Chapter 406: The Beginning Of Everything

[Music recommendation: Never Let Me Go · Ursine Vulpine]

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Aliana couldn’t believe her eyes as she watched the woman, whose features mirrored her own, standing beneath the massive rose tree she had seen in her dreams.

’This can’t possibly be the Underworld,’ she thought.

She had always imagined it as a place filled with burning pits, molten lava spilling from every crevice, souls screaming in agony, terrifying demons wielding pitchforks, and darkness stretching across a barren landscape.

But one night during their honeymoon, she had asked Gavriel to describe the Underworld, and her husband had shed some light on the matter.

He had explained that the Underworld consisted of seven levels.

The lowest was exactly as she had imagined, where the greatest sinners, whether demons or other entities, were punished. One level above it was where souls were sent to repent for their sins. The next was an almost barren expanse inhabited by wild, dangerous beasts.

The remaining four levels were home to demons of different ranks, according to their hierarchy, with the uppermost level being the most beautiful of them all. There, night and twilight were the only states of the sky, and it was where the royals and nobles resided.

Judging by the beauty surrounding her, Aliana wondered whether she had arrived at the highest level. And the gruesome image of hell in her mind slowly dissolved into the midnight paradise before her.

Slowly, Aliana walked closer to the woman, who placed a hand against the tree and smiled gently. "Look at you... you have grown so much."

She stroked the dark bark lovingly before closing her eyes. At her touch, fresh roses bloomed and glowed along the branches.

The tree rustled softly, showering crimson petals down upon her, and the woman chuckled. "You liked that, Rhu? I am glad... just keep growing," she whispered with a tender smile.

"Rhu? Did she name the tree?" Aliana murmured in surprise, stepping a little closer.

Yet the woman did not react to her movement or voice.

Testing her theory, Aliana asked aloud, "Hello? Can you hear me?"

But the woman simply moved away from the tree before settling beneath it and leaning against its trunk.

’I guess I’m only a spectator,’ Aliana thought, stepping aside as she continued to observe her.

The woman let out a sigh before closing her eyes and continuing to speak to the rose tree.

"Did you hear? The princes have returned from the academy. Every woman in the kingdom is thrilled by their arrival, but not me."

"You know how Mother and Father have been attempting to arrange a betrothal with one of them. Even Her Majesty, Queen Lilith, wishes for me to marry the eldest... Prince Belial."

Her face twisted in displeasure. "I don’t like him. Not to mention, he already has a large harem. What would I be? Just another addition to his collection? Never!"

The tree swayed lightly, as if in agreement, and the woman hummed in satisfaction.

"I knew you’d agree with me, Rhu. I’ll be turning eighteen in a month... and then I’ll be off to find my mate. I’ll never marry anyone else, even if that person happens to be the so-called Prince of the Underworld." She raised a hand to her heart, her expression softening. "I know he’s out there somewhere..."

She trailed off at a sudden noise in the thicket.

Her eyes snapped open and pinned at the faint rustle in the bushes.

Instantly alert, she pushed herself to her feet, her eyes flaring crimson as her power prepared to strike down any potential threat.

The bushes rustled again, and her gaze narrowed, only to widen in recognition when the same small, furry creature she had caught earlier came bounding towards her.

Her expression brightened instantly. "You returned, little one!"

She hurried towards it, and just as she reached down and scooped the little beast into her arms, she sensed another presence lurking in the bushes.

Her eyes glowed crimson as she raised her hand, and at once, glowing red rose vines erupted from the ground, their thorn-covered tendrils twisting together to form a formidable barrier around her. Just in time, a black dagger humming with dark energy struck the barrier and embedded itself deep into the wood.

For a breathless moment, everything went still.

Then the wind began to stir once more, sweeping rose petals through the air as a tall, commanding figure emerged from the bushes.

His imposing presence seemed to command the very air around him as he fixed his gaze upon her and asked in a low, magnetic yet authoritative voice, "Who goes there?"

The woman remained perfectly still, the glowing vines coiling around her like living serpents.

"Someone who does not appreciate being ambushed," she stated coldly. "Step back, stranger, before my garden feeds on more than just your dagger."

"Your garden?" the man repeated. "I wasn’t aware this territory had been claimed. Last I checked, the forest still belonged to the royals. Now return that beast."

The woman remained unfazed. "They may own the dirt, but I own the life that springs from it. This beast is my pet," she lied smoothly, pulling the trembling creature closer to her chest. "Now leave before I decide to return your dagger to you, point first."

At her command, more thorny vines erupted from the ground. The tips transformed into razor-sharp blades, pointing directly at the stranger.

’Pet?’ the man thought in confusion. As far as he knew, that multi-tailed creature was a high-level, ferocious beast that merely hid behind a cute form to lure its unsuspecting prey.

A slow, amused smile curved his lips as he studied the audacious woman, who had concealed herself within a cocoon of thorns, seemingly convinced that it would be enough to protect her should he choose to retaliate.

More than that, he found it intriguing that she was perhaps the first woman who had not only stopped his dagger but also dared to dismiss him after threatening him.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he decided to indulge her. "Really? So, what’s his name?"

"His name?" The woman’s brows furrowed in suspicion.

"Yes, this beloved pet of yours," he replied smoothly. "He must have a name, doesn’t he?"

The woman glanced down at the little pup in her arms. He gazed back at her with innocent blue eyes, and she didn’t have to think twice.

"His name is Ceri, and he’s mine." She gazed into the creature’s eyes with a fond smile before asking softly, "Aren’t you, little one?"

The beast cooed, rubbing its head affectionately against her chest. Right then, a soft, ethereal light emitted from the creature, engulfing the woman. The man watched in quiet shock as the radiant light seeped through the dense barrier of thorns.

He couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.

The beast had bonded with her.

Creatures of its kind were among the most powerful in existence, their pride as formidable as their strength. They bowed to no one and rarely, if ever, allowed themselves to form such a bond.

Yet this woman had somehow earned its affection in mere moments, without so much as a struggle.

’Just who is she?’ he thought curiously.

Wanting her to reveal her true identity, he spoke again. "Very well. I’ll let him go. Now reveal yourself."

"What?" The woman frowned from behind her barrier.

"I spared your... pet," he replied, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Don’t you think I deserve a proper thank-you?"

She scoffed. "How noble of you to spare someone you attacked first. Tell me, stranger, do you always expect gratitude for your own lack of manners?"

"My manners?" He raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by her audacity.

"Yes, manners," she shot back. "Your dagger is still pierced straight through my barrier."

The man glanced at the dagger. Without lifting a finger, his icy blue eyes flashed crimson, and the weapon dissolved into nothingness.

"There. It’s gone." He returned his attention to her. "Now, reveal yourself."

When she remained unmoved, he let out a quiet sigh. "I won’t harm you," he assured her. "You have my word."

"You’d better not even think about it, or else..." she warned him.

At her silent command, the glowing rose vines slowly uncoiled, retreating gracefully into the earth.

As the barrier melted away, her crimson eyes met a pair of breathtaking icy blue ones, and the world seemed to freeze around them.

The woman stood stunned, taking in the magnificent stranger before her. He possessed sharp, sculpted features and long raven hair that whipped in the night breeze, dressed in dark, noble attire while exuding an absolute authority she had never sensed from anyone before.

Meanwhile, the man was equally captivated. He stared at the stunning woman standing under the moonlight, admiring her long black hair, striking crimson eyes, and alluring features.

Then her scent reached him, the intoxicating fragrance of roses. It slipped into his senses and seemed to draw him closer, stirring something within him that he neither understood nor knew how to resist.

Forgetting why he had demanded she reveal herself, he asked softly, "What is your name?"

The woman seemed equally oblivious to their earlier hostility. Her gaze lingered on his face for another moment before she answered in a voice far softer than before.

"Hera..."

"Hera..." he repeated, quietly savouring the sound. Something about her name felt strangely satisfying upon his tongue.

Hera’s heart skipped a beat. She lowered her gaze briefly, almost startled by the unfamiliar flutter in her chest, before looking back at him. "And you are?"

For the first time in a long while, the man found himself genuinely surprised by a simple question. Wherever he went, people recognised him instantly. They knew his name, his status, and the power he wielded long before he ever addressed them.

Yet this woman had looked him in the eyes, challenged him without hesitation, and now asked who he was as if he was no more than an ordinary stranger.

The revelation should have offended him.

Instead, the corner of his lips lifted in the faintest smile. "Gavriel."

That was the exact moment Gavriel and Hera first met... the moment that marked the beginning of everything.

A short distance away, Aliana clutched her hand over her heart, her breathing shallow as tears welled in her eyes. The sound of her own racing pulse echoed in her ears, vibrating with the same electric tension she had felt the second Gavriel stepped into the clearing.

A sharp, bittersweet ache tore through her chest as she watched her husband gaze upon another woman with such raw, undivided fascination. Yet, beneath the sting of watching from the shadows, a powerful, undeniable truth vibrated through her soul.

She was not merely observing a stranger named Hera.

She was feeling her own heartbeat in rhythm with the woman’s memory, experiencing the undeniable truth that this moment.... was her own past, waiting to be reclaimed.