Three

Chapter Three

The Woman From His Past

The vehicle stopped near my former home, and my heart immediately began to pound.

I gripped my sleeping son’s little body against my chest, praying that we hadn’t arrived too late. The entire journey had been filled with terrifying thoughts of what might have happened to him, and now that we were finally here, I was almost afraid to get out of the vehicle.

The street was almost unrecognizable.

Abandoned vehicles blocked the road, smoke rose from several burning houses, and terrified people ran in every direction. Somewhere nearby, a woman screamed for help, but nobody stopped to answer her.

The infected were everywhere.

I swallowed hard, struggling to control my fear.

One of King Asher’s guards opened the door and glanced at me.

“Stay close to us, ma’am. We don’t have much time.”

I nodded and climbed out.

My eyes immediately searched for our house.

I needed to find my son. Nothing else mattered.

The soldiers moved ahead, their weapons raised as they approached the entrance. I followed them, my heart aching with every step.

Then I saw them.

Kael was standing near the doorway with his arms wrapped around Nessa, my best friend.

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what I was seeing.

Their lips were pressed together, and Nessa’s hands rested against his chest as though she belonged there.

I stopped walking.

The world seemed to go silent around me.

Nessa.

The woman I had trusted with my secrets. The woman who had comforted me whenever Kael hurt me. The woman who had listened to me cry about my marriage and promised that she would stand by me no matter what happened.

She was kissing my husband.

My husband was kissing my best friend while I had been forced to leave my home for his survival.

For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe.

I stood there, staring at them, desperately hoping my eyes were deceiving me.

But they weren’t.

Kael pulled away first.

He was the one who had locked me outside. The one who had refused to let me return to my son. The one who had traded me away without a second thought.

And now he was standing in front of our home, kissing another woman as though I had never existed.

Something inside me broke.

One of the soldiers noticed where I was looking. His expression immediately darkened.

“Do you want me to bring him over here, ma’am?” he asked, his voice filled with anger.

Another soldier stepped forward, looking ready to teach Kael a lesson.

“No,” I said quickly.

They turned toward me.

“Don’t touch him.”

I didn’t know why I said it.

Perhaps some part of me still remembered the man I had married. Perhaps I simply refused to let anyone fight my battles for me.

Whatever the reason, I took a deep breath and continued walking.

Kael noticed me first.

His expression changed when he saw me approaching with the armed soldiers, but his surprise quickly disappeared. He glanced at Nessa before looking back at me.

“Aria?”

I stopped a few feet away from them.

“Kael. Nessa.”

My voice sounded strange, even to my own ears.

I looked from one face to the other, waiting for either of them to offer an explanation.

Neither did.

“Is this your plan?” I asked quietly.

Kael stared at me for a moment before a mocking smile spread across his face.

“Yeah, it’s our plan, Aria.”

He looked me up and down, then glanced at the soldiers behind me.

“And what are you doing here with all these soldiers? Don’t tell me the king doesn’t even want you anymore.”

Nessa burst into laughter.

I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing.

This was the woman who had held me while I cried over my marriage. The woman who had encouraged me to be patient with Kael whenever I complained about his treatment of me.

All those times I had confided in her, she had listened to me while secretly pursuing my husband.

How long had this been going on?

How many times had she smiled at me while knowing exactly what she was doing behind my back?

“You’re both disgusting,” I whispered.

Kael’s smile widened.

“Don’t act like a victim. You got what you deserved.”

I stared at him.

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me.” He shrugged. “You should be grateful I arranged a place for you with the king. At least you’ll have food and shelter. Most people out there are going to die, but you get to live in a palace.”

He spoke as though he had done me a favor.

As though selling his wife to another man was something I should thank him for.

I clenched my fists.

“You sold me.”

“And you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

His words struck me harder than a slap.

I searched his face, hoping to find even the smallest trace of regret, but there was nothing.

How could someone I had loved so deeply look at me with such indifference?

I had sacrificed so much for Kael. I had stood beside him through difficult times, supported him when he had nothing, and believed that we were building a future together.

Yet when the world began to fall apart, he had decided that I was expendable.

And now he was laughing at me.

My hands began to tremble.

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to make him understand how much he had hurt me.

Instead, something strange stirred inside my body.

At first, it was a sharp sensation in my chest, almost like a sudden burst of heat. Then it spread through my arms, reaching my fingertips.

My fingers tingled.

A strange pressure built beneath my skin, and for a moment, I felt as though something dormant inside me had suddenly awakened.

I frowned, trying to understand what was happening.

What was this feeling?

Then Kael opened his mouth again.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us, Nessa and I have better things to do than entertain you.”

Something snapped.

Before I could think, I moved toward him.

My hand shot out and seized his neck.

His laughter stopped instantly.

His eyes widened as I lifted him off the ground, my fingers tightening around his throat.

Everything happened so quickly that even I couldn’t understand it.

The soldiers froze.

Nessa stumbled backward, her face draining of color.

Kael grabbed my wrist, struggling desperately to free himself, but I barely felt his resistance.

I stared at him in disbelief.

How was I doing this?

I had never been strong enough to lift a grown man like that. I had never possessed such strength.

Yet there I was, holding my husband by the neck as though he weighed nothing.

“Where is my son?” I demanded.

Kael struggled to speak.

“Aria… let… go…”

“WHERE IS MY SON?”

My voice rang through the street.

He clawed at my hand, his face turning red as he desperately tried to breathe.

For one terrifying moment, I felt as though I could squeeze harder and end his life.

The thought frightened me.

I didn’t want to kill him.

I wanted my child.

I wanted to take my son somewhere safe and never have to look at Kael again.

With a sudden movement, I released him.

Kael crashed to his knees, coughing violently as he clutched his throat.

I staggered backward, staring at my hands.

What had I just done?

I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t explain it.

Was this the power Asherhad been talking about?

Was this what I had supposedly possessed years ago?

I looked at my trembling fingers, but they appeared perfectly normal.

There was no sign of the strange force I had felt moments earlier.

Yet I knew what I had done.

I had lifted a grown man off the ground with one hand.

And I had done it without even trying.

“Where is he?” I demanded again, turning toward Nessa.

She stared at me as though I were a monster.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“I swear, Aria! I don’t know!”

I took a step toward her, and she immediately retreated.

“Please, I really don’t know!”

I studied her face, searching for any sign that she was telling the truth.

Before I could say anything else, I heard it.

A faint cry came from inside the house.

My son’s cry.

My heart lurched.

“Baby!”

I rushed through the doorway, ignoring the soldiers calling after me.

I searched the sitting room frantically, my eyes moving from one corner to another until I finally saw him.

He was lying on the old sofa.

His clothes were dirty, his cheeks were streaked with tears, and his little body trembled as he cried. His face was swollen from crying, and he looked exhausted, as though he had been frightened for hours.

My heart shattered.

“Oh, my baby!”

I rushed to him and gathered him into my arms.

He clung to me immediately, burying his face against my neck as his tiny hands gripped my clothes.

“Mummy…”

His little voice broke me.

“I’m here, sweetheart. Mummy is here.”

I kissed his forehead repeatedly, holding him as tightly as I dared.

He was in a terrible state.

I didn’t know whether he had eaten or how long he had been left alone, but I couldn’t bear to look at his frightened face without feeling as though I had failed him.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered, tears running down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

He cried harder, his little body shaking against mine.

I held him close and rocked him gently, whispering reassurances until his sobs began to quiet.

I had been so desperate to save him that I hadn’t allowed myself to imagine what I would do if I found him hurt.

Thankfully, he appeared unharmed.

I pressed my lips against his forehead again.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mummy won’t leave you again.”

I didn’t know whether I could keep that promise in a world where danger lurked around every corner, but I would do everything in my power to make sure he was safe.

When I finally stood, carrying him against my chest, I felt something inside me settle.

Whatever happened to me outside that house, whatever strange power had awakened inside my body, I would figure it out later.

My son came first.

When I returned outside, Kael was back on his feet.

He was still coughing, but the anger in his eyes had replaced his earlier amusement. One hand remained pressed against his throat as he glared at me.

Nessa stood behind him, keeping her distance.

I didn’t care about either of them anymore.

I looked at the soldiers.

“Let’s go.”

One of them immediately nodded and opened the vehicle door for me.

As I climbed inside with my son, Kael stepped forward.

“This doesn’t end here, Aria!”

I paused and looked at him one last time.

For years, I had feared losing him. I had begged for his affection, endured his neglect, and convinced myself that if I loved him enough, he would eventually love me in return.

Now, as I watched him standing beside Nessa, I felt nothing but exhaustion.

“You’re right,” I replied quietly. “It doesn’t.”

Then I turned away.

The vehicle pulled off, leaving Kael and Nessa behind.

I pressed my lips against my son’s forehead and closed my eyes.

I didn’t know what had happened to me outside that house. I didn’t know why I had suddenly become strong enough to lift Kael by the neck, or why Asherbelieved I possessed a power I couldn’t remember.

But I knew one thing.

I would never allow anyone to hurt my child again.

By the time we arrived at Asher’s residence, my son had fallen asleep in my arms.

The journey had exhausted him, and I suspected that he had cried himself to sleep after everything he had endured.

I carried him inside, thanking the soldiers who had accompanied me.

I was exhausted, too, but relief washed over me as I realized we had made it back safely.

For the first time since the apocalypse began, I could breathe without constantly fearing that someone would take my son away from me.

We were finally somewhere I could protect him.

Or so I thought.

As I entered the main hall, I noticed a woman standing near the staircase.

She was beautiful, elegantly dressed, and carried herself with the confidence of someone accustomed to being obeyed. Her long hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and the expensive dress she wore accentuated her graceful figure.

The maids bowed their heads as she passed.

Even the guards greeted her with obvious respect.

I slowed my steps.

Who was she?

I had never heard Ashermention having a wife. Still, the way everyone treated the woman made me wonder whether she was his fiancée or perhaps his lover.

I lowered my gaze to my sleeping son, intending to continue toward my room, but the woman suddenly turned.

Her eyes settled on me before moving to the child in my arms.

She studied my face for a long moment.

I felt uncomfortable beneath her gaze.

Was there something wrong with me?

I glanced down at my clothes, wondering whether I looked as disheveled as I felt after the terrifying journey.

Finally, the woman approached one of the maids.

“Who is that woman?”

The maid glanced at me before answering.

“His Majesty brought her here, madam.”

The woman’s expression changed slightly.

She looked at me again, this time more carefully, as though searching for something familiar in my face.

Then she lifted a hand to her hair, her eyes widening.

“Why does she look so much like Aria?” she murmured.

I couldn’t hear the rest of her words clearly, but I noticed the sudden tension in her expression.

“Aria?” she repeated under her breath.

The maid nodded hesitantly.

“I heard His Majesty call her Aria.”

The woman’s face went pale.

For several seconds, she remained completely still, staring at me as though she had seen a ghost.

Then she whispered, almost as though she were speaking to herself.

“No. That can’t be possible. Aria died years ago.”

A chill ran down my spine.

I looked between them, utterly confused.

Who was this Aria?

Why did the woman believe she was dead?

And why was she looking at me as though my presence had brought someone back from the grave?

I wanted to ask her what she meant, but before I could speak, she turned sharply and walked away.

I stood frozen in the hall, my sleeping son still in my arms.

Nothing made sense.

First, Asherhad claimed that he knew my father and had been entrusted with my protection. Then he had spoken about a power I supposedly possessed but couldn’t remember.

Now a strange woman had looked at me as though she were seeing someone who had been dead for years.

Was it possible that I had known Asherbefore?

Was I the Aria this woman was talking about?

And if I was, why couldn’t I remember any of it?

I barely remembered my childhood. My father had died when I was young, leaving me with only a handful of memories from those early years.

Perhaps I had been too young to remember certain things.

Or perhaps something had happened that had caused me to forget.

I tightened my hold on my son and looked toward the staircase where the woman had disappeared.

For the first time, I wondered whether my past held something far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.