AT NOON

2026

Hera woke up with a pair of worried and shocked eyes glancing at her. She was now tied up beside Zayn, she looked him over as she gradually came to a more comfortable position.

"So, I was tortured with a fricking iron chair?", she uttered before her eyes suddenly widened.

She gasped instantly opening her clothes to check her skin but her eyes widened more when she didn't see a single scar.

" what the crap?", she muttered and zayn only glanced at her in silence as though he was wondering what she was.

He seemed very much shocked but thankfully not scared. The thought of him being scared of her made her feel unsettled and she was glad that he wasn't.

"I'm I a monster?", she asked with a knitted brow and zayn scanned her carefully.

"I don't know. You're more too attractive to be a monster", he uttered honestly.

Hera frowned narrowing her eyes at him, "are you flirting with me"

"Yes and no", he muttered in a slight frown before he sighed and pulled her in for a tight hug.

" what the furck did they do to you in there? I kept hearing your noise and i... Was so... Scared", he whispered his last words softly into her ears and she smiled, feeling her eyes get misty.

"It was so awful, we need to get out of here", he uttered against her shoulders and she finally hugged him back.

"I don't know. Do you think I'm half human, half monster?she whispered on his shoulders and zayn arched his eyebrows, breaking the hug.

He glanced at her again as though assessing her before uttering, "still too pretty"

Hera gritted her teeth at him, "really, I've read all these stories and I-"

"And you think you're suddenly a monster?", zayn asked and she hunched her shoulders.

" Well, then maybe I'm a witch", he uttered in defense and Zayn sighed.

"Hera, that's ridiculously insane", zayn returned though, deep inside him. He knew anything was possible at this junction.

" zayn, I know if I turn out to be some horrible monster. You won't look at me, right?", she uttered and zayn pursed as they locked eyes for what felt like hours before he sighed.

"I've told you, nothing scares me except losing you so if you really turn out to be something insane. I'll accept you without thinking", he muttered, leaning his back against the brick wall, and shutting his lids.

"For now what we need to do is to get out of here", he added and hera nodded in understanding.

***

1920

Orpheus and Aria, a witch who departed from the mist of her realm after being greatly hated by her people. She joined forces with Orpheus who was also a betrayer of his own realm and until today, they lived together as one.

Apart from the three realms.

They were both staring angrily at the three uninvited guests at their territory and Louis cast him a side smile.

" missed me?", Louis uttered as he settled his grey eyes on his very old friend, Orpheus.

"What are you doing here? This is my territory", Orpheus muttered and Louis chuckled, glancing dramatically at the area.

The place was covered in outgrown bushes here and there. It resembled a forest, it was nothing like the academy.

" of cause, it is", he returned in a mocking smile and Orpheus's black eyes cast him an icy stare.

"Orpheus, Orpheus. We have been receiving your wonderful gifts for over a month now and I think it's high time you put an end to it", Louis warned, referring to the way he had been carelessly turning humans into vampires and Aria laughed, gaining everyone's attention.

" Orpheus, don't tell me this is the Louis you've been talking about?", she interrupted and Orpheus smirked.

She snorted, looking him over, "just as unreasonable as you've said", she commented and Louis's jaw clenched while Amaya cast her a disgusted gaze.

" didn't teach her what not to say to a 700 hundred years vampires?", Amaya uttered and Aria's eyes froze, her veins pulsing in her neck.

Orpheus frowned, remembering that Louis was indeed stronger than him, "I need feed", he muttered.

" you can do that without turning people like him into vamps"Louis uttered, referring to Celeste and once everyone turned to gaze at him, breathing became ridiculously difficult for him.

Orpheus glared at Celeste, grinding his teeth in annoyance and Celeste swallowed.

"He is now your responsibility. Take good care of him, Orpheus", Louis muttered, patting celeste on his shoulder before walking away and Amaya cast him an assuring smile before following after Louis.