Page 65 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
There wasn’t much written about the Underworld. No one knew what it looked like or how it operated. It wasn’t a place you could travel to and learn about until after your death.
...unless you were me, of course.
Hyrax’s gaze flicked toward the door, his shoulders tensing slightly.
“You should go, sire,” Caldrius said, his tone calm and measured. “I know you dislike keeping them waiting.”
Hyrax’s gaze lingered on me, conflicted, as though something about me unsettled even a God. Finally, he nodded. “Perhaps we can continue this conversation on your next visit. I would like to share the Underworld with you.”
I opened my mouth to respond, only to close it once more entirely. The offer left me speechless. In all of my months visiting this place, Hyrax had never invited me to learn about this realm before. Even in those early days when we might have been friends, he had only ever asked about my life. Then, once I’d realized who he was, I simply assumed that learning more about the Underworld might be forbidden for me, a living soul.
Caldrius’ voice broke through my stunned silence, his hand giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’d be happy to give Theadora a tour while you’re occupied, sire.”
Hyrax hesitated, his gaze shifting between us, before nodding. “Yes. That would be nice, I think.”
As Caldrius led me through the winding tunnels of Hyrax’s castle toward the exit, a rush of excitement rolled through me at the thought of exploring this unknown realm.
Caldrius walked beside me with a confident grace, gesturing subtly in the correct direction whenever we reached a crossroads. His dark clothes were simple yet tailored from fine fabric, fitted against his tall frame. His hair, just as dark, fell in thick waves that curled around his ears and the base of his neck. As we walked, I studied him, trying to decipher the man beneath the polished exterior.
“Why are you staring at me?” he asked, a smile playing on his lips even as he kept his gaze forward.
“Why did you offer to do this?”
“Do you always answer a question with a question?”
“Do you?”
His laugh echoed around us, rich and unrestrained. When we finally reached a dark stone door, he pushed it open, and the crisp night air rushed over my skin, wiping every thought from my mind.
The world outside was magnificent.
The night sky stretched endlessly above, scattered with stars so abundant they illuminated the landscape, casting everything in a silver glow. My pale skin, dulled by too many days spent indoors, seemed to radiate under their light. Surrounding the castle, countless flowers bloomed in vibrant shades of red, purple, and orange, untouched by the chill in the air.
And the castle itself...
I spun around to take it in, though its full expanse was impossible to grasp from this close. What I could see mirrored the dark, gothic architecture ofHyrax Manor. The stone facade stretched high into the sky, crowned with multiple iron spires. Tall windows, framed in intricate ironwork, glinted in the evening starlight.
“You’re smiling,” Caldrius remarked, his voice soft.
I turned sharply to meet his gaze. “It’s beautiful.”
“I know,” he replied, his eyes locked on mine. “Come.”
He offered his arm. After a brief hesitation, I looped my hand through his, allowing him to guide me down the stone stairway that descended the mountain Hyrax’s castle rested on. In the distance, the twinkling lights of fiery torches and buildings glimmered like a mirage. Music floated on the breeze, mingling with the unmistakable sound of laughter.
“What is that?” I asked, nodding toward the lights.
“One of the Villages of Life. There are several across the Underworld, each filled with reunited families and loved ones who spend eternity together.”
I glance over the expanse of land, the blocked off sections of square patches of land surrounded by dirt-filled wheelbarrows and tools. “They farm?”
He nodded. “They farm, fish, and share all they gather. Food is plentiful here, as is merriment. Villages of Life are a happy place for souls. Living here is their reward after a life well-lived.”
I stared at the rolling fields in stunned silence as the sounds of joy grew louder with each step toward the village. From the distance, I could see women laughing and dancing together, children chasing each other through the streets, and men playing lutes while singing.
These souls weren’t being tormented or enslaved. There weren’t monsters roaming around inflicting terror.
There was joy.
