ENCHANTED ESSENCE

FIVE – MILO

The salon was nothing like Milo expected.

The building looked out of place, wedged between two boarded-up storefronts in a part of town people didn't bother with anymore. Its windows glowed a soft golden light, the words Eterna Beauty Salon written in elegant script across the glass.

It felt… old. Older than the street it sat on.

The door opened before he could touch it.

"Come in," a woman's voice said smoothly, like she'd been waiting for him.

Inside, the air smelled like roses mixed with something darker—rich and dizzying.

Velvet chairs, gold-framed mirrors, soft music playing in the background—it looked luxurious, but the mirrors made Milo's stomach twist.

He didn't see himself in any of them.

A woman stepped forward, and Milo froze.

She was stunning. Breathtaking. Tall and poised, with glossy black hair cascading like silk down her back. Her violet eyes seemed to glow faintly, catching him in their gaze.

"You must be Milo," she said warmly, smiling like they were old friends.

He blinked. "How… how do you know my name?"

"Oh, darling," she said with a laugh like honey, "I know all the lost ones. And you…" She looked him over with a pitying shake of her head. "You've been lost for far too long."

Milo's stomach knotted. "I just—"

"—want to be seen," she finished for him, stepping closer. "You want people to look at you and finally see you. To want you. To envy you."

His breath caught. "I…"

She brushed a cool hand over his jaw. "You're clever, Milo. Intelligent. But the world isn't kind to men like you. Not when you hide behind glasses and slouch like you're apologizing for existing."

Her voice lowered, smooth and enticing.

"I can make you everything you've ever wished to be. Strong. Handsome. Desired."

Milo swallowed hard. "What's the catch?"

Her smile widened. "Nothing you'll miss. Just a sliver of your essence. Think of it as lending me a piece of your soul for safekeeping. You'll sleep, but when you wake…"

She leaned in, her lips grazing his ear as she whispered:

"You'll be a god among boys."

Milo's heart thundered. He thought of Cara's laugh. Of being invisible. Of hating every photo of himself.

"Yes," he said before he could stop himself.

The woman's violet eyes gleamed.

"Good boy," she purred.