LOGINFive months had passed and Aria went on about her normal life. She'd work her shift and head home after checking on the three boys who had become disabled for life.
The three had broken their spinal cord from the hard fall they had to suffer from Lucas when he threw them into the thick brick wall. Anna felt responsible for their predicament, and though people told her she wasn't to be blamed, she still took the responsibility of caring for them. She got a housekeeper for them, and on every weekend, she'd visit them to cook and clean for them. And in all these months that had passed, she never heard from Lucas. He seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. One weekend, after she returned from caring for her new friends, she scrolled through her phone gallery, and came across the photo Lucas had sent her after the first two weeks of their friendship. He was smiling broadly in the photo, and he had told her to always keep the photo and remember his smiles which she had caused him to have. Aria wondered why Lucas never made any attempt to check in on her. She wondered if he was doing fine, or if he had probably moved on because she asked him to stay away from her. "I guess I wasn't that important to him. All he did was cause me troubles and disappear. What was even thinking to feel that a person like him could have a person like me as a friend? I'm way out of his league anyway." Aria muttered to herself. That night, she deleted the photo, and his contact from her phone. But the next day, as she approached the cake store, she spotted a familiar car. She stopped on her tracks, and her heart raced. "It can't be Lucas. He's miles away from me, and he's not the only wealthy guy with that type of car." Aria tried to convince herself that the car wasn't for Lucas, but she was still filled with doubt. With a sigh, she decided to walk closer to the store, and see for herself. As she got closer to the car, its doors opened and Aria froze as Lucas face came to view. He was looking as handsome as ever, and he didn't even age a day. "Hello, Aria." He greeted her. "Lucas, what are you doing here?" She stammered in response. "Are you really asking me that?" He asked her. "Yes. I am asking you why you're here." Aria retorted, feigning annoyance. "You know it's funny that you ask me that when you called for me." Lucas replied. "Called for you? Are you insane?" "Maybe I am. You practically drive me nuts, especially with the charity work you've been doing so far. That's so noble of you." "Are you stalking me?" Aria yelled out. "Stalking you? No way. But you can say that I have eyes everywhere, and I see what you've been going through for the hounds that tried to hurt you. It disgusts me, and it makes me wish I had ripped out their hearts that very day, and save you this trouble." Aria's face darkened with anger. She blinked a few times, shocked that Lucas would say such words. "For a minute, I thought you were human. I wondered if you were doing good; I felt you might be remorseful for the pains you put those kids through, but I was wrong all along." "You know, I could do you a favor, and relieve you the stress of watching and taking care of them. All I have to do is to simply give them a charitable death." Lucas said, and Aria's hand flew up all the way to his face, and it came down hard on his cheeks before she could stop herself. His guards growled, and for a moment, Aria was scared of what might happen, but Lucas laughed. "You're such a fierce lady. If you had done this that day, I'm sure they would've ran away with fear for your ruthless slaps. At least, all of these drama would've been avoided." Aria was shocked to the teeth. She couldn't believe her ears. "How can you call yourself human? You have no feelings at all." Her voice was shaky as she spoke. "Trust me, I do have feelings. It was my feelings for you that made me do what I did in your defense. Only that you don't understand the concept of protection. If that day were to come again, I'd rip them apart without a second thought." "People were right to run from you whenever you came by. I was the stupid one to think that there was hope for a brute like you. You're the clear definition of evil, and I wonder who raised you to become such a devil." "You do have a way with words, Aria. And I must say that I'm hurt, but yet impressed." Lucas said with a tight smile. "I regret speaking to you on the day we first met. I hate you more than I hate the devil, himself. And let me warn you; if you touch a hair on those boys head, I'll make life so miserable for you, you'd wish you were in hell." Aria threatened, and stormed away. She went into the coffee shop leaving Lucas speechless. He watched her put on her apron and get to work. He went into his car, and as they drove away he remembered her threats and scoffed. "Take me to those bastard's apartment. I think I should pay them a visit." "You know Aria will find out." Levi said to him. "That's the plan. She has to understand that I have power to do whatever I want. Let's go." Lucas replied, and scoffed again, her threats still ringing in his head.Fire swept through the battlefield like a violent wind, burning and destroying everything in its wake.The ground cracked beneath Lucas's feet as black flames tore through everything around him. Creatures that had survived days of battle were consumed in seconds. Trees turned to ash. Stones melted beneath the unbearable heat. The very air seemed to scream.Lucas was no longer in control of himself.The black flame he had obtained from Leviathan had fully consumed him now.For years, Lucas had fought to keep that darkness asleep. He had feared what would happen if he ever allowed it to take complete control. He had learned to master his anger, to restrain his instincts, to keep the darkness buried beneath layers of control.But now there was nothing left to restrain it.The black flame had found its way into every part of him.It had consumed the very soul he wanted to protect.Why would Aria go to sacrifice herself?Why must she die for him to live?Why must she die for humanity to be
With her decision made, Aria turned away from Selene and followed the narrow path that led toward the sacrifice site.She didn't look back.She couldn't.If she looked at Selene, she might lose the courage she had gathered.If she looked toward the battlefield, she might run back to Lucas.And if she went back to Lucas, everything would be ruined.One part of her screamed that she should find him immediately.She should tell him what Selene had told her. She should tell him that there was a way to end the war. She should tell him that she could save everyone.But she knew Lucas.He would never allow it.He would tear the battlefield apart before allowing her to die for him.He would rather die himself.That was exactly why she had begged Selene to keep this from him.Levi and Incubus were still inside the tent, unaware that she had left. They believed Aria was with Selene, and Selene's barrier had hidden her presence completely.For a few precious minutes, no one would know.That was
Aria followed Selene out of the tent.The moment they stepped beyond the protective barrier surrounding the camp, Aria noticed something was wrong.Selene wasn't herself.The goddess walked ahead of her in silence, her shoulders unusually tense and her hands clasped behind her back. She didn't look toward Aria even once.Aria frowned.She had known Selene long enough to understand that silence from her was never ordinary.The woman was usually impossible to ignore.She was sassy.Bossy.Intimidating.Sometimes downright cruel.Selene could insult someone with nothing more than a look, and somehow make even the most powerful creatures feel small.But this Selene...This was different.There was no sarcasm in her expression.No arrogance.No cold amusement.She looked troubled.Almost afraid.Aria's heart began beating faster.“What's going on, Selene?”Selene stopped.Aria swallowed.“Did something happen to Lucas?”Fear immediately crept into her chest.Selene turned around.“Lucas is
The battle had become a nightmare.Heaven and Hell had united once again.Not because they had forgiven one another.Not because the ancient hatred between them had disappeared.Not because angels suddenly trusted demons, or demons had forgotten every war they had fought against Heaven.They had simply run out of reasons to hate each other.There would be no Heaven to rule.No Hell to conquer.No gods to worship.No demons to torment.No humans to protect.Nothing.If The Forgotten won, there would be nothing left for anyone to fight over.So, just like they did ages ago, Heaven and Hell stood on the same side.And the world burned around them.Chants rolled from the mouths of witches as hundreds of them stood in circles across the battlefield, their hands raised toward the sky.Ancient words poured from their lips.The air trembled with every syllable.Some witches collapsed from exhaustion.Others continued chanting even while blood streamed from their noses.A few had already lost
Velkris stared at Selene.For a moment, he couldn't even understand what she had just asked of him.Then he slowly backed away.One step.Then another.His expression had gone completely blank, as though his mind had rejected the words before his heart could even begin to process them.“Velkris…”Selene whispered his name.He shook his head.“No.”Another step backward.Selene's hands fell slowly to her sides.“Velkris, please…”“No.”His voice cracked.He turned his face away from her, dragging a trembling hand through his hair.“How could you ask this of me?”Selene swallowed.“Why?”He looked at her again.His eyes were already beginning to redden.“Why would you ask me to do something like that?”“Velkris…”“No, Selene.”His voice grew louder.“There has to be another way.”“There isn't.”“There always is!”“There isn't!” Selene cried.Her voice echoed through the trees.She immediately lowered her head, trying to regain control of herself.But Velkris could see the desperation in
“Selene!!!”The sound of her name tore through the silence.Selene froze.For one brief moment, she simply stood there, her eyes narrowing as the familiar voice echoed through her mind.She knew that voice.She had spent centuries wishing she could forget it.Eryndor.The god she had bargained with.The god to whom she had given her soul.Her fingers slowly curled into fists.“No…”The word barely escaped her lips.She had known this day would come. She had always known.The bargain had been simple.Her soul in exchange for her life.And in return, whenever Eryndor called upon her, she would answer.There had been no loophole.No escape clause.No promise that he would only call when he needed something important.He could summon her whenever he wished.And she had to come.The darkness suddenly swallowed everything.Selene gasped.One second, she was standing in the physical realm.The next, there was nothing.No trees.No sky.No wind.No sound.Not even the ground beneath her feet.
Having known that Behemoth was on Earth to take revenge on him, Lucas feared for Aria's safety. He became uneasy, and he used his connections to see that the cop he had shifted into was dismissed. Lucas knew that dismissing the cop wouldn't make any difference, but he wanted to keep him out of his
The next morning, as early as 6 am, Lucas called Aria's phone, but after a few rings and she didn't pick up, he got scared and drove to her apartment. "Aria!!!" He yelled and banged on her door. As he was about to break into the house, the door opened and Aria stood there in a night dress lookin
The night hung heavy over the barren plains of the Lower Realm, where the faint glow of distant lava rivers cast long, jagged shadows across the cracked, blackened earth. The air smelled of sulfur and iron, and the distant wails of the tormented, echoed like whispers from the void.Lucas walked sid
The massive gates of the throne room closed behind Lucas with a thunderous boom that echoed through the dark corridors of Hell.For a moment, he simply stood there.His chest burned where Lucifer's power had crushed the air from his lungs. The pain in his ribs throbbed with every breath he took, bu







