Page 166 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
‘But instead you made her f-forget.’
A single nod. Heavy. Irrevocable.
‘I made a deal.’
The sea roared, as if impatient for the truth.
‘What was it?’
‘Mal would be reborn,’ Thanatos said, each word deliberate. ‘And in return, I would give Hell a part of my soul.’ His dark eyes lifted to Ash.
Understanding dawned not like light, but like a blade being drawn.
Ash nodded slowly.
‘Me,’ he whispered.
‘You,’ Thanatos echoed.
The wind tore at Ash’s coat, but he barely felt it. ‘I’m that fr-fraction of the soul you ga-gave away.’
‘But you already knew that, Ash Acheron,’ Thanatos said quietly. He turned from him then, as if he could not bear the weight of that shared face any longer. ‘And now our wife will know too.’
Ash stood unmoving as the demon walked towards the edge of the world. The air itself seemed to split open, shadows folding in upon themselves, the Underworld yawning wide like a living mouth.
And then Thanatos was gone, swallowed whole by the darkness he ruled.
Ash remained alone on the beach, the sea raging, carrying within him the echo of a soul that had never been entirely his.
Ash called for the wyverns, and they came at once, shadows against the bruised sky, wings beating with ancient obedience. Without a word, he mounted Daku. The creature did not question him; it simply leapt into the air, cutting through wind and cloud alike.
They did not stop.
Hours later, the wyverian castle rose from the horizon, black stone carved into the mountain itself, jagged and proud against the dim light. It stood as it always had: unyielding, indifferentto grief.
Ash dismounted in silence.
The courtyard lay abandoned, too still. He moved through the great doors without hesitation, unsurprised by the emptiness that greeted him. The army had marched. The guests had fled. The echoes of voices had long since faded from the halls.
A handful of servants remained. Their eyes widened the moment they saw him, gasps breaking the quiet like cracks in glass. They hurried forward, bowing with questions and concern.
Ash ignored them all.
He crossed the main hall and lowered himself into one of the black leather armchairs, the weight of him sinking deep into the worn cushions. Before him, blue fire burnt steadily in the hearth. He stared at it, watching the flames curl and twist like living things.
Now all he had to do was wait.
And so Ash Acheron closed his eyes.
The world dissolved. The castle, the fire, the emptiness… all of it slipped away. He allowed himself to drift once more into the fragile mercy of his visions, into futures that did not yet exist, into the only place where hope still breathed.
And so he would wait.
He hadbecome very good at that.
I’ve never met a kind god.
I truly don’t think such a creature exists.
