WALKING NEAR THE LAKE, the only beautiful piece of biosphere around on Avernus, always calmed me. Today, my heart is just not into it. I am not thinking about a badass heroine saving a fictional knight who end up falling in love that I had read about. I am not thinking about the PPTs.

Simply put, I am not thinking.

Instead, I am staring at the insane stretches of green grass around Lake Astral. Although named after the bloody red River Astral in Hell, our lake is calm and blue, without a drop of contamination. It is a Council protected area with an enclosure, considering how broken, decaying and mostly infertile, the other lands are.

I wring my hands together in front of me and step slowly down the slope toward the lake. I walk forward as if in a daze, tripping over a few moss covered stones on the way. I am acutely aware of the birds whispering behind me but I keep walking.

They know I am not myself, too.

Shaking the incredible thought out of my mind, I gently sit down a few metres away from the lake. The sun is still far up in the sky and its light bounces on the rippling waters of the lake. I draw my knees up to my chest and place my chin on top of my folded palms.

It has been a week since Harvey dropped the Zeus thunderbolt on us. William took it in his stride since the beginning but I couldn't stop thinking about it. About how I had no say, no voice in the matter. It was decided for me, as if I were Tyler, unable to select an outfit for school.

Thinking of Tyler, I start wondering about my friends. Christina and Tyler have absolutely no idea about the little bombshell Harvey decided to plop on top of my head. They would be furious; I can already imagine Tyler's face, refusing to look at mine and holding nothing but contempt.

And how could he not? How could they not after everything I've done? Lying to them. Constantly. Every day.

At this point, I keep asking myself, do I even deserve the likes of them?

If only life wasn't so terribly stressful. If only we could go back before Hades, before the First War, before everything. There'd be no Marks, no Council, no Consul. We'd be ordinary teenagers, going to school, working normal jobs, falling in love. Just like the history books described the ones before us.

Although never particularly paying attention in Ancient Archives, I had always been eager to listen to life before the destruction. Elara was then known as Earth and there were seven continents with incredible names. Apparently, Avernus was then called North America, a continent of great power and wealth.

I sigh, wistfully, my imagination fleeting. Wishful thinking would get me nowhere. Maybe I just need a few minutes of time to myself. To get things into perspective before I do anything ahead.

I place a hand on the grass, letting the scent of it into my lungs and the vision of the light dancing on the lake fill my eyes. I breathe slowly but deliberately, trying to fit in as many emotions back into me as possible. Fear, anger, regret all go tumbling back into the urn of my heart, never to be heard from again.

I tilt my head, focusing my thoughts to the far end of the barbed enclosure. I imagine trying to break free of the wires, running away, far away to the ends of—

Warm hands wrap around my shoulders and I yelp, pushing myself forward. I roll halfway down but quickly regain my balance and crouch down on the ground. Twinkling laughter sounds from behind me. I immediately jump to my feet.

"What in the name of Hades is-?" My exclamation dies when I see William clutching his stomach and doubling over. I narrow my eyes. "What's so funny?"

I walk toward him and slap his shoulder. He doesn't even wince and continues to shudder, tears now streaking down his face. "You have a wonderful crouch and roll, Thea. Just like a crab."

Scrunching my nose, I look at him in distaste. "Remind me again, why do you even have a girlfriend in the first place?"

His eyes turned sombre with just the right amount of amusement. The kind of look that says 'you know why I love you but I'll let you know again'. That look, it has the potential to drive me crazy. My eyelashes flutter without my consent and a slight blush creeps up my neck.

"You know," he says, walking dangerously close to me. I can smell his familiar scent now, sandalwood and sweat. It's intoxicating as I inch closer to him, my feet having a mind of their own. He reaches out a gentle hand and weaves a lock of hair behind my ear.

"You make me feel like we are the only two people in the world. You make me remember what it is like to love someone, what it is like to live for someone. You give me purpose and you stand by me even when no one else does."

William steps further toward me and picks up my arms gently. He entwines them around his neck and wraps his arms around my waist. "You, Thea, are the reason I am brave and I am vulnerable. And you know what? I'd prefer to have it no other way."

Suddenly, I find it increasingly hard to keep my eyes steadily open. Words choke inside my throat and try as I might, they refuse to form coherent sentences. My hands around his neck tremble, betraying the guarded expression I wanted to keep up.

But he makes it so hard to do anything but love him.

"Will," I finally say, his name bringing me comfort and warmth. Saying it makes my heart pump faster, as if it were the sound associated with coming home. It feels almost angelic on my lips and although I've said it a thousand times before, it courses through my veins like a sudden injection of adrenaline.

He smiles down at me, his hair glowing like a log on fire. His eyes twinkle as if he knows my exact thoughts and he wraps me in his arms completely. I lean in, savouring the safety and the love I was surrounded with. His chest rumbles and I hear his voice again.

"I saw your face last week. When Dad announced for us to be betrothed till we could be ceremonially engaged." He paused then, choosing his words with extra caution. "You-you didn't look happy? Am I missing something?"

I quickly rush out of his embrace, feeling stupid. Of course, he noticed, I chided myself. I look down at my clasped hands. It is too much to look at the intensity burning in his eyes. He has a right to know, he does. My emotions involve him directly and have since forever.

And even if I don't tell him, he's going to figure it out soon. I don't think I want that.

I shut my eyes and let go of the breath I didn't realise I've been holding back. I think of green stretches of meadows, lying in the freshly cut grass, a book in my lap and Will by my side. I imprint the image in my mind, instantly calming myself.

My eyes shiver open slowly, and as my voice quivers like a thread hanging from the wind, I say, mortified, "It just wasn't what I imagined it to be like." I fell silent then, praying that the statement warranted no further explanation. I am worried he will ask for more but I am pleasantly surprised.

"I know," he says and my eyes whip up to meet his sad ones. They look tired and worn out, and I wonder if he has been sleeping at all. "I didn't expect it either. Dad whispered to me in Principal Foster's office that he'd make everything okay."

He sighs exhaustion lining his mouth. "I didn't know this," he spreads his arms a little, "would be his solution." His hair glistens brilliantly under the sinking sun and I am stuck, looking at the grandeur he seems to exude even in frustration.

"But I figured," his voice picks up again, "with you by my side, it definitely had to be better than okay." A lopsided grin fought its way onto his boyish face and I cannot stop myself from smiling back at him. My first smile in a while.

I step closer to him and entwine my small fingers with his slender ones. They are long and beautiful, like a pianist's and every time I lace my fingers with his, it feels like him playing a melody that I never want to stop listening to.

We stand shoulder to shoulder, his right hand in mine, the scarred Mark of Love on him sending shocks through my smooth palm. He bends a little and a plants a kiss on my forehead, his hazel eyes full of adoration. "I cannot wait to start a life with you, Thea."

'Neither can I, Will, neither can I,' I say and smile to myself, my heart soaring like a bird being set free and a surreal happiness washes over me as the lake turns red from the Sun's bleeding light.

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