- 3 hours ago
- #rs
I choose that halfblood prince Ep,25 #RS | Full Short Drama | English Sub 2026
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The agony of having my divine core ripped out was still tearing through my chest, raw and relentless.
00:05I lay sprawled across the altar as Castian's fingers plunged into my chest without hesitation.
00:11He carefully lifted the core fragment and presented it to the nymph before him.
00:15Lyanna, from this moment on, you are a true goddess.
00:18His voice carried a tenderness I had never once received.
00:20If not for deceiving her into giving up half her divine core, I would not have spared her a second
00:25glance.
00:25He tore out my divine feathers one by one.
00:27He shattered my divine bones inch by inch, and Lyanna looked down at me from above, her smile laced with
00:34poison.
00:34Thank you, sister. Thank you for giving your life to make me whole.
00:38In my previous life, to help the man I had grown up with survive the ninefold thunder trial,
00:43I carved out half of my own divine core with ausitation.
00:46The first thing he did after ascending the throne of storms was drive a blade straight into my heart.
00:51Then darkness, deep as the abyss, swallowed everything.
00:55I snapped my eyes open and found myself standing beneath the vast radiant dome of Mount Olympus.
01:00Lightning flickered faintly within the clouds above.
01:02Aurelia, give me your answer. Who will be your king consort?
01:06Zeus, king of the gods, sat upon his golden throne.
01:09Hera, seated on her peacock throne, studied me with a gaze that pierced through everything.
01:14In the center of the hall stood dozens of ambitious heirs among the divines.
01:18I am Aurelia, daughter of Apollo, god of the sun, and Eos, goddess of the dawn, the most noble bloodline
01:26on Mount Olympus.
01:27Zeus had once decreed that whoever I chose as my husband would rightfully inherit the supreme throne of storms.
01:33And now, carrying the phantom pain of my torn heart, I had returned to the very moment where fate would
01:39be decided.
01:40Your majesty, I choose...
01:43Wait!
01:44The arrogant voice cut me off without warning.
01:46Cassian stepped forward, wearing the divine blade I had once begged Hepnitis to forge for him.
01:50The most handsome prince on all of Mount Olympus.
01:53The man who had killed me with his own hands in my past life.
01:56Dropping to one knee, he glanced at me with undisguised disdain.
01:59Father, I know Aurelia is hopelessly infamorated with me, but the only one I truly love is Lyanna.
02:03The hall erupted into stunned whispers.
02:05Zeus' face darkened, while the princes who had shown little interest moments ago now watched with burning intensity.
02:11Everyone knew what marrying me meant.
02:13Power, dominion.
02:14But I understand Aurelia cannot live without me.
02:17Cassian adopted a tone of false generosity.
02:19I am willing to show mercy, and allow her to keep her title as princess and remain by my side
02:24as a consort.
02:25Lyanna and I have already sworn a blood oath before the fates.
02:28If I betray her, may I fall forever into Tartarus.
02:31Zeus flew into a rage.
02:32The thunder scepter slammed against the ground, shaking the entire divine hall.
02:37Insolence!
02:37A lowy nymph who stole her place among the divines compare herself to the daughter of the sun?
02:42Cassian turned toward me, impatience, clearing his voice.
02:45Aurelia, what are you waiting for?
02:46I have already granted you the honor of staying by my side.
02:49Hurry and thank the king of gods.
02:50I stared at his face.
02:52My fury hardened into a cold, mocking smile.
02:55Lyanna, that nymph.
02:57After the Titan War, my mother gave birth to me on scorched land and hid me in a cave.
03:01That nymph's family discovered my unawakened divine core, and in their madness sent their own daughter to Mount Olympus disguised
03:07as a divine princess.
03:08For a full century, she fed like a leech on the glory and privilege that were meant to be mine.
03:13It was only when the phoenix flame within my fully awakened that her lies were burned away.
03:18My mother, enraged, had intended to bring down divine punishment.
03:22Lyanna fell to her knees clinging to her ankle and begging for mercy.
03:25And somehow managed to cling to her worthless life.
03:28Her parents, however, were later torn to pieces during a Beastpawn attack.
03:32In my previous life, I had even felt guilty for that and yielded to her at every turn.
03:36Until the moment I died, when she whispered in my ear with a smile.
03:40The Beastpawn had been lured there by her own hand to silence them.
03:43The hatred was so intense my nails dug deep into my palms.
03:47Golden divine blood dripped onto the polished marble floor.
03:50The phoenix flame within me roared, my skin burning like heated iron.
03:55But I forced the killing intent down.
03:57Death would be far too merciful for them.
03:59I wanted them alive, watching as they sank into endless ruin.
04:02I drew a slow breath, the corner of my lips lifting into a cold, predatory smile.
04:07Your Majesty, I have made my choice.
04:10All eyes locked onto me instantly.
04:11Cassian lifted his chin, his face full of a victor's arrogance.
04:14I stepped forward to the throne, etched a name into Zeus' palm with divine power,
04:18and conveyed my plan through divine will.
04:20His pupils tightened slightly.
04:22Surprise flickered for only a moment before turning into cold approval.
04:26Since you have decided I will prepare a wedding unlike any the world has ever seen.
04:30Zeus' sharp gaze shifted past me and struck Cassian.
04:34As for you, return to your palace and remain confined until the wedding begins.
04:38Cassian lowered his head, unable to hide the satisfaction curling at his lips.
04:43He believed this grand wedding was a compromise made for him.
04:47What he did not know was that the bride was not me.
04:50It was that wretched nymph.
04:52When I stepped out of the side hall, Cassian was still waiting in the corridor,
04:56with Lyanna clinging to his arm, looking fragile and pitiful.
04:59Sister, she said as she approached, her eyes shimmering with tears.
05:03Thank you for your generality, for making this possible.
05:06Canyon immediately pulled her into his arms.
05:08Auroraia, Lyanna's parents died because of you.
05:12Shouldn't you at least offer a few relic artifacts as compensation?
05:14I watched the nauseating performance in silence.
05:17Seeing that I did not respond, Cassian's tone softened just slightly.
05:21Though reluctant, languid beneath it.
05:22Aradia, I have one more request.
05:26Lyanna's power is too weak.
05:28She cannot withstand a divine pot.
05:30I need to borrow your divine core.
05:33For a brief moment, my mind rang with a sharp, piercing hum.
05:38I was seconds away from losing control, from letting the flames at my fingertips erupt and
05:43reduce them both to ash.
05:44But that would be far too crude.
05:46Just as the tension thickened into suffocating silence, a low, magnetic voice cut cleanly
05:51through it.
05:52Princess Auroraia, His Majesty the King of Gods has sent me to escort you.
05:56The speaker was a young man with black hair and dark eyes, tall and composed, with a pair
06:00of partially formed horns at his crown, a mark of a divine bloodline not yet fully awakened,
06:05a symbol of his half-blood identity.
06:07On Mount Olympus, where bloodline meant everything, he was branded as inferior.
06:12But I remembered him.
06:14Lucian.
06:15In my past life he had been like a cold shadow, quiet, withdrawn, never seeking favor, always
06:20lingering at the edges, until the day I died.
06:23While the gods stood by and looked upon my corpse with indifference, only he broke through
06:27the barriers in a frenzy and dropped to his knees in the pool of my blood.
06:30His trembling hands gathered what remained of me, and scorching tears fell onto my face.
06:35He buried me at the peak of Mount Olympus, planted a golden apple tree, then drew his
06:39sword and alone and without hesitation, charged toward Cassian's throne of storms.
06:43He went to his death for a woman who had never once truly seen him.
06:47I studied him for a long moment, then the flames around me faded, and I offered him a completely
06:51unguarded smile.
06:53Let's go.
06:53Stop!
06:54Cassian's voice cracked like a whip as he stepped forward, glaring at
06:57Lucian.
06:57You worthless half-flood!
06:59What right do you have to stand beside Aurelia?
07:01He is my future king, Consort.
07:03That alone gives him the right to walk at my side.
07:05I did not spare Cassius even a glance.
07:07Instead of throwing a tantrum here, you should go prepare for the ascension trial in five days.
07:11Try not to die in the lightning.
07:12Lucian stiffened for just a moment.
07:14A flicker of surprise crossed his dark eyes, and a faint flush crept behind his ears.
07:19At the mention of the trial, Cassian's anger instantly gave way to arrogance.
07:22A mere divine trial means nothing.
07:24Even without your divine core, I will crush it underfoot.
07:27Five days from now, you'd better be ready to become my woman.
07:30I ignored the barking behind me and walked down the corridor with Lucian at my side.
07:34The king of God's plan!
07:36I said, you already know it?
07:38Lucian stopped.
07:39Then, without hesitation, he dropped to one knee.
07:42Your highness, I, Lucian, swear this oath before the fates.
07:45If I ever betray you in this life, may my soul essence be torn apart, and may I suffer eternal
07:50torment in Tartaros.
07:52A blinding dark gold light burst from his brow and shot into the sky.
07:56Thunder roared across the heavens.
07:58This was a supreme law witnessed by Zeus himself.
08:00A vow bound by the soul.
08:02Unbreakable.
08:03I removed the starfall pendant from my waist.
08:05It was a sacred artifact forged by Selman, goddess of the moon.
08:08I fastened it onto his belt with my own hands.
08:10I believe you.
08:11Princess Aurora.
08:12His voice trembled, horsey with emotion.
08:15Even if I burn my bones and blood to nothing, I will never fail you.
08:19My palace stood at the easternmost edge of Mount Olympus, where it welcomed the first light
08:23of dawn each day.
08:24At the center of the courtyard grew a golden apple tree, nurtured by my mother from a branch
08:29of Yggdrasil.
08:30It symbolized home and sanctuary.
08:32For a hundred years, I had tended it with the light of dawn and nourished it with moonlight
08:37until it grew into a towering giant.
08:39But when I stepped through the gates, what greeted me was a silent ruin.
08:44My maid, Myra, stumbled forward and collapsed at my feet.
08:48Her translucent rings were tattered, her dress stained with dirt.
08:52Your highness, they cut down your tree!
08:54I shoved the gates open.
08:55The golden apple tree, the one that carried a century of my devotion, had been severed
08:58at its base.
08:59The massive trunk lay fallen, golden leaves scattered across the cold stone like divine
09:02tears of blood.
09:03Golden sap poured endlessly from the wound, while unripe fruit fell into the dirt, shriveling
09:07and rotting in moments.
09:08Everything was destroyed.
09:10Slowly, I lifted my head.
09:12My eyes burned red with overwhelming fury.
09:15Cassian stood casually in the center of the wreckage, idly twirling the divine blade forged
09:20by Hephaestus.
09:21Drops of golden sap still clung to its sharp edge.
09:24His expression was relaxed, as though he had nearly crushed an insignificant insect.
09:29What gives you the right to touch my tree?
09:31My voice was soft, colder than winter wind.
09:34It was just a useless tree.
09:36Cassian shrugged, unconcerned.
09:38Lyanna likes lumaine rose.
09:39Starting tomorrow, this place will be cleared and replanted with roses.
09:42This is my domain.
09:43You are about to belong to me.
09:44Cassian's expression darkened at my defiance.
09:46He strode forward, towering over me.
09:48Aurelia, understand your position.
09:49If you anger me, I can withdraw my offer to marry you at any time.
09:52When that happens, even if you beg at my feet, I would not spare you a glance.
09:55He was waiting for fear, waiting for submission.
09:58But I only looked at him coldly, as if I were staring at a rotting corpse.
10:02Cassian, put away that disgusting arrogance.
10:05My future husband could be a hound from hell, and it still would never be you.
10:08For a split second, the killing intent in my eyes unsettled him.
10:11Then he let out a mocking laugh.
10:12Other than me, who on Mount Olympus would dare marry you?
10:16Do not forget, the King of Gods personally ordered preparations for our wedding.
10:20Of course.
10:20In his arrogance, he believed that grand ceremony was meant for him.
10:24He could not possibly imagine that, on that very day,
10:26the bride waiting for him would be the monster he cherished most.
10:29Enjoy your last days of glory, Cassian.
10:32I watched his retreating finger, a cruel smile curling at my lips.
10:35In five days, I will show you exactly what it feels like to fall into hell.
10:38Five days later, the Abyss of Thunder.
10:41A terrifying chasm carved deep within the mountains of Mount Olympus.
10:44A scar left behind when Zeus split the earth with his thunder scepter.
10:48The abyss plunged endlessly into darkness.
10:50The charred rock walls bore the violent marks of ancient lightning strikes,
10:54while within the eternal black, violet gold lightning slithered and hissed like venomous serpents.
10:59The gods had gathered.
11:01Zeus sat upon the supreme throne at the edge of the abyss.
11:04The twelve principal gods arrayed on either side,
11:06their presence pressing down like a raging sea.
11:10Unexpectedly, Liana had dared to come as well.
11:12She wore a flowing white gown, her golden hair adorned with lumina roses,
11:16clinging delicately to Cassian's arm as though she were already a crowned queen.
11:20Cassian caught sight of me from afar and immediately strode over with Lyanna,
11:24a confident, calculated smile on his face.
11:27Aurora, today's trial will depend on the divine core within you.
11:30I answered his shamelessness with silence.
11:32Then his gaze shifted past me and froze.
11:34Luian stood quietly at the edge of the abyss.
11:36He wore plain black leather armor, his posture straight as a blade.
11:40At his waist hung the starfall pendant, glowing softly with moonlight.
11:44How does a mung like you possess the starfall pendant?
11:47Cassian's veins bulged at his temples, fury nearly consuming his reason.
11:51Lucian did not even bother to draw his weapon.
11:53He simply met Cassian's gaze, cold and distant, as though looking at a speck of dust.
11:57Sensing the tension, Lyanna quickly pressed herself against Cassian's arm.
12:00My love, do not be angry.
12:01That pendant must be a cheap imitation Aurelia found.
12:03A lowly half-blood like him would probably turn to ash before surviving even the first strike of lightning.
12:08Cassian regained some of his arrogance and let out a cold snort, casting me a finna-warning glance before tumming
12:13away.
12:16The trial began.
12:17The son of Ares was the first to leap into the abyss.
12:20A deafening roar followed as violet gold lightning crashed down upon him.
12:24His scream tore through the air as he was hurled violently against the rock wall.
12:28The sound of shattering bones echoed clearly.
12:30He barely survived the first heaven's judgment before losing all ability to continue.
12:34The challengers that followed fared little better.
12:36The strongest among them managed to endure only three strikes of lightning.
12:42A shadow darkened Zeus's gaze.
12:46Cassian.
12:47At last, it was his turn.
12:49Cassian strode into the center of the abyss with absolute confidence, and to everyone's shock, Lyanna gathered her skirts and
12:55followed him.
12:55Gasps erupted across the crowd.
12:57Even the original force of the abyss could tear a fragile ninkth apart in an instant.
13:00Do not be afraid, my love.
13:02Cassian caressed her cheek.
13:03With Aurelia's divine core protecting me, I will not let you suffer even the slightest harm.
13:08Lyanna closed her eyes, deeply moved.
13:10Then she opened her mouth and forcibly adjusted her life core.
13:13It was a thumb-sized crystal glowing faintly green.
13:15The moment it left her body, her once radiant skin rapidly withered, turning dull and lifeless.
13:20Her golden hair faded to gray, and deep wrinkles spread across her face like crack bark.
13:23Lyanna!
13:24Have you lost your mind?
13:25Cassian shouted in suscrot.
13:26For you, I would give everything.
13:28She gasped weakly, forcing a fragile, sorrowful smile.
13:31Completely moved by this twisted display of devotion, Cassian's eyes reddened.
13:35He took the green crystal and fused it into his own heart.
13:39Then he raised his head and spread his arms toward the sky.
13:42He intended to summon all nine strikes of the trial at once.
13:48The heavens were instantly swallowed by storm clouds as dark as ink.
13:52Violet gold lightning transformed into colossal dragons, wringling through the sky.
13:58The destructive pressure bore down so heavily that even the assembled gods struggled to breathe.
14:03Has he lost his mind?
14:05Zeus rose to his feet, the thunder scepter blazing with light.
14:08To invoke all nine heavens judgments at once?
14:10This has never happened in all the history of Mount Olympus.
14:13At the center of the storm, Cassian locked his gaze onto me, his eyes filled with desperate hunger and expectation.
14:19Lyria!
14:19Give me your divine core!
14:21Help me through this trial!
14:22My response was to stand there, arms crossed, cold and unmoving.
14:27The phoenix flame within me lay still, like a silent abyss, offering not even a trace of protection.
14:33Cassian's smile frozen.
14:35Auraria, what are you doing?
14:37Are you still throwing a tantrum?
14:40Do you not want to marry me anymore?
14:42For the first time, the arrogance etched into his face began to crack.
14:46Panic spread through him like poison.
14:49If all nine strikes fall, I will be annihilated.
14:52Will you really just watch me die?
14:55I remained moanless, like a flawless marble statue.
14:57A thunderous explosion shattered the sky.
15:01The first heaven's judgment fell.
15:03The violet gold lightning enveloped Cassia instantly.
15:05Amid the deafening roar, his scream tore through the storm.
15:08Blinding arcs of electricity scorched his golden hair and pierced straight through through the armor forge by Hephaedrius.
15:13He coughed up a mouthful of blood, streaked with flecks of gold.
15:16The lightning was destroying his divine bloodline from within.
15:20No!
15:21A more horrifying scream followed.
15:24Because Lyanna's life core had been fused into Cassian, the destructive force of the heaven's judgment surged back through the
15:29blood oath and struck her as well.
15:31The fragile crystal cracked with a sharp snap, fractions spreading across its surface before it shattered completely.
15:37Her life force drained away like a broken floodgate.
15:41In mere moments, her youthful body collapsed into that of a shriveled old woman.
15:45Her skin wrinkled and grotesque.
15:47No!
15:48Do not look at me!
15:49My face!
15:50Cassius, save me!
15:51She wailed, rizzling on the ground in despair.
15:54But Cassius could not even save himself.
15:58He dropped to one knee like a dying beast.
16:00His armor shattered.
16:02His body torn open with wounds deep enough to expose bone.
16:05There was nothing left of his former pride.
16:07He struggled to lift his head.
16:09The arrogance had vanished from his bloodshot gray-blue eyes, replaced by raw, primal fear.
16:14Lyria, save me.
16:16At last, I moved.
16:18The sound of my heels echoed against the marble as I walked forward, one step at a time, toward the
16:25edge of the abyss.
16:26Hope flared wildly in Cassian's eyes.
16:28Then, before his desperate gaze, I turned Cleany away and walked straight toward Lucian.
16:32I took his hand, large and rough, and laced my fingers with his, raising them high for all to see.
16:38My voice, amplified by divine power, rang clearly across the entire abyss of thunder.
16:44Who said I would marry this worthless man?
16:47The only one worthy to be my King Concord is Lucian.
16:50The Starfall pendant stands as witness.
16:52Silence fell over everything.
16:54Then, in the next instant, an uproar more deafening than the ninefold thunder itself erupted throughout the entire divine hall.
17:00The daughter of the sun chose a half-flood?
17:02Look, that is the Starfall pendant of the moon goddess.
17:05Gasps of shock rippled through the gods one after another.
17:08At the bottom of the abyss, Cassian seemed to collapse entirely, as if the strength had been stripped from his
17:13bones.
17:13He lay there in despair.
17:15No, that is impossible.
17:17The one you loved was me.
17:18Above, the second heaven's judgment had already taken form.
17:22It was no longer violet gold, but a deep violet black.
17:25The true color of chaos lightning.
17:27A force of absolute destruction.
17:30Aurelia!
17:31His final scream tore out of him like the last cry of a dying beast.
17:38The second strike fell.
17:40The violet black storm swallowed him whole.
17:43His screams were so agonizing they sounded as though they came from the deepest fires of hell.
17:48When the lightning finally dissipated, the entire assembly drew in sharp breaths.
17:53The once radiant prince now lay like a charred husk in a pool of blood.
17:56His golden hair had turned to ash.
17:58His armor melted into his flesh.
17:59His limbs twisted at unnatural angles, and it was impossible to tell whether he still clung to life.
18:03Zeus let out a disappointed sigh.
18:05With a light tap of a scepter, the storm cloud's hand vanished instantly.
18:10Spare his life.
18:11He still carries the blood of the divines.
18:14The king of gods delivered his cold judgment.
18:16To everyone's surprise, Cassian's will to survive flared violently.
18:20Dragging his shattered body, he crawled towards me through the blood.
18:22Each movement left a grotex trail set behind him.
18:25Then, with a dull thud, he collapsed to his knees at my feet.
18:28The man who had once carved out my heart and killed our unborn child now knelt before me like a
18:33broken animal.
18:35Aurelia, I was wrong.
18:36His voice rashed like sand scraping against stone.
18:39Please, I swear I will only love you from now on.
18:43I looked down at him.
18:43The ocean of hatred from my past life surged within me, transforming into a cruel sense of satisfaction.
18:47Without hesitation, I lifted my boot and kicked him to the ground.
18:50He fell onto his back.
18:51His clouded eyes went with disbelief.
18:53I bent down gracefully, my face close to his ear.
18:55The stench of burnt flesh nearly made me recoil, but I maintained a cold smile.
18:59Cassian.
19:00I whispered softly, so only he could hear.
19:03When you carved out my divine core in our last life, did you ever imagine you would end up like
19:07this?
19:07His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
19:09Confusion turned to shock, and then to a terror so deep it seemed to drag him into an abyss.
19:15At last, he understood.
19:16He was not the only one who had been reborn.
19:19You?
19:19You also came back?
19:21From that future?
19:22His teeth chattered uncontrollably.
19:24I straightened without answering.
19:26He collapsed completely, trembling in the pool of blood.
19:34I turned and took Lucian's hand, firm and warm, pulling him towards the center of the abyss.
19:40Go.
19:42This time, I will stand with you.
19:46But his feet did not move.
19:48He remained at the edge, as if rooted in place.
19:51What is it?
19:51I ask, turning back.
19:53Behind us, Cassian suddenly burst into vicious laughter, clinging to his last shred of hope.
19:58A coward!
19:59You chose a worthless man who does not even dare enter the trial.
20:02Lucian ignored him completely.
20:03He lowered his gaze to me, those dark eyes deep as endless night,
20:07filled with a kind of quiet, overwhelming tenderness I had never seen in anyone, in any lifetime.
20:12Your Highness, this time, I want to do it myself.
20:14He said, his voice low and steady.
20:16I froze.
20:17The fury of the lightning will damage your divine core.
20:19I will never allow your foundation to be harmed.
20:21His thumb brushed lightly across the back of my hand, sending a faint shover through me.
20:25Before I could argue, he released my hand.
20:27Then he turned, like a warrior stepping onto the battlefield,
20:30and walked straight into the abyss of thunder.
20:32When Lucian's tall, dark figure stepped into the golden pool at the bottom of the abyss,
20:36murmurs rippled through the stands.
20:38A half-blood with impure rensity.
20:40How many strikes could he possibly understared?
20:42I heard none of it.
20:43Every sense I had was locked onto the man standing below.
20:46He stood at the center of the abyss like an unwielding war god.
20:48He removed his heavy black leather armor and cast it aside,
20:51leaving only a thin linen shirt clinging to his body.
20:53The golden water soaked through the fabric,
20:55outlining the powerful planes of his chest and the sharp definition of his abdomen,
20:58a form so perfect it would have left even the greatest sculptors in awe.
21:01He closed his eyes, fists clenched at his sides,
21:04allowing the power within him to break free of its restraints.
21:07Above, storm clouds gathered once more,
21:09but this time there was no wild lightning.
21:12Instead, a suffocating stillness spread through the sky,
21:14as if some ancient beast, slumbering for tens of thousands of years,
21:18was slowly opening its eyes.
21:20Only one bolt?
21:21A god scoffered.
21:22The laughter died instantly.
21:23What formed in the clouds was not ordinary lightning.
21:25It was a pure black bolt that devoured all light,
21:28like the primormidial darkness at the birth of chaos.
21:32There was no thunder, no roar,
21:34only absolute destruction.
21:36As it descended, space itself tore apart,
21:38revealed fractures of shifting color beneath reality.
21:40Primordial lightning.
21:41Zeus rose abruptly from his throne,
21:43his expression shaken.
21:44This is lightning from the dawn of the universe.
21:47I have not seen it in tens of thousands of years.
21:50The black bolt struck Lucien squarely across the back.
21:53There was no explosion, no flame.
21:56Only darkness swallowed him whole.
21:58Seconds later, the darkness receded.
22:00Lucien still stood.
22:01He had not moved a single step.
22:03His soaked linen shirt remained intact,
22:05as if what had struck him was nothing more than a passing breeze.
22:09Silence fell.
22:09Then, the entire assembly erupted.
22:11Not a single injury?
22:13That is impossible!
22:14On the ground,
22:15Cassian's face twisted grotesquely with envy and despair.
22:20Lucien did not open his eyes.
22:22His jaw remained tight.
22:23The second strike fell.
22:25Two bolts of primordial lightning descended together.
22:27He stood unmoving.
22:28The third, three bolts intertwined.
22:30The fourth, four converged strikes.
22:32The fifth, five massive black bolts wove into a net of destruction,
22:37enveloping the entire abyss of thunder.
22:39Even the unbreakable rock walls began to collapse.
22:42At last, blood appeared.
22:43Black arcs scorched his bronze skin, leaving terrifying marks.
22:48Crimson seeped through his clothing.
22:49His brow tightened.
22:51His teeth clenched.
22:52Clearly enduring agony that tore at the soul itself,
22:55yet he did not make a sound.
22:56The fifth strike ended.
22:57I thought he would stop there,
22:59just as he had in my previous life.
23:01Enduring five Heaven's judgments alone
23:03was already enough to elevate him
23:05among the greatest on Mount Olympus.
23:06But he did not move.
23:08He stood like an indestructible blade
23:10embedded in scorched earth.
23:12I stepped forward before I realized it.
23:14A tremor in my voice I did not recognize.
23:16Lucien?
23:16He opened his eyes slowly and looked at me from afar.
23:19Blood streaked across his sharp features,
23:21yet he gave me a faint smile,
23:23wild and gentle at once.
23:24Your Highness, I can still fight.
23:29The sixth Heaven's judgment descended with catastrophic fury.
23:32Six bolts of primordial lightning
23:34merged into a single pillar of darkness,
23:36as vast as a column holding up Mount Olympus itself,
23:39and crashed down.
23:40The space around it groaned under the strain.
23:43The beam swallowed him entirely,
23:45and my heart clenched violently.
23:47When the light faded, Lucien was on one knee.
23:49His body was torn with deep, jagged wounds.
23:52Blood poured from him,
23:54staining the golden pool, a dark crimson.
23:56His face was pale,
23:57his muscles trembling from exhaustion.
23:59Yet he planted his hands against the ground
24:00and forced himself upright.
24:02He did not fall.
24:03Six strikes of primordial lightning,
24:05a feat unmatched in thousands of years among the Divine.
24:07Zeus trembled with excitement upon his throne.
24:09Good. Excellent.
24:10This is the true brilliance of the Divines.
24:13Lucien breathed heavily.
24:14Though his movements were slow,
24:15he maintained the dignity of a warrior.
24:17My thanks, Your Majesty.
24:18Turning toward Zeus, he bowed his head.
24:19He began to leave the abyss,
24:20dragging his blooded body behind him.
24:22Wait.
24:22I loosened my outer robe
24:24and stepped past the boundary of the abyss without hesitation.
24:27Entering the battlefield, he stood in.
24:30Your Highness.
24:31For the first time,
24:33fear appeared in Lucien's dark eyes.
24:35I walked straight to him
24:36and took his burning hand,
24:38ignoring the blood that covered him.
24:39Do not be afraid.
24:40I looked up at the storm clouds still churning above.
24:43Three strikes remained.
24:44Aurea,
24:46have you lost your mind?
24:48Zeus's voice thundered overhead.
24:49The fire within you is the origin of divine flame.
24:53If it is damaged,
24:55I ignored him.
24:56Closing my eyes,
24:57the phoenix flame within me erupted like a waking volcano.
25:01Golden red fire surged into the sky,
25:03forming a great phoenix that spread its wings around us,
25:06shielding us both.
25:07The seventh heaven's judgment roared as it descended.
25:12Seven bolts of primorval lightning merged into a monstrous dragon.
25:16Its abyssian jaws wide as it roared and plunged downward.
25:19Lucien instinctively tried to pull free from my grasp to shield me with his body,
25:22but I tightened my hold.
25:24Our fingers locked together.
25:25This time,
25:26we face it together.
25:28The black lightning dragon swallowed us whole.
25:31Pain beyond words tore through every nerve.
25:34Primordial lightning rampaged through my veins,
25:36clashing violently with the divine flame at my core.
25:38It felt as though my bones were being crushed piece by piece.
25:41I bit down hard enough to taste blood.
25:42Driven by sheer will,
25:44the phoenix flame surged,
25:45wrapping itself around the destructive force
25:46and forcing it, little by little, into submission.
25:49When the lightning faded,
25:50we were still standing,
25:51our hands still tightly joined.
25:54Lucien's voice was hossy with pain.
25:58Your Highness,
25:59your hand.
26:00I glanced down.
26:02Dark, charred cracks had spread across the back of my hand,
26:05golden divine blood seeping through.
26:07I wiped the blood from my lips without concern.
26:10It is nothing.
26:11Two more remain.
26:12The eighth heaven's judgment descended.
26:14Eight bolts of black lightning wove together into a vast net of darkness,
26:18sealing off the sky as it crashed down.
26:22The pain was ten times worse than before.
26:24A sharp fracture rang from my divine core as fine cracks spread across it.
26:29The phoenix flame flickered violently on the verge of collapse.
26:32My vision blurred,
26:33but I did not let go.
26:35Lucien's grip tightened around mine like iron.
26:37A force both fierce and strangely gentle surged through our joined hands,
26:41pouring into my body.
26:43We endured the eighth strike.
26:45My skin was covered in fractures like shattered porcelain.
26:49Luian was worse,
26:50drenched in blood,
26:51as though he had risen from a crimson abyss.
26:54Yet when he looked at me,
26:55his eyes burned like living stars.
26:59The ninth strike.
27:01The final judgment.
27:03The storm clouds contracted violently,
27:05compressing all their destructive power into a single point.
27:08What emerged was a thread-like black needle,
27:10so fine it was nearly invisible.
27:13Zeus rose abruptly.
27:15His expression shaken.
27:17That is the needle of chaos.
27:19Auraria, leave the abyss immediately.
27:21I did not retreat.
27:22Instead, I stepped forward,
27:24placing myself slightly ahead of Lucien.
27:26The black needle pierced through the phoenix flame effortlessly.
27:31It tore through my flesh and bone,
27:33driving straight into my core fragment.
27:36A sharp crack echoed.
27:38Fractures spread through my divine core like a collapsing canyon.
27:43Pain surged like a tidal wave,
27:45overwhelming everything.
27:47At the moment my core was about to shatter completely,
27:50Lucidian let out a wild roar.
27:55He pulled me into his burning embrace,
27:58pouring all of his soul and power into me.
28:00His strength was fierce, yet impossibly gentle,
28:04wrapping around my breaking core,
28:06forcing it back together,
28:08reshaping it.
28:09He was willing to drain every drop of his divine blood to keep me alive.
28:14The ninefold thunder trial was broken.
28:17The storm clouds vanished in an instant,
28:19replaced by a radiant golden light that pierced the heavens.
28:23It was Zeus's blessing.
28:25Divine power flowed over us like long-awaited rain,
28:28repairing our bodies.
28:29Within my restored divine core surged a terrifying new strength.
28:33Lucien's transformation was even more astonishing.
28:36The small horns atop his head grew rapidly,
28:39forming majestic dark gold crown horns.
28:42His tattered clothing turned to ash,
28:44replaced by a suit of black armor etched with flowing ancient runes.
28:48An ancient primordial pressure awakened within him,
28:51a presence powerful enough to rival Zeus himself.
28:56The gods fell into stunned silence.
28:59Even Hera's eyes flickered with unease and shock.
29:02In the distance Cassian lay collapsed,
29:04like a lifeless husk,
29:06his spirit utterly broken.
29:08This was no inferior half-blood.
29:10This was the purest, direct lineage of the primordial god Uranus.
29:15Older and more noble than any bloodline present,
29:18Zeus descended from his throne,
29:19something he had never done before,
29:21and approached the edge of the abyss.
29:23My child,
29:24from this day forward,
29:26you are the first heir to the throne of storms.
29:28Your grand wedding with Aurelia
29:31will be held in three days.
29:33Lucian dropped to one knee,
29:35offering a flawless knight's salute.
29:37I submit to your will, your majesty.
29:39I stood beside him,
29:41watching as the man who had once lingered in shadows
29:43finally stepped into his rightful light.
29:46The frozen weight of hatred that had bound my heart
29:48across lifetimes quietly melted away,
29:51undone by his unwavering devotion and quiet resolve.
29:55Three days later,
29:56Mount Olympus welcomed the most extravagant wedding
29:59in thousands of years.
30:01The entire divine mountain shimmered beneath radiant magic.
30:04In the courtyards,
30:06golden fragments of starlight hung from every branch,
30:08while garlands woven from lumina roses
30:10and laurel leaves stretched for miles.
30:12The fates themselves appeared in divine form
30:15to bestow their blessing,
30:17and the nine muses played golden harps,
30:20their voices carrying songs of eternal love.
30:23I wore a wedding gown woven by my mother
30:26from the very first light of dawn.
30:28Its long trail burned with sacred golden fire
30:32borrowed from my father's chariot of the sun,
30:35dazzling beyond words.
30:37At the far end of the crowd,
30:39Lucian walked toward me with steady steps.
30:41He wore a sharply tailored black suit,
30:44the starfall pendant resting at his waist.
30:46In his dark, endless eyes,
30:48there was no trace of gods or power.
30:51There was only me.
30:54He knelt before me,
30:56gently lifting my hand.
30:57My princess,
30:59will you allow me to be your blade and your shield,
31:02and walk eternity at your side?
31:04I clasped his hand in return,
31:05my fingers brushing the callies on his palm.
31:08I will.
31:09The moment our vows were sealed,
31:10a rain of golden light poured from the heavens.
31:14Fate itself had been rewritten.
31:16The celebration lasted for three days and nights.
31:18The laughter of the gods nearly shaking the stars themselves.
31:22On the final night,
31:23Lucian took my hand and led me away from the noise,
31:25into the palace gardens.
31:26I stopped suddenly,
31:27covering my lips in disbelief.
31:29Where ruin had once stood,
31:30a new golden apple tree had grown,
31:33already taller than both of us.
31:35Beneath the silver glow of the moon,
31:37it shimmered softly,
31:38its branches full,
31:39a few young golden fruits,
31:41already beginning to form.
31:43I went to your mother and asked for a new branch of Yugdura.
31:45Lucian wrapped his arms around me from behind,
31:47resting his chin lightly against my shoulder.
31:49His breath carried a faint trace of wine,
31:50his voice quieter than usual,
31:51almost shy.
31:52I am sorry.
31:53I used all my strength,
31:55and this is as far as I could grow it.
31:57My princess,
31:58can you wait for it to grow taller?
32:00Memories of the past flooded my mind.
32:02The shattered golden leaves,
32:04the tree that had been cut down without mercy.
32:07And now,
32:08this man had rebuilt it with his own hands.
32:11He had given me a home again.
32:13I turned,
32:14wrapping my arms around his neck,
32:16rising onto my toes as I pressed my lips to his.
32:19He froze instantly,
32:20rigid as stone.
32:21But after a brief moment,
32:22restraint gave way.
32:24His hand slid to the back of my head,
32:26pulling me closer,
32:27while his other arm tightened around my waist,
32:29drawing me firmly against his chest as the kiss deepened.
32:32Beneath the newborn golden apple tree,
32:34even the stars faded into the background.
32:36When the kiss ended,
32:38I rested against his chest,
32:40listening to the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
32:43I like it.
32:45He said nothing.
32:46He simply buried his face in my hair and held me tighter,
32:50as though I were something he had lost once and finally found again.
32:54All the defenses I had built,
32:56all the sharp edges I carried,
32:57quietly fell away within his embrace.
33:01The seventh day after the wedding,
33:03I reclined langily on a chaise in the courtyard,
33:05sipping divine wine from a crystal glass.
33:07Every morning,
33:08Lucien would nourish the golden apple tree
33:09with his powerful chaos energy.
33:11In just seven days,
33:12it had already grown several feet taller.
33:13Your Highness!
33:14Cassian and that Lyanna have come.
33:16They have been kneeling in the mud
33:17out outside the palace gates for an hour.
33:19I swirled the amber liquid in my glass,
33:22a cruel smile curling at my lips.
33:24At last,
33:25drag them in.
33:26Moments later,
33:27two miserable figures
33:28wrapped in tattered black cloaks
33:30were thrown into the courtyard like refuse.
33:33Cassian reeked,
33:35barely able to stand.
33:37Lyon lay sprawled on the ground
33:38like a lump of decay.
33:40The skin at her neck shriveled
33:42and lifeless beneath her cloak.
33:45Kneel properly,
33:46my voice was cold.
33:48Cassian stiffened instinctively,
33:50his old arrogance flickering for a moment
33:52before collapsing.
33:53His knees slammed onto the marble.
33:55Lyanna did not even dare lift her head.
33:58Cassian trembled
34:00as he pulled back his hood.
34:01The face that had once captivated
34:03countless admirers
34:04was now ruined.
34:06His golden hair
34:06had nearly all fallen out,
34:08what remained thin and ragged.
34:10His pale skin
34:11had turned a sickly gray green,
34:12and from his neck to his cheeks,
34:14slick scales had begun to grow.
34:16The heaven's judgment
34:17had not only destroyed
34:18his divine core,
34:19it had twisted his bloodline.
34:21He was devolving
34:22into something base,
34:24something like a fish.
34:26Cassian suddenly snapped,
34:27yanking Lyanna's hood away.
34:29Aurelia!
34:30I was cursed
34:31by this wretched woman!
34:32Lyanna let out
34:33a shrined scream,
34:34desperately trying
34:35to cover face.
34:36Too late.
34:37Her face was that
34:38of a withered corpse.
34:39Skin cracked
34:40like dead bark.
34:41Sparse white hair
34:42clung to a marked scalp,
34:44her clouded eyes
34:45bulging outward
34:45in a grotesque stare.
34:49Cassian shouted frantically,
34:51It was her!
34:52She cast a vile
34:53love curse on me,
34:54clouded my mind.
34:55The one I truly loved
34:57has always been you,
34:58Aurelia.
34:59He struck Lyanna
35:00across the face,
35:01sending her flying.
35:02Then he lunged at her
35:03like a mad beast,
35:05fists raining down.
35:06If it were not for you,
35:08I would not have
35:09lost everything.
35:10Die!
35:11Die!
35:12You are lying!
35:13Cassian,
35:13you said it yourself.
35:14If I helped you
35:15trick a varian
35:16to giving up
35:16her divine core,
35:17you would make me queen!
35:18Lyanna curled on the ground,
35:20spitting blood
35:20mixed with broken teeth.
35:21Her voice is truly
35:22with hatred.
35:23Shut up!
35:23Cassian roared,
35:24panic flooding his voice.
35:26She screamed back.
35:28What did you say
35:28when you were on top of me?
35:29You said Averlia
35:30was nothing but a tool to you!
35:32That once you had
35:33her divine core,
35:34you would snap her neck
35:34with your own hands!
35:37Cassian's face
35:38drained of all color.
35:40His fists fell harder,
35:41striking her again.
35:43I will kill you,
35:44you lying ret!
35:45I watched the farce
35:46with mild interest,
35:48until boredom crept in.
35:50Enough!
35:51The word was quiet,
35:52yet carried absolute authority.
35:55Cassian stopped immediately.
35:56He crawled toward me
35:57on his knees
35:58like a beaten animal.
35:59Aurelia,
36:00you heard it all.
36:01I am innocent.
36:02Give me another chance.
36:03Let me stay by your side.
36:04Lifting his scaled face
36:06in desperate feeding,
36:07he reached out
36:07with those webbed,
36:08repulsive hands,
36:10trying to grasp
36:11the hem of my dress.
36:13These were the same hands
36:15that had driven a blade
36:16through my chest.
36:17The same hands
36:18that had held another woman
36:19while mocking me.
36:21I lifted my foot,
36:23clad in golden armor,
36:24and crushed it down
36:25on the back of his hand.
36:30The crack of breaking bone
36:31rang out,
36:32followed by his scream.
36:33Cassian,
36:34do not hide behind
36:35talk of curses.
36:36That magic only worked
36:37because your heart
36:38was already twisted
36:38by greed for power.
36:40You did not love her,
36:41and you never loved me.
36:42You only desired
36:43my divine core.
36:44In this life,
36:45you have loved no one
36:46but yourself.
36:46His face turned ashen,
36:48his body trembling
36:49as though plunged into ice.
36:50No,
36:51that is not true.
36:52I withdrew my foot
36:53and wiped my boot
36:54with a silk cloth
36:55in disgust.
36:56Get out!
36:57You and your precious nymphs
36:58can rot together
36:59in the mud,
37:00tormenting each other
37:01until there is nothing left.
37:02I waved a hand.
37:03Throw them out.
37:04Spread the word.
37:06Anyone who dares
37:07approaches my palace again
37:08will be executed.
37:09The guards dragged
37:10them away roughly.
37:12Aurora,
37:13you cannot be this cruel.
37:15Cassian's screams
37:16echoed through the corridor.
37:17Lucian stepped out
37:18from the shadows
37:19and,
37:19with practiced ease,
37:21pulled me into his broad,
37:22warm embrace.
37:24His thumb brushed lightly
37:25against the back of my neck.
37:27Did that disgust you?
37:29I leaned into his chest
37:30and let out a quiet breath.
37:32I was just thinking.
37:33In my past life,
37:35he never once spoke
37:36of love to me.
37:37Now that he has fallen
37:38from everything,
37:39he suddenly can't stop saying it.
37:40Lucian's voice
37:41was low and cold.
37:43Because those cheap lies
37:44are all he has left.
37:46Only cowards beg
37:47with false tears
37:48after losing everything.
37:49I tilted my head up
37:50to look at him.
37:51His sharply defined jaw
37:52was tense,
37:53his dark eyes devoid
37:54of any hunger for power.
37:55There was only an intense,
37:56unyielding possessiveness
37:57towards me.
37:59Will you always love me?
38:01I looped my arms
38:02around his neck.
38:03He lowered his head
38:04and pressed a burning kiss
38:05to my forehead.
38:08Until the universe
38:10collapses
38:11and time itself ends.
38:14That night,
38:15I dismissed everyone
38:16and entered the heavily guarded
38:17divine treasury alone,
38:19carrying a lantern.
38:20Moonlight filtered
38:21through the glass dome above,
38:23illuminating rows
38:24of divine artifacts.
38:26These were all items
38:27I had once bestowed
38:28upon Cassius,
38:29now reclaimed
38:30after his fall.
38:31The blade forged
38:32by Hephaestus.
38:33Sacred water
38:34from Athena,
38:35the golden apple
38:36of Aphrodite.
38:37My fingers
38:38taste lightly
38:38over the cold metal
38:39before finally stopping
38:41on a chain
38:41that glimmermed
38:42with a chilling
38:43silver light.
38:44The God's Bear chain,
38:46a tool used to bind
38:47and torment
38:48lesser divines.
38:49Once,
38:50Cassian had asked me for it,
38:52claiming it was
38:53for Lyanna's protection.
38:54I lifted the chain,
38:56weighing it in my hand,
38:57then deliberately placed it
38:59in the most visible spot
39:00near the ventilation opening.
39:02The next morning,
39:03Myra rushed in,
39:04flustered,
39:05Your Highness.
39:06Someone broke
39:06into the treasury
39:07last night.
39:08It was that old witch
39:08Lyanna.
39:09She stole a silver chain.
39:10Is that so?
39:11I set down my golden cup,
39:13a knowing smile
39:14curling at my lips.
39:15Let her take it.
39:16The bait has been taken.
39:18Three months later,
39:19a scandal swept
39:20across Mount Olympus
39:21like a storm.
39:22Cassian was dead.
39:23He died in a remote,
39:24barren ditch
39:25granted to him by Zeus.
39:26His body was found
39:27floating in the foul water,
39:29completely decayed,
39:30reverted to its base form.
39:31A palm-sized golden carp
39:32covered in fresting soils.
39:34The remnants of his divine core
39:35had been forcibly carved out.
39:36The killer was Lyanna.
39:38The powerless nymph had,
39:40under the cover of night,
39:42used the stolen godsbond chain
39:44to strangle Cassian
39:46until he stopped breathing.
39:48Then she tore open his chest
39:49and dug out the ruined core,
39:51attempting to devour it
39:52to restore her beauty and power.
39:54But she was a fool.
39:56Cassian's core had already
39:57been destroyed
39:58by the Ninefold Thunder Trial,
40:00saturated with violent,
40:01chaotic energy.
40:02The moment she swallowed it,
40:04that power erupted within her,
40:06tearing her apart from the inside.
40:07She died.
40:10Her corpse reverted
40:11to its true form,
40:12a grotesque water spirit.
40:14She sprawled in the foul mud
40:15by the stream,
40:16its shriveled scales falling away,
40:17hollow eyes staring blankly
40:18at the ashen sky,
40:19its mouth and nose
40:20filled with filthy slum.
40:21It was said that when she died,
40:22she still clutched
40:23the godsbane chain in her hand.
40:25The barbs had pierced
40:26deep into her bones,
40:27fused with her rotting flesh,
40:29impossible to remove.
40:30It was also said that
40:31as she drew her final breath
40:32in the mire,
40:32she cried out for her mother,
40:34the very mother
40:34she had once lured
40:36beast's family to devour,
40:38just to bury her own lives.
40:40When I heard the news,
40:41I was resting in Lucian's arms
40:42beneath the lush canopy
40:43of the golden apple tree.
40:44Myra described the gruesome scene
40:45in vivid detail,
40:46her tone filled with satisfaction.
40:47Lucian set aside the parchment
40:48in his hand
40:49and looked down at me.
40:50What are you thinking,
40:51my princess?
40:52I met his gaze,
40:53my smile bright as dawn.
40:54I was thinking of a joke.
40:55There is a flower
40:56in the mortal world
40:57called Lumina Rose.
40:58Lyanna loved adoring
40:59herself with it.
41:00Lucian raised a brow slightly.
41:02And?
41:02I have already sent people
41:03to plant fields
41:04of Lumina Roses
41:05all around the muddy pit
41:07where she was buried.
41:08He paused.
41:09Then a low,
41:10rich laugh
41:10escaped his chest.
41:12The expression
41:12in his eyes softened,
41:14filled with indulgence.
41:15He reached out
41:16and ruffled my hair.
41:17My princess,
41:18you grow more resistible
41:19by the day.
41:20I smiled and closed my eyes,
41:21resting my cheek
41:22against his warm chest.
41:23Sunlight filtered
41:24through the golden apple tree
41:25and his embrace
41:26felt warmer than the sun itself.
41:28The hatred that had clung
41:28to me across lifetimes
41:29finally faded away
41:30within this quiet,
41:31peaceful world.
41:32Time passed swiftly.
41:33To the gods,
41:34a century was no more
41:35than the blink of an eye.
41:36The golden apple tree,
41:37once regrown from a single branch,
41:39had long since surpassed
41:40its former glory.
41:41Its massive trunk
41:42required three people
41:43to encircle it,
41:44its dense canopy
41:45stretching wide enough
41:45to block out the sky.
41:46The golden fruit it bore
41:47shimmered beneath the sunlight
41:49like countless miniature suns.
41:50Over the past hundred years,
41:51Lucien,
41:52as the first heir
41:53to the throne of storms,
41:54had worked decisively
41:55alongside Zeus
41:56to restore order
41:57to Mount Olympus.
41:58With overwhelming strength
41:59and unyielding justice,
42:01he earned the respect
42:02and awe of every god.
42:03Even Hera,
42:04known for her sharp tongue,
42:05once declared
42:06before the pantheon,
42:08Lucien is more worthy
42:09of that supreme throne
42:10than any other.
42:13The mystery of his origins
42:14had also come to light.
42:16His mother was
42:17no mortal woman,
42:19but the last sacred guardian
42:20of the lineage
42:21of the primordial god Uranus.
42:23To escape those
42:24who hunted her,
42:25she hid among mortals
42:26with Lucien in her arms
42:28until Zeus's
42:29vengeancely discovered them.
42:31As for me,
42:32my power had undergone
42:33a transformation
42:33after enduring
42:34the primordial lightning
42:35alongside Lucien.
42:37My phoenix flame
42:38and his chaos lightning
42:39fused perfectly,
42:40evolving into something
42:41entirely new.
42:43Thunderflame.
42:44It carried both
42:45the endless vitality
42:46of rebirth
42:46and the absolute
42:47destructive force
42:48of chaos.
42:49The Storm Phoenix.
42:51Every spring
42:51in the mortal world,
42:52Lucien and I
42:53would leave behind
42:53the rigid formality
42:54of Mount Olympus
42:55and wander as we please.
42:56Sometimes we searched
42:57hidden valleys
42:58for trace of Lumita roses.
42:59Other times,
43:00we simply sat side by side
43:01atop a solitary
43:02snow-covered peak,
43:03sharing a flask
43:04of divine wine
43:04as we waited
43:05for the sunrise.
43:06Whenever I grew drowsy
43:07against his shoulder,
43:08he would gently pull me
43:09into his arms,
43:10shielding me from the cold winds
43:11with his cloak.
43:12You are the future
43:13king of gods.
43:14I teased him
43:15more than once.
43:16Why do you spend
43:17your days like
43:17a wandering poet?
43:19Each time,
43:20he would press
43:20a soft kiss
43:21to my temple
43:21and give the same answer.
43:23No throne weighs
43:24more than being
43:25by your side.
43:25One day,
43:26I stood beneath
43:27the towering
43:28golden apple tree,
43:29gazing up at the fruit
43:30that glittered
43:31like stars.
43:32Lucien came up
43:33behind me
43:34without a sound,
43:35his strong arms
43:36wrapping firmly
43:37around my waist,
43:38his chin resting
43:39against my shoulder.
43:40The scouts have returned,
43:42he said,
43:42his voice low and warm.
43:44In the eastern continent,
43:45the Lumina Roses
43:47are in full bloom
43:48this year,
43:48entire mountains covered,
43:50like a sea
43:51of violet stars.
43:52Do you want
43:53to go see them?
43:56I turned
43:57to meet his glaze.
43:59A hundred years
43:59had left no mark
44:01upon his perfect features,
44:02only deepening
44:03the calm authority
44:05that came with power.
44:07Yet the way
44:08he looked at me
44:08had never changed.
44:09It was the same
44:11as it had been
44:11on that long day
44:12in the abyss of thunder.
44:13Intense.
44:15Unwavering.
44:15Certain.
44:16Of course,
44:17I said with a smile.
44:19We became
44:20two streaks of light,
44:21cutting through
44:21the layered clouds
44:22of Mount Olympus,
44:23crossing the vast
44:24rolling waves
44:25of the Aegean Sea,
44:26and finally descended
44:27into a quiet
44:28Neymane Valley
44:28eastern continent.
44:29Just as the scouts
44:30had said,
44:31Lumina Roses
44:31bloomed wildly
44:32across the mountains.
44:33Under the soft glow
44:34of moonlight,
44:35their violet petals
44:35shimmered with a dreamlike
44:36radiance,
44:37like a flowing galaxy.
44:38The evening breeze
44:39stirred the endless
44:40sea of flowers
44:40into gentle waves,
44:41their soft rustling
44:42like a lullaby
44:43whispered by the earth itself.
44:44Lucian held my hand firmly
44:46as we walked deeper
44:47into that violet dream.
44:49Aurelia.
44:49He suddenly stopped,
44:51his voice carrying
44:52a rare tension.
44:53What is it?
44:54He turned to face me.
44:55The pale moonlight
44:56traced a silver edge
44:57along his tall,
44:58powerful form.
44:59Then the man
45:00who commanded
45:01the awe of all gods
45:02knelt before me,
45:03carefully,
45:03almost nervously.
45:05He drew out a ring
45:06from within his inner robe.
45:07It was not a divine relic
45:09adorned with jewels.
45:10It was a simple band,
45:11shaped from wood,
45:13its surface carved
45:14with two overlapping leaves.
45:15I cut a branch
45:16from the golden apple tree
45:17and carved this myself.
45:19His ears had turned
45:19faintly red,
45:20and for once,
45:21he avoided my glaze.
45:23It has been a hundred years.
45:25I still owe you
45:26a real wedding ring.
45:27I read the records
45:28of mortals.
45:29In their world,
45:30a ring represents eternity,
45:31without beginning
45:32nor end.
45:32At last,
45:33he lifted his eyes
45:34to meet mine.
45:35They burned with sincerity
45:37and quiet longing.
45:38Aurora,
45:39will you marry me again?
45:41Not for the throne of storms.
45:42Not for the alliance
45:43of the divines.
45:44Only because I am Lucian,
45:46and you are Aurora.
45:47I looked at the simple
45:48wooden ring in his hand.
45:50It held none of the brilliance
45:51of the starfall pendant.
45:52None of the sharp perfection
45:53forged by the god of craftsmen.
45:57It was only a piece of wood,
45:59shaped with patience and care
46:00into a circle that symbolized forever.
46:02And yet,
46:03in that moment,
46:04it was more precious
46:05than any crown in existence.
46:07I slowly extended my left hand,
46:08my voice trembling with emotion.
46:10I will.
46:11His fingers shook slightly
46:12as he slid the ring onto mine.
46:14The rough grain pressed
46:15against my skin,
46:16warm with his touch.
46:17In the next instant,
46:18he rose and pulled me
46:18tightly into his arms,
46:20his hand firm at my waist
46:21as he kissed me deeply.
46:22It was a kiss that bound
46:22soul and flesh together.
46:24Around us,
46:25the lumina roses
46:25swayed gently,
46:26their violet glow
46:27surrounding us
46:28like a tide of light.
46:29The moon hung high above,
46:30the stars bearing silent witness.
46:32Far away,
46:32the lights of Mount Olympias
46:33fleckered against the night.
46:34The gods might still be celebrating,
46:36the muses still singing,
46:37the fates still weaving
46:37their endless threads.
46:38And I,
46:39after enduring betrayal,
46:40pain,
46:41and fire,
46:41had finally found my eternity
46:43in the arms of the man before me.
46:44Later,
46:45my maid Myra once asked me,
46:46Your Highness me,
46:47you and Prince Lucio
46:48planted another golden apple tree
46:50in the mortal world.
46:51Why does it never grow any taller?
46:53I looked at the wooden ring
46:54on my finger and smiled.
46:56Because it does not need
46:57to grow anymore.
46:58Why not?
46:58She asked,
47:00puzzled.
47:01I never told her the answer,
47:02but I knew it well.
47:04Because a true home
47:05is never a cold palace,
47:06nor a towering divine tree.
47:09A home is a person.
47:10The one who will draw his blade
47:12and stand alone
47:13against the throne of gods
47:14when the world casts you aside.
47:15The one who will protect
47:16your shattered soul
47:17even at the cost
47:18of his own destruction.
47:19The one who,
47:20after gaining everything,
47:21will still carve a simple
47:22root for you
47:22with his own hands.
47:23The one who promises
47:24to love you for a hundred years,
47:26a thousand years,
47:27ten thousand years,
47:28and proves it with his life.
Comments