CHAPTER 223: AMBUSHED

Luna’s breath came sharp and uneven as she scanned the darkness, desperately searching for a way out.

Her vision wavered, colours bleeding into one another as she fought against the urge to inhale the drug drifting through the air. Her phoenix blood was already breaking the toxin down, but its immediate effects were enough to twist her senses and leave her head spinning.

She had come to the graveyard alone, past midnight, chasing faint traces of disturbance. Instead of clues, she found herself caught inside a fog-choked maze with no enemy in sight.

Her palm stayed pressed over her nose and mouth as she stumbled between old gravestones. Each step felt heavier than the last.

This is bad... I can barely see.

The green mist wrapped around her like a living thing, its cold touch making every breath painful. She had already banged her shin on a gravestone—three times now.

Calling for help was a useless thought. No houses in this area. No guards patrolling this far. No one would hear her even if she screamed.

No wonder the governor warned her not to come alone.

Then—

A whisper curled through the fog, smooth and mocking.

[Well, well... who do we have here?]

Luna spun around, eyes narrowing, trying to cut through the swirling haze. But the voice wasn’t coming from a single place. It echoed everywhere at once—behind her... above her... beneath the earth.

[Are you scared, little birdie?]

A low chuckle followed, drifting like a chill down her spine.

[That scent coming from you is... delightful. Phoenix blood is such a rare treasure. I must say, I’m very jealous of that dung-brained fool who gets to keep you at his side.]

Her heart stiffened. Whoever—whatever—this was... it knew her origin.

"Who are you?" Luna forced out.

Even through the confusion, shock cut clean through her. Only a handful of people knew the truth about her blood.

The mist swirled, thickening as if responding to the entity’s amusement.

[Who am I?]

The whisper rolled deeper now, almost fond.

[I’m just an old friend of your mate. Someone who helped Zerathos rise... back when the world called him the most cursed one.]

A cold shiver ran through her arms.

The fog pressed closer.

[Bow before your God, the one you would be serving from this day on.]

....

Peri burst out of her room, sweat soaking her clothes, her breath sharp and uneven. She found Hades in the hallway, already dressed, already moving, the tension in his body unmistakable.

"Take me with you."

Her voice trembled, not from fear but from urgency. Her eyes made it clear—she would not accept a refusal.

Hades paused only for a second. "You felt it too?"

"No. Samarella warned me."

That answer made his brows twitch, but he didn’t slow down. He slipped on his shoes, opened the door, and continued marching toward the exit.

Beatrice rushed out next, worry tightening her face. "Should I send a few soldiers with you?"

Hades shook his head. "That won’t be necessary. Just stay inside. I’ll contact you as soon as I confirm Luna’s condition."

Before Beatrice could argue, two more figures hurried toward them—Averis moving fast, Kaya dragging her half-asleep body behind her, her silver hair messy and eyes barely open.

"Young master?" Averis asked, sensing the agitation rolling off him.

"Luna is in danger," Hades said flatly. "She’s on the western edge of Aethernox."

He turned to Kaya. "How long will it take you to get us there?"

Hades could reach that place in two hours running at full speed—maybe a little faster if he pushed his limits. If Kaya needed anything near that time, he would rather run.

The silver-haired dragon girl blinked rapidly, still waking up. She closed her eyes, tracing the location, then answered, "Half an hour... if border security doesn’t stop me."

"They won’t," Beatrice said. "I’ve already sent someone to clear a path for you."

Hades nodded, relief flickering in his chest. He was grateful—truly grateful—for these women standing beside him for help.

He turned to Peri again. "Are you sure you want to come?"

Peri scowled at the question. "Luna is important to me too. Of course I’m coming."

Hades didn’t argue. He simply met her gaze, nodded once, and looked toward Kaya.

Kaya returned the nod, then stepped back.

In the next breath, her body began to shift—bones stretching, skin glowing with white light. What stood before them moments ago as a sleepy girl transformed into a wingless white dragon, her scales shimmering like a lone star suspended in a sea of darkness.

Peri’s mouth fell open. Even Beatrice’s breath hitched.

The dragon’s presence wasn’t just majestic.

It demanded silence.

It demanded awe.

Hades extended his hand toward Peri and Averis before the trio soared high and left Torseque in a rush.

Their destination—Luna.

....

The green mist had thickened to the point it swallowed the entire graveyard whole.

Nothing inside could be seen anymore—not the path, not the gravestones, not even one’s own hand raised right in front of their eyes. That was how dense and merciless the fog had become.

And its poison...

Its poison was strong enough to break the mind of any normal person in a heartbeat.

Yet the only figure within that choked, deathly silence wasn’t even covering her nose.

She simply sat there—alone in the drowned graveyard—legs crossed, eyes closed, her posture calm in a place where no calm should exist.

She was meditating.

Channeling her mana through her veins, she fought the mist not by resisting its presence, but by pushing it back from the inside—forcing her magic to burn away the toxin lingering in every breath. It was stronger, cleaner, far more effective than trying to filter the air with her hand.

But it came with a price.

Her core refused to stay still. She couldn’t hold her breath forever.

And with every inhale, the poison crawled deeper.

Her thoughts twisted.

Her vision wavered.

Her mind... began to unravel.

The mist didn’t just cloud her sense of direction—it distorted it, bending the world around her in a dizzying spiral. Sounds echoed where nothing moved. Shadows danced where no light existed.

It was almost like she had drunk an entire barrel of wine on an empty stomach.

Her body remained still.

But her mind was slipping.

That was why she focused everything on her core—on the steady pulse of mana circulating through her. With each inhale, she healed the poison clawing at her lungs. With each exhale, she repaired the damage the mist was doing to her organs and mind. It was the only thing keeping her sane inside this suffocating green world.

She didn’t know how long this nightmare would last. Minutes? Hours?

But she trusted her husband.

She trusted Hades.

He would come.

He always came.

All she had to do was endure. Stay conscious. Stay whole. A few hours of this... after the harsh training she had survived under her grandmother, this should have been a piece of—

[Oh my, that’s some dedication there.]

The voice cut through her thoughts like a cold blade.

She didn’t open her eyes.

She didn’t twitch or break her concentration.

The mist moved around her, but she stayed rooted like stone.

[You’re trying so hard, little phoenix... resisting your master, your new mate.]

The voice slithered across the graveyard, low and delighted.

[But you already know this won’t end well. You stand against the King of Poison—someone who can wipe out an entire race with a single breath.]

The mist thickened as if laughing with him.

Yet Luna remained still.

Her mana burned brighter.

[Let me tell you something... the only reason I’m targeting you isn’t because of your phoenix blood.]

Luna’s brows tightened, but she still refused to open her eyes. She couldn’t afford to let the mist break her focus—not even for a second.

Naturally, the voice didn’t stop.

It slithered through the air, coiling around her mind like poison.

[I want you as my mate for a far better reason.]

His tone twisted into something darker—something personal.

[Your man has taken several women for himself... women who already had mates.]

[It became a little hobby of his—stealing, conquering, marking those already claimed by someone else.]

Luna’s fingers twitched, but she held her breath steady, her healing rhythm unbroken.

[So why am I after you?]

The voice chuckled, low and venomous.

[I am simply returning the favor.]

[I am getting back at him by taking you... for myself.]

Just then, Luna heard several footsteps advancing towards her.

Their intent clearly told her that they weren’t allies.

Calmly, she rose to her feet, dark scales appearing on her arms as she felt several beings surrounding her.

[Now, dance for me a little, Phoenix. I want to see how strong my new wife is. Well, don’t worry though, I will still take you even if you go down easily.]

Luna smirked, "Your single breath can wipe an entire race...and you believe any woman wants to be anywhere near you?"

There was no response but Luna felt the mist pausing for a moment.

In the next instance, she was ambushed.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.