Chapter 40

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" one of the two receptionists at Highway10 Club asked Hades, her voice flirtatious, her smile more curious than professional.

"Yes. I'm meeting my friends," Hades replied calmly, slipping two crisp hundred-dollar bills across the counter. "I don't know whose name it's under, but they said Lounge Six."

The receptionist blinked once before quickly pocketing the money with a professional smile. "Yes, sir. They've already arrived. Just follow this hallway and take a left at the end."

He nodded and walked away, ignoring the subtle way her eyes followed him like he was worth more than the currency he gave.

Despite its downtown location in the heart of New York, Highway10 was a basic club, cheap polish and overpriced liquor hiding behind velvet ropes and "VIP" signs. It was a place that tried to feel expensive but couldn't shake the feeling of being common.

Hades had never been here. Why would he? His usual playground was Club Olympus, where wealth wasn't flaunted, it was expected. Even Nirvana, the one Casadin built, was classier. Though he had never actually set foot inside Nirvana, Hades had once helped plan its interiors. It was supposed to be their club, back when they were still brothers in everything but blood.

Before everything fell apart.

He walked down the hallway, hearing laughter and drunken voices spill from each "private" lounge he passed. So much for privacy.

At the far end, Lounge Six.

The door was closed, but through the narrow vertical glass, he could see inside, and there it was.

The confirmation.

He wasn't invited.

Among his so-called friends, not one had thought to include him. And as he stood there, unmoving, leaning slightly against the wall, the muffled voices from inside floated through the thin door.

"…I'm so done," Alaric Duvall's voice slurred with annoyance. "We can't even do anything at school now that Hades isn't SBO President. That was the only reason he was useful in the first place. Now he's just… what? Dead weight."

Hades clenched his fist.

Alaric, once a solid fourth in the VMC standing, was now a bitter fifth.

"Hey, Duvall," Blythe muttered, clearly anxious. "Watch your mouth. Someone might hear."

"So what?" Alaric snapped. "I'm just saying what we're all thinking. The only reason I stayed friends with him was because of Casadin. Then I picked him over Casadin 'cause of that Falcon name. But now that Jupiter threw him out? He's nothing. Just some rich brat on life support."

He laughed bitterly.

"Even Cieryl, right? The only reason she stuck around was because she thought she'd be Mrs. Falcon one day."

Hades clenched his fists at the mention of her name. His jaw locked, his back pressed against the wall beside the door.

Don't go in. Don't react. Just listen.

"Oh my god, stop," Nikka groaned through a drag of her cigarette. "Cieryl, girl, you spent so much time trying to act like the good girl, the sweet one who listens to every little thing Hades says, just to make him fall for you."

"Shut up," Cieryl groaned, voice bitter. "If I had known Jupiter would really cut him off, I would've gone with Casadin instead."

There it was.

The final blow.

Hades didn't breathe. Didn't blink. His hand slowly dropped to his side, nails digging into his palm until they left crescents of red against his skin.

So it had all been a game.

A performance.

A lie.

"You never really liked him?" Selena's voice sounded genuinely confused. She was newer to the group, having only transferred to NYE at the start of high school when she signed with Falcon Empire as their exclusive model. She hadn't been there during the war between Hades and Casadin for Cieryl's heart.

"I thought you actually liked him," Selena said again, her voice shaking with anger. "Don't tell me you're going after Casadin again?"

She wasn't joking. There was heat in her words now. "Look, Cieryl, I kept my mouth shut when I found out you were two-timing Hades with Thatcher. And I'll keep my mouth shut now, even if you're just toying with him again. But Casadin is mine."

Cieryl laughed.

Not the coy, flirtatious laugh Hades used to find cute.

This one was low. Cruel. Mocking.

"Relax, Selena. Casadin's all yours," she said with a smirk. "Sure, I regret not choosing him back then, but let's be honest, I know his temperament better than anyone. He wouldn't touch you even if you served yourself to him naked on a silver tray. The most you got was give him a blowjob, and that was when he didn't even have a girlfriend. What do you think are your chances now that Evadne's around? He barely even leaves her side at school."

She took another sip of her wine and shrugged. "And for the record, I'm not two-timing anyone. Thatcher and I are friends."

"Yeah, friends who just happen to have sex once a week," Selena scoffed.

Laughter broke out across the room.

"You can't blame me," Cieryl said, rolling her eyes. "Do you even know how boring Hades is in bed? My god. Missionary and doggy style, that's all he knows. And get this, he doesn't even let me give him a blowjob because apparently, 'that's not where it's supposed to go.'" Her tone was disgusted, childish, venomous.

More laughter.

"But at least he eats you out, right?" Estelle chimed in.

Cieryl went quiet.

"Oh my god! So he doesn't even do that?!" Estelle cackled. "You gave him your virginity last year and not even once? Seriously?!"

The room exploded into high-pitched laughter again.

Outside the door, Hades felt everything inside him collapse.

He didn't even realize how hard his hands were shaking until he looked down and saw his fists clenched white. His nails had dug half-moons into his palms.

He shut his eyes, breathing through his nose, trying not to snap. Not to break.

This is what Evadne wanted me to see.

Not for revenge. Not to humiliate me. Just the truth. 

She hadn't gloated. She didn't spit venom.

She gave him a choice.

And now… the choice was his.

Hades took one last look through the door.

Then turned away.

He moved like a ghost as he passed the receptionist again.

"Did you find your friends, sir?" she asked, blinking.

He didn't even flinch.

"No," he said flatly. "They're not my friends. I must've misheard the venue. But thanks anyway."

He walked out into the night. The wind cut through his jacket. 

But the ache in his chest was suffocating. The betrayal, the shame, the truth, too loud in his head.

And he realized something terrifying.

He had no one. 

The one person he'd burned a bridge with, Casadin, was the only real friend he ever had.

And he gave that up for a lie dressed in a pretty face.

He didn't know where he was going. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he turned corners blindly, headlights painting the empty streets in short, brutal flashes.

Going back to the apartment was pointless. It was empty. Quiet. Suffocating.

Going back to Falcon Estate? Unthinkable.

His mother, Angelina, was still furious with him. And she had every right to be after his suicide attempt.

And Club Olympus? That wasn't home. Not anymore. The people there were only kind because of the Falcon name he barely carried now.

He drove with no destination. Just… driving. 

And somehow, without thinking, his car rolled to a stop by the same dark corner of the Hudson River.

The same place he almost ended everything.

He parked. Got out.

And just stood there.

No thoughts of jumping this time. No death wish.

Just weight.

Heavy.

He looked out at the still black water.

Why does it still hurt? he wondered. Even when I already expected all of it.

What he needed wasn't death.

What he needed was someone to see him, without judgment, without expectation. Just... someone to listen. Someone to understand.

But tonight, he had no one.

Not his family. Not his so-called friends. Not even Cieryl.

He had no one.

Except...

He pulled out his phone.

Paused.

And then,with fingers that trembled slightly, Hades dialed Evadne's number.

He nearly ended the call after the third ring, thinking she wouldn't answer.

Then her voice came through, groggy and irritated. "Hello? Cas, if you fucking called me just to tell me a green joke again, I swear to god I will punch you in the stomach on Monday."

"It's me," Hades said quietly.

There was a beat of silence on the other end.

"…Hades?" Her voice dropped, uncertain now.

"Yes. Did I wake you?" he asked, suddenly aware how late it was.

"Yes." Her answer was blunt, unapologetic, so very Evadne.

It made Hades let out a faint, breathy laugh despite himself.

"Sorry. I just… I didn't know who else to call," he admitted.

"So you thought of me?" she replied, a mix of suspicion and faint irritation in her tone.

Hades didn't answer.

There was a brief silence.

"…Did you go there?" Evadne asked quietly after a moment.

Still, he didn't reply.

"Where are you now?" she followed up, sharper now.

"Hudson River."

There was no response. Just the click of the call ending.

Hades stared at his phone. He wasn't even surprised.

What did he expect, really?

He had been nothing but an asshole to her since she arrived from France. Always contradicting her in school. Challenging her decisions. Starting fights for no reason.

There was no reason for her to care.

The wind whipped against his jacket as he leaned against the hood of his car. The full moon hung heavily above the still water, its reflection broken only by the ripples.

He didn't know how long he stood there. Lost. Quiet. Cold.

"It's a good thing you didn't jump."

He turned sharply at the voice.

There she was.

Evadne.

Walking toward him like she had always belonged in the dark.

"You're here," he said, almost in disbelief.

She came to stand beside him, resting against the hood of his car without looking at him.

"I'm not here for you," she replied coolly. "Just making sure you don't go full psych ward again. It'd break Mom's heart if you pulled that shit twice."

"I'm not going to do that," Hades said, almost defensively.

They both stared up at the sky after that. Stars blinked in and out behind the drifting clouds, and for a moment, there was only silence.

"Did you confront them?" Evadne asked, still not looking at him.

"No. They don't even know I was there. Or that I heard everything."

Evadne glanced at him from the side. Her expression was unreadable.

"Coward," she muttered.

"I know," Hades admitted with no resistance. "That I am."

She hummed softly. It wasn't mocking. Just acknowledgment.

"So what are you doing here, then? If you're not planning to throw yourself into the river?"

"I… don't have anywhere to go. And I didn't want to be alone in my apartment again."

Another silence.

Then Evadne pushed herself off the car.

"Do you want to see something new?" she asked suddenly.

Hades blinked. "What?"

"I said, do you want to see something new?" she repeated, turning to him. Her eyes gleamed under the moonlight, mischievous, strange, unbothered.

He hesitated. But the truth was, he didn't want to be alone. Not right now. Not tonight.

So he nodded.

Without another word, she took off her shoes, tucked her phone and wallet into the car, then started walking barefoot toward the riverbank.

"Come on," she called over her shoulder. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer."

Hades swallowed hard, unsure what madness she was planning. But still, he found himself mimicking her, removing his shoes, placing his wallet and phone inside the car, locking it, and hiding the key in a small secret compartment by the tire.

By the time he reached her, the cold was already biting into his skin.

"The water's freezing," he muttered.

"Good. It means you're still alive." Evadne turned to him, extending her hand. "Hold on."

He took it.

Her fingers were steady.

"One," she whispered.

His pulse quickened.

"Two…"

The world narrowed down to her voice, her hand in his, the cold against his skin.

"Three."

And together, they dove.

The underwater was dark, vast, and bitterly cold, until Evadne's hand, still clasped in Hades's, began to glow.

A soft, golden warmth bloomed from her palm, spreading over their skin like a living light, wrapping them both in a cocoon of warmth and clarity.

Breathe, Hades heard her voice, not through his ears, but inside his mind.

His wide eyes turned to her.

Her body was glowing now, faintly shimmering like constellations submerged beneath the sea. Her hair floated around her like ink in water, and her skin shimmered faintly like moonlight on glass.

She looked nothing like a human anymore.

She looked like something divine.

Breathe, she said again.

And he did.

Without choking. Without gasping. Without panic.

He breathed.

Somehow.

Unlike that night when he was drunk and barely aware of what had happened, this time he was fully conscious. Fully sober. And he saw her clearly for the first time.

He glanced down to her feet, looking for fins.

Sorry, her voice echoed again in his thoughts, a little playful. I don't grow fins, if that's what you're looking for.

How… how is this possible? he asked her in his mind.

Trade secret, she replied with a smirk. Now look ahead.

Still holding his hand, she kicked off the seabed with sudden speed, and they glided through the water like arrows loosed from a bow.

Despite the depth, despite the darkness, Hades could see, clearly.

Fish in dazzling colors darted past them like confetti, swarms of glowing jellyfish drifted peacefully, their tendrils like lace. Sea turtles floated by in slow, powerful strokes. Schools of silverfish moved as one, parting around them as if they were old friends. Even dolphins joined them for a while, chirping in joy before spiraling away into the current.

The deeper they went, the more beautiful it became.

It wasn't just water down here.

It was another world.

A secret world.

Her world.

Hades could only stare in awe, the silence between them filled with wonder instead of words.

Eventually, Evadne swam toward the surface, pulling him gently along.

They broke the surface in silence. No land in sight. Only the endless water stretching around them in all directions. Above them, the full moon hung low and hauntingly bright, casting a silver sheen across the rippling water.

They floated quietly for a few breaths, still hand in hand.

"Where are we?" Hades finally asked, his voice breaking the gentle quiet.

"In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean," Evadne replied, her gaze fixed on the moon.

Hades turned to her. "Were you here that night too? When you saved me?"

"Hmmm," was all she said.

"…Why?" he asked softly.

She paused.

"Searching," she answered, almost like a whisper.

"For?" he pressed.

Evadne finally turned to look at him.

"For someone like me."

Her answer struck something deep in his chest.

"You're… alone?" Hades asked, his voice softer now. Almost afraid of the answer.

She looked away again, her eyes flickering with memories.

"Technically. Until my eighteenth birthday, I didn't even know I could do… this," she gestured to their surreal surroundings. "Believe it or not, despite being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I actually lived a pretty normal life. There were voices sometimes, but I thought they were just part of the disorder, hallucinations. Just… noise. I couldn't tell where they came from. And they came and went, like dreams that didn't want to be remembered."

She paused, her thumb gently brushing his knuckle underwater.

"But ever since I was a kid… water has always calmed me. I didn't know I could breathe underwater. I thought I just had really good lung capacity. That's why I joined the swim team in France. Whenever I had episodes, being underwater… helped. The voices went silent."

Hades listened, watching her more than the waves.

"After my eighteenth birthday, everything changed. The voices didn't go away anymore. They got louder. Clearer. I could hear everyone's thoughts. All the time. No more guessing. No more pretending. It was like having a hundred radios blasting at once. The only peace I found was in books, music… and the water."

She swallowed hard, voice barely a breath.

"But then the nightmares started. And they were worse. Much worse. I could handle the voices. I could drown them out. But the dreams? They tore me apart. And it wasn't just me who suffered, my parents did too. That's why we came back to New York."

"Uriel was referred by my old therapist in France. I didn't even know she was an angel until she spoke inside my mind. Just like I do to you sometimes. That's when I realized I wasn't just… broken. I was different."

She looked down at the water, then back at him.

"After that, I started sneaking out every night. Everyone else asleep, and me… diving into the ocean, searching for someone. Anyone who might be like me."

A sad smile curved her lips.

"But I never found anyone."

They floated in silence again. Just the stars, the moon, and the quiet crashing of waves around them

"Do your mom and dad know?" Hades asked as they floated lazily on the surface of the dark sea.

"I told them, of course," Evadne replied with a smirk. "The Evadne way."

Meaning, half-joking, fully evasive.

Hades shook his head. Of course she did.

"Anyway, let's go back," she said without warning, and just like that, she dove down again, pulling him along with her into the deep.

By the time they surfaced again, they were back in the shallow, calmer waters of the Hudson River.

Their clothes were soaked, dripping wet, but the moment they stepped out of the water, the dampness evaporated like mist under sunlight. Their skin warmed instantly. Their clothes dried as if the river itself respected her magic.

Hades looked at Evadne, brows furrowed.

She simply winked and let go of his hand, casually walking barefoot toward the parked car like nothing extraordinary had just happened.

"You need to take me home. I commuted," she called over her shoulder.

Right. Of course she did.

Hades retrieved the car key from its hiding spot and opened the passenger door for her before slipping into the driver's seat and putting on his shoes. Neither of them spoke on the drive. Not out of awkwardness, but out of mutual silence. A companionable kind.

When they neared the Monteverde Estate, Evadne suddenly spoke.

"Stop here," she said a few meters away from the gate.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take you all the way to the gate? I can talk to the guards, explain you were out with me."

"Here's fine," she replied. "They'll wonder how I got out in the first place. It's better if they don't see me coming back."

Hades parked by the curb.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Then, surprising even himself, he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Evadne's brows immediately pinched together. "Did you just…?"

"Thank you for keeping me company," he continued, pretending not to see her frown. "And for showing me that magical world."

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.

"I only showed you that so you can get creative on how you plan to expose me to the world. You know, tank me up like some science project? Put me on display and let the world poke at me?"

Her brow arched, sarcasm sharp as a blade.

"I…" Hades blinked, unable to deny that the thought had crossed his mind once. 

"I was joking," she grinned. "Calm your guilty conscience."

He exhaled, letting a small chuckle slip.

"And just in case you need something to cling to, some motivational quote or whatever," Evadne said, her tone becoming unexpectedly sincere, "here it is."

She turned to him.

"The choices and actions of the people around you, Hades, don't define who you are. But your choices? They do.

If you want people to love the real you… then start by being real. Start choosing what you want.

You won't ever recognize love if you don't love yourself first."

Her words landed like a quiet storm, gentle, but irreversible.

"You don't need validation from anyone. Stop being a racehorse bred for the finish line. Be a wild, free-spirited horse. Run wherever you want, and while you're running, don't forget to look around. There's beauty there, too." She gave him a final, firm nod. "Goodnight."

Then she stepped out of the car without waiting for a response.

Hades watched as she walked, not toward the estate's front gate, but toward the side, vanishing into the darker edge of the perimeter wall like a shadow.

She didn't offer hugs. Or bullshit comforting words.

She called him a coward. Mocked his earlier behavior. And then somehow, still, made him feel seen.

He smiled. He didn't even know why.

But it was real.

She didn't offer him sweetness. She gave him truth.

And maybe… that was what he needed most.

For the first time in a long while, Hades let himself think. Really think.

She was right.

Maybe he really didn't love himself.

Maybe that's why he couldn't feel the love others tried to give him.

Not from Angelina.

Not even from his father, Jupiter, who once confessed to his mother that he tried to love Hades…

…but couldn't see him as a son because of Hades's own choices.

If he wanted to be seen as a Falcon, 

then he had to act like one.

Not a shadow of Zeus. Not a runner-up.

But himself.

Hades Falcon.

And Falcons didn't beg for validation.

They owned their path, 

…and flipped the world the middle finger while flying it.

Hades stared into the darkness where Evadne had disappeared.

"Thank you," he whispered, even though she was already gone.