“No,” Zedekiel replied, his tone suddenly hard as steel. He turned to face his father. “For eight years, eight years full years, they were together. And in that time, Eron stopped every disaster for the one he loves. He turned aside every single misfortune. No one—not even the demons—could guess the Dark Lord’s identity. They could have continued living peacefully and who knows? Maybe the Dark Lord would have lived and died as a normal human, never even knowing about his demonic side but someone just had to break the seal Eron placed upon him.”He let his gaze slowly sweep the chamber. “Someone powerful. Perhaps even among us, wanted the Dark Lord revealed. Someone who wanted chaos.”Gasps broke out like a wave through the hall. Murmurs rose, sharp and nervous, as suspicion spread from face to face. So someone ruined Eron’s relationship with the Dark Lord on purpose?Zedekiel’s violet eyes, cold and unblinking, settled finally, on Dareth.The moment Zedekiel’s gaze locked on him, Dare
Ron walked slowly toward the scale. With the chains, each step was extremely heavy. The clink of his chains was the only sound in the vast hall, sharp and cold as it echoed off the marble walls.To Zedekiel, each metallic note landed like a blade against the inside of his chest, each muted strike reverberating with pain he could not show. He kept his face neutral, unwilling to give everyone the satisfaction of seeing him break. Though, he badly wanted to ask, why? Why didn’t Ron tell him about everything? Why did he decide to do it all alone? But the words caught in his throat, strangled by the weight of the crown and the duty it demanded.Ron kept his head high. He had helped his friend fight for love. Where was the shame in that? If he was to go down for it, then he would go down with his head raised, not bowed. Even Zedekiel had once said that love was the purest thing in the world. Fighting for it should never be a crime. He reached the great golden scale and lifted his chained
The Emperor’s face was dark, like the back of an old iron pot. His golden aura flared violently, making the entire place vibrate. “Good,” he said coldly. “Since you are so stubborn, since you refuse to listen to reason, then Heaven has no place for the likes of you.”Before he could continue, Lord Dareth quickly rushed before him and knelt down, bowing low until his forehead touched the floor. “Your Majesty, please, wait.” They began to whisper again, wondering what was wrong with him. Eron had boldly claimed that he was in love with the Dark Lord. Why won't Lord Dareth just leave him alone? Someone who preferred a demon to a god should not be allowed to exist. “Punishing Eron is akin to punishing the Earth itself.” Dareth said, raising his head. “We cannot predict the consequences and they may be disastrous. Your Majesty, Eron has always been loyal to Heaven. I do not believe this is his fault. It must be the Dark Lord. He has surely bewitched him. Please, reconsider, Your Majesty.
“No!” Eron gasped, panic flaring in his chest. He looked down at Vathar, whose lips were stained crimson, eyes fluttering shut from the intoxication of divine blood. “No… no, please…” He didn’t want Vathar out of his sight. It was his fault that he allowed Vathar to ignore him for a full week. If he had just tried to be around him, then none of this would have happened. Vathar would still be normal. They would have been in the grove, happily spending time together.Ron stepped forward, gently but firmly placing a hand on Eron’s shoulder. “You have to trust them,” he said, nodding toward the demons. “They are his people. They will not harm him. It’s the only way, Eron.”Eron’s voice trembled. “Will he be safe with you?” he asked, his eyes never leaving Vathar.“Of course, Lord Eron.” The lead demon bowed low. “To tell the truth, we don’t know why he reacted this way.”Ron frowned, glancing at Vathar. Ever since Eron said Vathar found out about Dareth, he had been suspicious about the
Ron, Eron, and Alaric arrived at the forest some minutes after Vathar left. They searched until they came upon a spot where the grass was still wet with blood and Ron crouched low, brushing his fingers through the glistening red streaks staining the blades.It was fresh but only slightly warm.“He’s close,” he said, voice grim. “But we have to hurry.”They all broke into a run, following the blood trail, but just beyond the trees, they were brought to a jarring stop by the horrid stench of blood.Three corpses lay strewn across the narrow path like discarded dolls. Torn and mangled, faces twisted in agony. Their ribcages were cracked open, a few organs missing, limbs bent at impossible angles. As if a wild animal had torn through them.They all froze, and for a moment, no one spoke. Dread slithered into their hearts like smoke, chills running up their spines.Ron turned slowly to Eron, his heart sinking. The god stood still, staring at the mutilated bodies as if his mind couldn’t make
“Don’t you get it?” Ron stood up. “Vathar is in danger. All these years, being around you has kept his demonic side dormant. Your magic suppressed it, made him human but you two were apart for a whole week. Your magic must have weakened.”Eron frowned, shaking his head. “No. That’s not possible. I sealed that part of him myself. Even if we’re apart, it can’t just…crack or break. I mean, it is a powerful seal.”“That’s where you’re wrong,” Ron said sharply. “The seal isn’t absolute. It was never meant to be permanent. Come on, Eron, he is the child of the last Dark Lord. His power grows stronger with every passing minute. Only your power, which is the foundation of that seal, can suppress it. Most especially because he trusts you and lets his guard down around you. The farther apart you are, the more the seal weakens. And when that happens, his powers leak out. Maybe he has even noticed.” He squatted and held Eron by the shoulders. “Think, Eron. When you last saw him, how did he look?