The sound of the falling water had awaken Heracles from his sleep with an aching head. His eyes squinted and opened to find himself in a very familiar cave. He scanned around and found Lord Asmodeus seated in the chair with his head on the table fast asleep. It seemed the Lord had stayed by his side the whole night and now thinking about his current state reminded him of old days. The mating bond was taking a toll on him and he wondered if she was going through the same thing as well. Did she even think of him as much as he thought of her? His head hurt more now.
After many years of keeping himself away from her, here he was, back to square one. He managed to push himself up and rested his throbbing head in his palm. Love was playing cruel with him. He suddenly thought. Why couldn't he just have her like everyone did with theirs? Why did it have to be her of everyone else in this world? He kept questioning. Then he had the idea to go look for her. It was not the brightest idea considering the state he was in now. He shook his head in disapproval and decided to take a stroll. However, he soon found himself outside the door to her room. He sighed and shrugged. His mind was occupied with her thoughts that he ended up teleporting to her place. Every fiber of him urged him to open the door and just see for himself how she was doing but he remembered she was married and that so-called husband of hers must be with her. He was sure he could not endure seeing her probably lying in the arms of another man. His heart did not have the strength for that. His legs began to tremble and he needed to get away soon and fast before he did something he was bound to regret.
Heracles sighed and finally decided to leave when he heard Gaia and Vincent's voices. They seemed to be having a serious discussion. He leaned closer to the door.
"Why should we agree to that alliance? Why did they choose our daughter of all creatures in this world? She's human for crying out loud?" He heard Vincent trying to reason with his wife.
"I know but this is actually a golden opportunity for our daughter to stay away from those Lyc-demons. Didn't you hear what they said? That Lord Asmodeus only wants Tezznin to free his son and you know what trouble that boy is." Gaia explained, making sure not to raise her voice too high.
"True, the boy was trouble, but you know of these creatures and their mating bonds with its effects. Listen, if that prince does indeed get freed like they said he would, then our daughter would not be safe being in the hands of those demons. I know these creatures well, and the prince would stop at nothing to get her, even if it means taking the war to Prince Balam; and I doubt Balam would sit quietly. I cannot have my daughter be entangled in that mess."
"I know you are right but believe it or not, what the soothsayer says always turns out true and if the key to removing that boy lies in Tezznin's marriage then what better opportunity can we get to rid her of a life with that Lord Asmodeus' son?"
"Gaia, you know I dislike those creatures and it's our daughter you are talking about here."
"I'm aware. I to find it difficult to do this but it's all for a good course and I know you'll be there to protect our daughter, come what may."
There was now silence in the room. Heracles upon hearing footsteps drawing closer to the door on impulse materialized back to the cave where he found Lord Asmodeus seated on the bed.
...….
Silence was upon the duo staring at themselves. Lord Asmodeus sensed the man had something grave on his mind for his face said it all. His brow raised questioningly at Heracles.
"Did you know that Prince Balam wants to marry Tezznin?" Judging from the expression on the Lord's face, Heracles was sure that the man knew.
"Yes Heracles. I know." Came his reply.
"I see."
"You went to see Gaia?" Lord Asmodeus questioned, looking slightly annoyed. Heracles sighed.
"I know I'm supposed to stay away from her but I can't help the urge."
"If you give in to that urge now you won't be able to go back. Remember what you did previously. The spell is wearing off."
"Asmo please. You of all people should know better the torture I am going through. I'm slowly losing it." Heracles announced and let himself fall beside the Lord seated on the bed. The king stared for a while at the man lying down with his arm resting over his eyes and sighed. He rose to his feet and walked to the study table.
"You awoke a vision in me." The Lord began, instantly grabbing Heracles' attention. He looked at the king silently and intently.
"I said before that my son would free himself once he got stronger. I am afraid that dreaded moment will soon be upon us. There's this child, a girl whom I believe has a role to play with my son's awakening." The Lord explained with concern in his voice.
"So what happens after that? I am certain if Eliot has come back stronger now, then, he would definitely continue with his mission. He'd seek vengeance."
"I don't know about that."
"If what Gaia intends to do proceeds, then I doubt Eliot would step back?" Lord Asmodeus turned to Heracles with a strange smile over his lips.
"Heracles, has it not come to your realization already that we have just made Gaia's work much easier?"
"Huh?" Heracles frowned and stared questioningly at the former. Then it dawned on him. He whispered. "I wiped Tezznin's memories of the boy."
"Exactly." Heracles chuckled.
"I saw a grave." The king announced jolting the man into a serious mood. "It was my son's."
Silence poured down on them. "I only receive visions of the future to set things right but I soon realized with my son that nothing I did would push him off that path. He was and still is bounded by the heavens to his fate. I already failed once trying to help and I cannot fail again."
"So what are you going to do this time around?"
"Nothing." What? Heracles blurted. He was going to do nothing for his son.
"Wait, are you saying that your intention is to allow things play out on their own so that your son meets his fate, which is death?" Heracles questioned with a strange intensity of an emotion Lord Asmodeus was not familiar with sounding in his voice. Was Heracles disheartened by the truth? The Lord thought with a frown. The silence that followed said it all to the man. He did not need the king to say a word. He had sensed earlier in the king's voice some resentment. Now thinking about it, he wondered whom the resentment was directed to. Was it directed to himself maybe, for failing to find a way for his boy? Then he thought about something that he had always wanted to ask the Lord.
"Asmo. Is it because you thought you would receive another vision that is why you did not include in your plans years back to kill your son but rather to find a way to capture him? Is it because you thought once you figured a way to capture him, you would find a way to free him. Was your sole aim geared towards ridding him of the darkness?"
Lord Asmodeus only sighed and sat back tiredly into the chair.
"Yes. That is why I felt betrayed when Rufus and the others hatched that conspiracy. They knew I would interfere."
Heracles nodded thoughtfully. "So that is why you were so desperate to have me find Tezznin because when all hope was lost you saw that Tezznin could free him and you thought again that if he could find love in her then she could change him." The man concluded.
"Yes and everything I ever did was to liberate my son. He just couldn't see it as such."