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“It is one of the few peaceful places in Helheim,” he said quietly. “A place where I come to think and to find solace.”
He approached the edge of the spring and knelt down, his fingers trailing lightly over the surface of the water. A strange, almost sad expression crossed his face.
I hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knelt beside him. My fingers joined his, the water warm and inviting. It was quiet, the only sounds the soft bubbling of the spring and the gentle rustling of the breeze through the trees.
I looked over at him.
“This spring has been here for as long as I can remember. It’s one of the few places in Helheim that hasn’t been touched by the darkness that pervades this realm. It’s a reminder of what once was, of a time before the shadows consumed everything,” he began, his voice soft, introspective even.
I watched him carefully, sensing that there was more he wanted to say. He didn’t look at me, staring at the water and watching the steam rise up into the air.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Helheim was once a place of great beauty and light, ruled by my father, a wise and benevolent king. But power, especially the kind of power that comes from being Dragonborne, is a dangerous thing. It can corrupt even the purest of souls,” he said with a soft sigh.
He paused, his gaze distant as if lost in memories. “When I was young, I was idealistic, full of dreams of making Helheim an even greater realm. But I was also naïve. I fell in love with a mortal woman, a kind and gentle soul. Our love was forbidden, yet we defied the rules. For a time, we were happy. But such happiness was not meant to last.”
“What was she like?” I asked gently, wanting to understand more about the man he had once been.
He smiled faintly, a bittersweet expression. “She was… everything. Kind, compassionate, with a strength that belied her mortal form. She had a way of seeing the good in everything, even in me. When she laughed, it was like the world lit up. She believed in a future where we could be together, where our love could bring peace between our worlds.”
His voice grew softer, filled with longing. “She used to tell me that love was the strongest magic of all, stronger than any spell or curse. I wanted to believe her. But when she betrayed me, it felt like that magic died, too.”
I felt a lump in my throat, the sadness in his words stirring something deep within me. “Maybe that magic isn’t gone. Maybe it’s just… hidden, waiting to be found again.”
“Maybe,” he said simply, his head dropping a little as a pensive look crossed his features.
“What happened to her?” I asked, wanting to know more.
Hades’ expression darkened, a mix of pain and bitterness flickering in his eyes. “The other kingdoms saw our union as a threat. They feared the power that our combined bloodlines could wield. But what they didn’t know—what I didn’t know—was that she had already betrayed me before they even made their move. She was working with them all along. They offered her safety, a life of luxury, in exchange for my downfall. When she turned against me, it shattered everything I believed in. I was blindsided, and in my grief and rage, I unleashed a darkness upon Helheim that has never lifted.” His voice grew bitter, his eyes hardening. “That darkness is what you see now. It is what I have become.”
My heart twisted at the raw emotion in his voice. “It wasn’t your fault, Hades. You were betrayed by someone you loved, and you acted out of that pain. Anyone would have.”
He looked at me, his eyes softening slightly, as if my words touched a part of him that had long been buried. “Perhaps. But the consequences of my actions are mine to bear. I have ruled Helheim with an iron fist ever since, driven by the need toprotect it and to ensure that no one can ever hurt me or my realm again.”
I hesitated, then asked, “Do you think there’s a part of you that still holds onto who you were before all this happened?”
Hades looked away, his expression pensive, a shadow of doubt crossing his features. “I don’t know. Sometimes, in moments of quiet like this, I feel a flicker of that old self, the one who loved and dreamed. But it’s buried so deep that I question if it even exists anymore.”
I reached for him, wanting to touch him. I didn’t understand what was happening between us, but as much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t bring myself to go to such lengths. Maybe there was more to him than I’d originally thought. I chewed my lip and edged closer to him as I placed my hand on his arm.
He didn’t flinch, nor did he look at me, and I trembled, realizing how close we were.
The tension between us was almost tangible.
The warmth of his skin beneath my fingers sent a shiver up my spine. My heart pounded in my chest as I edged even closer, my gaze locking onto his profile. There was something vulnerable about him in that moment, something that contrasted sharply with the fearsome king I had come to know.
“Hades…” I whispered, not even sure what I wanted to say.
My eyes flicked to his lips for a brief, unguarded moment. The air seemed to thicken, every breath harder and harder to draw into my lungs than the one before it.
His eyes darkened as he caught the shift in my gaze, and before I could second-guess myself, his hand shot out and grasped the back of my neck, pulling me toward him.
His lips crashed into mine, the kiss urgent and demanding. It was as if all the pent-up tension between us was released in that single, electrifying moment.
My hands instinctively moved to his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my palms. The warmth of his body, the strength in his embrace—it was all too much. I pressed closer, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as I returned the kiss with equal fervor.
The world around us seemed to fade away, the glowing hot spring, the gentle rustling of the breeze—all of it drowned out by that fervent kiss. His mouth moved over mine, devouring me, possessing me, owning me in that moment.
