CHAPTER 38: GOODNEWS, PAPA!

[The Underground—]

"I bring you good news, Papa."

A voice echoed softly through the underworld cavern— it was light, smooth, and strangely calm for such a place.

A cloaked figure stepped into the half-glow, boots scraping against damp stone as faint mist coiled around their ankles.

Venom turned from his throne of human bones, his red eyes flickering like dying embers. His tone carried the kind of calm that promised danger beneath. "Speak"

The figure lowered their hood slightly but kept their face shadowed. "I’ve done what you asked. My name now sits among those traveling to Galveston." A pause, deliberate and confident. "And I’ve ensured I’m paired with Valkyrie."

A slow grin unfurled across Venom’s face, carving lines of firelight through his scarred skin. The molten veins that ran along his arms glowed faintly brighter.

"You’ve done well," he murmured. "Very well indeed."

He descended from the throne, the shadows shifting and curling around his form as though obeying his presence. "So... it begins," he continued. "The chain loosens link by link, and soon, With a drop of blood from Valkyrie my freedom will no longer be a dream."

The cloaked one bowed slightly, voice edged with pride. "You taught me to be patient. I only followed your wisdom, Papa."

Venom’s low laugh rolled through the cavern like distant thunder. "Ah, my dear. Patience is not just wisdom— it’s the weapon of those who know time bends to them."

He came to stand beside the ally, the air thick with the scent of sulfur and something ancient. His red eyes glinted with something close to satisfaction. "Every choice you make up there shapes the fall of this world. Remember that."

The cloaked figure nodded, gaze lowering respectfully. But as they lifted their head again, their eyes darted toward something behind Venom— a narrow stretch of the cavern wall where water trickled constantly. The ground there shimmered faintly, damp and greenish, as if something alive slept beneath it.

Their curiosity sharpened. "You always stand near that place," they said quietly. "Why?"

Venom’s smile faded. His expression darkened, and for a moment, even the flickering torches seemed to hesitate. "That," he said slowly, "is not a place you should be curious about."

"Is it dangerous?"

Venom’s jaw flexed, his voice dropping low. "It’s not danger you’d understand. That pool... it’s a memory carved into the earth. My past, my curse and my warning..."

The cloaked figure tilted their head. "Then why do you keep it closed?"

"Because I must," Venom replied sharply. "Because if I turn away, it calls to me louder. That wound beneath the stone hungers for weakness, and I..." he stopped himself, eyes narrowing. "You are not to go near it. Ever."

The silence stretched, thick and uneasy.

Then, soft and steady, the figure said, "Understood, Papa."

Venom’s eyes softened slightly at the title— a glimmer of affection breaking through the stone-hard exterior. "Good," he said. "You’ve always listened better than the others did."

"Did anyone or anything caught or saw you?" He asked.

The figure gave a faint negative nod. "You don’t need to worry about all that— no one suspects a thing. Camila and Darren almost caught me, but I managed to hide before they entered the office. They’re cautious... but they don’t know what’s coming."

Venom turned, walking slowly toward the dim mirror carved into the cavern wall— its surface alive with shifting reflections of the Monster Academy above. Students laughed and studied, unaware they were being watched. "And they won’t," he said. "They see only what their arrogance allows."

"Should I be concerned they nearly caught me?" the figure asked.

Venom waved a clawed hand dismissively. "No. They’ve grown paranoid. Their fear will make them reckless— and their recklessness, predictable. You did what I asked. That’s what matters."

The figure hesitated, their voice softening slightly. "It’s strange, though. Being among them. Sometimes they talk about things I almost... understand."

Venom’s gaze snapped toward them, sharp and unblinking. "Do not lose yourself to their warmth," he warned, his tone low and venomous. "It’s poison wrapped in comfort. They will never see you as one of them. You walk in their light, but your shadow belongs to me."

The cloaked figure bowed their head quickly. "I know, Papa. I only meant..."

He raised a hand, silencing them. "Enough. What matters now is Galveston. That island will break the first seal of my prison. Once the sun rises there, the sky itself will bend to me again."

The figure’s head tilted slightly, a trace of awe in their voice. "And when that happens?"

Venom smiled slowly, almost tenderly. "Then, my dear, the world will remember what it means to fear the dark."

He stepped closer, the firelight catching the red glint of his eyes. "You’ve done well tonight. But you must go. Return to the academy before someone notices your absence."

The figure gave a small nod. "Yes, Papa. But... will you be alright?"

A faint chuckle escaped him. "You worry too much." His hand, large and clawed, came to rest briefly on their shoulder. "I’ve endured centuries in these chains. A few more years won’t kill me."

They hesitated, then bowed deeply. "I won’t fail you."

"I know," Venom said, his tone soft, dangerous and certain. "You are my greatest weapon— and my sharpest blade, I know you won’t."

The cloaked figure turned, stepping back toward the tunnel, their shadow melting into the mist.

"Child" Venom called.

They paused and looked back. He smiled faintly. "You’ve made me proud." A small smile spread across their face. "Always, Papa."

Then they vanished into the darkness— their footsteps fading, cloak sweeping silently through the tunnels.

Venom remained where he stood, staring at the place they had disappeared. Slowly, his expression hardened again. His gaze drifted back to the damp stretch of ground— the place he called a wound.

It pulsed once, faintly.

A sound whispered from within only him could hear, soft and slick as oil.

You keep secrets from even your own blood, Venom.

Venom’s claws flexed. "Be silent."

"You fear she will find me", the voice continued, mockingly, it sounded like a woman who has been locked up in there for a very long time. "But she is already bound to me by the same curse that binds you"

His eyes blazed red, and his voice thundered. "She is mine! My daughter. And I’ll make sure she never learns of you"

"You forget blood is thicker than water Venom, She is my Child, and one-day she’ll learn the truth, no matter how hard you try to hide it. The prophecy must prevail" The sound continued in a heart breaking way.

"Untill then, keep your mouth shut, and stop bothering us. VERONICA"

All shadows return to the dark, the whisper hissed, fading back into the pool.

Venom stood perfectly still, trembling with quiet fury. The torches dimmed, and his reflection warped in the molten mirror beside him.

"Not her," he whispered into the silence. "Not this time. AND NOT EVER"

Then he turned from the pool and disappeared into the depths of his lair— leaving only the sound of distant dripping water, and the faint echo of laughter that wasn’t his.

"VERONICA..."