The morning cold cut Kael's skin like invisible blades. He rose from the cold ground, curled in on himself amid the rags he called clothing. The alley was silent, but heavy with the smell of trash, smoke, and urine. Every step he took on the wet stones echoed softly, reminding him that no one truly cared about him—except when they needed something he had or knew how to do.
Kael lifted his gaze to the murky reflection in the puddle before him. For a moment, he wished the water could erase what he saw. But there he was: the face now carrying the curse of extreme beauty. Every feature was perfectly symmetrical, every detail hypnotic, capable of stirring affection in anyone who looked at him. There were moments when the gift seemed like a weapon, but Kael already felt the effects of the curse as a constant weight.
How am I supposed to survive this? he murmured, clenching his fists. He remembered the times he had tried to steal from merchants, guards, and even unsuspecting children. His appearance often diverted attention involuntarily, allowing him to escape by inches. But that did not make him safer. On the contrary, it drew even greater problems, conflicts, and obsessive gazes he could not control.
As he walked through the alley, keeping his hood pulled tight over his face to lessen the effects of his beauty, a soft glow began to surround the air in front of him. Kael blinked and, for a moment, thought his mind was playing tricks. Then the figure materialized—Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. Her presence was overwhelming, a radiant light that not only illuminated the alley but seemed to fill the air with an aura of perfection that left Kael breathless.
"Rise, Kael," said Aphrodite, her voice so melodious it seemed to echo inside the boy's mind. "I have observed your life, your choices. Despite misery, hunger, and the violence of the streets, you did not hesitate to act. You stole, fought, and survived. That deserves recognition."
Kael instinctively stepped back. "Recognition? From a goddess?" he murmured, his throat dry. "Why me?"
Aphrodite smiled faintly, with the serenity of someone who knows every detail of the world and every mortal. "Because your life shows determination and adaptability, Kael. But there is something greater. A mission only someone like you could face."
She extended her hand, and ethereal symbols began to float before him, forming lines of light that intertwined, weaving through the air as if alive.
"This is the Affection System," Aphrodite explained. "It detects feelings directed at you: affection, desire, love… any intense emotion someone may feel. The greater the affection, the greater the power you can access from that person. It is both a tool and a burden."
Kael frowned, trying to process the idea. "So… if someone loves me, I can use that person's power? But… is this… safe?"
Aphrodite shook her head, her smile tinged with melancholy. "Safe? No. It is both a blessing and a curse. You will have power without effort, but you will bear the weight of your appearance. People will feel something they did not ask for. Friends, family, strangers… all will feel attraction or involuntary affection for you, and no one can avoid it."
Kael breathed deeply, remembering his mother, who had taught him to steal to survive. He recalled nights hiding stolen bread, the cold that pierced his bones, the relentless streets that seemed to hunt the weak. His beauty had never been a problem until now, but the thought of being unable to control the attention he drew was terrifying.
So… my whole life will be impossible?
Aphrodite tilted her head, her eyes serious and deep. "Yes. But there is something greater. Your supreme mission: impregnate the Zombie Emperor within three years or die. He is immortal, indifferent to gender, and zombification is making his body increasingly feminine and voluptuous. Getting him involved and having a child is the greatest challenge any mortal could face."
Kael swallowed hard, feeling the weight of responsibility crush his chest. He had never felt so vulnerable and forced to grow at the same time. The Affection System pulsed faintly, as if already sensing the gravity of his destiny. "And if I… fail?" he murmured almost in a whisper.
"You will die," said Aphrodite, her voice calm as if describing the sunrise. "But I believe in you. Not for what you are, but for what you can become."
Kael took a deep breath, adjusting the hood over his face, imagining all the ways to shield himself from curious eyes and the involuntary fascination he provoked. "So I cannot turn back. If this is what the gods want… I will try."
Aphrodite smiled once more, and the light around her began to fade. Kael was left alone in the alley, but something inside him had changed. He was no longer just a thief or beggar. Now he carried a deadly blessing and a dangerous power—and an impossible mission he would have to face.
As he walked through the streets, Kael remembered nights spent curled up in wooden boxes, nights when hunger seemed to crush his bones, and the cold felt like it wanted to seep into his very soul. He recalled every trick his mother had taught him, every stroke of luck or skill that kept him alive. All of it now seemed to have prepared him for something greater, something beyond merely surviving in the city.
He passed a child who stared at him, fascinated. The Affection System pulsed lightly, sending waves of energy through Kael's body. Every glance, every sigh, every involuntary emotion could now be converted into power. But he knew that if he did not control it, it could draw unwanted attention, especially with the mission ahead.
Kael stopped before another puddle, observing his distorted reflection. For the first time, he felt a spark of purpose. He was not just surviving; he had something to fight for, something impossible—but real.
Let's see how far this curse can take me, he murmured, clenching his fists. He felt tingling energy across his body, and a small pulse from the Affection System responded to distant gazes from people in the streets. A faint smile appeared on his face.
For the first time in a long while, Kael walked the streets without fear. Every step now was calculated, every interaction could generate power, and every decision could mean survival or death. The world had changed, and Kael felt he would never be just a beggar or thief again.
He took a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill his lungs, and realized that, as impossible as the mission was, something inside him had awakened: the determination to survive, to learn, and to become something beyond what any mortal could imagine.
Kael walked through the alley, and for the first time, the city that had once ignored him seemed, in some way, to recognize him. He did not yet know how, but he felt that life had changed forever. And as the sun began to break the horizon, illuminating the dirty walls and empty streets, Kael prepared for the first step of his new life—a life marked by power, danger, and a curse that could either kill him or transform him into something… divine.