On the other side ,"Quintus," she breathed, her voice steady yet laced with guilt and longing. The name hung heavy between them, a reminder of what once was and what had been lost."Don't," he hissed, his voice a venomous growl that reverberated through the desolate village."Don't you dare speak to me, Elynn. Or should I call you The Almighty Goddess of Wolves—Luna? It matters little; a goddess or a human, it's all the same. A deceitful, treacherous creature hiding behind a beautiful mask."She swallowed, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "You have every right to hate me.""Hate you?" His laugh was sharp and jagged, devoid of any trace of humanity. "Hate doesn't even begin to cover it. You destroyed everything—everything I was, everything I cared for. I gave you my heart, trusted you with my son—and you burned it all to the ground!"She flinched, but held her ground, chin high. "I never meant for it to end like this. I never wanted this.""You never wanted?" He took a step forward, dark energy crackling around him like a storm barely restrained. He closed the distance, his power swirling around them, suffocating her. It dug into her skin, leaving an uncomfortable burn that felt like a reminder of her fragility. "Do you know how much I loved you? I thought I'd found peace with you—a shattered man trying to rise from the ashes of loss. You made me believe in love again, and then—then you destroyed it all because you were too selfish to let go. Because you chose to stay when you should have left."She felt his words like daggers, each one digging deeper, yet she didn't look away. "You think I didn't love you? Didn't love Ezra? I did. I fought to hold on to every moment I had with you both—""Don't!" he roared, his hand shooting out as if to strike her. Dark magic flared around his fingers, its intensity making her heart race. She felt the pulsating energy threatening to engulf her, but she resisted, her body trembling under the weight of his anger. "Don't you dare speak his name out of your monstrous mouth! He was my son—my first wife's legacy. You wrapped us in this illusion of happiness, only to watch it all burn because you couldn't bear to let go! Do you think I wanted to believe a goddess could willingly choose a mundane life? You were infatuated with the idea of humanity, with the illusion of normalcy. You knew you could walk away at any time. But you stayed as long as it suited you, and everything turned to ash because of your foolish wish to cling to it!"The heavy silence enveloped the warped landscape Quintus had conjured from the depths of his memories. Luna's grip on the knife Lucifer had given her tightened, her knuckles whitening as she braced herself. But as her sharp eyes took in the figure before her, the tension in her hand eased. It wasn't truly him—it was a shadow, an illusion wrought by dark magic. A mere projection, untouchable by blade or brute force. She couldn't strike him down, nor could she banish him back to Hell.Still, Luna's mind raced. He wasn't here for a physical battle; this was something far more calculated—a reckoning, a prelude to the chaos that loomed ahead. Her instincts sharpened. If she was to uncover the power driving his wrath, she needed to play her cards carefully, to draw him out without revealing her hand.Provocation was a dangerous strategy, but Luna was no stranger to peril. She knew how to turn danger into opportunity. Her mind danced with possibilities, her lips curling into a faint, knowing smirk. If he wanted a reckoning, she'd give him one—on her terms."You, Luna, were the reason my world burned! Your trial, your refusal to end it—this nightmare happened because you were too selfish to let go. You should have died! I would have mourned; I would have been heartbroken, yes, but at least they would have lived. My son,—they could have been spared."His words struck deep, each accusation a dagger of guilt and regret. She had known this truth all along, had felt the weight of it in the marrow of her bones. Yet hearing it from him felt like a wound freshly opened. If only she had chosen differently, if only she had walked away. But she was not going to break in front of him.Luna shook her head, a fierce defiance rising within her. "I could never imagine it would come to this.""Didn't you?" he scoffed, rage bubbling beneath the surface. "What a joke. How could a goddess not foresee the chaos? You reveled in the destruction you've wrought, just as you reveled in the life you pretended to lead. You were a goddess. You had the power to intervene, to put an end to the chaos. But you didn't. You turned your back on us and ascended, leaving me to wallow in the ashes of our lives.""No! It's not like that," she protested, anger and desperation igniting in her chest. Her hands trembled as she fought to articulate her thoughts, but the truth lingered in her mind: her greed for a taste of humanity had led them to this moment, her greed for love and getting loved. Her throat tightened, but she didn't step back, didn't let the tears that threatened fall. "Then do it now. Take your revenge. If that's what you want, then end this."His laughter was low, bitter. "You think it's that simple?" He leaned in, his breath chilling the air between them. "I don't want your death, Luna. I want your suffering. I want you to watch everything you care for crumble like you made mine. I want you to feel every ounce of pain you put me through. Killing you would be too easy." His laughter was a cold, jagged thing, devoid of warmth. "If I'd known what you truly were—if I'd known what you'd bring upon us—I would have ended you the moment we met. Instead of saving you, I would have let you die in that forest we first met . I would have spared myself this torment. Everything I had is gone because of you."In that moment, his anguish broke through the layers of hatred, raw and palpable. But just as quickly, it was consumed by the darkness that surrounded him, the same darkness that had twisted him into this vengeful, corrupted being.She felt the old guilt rising, twisting in her gut like a serpent, but she forced it down, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "If it's my life you want, I'll give it freely. But don't drag others into this. They are innocent.""Innocent? What about the village of people? What were their sins? That they sheltered you—loved you?" He sneered, his eyes blazing with fury. "The wolves you now call innocent are the descendants of those who slaughtered my people. They carry the same blood, the same savagery. You took my son, my people, my life, and now you dare live as the goddess of the very monsters who destroyed us? If you truly regretted everything, you wouldn't be here protecting them." He gestured violently to the ruins around them, magic crackling like lightning in the air, illuminating the devastation that echoed his pain. His accusation hung heavy between them, a noose tightening around her throat.Her blood burned, crawling through her veins like fire as her heart slowed to a desperate thrum. The weight of his words crushed her, each syllable laced with the agony of loss and betrayal. He reveled in her suffering, his gaze sharp as he drank in her torment. She could feel the fragility of her human form, the delicate thread of life that tethered her to this world. He thrived on this edge of chaos, knowing the rules that bound him but dancing dangerously close to their limits, relishing the power he wielded over her."Try it." Her voice was like steel, her eyes fierce. "I dare you. Harm a single wolf under my protection, and I'll return it to you a thousandfold. You want vengeance? Come for me. But if you drag others into this, I'll make you wish you'd died centuries ago." She stood defiantly, even as his magic bore down on her—burning and coursing through her blood."But i have already died centuries ago , haven't i ? i am just a soul now " He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "Do you know what it's like to watch your child die, Luna? To watch your people scream as wolves tore through them, to be powerless while the world you tried to rebuild was ripped to shreds?"Her voice faltered, but she forced herself to meet his gaze with unwavering strength. "You think I don't know the weight of my actions? I understand your pain, Quintus. I live with it every day. But I refuse to let innocent lives be sacrificed for my past mistakes.""Apologies won't bring him or them back," Quintus said, his voice low and menacing. "But I know what will give me peace." He straightened, dark magic swirling around him like a predator stalking its prey. "I will erase every last one of them—the wolves, the monsters. I'll wipe them from existence until nothing remains but the echo of your betrayal. And I'll start with the one you're so desperately trying to protect." His gaze darkened, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl.Luna's heart raced as he mentioned Alex. She thought she was testing him, but she didn't realize he was also testing her, checking if she was capable of anything. She took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't be careless, but she had much to protect. "That one is off-limits," she said, her voice sharp as steel. "He is my person. Touch him, and I promise I will drag you to Hell myself."Quintus tilted his head, a chilling grin stretching across his face, his eyes alight with a maniacal gleam. "I could destroy you right here, right now, turn you into nothing but ashes and bone before you even blink, darling," he crooned, his voice a sick, twisted melody that sent shivers down her spine."Try me," she shot back, refusing to show an ounce of fear. Her stance remained unyielding, a fragile, seemingly broken human daring to stand against a force of darkness.His eyes narrowed, scanning her with unnerving intensity. "You still believe you can protect him?" His voice was low, dripping with condescension. "You're more naive than I thought. I can rip everything from you without lifting a finger. You're not a goddess anymore, Luna. You're just a ghost—a pitiful remnant of what you used to be."The words cut deep, each one a blade twisting in an old wound. Yet she stood her ground, the pain fueling her resolve. "And yet, here I am. Still standing. Still fighting. I won't let you take anyone else from me—not again.""Fighting?" He laughed, a cruel, hollow sound. "This pathetic attempt at bravery? You're barely hanging on by a thread, and you think it's enough?" His gaze darkened, a smirk curling at his lips. "I don't even have to touch him. All I need to do is show him what you really are—a monster, hiding behind the illusion of a so-called goddess , I wonder how long will it take to turn his back on you then . After all your kind likes to turn against each other , Pathetic Monsters.""Go ahead," she replied, her voice steady despite the growing storm inside her. "I won't be your pawn. I have killed you once , I can do it twice "The grin vanished from his face, replaced by a flicker of something else—a shadow of memory, of pain, crossing his features. He stepped closer, their faces inches apart, his breath hot against her skin. "You think you can kill me again?" he hissed, rage simmering beneath every syllable. "You're nothing now. A goddess stripped of her power, reduced to a human. Your own wolves paid the price for your treachery, Luna. Did you forget that wedding night? Your so-called person—he was one of them. One of the many who wanted you gone, vanished into dust. And yet, here you are, protecting the very ones who betrayed you. What are you? A fool? Or just blind and deaf to the truth?""Maybe," she said, voice trembling but fierce. "But I will never abandon them. Just like I never abandoned you."He stilled, the words hitting him like a punch. But then his eyes darkened further, a dangerous, twisted anger overtaking his expression. "And yet, you did. You let them turn me into this. You stood there, helpless, and did nothing. You're the one who failed us, failed them. And now, you're trying to play the hero? You think you're in control here?""If they want to turn against me, I won't blame them," she said, her eyes fierce despite the storm inside her. "I failed you, and I failed them. But if it's a fight you want, I won't back down. I'll defend what's left—but I won't let you harm the innocent."The air crackled with tension, power thrumming between them. His darkness pressed in on her, suffocating, threatening to swallow her whole. But in the heart of that abyss, Luna felt a flicker—a tiny spark, a reminder of the power she once wielded. A reminder of who she was.Quintus's lips twisted into a sneer, his laughter echoing through the night. "So be it. You want a war?" He leaned closer, his voice a chilling whisper that seemed to reverberate through her very bones. "Then let the games begin."And with that, the world seemed to shatter around them, the darkness rising like a tidal wave, swallowing them both whole.