Chapter 3 The Price of Her Favor

The next morning was brighter than usual, but Elion's world remained wrapped in a gray fog of unease. Sleep had come in fits. Every time he drifted off, her voice returned - seductive, commanding, eternal.

"You are mine now."

He sat at his small kitchen table, barely touching his breakfast. The bank balance was still there. $12,950.00. Untouched. Unexplained.

Jax hadn't called again since last night. But Elion knew that conversation had only deepened the mystery, not dispelled it. If anything, it had planted more fear - and curiosity. Jax was right. Money without a known source always carried a cost.

But what was it?

He pulled his shirt aside and stared at the mark on his chest again. It hadn't faded this time. It pulsed faintly, like a second heartbeat. He could feel it - not just see it.

Like it was tethered to something.

Or someone.

Suddenly, he heard a buzz. His phone vibrated on the table. Unknown number.

He answered cautiously. "Hello?"

A woman's voice, smooth and sharp like silk on a blade, answered. "You're enjoying my gift, Elion."

His stomach turned to ice.

"Who is this?"

"You know who I am," the voice whispered, echoing in a way that phones shouldn't. "You felt me. You saw me. You dreamed me."

"I-what do you want from me?" His voice trembled.

"You already gave yourself," she said, amused. "That night, you called out for help - for more. You may not remember, but your soul reached for mine. You cried out, and I came."

His mouth was dry. "This isn't real..."

"It is more real than the lie you've called life," she said gently. "No more slaving for scraps. No more begging for opportunity. You are marked now, chosen."

Elion gripped the table. "Chosen for what?"

There was a pause.

Then came her answer.

"To be mine."

The call ended.

Elion stared at the screen, heart thudding. His skin crawled with heat and cold at the same time. He needed to get out. Think. Clear his head.

Within the hour, he stepped outside and headed toward the central district. The city was alive - people in suits, schoolkids, buses honking, the scent of roasted corn and fried dough wafting through the air. Normalcy.

Except for him.

He bought new clothes. The sleek kind. A blazer, branded sneakers, and a smart digital watch. He'd never worn anything that cost more than $20. Today he spent over $2,500 like it meant nothing. He couldn't explain why. It just felt... expected.

Like he was playing a role someone else had written for him.

By noon, he'd booked a suite at one of the top city hotels. Champagne was waiting. The room overlooked the skyline. The marble floors, velvet curtains, and king-sized bed seemed like another universe compared to his usual life.

Still, Elion couldn't relax.

When he looked in the mirror, the man staring back no longer looked broke, tired, or invisible. He looked like someone who belonged in wealth.

But behind his eyes was confusion. And fear.

At 2:43 p.m., he received a message on his phone.

The first gift has been received. The next will require something in return. Prepare yourself. Sunset. The rooftop.

He stared at it, pulse pounding.

Return? Return what?

He waited. He watched the clock. Every minute felt like a full hour. Finally, as the sun began to melt across the skyline in hues of fire and gold, Elion stepped onto the rooftop of the hotel.

The air was cool, electric.

And then - she appeared.

No lights. No portal. Just a shimmer in the air, and then... her. The goddess. Tall, radiant, cloaked in flowing robes that shifted between colors - gold, midnight, crimson. Her eyes, endless pools of light and fire, bore into him.

She stepped forward.

"Elion," she said, voice like a melody layered in thunder. "You wear wealth well."

He swallowed hard. "What are you?"

"I am what humans once feared. What they now worship in different names. Power. Wealth. Desire. Destiny."

"Why me?"

She smiled. "Because you called to me. And because your soul can hold what others cannot."

He looked away. "And what do you want in return?"

Her smile faded. Her expression turned serious.

"Your loyalty. Your obedience. Your... exclusivity."

Elion's brow furrowed. "I don't understand."

"You will," she said gently. "Soon, you'll be asked to make choices. Some will be easy. Some will test you. But as long as you serve me, I will keep giving."

He took a shaky breath. "And if I refuse?"

Her gaze darkened.

"Then everything you've been given will vanish. And worse... what you could have been will haunt you for the rest of your mortal life."

He looked down. The city lights were coming on. People in their homes, their cars, laughing, shouting, living their lives. And here he stood - standing before a goddess, being offered everything.

At a price.

"I'm not a god," he said quietly.

"No," she whispered, touching his face with a hand that radiated heat and ice. "But with me... you will be treated like one."

A wind rose around them.

And then - she vanished.

Elion stood there, alone on the rooftop, heart racing, his reflection staring at him in the rooftop glass. His phone buzzed again.

$48,700.00

The second gift had arrived.

But this time, he didn't smile.

Because now he understood something vital.

This wealth had a price. And he had already started paying it.