My Slave Goddess

The mountains Alex had run to weren't just any mountains these were the Bandit Mountains, a place feared even by the kingdom itself.

Why? Because most of the kingdom's dirty work came from there.

Illegal slave trading, black market dealings, smuggling divine relics, and even cursed potion brewing all of it started in these mountains. The royal court acted like they didn't know, but they knew. They just didn't care as long as the gold kept flowing.

But that wasn't the worst part.

These mountains were also home to terrifying monsters, creatures too dangerous to be hunted and too wild to be tamed. This place was lawless. Deadly.

Alex was still catching his breath. Ashley was leaning against the wall of the cave they found, her breathing shallow. Her skin still shimmered with faint divine light, but it was flickering like a dying lantern.

Then it stopped.

The glow disappeared.

Alex froze. "Wait… you're not glowing anymore?"

Ashley looked at her hands, her face pale but calm. "I stopped it."

"You what?"

"I can stop my divine aura from showing."

Alex stared. "Why didn't you do that back when we first met? You know, in that golden room where you were floating and shining like some holy sun?"

Ashley looked down. "Because… it's forbidden."

"Forbidden?" Alex stepped closer. "Why?"

"It is forbidden for a vessel to see a goddess without her divine power," she said quietly.

He raised an eyebrow. "So you're breaking rules now?"

"No," Ashley answered, but then hesitated.

Alex folded his arms. "You sure? Because you don't look like a glowing goddess anymore."

She gave a weak smile. "That's because you're no longer just a vessel to me."

Alex blinked. "Then what am I?"

Ashley looked up at him. "For now… I think we're friends."

Before Alex could even respond, the ground shook slightly.

A heavy stomp.

Then another.

They both turned toward the entrance of the cave.

"Did you hear that?" Ashley whispered.

"Yes," Alex said, already reaching for a sharp rock nearby. "I heard it.

The footsteps were getting louder. Heavier. Something massive was outside.

Then came the roar a deep, echoing scream that made the cave walls tremble.

Alex moved toward the entrance, just enough to peek out.

What he saw made him step back instantly.

Two giant trolls were stomping across the rocks, sniffing the air, grunting and growling. Their bodies were massive, covered in moss and thick skin like stone. One of them had bones tied around its arms like trophies.

Ashley stayed low, her voice shaking. "They're following the divine aura."

"But you just shut it off."

"Yes. But they're confused now. It was shining just moments ago."

The trolls roared again and started smashing cave by cave — searching blindly.

The knights from the kingdom weren't far behind either. They had tracked them this far but didn't dare go any closer. No one was stupid enough to enter troll territory unless they had a death wish.

Ashley clenched her fist. "This is my fault."

"No, it's not," Alex said. "You didn't ask to be hunted."

Ashley shook her head. "I'm still a burden. I was so weak back there… and now I'm hiding again. What kind of goddess hides?"

"One that wants to survive," Alex replied. "And I'm glad you are."

She looked at him, her eyes soft. "Thank you."

Alex turned toward the cave entrance, then looked back at her.

"We stay quiet. We wait. If those trolls come close… then we run deeper. No matter what."

Ashley nodded.

The thudding of troll footsteps grew louder, echoing through the walls like thunder.

And so they waited trapped between monsters outside and exhaustion within.