People like to say that Joel was not born in a heavenly cradle but in a flame one. Although that sounds ridiculous, it wouldn't really be a problem for him since fire is his essence of life, and any kind of flame just does his body good.
In any case, he is the only child of one of the main High Gods ever, and that made him born already having everything a man could dream of.
He is attractive, powerful, wealthy, respected, and even loved by thousands of people, including his family. Children worship him, men offer their treasures to him, and women spread their legs for him.
For someone like that, the word 'not' is unfamiliar. He always had everything he wanted, and even what he didn't know he wanted yet. But then he met Alexa.
She was just a little girl running after her parents when the Water Goddess turned her attention to her family again. He was around at that time and noticed the bright eyes of the young Lady Crassus.
It was obvious that she would become a beautiful woman, but there was something else that attracted Joel. For someone who was always surrounded by happiness and glory, the tragic destiny of the Crassus family was something very different from the usual.
And when the Water Goddess killed Alexa's parents, Joel swore he would make her become his woman. He wished he could see the desolate look on such face beautiful face forever, like someone who appreciates a sad panting.
There was also the fact that the young Alexa hated his family and denied his approaches. Now that he's back in Qia, he wanted again to see that sad and angry expression on her face, but finding a mocking and even pity look, made him upset.
"Alexa..." He looks at her with a curious expression. "You really have become a beautiful woman. It's been so long... I can't believe so much time passed since..."
"Since your aunt killed my parents?" She asks in a neutral tone as she tries to contain her anger.
He makes a fake sorry expression. "I didn't want to reopen old wounds... I don't share my aunt's opinion, you know."
"Oh really??" She shakes her head with a mocking expression, which makes him upset. "Don't you see angels and everyone else in the universe as lesser life forms that can only be servants of the Gods or food for your pets??"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Not exactly..." He sighs. "Well, people are what they are, and I can't change it with just my will."
"So what can you do, great Burning Child??" She keeps sounding sarcastic as she continues to compare Jeol to Lucien in her mind; while the first is a pathetic child, the other is a handsome and incredible man despite the thousands of years of difference between their ages.
Joel still feels that strange and unfamiliar sensation. Somehow, his passionate heart knows that Alexa has changed; she is no longer that depressed girl who could barely contain her fury.
But he tries to maintain a confident smile as he approaches her and tries to hold her hand. "I can't change the rules of the universe, but I know how to appreciate an amazing woman like you..."
Most women in Qia and in the whole universe would be thrilled to draw Joel's interest, but Alexa avoid his touch quickly. She feels that she might vomit if she gets touched by such a despicable person.
That should be an insult to Jeol, but it only makes him more attracted to Alexa; after all, men crave so much what they can't have.
"What do you really want from me?" Alexa asks, avoiding saying his name as it makes her even more disgusted. Meanwhile, Lucien's name keeps popping up in her mind.
"Alexa… you don't remember?" Joel asks with a loving expression.
"..." She has no idea what he's talking about, and not to focus on his words, she starts to imagine an absurd situation. [If all the men in the universe were gone, except one, it could be Lucien... he doesn't seem to be so pathetic and predictable...]
Joel has no idea that Alexa is thinking about another man as he tries to declare to her. "It's okay if you forgot it; you were too young when I had to leave..."
He again takes a step towards her, but she avoids his approach and goes to the other side of the room. So he continues. "It was because you were so young that I held back my feelings, but I promised you that I would come back for you... that I would make you my wife one day."
"Wife???" That idea makes Alexa sick to the core. "You can't be serious, right?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"Why not?" He quickly asks. "You are a beautiful woman, and I am a perfect man… I can accept you in my bed."
[I'd rather die!!] Alexa keeps that thought just for her. But at the same time, she couldn't help but imagine another ending. [Or go to Lucien's b...]
She knows that offending Joel could be the path to her death, destruction of what's left of her family, and her dream of freeing her people from the Gods.
So she tries to be polite. "Gods cannot have inferior creatures as wives, have you forgotten?"
"Fuck what people think!" Joel exclaims, but then he thinks better of that himself. "Well, I didn't mean the main wife... it's okay if everyone thinks you're just my concubine."
"No, thanks." Alexa doesn't even have to think to answer that, in a cold and straightforward tone, naturally.
Joel smiles as he can't hear the word 'no.' Alexa's attitude just makes him think that getting her is an interesting challenge.
"I will take care of you, Alexa." He comments in an affectionate tone. "I will make up for all the harm my aunt has done to your family by taking care of you forever."
"I pass." She comments.
[You don't have this option!] Joel exclaims in his mind as he loses his temper.
He could easily force Alexa to be his using many ways. But that way, he could lose his face among all the Gods because how could the Burning Child have to force a woman to be with him, especially an angel?
"You can try to resist me, Alexa..." He tries to look seductive, but due to her comparing him to Lucien, Joel seems ridiculously stupid. "But I'll get your affection sooner or later… you'll be mine."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})She just wants that stupid conversation to be over and Joel gone. But at the same time, her pride prevents her from hearing such things and keeping silent. "I will never be yours, Joel!"
"How can you be so sure?" He asks in a provocative tone. "I didn't know you could predict the future."
"I don't need such an ability to know it..." She losses her temper due to anger. "I just know it is impossible!"
"Why?" He asks.
She tries to think of anything, and something really pops into her mind, but she immediately regrets saying that as soon as she says it. "Because I already have a lover!"
"..." Joel is shocked by that response. His first thought is denial, but then he is quickly consumed by burning rage as he imagines the woman he desires in another man's arms.
"Who is he?!?!" Joel yells. "Tell me who is this man you love, though he's already dead!"
Although she regrets having said that, especially because the first person who came to her mind when she said 'lover' is Lucien, Alexa is loving Joel's reaction right now.
"You don't know him yet..." She enjoys that so much that she wants to keep up that lie. "But soon everyone will know him because of his power and greatness..."
Burning flames seem to deform Joel's face as his heart fills with rage, so Alexa continues. "He's so strong, handsome, attractive, skilled, affectionate..."
Those words are like arrows of ice piercing Joel's heart. Alexa delights in that and takes her lie to an even higher level, shocking him to the soul.
"And he has this thing..." She shows her hands, trying to demonstrate something the size of the spaces between them. But she continues to open space between her hands, breaking Joel's heart.
"I think… maybe…" She leaves a space of about twenty-five inches between her hands before smiling at Joel. "Anyway, he's really big, you get it, right?"
Joel has never been so angry or frustrated ever. That's not just about losing a woman he wants, but also losing her to a man who seems far superior to him.
His whole body is consumed by flames, causing the weakest parts of his armor to start to melt, and even Alexa has to step away from him to keep from getting burned.
He can't think straight about anything, but at the same time, he thinks about many things, even burning entire worlds to find his rival. Yet, not even burning that man's whole family in front of him could erase the pain he's been feeling in his heart right now.
The furniture and even the walls of the main hall start to melt too, but Alexa can't stop smiling because she enjoys that so much.
"Also..." Alexa pauses before continuing. "You shouldn't mess with me anymore because my lover is so powerful as cruel."
Joel's fury came so quickly, but it fades away. He gets his flames back under control and starts talking sarcastically. "Such a perfect man, right?"
Alexa makes a thoughtful expression as she thinks about Lucien. "Maybe not perfect… but he certainly is the best."
"Of course..." Joel turns and smiles at Alexa; in fact, he quickly bursts out laughing. "Hahahaha..."
She gets confused. "What's the problem with you?"
He continues to laugh for several seconds until he calms down. "I can't believe you almost fooled me with that perfect lover of yours… you're really smart, Alexa."
"Huh?" She raises an eyebrow. "You do not believe me?"
"Of course not!" He quickly responds. "You are so reluctant to accept me that you created this man to drive me away, but that's all he is, a lie."
"No, you are wrong!" Alexa can't help but think about Lucien again. "He is real; I already fought him."
"Hahahaha..." Joel shakes his head. "It's alright; I'll let you keep imagining this man for now... but when you're in my bed, you'll only think about me."
Alexa sighs. "Why is it so hard to believe that my lover is so amazing?"
"Well, he can be amazing, perfect, or whatever you want…" Joel replies. "But if he's really like that, why would he choose you? I mean, you can only offer him a sexy body, right?"
Now it's Alexa's turn to feel offended and receive a hard blow in her pride. "Is that what you think?? So what are you doing here???"
"..." Joel shrugs. He really thinks Alexa is an amazing woman, better than many inferior Goddesses, but he already understands that praising her doesn't have the effect he would like, so he tries other approaches.
However, even that provocation did not affect her in the way he wanted. It actually motivates Alexa to get Lucien's affections to crush Joel's heart.
"Don't forget your words, Joel!" She speaks in a determined tone. "When my lover reaches the top of the universe, I will be by his side, and everyone will look on us from down; then I will make you swallow these insults back."
"Hahaha..." He laughs again. "I won't wait for a day that will never come… on the other hand, I'm sure you'll be under my body soon."
"Get out of my house!" She gets tired of that stupid conversation and points to the door.
Joel doesn't want to make her any more upset and thinks he's won that battle of provocations, so he starts walking towards the door. "I'm leaving now..."
"But I'll be back next week to continue courting my future concubine..." He turns and smiles before walking out the door.
Alexa is relieved that Joel has left her home. But now, she has to deal with other strange thoughts and even plan how she'll get Lucien's affection.
[SHIT!!!] She curses in her mind. And then she thinks about her rebellion again. [What is Joel doing on Qia again? This can't be a good thing...]
