Page 53

Two weeks had passed since Matias’s title had been stripped, but the memory of that moment in front of the Angelic Council still haunted me.

No one spoke about it—not in Sariel’s class, not in the dorms, nowhere.

Yet, it replayed in my mind on an endless loop.

I couldn’t shake the image of Matias collapsing after his essence was ripped from him, leaving him hollow and forgotten.

Hunter and I had barely seen one another since.

Both of us were too afraid of drawing attention, too aware of the consequences if anyone suspected what we were doing.

The Council’s judgment had been a stark warning, and deep down, I knew Joe wouldn’t let us get away with breaking the rules.

I wasn’t even sure if he’d stop the Council from doing the same to me and Hunter if it came to it.

“Grace.”

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. Veronica was staring at me from the table next to mine, her chin propped on her hand, her eyes sharp. “Are you going to stare into space all day, or are you actually going to contribute?”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, brushing her off.

She arched an eyebrow.

I huffed. “Since when do you care if I’m fine or not?”

“Since you wallowing in self-pity is annoying me.”

I shot her a glare, but her words stuck. Class ended not long after, and as everyone packed up to leave, I found myself following Veronica into the hallway.

“Veronica, wait,” I called after her. She sighed, rolling her eyes but slowed her pace.

“What is it, Martin?”

I hesitated. “Has anyone else… ever had their Ascendant title stripped before? During your time here?”

She stopped walking, her sharp gaze cutting into mine as if weighing whether to entertain my question. “Yeah, loads of times, a few years back even, two Ascendants were caught in a hidden relationship.”

My stomach twisted. The knot of tension that had been building over the past two weeks tightened further. “What happened to them?”

“What do you think happened?” she said dryly. “They were stripped of their titles and their memories. Everything was wiped clean. They were sent back to live an ordinary life as humans, and Celestia moved on.”

Her words resonated deeply, yet something felt oddly unsettling. “Then… if their memories were gone, couldn’t they have just been together as humans? They wouldn’t even remember what happened. They could start all over again and—”

Veronica scoffed, her expression twisting into something bitter.

“You really think it’s that simple, don’t you?

” She stepped closer, her voice lowering.

“Even if an Ascendant’s powers, memories, and title are stripped, traces of their Celestial essence remain within their soul.

That essence creates an invisible tether to the Celestial hierarchy and laws.

Falling in love after losing their status would result in catastrophic consequences for both of them. ”

“What kind of consequences?” I asked.

Her gaze hardened. “Pain. Illness. Madness. Death, if they’re lucky. The Celestial essence clashes with mortal limitations, creating a ripple effect that tears them apart from the inside out.”

I felt a cold weight settle in my chest. “So… does that mean they can never fall in love again? Not with anyone?”

Veronica sighed, her tone losing some of its sharpness. ‘No. They can fall in love again. But it’ll never be with the right person. Not the person they were meant to be with. They’ll always feel an emptiness that consumes them, no matter what.”

Her words hung heavy in the air between us, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The implications of everything she’d just said were suffocating. Even if Hunter and I were to fall in love… even if we lost everything, even if we gave it all up, there would still be no future for us.

“Why are you asking me this, Grace?” Veronica asked, her voice quieter now as a few Celestials passed by with decorations in hand—no doubt, preparing for the ball.

“I… I just wanted to know,” I said quickly.

She huffed out a breath and ran her fingers through her blonde locks. “Have you... ever heard about the story of Seorin Yun?”

I shook my head slowly. “No. Should I have?”

“A few years ago, Seorin used to go to Celestia. She was a Warrior and by the look of things, she was on the verge of ascending. That was until she met a guy on one of her free weekends. You can imagine what happened next.”

“They fell for each other.”

She nodded, her expression tightening.

“Were they caught?”

“No. A Riftkeeper killed him just for being affiliated with Celestials.”

The words sent a shockwave down my spine. “What?”

She didn’t flinch. “They found out about them before the Council ever did. Riftkeeper’s track weaknesses like fucking sharks. Love? That’s as good as bleeding in open water.”

Everything she was saying... it sounded like a warning—like she knew.

“How do you know all of this?”

“Because I used to look up to her,” she admitted softly. “She confided in me, and do you want to know what the worst part of it all is? He didn’t even know she was an Ascendant. He thought she was just... normal, yet he was killed for something so mundane in this world.”

My legs shook and I desperately tried to stay standing. “What happened to her?”

“She left Celestia after it happened, not wanting her memories to be erased once the Council found out. But... no one has ever heard or seen her since.”

“That can’t be right. Someone must know where she went—”

Veronica gave me a humorless laugh. “Even the Celestials at this academy don’t bring her up. It’s like she never existed.”

I looked away, whispering, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you have the same look in your eyes as she did.”

My head swung in her direction. I wanted to open my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. I wasn’t even sure what I would be arguing towards. I was the one to come up to her with questions and she saw right through me.

“Whatever you’re doing, Grace—” She leaned forward “—Whether it’s with an Ascendant or a Celestial themselves.

.. I suggest you stop. I, for one, would hate to have my memories erased or, worse, be killed at the hands of a Riftkeeper over something such as falling in love with the person you weren’t supposed to. ”

I didn’t say a word.

I couldn’t.

Veronica must have known it too, as she cast me a single warning glance before turning on her heel and walking away.

The evening rain had finally stopped, causing the clouds to part and the sun to stream across the training grounds, casting golden hues over the weapons racks and sparring pits.

I caught sight of Hunter; his broad shoulders turned away from me as he ran his fingers over some of the weapons.

He looked focused, his hair curling slightly at the nape of his neck.

My pulse quickened, and I hated how my eyes always drifted to him.

However, no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop.

And I hated it even more that his gaze immediately found mine when he turned slightly.

And then I noticed it.

The chains were gone.

For the past few weeks, despite us, not able to be together, those iron bindings had clung to his wrist, dimming his power, weighing him down during training. But now—

Now he stood tall. Unchained. Unyielding.

He tilted his head slightly, as if to say yeah, I noticed you noticing. That stupid cocky glint returned to his eyes like it had never left, and it made something stir in my chest.

My cheeks heated, and I quickly turned my attention back to Azrael as he paced across the center of the grounds.

“We are days away from the ball and competition.” His wings flashed out as if even they were impatient.

“Many of you have shown great strength and endurance throughout these months, and I know that myself and Nadael are proud of that.” His chest swelled with pride.

“That is why today, you’ll once again participate in an exercise the Council values highly—the Ecliptic Hunt. ”

Everyone around me either nodded or fist-bumped one another. I, on the other hand, was nervous about the Ecliptic Hunt. The last time I participated, I was terrible at it.

Azrael continued splitting us into teams, and my heart sank and raced simultaneously when I heard Hunter’s name called for the opposing team. Of course, he wasn’t with me. We were always on opposite sides, and it felt cruelly poetic in a way.

But it was even worse when Azrael declared my group would be the ones with Celestial Energy this time.

Azrael pried open a chest containing hundreds of glowing orbs and handed us a few each. I placed them in my pockets before he sent us into the woods in scattered directions.

I gripped one of the orbs tightly as I darted between the trees. I remembered the first time I did this, how Lucas had been by my side, always covering for my mistakes, always cheering me on. The ache in my chest tightened, but I swallowed it down.

He wasn’t here to cover for me anymore. I had to do that myself. I had to do a lot by myself.

Soon, the first encounter happened quickly.

A boy from the opposing team burst out from behind a bush, and I dodged his first strike as he tried to grab the orbs from me.

My movements were faster than I thought possible, as a sharp twist of my body and a sweep of my leg had him tumbling to the ground.

Before he could recover, I struck him with the energy beam, and he glowed faintly blue, signaling he was out.

“Good job, Gracie.” Silas appeared at my side, throwing an orb in the air before catching it. He winked. “Keep moving.”

I nodded to myself and pushed forward, my senses sharper and more alert. The woods became a maze, but I navigated it well enough, knocking out one, two, and three more opponents.

On the third, I grinned and tried to stop myself from attempting to perform a happy dance in the middle of the woods.

“Are you kidding me?” The boy on the ground tsked, wiping at the blue smeared on his shirt. “This is going to be a pain to get out.”

I chuckled with an apologetic shrug as he stood and marched off, muttering under his breath how annoyed he was.

As I turned in the other direction to find my next victim, I froze.

Hunter.

He emerged from behind a cluster of trees, his expression both amused and dangerous. “You know,” he teased. “I’d say you’ve gotten a bit too comfortable with those energy beams.”

I rolled my eyes. “What can I say? I’ve been training a lot lately.”

His eyes flashed playfully. “Really?”

I nodded. “Although the teacher isn’t that great, but I guess he will do in the meantime.”

His grin widened as he approached, his steps slow and predatory. “Are you saying you’re better than him at combat, Bambi?”

“Definitely, huntsman.”

He chuckled, taking that as his cue as he lunged, and we clashed in a series of blows.

His strength was overwhelming, as if those chains had suppressed too much from him and he finally had an out.

Still, I used my agility to duck and dodge.

We traded hits, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world disappeared.

I laughed.

He smiled.

And soon enough, he had pinned me to the ground, his weight pressing me into the mud below as his hands caught my wrists. His grey eyes, dark and intense, searched mine as I stared up at him, utterly breathless.

“We need to be careful,” I whispered. If anyone saw us, if Azrael saw...

His lips quirked up into a dangerous smile. “I agree.”

The tension between us crackled like a live wire, waiting for it to spark at any moment. I refused to let him win this time. As he lowered his lips against mine, I twisted my body, using a move he’d taught me, and managed to flip him, pinning him down with my knees on either side of him.

His head tilted back, exposing the curve of his throat as he exhaled sharply. “This gives me déjà vu. Have we done this before? I think you were even calling out my name during it.”

I leaned closer, smiling as the orb glowed faintly in my hand. “If I recall, the only difference was that I didn’t have the orb in my hand.”

He smirked, and I didn’t hesitate. I pressed the orb to his chest, watching as he glowed faintly blue.

“You’re out,” I whispered, unable to hide the grin on my face as I leaned inches away from his lips.

The sound of footsteps grew louder, and my head snapped up.

Quickly, I scrambled away from Hunter, brushing leaves and mud from my hair in a hurried attempt to look composed.

Hunter, however, stayed on the ground, unbothered, as Silas and a few of my teammates appeared through the trees.

Their expressions lit up with laughter the moment they saw him.

Silas doubled over, practically wheezing, as he clapped me on the shoulder. “You beat Cain? Fucking finally.” He turned to Hunter with a wicked grin. “Gotta admit, this is a good look on you. I’m getting kinda turned on—should I go fetch Jerry?”

Hunter rolled his eyes, extending a hand to let one of my teammates haul him to his feet. His annoyance was there, but it was mild, like it always was around Silas.

“Nice work, Martin,” someone from my team called out, their tone genuine for the first time.

My eyes widened in surprise. Had I heard that right? A congratulation? For me?

The disbelief didn’t last long. A few more teammates clapped my back in approval, and I couldn’t help it as my lips curved into a grin.

They began leading me out of the woods, chatter buzzing around us.

Still, I found my gaze drifting back. Hunter stood there, lingering just for a moment longer than the rest as his eyes captured mine.

There was no anger in his expression, no sign of frustration or bitterness. Instead, there was pride.

The look sent something sharp and unexpected through my chest. My steps faltered for half a heartbeat before I forced myself to look away, but the damage was already done, and the realization hit me with such clarity that I may as well have been hit with a Celestial beam straight to the heart.

I was in love with Hunter Cain.

Whatever you’re doing, Grace, whether it’s with an Ascendant or a Celestial themselves... I suggest you stop. I, for one, would hate to be killed at the hands of Riftkeeper over something mundane as falling in love with the person you weren’t supposed to.

Veronica’s words were there on the back of my mind in an instant like an alarm, trying to wake me up.

But I already knew that I was screwed. I was beyond screwed.