CHAPTER 29: THE TRUTH

Leonidas clawed at the prince’s fingers, his legs kicking uselessly in the air as his lungs burned from lack of oxygen. His vision blurred, black spots creeping into the edges of his sight. Then, with terrifying ease, Hades slammed him against the wall. The impact sent a sharp, unbearable pain rattling through his body, forcing a strangled gasp from his throat. Blood dribbled from his lips as he coughed violently, his entire form trembling.

"Please, Your Highness! Please, let him go!" Lilith’s voice cracked with desperation as she rushed forward, her hands trembling as she clasped them together. "I promise...I swear, I will stay with you forever! I will never try to leave again, never even think of it! Please, spare his life."

Hades turned his head slowly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. For a moment, the room held its breath. Then, without a word, he released his grip.

Leonidas collapsed onto the ground with a brutal thud, gasping and coughing as he clutched at his bruised throat. Relief barely had time to settle in before Hades reached down, grabbed his shoulder, and yanked.

A sickening crack echoed through the room.

Leonidas’s scream tore through the air, his entire body convulsing from the sheer agony as his shoulder was ripped out of its socket.

Lilith dropped to her knees, her palms still pressed together in a desperate plea. She looked up at the prince, her vision blurred by grief and fear. "Please! I beg you, Your Highness! Don’t kill him! I’ll do anything you ask...anything! Just let him live!"

Hades tilted his head, his expression eerily calm despite the chaos surrounding them. He regarded her for a long moment before exhaling slowly.

"You will punish yourself for this lying bastard, witch." His voice was quiet and gentle. "I always knew you were naive, but not this naive. This man has done nothing but deceive you and yet, you beg for his worthless life. He lied about everything."

Lilith narrowed her eyes, confusion twisting her features. Lied? That couldn’t be true. "Leonidas never lied to me," she whispered, shaking her head. "He has been kind to me even when the world was cruel."

Hades scoffed. Without warning, he grabbed a fistful of Leonidas’s hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to meet Lilith’s gaze. Blood and saliva dripped from his lips onto his jaw, his entire body trembling.

"You have five seconds to start talking," Hades said, his voice dangerously low.

Leonidas hesitated, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

Hades tightened his grip, pulling harder until strands of hair ripped free. "Three seconds."

Leonidas gasped, his voice shaking. "I... I... I’m sorry, Lilith. I truly am."

"Two seconds."

"He..he’s telling the truth," Leonidas stammered, his eyes pleading with her. "I lied, Lilith. I wasn’t exiled from Eryndor because I wanted to find you. I was exiled because I caught in a fraudulent scheme after you left. My father disowned me... and I was exiled for twenty years. I—I am so sorry." His breath came out ragged and uneven, his voice thick with regret.

"Keep going," Hades whispered, his grip tightening.

Leonidas flinched. "I also lied about the carriage breaking down... and about not having enough money for another room. But

...but everything else was true! I did have feelings for you. I wanted to be close to you. I wanted to be more than your friend... I—"

Lilith stood frozen, staring at him in utter disbelief. Her heart clenched painfully, shattering into a million pieces. How could she not have seen this?

A cold realization slithered down her spine. If Leonidas had lied about everything else, then... could it be... Had he lied about what happened in the carriage, too? She swallowed hard, dreading the answer but unable to stop herself from asking.

"In the carriage..." Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Did I...?"

Leonidas lowered his eyes in shame. "No, you didn’t," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "I did place your hand there. I am sorry, Lilith. I swear, I truly love you. You have no idea how much..."

Lilith recoiled, disgust and betrayal twisting inside her. How could she have been so blind? His sweet words, his gentle demeanor, nothing but lies. A shudder ran through her at the thought of what could have happened had she remained asleep in the same room with him. Only the gods know what he was planning. The realization made her stomach turn.

"Get up, little witch," Hades murmured, his voice surprisingly soft, almost like he was speaking to a child. "You should not kneel for any man."

Lilith hesitated only for a moment before obeying. Leonidas was not worth another second of her grief.

"Please... please... I—"

A sickening crack cut off Leonidas’s plea. A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat as Hades pressed his boot down, crushing his hand beneath his weight. Tears streamed down his face, his body convulsing from the agony.

Hades crouched beside him, the eerie glow of amusement never leaving his eyes. Slowly, he pulled off his left glove, revealing his bare hand. He flexed his fingers, clenching and unclenching them, as if preparing for something far worse.

Leonidas whimpered, cradling his broken hand, his breaths coming in sharp, panicked gasps. But before he could beg again, Hades placed his bare palm against the side of his face, pinning him to the ground.

Lilith watched, eyes widening in horror as the black veins in Hades’s hand began to glow, like molten fire flowing beneath his skin, traveling down to Leonidas. The air around them stiffened with the temperature dropping lightly.

Leonidas’s agonized screams filled the room as smoke rose from his face, the sickening scent of burning flesh thick in the air. Hades’s hand remained firmly pressed against his skin, the heat searing through muscle and bone.

"If you dare come near her again," Hades said, his voice low and laced with deadly venom, "I will burn every inch of your skin and shove it down your throat until you choke on it. And then, I will make you taste death a thousand times over."

With that, he lifted his hand away, revealing the gruesome damage beneath. Leonidas’s face was charred beyond recognition, his skin blackened and peeling, exposing the raw muscle and skeletal structure beneath. He writhed on the floor, whimpering, barely able to muster another scream.

Hades straightened, sliding his glove back onto his hand with ease. His gaze flicked to Lilith, who stood frozen, her wide eyes locked onto the mangled form of the man she once trusted.

"Let’s go," he commanded.

Lilith did not hesitate before stepping past him and out of the room. Hades followed, not sparing another glance at the broken, bloodied man on the floor.

As they made their way to the carriage, Lilith’s emotions surged uncontrollably, her chest tightening as an overwhelming weight settled over her.

By the time they climbed inside, her vision was blurred with tears. She turned toward the window, biting down on her trembling bottom lip in a futile attempt to silence her sobs. But the quiet sniffles and hitched breaths betrayed her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the flood of emotions from pouring out.

Hades sat beside her, his head resting against the headrest as he listened to the quiet, broken sounds she made. Hades felt the sudden urge to soothe her pain. His hand lifted, hesitating inches from her hair.

But just as his fingers nearly brushed against the soft strands, a familiar burning sensation flared in his chest. His jaw tightened as he quickly withdrew his hand, pressing it over his chest.

He closed his eyes, willing his mind to shut out her quiet sobs and the world around him. Anger and pain were the only emotions he was meant to feel, they had been his constant companions for centuries. But something was changing. Hades could feel it. And so could the curse. And that was a dangerous thing, indeed.