Memories You Bring: Test For Love

The Test

The harmony of percussion and woodwind instruments played by the students of Apollo, the god of music, notified Dracasa, the home of love, to prepare. The event was filled with hundreds of love archers who were preparing for their test— or more like finding out their next mission.

Every love archer was given a task depending on his performance from the previous test. Which Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and other gods who are responsible to educate the matchmakers analyze to know who is deserving to graduate as a love archer— or more like be free from being a matchmaker which cursed to them from violating the unwritten rules of love and compassion.

Drums and woodwind instruments got louder and louder which made them grow nervous about whomever their arrows would point out. It was like they were about to find out their fate, afraid of who could it be as love archers fear to get a tough one. This fear was influenced by Eros, the god of desire who was given a mission and punished for falling in love with his target.

It is funny to think the irony about love archers being afraid to fall in love.

Mayhaps, again.

While others couldn't count how much they have sighed, Cupid, on the other hand, calmly placed his arrow to the thread of his bow. His eyes were cold and focused, waiting for the next cue. Their arrow would decide their fate. Once aimed, sure thing they could never escape.

The sound of the trumpet they were waiting for finally horned. The clouds in Dracasa heavens split in half. Love archers prepped their bows, stretching their threads, silently communicating with their matchmaker arrows.

They had to understand their arrows before shooting, like a question in a test. The image beneath Cupid gradually became clearer, so was the figure of certain someone— his target. The first thing that came to his mind when he saw her— legs crossed while sipping her hot coffee, reading a thriller book— was.. beautiful.

But the thought was queried by the chance he witnessed how the lady was raging when the cafe attendant accidentally toppled her coffee on her book and shirt. She blamed everyone in the store for giving her stares.

This lady doesn't know the word 'humility'.

That made Cupid wonder if ever the lady had loved somebody before, but he also guessed not. Probably not with that attitude.

He hissed, realizing that he got the task every love archers wished they wouldn't get— the tough one.

As he locked his eyes to the target for minutes, he didn't understand what suddenly triggered some obscured snippets of images he couldn't completely recognize when, nor why. He shook his head in bafflement and attempted to focus. But the pictures became clearer and clearer in his mind. They were alive as if it only happened recently.

He swallowed and closed his eyes for seconds to remove them. But it worsened. The memories kept on reminding him of vivid scenarios. Strangely, with the woman he was supposed to shoot.

"Hey," the other love archer called his attention in concern. There, Cupid realized that he was the only one who was still holding up his bow. He did not even hear the horn of the trumpet for the cue. "Why aren't you releasing your arrow?"

After a love archer released his first arrow, he would only had four weeks to find the match— which when the deadline expired, a punishment would be given. Yet Cupid couldn't even release his first arrow.

Love archers were confused about why Cupid, the best matchmaker in their generation had frozen and seemed distracted. It was the first time they witnessed him disturbed. They were worried. Cupid had topped previous tests and if he failed today, nobody could answer beforehand. Only the gods could decide. However, Aphrodite watched with calmness in her eyes.