It has been three days since our encounter in the operating theater, where I agreed to his new rules. My fear of Taoxhul is still an ever present weight in the pit of my stomach, but it seems to be waning just slightly as the days progress. That terror that I have been so possessed by has been overshadowed by a gnawing desire for his approval- to be corrected by him. Something about the way he commands his power is utterly intoxicating. 

The routine he demands from me is exhausting, yet exhilarating- back breaking work in the lab, hardly allowing any room for breaks. Despite the aggressive demands of the schedule, I am gaining knowledge that I never could have fathomed; knowledge that only the Gods should know. I have come to understand that this place is my Garden of Eden, and Taoxhul is my Serpent, bearing the forbidden fruit that I have been chasing my whole life. This cycle of gratification and dopamine release has made me reliant on my new found companion. My days and nights are spent at a desk analyzing two dimensional equations that require two dozen brilliant minds and a super computer to assess. Taoxhul towers behind me as I work, only speaking when I falter. A silent, monumental shadow of sharp angles, bearing witness to my rapid absorption of impossible information, which my mind should not be able to contain alone. He rarely speaks, but when I hit a conceptual wall, or when my hands shake from exhaustion, a dark, elegant finger taps the terminal before me- his claws landing a sharp click on the monitor that shake me to my senses.

It is never a suggestion, always a correction. The truth he provides is so astounding and profound that the rush of understanding leaves me dizzy and unable to catch my breath. My entire life’s arrogant ambition is receiving validation through these incredible breakthroughs. My body has become secondary to the workload, but Taoxhul assures me that it remains functional- I am confident he won’t allow anything to befall me. 

Tonight, however, something was much different. To my shock, the research stopped- as Taoxhul commanded me to follow him upstairs, and into the lounge, once decorated with some of my personal specimens which I had gathered over my years of study; the view my eyes fell upon was entirely strange to me, but enchanting. The room was no longer the dusty space I had become accustomed to, but transformed entirely- draped in opulence. Expensive, dark silks and beads; deep blues and silver and gold, the room was softly illuminated by candles which look like they had burned for one hundred years. The smell of the room was that of ancient oils and incense, the throne room of something older than time. I turned to the entity who led me here, and beheld a magnificent sight that caused me to take a pace back. Rather than his usually finely pressed suit, he was clad in a sweeping garment that defied definition- a robe of woven void, made of fabric that seemed to absorb and emit starlight simultaneously, held together by metal clasps that resembled constellations. His crown of horns were amplified by this regal attire. 

“You have been serving me well, and your mind shows promise,” he stated. His voice was a low, musical rumble that stirred in my chest. “But your vessel is a travesty. It is unworthy of the information it contains, you are a flawless instrument of cosmic design; and you are dressed in the filth of the mortal realm.”

He approached me, his massive form now radiating an untouchable splendor. As his shadow fell upon me, I could not help but gaze up into his face. Suddenly, I was locked in place- once more losing my autonomy, and held rigid by a force that made my muscles burn with silent, suppressed struggle. Even if I wanted to speak at this moment, the words could not escape me- even still, he demanded my obedience as he offered me luxury. 

His eye glinted in the candle light, and he waved a hand over me- the transformation was instant and absolute. The leather operating attire I was so used to by now had been replaced by something entirely of my captor’s design; a heavy, magnificent coat crafted from shadow and starlight, glistening with expensive beads, and adorned with impossible angles and metallic accents. I could feel the pressure of his gaze on me, for he had completely and utterly remade me in the beauty of his own image, a Prince. A beautiful possession.

He stepped towards me, close enough where I could feel the warmth of his body on mine- tracing the Y-incision on my chest, a soft smile parted his lips, “Perfect.” 

That warm feeling filled my body when he spoke the word, though I wasn’t entirely sure of what I was feeling. But, before I could process the information, Taoxhul took my hand into his own. His movements were slow, yet deliberate; and utterly inescapable. The room hummed with a deep, resonant sound- the music of shifting dimensions as the light danced and warped around us. 

“You have lived alone for so long, Deimos,” he led me into a slow, measured step, “You have denied yourself the simple communion of others. You are my possession, but something as exquisite as you should be acknowledged.”

He pulled me tight to his armored chest, the dazzling materials draping our bodies pressed together. His hand rested firmly on the small of my back, guiding my every movement, enforcing intimacy while establishing physical control. Taoxhul moved with the grace of a glacier, and I was forced to follow- locked into his orbit. My proximity to him was overwhelming- the heat, the smell of his clothes, the sound of our steps. 

My companion did not make an advance beyond the rigid formality of the waltz, he simply held me, allowing physical presence- was he preying on the decades of isolation I had endured? It was the cruelest form of validation: confirming my loneliness by providing an intimate partner who was also my absolute Master. I gazed up at him, meeting his eye- I had summoned something that could wipe out the sun, and I wanted it to look at me.

He grew silent as I pondered this thought, and abruptly released me, shattering the connection at once. “The time for pleasantries is complete,” he cleared his throat, “The study requires absolute commitment, let us retire to verify the rest of your obedience.” He took my hand once more, and guided me to the bedroom. The heavy coat of shadow I wore felt like the only natural thing I had ever worn- and he tore the luxurious garment from my body as we tumbled to the mattress. What followed was an act of vehement devotion- he commanded my stillness, and explored my body with the same terrifying, focused attention I had witnessed the night he carved my body open on the operating table; making me feel analyzed down to the molecular level. He sought my total, ecstatic compliance.

The pressure that once threatened to fracture my skull was now channelled through the scar on my chest, transforming into a deep chord of approval. It was a violation rooted in ownership, a final lesson in the power dynamic. He did not take me; he claimed the space that he had already carved out inside of me.

I finally understood that the terror I had been so absorbed by, was the truth, and the truth was the answer I had been seeking my entire life. When I woke in the morning, the space next to me was empty, but the weight of Taoxhul’s approval was heavier than any mortal body. The fear I once felt was gone.