Chapter 17-2 (Promised Love)

Soma opened his eyes, feeling his senses return to him as he blinked away the drowsiness of the morning. He took in his surroundings, recognizing the familiar wooden walls and furniture of his own room.

The sunlight crept through his window, bathing the bed and its occupants in a warm glow. As his vision cleared, he found himself lying next to Reol, who had a peaceful expression on her face as she slept soundly beside him. Her chest rose and fell in time with her steady breathing, indicating that she had not yet woken up.

'What happened last night? I can't seem to remember...'

His memories were foggy at best, shrouded in a haze of lust and passion. Soma tried to recall the events that transpired before he fell asleep. He recalled meeting the goddess, passing out and waking up to Reol seducing him to have sex with her.

'There was a drink... me and her, we drank it together and then...'

Flashes of memory raced through his mind; Him sucking Reol's hermaphrodite cock, fucking her from behind on the dining table, drinking the 'drink', and having rough, kinky sex with her all throughout the night.

'Right, that happened... but... something feels off. But what could it be?'

Seeing Reol sleeping peacefully, Soma couldn't help but stare at her naked body. Covered in hickies and bite marks, her body bore obvious signs of abuse. It was as if someone went crazy during their sex, taking pleasure in leaving these traces of their presence upon her. She wasn't wearing anything beneath her blanket either. That left him wondering just how much did he mess her up yesterday.

'These marks...'

Soma thought as he continued to admire her. He felt something stir within his loins— A stirring sensation of longing. Something about Reol made his mouth water. It felt strange, unnatural even. His arousal grew stronger as his eyes traced along her slender legs that peeked from under the covers. He took notice of her well-proportioned feet and smooth skin that shone under the sunlight.

"Urgh!"

With nimble movements, Soma jumped off the bed and picked up his clothes before darting off towards the door. He put on his underwear and trousers hurriedly, then walked outside to a water basin nearby to splash his face with cold water. The icy liquid soothed him somewhat, giving him an opportunity to regain some semblance of self-control. He sighed deeply before sitting down on the ground, gazing at his reflection on the basin's surface.

"Huh?"

Soma's eyes widened in disbelief.

'That's... not my face...'

Reaching to touch his own reflection, he pinched his cheeks and stared at himself intensely. His face morphed into a completely different person. Despite having the same hair color, his facial traits transformed from masculine to somewhat feminine looking. He had fair complexion, smooth skin, and a delicate face. Everything else remained the same as before except for the change in his outward appearance. His voice too had become softer and feminine sounding. His toned, muscular body shifted into a leaner and curvy figure.

Soma now looked more of a younger and androgynous version of himself. All of his stubble and facial hair were gone too.

'This isn't mine... My body has changed, why?'

Soma rubbed his temples, struggling to comprehend the situation he was in.

'What happened? Why has my appearance changed? What happened after I slept with Reol?'

Suddenly, he remembered his conversation with Ginova. The goddess' power to transform people's appearance to her liking, he feared he was one of her victims.'That damn goddess! She must be the one that did this to me!'

Panicking, Soma ran back towards the bedroom. Reol was still asleep. Her breathing remained unchanged, indicating that she hadn't awakened yet.

'I have to wake her up and tell her about this! She'll know what to do! I want my old body back!'

Without hesitation, he jumped on top of Reol and grabbed hold of her shoulder firmly, shaking her awake. To his surprise, instead of being alarmed or annoyed at his actions, she reacted positively to his touch. Her body shivered in excitement as her eyes fluttered open, revealing her lustful gaze upon him.

"Whoa~ Whoa~! It's morning and you are already raring to go!"

Soma blinked incredulously at her words before realizing he was pressing his clothed crotch against her groin area. A bulge formed underneath his pants, protruding against her own rod. Her hands groped his ass as she grinned wickedly towards him. She then kissed his neck lightly, planting butterfly kisses along his collarbone.

Soma's cock stiffened under the stimulus given to him. His hips began to grind automatically against Reol's waist, rubbing their genitals together through the fabric of his underwear. His manhood grew harder until it poked against the thin layer separating his dick from her penis.

'My pants feel tighter than usual! Did the goddess also alter my penis size?!'

"Hnggg~ So eager~ How adorable~"

Reol cooed as she fondled his ass cheeks, massaging his buttocks tenderly before pulling down his underwear, letting his throbbing cock spring free from its confines. Seeing how large and girthy his meat pole was, Reol licked her lips, eyeing his pulsating erection with hunger. She reached out towards it and took hold of his cock with both hands. She stroked it, rubbing her thumb against his tip. Soma gasped and arched his back by reflex at her touch.

"N-nevermind about my dick! Don't you see my face!? What happened to me!? Is this your goddess doing again!?"

Reol's hand froze, and she stopped stroking his cock, frowning at his question."I don't understand what you mean..."

"Don't play dumb! This—!" Soma gestured at himself. "Isn't my face and body! What does Ginova plan on doing to me?!"

"What do you mean, Soma? You are not making any sense here."

"No! There's definitely something wrong! I woke up today looking different than before! Look! Just look at me, Reol!"

"...What nonsense are you sprouting, Soma? Have you gone insane since our last night together?"

Reol let go of his cock and got up from her lying position. Soma followed suit. He backed off from Reol's embrace and stood up, pulling up his underwear to cover his crotch. His member strained against his boxers, wanting to burst out from its constraints. Soma ignored it as he gazed at Reol with worry.

"Just what is happening to me? And... what do you mean ‘since our last night’? You speak as if it happened a long time ago."

"Well... yeah? It's been over a week since we last fucked. We finally met again last night, but you fell asleep before we could do anything, remember? That's why I stayed the night in case you were thirsty this morning."

"Over a...week...?" Soma was taken aback by Reol's words.

'Wasn't it only last night that I had sex with her? I swear it only happened last night.'

Soma took a step back by reflex, unsure how to respond. Before he could say anything else, Reol interrupted him with a laugh.

"What's wrong with you? Are you trying to play some prank on me? If so, then quit it already! Your acting skills suck balls, buddy! Or is this a new kink of yours?"

Reol said while pointing at Soma's erect penis which had been poking through his boxers. It seemed regardless of his confusion, Soma's libido still wouldn't calm down no matter what.

"No! We had sex last night, remember!? I-I sucked your dick! And then we had sex on the table! And then... and then..."

Reol tilted her head to the side still with an innocent smile upon hearing all those things Soma mentioned.

"That happened, yes. A week ago. What? Could it be that you forgot?" She then put on a playful smirk, raising one eyebrow quizzically as she stared at Soma. "This one week period, have you forgotten everything that happened? From the time I'm referring to... when we had sex in your house to now? Or is that you're trying to tease me by saying such things to rile me up, huh~?"

"It's true! I swear I'm telling the truth!" Soma refuted strongly, stepping forward, staring Reol straight into her eyes.

'Is she serious? Has one week passed by already? Why can't I remember anything about it!? What are the odds that she's screwing with me...?'

Soma took a deep breath to calm himself down, "No, Reol. Please listen to me. I'm serious here. I don't understand why I am changing into this... form. I need to know if your goddess has anything to do with this."

As Soma spoke earnestly, he saw Reol's face turning into one of disbelief. She blinked once, twice, before opening her mouth to reply.

"...You are not joking?" She asked with a tone full of doubt.

"Do I look like I'm joking?! Seriously!"

"Uuhhh... Alright, if that's how you wanna play it then fine, I guess... No... No, I don't think so..." Reol averted her gaze awkwardly, scratching her cheek, "Hmm, maybe you really did lose your memories. You were drinking TOO much, after all..."

'She doesn't believe me.' Soma thought while crossing his arms together as he pondered her answer.

"Well, how about this? Walk with me to the Rabbit Hole and I'll tell you what happened for the past week on the way."

"...Alright."

"Great! Let's get dressed first!" Reol declared happily as she put on her clothes. She wore a pair of baggy trousers, a shirt, and a leather jacket. Soma didn't waste any time following suit, grabbing his attire that rested on the floor before slipping them on.

They left the small house together shortly after, heading towards their destination.

—————————…

"Where to begin? Right, how about the day after we slept together? We woke up in the morning, still a bit dizzy and hungover from the drinks we had the night before. Then you told me how you wanted to meet with Lady Ginova and ask her about something."

"Did I...? I don't remember any of that."

As the both of them walked down the road, Reol continued her story.

"I didn't know at the time, but apparently you wanted to talk about something important. Something about your childhood friend, Folia."

"...!"

Thump-! Thump-!

The moment Soma heard the name Folia, a sense of foreboding washed over him. He couldn't explain why, but he felt an overwhelming sense of dread and panic rising in his chest.

"I learned about this later, that you wanted the goddess to grant you a wish. To let you live a happy life together with your childhood dear. I'm not going to lie, I felt slightly disappointed that you threw me away that quickly. Especially after our night together."

"......"

"But at the end of the day, I—no, WE were happy that you chose to rely on the goddess. It means you trust us, in the power of the goddess, and her followers. With that resolve, the goddess agreed to meet you at her office on the highest floor of the Rabbit Hole."

'What exactly happened? Why can't I remember anything that Reol told me? What exactly happened at the Rabbit Hole?'

Soma gulped down his saliva, listening intently to Reol's words. He didn't dare interrupt her to ask questions, afraid that he might miss crucial information.

"You spent quite a bit of time there chatting with the goddess. I don't know the details of your conversation, but you came out of the room a changed man. Literally. Your body has changed to what it is now. Unlike the loyal followers of the goddess, our bodies were molded to resemble the goddess, to share her grace and blessing."

Reol paused for a second, collecting her thoughts and opinions of Soma's new physique.

"But you... you are different. Your body and face has been molded to be more masculine than feminine, while still looking beautiful. The goddess called me androgynous, someone who possessed both characteristics of man and woman in appearance. However, just like the rest of the hermaphrodites, people would still refer to me as 'she' and 'her'. You seemed to be the opposite of me."

Nodding to herself, Reol reached a conclusion.

"I'm a woman with masculine traits, a tomboy. Meanwhile you are a man with feminine traits, an effeminate guy. Maybe a pretty boy would fit you better. You chose to not have a vagina in the end, only a penis. This makes you fundamentally different from us hermaphrodites. But don't worry! We won't treat you any less for that kind of petty reason!"

"W-Wait..."

They passed by numerous houses and businesses along the way. There weren't many people outside this early in the morning though, aside from merchants setting up shop.Soma stammered at Reol's words. He didn't expect this type of twist in the story. Right before he could say anything, a sharp pain passed through his head— flashes of memory flooded his mind: meeting with Ginova inside her office and fragments of the conversation they had.

"You want to remain as a man instead of a full fledged hermaphrodite? Hm, that's fine. I will take some creative deliberation and adjust your body to my liking though. It is rather disappointing that you won't be able to experience female penetration sex. But seeing that you already had a taste of Reol's penis, I bet you'll enjoy anal more~"

"You will be a man with beauty beyond the standard of this world. These kinds of men where I came from are quite popular among women, you know? In a world where idols must look pretty and handsome, many would undergo numerous surgeries to achieve the look I'm about to bestow you. Even then, I doubt anyone could reach your level."

Soma remembered the goddess' smile and laugh when she made her decision.

'I did meet the goddess and I consented to the transformation... but I can't seem to remember why...'

Seeing Soma's reaction, Reol thought she might have jogged his memory.

"Do you remember what happened now? What have you done for the past week?"

"N-no, not quite. Just a fragment of my conversation with the goddess."

His feet came to a halt before a puddle on the ground. It was muddy, reflecting Soma's new appearance on its surface. His short hair and androgynous face were foreign to him. His jawline and face contour looked more feminine compared to before. Even his eyebrows were now slightly plucked to give him a more refined look. As for his body, his muscles had lost some of its bulkiness and became more lithe and agile. Instead of being muscly, his body appeared more svelte and dainty.

His eyes were drawn to the image, unable to believe that this was his new reality. He crouched down, staring at himself closely, his lips pursed in disbelief.

'This can't be real, right? My appearance has changed so much...'

Soma didn't get a good look at himself before, but now that he realized that the milk has already been spilled, he couldn't ignore it anymore. The skeletal construction of his face had also altered slightly. His nose was narrower, and his lips were plumper. All these changes were subtle enough to escape his attention before, but now that he knew of their existence, he could feel them affecting him more and more.

"Before, you looked rugged and unkempt. Still handsome, sure, but you still lacked some finesse. But now you look beautiful. You were like a bear, but now you're a majestic creature that captures the hearts of many," Reol giggled with mirth as she teased him, "A big improvement if you ask me."

"Beautiful... you say?" Soma questioned, lifting his head up to face Reol.

"Yes, you are very beautiful. I can't imagine why you would want to look like a commoner when you have such lovely features now. With a proper dress and longer hair, you'll easily pass off as a noble lady if you want."

"......"

Soma couldn't reply. He had no idea what to say. Reol noticed his silence and continued with her story as they resumed their walk towards the Rabbit Hole.

"Anyway, besides your physical changes, there was another thing that happened. It's concerning your childhood dear, Folia."

"What happened...?"

The sense of foreboding returned tenfold within his chest. Soma felt anxiety creeping up to him as he waited for Reol's answer.

"Folia was already married five years ago. Not long after you left the village."

"......"

Soma stared at the path ahead. The sounds of chatter and bustling of crowds filled the air around them as they neared their destination.

"........Huh?" Soma said blankly. He blinked once, twice before turning his head to face Reol.

Reol nodded. "The year after you left, Folia's family found her a husband. A wealthy merchant who stopped by the village to sightsee and explore. He met her by chance and took a fancy to her. One thing led to another and... well, they're already married for five years now."

Soma halted, stunned, unable to comprehend what she had just revealed. "Five years...?"

"Yes. Folia already has a 4-year-old daughter too."

"That's... "

The news shocked Soma, causing his mind to shut down temporarily. He couldn't think straight. Everything seemed unreal to him, like it was nothing but an illusion created by his mind to fool him. Yet he could feel the breeze blowing through his hair and the sun's rays heating up his skin. The grass beneath his feet felt firm and solid and the wooden buildings surrounding him stood tall and sturdy.

Soma's mouth went dry and his throat constricted. His palms grew sweaty and his breathing became shallow and fast. A mixture of anger, disappointment, and frustration boiled inside of him. His face contorted into an ugly scowl, but he fought against the urge to lash out and vent his feelings towards Reol.

In that instant, he thought that the feeling felt familiar. It was as if he already experienced this agony before.

'That's right, I knew of this... the goddess told me the day my body was transformed.'

Once more, fragments of memory flooded his mind. Him sitting on the comfy chair in the goddess' office while she whispered things into his ear. Her face close to his, her perfume's sweet fragrance assaulting his senses. Her fingers ran through his hair, caressing his neck. Her other hand reached down below, rubbing against his crotch.

He remembered her words vividly, they echoed within his consciousness.

"To grant your wish means to destroy her current livelihood. I can grant you that, but are you sure? Are you willing to do that? To take away her daughter and husband, just so you can live together with her as lovers?"

The goddess' lips brushed against his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Her hot breath tickled his ears and her moist tongue darted out to lick his lobe.

"Or... I can make it so she forgets her spouse and her daughter, replacing them with you... I could bring you and Folia together without hurting anybody or causing any harm to those around you."

'That's what she told me.'

The fog lifted, clearing up his mind, restoring his memories to their fullest capacity.Soma held his forehead while closing his eyes, focusing on piecing his memories back together.

"Oh, do you remember now? Do you remember everything?"

"...I do. I remember everything now. The goddess offered me to have her, to have Folia for myself without hurting the husband or the daughter."

"Hehehe."

Reol snickered at Soma's words. She leaned in close and whispered into his ears."But you didn't do that, did you? Instead you chose the alternative choice. A much more violent, and darker option."

"......That's..."

Soma gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he remembered the last conversation he had with Ginova.

"You can have Folia without hurting the husband and the daughter, but that wouldn't sit well with you, would it? She chose a different man despite the history you shared. So quickly too. Right after the marriage she bore her husband a child. They lived a happy life together."

"Even if she forgets about her husband and daughter, you would remember Soma. That her love for you was short lived, that she decided to marry a wealthier man than waiting for your return. That your promised love would never come to fruition."

Nothing could be hidden before the goddess. His deepest emotion and desire laid bare before her divine eyes. It was impossible for him to deceive her. She read him like an open book, knowing everything that was on his mind. She saw through his feelings and intentions, using them to manipulate him further.

"That's why I'm offering you an alternative. A solution to your problem. Would you like to hear it?"

"...What is it?"

"I'll grant you... freedom."

Like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, she spun a tale so alluring, so enticing that he couldn't resist listening to it. The temptation was too strong for him to ignore. Her words resonated within his mind.

"The freedom to do anything you want."