CHAPTER 118: TELL ME MORE ABOUT HIM

It had been two days since Hades left.

Luna and Peri were in the central compound of the castle—the very place where the incident had taken place. Strangely enough, the damage was repaired within a single day. Perhaps everyone here was simply used to rebuilding.

The two girls were training.

Peri stood with a bow in hand, a blindfold tied over her eyes, steadying her breathing as she aimed. Luna hovered a few feet above the ground, wrapped in a faint protective shield. From below, silvery chains of light stretched upward, coiling around several massive iron spheres and lifting them into the air.

This wasn’t Luna’s idea. Peri had dragged her out here—no, scolded her into training.

Because Hades wasn’t somewhere out there resting. He was enduring, fighting with every passing minute to master the draconic power within him. The pain, the turmoil, the raw emotions tearing through him—they felt it all through their bond.

Luna had tried more than once to reach out, calling to him. But her voice never reached. Only when he called from his side did their bond allow them to speak.

That was why Peri insisted she train. Neither of them could afford to be a burden.

Of course, Peri had her own reasons too. Her mother had warned her to never neglect training. With the sheer flood of mana running through her body, she risked harming herself—or worse, the people around her.

After all, inside Peri resided one of the Primordial Beings. Her mana count was terrifyingly high. What she lacked was control. If she could master that, the power she could unleash would be unimaginable.

TOCK

The arrow shot forward, slicing through the air before striking its mark. Peri pulled off her blindfold and grinned.

The arrow had buried itself straight into the eye of the target.

This wasn’t just an ordinary bullseye. The target was infused with mana—the inner circle carried the strongest concentration. She had been forced to feel out the densest spot, steady herself against the whistling wind, and release at just the right moment.

And judging from the result, she was more than satisfied.

Peri glanced at the silver-haired girl, still seated in a meditative state, the faint glow of her shield flickering around her.

She hesitated, then stepped closer. "Can I...ask you something?"

Luna let out a soft sigh as her eyes slowly opened. The floating metal orb lowered to the ground with a dull thud, and she descended with it, brushing off the dust from her dress.

"Do you always train for such a short while?" she asked calmly.

Peri’s cheeks flushed. "T-There isn’t much space here. And... we’re not allowed outside."

Luna shook her head faintly, then gave her a curious look. "What did you want to ask?"

The two of them began walking back toward the castle, their footsteps echoing softly against the stone.

Peri bit her lip, hesitating again. But since she had disturbed Luna already, she forced the words out. "I... want to know more about him."

"Hades?" Luna’s lips curved into a smile almost instantly. "Ask me anything."

Peri noticed it right away—how Luna’s entire mood shifted. Just the mention of his name turned her expression from mild irritation into something warm, almost glowing.

Still, she pressed on. "...How did you two end up together? I know you share a past, but... if you hadn’t met him back then, do you think you still would have fallen for him?"

Luna smiled faintly, her gaze drifting far away. "Maybe... maybe I wouldn’t have seen myself as worthy of him back then. But one thing I know for sure—I had fallen for him anyway."

She drew in a quiet breath, steadying her voice before continuing.

"I get easily scared by thunder and lightning," she admitted softly. "Once, during a mission... we had been moving and fighting for four days straight. By the time we were heading back, exhaustion was eating all of us, so we decided to camp for the night."

A nostalgic warmth touched her lips as the memory replayed in her mind. "That was when the thunder began to rumble. I knew right away—it was going to be a hard night for me."

She lowered her voice, as if confessing a secret. "I didn’t tell anyone. Everyone was so tired, and I didn’t want to trouble them. So I crawled into my tent, thinking I’d just bury myself under blankets and pretend not to hear it."

Her fingers clenched faintly at her side, and her voice trembled just a little. "But the storm that night was violent... every crack of thunder made me flinch. I was terrified."

Then her expression softened, her eyes glistening with quiet warmth. "And then... a small tear opened at the side of my tent. A hand—rough, calloused, big enough to cover mine with ease—reached inside."

She looked at Peri, her lips curving into a tender smile. "It was Hades."

Peri’s brows rose. "Couldn’t he... have just entered your tent?"

Luna’s lips curved into a sheepish smile. "Our mate is quite the gentleman, you see. At that time, he was still engaged to Kayla. He thought it would be improper to step into another maiden’s tent."

She let out a soft breath, her eyes softening. "So instead... he simply held my hand. For the entire night. I still feel guilty, knowing how tired he was and that I made him stay there until morning. But even now, that memory doesn’t bring me regret—it brings me warmth."

Her gaze shifted to Peri, steady and certain. "Think about it, Peri. If he could show such kindness to a friend, imagine how deeply he would care for someone he truly loves."

Peri lowered her eyes, her heart tightening.

She would be lying if she claimed she didn’t know how kind Hades was. He had helped her mother—helped ease Beatrice’s suffering—despite barely knowing her. And afterward, he hadn’t asked for a single thing in return.

And in the short time she had spent with him, Peri had seen it clearly herself: her mate was nothing like the kind of dragon her mother despised. Nothing like the kind she, too, had once loathed.

They remained silent until they reached the dining hall, where the maids had already served the lunch.

Peri exhaled a long sigh before she said, "Would you mind if I take him on a date once he returns?"

Luna chuckled, "He is yours as much as he is mine. Surely, you can."

Peri nodded in gratitude.

Maybe, she might be able to untie all those knots that had formed in her heart regarding Hades?

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.