CHAPTER 38: DAY ONE

Thankfully, Hades hadn’t returned to the bedroom before she left it. Lilith couldn’t bear the thought of facing him, she would have flustered from sheer embarrassment.

She quickly went to her bedroom, freshened up and changed into a clean dress, choosing to stay in her room until she heard the door to Hades’ chamber open and then shut. That was her sign, he had gone out.

Taking a deep breath, she cracked her door open and peeked into the hallway, making sure no one was around. Satisfied that the hallway was clear, she stepped out and headed toward the kitchen, only to bump into Viktor, who was walking in the opposite direction.

Startled, Lilith bowed quickly. "Good morning, Sir Viktor."

"Ah, good morning," Viktor replied with his usual calm and polite tone. "I was actually just on my way to your chambers, Lilith." He stopped in front of her, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Today’s going to be a busy one for both of us. Remember the training I told you about? You’ll be starting it today."

Lilith managed a half-hearted smile. "Very well, sir."

She had no idea what the training involved, and truth be told, she wasn’t eager to find out, but she wouldn’t dare say that aloud to Lord Viktor. She had no intention of losing her head today.

"Come with me. I’ll take you to the crypt where your training will begin. Everything has been prepared, and Lucian is already there, waiting for your arrival." Viktor began to lead the way, with Lilith trailing behind as they descended the grand staircase to the ground floor. He turned left into a narrow, dimly lit corridor where the air grew cooler.

At the end of the corridor, they stopped before what seemed like an ordinary section of the stone wall. But upon closer inspection, Lilith noticed a small, barely visible seam in the stonework. Viktor pressed a carved stone rose embedded nearby, and it sank inward, triggering a hidden mechanism. The wall shifted open, revealing a narrow, winding stairway descending into darkness.

They stepped through, the wall closing behind them with a soft thud, sealing them in silence.

At the bottom, they entered the crypt, a resting place for the castle’s noble ancestors. Lilith had expected something bleak and grim, but instead found a surprisingly well-lit and beautiful space, brightened by flickering torches and lined with ornate stone coffins, each one bearing carvings and symbols of ancient designs.

The room inside was circular, dimly lit by a single chandelier of glowing crystals. At the center stood a man with graying black hair pulled back into a sleek tail, a tall figure covered in a long navy robe embroidered with silver lines. His face was sharp but warm and his presence was commanding. Lilith was surprised to see that the man was Lucian, she hadn’t seen this side of the man.

"Good morning sir." Lilith greeted with a slight bow.

"Good morning, Lilith. I am glad to have you here." He replied, with a small smile. "Come, we shall begin now." He added.

As he led her to the center of the room where a circle of markings had been etched into the stone. She stepped into it hesitantly, the symbols glowing faintly beneath her feet.

"Close your eyes," he instructed.

She obeyed.

"Now breathe. In through your nose. Out through your mouth. Think of nothing. Let the silence guide you."

She tried. She really did. But her thoughts were a storm, past memories flooded her head making it hard for her to concentrate.

"Too loud," Lucian said, reading her without effort. "You must quiet the world within before you can command the world without."

Viktor stepped in. "Lilith, try to focus on a single image. Something steady. A light in the dark. A flame."

Lilith nodded slowly, taking another breath. This time, she imagined the candle by her side, the tiny, flickering flame as she poured her mind into that image, shrinking her chaos into that single point of warmth.

Suddenly, the room trembled. Her eyes snapped open.

The symbols around her flared like fire, and wind swirled around her as if pulled from another realm. Her hair lifted slightly, and her skin prickled with energy.

Lucian raised a brow. "Interesting..."

The moment shattered, and everything stilled. Lilith collapsed to her knees, gasping.

"That," Lucian said, "was a flicker. The first spark. You have much work ahead of you."

"What... what was that?" she panted, brows knotted together in confusion.

"Your magic responding to your will," Viktor answered, kneeling beside her. "You’re beginning to connect with it."

"But it felt like... like something else was pushing through me," she said.

Lucian nodded grimly. "I can sense darkness in your magic, but also great power."

Lilith looked down at her hands. They were trembling.

~~~

Erick had never been one for mess, though his definition of tidy was questionable at best. His room, a single bed pushed against the wall, a wooden desk cluttered with scrolls and quills, and a small trunk where he kept his belongings. A dull candle flickered on the desk, casting shadows that made the walls appear to breathe.

He was bent over the floor now, broom in hand, muttering to himself as he swept away the dust that had collected around the baseboards. He hadn’t had the time to clean properly in days, and it was finally getting to him.

"Disgusting," he said under his breath, wrinkling his nose as he swept a stubborn cobweb out from under the bed. "You would think the demons in this place would at least tidy up after themselves."

He chuckled at his own joke and straightened up, wiping sweat from his brow.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Not a gentle knock. Not even a polite one.

It was firm and commanding. Like someone knocking not out of courtesy, but as a mere announcement before entry.

Erick froze. No one ever came to his quarters, especially not at this hour. He glanced at the clock on his wall. It was past midnight.

Grabbing a cloth to wipe his hands, he moved out of the room to the door in the parlour, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling crawling up his spine. He hesitated, then slowly opened it.

His breath caught in his throat.

Standing in the corridor, cloaked in darkness but unmistakable even in low light, was the prince.

Prince Hades.

"Y..your Highness!" Erick stammered, shocked. "What... what are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night."

Hades did not answer right away. His gaze was calm and unsettling all at once. He stepped forward, as though he meant to enter.

"May I come in?" he asked.

Erick blinked, gripping the edge of the door tighter. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. The prince was not supposed to be here. And certainly not like this. There was a deadly air of stillness around him

"I—uh—apologies, Your Highness, but this is unexpected. May I ask why—?"

"I need to speak with you, Erick," he prince interrupted, something in the way he said his words was unnatural. "It is urgent."

Still, Erick didn’t budge. His instincts screamed at him. Something wasn’t right.

"With all due respect, my lord, this doesn’t feel proper. Perhaps we could talk in the morning, or in a more—"

He didn’t get to finish.

The door burst open with a force that threw him backward. The prince stepped inside like a ghost. The door slammed shut behind him.

Erick scrambled to his feet, fear coursing through him. "Your Highness, please, I don’t understand—"

In a blink, the prince crossed the room and had his hand around Erick’s neck, slamming him against the wall. The breath was knocked out of him, and his legs kicked at the air uselessly.

The prince tightened his grip for a second before releasing him. Erick dropped to the floor, gasping and coughing, clutching his throat.

The prince didn’t even flinch. He simply straightened his coat and adjusted his gloves as if nothing had happened. "Where is the book of dark whispers?"

Erick didn’t respond. He couldn’t. He was still struggling to catch his breath, his vision blurry. But deep in the corner of the room, hidden behind a false wooden panel in the bookshelf, someone was watching.

She was small and slender, her dark curls pulled back, and her eyes wide with horror. Gel had slipped in quietly behind her master, unnoticed, when the door burst open. He hadn’t seen her when he stormed in. Now she stood pressed into the narrow hollow behind the bookshelf. A hand clamped tightly over her mouth to muffle her ragged breathing as she stared through the gap between the books.

She watched as the prince stepped forward again, his boots clicking against the wooden floorboards. Erick tried to crawl away, but the prince delivered a swift, vicious kick to his ribs, sending him sprawling. A cry escaped Erick’s lips, followed by a series of pained gasps. "Where. Is. The. Fucking. Book?"