“Lying there won’t help, Aven”, Zane lay against the cell walls.“What else can I do, huh?!”, Aven yelled, kicking the bars on the prison door.Zane scoffed “I’m guessing you aren’t paralyzed anymore.”Aven started to cry out of frustration “Fuck… Fuck man.”Zane sighed “Listen to me, whatever Nero says, don’t comply even if it costs me my life.”Aven pushed himself on the cold concrete as both hands were tied behind his back. Aven attempted to calm himself down “He’s raping my wife and all I can do is rot in a prison cell.”Zane tilted his head downwards “Letra’s daughter, she’s a good woman. She is strong, but in her current mental state… it is unpredictable to know how she’ll act afterwards.”“It’s my fault, Zane, and I intend to pay the consequences, but not with your life. Letharia was willing to die to tend to your wounds. I won’t let you wither away so easily… let me do one good thing before I sell my soul to Hades”, Aven sighed.“Aven, I have no one to live for. The only woman

Nero had stared at Valerine as she had come back from New Germany. Nero hadn't dare left his throne to greet her. Valerine had bowed after the gates had opened. “Take off your hood”, Nero demanded. Valerie gave Nero a look of confusion “Absolutely Not my lord.”Council Member Arlin’s booming voice echoed “Valerie Previs as of now we have come to the decision that you are no longer a member of the RMC.”A look of shock had completely taken over her face.“You deserve a promotion, Valerine, spending your life on the council isn't fit for a Queen”, Nero spoke as he stood up off his throne. Nero approached Valerine and kneeled as he pulled something out of his back pocket, a beautiful golden sapphire ring “Valerine Diane Previs...She took off her hood and gasped with her hand over her mouth.“But my lord...”, she spoke“Will you marry me?”, Nero asked.Valerine hesitates to look at Council Member Alin for answers “The Gods for once in a lifeti

Valerine sat at the table, her mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. Aven, ever patient, sat by her side, his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of her thoughts. After a prolonged silence, she glanced at Aven with a hint of concern in her eyes."I smell a curse, Aven," Valerine said, her voice tinged with unease.Aven chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension. "Perhaps, I thought--""You thought only Zane and Arlin could smell curses, huh?" Valerine interrupted, her tone slightly teasing.She continued, her frustration evident. "I am furious at your father for thinking he can leave me here all night. Lucky you. Get him back here right now, and I won't say a word. You have my promise."Aven shook his head, acknowledging her anger, but he held a hint of defiance in his gaze. Before he left, he glanced back at her, his expression serious yet resolute. "I truly don't care if he finds out or not. An angry father is better than an

In the dimly lit bathroom, Aven's haunted gaze stared at his trembling hands. His nightmare had yanked him back into the past, to the vivid memory of his mother's execution. The anguish was a blade through his heart, a pain he could never truly escape. He missed her with an intensity that weighed heavily on his soul regret gnawing at him like a relentless predator. He wished he could have done more to save her, to shield her from the cruel fate his father had orchestrated.The room seemed to close in around him, memories of his mother's laughter, her comforting touch, and the warmth of her embrace flooding his mind. The weight of his responsibilities and the gravity of his actions pressed upon him. He had grown so much since then, but the scars ran deep.As the minutes ticked by, the silence was shattered by a soft creak from the door. Ezekiel, perceptive as ever, had awoken to his turmoil. The young boy shuffled into the room, his eyes wide with concern. “Aven?” he whispered tentativ