Chapter 80
"You want me to take you to see Drake?" Gracie asked, crossing her arms as she stood by the window in Drogen's apartment, Natasha had already returned home before Gracie finally came. Her voice carried an edge of disbelief as she looked at Natasha, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yes," Natasha replied firmly. "I need to ask him something important."
Gracie tilted her head, studying Natasha as she noticed something unusual. "You feel... different," she said, her voice dropping slightly. "There's something about your aura—something I can't quite place."
"That's one of the reasons I need to see Drake," Natasha replied, her voice low but urgent. Her hands trembled slightly as she recalled everything, she had made sure to act calmly around Drogen, made sure to mask her inner turmoil so he wouldn't find anything suspicious.
"I remembered everything."
Gracie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Everything?"
Natasha nodded. "Yes. Everything about my past life. Who I was, what I lost, and what was taken from me."
Gracie stared at her for a long moment, her suspicion giving way to something softer—concern, maybe even fear. "Natasha, do you know what you're saying? Even we as grim reapers can't remember our past lives. This… this is unheard of. And it could lead to problems, serious ones."
"It's not a problem," Natasha said, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite the tension. "If anything, it's made me feel more alive."
Gracie let out a sharp breath, shaking her head. "Alright, then. If you're sure, tell me—what do you remember?"
Natasha hesitated for a moment, Then, leaning closer to Gracie, she whispered, "Turns out I was a princess."
Gracie's eyes widened, a mix of shock and excitement flashing across her face. "A princess? You're kidding!"
"I'm not," Natasha said, a small laugh escaping her lips. "Though I'm not anymore."
Gracie grinned, her teasing tone lightening the mood. "You'll always be my princess, though."
They had a few moments of chatting and laughter before Gracie took her to the underworld.
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The air grew colder as Natasha and Gracie stepped into the void and arrived at the underworld within seconds. The transition was immediate; one moment, Natasha could feel the warmth of the living world, and the next, an oppressive chill wrapped around her, instantly awakening goosebumps all over her flushed skin. But strangely, it didn't seem as scary as the last time she came here.
Every step felt heavier than the last, her mind reeling with different emotions, anger, hatred, love, sadnesses.
When they reached Drake's palace, Natasha couldn't help but pause. She inhaled deeply, bracing herself for whatever more about the dark past she was going to find out. And another major reason she came, she had to find a way, a way to end Drogen's curse without him dying. She also wanted to know Drogen's side of the story. She didn't know anything about him or how he ended up the way he is.
Gracie stepped forward, her posture as steady and unshaken. "We seek an audience with Drake," she announced to the guards stationed at the gates.
The guards exchanged glances before stepping aside, allowing the gates to creak open. Natasha followed Gracie inside, her steps faltering slightly as the oppressive energy of the palace wrapped around her.
At the end of the grand hall sat Drake, his figure blending in shadow. He exuded an aura of cold authority, his sharp eyes locking onto Natasha the moment she entered. She could feel his gaze piercing through her, as if he could see every secret she carried. Gracie left after seeing Natasha in.
Despite the fear curling in her stomach, Natasha forced herself to step forward. She clenched her fists, drawing on every ounce of courage she had.
"I remember everything," she said, her voice breaking the heavy silence.
Drake's eyes remained steady on her, unblinking. He didn't seem surprised, nor did he show any sign of emotion. "I know," he said, his voice low and emotionless, as if it was nothing of consequence.
"You knew?" she asked, her voice rising with disbelief. "Why didn't you do anything?"
Drake leaned back in his throne, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. "Because there's nothing I can do anymore."
Natasha's chest tightened. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but she forced herself to stay composed. "Then tell me where the hell I can find Hades," she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging within her.
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Flashback
Seven hundred years ago, Natasha, then known as Lilith was a princess in the kingdom of Eltheris. Her life had been one of privilege and duty, filled with moments of joy and moments of sorrow. But none of that had prepared her for the day Drogen entered her life.
Drogen had arrived as her bodyguard, a quiet and cold figure who seemed to blend into the background. Yet there was something about him that drew Lilith in, something in the way he moved, the way he spoke, the way he looked at her with those storm-filled eyes.
They had grown close over time, and Lilith had found herself falling for him in ways she hadn't thought possible. At that time, it was forbidden for a princess to have any sort of romantic relationship with a guard, but Lilith couldn't care less. But what she didn't know was that Drogen wasn't just a bodyguard—he was a spy, a prince of a neighboring kingdom sent to gather information on Eltheris.
She had been young, naive even, but when Drogen looked at her, she felt something shift within her, she found herself falling far him despite it was forbidden. Her once lonely life suddenly became full of life and love. despite the political dangers that surrounded them, Drogen had also fallen in love with her.
But Drogen's duty had always been to his kingdom. He had come as a spy, to get information on the kingdom and how they could defeat and take over. As the days passed, his feelings for her grew, but so did his guilt. The man he had been raised to be could never be with the princess of Eltheris. He had made a choice, one that he could never take back, he decided to leave her, to leave everything behind.
When he left, he never told her the truth. He simply walked away, his heart breaking with every step, leaving Lilith who begged him to stay. She had pleaded with him, saying she didn't care who he was or where he came from, only that she couldn't live without him. But he had disappeared, she had cried for days, not able to recover from losing him, she thought he left because he believed they could never be together due to her identity, she had even told him she was ready to leave the kingdom with him, but all her plea fell on deaf ears as he left her heartbroken.
A few months later, everything fell apart. Eltheris was invaded by the forces of Drogen's kingdom, led by none other than Hades, Drogen's twin brother. The attack was brutal, swift, and deadly. A lot of lives were lost in the battle, including her brother and parents.
Lilith had fought with everything she had, but nothing could prepare her for the horrors that were coming. She ran to find her mother in the palace which had caught fire, only to find her lying on the floor, killed in cold blood.
And standing over her, sword in hand, was Drogen.
Her heart stopped, and the world around her seemed to collapse. She had already been warned by her brother, Heather, that Drogen had been leading the rebellion, but she had refused to believe it. She had refused to believe the man she loved could do such a thing.
But there he was. The love of her life, holding the sword that had killed her mother.
She collapsed to the floor, unable to move, unable to breathe. The pain was too much, the betrayal too sharp. Drogen turned to find her, but the coldness in his eyes was unlike anything she's seen before, he felt like a completely different person as he looked at her with an evil smirk, he approached her, the sword in his hand dripping with her mother's blood.
It was then that her most trusted maid ran into the burning palace to drag Lilith out, Lilith struggled to free herself, she wanted to kill that man at all cost, to get her revenge for him making her life miserable, but her maid knew the danger, if she left Lilith to confront him, she would end up killed.
As her maid dragged her away, Lilith's eye lingered in the burning palace, her heart clenching, tears flowing freely as hatred bubbled in her heart.
"How could he, how could he" was all she kept saying as he maid dragged her away from the burning palace.
"I'll kill him, I'll kill them all, I'll never forgive them" she yelled.