CHAPTER 125: I HAD IT MADE FOR YOU

After Fiona left, Lilith had freshened up and changed into something more comfortable. Eventually, exhaustion won, and she drifted into sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on a bed, flat on her back, staring up at a white ceiling. She blinked slowly, rising to a seated position, and looked around in confusion. The room was completely painted in white—walls, floor, and ceiling alike. There was no decoration, no windows, just an overwhelming whiteness.

"Lovely to meet you again, Lilith. We are meeting quite sooner than I had expected," came a calm, familiar voice.

Lilith turned sharply to see Salistra sitting on the only chair in the room.

She narrowed her eyes. "I can’t say the same. Where is this place?" she asked, glancing around suspiciously.

"I don’t know," Salistra answered calmly. "Only you can create where we meet. This space comes from your mind."

Lilith frowned, scanning the room again. "I’ve never been in a place like this. How could I create something I don’t even recognize?"

"The mind is a powerful tool, Lilith," Salistra said as she rose to her feet. "Now that you know who the devil is, we must stop him from destroying the world."

Lilith shook her head, her brows furrowing. "That is not the prince I know. Whoever that person was in my dream, he only wore the face of the prince. I refuse to believe it was truly him."

"I understand it’s hard to accept," Salistra said gently, "but that man is the prince. Hades is a demon, a very powerful one."

"What?" Lilith recoiled. "That’s not possible. Demons are horrible, ugly creatures. The prince is nothing like that."

Salistra’s lips curled into a small, sad smile. "There are different levels of demons. Hades is the offspring of a high-level demon, which makes him something close to one himself."

"I don’t understand," Lilith said, clearly struggling. "If the prince is a demon, does that mean the king is a demon too? But demons are supposed to live in the underworld. How is that possible? None of this makes any sense."

"The king," Salistra began patiently, "is a high-level demon who fell in love with an Arnix witch, Celeste, known for her beauty, warmth, and kindness. The Arnix tribe held a portion of godlike power, shared among five ancient and powerful witch tribes.

"Demons and witches were forbidden to love one another, but when the demon was sent to the human realm for some affair, he saw Celeste. He was bewitched and enchanted by her, and despite the dire consequences, they fell in love."

"They were never meant to have a child," she continued, her voice steady. "An offspring of such powerful beings was considered disastrous. When the demon found out Celeste was with a child, he urged her to get rid of the child. But Celeste loved her unborn son too deeply."

"When the goddess of Arnix and Lucifer discovered their affair, the demon was condemned to this realm and stripped of his powers. Celeste was also punished with the same."

Lilith listened, stunned into silence.

"Hades was born under a curse, punishment for both his parents sin. His father wanted nothing to do with him, but Celeste... she loved him with her whole being. I warned her," Salistra added, her voice thick with old grief. "I told her the demon would ruin her, but she didn’t listen. She was blinded by his darkness... and by love."

"Celeste believed she could break the curse, but with most of her powers gone, it was a death sentence.The curse was too strong, too consuming. It drained her... until there was nothing left but a lifeless body."

Salistra looked away, her eyes locked on the wall, her face drawn with emotion. Lilith could see the sadness etched in her features, and the depth of the loss.

"The prince is meant to be a ruthless demon," she continued, "but the light and goodness he inherited from his mother is the only thing keeping him from embracing his true form."

Then she turned to Lilith, her expression blank "You’ve seen what could happen if the demon side of him takes over. We can’t allow that. I owe it to Celeste to save her son."

Lilith blinked, staring at her. "Were you friends with Celeste? You speak like you knew her well."

A moment passed.

"I did know her," Salistra said softly. "We were from the same tribe."

Lilith’s eyes widened. "You’re from the Arnix tribe?"

"I was," Salistra replied. "I was banished by the goddess when I offered to help you and the prince."

"That’s wonderful!" Lilith exclaimed, a spark of hope lighting up her eyes. "Then you can break the curse. The prince will be free of the demon, and that horrible dream I had will never come to pass. And we’ll all live happily ever after."

A wistful smile tugged at Salistra’s lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Lilith. I do not have the power to break the prince’s curse. Defying the goddess comes with a terrible price, one I paid dearly. I was stripped of my magic."

Lilith’s brow furrowed. "But... how? You appear and vanish whenever you like. You’re here now."

Salistra shook her head slowly. "Parlor tricks and dreams are a far cry from breaking a curse created by powerful gods. And even if I had my full powers... I’m ancient, Lilith. Too old and too fragile to carry out such a powerful ritual."

A deep breath left Lilith’s chest, her fingers weaving into her hair in frustration. "Then what are we supposed to do now? How can you help if you’re powerless?"

Salistra’s smile returned, softer this time, "You, Lilith. You are how. The power within you... I have never seen anything like it. It doesn’t just rest inside you, it pulses, it sings, it calls. You are more powerful than you know, and I want to help you unlock the deepest parts of your gift."

Lilith blinked, stunned. "But I was already helping the prince with the curse. He said the demon’s voice has grown quiet. I thought I was already doing what needed to be done."

"Things are no longer that simple," Salistra said, her voice turning grave. "You and the prince... you’ve crossed a line. No longer Lord and servant. There’s affection between you now. And it’s that positive emotions that comes with affection that enrages the demon."

Lilith’s heart clenched.

"The darkness inside him is growing stronger every day. We must act before it consumes him."

Lilith’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Then how? What do we do?"

"You must go to the crypt," Salistra said firmly. "Stay there. I’ll come to you."

Lilith’s eyes narrowed. "How do you even know I go to the crypt? And what do you mean by come to me?"

Salistra chuckled, "I know many things, Lilith. I’ve been watching you for a long time, but only now could I finally reach you like this. As for coming to you," she gave a sly smile, "you yourself pointed it out, i can appear and disappear at will. That’s how I’ll find you."

"I—"

"We’ve spoken long enough," Salistra interrupted, her tone suddenly final. With a snap of her fingers, the world tilted.

Lilith dropped to the ground, then gasped, eyes flying open. She was back in bed, back in the prince’s chambers. Her chest heaved as she looked around, disoriented.

The afternoon sun filtered gently through the parted curtains, casting golden rays across the room. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock, it was a few minutes past noon. Her stomach gave a low rumble of protest.

Running a brush through her hair, Lilith pulled herself together and left the room, her feet carrying her to the dining hall. But when she stepped inside, she froze.

The prince was seated at the long dining table, napkin tucked into the collar of his shirt, just as he was about to take a bite.

He must have sensed her before he saw her. He paused, looked up and when their eyes met, he smiled.

"Ah, you’re awake. Come eat with me, darling," he said, the word laced with softness that curled around her heart.

Lilith felt her insides melt at the sight of him, the tenderness in his eyes, the way his smile reached into her soul. She couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed across her own lips as she walked toward him and slid into the seat beside him.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"I did," she replied softly. "What are you having?"

"Mushroom soup. Roasted chicken. And freshly baked bread," he said, already helping her with food, scooping portions onto her plate. "I had the cook prepare chocolate cake."

Lilith blinked, surprised. "Chocolate cake? I didn’t know you liked chocolate cake."

"I wouldn’t say I like it," he admitted, chewing a piece of chicken thoughtfully. Then he met her eyes again. "But I figured you would. So I had it made, for you."

Lilith swallowed hard, her throat thick with emotion. It wasn’t about the cake, it was about being seen, being remembered, being cherished.

She looked at him, truly looked, and for a moment, she forgot the dreams, the curse, the fear. All that existed was the warmth in his eyes.