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Hakan

S even days before I claimed what was mine, I prowled through the crowded streets of Golgekent, the ancient light city where the veils between worlds grew thin.

Darkness clung to my skin with familiar comfort while I moved through the maze of obsidian spires and moonlit bazaars.

The weight of shadow magic pressed down on me, far heavier than the light magic I'd experienced during my years of exile in the Celestial Plains.

Five years had passed since I'd deliberately driven Ada away.

Nine months after that separation, when the regret became unbearable, and I began questioning his commands, my father ripped the memories from my mind without my consent.

For two years after that, I'd known nothing of her—the spell ensuring my loyalty by erasing what she'd meant to me.

While I walked, a memory surfaced—Erlik's cold hand on my shoulder, his voice sharp and metallic: "Your weakness for the light-bearer ends today, my son.

" His shadows had invaded my mind, suffocating me in darkness while he systematically excised every memory of Ada.

"Power demands sacrifice," he'd told me as I fell to my knees, "and you've chosen power over love. "

I told myself that power was all that mattered—that Ada was merely a means to an end.

Yet even after driving her away and having my father's spell suppress my memories of why, something inside me had rebelled at the thought of her marrying another.

Was I claiming her for power, or was power merely the excuse I gave myself?

The darkness in my veins coiled and writhed when I contemplated how quickly Ada's uncle would bend to my will. Men like him always broke in the end.

Kara Cehennem—the Dark Underworld—had been my father, Erlik’s, domain for millennia. As the Demon of Ashes and Shadows, he ruled with cruelty and calculation, traits he’d expected me to inherit. This marriage was my path to claiming my birthright, to proving I was worthy of succeeding him.

I wondered if the Ercel family still harbored their contempt for Ada.

Something twisted in my chest at the thought of her name.

Five years, and still the memory of her light haunted me.

I pushed the feeling down, burying it beneath layers of shadow and ambition.

There was no room for sentiment in my actions that were about to be unfurled.

Their disdain for her had always been clear—the daughter of Gün Ata, the God of Light and Love, who dared to fall for the darkness.

Since her father’s passing, her uncle had taken responsibility for her, though his care often felt more like control.

“You know,” Sarp’s lazy drawl came from behind me, “there are easier ways to win back the love of your life than storming her uncle’s fortress.” "My oldest friend lounged against a shadow-wreathed pillar. He appeared entirely too comfortable in a place that should have him on edge."

“No one asked for your opinion, and she is no longer the love of my life, barely a thing that I require.” I muttered, though his presence steadied me as it always had.

“A thing? You’re a lost cause, Hakan,” he muttered.

But I ignored him.

When I approached the ancient gates of her uncle’s manor near the edge of Golgekent’s Twilight District, shadowy flames danced along the walls.

I pushed through the writhing shadows that guarded the entrance.

Here, in this ancient city that straddled the boundary between light and darkness, different rules applied.

A servant materialized to greet me, its initial blank expression morphing into recognition.

I let my power flare, revealing my true nature, and the servant recoiled in fear.

My reputation as the Golge Bey preceded me—a consequence of Erlik’s cruel legacy and the darkness I had embraced willingly.

I had changed over time, growing power hungry, because I finally realized that I could claim what was rightfully mine.

“Inform Lord Ercel that the Shadow Prince has returned,” I commanded, my voice resonating with power as I strode past without waiting for acknowledgement.

Moving through corridors of enchanted stone, her essence suddenly struck me—a memory of pure light that had somehow lingered here. Ada had been here recently, and I could still sense her light magic because it stabbed me in the chest the moment I entered.

“Don’t even fucking go there, Hakan. She’s pure, and you’re still the real bastard,” Sarp warned, suddenly beside me. “You know what starts happening if you let these thoughts linger for far too long.”

“You are not welcome here.”

Her uncle’s voice cut through my thoughts before I could respond. Levent had changed little, though the silver streaks in his dark hair were more pronounced. I stood in his domain again after so many years, an unexpected supplicant.

"We need to talk," I stated, claiming an ornate chair opposite him. I deliberately chose his most valuable seat, the one with gold inlay that had been Gün Ata's favorite.

“Your manor remains unchanged. Still clinging to the old ways, I see.”

Ada’s uncle stared at me in silence, his frown deepening. His fingers twitched on the armrest, a tell that betrayed his nervousness despite his attempt at composure. Even with his position in the Isik Sarayi, he knew I wielded power that could obliterate him.

“You didn’t traverse the Shadow Roads merely to critique my decorating choices, did you?” he retorted coldly.

The silence between us grew heavy with unspoken threats. I wondered where Ada was and why I couldn’t sense her presence more strongly.

"No, I didn't. I'm here about Ada. I need you to understand what kind of man Deniz truly is," I declared. My power surged with possessive desire.

“She’s marrying him whether you like it or not,” Levent stated flatly.

“The ceremony is scheduled for this Saturday, and nothing will change that. We had hoped she would eventually abandon her claim to Isik Sarayi’s power, but it seems she believes this marriage will settle the conflict between the two courts. ”

I leaned forward, shadows dancing along my fingertips.

"Does Ada know how eager you've been to strip her of her birthright?

" I growled through my teeth, watching the blood drain from his face.

"Have you undermined her at every turn since Gün Ata's ascension?

She has proven her worth to you repeatedly.

But you would prefer Ezra to inherit, wouldn't you?

" I pointed out, well aware of his ambition and desire to see his daughter take power.

“Ezra is my blood. She has trained hard and deserves recognition,” he countered.

Once I married Ada, she would officially become mine, and through the Crown of Ashes Ritual, I would completely drain her light, giving me power over Light Court territories my father coveted.

The ritual would leave her an empty vessel, her divine essence transferred to me.

The Crown of Ashes Ritual was ancient, predating even my father’s rule.

It required a light-bearer of pure bloodline, bound through marriage to a shadow lord.

The ritual would drain her light magic, transferring her divine essence to strengthen my claim to the shadow throne.

My father had been vague about the specifics, speaking only of “harnessing” her power for our realm’s benefit.

The union would create a conduit to harvest her light and consume her essence, ?strengthening my claim to the shadow throne. My father had been searching for a suitable light-bearer for decades. When he’d discovered who Ada truly was—Gün Ata’s daughter—his interest became an obsession.

“I care little for your political games,” I said, shadow magic danced around me, “but you should know that Deniz is involved in dark rituals that would make even shadows recoil. Have you heard of the Blood Moon ceremonies?”

From his position by the door, Sarp tensed, then he nodded to me and left the room swiftly, probably heading outside. He had discovered Deniz’s true nature, and what he’d found had rattled even his unshakeable composure.

Levent’s eyes widened with fear. “What do these ceremonies have to do with Deniz? He serves the Isik Sarayi,” he said, his tone uncertain.

I made him witness Deniz’s cruelty in vivid detail. The vision showed Deniz approaching a terrified little girl who couldn’t have been over ten years old. As Deniz reached toward her, slipping his hand underneath the child’s gown, the air seemed to distort with malevolence.

The child’s scream pierced the vision when shadows writhed across the walls. I forced him to experience every moment of this child’s abuse—the crushing weight of helplessness, the paralyzing fear.

When the vision faded, he fell to his knees, trembling uncontrollably. Moments later, I heard retching from the distance. The man was weak for a light lord, but I reminded myself that he served the Isik Sarayi. Such darkness was not intended for him to witness.

It took him several minutes to return, his face ashen and his power fluctuating wildly.

“You have my blessing for this intervention,” he said, his voice strained.

“We cannot allow that monster to—” He paused, and then composed himself.

For several moments, he stood silent, hands trembling, while he processed what he’d witnessed.

When he spoke again, his voice had regained its calculated edge.

“But understand, even with Deniz exposed, I still believe the council would prefer Ezra to lead the Isik Sarayi. Ada’s emotional volatility has always worried them. ”

Even in his horror at Deniz’s crimes, his political calculations never stopped. “You care more about your daughter’s advancement than Ada’s safety,” I observed coldly.