CHAPTER 115: HUNGER

"Agh..." Hades groaned as he slowly climbed out of his slumber.

His body felt crushed under immense pressure, as if hundreds of kilograms were weighing him down.

While he couldn’t feel any bone fractured or any wound on him, the exhaustion was excruciating. It had been a while since he experienced something like this.

He parted his eyes little by little. The room was dimly lit, sparing him the need to adjust his vision.

"Where am... I?" he whispered. The last thing he remembered was finding himself in a burning land... the raw sensation of being overpowered was too vivid to dismiss. For a while, he thought he was truly there—lost in that place.

It felt awfully similar to the void... The same suffocating pull he once felt in the Sovereign’s Realm. Yet this was worse—so much worse. It was as if he were being swallowed whole.

The temptation had been maddening, dangerous. He knew it wasn’t right, yet his feet had carried him forward as though his will no longer belonged to him. Drawn to the source of limitless power.

"You are awake." A familiar voice came from his left.

Turning, he saw Kaelith.

"Where am I?" His voice cracked with dryness.

"You are in confinement," she said calmly, pulling a chair and sitting by his bed.

"Did I... hurt someone?" he asked, though a part of him already feared the answer.

He could feel it—Peri’s unease, Luna’s lingering fear. The guilt weighed heavier than chains.

"Yes and no," Kaelith replied softly. "My servants suffered little, but... You frightened your mates."

Hades drew in a sharp breath. His chest tightened as he pushed himself upright.

Through the barred window, sunlight spilled in streaks across the floor. He lifted his gaze to the woman who had introduced herself as his mother only yesterday.

His shoulders sagged, his voice low and uncertain. "Can you tell me something honestly? Without being biased... because I’m your son?"

Kaelith tilted her head, studying him. "What is it?"

Hades clenched his fist. His words trembled. "Don’t you fear that I’ll become what everyone whispers about? The descendant of the Primordial Dragon of Chaos... a being called the Devourer in history. The one who destroyed civilizations, betrayed his own brothers, and nearly pushed this world to extinction."

He swallowed, his voice breaking as he asked, "Do I even deserve to live?"

These thoughts had been gnawing at him for far too long. Questions he buried, questions he asked only to the voice inside him—questions that never found peace.

He carried the blood of a being who only knew destruction.

What if one day he lost control? What if he shattered everything he loved? What if he became the monster Samarella despised?

And after what happened last night... the weight of those fears was crushing, impossible to ignore.

Kaelith reached out, gently holding his hand. "Baby," she whispered, "there is a reason the Sovereign of Chaos did what he did."

Hades’s eyes lifted to hers.

Her voice was steady and tender. "The reason why I have a faction, why others stood by me, why even the shadow societies worship the Sovereign... is because they believe in him. They believe in the cause for which he turned rogue."

She cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing against his skin. "He wasn’t a monster who sowed chaos for fun. He had a kind heart, just like you, my son."

Her eyes softened, brimming with certainty as she whispered, "So believe me when I say this—you deserve to live. You deserve to be happy."

Hades fell silent at her words.

His head lowered, his fingers tightening gently around her hand.

After a pause, he whispered, "How are they?"

"They’re perfectly fine, resting in your room. Yes, they were frightened in the moment... but they still care about you." Kaelith sighed, brushing her hair back with faint annoyance. "That Phoenix of yours is rather troublesome, though. She’s already quarreled with the servants twice this morning."

A small, wry smile tugged at Hades’s lips. "That sounds like Luna... Can I talk to them?"

Kaelith’s expression softened, but she shook her head. "For the time being, it’s best you don’t meet them. Not until you’ve received some basic training."

Now that his heart had settled, Hades finally asked the question gnawing at him. "What exactly happened last night?"

Leaning back in her seat, Kaelith explained, "Dragons draw mana from the air, especially while they sleep. The air of this realm is far denser and more potent than the human realm. You absorbed too much—and lost control."

Hades frowned deeply. "But that energy I felt in my dream... it wasn’t like this. It was something else entirely."

[That’s because what you felt were chaos particles.]

The sudden voice inside his mind startled him. It had been so long since he last heard it.

"I suppose you have your answer now?" Kaelith tilted her head knowingly.

Hades gave a faint nod and opened his mouth to speak, but Kaelith raised a finger to his lips.

"No, baby," she whispered firmly, shaking her head. "Don’t tell me. There are things you must keep to yourself. Not even your mother, not even your mates should know them—or perhaps... they don’t deserve to know them."

Her words caught him off guard. "What do you mean by that?"

Kaelith exhaled softly, her gaze heavy. "You carry responsibilities others cannot begin to understand, burdens they may never see as clearly as you do. That’s why I ask you—guard those parts of yourself. Keep them secret, unless the weight becomes too much... unless you truly need someone to lean on."

Though confused, Hades could feel the truth in her words. He nodded silently.

A quiet moment passed between them before Kaelith finally said, "Now get up and change. We’re going out."

Hades scratched his cheek and gave a sheepish smile. "Can... I eat first? It feels like I haven’t had food in days."

At the sight, Kaelith’s heart softened. For a brief moment, she almost yielded. She wanted to let him eat, to ease that longing in his eyes.

But she needed that hunger to remain—for now.

Her voice carried both warmth and regret as she said, "Please bear with it a little longer, baby. Soon, I’ll let you sate your hunger."

At that moment, Hades was confused why she said that, but soon he would understand why this hunger was required for his growth.

He was going to understand how a predator lives.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading..