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