CHAPTER 227: RECOVERING

"Ah..."

Luna’s eyes parted wide, her breathing a little unsteady as she stared blankly at the familiar ceiling.

For a heartbeat, she didn’t move. She simply lay there, letting her surroundings settle into focus, before slowly turning her head.

A familiar face slept beside her—his eyes closed, chest rising and falling with a calm, steady rhythm. Each soft breath brushed against her cheek, warm and reassuring.

The slight unease coiled in her heart instantly melted away the moment she saw him. Relief softened her expression, and she let herself look at him for a few still, quiet moments... as if confirming he was truly there, safe and alive.

Only after that did she turn her gaze toward the other person in the room.

Marilyn.

"Hey," the raven-haired woman murmured, a gentle concern in her voice. "How do you feel now?"

Luna raised her hand, wordlessly making a small gesture. Marilyn understood immediately.

She stepped closer, taking Luna’s hand and helping her sit up, then rise to her feet.

"Thank you," Luna whispered, careful not to disturb her sleeping husband. She stepped lightly away from the bed and slowly approached the window.

Marilyn stayed close, supporting her by the arm, asking softly, "Want me to bring a chair for you?"

Luna shook her head. "Let me stand here for some time," she said, her gaze drifting outside.

The sun was still lingering above the horizon, painting the early light in soft gold. A cool morning wind drifted in through the slightly open window, brushing against her face like a gentle caress. The distant chirp of birds mingled with the subtle sounds of servants moving through the castle halls.

It was quiet. Peaceful. Calming.

For Luna, this place had long since become home.

And after everything she had gone through—everything that had torn at her body and mind—this was the one place she had desperately wished to return to.

"Where is Peri?" Luna asked after a few moments of silence, her voice steadying.

"Resting in my room. She’s okay now," Marilyn informed her.

Peri hadn’t wanted to sleep beside Luna, fearing she might hit her unintentionally in her sleep. She confessed she had a habit of grabbing the nearest person, which, for safety, meant she preferred to sleep alone.

Luna nodded slowly, then asked in a quiet breath, "Was she or anyone else deeply injured?"

Marilyn shook her head, her voice steady and reassuring. "No. Averis and Peri only received minor cuts and inhaled some toxicity. But they were never in grave danger. Same goes for Hades. He... was actually unharmed."

Luna blinked, her brows knitting in confusion. "But I myself had stabbed him."

Marilyn nodded, her expression tightening as she recalled the reports. "Yes, I heard about that. And during the battle, several of those puppets from that being also struck him. But when the medic assessed him afterward, there was nothing. Not even a single cut."

Luna stared at her, startled by the impossibility of it. "He... couldn’t have healed himself with the passive healing he received after our bond."

Her voice grew softer, thoughtful.

Through mating, both bonded partners received a fraction of each other’s abilities. Luna had gained the scales she could manifest along her arms—scales strong enough to shatter a pillar with a single strike—and a surge of physical strength that had only grown with time.

Hades, in return, had inherited her healing powers.

But his version of it was nowhere near as potent. It was slow, subtle, almost passive in nature. Nothing that could erase deep wounds instantly. Nothing that could return him to perfect condition in the span of a battle.

So how...?

Luna’s gaze shifted downward, her thoughts moving faster than her recovering body. "Even with our bond... this level of healing is impossible. He shouldn’t be completely unscathed."

"It’s just my theory," Marilyn began, her voice lowering with caution, "but Hades might have awakened his second core."

Luna froze, her eyes widening. "What?"

Marilyn let out a slow, heavy sigh. "I know. It doesn’t make any sense—especially when the medic checked him recently and never mentioned anything about a second core. But when he was fighting that thing... I felt he had awakened a new source of energy."

Luna frowned, the confusion deepening the lines between her brows. "Tell me more."

Marilyn’s gaze shifted briefly toward the bed, where Hades still slept peacefully, before she continued. "I don’t know what exactly that feeling was. I was panicking, and everything was happening fast, but in that moment... I was certain. It felt like Hades was drawing power from a core that shouldn’t have existed."

She paused, gathering her thoughts as if trying to replay the moment in her mind. "Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe it was the adrenaline. But when he was fighting Mytheon... there was definitely something else aiding him—something unfamiliar, something potent."

Luna listened quietly, her grip tightening on the windowsill.

Marilyn continued, her voice dropping even lower.

"The toxic gas should have torn through his lungs. And those Chaos Particles... under normal circumstances, even Hades would have suffered damage. But he didn’t. It was as if something shielded him from all of it, something that reacted before he even realized the danger."

Luna’s thoughts churned, trying to piece together the fragments. None of it aligned with what she knew. Hades was already powerful, yes, but a second core wasn’t something that simply awakened without signs—not just out of nowhere.

Yet... she wasn’t omniscient. She didn’t know every phenomenon that existed in the vast world, nor every anomaly that could occur under the pressure of battle.

Still—

"For the time being," Luna finally said, exhaling a quiet breath, "we should wait. And hear from the man himself about what happened back then."

Her eyes lingered on Hades’ sleeping form, an uneasy mixture of relief and curiosity settling in her chest.

Whatever happened on that battlefield...

He alone held the answer.

.....

Averis groaned as she stretched her arms, her joints popping softly after a long, uninterrupted sleep.

She had been sleeping like a log ever since she returned. And the sole reason she allowed herself to be that careless... was this place.

Here, inside the castle, within her Lord’s territory, nothing could truly threaten her.

And if something could harm her Lord even here, then Averis might as well admit she would never stand a chance against such a threat.

Rolling her shoulders, she tilted her neck side to side, loosening the tension before asking, "Did you sleep?"

The only other person in the room was the familiar silver-haired dragoness—the one who had carried them around tirelessly these past few days.

Kaya responded in her usual composed tone, "Yes, for a few hours."

Averis hummed, half-absentmindedly tying her hair back. "Did you get yourself checked by the medic?"

Kaya blinked once, slowly, before replying, "I was never part of the battle... so I didn’t think it was required."

Averis narrowed her eyes, the gesture sharp and unmistakably displeased. "That whole place was filled with toxic gas, and for all the majesty you hold, you are still a mortal who surely would have been affected."

Kaya let out a small sigh—light, almost resigned. "Thank you for your concern, but I believe it is not r—"

"You think I care about you?" Averis cut in sharply, her tone carrying a sudden edge. She took a step closer, voice dropping but growing firmer. "I don’t want you becoming a burden to my Lord just because you’re too stubborn to get assessed."

Kaya pursed her lips and lowered her head. After a brief pause, she said, "I apologize. I will go get checked."

Averis huffed and got up from the bed.

Cracking her knuckles she said, "Have you eaten?"

Kaya slowly shook her head, still refusing to look up.

Averis said, "Come with me. Let’s eat and then spar. I want to see how strong are you on the land."

Kaya never had the chance to say anything as Averis opened the door and stepped out.

.....

At the dining table, Hades and his wives were gathered for a lunch.

Hades suggested having lunch in the room considering Peri and Luna were still tired and injured from the battle yesterday.

However, they said eating in the room would not be comfortable and since Luna wanted to walk around a little they settled for the dining table.

Now, seated beside Hades was Luna and the other two across from them.

Kaelith was quite busy with the border situation and now with the village. She said she would return once she ensured the vein was removed from the village.

Hades’ training was going to continue in a few days. So, for the time being, they were all free.

"So...are we not going to talk about it?" Peri suddenly asked, gathering everyone’s attention.

The blond elf lifted her mischievous gaze and asked, "Hades’s new wife?"

Hades’s breath was caught.

...Well, she knows.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Make sure to drop a comment.