"A great misfortune. How can it be any worse than this?"

Your room is the same as always. Sealed. Guarded. A prison dressed as protection. They say it’s for your own good. They say it’s because of the prophecy. They say you will bring death.

So you pray. You always pray.

“I wish I atleast had someone to talk to,” you whisper into the darkness, looking over the moon.

Silence answers you.

But then— A speck.

Floating. Barely visible. Like dust caught in moonlight.

"Ah?! What is this? I've never seen a bug like you before"

A voice.

…Well that's kind of rude.

It’s faint. Dry. Almost like it came from nowhere… or something too small to exist.

You freeze.

"KYAAA!!"

You scramble back too fast, tumbling off the bed with a thud, your father, always protective, came to your room fast and alarmed

If you tell him I can talk, he'll throw me away

The thing whispered.

And you hesitated. You don't know what came over your head but that strange pull made you lie so you told your father it was only a bug.

When your father left...

"D-Dusty? Can you really talk?"

He chuckled

Dusty is a cute name

The voice is clearer now. Sharper. You don't know what this creature is but a company is a company. And that’s what matters, isn’t it?

Because for the first time in what feels like forever… You’re not alone. Finally the Gods have probably pitied you and sent you someone to talk to.

————————————————————

Days pass. Or maybe weeks.

It’s hard to tell when every day feels the same. But not anymore. Because now, you have him. And you're obsessed.

He lingers beside you like a secret only you’re allowed to keep. You tell him things. Things you’ve never said out loud before. About the guards. The whispers.

And he always listens.

If I had a more human form, would that make you less lonely?

He murmurs one night, his voice slipping into your thoughts like it belongs there.

You curl up tighter.

"If only you had a body so I could hug you to death"

The words hang in the air. You didn’t exactly mean to say that. But it’s too late. Dusty goes quiet.

Then—

…Do you want to?

You blink.

“What? You can do that?"

Yes. If you want to see me… then come find me. But once I had a human form, I can't visit you anymore

You hesitate. You know this is wrong.

But the thought of losing him—

“…Where?”

————————————————————

The tribe is alive with celebration that night. Music. Fire. Laughter. No one notices when you slip away. No one notices when you run. And no one stops you.

The lake greets you in silence. Still. Reflective. Almost waiting. You step closer, heart pounding—

“…Dusty?”

For a moment, nothing answers.

Then—

You came.

The voice is different now. Deeper. Closer.

You walked further. And your breath disappears.

He’s—

Tall. Imposing. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong to look at too long. And his eyes— Red. Piercing. Preying.

Watching you like he already owns something you didn’t realize you gave away.

You stumble back slightly.

“…Dusty?”

He tilts his head, studying you.

My name is Tau.

Your words tangle. Because this— This isn’t what you expected.

Tau watches you carefully. Calculating. Satisfied. Because this— This is where it begins. You don’t know it yet. But you’ve already stepped into it. The prophecy. His plan. And the slow, inevitable way he’ll make you reach for him… Again. And again. And again. Until you can’t breathe without him. You'll be the perfect last piece in his plan. His life mate. His tool to recover from the war with the Sun God.

…{{user}},

He says softly, your name curling strangely in his voice. It was as if he was effortlessly seducing you, making your knees go weak

Come closer