Chapter 37: Passion
Hypnos floated in the sky, his face lit up by the last orange rays before the sun beckoned the stars. He was looking out at the horizon, where the sky and sea met. The colour was almost black. The setting sun was a deep crimson colour, almost blood-red. The red sun appeared to be sinking into the water like a live ember, and the heat caused the air around it to shimmer. The sky was nearly dark, and the first stars could be seen.
The epochal day had finally come to an end—the Gods had won the war, and despite some unexpected obstacles in their path, they had managed to overcome them all thanks to his prudence.
All in all, the golden age had come to an end, ushering in a new era for the world and the cosmos.
Hypnos could almost see the raging river of time splitting to form a new tributary, paving the way for an era of prosperity and development, an era of hope and faith burning brightly on civilization, an era where dreamers and realists thrived—it was ultimately an era that would be a turning point in the history of mankind. And he couldn't wait to see everything for himself.
The Lord of Dream turned away from the horizon, his gaze falling on Gaea, the Earth Mother, who floated alongside him. With an unreadable expression, she looked down at the ruins of Mount Othrys, specifically at the spot where her children once knelt before falling into the pits of Tartarus.
The Gods were gradually leaving in silence as well, though there was some shock in the air, as if they couldn't believe they had won despite the almost hopeless situations they faced near the end of the war.
The Lord of Dream and the Earth Mother upheld order throughout the war, erasing the chaos caused by the final battles of Gods and Titans. And, despite the grim developments of war, they did not intervene, but thankfully, everything worked out well, at least for Hypnos, as for Gaea...
"I will take my leave, Aunt," Hypnos said carefully, observing Gaea's reaction. It would be a lie to say he wasn't on edge right now. He was honestly concerned that Gaea would just decide to bring down her wrath upon the gods for slaying and banishing her children.
Yes, given everything, that would be extremely hypocritical of her, but this was Gaea; it would be foolish to try to understand her through conventional means and methods.
"Ask it," Gaea whispered, looking up at him with an inscrutable expression. "I'm sure you want to,"
Hypnos was unsurprised. "I indeed do. I very much want to understand your true motive behind all of this," he paused. "You see, mystery bothers me. And sometimes I can't help but want to unravel everything, but I've learned to suppress my curious nature, to know when to cross the line and when not to."
Gaea locked her gaze on Hypnos for a moment, and he met it squarely, and she chuckled. "I can see that you have grown, but not nearly enough. You still have a long road ahead of you, as well as enormous responsibilities." She paused for a moment of reckoning silence. "And I give you my final wishes for that, my dear nephew, for the next time we meet, it won't be as allies."
The Earth Mother vanished in a swirl of ethereal flowers, leaving behind those final and ominous words, which resounded in the air like a deafening echo.
Hypnos silenced it with a wave of his hand. He merely stared at the fading particles for a fleeting moment; there were no ripples in his serene silver eyes. Then he descended into the ruins of Mount Orthys, specifically the ruined throne room.
The Gods had already returned to Olympus for a brief respite before the victory celebrations could begin in earnest, but Hera remained, sending her siblings out first with smiles. It was as though she already knew Hypnos was near the battlefield.
The Lord of Dream landed on the melted ground and looked ahead—Hera was waiting for him, her back to him, in front of the half-ruined throne of Kronos.
"Hera," Hypnos called, and his beloved twirled and bolted towards him, arms wide open to receive her.
"I knew you were here," Hera hugged him tightly.
Hypnos hummed. "Congratulations,"
Hera didn't say anything, but a small smile appeared on her face as she sunk into his embrace, thoroughly enjoying his warmth.
"I broke the Prophecy," Hera eventually whispered to his ears. "Kronos was defaced by Zeus and me."
"Yes, my fate-breaker, you did," Hypnos cooed.
"Fate-breaker.." Hera repeated, thoroughly savouring the title in her heart. A wave of involuntary relief washed over her. "I didn't cause you any trouble, did I?" she asked, grabbing him tightly.
"You need not be concerned; the fate of our world has already been thrown into disarray," Hypnos reassured, simplifying the truth. "Your daring actions will almost go unnoticed in the midst of chaos,"
Hera stepped out of his embrace, certain that there was more to his words. "What happened...?" she inquired.
"That's another story for another day," Hypnos said simply, resting his hands on her shoulders.
"You're just dodging now," Hera noted.
"Indeed," Hypnos affirmed, "but I have a good reason."
"What is it?" Hera inquired.
The space in front of them shimmered, and a colossal white gate began to take shape on the fabric of space, filled with intricate and complex drawings and illustrations that all wove together to form a mind-numbing mural depicting the picture of the cultural amalgamation of all civilisations.
The white gate began to open on itself with a rumble, revealing a dreamy and chaotic expanse.
"Is that...?" Hera queried, her wide eyes fixed on the opening white gate.
"Gate of Ivory," Hypnos replied, standing beside her, "behind it lies the infinite, unreal expanse that is Dreaming."
Hera was still fixated on the ivory gate, seemingly astounded by the mysterious yet meaningful images engraved on it.
"We are going to visit our new home." Hypnos pecked her cheeks, drawing Hera out of the dreamy gate. "Is that good enough of a reason, my love?"
"Let's get going!" Hera giggled, practically dragging him to the ivory gate.
Hypnos merely chuckled, catching her hand, and they floated together towards the gate of Ivory, plunging into the chaotic and dreamy expanse.
————
Dreaming was as wonderful and perplexing as it had always been. The mortal sleepers wandered aimlessly through the unreal lands at night. The Gods and Demons rested on the chimerical beds, enjoying their reprieve in the repleteness of sleep.
Throughout it all, Hypnos strode with his beloved, displaying the full splendour of the Dreaming to her. They traveled through the illusory pathways to the heart of the Dreaming, meeting and talking with many beings, from mortals to gods, and hearing the wonderful stories and tales they had to offer.
They eventually arrived at the heart of Dreaming, where Hypnos dragged Hera into the Hall of Remembrance, the Great Library, the City of Imagination, the Maze of Mind, the Chamber of Dreams and Nightmares, and the Tower of Knowledge—all vital and essential aspects of Dreaming; only a privileged few have the right to enter some of them, as the rest are barred to all except those who receive the Dream King's approval.
Hera enthralled his domain, asking an infinite number of questions and doubts along the way; Hypnos answered some and left the rest to her imagination. But when they visited the Great Library, the curious spirit of Hera was extinguished. She was horrified by the existence of the library, where everyone's information, down to their deepest secrets, was recorded and stored.
Hypnos simply dismissed her concerns by stating that he respected the secrets of his close ones. That was indeed the truth; there was no book profiling Hera in the Great Library. And Hera trusted him, even though the existence of the Great Library still bothered her.
Her troubled emotions, on the other hand, became numb as she visited more aspects of Dreaming with her beloved, each terrifying and perplexing in their own way, especially the Tower of Knowledge—where the esoteric information and data on the cosmos were stored—the City of Imagination—where there was literally no distinction between fantasy and reality—and, last but not least, the Hall of Remembrance—where Gods were literally being born from the dreams of mortals (Hypnos, as always, was thoughtful, taking her to that cursed hall towards the end of their voyage; she had grown numb to shock by then, so she was quick to swallow the truth, no matter how bitter it was).
Hera was beginning to realize how much power her beloved wielded over the cosmos, and in retrospect, she was beginning to understand the cosmic nature of the Primordials.
Hypnos finally dragged her to the cosmos he had created during their previous eternal journey. They landed on the same planet in that universe, sitting together in a gleaming valley surrounded by billions of stars.
"Are you okay?" Hypnos inquired, his tone concerned. By the end of their journey, she had become too quiet, only humming and nodding to his words. Her silence made him question whether it was a good idea to reveal all the secrets of the cosmos and primordials to her, but he quickly purged those thoughts because this was necessary; if his beloved was to become a primordial one day, she must first understand what it means to be a primordial.
"I am fine," Hera shook her head, a look of exhaustion on her face. "It's just..." she paused, side-glancing him. "That lot to take in.."
Hypnos placed his hand over her shoulders, squeezing it reassuringly. "You can talk to me."
"No," Hera said emphatically, "not now."
"Hera, I can see how distressed you are—" Hypnos pressed her with concern.
"No, not now," Hera said again, suddenly closing in on him until their faces were inches apart; the redolence of nature had vanished, and all they could feel was each other. She stared into his silver eyes. "We can continue to delve into the mysteries of the cosmos afterwards, as our journey is far from over, isn't it, my love?..." she trailed off, her unspoken implications hanging in the air.
"Are you sure...?" Hypnos asked, his argent eyes slowly darkening. "I may have promised, but we can take it slow..."
"I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. And we are finally here. I don't want my emotions to ruin this indelible moment." Hera breathed out, emphasizing each of her words. "I want you, Hypnos…"
That did it.
Hypnos crashed his lips onto hers under the lustre of billions of stars, and Hera groaned, hitting just all of his right places, his hands traveling all over her, holding her ever so close one moment, roaming along the line of her spine and down to her ass another. He lifted her from the ground with a firm grip, and she wrapped her legs around her hips, grinding on his massive bulge.
Hypnos groaned as well, low in his throat. But he held back for a moment before teleporting into his bedroom in the opulent castle in the heart of Dreaming. And he pushed her onto his bed and climbed on top of her, their hazy eyes locked on each other. "This," his hands on hers and curling her fingers around hers. "You, having your mouth on me, sinking into me and utterly losing yourself—I have been dreaming about it for a very long time. And reality is so much better.."
"Hypnos.." Hera placed her hands on his cheek, rubbing it ever so gently. "I love you.."
That broke whatever control Hypnos had. "I love you too, Hera.." he whispered ultimately, kissing her vehemently in this unending moment.
And so they melted onto each other, losing themselves in one another. Time lost its meaning as they began to fall deeper and deeper into the infinite ocean of love and passion.
In the whirlwind of craving and hunger, Hera gripped Hypnos harder, kissing him longer, unwilling to let him go. This is what she wanted—their bodies together as one. She was on fire, every muscle in her body attuned to his, her lap clenching with delicious need. When their voices grow louder and louder, his hold suddenly loosens.
"Don't stop," Hera demanded into his mouth.
Hypnos broke into a dark grin. "As you wish, my lady," diving into her once more, his tongue slays her ever more ferociously, erasing every thought of the outside world until the passion has left her breathless. His forehead pressed to hers as they gasped together, the cold air barely cooling the seething heat raging between them.
"Hera...."
"Hypnos…"
""You are mine.""
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