In this merciless cellar, where darkness clung to him like a second skin. The only sounds was the faint, mocking drip of water from somewhere above and the muted noise of life in the world beyond—life. Alister Aveline had once taken for granted but now felt painfully distanced from. He lay curled on the stone floor, too weak to move, his once-proud eyes hollow and sunken. Day after day, he had endured the cruelty of those who'd captured him, caught in a cycle of abuse that stole pieces of his spirit each time.
Alister had lost track of time in this suffocating darkness. Fragments of laughter and luxury flickered in his mind, now distant echoes drowned out by the weight of his suffering. He clenched his eyes shut, a lump forming in his throat. Would he ever feel the sun's warmth again, its golden light cascading over the hills? He yearned to touch something pure, to grasp a sliver of beauty beyond these cold walls. But a chilling certainty settled in his chest: he would never see the light again. In the dim light of his fading consciousness, a vivid image bloomed within his mind, bright and haunting.
There stood his alpha Raphaël Vance , a figure of both strength and gentleness, dressed in the gleaming armor of a knight captain. He was revered, respected, and yet, beneath his stoic exterior, he held a heart full of warmth and compassion, always yearning to nurture the bond he shared. He could see Raphael clearly, his expression one of hope as he approached in his youth, eyes shining with a love that could light up the darkest corners of the earth.
But as the days turned to months, he had ignored his kindness, dismissing his gentle attempts to connect. He saw Raphael trying to reach out, to open his heart to the love he offered, only to be met with his indifference.
Then came the day he revealed his greatest hope—his hands cradling the swell of his belly, the light in his eyes brighter than ever. "We're going to have a child," he had said, his voice trembling with excitement. "Can you imagine? A family together, our family."
He recalled the joy that had filled their home upon learning of the pregnancy, He could still see Raphaël's face when he had shared the news, the radiant smile that had transformed his features into pure joy, illuminating the room. But now, that joy felt like a distant memory, replaced by a hollow ache in Alister's heart.
The sound of their child's heartbeat, a rhythm that had once filled him with hope, had been silenced forever. As darkness began to creep in, Alister grasped at the threads of his memories, wishing desperately to hold onto those fleeting moments of happiness—the tender touches the warmth of Raphaël's embrace. In his heart, he knew that his reckless actions had not only cost him the chance to be a father but had also hurt the one person who had loved him unconditionally.
With each fading heartbeat, he felt the crushing weight of his mistakes settle over him like a shroud. In those last moments, he wished for nothing more than to turn back time, to protect the fragile life they had created together, to nurture the hope that had once blossomed between them.
"I'm sorry, Raphaël," he whispered into the void, knowing he would never have the chance to make amends.
"I loved you. I still love you.
"Yes Alister Aveline the flower of empire fell in love with his alpha.
He remembered how he had laughed, not with joy but with cruel disbelief. "A child? What good is that? Don't be foolish." Alister saw the light in Raphael's eyes flicker, heard the soft crack of his heart beneath his words, but he had turned away, unwilling to see the pain he inflicted.And as he surrendered to the darkness, he hoped that in some distant realm, the dreams of their unborn child would be waiting for him—a final reunion that could bridge the chasm his choices had carved.
In the thick silence, a strange warmth began to fill the air, cutting through the cold that had settled in his bones. He looked up, his vision blurring, and there she was—a figure wrapped in shadows, yet radiating a gentle glow. Her eyes were deep and dark, but they held a kindness he hadn't seen in so long, he almost didn't recognize it.
The goddess of death approached with open arms, a faint, warm smile playing on her lips. She looked at him not with pity, but with a gentle understanding, as if she'd watched his descent from pride to suffering and understood the broken soul before her. In a voice that seemed to echo from another realm, she spoke softly, her tone warm and soothing.
"You've suffered enough, child," she whispered, reaching out to him.
"You don't need to endure this any longer." "Come, child," she murmured, her voice a soothing balm.
"Your pain is over. You don't have to carry this burden any longer."
As her warmth enveloped him, he felt the anguish of his past begin to dissolve. In that moment, he caught a glimpse of his alpha spouse, waiting beneath a great oak tree, his armor gleaming in the sunlight. His expression was gentle, filled with forgiveness and a quiet strength, a promise of love that transcended even death.In his final moments, he felt a flicker of hope, knowing he would be reunited with the one who had always believed in him. As he stepped into the embrace of the goddess, he let go of the weight of his regret, allowing himself to be free, to finally seek the love he had cast aside.