Chapter 39

All Evadne could do was clench her fists tightly as she watched the horror unfold before her. Her breathing stayed even, her face calm, but her knuckles had gone white.

Because like the last time, she couldn't stop it.

This wasn't her present, this was a memory. A haunting, bleeding fragment of her past life. One she was being forced to relive again and again.

And now, in this dream-state, she stood frozen and invisible as her old self, the Evadne of before, was once again being defiled.

The same knights.

The same leering voices.

But something was different this time.

Her past self… wasn't screaming anymore.

She wasn't begging.

She wasn't crying or fighting back.

She just lay there.

Dead behind the eyes.

Too broken to resist. Too hollow to care.

They spat cruel words at her, "useless," "fat," "ugly", as if trying to provoke some kind of reaction. As if verbal degradation could somehow still hit harder than what their hands and bodies had already done.

But she didn't even flinch.

And because she didn't fight, because she didn't react, they grew bored.

What once seemed like their sick idea of dominance now lacked thrill.

She wasn't resisting anymore.

So there was no fun to be had.

One by one, the knights left.

When the door slammed shut behind the last of them, Evadne finally moved, her dream-self approaching the broken shell of the girl on the floor. She still couldn't touch her, still just a ghost in her own nightmare.

And still invisible.

She crouched beside her and whispered, voice trembling.

"I don't understand… why did you let them do this to you?" Her voice cracked. "I know you're not useless. You have mana. You were stronger than all of them. So why didn't you fight back?"

Her voice grew softer. Sadder.

"And why? Why do you keep pulling me back into this? Into you? If this is all I'm going to see, then what do you want from me? What unfinished business did we have?"

The past Evadne didn't respond. Of course she wouldn't. 

Tears welled in Evadne's eyes.

Then she heard it. A gentle voice that cut through the darkness like a sunbeam breaking through storm clouds.

"Evadne… wake up."

Uriel's voice.

A warmth flowed through her chest, tugging her back to the present.

She felt her body stir.

And when she opened her eyes, she was met with Uriel's gentle, serene face.

"You okay?" Uriel asked softly, offering her a box of tissues.

Evadne blinked hard and nodded, accepting the tissue. She wiped the corners of her eyes carefully.

"Not really," she said, her voice a whisper. "But I think I'm getting there."

Uriel smiled. "That's good. I'm actually impressed at how quickly you're adjusting to viewing your dreams consciously. This is just our second session. Did you find your anchor?"

Evadne's cheeks flushed slightly. She nodded, avoiding Uriel's knowing gaze.

She had found it.

Him.

"I think so," she murmured, thinking of Casadin's laugh, his arms, his voice calling her 'Princess' like it was a promise.

Uriel's expression softened. "And your ability? You're able to control it now?"

Evadne nodded again. "Better than before."

"That's good," Uriel said. "But Evadne, be warned. The more sessions we have, the more memories from your past life will surface. And some of them will carry remnants into this one. Pieces of power. Pieces of trauma. So brace yourself. You need to keep your mind strong and grounded. Always."

Evadne stood, steadied herself, and nodded again.

Uriel opened the therapy room door, and together they stepped out.

Hades stood up the moment he saw them, his expression unreadable, stiff and awkward, but undeniably concerned.

He had volunteered to accompany her today.

And her parents had been far too happy to say yes, making it harder for Evadne to say no.

"Are you okay?" Hades asked. His voice was lower than usual, hesitant.

He hadn't heard the session itself, but he had seen it through the monitor.

He saw her cry. Saw her shake.

And while at first he felt nothing…

The longer he watched, the more he found himself unsettled.

Not just by what she's going through…

But by the quiet strength she still had after facing a nightmare she only can see.

Despite everything… she burned.

And he couldn't help but think, if it had been him, he might've shattered instead.

"Yes," Evadne replied softly. "Thank you."

Uriel, now fully in her composed doctor persona, smiled warmly at them both.

"Please sign this invoice for this session. I'll see you again after a month," Uriel said calmly, handing a freshly printed form to Evadne.

Evadne's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"$5,500?! Are you joking?" she gasped. "Okay, fine, I understood your overpriced candles. They were three grand. And I accepted the two thousand for a two-hour session. But where the hell did the extra five hundred come from? Tax? VAT? Are you charging for the air in this room?!"

"Your fiancé ate fifty of my candies," Uriel replied without blinking, pointing toward the crumpled wrappers piled like snow on the coffee table beside Hades' empty chair. "Ten dollars each."

Hades, who had been silently watching with mild curiosity, visibly paled. "Wait, those weren't complimentary?"

"They're complimentary only for my patients' first-degree relatives," Uriel answered, unbothered. "Are you legally related? Married yet?"

"Oh my God, you're such a scammer." Evadne stared at her. "Ten dollars per candy? Those were Mentos. Do you think your father's proud of you?"

"Sign," Uriel deadpanned, holding out a pen. "Don't act like you're the one paying. It's your Daddy's black card, not yours."

With zero shame, she handed Hades a small basket filled with candles. "Here. Ten more. For her mental health."

Evadne groaned, snatched the pen, and signed the invoice with all the enthusiasm of someone being forced into tax fraud.

"Are you sure you're Uriel? Because honestly, you're giving off strong Lucifer vibes right now."

Uriel's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me. Don't compare me to that love-sick fool. That's beneath me."

As soon as the ink dried, she whisked away the paper, pushed Evadne toward the door, and opened it for her with a too-pleasant smile.

"Now go. I have more appointments. Shoo. See you next month. Byeee."

Evadne looked over her shoulder as she exited. "Repent, scammer. Before your father disowns you."

She waved at Uriel mockingly as Hades trailed behind, still frowning.

Once outside, they made their way toward the parking lot. He opened the car for her.

"Wait, aren't you going to buy medication?" he asked, confused when she walked straight past the clinic pharmacy.

"You're holding it," Evadne replied, stopping beside the passenger seat and gesturing toward the basket of candles.

Hades blinked at the basket, then at her. "This is your medication?"

"Yes. And it's very expensive medication," Evadne muttered, sliding into the seat and grabbing the basket. "One hundred dollars per candle, apparently."

Hades shook his head, quietly closing the door before walking around to the driver's side. As he started the engine, he glanced over at her.

"Do you have anywhere else to go?"

"No. I just need to go home and rest."

Since the near-collision on Monday, Hades had been driving more carefully, more slowly, more like someone with something to lose.

The car moved in silence for a moment before Hades finally said, "Not to be rude, but you were kind of rude to your doctor earlier."

Evadne glanced at him.

"I mean, yes, her rates are insane, but if she's helping you, isn't it worth it? Value doesn't always equal cost. And calling her out like that… especially that comment about her father, it felt a little below the belt. She's old."

Evadne looked back out the window, chin propped against her hand. "I was joking. And she knows that. Besides, her father won't be mad. Because, as far as I know, he forgives everyone."

Hades narrowed his eyes slightly, something about her tone bothering him. "You talk like you've met him."

"I haven't," Evadne said simply. "And I don't plan to anytime soon."

More silence. Then Hades frowned deeper. "Then how do you talk about him like you know him?"

Evadne slowly turned her head to face him, smirk tugging at her lips.

"Everyone knows her father," she said, voice sing-song as she gazed at him. "Because her father is, The Almighty Father~."

She sang the last three words like the chorus of a church hymn, grinning like a devil in disguise. 

Hades could only shake his head as Evadne refused to take his advice seriously. But then something clicked.

She always did this.

Told lies by telling the truth, wrapped in sarcasm, laced with exaggeration. A mask made of honesty no one believed.

He turned to look at her again, his mind replaying her words.

Evadne smirked, sensing his realization before he could speak.

"You're joking," Hades said, almost disbelieving. But there was a trace of doubt creeping into his voice.

Evadne arched a brow. "Did you even read her full name?"

He frowned.

"It's Dr. Uriel Sunray. Because she's the fire of God. Duh."

Hades swallowed, her words landing heavier than they should have.

Of course.

It shouldn't be so far-fetched. He was literally sitting next to a mermaid. If mermaids were real… then so were angels.

But to have met one? To realize Uriel had been one all along? Hades went quiet, stunned.

Silence settled between them, heavy, loaded.

"Why are you still doing this?" Evadne's voice broke through the quiet. Her gaze was turned to the window, but her words were sharp.

"What?" Hades asked, still focused on driving.

"This," she turned to look at him, eyes unreadable. "This act. Pretending you still like me. I know Dad already released you from the engagement. So why keep this up? You're free now. You can be with Cieryl."

"You could just read my mind," he said dryly.

"You think I want to listen to people's thoughts all the time?" she said, exasperated. "Do you know how loud it is in here?" She tapped the side of her temple. "I only listen when I have to."

A pause. Then Hades asked quietly, "And you? Why are you still pretending?"

"I told you. I won't be the one to break the betrothal," she said simply.

He didn't reply.

The silence felt deeper now, stretched tight between truths they refused to admit.

"Did you think pretending would earn you points?" Evadne said eventually, her voice sharper again. "That Dad would finally be proud of you if you played the part of a good fiancé? I'm sure he told you himself why he's never been proud. Marrying me won't fix that, Hades. And it definitely won't make you worthy of the Falcon name."

"Maybe it will," he muttered under his breath. "They love you too much, after all."

Evadne simply shook her head, letting the weight of his denial hang.

They pulled into the Monteverde Estate. The gates slid open with a low hum.

"Don't bother getting out. Mommy and Daddy aren't home," she said before he could unbuckle his seatbelt to open the door for her.

But Evadne didn't move right away. Instead, she sat still, hands on her lap, thinking.

Then, without warning, she spoke again.

"Hypothetical question," she said, not looking at him. "Let's say you have an enemy. Like, Michael vs. Lucifer level kind of enemy. A personal war, deep history. And that enemy of yours has a girlfriend. The I-love-you-even-if-they-disown-me type of girlfriend. But… you find out that she's cheating on him."

She turned to him now. Dead serious.

"What would you do? Tell him the truth? Or just let it be?"

Her eyes locked with his. Unblinking.

Hades stared at her, eyes slowly widening as the implication of her words sank in. He couldn't speak. Not immediately.

"Highway10 Club," she said calmly. "Ten PM tonight. Private Lounge Six."

Her eyes held his for a beat longer.

"Your call."

Without another word, Evadne picked up her basket of overpriced candles and stepped out of the car. She didn't say goodbye. Didn't look back.

She just walked straight into the house, leaving Hades alone with the weight of her words.

She didn't owe him anything, not loyalty, not kindness. But she had still told him.

Because even if they hated each other's guts, Evadne believed something deeply.

Even your mortal enemy deserves the truth.

Even if it destroys them.