The sky cracked open with a roar as thunder clapped so loudly it seemed to shake the very fabric of existence. Winds howled like ancient spirits, lashing across the heavens in a violent spiral of fury. Lightning forked through dark clouds, illuminating the celestial plane where three divine beings stood, locked in a bitter argument that threatened to tear the skies apart.
Corazon Nova, Cupid, the celestial archer of love, stood tense, his golden bow lowered but his voice firm. Beside him, Antonio, once his closest companion, now wore an expression twisted with rage and betrayal. They had argued before,immortal beings often did,but this was different. Something had fractured between them.
"You've gone too far this time, Antonio," Corazon said, his voice carried by the wind like a whisper that refused to fade. "This isn't about pride or punishment. It's about respect."
Antonio scoffed, his eyes burning like coals. "Respect? Don't preach to me about respect, Corazon. You of all people should know how long I've stood by your side, only to be overshadowed and underestimated at every turn."
Corazon stepped closer, his aura flickering with the soft glow of love's power. "You forget who we serve. This isn't about you or me,it's about the balance we were entrusted to protect."
Above them, the heavens rumbled again, and then everything stilled.
A blinding column of light descended from the clouds, and in its center appeared a figure cloaked in golden radiance. His mane flowed like molten sunlight, and his eyes shimmered with galaxies. He was Mufasa, the Creator, the Prime Force, the architect of their world. And he was not pleased.
"Antonio. Corazon," Mufasa said, his voice layered with authority and sorrow. "Which one of you dared summon me?"
Antonio raised his chin defiantly. "I did. Because I refuse to be silenced any longer."
Corazon dropped to one knee. "My Lord, I tried to stop him. He's let his anger consume him."
"Anger?" Antonio snapped. "You should be angry too! We are guardians of love, not slaves to your indifference. You watch from above while we struggle to fix a world that is falling apart."
"You forget yourself," Mufasa said, his voice now edged with steel. "You were given power not for dominance, but for service."
"I refuse to bow anymore!" Antonio shouted. "You made us your agents, your instruments of emotion—and now when I question your wisdom, you treat me like a traitor? I won't stand for it. If Corazon wishes to kneel, let him. But I will not grovel for justice!"
Mufasa's eyes flashed like stars going supernova. "And you believe justice comes through rebellion? Through violence?"
Antonio's hand flew to his back, drawing his bow. "If that's what it takes."
"Don't!" Corazon cried out, rising with his own bow drawn, heart torn in two. "Antonio, please, don't do this."
But it was too late. With a scream of defiance, Antonio let his arrow fly—aimed straight for Corazon. It soared through the air, gleaming like a shard of hatred, but just before it struck, it disintegrated into dust. Mufasa's hand had moved, a simple gesture enough to erase the arrow from existence.
Power surged around the Creator as he lifted his arm and bound Antonio in a sphere of light. The once-proud archer fell to his knees, his strength stripped from him.
"You would raise your weapon against your brother?" Mufasa's voice cracked like a whip. "Against your Creator?"
Antonio, panting, glared upward. "I would raise it against injustice. You think you've won, but you haven't. This isn't over, not by a long shot."
Corazon stepped forward, sorrow brimming in his eyes. "Antonio, please—don't let this darkness consume you." "I'm no longer Antonio," he said, voice low and seething. "That name belonged to someone who believed in love. That fool is dead. From now on, I am Anteros,the god of vengeance, hatred, and heartbreak. Your counterpart. Your undoing."
"You don't know what you're saying," Corazon murmured."Oh, I do," Anteros snarled. "You may still call yourself Cupid, but I will be your shadow, your curse. And when you fall, I'll be there to watch."
Mufasa turned away, solemn and heavy-hearted. "So be it," he said. "You have made your choice."He raised his hands, and the sky split once more. "From this moment on, you are no longer welcome in the celestial plane. You will walk among mortals, hidden in plain sight. Anteros, you will have the power you so crave,to sow hatred where love once bloomed. But heed this: never fire your arrows at one whose heart is already broken. For if you do, you may unleash monsters beyond your control."Anteros sneered. "I'll take that risk, and you, Corazon," Mufasa continued, "your arrows will glow with a deeper love than ever before, but use them wisely. Do not fire to comfort yourself, or to avoid pain. Love must be earned, not forced. Should you ever fall for a mortal, the balance between you and Anteros will shift and not in your favor. Love, when wielded carelessly, is more dangerous than any blade."
With a final burst of light, the heavens convulsed and the two fallen immortals plummeted to Earth.
Corazon awoke with a gasp.Rain pelted down around him, cold and relentless, but he didn't feel it. Not truly. His body, though human in form, still pulsed with divine essence, veiled and quiet beneath his skin. He sat up slowly, confused, disoriented, until he saw the skyline stretching ahead,ancient stone buildings, winding streets, crimson buses. London.He rose to his feet, his soaked cloak clinging to him, and stared up into the dark gray sky. Somewhere out there, Anteros was also walking the Earth, his heart poisoned by the very hatred they were once sworn to prevent. Corazon didn't know where he had landed, but he knew one thing with absolute certainty, his former friend would not rest until love itself was dismantled.As he walked toward the glowing lights of the city, Corazon's mind swirled with questions. Could he truly stop Anteros without losing himself? Would love be enough to stand against the tide of hatred that now surged in the shadows?
And what of the humans? They were fragile, emotional, volatile,susceptible to both love and destruction. It would be easy to tip the scale either way. But his mission was clear. He had to protect them, not just from Anteros but from themselves.
Deep inside, he also feared the day foretold by Mufasa,the day he would fall for a human.Because love, once known, could not be unlearned.And when a god falls in love… the world is never the same again.