A mystical atmosphere enveloped the figure of the goddess of love, as she prepared to reveal her true form. With a slow and majestic gesture, her long hair came loose, floating in the air around her as if it were underwater, taking on a pure white sheen that exuded an aura of purity and grace.

Her skin began to radiate an intense glow, as if an inner fire was passing through her, but instead of red or orange, the sparkle she gave off was a vibrant fuchsia, enveloping every inch of her in an enchanting light.

Aena's figure grew larger, surpassing human dimensions and causing some tears in the delicate fabrics of her divine dress. The silken draperies tore under the pressure of her growing splendor, revealing the perfection of her divine form, which could not be confined by mere mortal robes.

The goddess of love thus stood out in her full grandeur, with snowy hair and alien skin, a vision of beauty and power that left breathless anyone lucky enough to witness her manifestation. At that moment, she was ready to dispense her love and grace to those who turned to her with sincere devotion.

A single small crack opened on the mask of the goddess of love, making her tremble slightly.

If I have to protect my demigods, then I'll gladly sacrifice my power.

Using the divine form was something that the Celestials swore to never do again but, in that situation, she'd do anything possible.

The demigods still near the clash did not even realize what was happening, enraptured by the magnetic figure of the goddess.

Aena released a pink stream that began to fill the air with a magnetic scent. Shirei did his best to stay focused while, around him, the demigods who had been watching the battle began to hold their heads. The seductive and perfect smell continued to travel through the air, becoming more and more intense. Cragar's son prepared to ask the deity's intentions, but remained silent as he realized what was about to happen. Aena snapped her fingers.

The sound produced by that gesture traveled longitudinally until it reached those present, who fainted after rolling their eyes backwards. The only ones left standing were Salix, Shirei and the goddess herself.

"Now, the time has come to solve the problem," she declared, "No one dares to attack my park."

The goddess of love turned towards the infiltrator and opened her hand in his direction but, just when she was about to destroy his heart, the son of Tefine smiled.

A strange sensation invaded the air. Salix stopped suddenly, while a strange substance seemed to thicken around him.

A shiver ran down Aena's spine as his skin began to change, transforming into an ethereal texture, similar to a dreamlike illusion. His once human complexion transformed into a greyish-pinkish tone, so surreal that it seemed alien to reality. A strange substance began to cover his face, blurring his features with an almost translucent veil. From his forehead emerged a red horn on the right side, sinuous and sharp, while from his back two semi-transparent and thin golden wings, as if they were woven from threads of gold dust of breathtaking beauty. His face, except for his silver pupils, went completely dark.

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The chain he had used as a weapon curled around his right arm. Salix grasped the pointed end gracefully, testing the firm grip as if it were an integral part of his own body.

In that moment, in the heart of the Lilies Park, Salix revealed himself for what he really was: a hybrid creature, with two different heritages merged in a singular harmony. His presence exuded an aura of power that would have made the skin crawl of young demigods newly arrived in the Otherworld. Aena hesitated as Shirei prepared to face what lay ahead.

"Go ahead, please, try to kill me too," the boy said in an unearthly voice.

Aena was visibly upset. She tried to say a few words, but the trembling of her lower lip betrayed even the slightest effort to hide her surprise. She had been alerted, they told her about a rather anomalous son of Tefine, but she couldn't understand what she was seeing.

"That..."

"Exactly," Salix replied, "I'm like you, I'm a god too."

Marina and the whole group, having just arrived directly from the training arena, stopped. After the battle against Venorias, the boys had made a superficial concern to make sure there were no injuries and had rushed towards the site of the battle. Ien's daughter expected to find Shirei and Salix on their knees before the divine Aena, so she was already ready to pray for the kind lady's indulgence in order to be able to save the boy with purple eyes. She could never have imagined finding herself faced with such a scene.

Shirei suspected that Salix's monstrous smile had widened, "You know what that means, it's time for the masks to be changed."

Aena didn't answer, a myriad of doubts and worries swirling in her brain.

"I'll tell you another secret, I'm not the only one here," continued the son of Tefine to conclude his speech, "Be careful, I will convey your greetings to the Ancient One. You know, he can't wait to meet you."

Shirei advanced with his Blade of Discord drawn, but Salix had no intention of fighting. The young deity forced himself on his legs, bending and concentrating the necessary strength, after which he took flight towards a distant destination. Darkness began to swirl around Cragar's son, a sign that he was about to travel across the Interworld.

Before he was completely gone, however, Aena grabbed his arm.

"Let him go."

The demigod saw the goddess return to normal. The tone of her voice was not furious, on the contrary she seemed frightened by what they had just seen. Shirei simply nodded and appreciated the kindness shown by the deity.

The demigods began to wake up one by one, showing signs of shock and confusion as they rose from the ground. Their expressions were marked by a mixture of terror and dismay, probably due to the nightmares Salix had subjected them to. Some looked around while others tried to put their thoughts in order and understand what had happened.

Marina quickly caught her breath. The girl was still visibly shaken by the experience she had just experienced. The wound on her forearm didn't seem to be deep yet the pain permeated her to the bone. Looking at it, she could see that the blood flow had stopped, but that some capillaries near the wound had taken on a greenish color. She managed to grit her teeth with determination and breathe a sigh of relief at seeing Shirei alive. The demigod seemed to have come to his senses, and the way he stood at Aena's side gave her hope that the goddess would be lenient in their punishment. For a moment, the boy looked for someone in the crowd, until their eyes met. His presence offered her a sense of comfort and stability amid the surrounding chaos, a sensation Ien's daughter had never experienced: tranquility.