Chapter 41

I lay there on the cold, hard table, the restraints cutting into my wrists and ankles, my heart pounding in my chest. The room was damp and musty, the kind of place that screamed of nightmares and horror stories. I could feel the panic rising within me, but I fought to keep it at bay. I had to stay calm, had to think.

Selena stood over me, a cruel smile playing on her lips. She was a vision of ice and elegance, her blonde hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, her blue eyes piercing. She had cut the audio feed, ensuring that our conversation would remain private, hidden from the prying eyes of Haides’ followers.

“Now that we’re all warmed up,” Selena began, her voice dripping with malice, “let’s get to the gist of everything, shall we?”

I tried to speak, to demand answers, but my voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. Selena leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of delight.

“You see, at first, I believed you were innocent,” she said, her words slicing through the air like a knife. “I thought you were just a pawn, a victim of some puppeteer who had taken advantage of your… delusions. But as I dug deeper, as I helped Haides regain control of his ordinary life and searched for the one responsible for exposing him, I realized there was no master manipulator. No one was pulling your strings, Cora.”

My mind raced as I struggled to process her words. I had been so sure that something supernatural had happened, that my words had breathed life into Haides or that I had tapped into some cosmic knowledge. But as I lay there, bound and helpless, I began to realize the terrifying truth. My theories were not going to save me.

“There’s only one logical explanation,” Selena continued, her voice growing colder with each word. “You were the leak all along. You knew everything about Haides, things that I’ve been trying to uncover for years, things that Haides has managed to keep hidden from everyone.”

I shook my head, my thoughts a jumbled mess. “I… I don’t understand,” I stammered. “I’m not… I’m not a mastermind. I’m just a florist, a writer. I don’t know anything about… about what’s happening.”

Selena’s laugh was cruel and mocking. “Oh, Cora,” she said, her voice filled with pity and contempt. “You can drop the act. I know the truth, and sooner or later, so will everyone else.”

I felt a surge of desperation, my mind grasping for some semblance of understanding. How could I have known so much about Haides? How could I have written about him with such accuracy if I wasn’t somehow connected to him?

Selena leaned in even closer, her face mere inches from mine. “So, Cora, tell me. How did you do it? How did you manage to uncover Haides’ secrets? What’s your connection to the Lord of Pain?”

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the reality of my situation. I was trapped, bound, and at the mercy of a woman who saw me as nothing more than a pawn in her game.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “I wrote a book. That’s all. I wrote a damn book, and somehow, it turned my life upside down. But I swear, I don’t know anything about Haides’ secrets. I’m just as lost as you are.”

Selena scoffed, her eyes narrowing into slits. “We’ll see about that,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Because one way or another, Cora, I’m going to get to the bottom of this. And if you’re lying to me, if you’re hiding something, I’ll make sure that you pay the price.”

I feel the rough fabric of the gag as Selena secures it around my head, muffling my protests. The room falls silent for a moment, save for the distant hum of the live stream’s audience, their anticipation palpable even through the screen. Selena’s icy blue eyes met mine, a cruel smile curling her lips as she reached for the audio controls.

The sound of my own ragged breathing filled my ears as the audio went live once more. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t plead for mercy or understanding. I was trapped in this nightmare, my fate broadcasted for the world to see. Selena circled the table like a predator, her every movement calculated and precise.

She picked up a scalpel, the metallic glint of the blade catching the dim light. My heart hammered against my ribcage, a frantic drumbeat echoing the terror coursing through my veins. I thrashed against the restraints, the cold bite of steel against my skin just a fucked up reminder of my helplessness.

Selena leaned in, her voice a soft whisper meant only for me. “Let’s give them a show they’ll never forget.”

She trailed the scalpel along my arm, the sharp sting of the blade’s edge drawing a wince from me. A thin line of blood wells up, staining my skin. The audience’s reactions flooded the chat, a mix of horror and twisted delight. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to imagine myself back in Haides’ arms, safe and content.

The scalpel moved again, this time along my side. The pain was sharp, searing, but I refused to give Selena the satisfaction of seeing me break. I focused on Haides, on the warmth of his touch and the strength of his presence. I clung to the hope that he was out there, searching for me, ready to tear down the world to get me back.

Selena continued her torment, each cut a reminder of the power she held over me. But with every slice, every drop of blood spilled, my resolve hardened. I wouldn’t let her win. I wouldn’t let her break me.

The minutes stretched on, an endless parade of agony and fear. But through it all, I held onto the image of Haides, his green eyes burning with fierce protectiveness. I knew he was coming for me. I just had to hold on a little longer.

Selena stepped back, her gaze lingered on my battered form. She turned off the audio feed once more, her cruel game of cat and mouse momentarily paused. I lay there, my body aching and my mind clouded with pain, but my spirit remained unbroken.

But as unconsciousness threatened to consume me, I offered up a silent prayer. I prayed for Haides’ safety, for his strength, and for the love that binded us together. I prayed that he would come for me, that he would save me from this nightmare.

And as the world faded to black, I couldn’t help but smile. Because I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Haides would move heaven and earth to find me. And when he did, Selena would regret the day she ever laid a hand on me.