you even saying that my gift is true-"

"Of course, I am saying the truth. Don't worry, I'll just be nearby if it won't work I'll catch you." He said, "Think about how if it will be successful, you'll get what you want."

She bit her lip, having second thoughts now, "What if it won't work? Just a legend?"

Anteros smirked, "I promise, it will. And after this, I'll train you so you'll be able to control your power." He didn't even wait for her as he instantly disappeared from sight, leaving her in the cave.