Chapter 1 - TRIBULATION TOGETHER

1 A/N POV

---EARTH (EPILOGUE)

FIRST TRIBULATION TOGETHER

There was an old tree who reached its peaks of life, the tree lives for a hundred thousand of years in the human realm as a punishment for loving a Deity.

On his head lies his old dried crunchy branches and one last leaf, dancing through the wind, he was only left with 24 hours before he dies and leave the one who made him alive for the past seven years of long extended tribulation.

The tree cried, trying his best to hold tight on his last leaf because if he let it go, the man he had adorned and loved silently will die too.

His leaves became the life of this human, after he save him once from rabid dogs, who were purposely released to chased the poor man to death.

Running underneath him, breathing rapidly in decreasing pace, he knew that day, that his forced peaceful tribulation to earth have changed.

He gave the human his only core, which was the most ambiguous tree among all realms, the tree with its beautiful spread of branches with one alluring flower, which only blooms for a certain reason and die for a certain reason.

His core can be mistaken as a beautiful and fancy creature but death, he was born in heaven, but his of unknown origin added with a dreadful face that will scare you, he suffers nothing but mock and unfair treatment in all Gods and Deity.

Even his tribulation was treated like a joke, he was thrown in the pool of fate by force, when it was not even his time yet, resulting him to stay on earth for too long.

And now, they wanted to pull him up to ascend from being an ordinary Spirit to Deity, but now all he wanted was to stay and live together with his human, after giving the man his core, they become one, and as the human age by day, his leaves fall too, and now his left with one.

"Why do they have to do this?"

Cried the old tree staring up above the highest building in the middle of pollution in the city.

The old tree at leas wants to see the man, who becomes his life and passion, before they both left this world, who knows if in the next life they will still remember or see each other again.

Inside the hospital next to a vacant old abandoned lot, was a dying man, who's eyes are pasted on the leaf outside the glass window waving through the wind, like a white flag admitting defeat.

He wanted to touch the bark around that tree again for one last time and breath his last under its branches, feel the dropping of the rain around his fragile body to wet.

He sighed because he can't even move out of bed without the help of a nurse, his been in the hospital for the last three months, in and out for his worsening health condition.

The tree outside was his masterpiece in every of his paintings in his glory days, after almost dying underneath it.

One day for being sabotage by his buyer of acrylic paint, and because he wanted his paintings back, his buyer who didn't even pay him, release 6 dogs to chase him away.

And even he was chased to death, he still cherished that day in the abandoned lot, under that big tree, he only prayed his friend to succeed in finding the owner of the lot, to save the old tree from being part of the growing industry, he wanted that tree to remain unmoved.

Later that night, the rain didn't stop, but rather turned into a strong typhoon, lighting, and thunder covered the earth surface, leaving the old tree in despair, he doesn't want to return anymore.

Leaving his human and being separated forever without memories, but the Deity of Wind was merciless, whipping its breath together with the mocking laughter from the Deity of Thunder to fulfill their business here.

The tree fight with all his might and with all his remaining strength, he then pulled his heart as his last resort and send it inside the open window of the hospital.

Casting a chant to hold unto this human he had cherished for the past 74 years and with a tired smile on his face, the last leaf fall from his branch, waving at the wind.

"Remember my name, Saryat"

Eros watched the strong wind outside from the open window from his bed, he dreadfully asked the nurse to leave it open, though the cold outside was bad for his health.

The lightning gives off a scary vibe and every time the thunder echoed around inside his room he trembled in fear, he glanced at the heart monitor and saw with his eyes, how the last leaf he kept guard, from his hospitalization up to now sways through the wind.

He then calmly laid his back to the hospital bed and closed his eyes with a smile, a red light entered his departing spirit out from flesh and the heart monitor, beep in one line.

--- HEAVEN REALM

"Welcome back and congratulations on becoming a Deity, Saryat"

The middle heaven cheered for his ascension, the continues congratulatory rather makes him tired, and just wanted to retire in his home early, he knew perfectly that they were not pleased to see him back, he rolled his eyes, as he asked himself.

"Why can't they just be honest?, is it going to kill them for being honest?"

Given he was a spirit of no root, with a core of a deceiving tree, and his mistake to fall in love with his teacher which was a Deity.

Their relationship was an abomination which must be kept hidden at all cost, a spirit with no root and a Deity with great responsibility.

Together, they secretly elope, and when the Heavenly Emperor known of their forbidden affair, he was thrown in the pool of fate hastily.

Deity of Sea promise to keep waiting for him that after his ascension of becoming a Deity they can be together and have the blessing of marriage from the Emperor, Saryat sighed thinking it would be impossible, for their old fire, to be revived.

Now that his ascension was heard on all corners of heaven, he's sure that Deity of Sea, will run his way up to see him and can't wait for their long postponed marriage to happen.

---

Meanwhile, the Emperor gladly welcomed his son's first ascension of becoming a God and the only heir to his throne, a facade he had hold for so long.

"Father, Little Father my greetings and respect, and heartfelt gratitude for welcoming me back"

Emperor Ryat pulled his son into a warm hug, and brought him to the hallway together with his Empress.

"How was your trip down to earth, you never know how worried I was because, your tribulations were too sacred and no one is allowed to see what you were going through, if not for your little father's guidance, I won't be able to hold back myself"

Eros smiled at his father's blabbering again and again, nodding his head to his beloved little father, thanking him for guiding his father Emperor, he kept the smiling face as a must to keep the vibe of a happy family in public.

The family of three entered the palace and have themselves merry through the banquet, the Emperor can't stop boasting his son to other Gods and Deity whose present around the celebration.

But Eros knew, this was only for a show, if his father Emperor was really this proud of him that would be great, his heart smiled bitterly.

The Deity of Wind Rulan dance his presentation in front of the three sitting in gold and precious stones.

The Empress smiled at him, and gladly clap his hands, after the dance ended, then he asked the Wind Deity to kneel and kiss the feet of the newly ascended God to announce something special after his dance.

Rulan blush and hide his face on his sleeves, walking little step to come and face the new ascended God.

Eros clearly knows what it means when someone kisses a God's feet because that's what happens to his little father and father Emperor, before he was born.

He sweat cold and felt numb inside, especially when he saw a newborn wind spirit floats around, to cloth the Wind Deity coming to his line of sight, holding its hands to bring it in front of him with grace, while the other hand was still covering its flush face.

The way he saw the Wind Deity coming forward closer to him, Eros stand abruptly halfway before Rulan could make another step.

"Little Father, Father, everyone, I'm glad to see you all here, but I'm tired from my sacred tribulation, please allow me and I asked for everyone's great understanding, I'll take my leave and have a rest first, enjoy the remaining of the celebration"

Eros flipped his left arm and sleeve waves in majestic manner, gone into dust, leaving the Empress in a cloud of masked smiled filled with fury, and a face of clear shame for Rulan the Wind Deity.

Whispering and gossips start to elevate around the banquet, as to why the God of Love left in a hurry when it was pretty obvious what was going happening.