Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

H elheim

Aria

I moved through the castle in a daze, shellshocked by what Mais had told me. I hurried down the winding corridors, my footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls as I made my way to the one place that I knew I could potentially find a way out: the armory. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing with every possible outcome, every desperate plan. The dagger Hades had given me felt heavier at my side, a cruel reminder of what he had truly intended.

The castle's twisting passages were familiar now, but they had never felt so oppressive, so claustrophobic. Each turn, each corner felt like it could be my last, the shadow of what I was running from looming over me with every step. But I couldn't stop, and more importantly, I couldn't let my fear paralyze me.

I had to keep moving.

When I finally reached the armory, the heavy oak doors loomed before me like a gateway to some otherworldly place. I pushed them open, slipping inside and letting the darkness swallow me whole. The room was filled with the scent of oil and steel. As I glanced around, the faint glimmer of weapons caught the dim light filtering through the narrow windows.

I didn't have much time. I could only hope that Hades was still occupied with whatever duties had pulled him away, that he wouldn't return until it was too late to stop me. I scanned the room, my eyes landing on the heavy iron grate in the floor near the back of the room—the entrance to the hidden passages that Liora had told me about.

My heart raced as I crossed the armory, dropping to my knees beside the grate. With trembling hands, I lifted it, the metal groaning in protest as it revealed a dark, yawning hole beneath it. The air that wafted up from the passage was cool and damp, carrying with it the earthy scent of the tunnels beneath.

I shivered with fear.

I hesitated for a moment, my mind reeling with the enormity of what I was about to do. If I went down there, if I disappeared into those tunnels, there would be no turning back. I would be leaving behind everything—my safety, the twisted sense of security I had found in Hades' arms, even the strange, confusing feelings I had for him.

But I knew I had no choice. If I stayed, if I allowed myself to be lulled back into that false sense of comfort, the prophecy would come to pass, and I would be the one to pay the ultimate price.

Taking a deep breath, I lowered myself into the hole, my feet finding purchase on the stone rungs set into the wall. The darkness enveloped me, the narrow passage pressing in on all sides as I descended into the depths of the castle. My heart pounded in my ears, the sound of my own breathing loud and ragged as I forced myself to keep going.

When I finally reached the bottom, I stepped into the tunnel, the stone beneath my feet slick with moisture. The air was cool and still, the silence almost oppressive in its weight. I took a moment to steady myself and let my eyes adjust to the darkness, before I began to move forward, my hand trailing along the rough stone wall for guidance.

The tunnel wound its way beneath the castle, a labyrinth that seemed to go on forever, the passages growing narrower and steeper as I descended further into the depths of the earth. My breath came in short, sharp gasps, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and decay. I had no idea how far I had gone, how close I was to finding an exit. All I knew was that I had to keep going.

Suddenly, the tunnel widened into a larger chamber, the ceiling arching high above me. I paused, taking in the space, my heart pounding with the hope that I might be close to freedom. But as I stepped forward, something caught my eye—a faint glimmer of light filtering through a crack in the stone wall at the far end of the chamber.

I hurried toward it, my hands trembling as I pushed against the stone, searching for a way to open it. The wall groaned under my touch, the stones shifting with a low rumble. With one final push, the crack widened, revealing a narrow opening that led to the outside world.

I could see the faint glow of moonlight beyond, the cool night air seeping through the gap. Freedom was so close, so tantalizingly close.

A low, guttural growl echoed behind me, sending a chill down my spine. I froze, my hand instinctively going to the dagger at my side. My heart raced as I turned and scanned the darkness, my eyes straining to see what was lying in wait for me.

Then I saw them.

Darklings .

They slithered out of the shadows, their twisted forms barely visible in the moonlight. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent hunger, their movements unnaturally smooth and fluid, like living shadows themselves. Their bodies were a grotesque amalgamation of sharp claws, teeth, and sinew, covered in a dark, oily substance that made them seem even more monstrous.

Liora's warning rang in my ears: They are relentless, merciless. They are the darkness given form, and they will not stop until they've torn you apart.

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the dagger. There were too many of them, more than I could count, and they were closing in fast, their growls growing louder, more insistent.

I had no choice. I had to fight.

With a cry of desperation, I lunged at the nearest darkling, slashing at it with the dagger. The blade connected with a sickening squelch, slicing through the creature's oily flesh. It let out a high-pitched screech, its body convulsing as it fell to the ground, but before I could catch my breath, another one was on me, its claws raking across my arm.

I screamed in pain, stumbling back as blood dripped from the fresh wound. The darklings were relentless, swarming around me, their glowing eyes locked onto me with a terrifying intensity. I slashed at them wildly, trying to keep them at bay, but there were too many, their numbers overwhelming.

Another darkling lunged at me, its teeth snapping inches from my face. I barely managed to dodge it, the creature's fetid breath washing over me as it only just missed its mark. I struck out with the dagger, but the blade glanced off its hide, leaving only a shallow cut that did nothing to slow it down.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I realized how hopeless this was. The darklings were too strong, too fast. I couldn't fight them all off, no matter how hard I tried. They were closing in, their growls growing louder, their claws gleaming in the moonlight as they prepared to strike.

A darkling's clawed hand swiped at me, catching me in the side and knocking me to the ground. I hit the rock beneath me with a thud, the wind knocked out of me. The dagger slipped from my grasp, clattering across the stones as I struggled to regain my breath.

The darklings advanced, their eyes glowing with anticipation, their snarls filling the air. I tried to crawl away, to reach for the dagger, but I knew it was too late.

I tried to call on the magic that had ended the battle against Sungard, but as I reached deep within myself, desperately searching for that familiar spark, I felt nothing. Panic gripped me as the darklings closed in, their twisted forms looming over me, their rancid breath hot on my skin. I strained, willing the magic to come, to rise up and protect me, but it never came.

I panicked.

They were going to tear me apart, drag me into the shadows and… A furious roar shattered the night, cutting through the darklings' growls like a knife.

Hades.

"Keep your hands off my girl," he growled.

His voice was a terrifying blend of wrath and power, shaking the very ground beneath me. I looked up just in time to see him descend upon the darklings like a force of nature, his eyes blazing with an otherworldly light. He was more terrifying than I'd ever seen him, his aura radiating a dark, palpable energy that made the creatures recoil in fear.

The first one to challenge him was obliterated in an instant, reduced to nothing more than ash as Hades unleashed his power. He moved with a speed and precision that left me breathless, cutting through the darklings with ease. His hands glowed with shadow magic, tendrils of darkness lashing out and tearing the creatures apart as he fought his way toward me.

But it wasn't just Hades.

From the shadows, a massive form leaped into the fray, its fiery eyes blazing with fury. It was Liora, but she was in her hellhound form. She was a terrifying sight to behold. She tore through the darklings with savage ferocity, her jaws snapping around their throats while her claws tore through their flesh.

With Hades' and Liora's combined power, the darklings' ranks quickly began to thin. The once-overwhelming horde was now a scattering of terrified creatures, desperate to escape the wrath of the Dark King and his hellhound. But Hades was relentless, his fury uncontained as he hunted them down, one by one, until there was nothing left but silence.

Breathing heavily, I pushed myself to my feet, clutching my injured side as I stared at the devastation around me. The darklings were gone, their bodies reduced to nothing but smoldering remains. Hades stood among them, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes still glowing with the remnants of his power.

He turned to me, his gaze locking onto mine, and in that moment, I saw the fear in his eyes—fear for me. The darkness that had always surrounded him seemed to almost waver, replaced by something raw, something that made my heart ache.

"Aria," he breathed, his voice hoarse as he took a step toward me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, Liora bounded over to me, her large body pressing against my side as if to shield me from any further harm. Her fiery eyes met mine, and I saw the concern in them. I reached out and pet behind her ears, soothing her in silence.

"Why did you run?" Hades demanded, his voice a mixture of anger and something deeper, something I wasn't sure I could face. He was close now, his presence overwhelming, his gaze burning into mine and I had trouble piecing together what I wanted to say next.

"I—" I started, but the words caught in my throat, the weight of the truth pressing down on me.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened?" he growled, his voice tight with barely controlled emotion. "You could have been killed. I nearly lost you?—"

"I know about the prophecy," I whispered, my voice trembling as I finally met his gaze. "I know what you're going to do to me."

The world seemed to stop as the words hung in the air between us, the truth finally out in the open. Hades' eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, he looked as if the ground had been pulled out from under him.

"I don't want to die." My voice broke as I took a step back, the distance between us suddenly feeling insurmountable.

Hades' face twisted with pain, and he reached out for me, his hand trembling as he tried to bridge the gap between us.

"Aria, please—" he started, but I shook my head.

"I can't do this," I said in barely a whisper as I took another step back, the cold night air biting at my skin. And with that, I turned and ran, the darkness of the night swallowing me whole as I fled from the only man I had ever loved.

I didn't get far.

My feet carried me only a short distance before I heard him behind me, his footsteps heavy, desperate. My heart pounded in my chest, every instinct screaming at me to keep running and put as much distance between us as possible, but something inside me wouldn't let me. Maybe it was the part of me that had begun to care for him. I didn't know.

"Aria, stop!" Hades' voice cut through the night, filled with a raw emotion I'd never heard from him before.

Against my better judgment, I slowed, then finally stopped, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I turned to face him, my heart lodged in my throat as he approached, his face a mask of anguish and desperation.

He stopped a few feet away from me, his chest heaving as he struggled to find the words. For a moment, neither of us spoke, the tension between us thick and suffocating. Then Hades did something that took my breath away.

He dropped to one knee.

"Aria," he began, his voice trembling with a vulnerability that I had never imagined from him. "Please, listen to me. I need you to know that everything has changed—everything. I've forsaken the prophecy, I swear it. I will never let anything happen to you. I can't. I won't. You mean more to me than power, more than anything I've ever known."

I stared at him, disbelief warring with the hope that sparked in my chest.

"You… But how? Why?" I asked, my voice shaking.

His eyes, usually so guarded, were wide open now, pleading with me to believe him.

"Because I've realized that nothing matters without you. The prophecy, the power—it's all meaningless if it means losing you. I've spent centuries seeking control, seeking to be the strongest, but you've shown me that strength is nothing if it comes at the cost of the one thing that I care about most."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, his hand reaching out for mine but stopping short, as if he were afraid to touch me.

"Aria, I'm asking you to stay with me. Stay with me as my equal. As my queen. I know I don't deserve you, I know I've done nothing to earn your love or your trust, but I'm begging you—please, give me a chance to prove that I can be the man you need, a man that you can love…"

I gulped, my emotions swirling in a storm of confusion and longing. The way he looked at me, the way he spoke—it was so different from the Hades I had come to know. There was no arrogance, no coldness—only a raw, aching sincerity that left me trembling.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked, my voice cracking with the weight of my feelings.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if gathering the strength to speak. When he opened them again, they were filled with something that made my heart stutter.

"Because I almost lost you tonight," he whispered, his voice breaking. "And I realized that nothing—no prophecy, no power—could ever compare to what I feel for you. I've already lived so long in darkness, Aria. I can't bear the thought of living in it without you."

Tears pricked at my eyes, my heart wrenching at the sight of this powerful man brought to his knees before me. This wasn't the Hades I had feared, the king who ruled with an iron fist. This was the man beneath the crown, the man who had fought for me, who had saved me, who was now offering me everything he had.

"And what if I say yes?" I asked, trembling with the weight of the decision that hung between us. "What if I choose to stay?"

"Then I swear to you, I will spend the rest of my life proving that you made the right choice," he said with an earnestness that left no room for doubt. "I will protect you, cherish you, and love you with everything I am. Aria, will you marry me? Will you be my queen, not out of obligation or duty, but out of love?"

His words broke something inside me, the last of my resistance crumbling as I looked into his eyes and saw the truth reflected there. He wasn't asking for power, wasn't asking for control—he was asking for me, for my heart. And for the first time, I realized that maybe, just maybe I was willing to give it.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I nodded, choked with emotion.

"Yes," I whispered, barely able to believe the word as it left my lips. "Yes, I'll stay. I'll marry you."

The relief and joy that washed over his face was overwhelming. He rose to his feet, pulling me into his arms with a gentleness that belied his strength. His hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing away my tears as he leaned in, his breath warm against my lips.

"I promise, Aria," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I will never let anything happen to you. You are my heart, my light in the darkness, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know just how much you mean to me. I know I don't deserve you. I know that I've made mistakes, that I've hurt you in ways I can never fully atone for. But I swear to you, I will give you everything I have, everything I am. I will prove to you that I'm not a monster."

He took a deep breath, his voice lowering to a whisper. "I love you, Aria. More than I ever thought I could love anyone. You've become my world, my everything."

Before I could respond, before I could tell him that I loved him too, he leaned in and kissed me. This kiss was different than any kiss before it—deeper, more intense, filled with a love so profound it left me trembling in his arms. I could feel his devotion in every touch, every brush of his lips against mine, and it was overwhelming in the best possible way.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes were soft, filled with a tenderness that made my heart swell.

"I'll never let you go," he whispered, his voice fierce with determination. "I'll protect you, cherish you, and love you until the end of time. I swear it."

I smiled through my tears, my heart full to bursting. "I love you too, Hades," I answered.