Chapter 45: Core of the Monster

~Hazel’s POV~

It felt like my mind had been swallowed whole, yanked from my body like a soul stripped from flesh. Silence pressed on every side of me, heavy and strange. I was floating—or falling—into a space that didn’t feel real.

Where... am I?

Everything around me was dark, but then... like velvet curtains pulling apart, I saw sunlight bloom ahead. Warm, golden, nostalgic. I stepped forward, drawn to it. The moment I did, I heard a voice.

"Cyrius, stop! Mum said we shouldn’t throw balls at each other!"

That voice... soft, young, familiar. It was Caspian.

No. A younger version of him.

And then I saw them—three little boys running through a field. My breath caught. They were adorable, all with raven-black hair but eyes that burned with different colors: fiery red, piercing blue, and warm amber-gold.

Two ran in front, one trailing behind and tossing balls at them like they were toys. The ones in front—Cayden and Caspian. Definitely. But the one in the back...

Cyrius.

My chest tightened. I knew it. I felt it in my bones.

Then it happened.

Little Cayden paused, turned, and faced Cyrius. His red eyes began to glow, and slowly... his hand raised.

The energy in the air changed.

Cyrius screamed.

His body lifted off the ground, suspended by invisible hands as if something—someone—was choking him. And Cayden—little, innocent Cayden—was surrounded by shadows. Dark smoke veined with glowing black tendrils crawled over his small frame.

"Cayden, what are you doing?! Let him go!" little Caspian yelled in horror.

But Cayden didn’t move.

Cyrius fell hard. Caspian rushed to him, shaking him, crying his name. "Cyrius? CYRIUS?!"

didn’t reach him. and he too dropped to the ground, choking,

door burst open. Their mother ran in. The look on

and the one still standing, covered in dark magic. Her hand flew

there

with me?"

ran to her, but

bastard

a shadow.....A

curly hair cascading from beneath a wide-brimmed

tried to

"Wait—"

of her face peek through her hat. But before

coming back to me...My eyes

me—and what I saw made

to the floor with terrifying strength. His face was twisted in rage, a mirror of the same fury I

launched up, panic driving

me, rushing to shield Caspian. My breath was ragged, my limbs trembling.

Cayden froze.

red eyes dimmed. His lips parted,

his

saw everything," I whispered, my voice barely holding itself together. "I saw what he did. As

"You’re shaking—Hazel—"

him," I cried, voice cracking. "I can’t believe he’s the father of my child. Caspian, I’m carrying an abomination.

expression broke. Like a wall shattered in slow motion. He took

me to the bed gently. "Hazel, you

to the floor. Something about his face—it looked familiar. The same void

Every bit of it. He tried

Twice.

Caspian pleaded, "please tell me what you

needs to leave

That’s when Cayden snapped.

voice exploded like thunder. "What the hell is going on?! How do you know about Cyrius?! Same with O’Brien... Did you know he’s planning to send you

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