The Citadel's corridors had long since faded behind them as Hades led the group through a twisting labyrinth of underworld pathways, the faint glow of enchanted lanterns casting jagged shadows across obsidian walls. Yet with every step, Hazel felt a strange sort of liberation—like the weight of marble halls and endless authority was finally lifting from her shoulders. The air here, while cooler than she was used to, carried a briskness she hadn't realized she had been craving.
"This is one of the oldest wings of the Citadel," Hades said, his tone lower than usual, almost reflective. "These halls have witnessed alliances formed, battles won… and betrayals carved into memory."
Hazel let her eyes roam over the ancient carvings etched along the walls—depictions of dragons coiling through infernal skies, swords plunged into jagged stone, winged beasts circling high towers. There was majesty here, yes, but also the echo of pain and endurance. She shivered, though not from cold; it was the sense that the Citadel had its own heartbeat, and it was not a gentle one.
Alyssa walked beside her, her gaze quiet but discerning. "Even after all I've seen in the underworld, there is something… alive here. Something powerful radiating from the very stones."
Hazel glanced at her. "I felt it too," she admitted, "but I didn't know how to name it. It's like the Citadel itself remembers everything. And somehow… it knows us."
The path led them deeper into the forest that skirted the Citadel's outer walls. It was a place Hazel had passed in glimpses before, but never fully ventured into. The trees grew unnaturally tall, their blackened bark twisting toward the crimson sky like dark fingers. Yet the foliage shimmered subtly, catching stray rays of moonlight that painted the leaves with metallic red glints.
Finally, the forest opened to a clearing so striking it stole Hazel's breath. At the center lay a lake, perfectly still, its surface reflecting the red-tinted moon like molten fire. A faint mist hovered just above the water, giving it an otherworldly glow. The sound of the night breeze brushing against the leaves was soft, almost melodic, and every shadow seemed alive with the hum of spiritual energy.
Hazel's lips parted, and for once, words failed her. She took a careful step forward, feeling the pulse of the place resonate through her bones. It was serene, ethereal, and yet it carried the weight of the underworld's melancholy—a paradox she couldn't reconcile, and yet it enchanted her.
Alyssa's eyes widened, scanning the clearing. "There's so much energy here… so much spiritual resonance. It's almost overwhelming."
Hazel's gaze drifted down to the lake. Its surface glimmered like liquid glass, each ripple catching the red moonlight. "I could stay here forever," she murmured. "This… this is perfect."
The girls shared a quiet smile before shrugging out of their outer cloaks. Hazel's hair, wet from her previous excursions, clung to her neck as she stepped into the lake. The water was cold, but refreshingly so, like an embrace that cleansed her of the weight she'd carried in the Citadel. Alyssa followed, and soon both were laughing, splashing water at each other, enjoying the simple, childish thrill of being untethered from responsibility.
Hazel's heart thudded not just from the cold, but from a flutter of something unfamiliar—freedom, joy, and a tiny spark of daring that had lain dormant while she had been confined to her royal role. Alyssa's laugh was light and musical, echoing against the forest edges, and Hazel found herself smiling freely, the first time she had in weeks.
"I've never fallen in love," Alyssa admitted suddenly, breaking the silence that had settled between splashes and laughter. Her tone was soft, almost wistful. "I've always put my people first. There wasn't space for me to think about… other things."
Hazel nodded, treading water so she could float and look up at the red moon. "I've heard people say love can be… wonderful. But I don't know if I've ever been truly loved," she confessed, the words bitter yet honest. Her mind drifted involuntarily to her life as Ariana: the black sheep of her family, condemned for her dark hair, always out of place, always unworthy. How many times had she tried to fit into someone else's world only to be cast aside?
"I didn't realize," Alyssa murmured, her eyes sympathetic. "You never told me about… before."
Hazel shrugged, letting her gaze wander over the shimmering lake. "It doesn't matter. How can I love someone when I've never felt it in return?"
Alyssa hesitated, then asked the inevitable question: "What about Hades?"
Hazel's cheeks tinged pink, though she tried to mask it with a casual shrug. "It's… complicated. I can't read him. He's like an unreadable book, always holding a piece of himself back. Sometimes I think I'll never understand him."
Alyssa smiled softly, reaching out to squeeze Hazel's hand in solidarity. "Then maybe… it's okay to not understand. Sometimes the unknown is what makes it worth trying."
For a while, they floated in silence, letting the lake cradle them, the forest surrounding them in a protective embrace. Eventually, they swam to the edge and climbed out. Alyssa whispered some words in an ancient dialect, and a shimmering white fabric formed around them, thin enough to cling to their curves, ethereal and revealing, yet graceful. Hazel shivered at the sensation of it brushing her skin, a reminder of the strange magic they lived among.
She had barely adjusted when Lycan appeared, silently moving from the shadowed treeline. He approached cautiously, though his wolf Blaze buzzed incessantly in his mind, urging him forward. Hazel tensed instinctively, but before she could speak, Lycan's voice cut through the night air.
"She's my mate," he said quietly, almost a confession. His ears twitched with the wolf's agitation, and Blaze's energy practically pulsed through the forest around him.
Hazel froze. Her pulse raced, and for a moment, she could only process the words. Then she understood. The lingering gazes, the subtle protectiveness, the way he always seemed attuned to her presence—it hadn't been mere observation. He had been waiting for recognition, waiting for acknowledgment, and now… it was clear.
Before she could respond, Hades stepped from the shadows, aura flaring. Every branch and leaf seemed to shudder in his presence. The wind stilled. The air thickened with dark energy so potent that even the night seemed to hold its breath. Hades' fists clenched, and his eyes, sharp and stormy, fixed on Lycan.
"You claim her?" Hades' voice was low, dangerous, like the rumble of an approaching storm.
Lycan did not falter. "Yes. She is my mate. There's no denying it."
Hazel's mind swirled. Shock, comprehension, and a peculiar sense of inevitability collided within her. She had read something like this once in a book as Ariana—a tale of fated mates and inevitability—and now she understood. All the subtle signals, the lingering glances, the moments of instinctual protection—they were not merely courtesy or curiosity. They had been waiting, guided by an ancient, unspoken law of souls.
Before she could fully process it, Hades' aura erupted. The forest trembled. Trees bent under the raw force of his energy. Lycan braced himself, and the battle began.
Hades' attacks were precise, searing black tendrils of energy slithering through the air, attacking with lethal precision. Lycan dodged and countered with acrobatic ferocity, shifting seamlessly into his wolfman form. The forest around them became a battlefield of shadows and power. The ground shook, and water from the lake splashed violently in the fray.
Hazel watched, heart pounding, as Aries and Alyssa formed a protective barrier around her, ensuring she remained out of the worst of the destruction. She felt torn—fear for both men, awe at their power, and a strange, impossible pull in her chest for each of them.
The fight escalated, Hades' energy flaring beyond what she had ever seen, threatening to obliterate everything around them. Lycan responded in kind, each strike from his claws and bursts of wolfish energy matching the dark intensity of Hades' assault.
Hazel's breath caught as she realized how close the energy was coming to her. She could not let this continue. Summoning every ounce of courage, she pushed past Aries and Alyssa. "Stop!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Both Hades and Lycan faltered, turning toward her. The aura around them remained potent, dangerous, yet Hazel held her ground. "Enough. Both of you. This ends now. I will not let you destroy this place—or each other—over… over what? Over me?"
Hades' eyes softened fractionally, the rage ebbing, though his energy still hummed with tension. Lycan's wolf form relaxed minutely, but his gaze never left him.