Chapter 404: The Ashes Of A Forgotten Past

[Music recommendation: Autumn in Stillness · Violin Sky]

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"With our bond corrupted, it was only a matter of time before the curse claimed both our lives."

Aliana listened quietly, the very same question she had once posed to Cillian resurfacing in her mind. Unable to hold it back, she asked, "But... how are you the only one bearing the brunt of it? If a mate bond is meant to claim both of you, then how is Gavriel’s father..."

"Still alive?" Lilith completed her thought.

Aliana nodded. "Yes."

Lilith paced slowly across the chamber before continuing. "While it remains true that the death of one mate inevitably claims the other, there exists a cruel exception to that law."

Aliana’s brow furrowed. "What exception?"

Lilith halted and turned to face her directly. "There is only one circumstance where a mate does not follow their partner into death. And that is... when one mate slays the other with their own hands."

Aliana’s eyes widened in utter shock, and a shudder ran through her at the revelation.

"No..." Aliana breathed in utter disbelief as the horrifying realisation finally clicked into place. "Are you... are you saying that Gavriel’s father w-was the one who took your... life?"

A hollow, agonising emptiness reflected in Lilith’s eyes as she offered a slow, silent nod.

Aliana’s throat worked as though she had just swallowed a handful of needles. She could not understand why the sight of Lilith’s sorrow stirred such an ache in her own heart, but she felt her eyes begin to burn.

"Why..." Aliana could barely manage a whisper. "Why would your own mate do that to you?"

"Why?" Lilith offered a quiet, bittersweet smile. "Because I asked him to."

Another wave of shock washed over Aliana as Lilith continued, "As I told you before, everything that happened, everything that led Gavriel to his current state, can be traced back to the mistake my husband made. And as his mother, I felt it was my duty to take responsibility and do whatever I could to set things right."

Aliana remained speechless, listening as Lilith continued.

"I was blessed with the gift of sight, Aliana. I could see the future, but I could not interfere with the natural course of events. To meddle with fate could set into motion events far more terrible than those I was trying to prevent. So I had to make a choice. I was dying anyway... and I needed my mate to remain alive so he could play his part in helping Gavriel when tragedy struck. So I begged Raizel to..."

Lilith’s voice faltered, and the words died on her lips. Her vision blurred as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

Aliana, too, could no longer hold back. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she asked softly, "I don’t understand. Gavriel told me his father banished him from the Underworld. How did his father aid him in anything? What could possibly have gone so wrong that you felt forced to sacrifice yourself like this?"

Wiping her cheek, Lilith offered a heartbreaking smile. "Oh, my child... I did not sacrifice myself. I merely accepted my end a little early, for death was already coming to claim me."

She walked over to the stone pedestal and picked up the ancient urn. "What I did was nothing compared to the sacrifices my children made. I was simply trying to set things right again."

Carrying the urn, Lilith walked slowly back to Aliana, her smile somber yet filled with affection. "I wish I could recount everything to you myself, but as I said before, my remaining time is brief. You must see it for yourself... the past you have sought for so long."

She sat beside Aliana and placed the urn at her side before reaching out to take Aliana’s hands in hers. This time, Aliana did not pull away.

Lilith’s gaze fell upon the ruby-red ring on Aliana’s finger.

Gently, she traced its surface with her thumb, a tender smile touching her lips. "So this ring has found its rightful owner once again."

"You know about this ring?" Aliana asked, surprise colouring her voice.

Lilith smiled gently. "It was originally mine."

Aliana stared at her in astonishment.

Before she could ask anything more, Lilith lifted a hand to cup her cheek, gently wiping away her tears. Despite the icy coldness of her touch, Aliana felt a familiar warmth spread through her.

"I cannot express how happy I am to see you again," Lilith whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "And how proud I am of the fierce, remarkable woman you have become."

Aliana searched her face anxiously as Lilith drew her into a gentle embrace and whispered against her hair, "Thank you for accepting my son... and for loving him as intensely as you did in the past."

Aliana’s arms slowly rose to wrap around her. Her voice trembled as she held on to the woman she had only just discovered was her mother-in-law. "Why does it feel as though you are saying goodbye?"

Lilith tightened her embrace, closing her eyes tightly as tears spilled over her lashes.

When she drew back slightly, she gazed at Aliana with profound motherly love. "The path ahead will be treacherous, my child... but I hold unwavering faith that your love will prevail. You must remain strong and stand by his side, for he needs you more than anyone else in this world."

Aliana opened her mouth to ask more questions, but Lilith released her and held her palms out in front of her.

Aliana watched in confusion as the ancient urn levitated into the air. Its lid lifted, and a fistful of shimmering black ash drifted out, coming to rest gently on Lilith’s open palm.

Lilith held Aliana’s gaze as she spoke softly. "These are the ashes of your past self, Aliana, and the key to unlocking your memories. My soul crossed the threshold of the Underworld with two purposes in mind... to bring these ashes into the world of the living and to ensure that your family’s bloodline was bound to Gavriel."

"M-My ashes?" A chill ran down Aliana’s spine as she stared at the shimmering black dust resting in Lilith’s palm. Seeing Lilith about to move again, she spoke quickly. "Wait... I have more questions! You said your purpose was to bind the Vanderbilt bloodline to Gavriel so that we would meet. Did you know I would be born into that family?"

"Yes, I foresaw it," Lilith replied.

"Then why erase your existence from the memories of everyone you met, yet place a spell on Edith that prevented her from speaking about you while leaving her memories intact?"

Lilith lowered her gaze to the ashes in her palm. "I placed a spell upon her soul to prevent her from revealing certain truths about me to someone who must never learn of them. Yet I needed her to remember me, so that when the time came, she could guide you to me."

"You knew we would summon her to ask about you," Aliana murmured.

"Yes," Lilith admitted. "But I am afraid our time has run out."