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HELLBOUND HEART
Chapter 316 Impressive
"Thank you," Elle whispered, voice full of gratitude.
Gav merely shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Don't mention it. But I really do have to admit, you're quite an impressive little thing."
But before she could even open her mouth to retort Gav's statement, Elle felt a shiver run down her spine as the air around Seb blazed dangerously once again the moment he looked at Gav.
Sebastian's body tensed up, his muscles coiling tightly like a spring at their full potential energy capacity. It was as if he had sensed the presence of someone he had never expected to see again, like a ghost from his unwelcome past had suddenly materialized right behind him.
But with so much forced willpower, he still turned around to look at the man standing behind him.
For a moment, Sebastian stood frozen, staring at Zeke with a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.
Elle could sense the tension that hung between the two brothers, the unspoken history that lay between them like a thick, heavy fog.
As Elle watched the scene unfold, her heart beat faster with every passing moment. She had seen the way Sebastian had attacked Zeke earlier, and it was clear that he had yet to recognize his own brother at the time.
He spoke in a low, almost inaudible tone, saying only the word "Brother...?" to express his disbelief.
Zeke stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Sebastian in a tight embrace. His eyes closed, perfectly shaped brows knitted with emotion. Sebastian, however, remained stiff upon contact, as though he had turned into a block of ice, his body rigid as he took in the sudden embrace. But then his body slowly relaxed into Zeke's embrace. It was clear to anyone watching that the two brothers had a deep bond that had endured through the many years of separation and turmoil. And that was already putting it lightly.
When Zeke finally pulled away, he spoke softly. "I'm sorry for the surprise," he said. He reached out and patted his younger brother's back gently. Each pat was slow and tender, filled with the care and concern that an elder had for his younger sibling.
Sebastian's emotions were still running high, however, and his hand shot out without warning and grabbed at Zeke's collar with a fierce grip. Anger filled his eyes as he hissed, "What the f**k took you so long?!"
As Elle watched the scene between the two brothers, her heart beat faster with every passing moment. She could feel the tension in the air intensifying, as if the slightest wrong move could set off a chain reaction of violence and destruction. She needed to practice caution and tread lightly right now.
"Now, now, younger brother." Gav's voice echoed. "Don't go asking that of your brother as though his life in the Underworld is easy and hunky-dory."
All eyes turned towards Gav, who had made an unsolicited yet loaded comment. But Gav remained nonchalantly half-sitting there, oozing an air of calm and ease that seemed to infuriate Sebastian even more. His dangerous gaze fell on Gav, but the man did not even flinch, let alone react to his death glare. With a smirk, Gav continued speaking, as if the situation was nothing more than a mere inconvenience. It was as if he was unfazed by the tension in the air, and Elle could not help but wonder if he was truly as cold-hearted as he appeared to be. But if he was, he would not have voluntarily gotten involved in her matters and even lent her a helping hand.
"The both of us are occupied from the fighting in there –"
"Gav," Zeke's voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a hot knife slicing through butter, calling out to Gav with a sharpness that demanded attention. Gav let out an exasperated sigh, as if he were being interrupted from his favorite pastime. However, it was clear that the man only listened to Zeke.
Silence fell once more, and Sebastian slowly turned his attention back to his long-lost brother. His grip on Zeke's collar loosened, and he took a step back, no longer meeting Zeke's eyes. There was a sense of heaviness in the air, a weight that seemed to rest on both of their shoulders.
"Tell me," Sebastian broke the silence first, "is this you finally returning? … to us…?" His hesitance was telling of the fear within him of getting more news that would be undesirable.
"Not yet." Zeke's quiet reply made Sebastian's jaw clench so hard that his veins seemed to be able to pop any time soon.
"So, you're saying you'll be gone again?" Sebastian's brows rose, and his eyes circled round. He had not expected that Zeke would be answering him this way. In fact, he was thinking that this brother would be able to settle down and return to his family who had been waiting for him for so, so long.
"Yes." Came the trademark short answer from Zeke.
Sebastian's laughter had died down, replaced by a quiet rage that simmered just beneath the surface. He could feel his grip on Zeke's collar tightening once again, his fingers digging into the fabric as he struggled to control his emotions.
"I hate you," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I really hate you, Zeke."
Zeke didn't flinch, didn't even seem surprised by Sebastian's outburst. Instead, he simply looked at his younger brother as if he understood the depth of Sebastian's anger.
"I hated how you've always been deciding for my life," Sebastian continued, his voice rising in volume. "Doing things for me and against my will. And then you just upped and left... leaving your wife and son behind to..."
Sebastian trailed off, unable to continue speaking. He gritted his teeth, his grip on Zeke's collar tightening even further as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
"I know you hated for it. But I didn't want to lose you, Sebastian." Zeke replied. "And you've also already sacrificed seven hundred years of your life for me –"
"That was my choice, Zeke!"
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HELLBOUND HEART
Chapter 317 Voice
"That was my choice, Zeke!" Sebastian's voice echoed through the dungeon, loud and impassioned as he spoke. His emotions were like a raging storm, powerful and intense, surging through him with a force that he could barely contain.
For so long, he had kept his feelings bottled up inside, buried deep beneath the surface. But now, with Zeke standing before him, all of his anger and resentment had come rushing to the surface, spilling out of him in a torrent of words and emotion.
"And I didn't do it for you! You never needed to feel guilty about it!" His voice cracked as he spoke. He felt like he was on the verge of exploding, like he was standing on the edge of a cliff and one wrong move would send him tumbling over the edge.
And yet, even as he spoke, he felt a strange sense of release, like he was finally purging all of the toxic emotions that had been poisoning him for so long. It was a cathartic experience for him.
"I don't care if your reason is because you no longer want to live back then." Zeke's voice cut through the tension in the room like a knife, sharp and pointed as he spoke. His words were like a cold, hard truth'
And yet, even as his tone turned sharp, his voice remained calm, almost detached. It was as if he had already made peace with everything that had happened between them, and he was simply stating the facts as they were.
"The fact that I was able to continue living in this world because of you...that fact would never change," he said, his words echoing through the room. "Your reason for doing it never mattered to me. And I am your older brother, Sebastian. I will do everything for you, whether you allow me to or not. I've sworn that to our sisters whom I've failed to save."
As he spoke, something dark crossed Zeke's eyes. For all his calm and detachment, it was clear that he was still carrying a heavy burden, a weight that he had been carrying for centuries.
Silence reigned between them for a while.
And when Sebastian's shoulders shook with emotions, Zeke's hand reached out and gently guided him to rest his head on his shoulder. The contrast between Sebastian's vulnerability and Zeke's stoicism was almost palpable. It was as if they were two halves of the same whole, complete only in each other's presence. Elle felt a lump in her throat as she realized the depth of their bond, a bond forged through blood, sweat, and tears. She wondered what it must have been like for them, growing up together, surrounded by darkness and cruelty. How many battles had they fought side by side? How many scars did they carry due to those battles? Were those scars physical and emotional? Do they still carry these scars up to this day? The answer was honestly obvious to her even though she didn't know much about their story.
She smiled as she thought about Sebastian's vehement claims of hating Zeke, even though it was clear that he did not. And then there was Zeke, this unfathomable older brother, with his unreadable expression that seemed to hide a thousand emotions. Yes, these two brothers indeed had a unique love language that was beyond what most people could understand.
Soon, Sebastian pulled away.
"I still hate you and your non-consensual ways." Sebastian muttered when Gav decided to pipe in.
"Oh, come on, Younger Bro. Stop being difficult and just admit how much you love your elder brother."
"Who the f**k is this guy? Zeke?" Sebastian pointed rudely at Gav who was smugly smirking.
"He's the future king of the Underworld." Zeke answered in a way as though he was simply stating that today was Monday.
Elle's mouth hung open while Sebastian paused for a long while, lost for words. His face was an alternating canvas of shock and disgruntlement. Shock that such an annoying person was actually the future king of the Underworld, and disgruntlement that such an extremely annoying person like him was actually the future king of the Underworld!
Gav, on the other hand, tilted his head a little, finding the alternating expression of Sebastian's face rather interesting. "Nope. That we're actually not certain about." He said nonchalantly but Elle and Sebastian would never doubt a thing that Zeke said.
"See? Don't you know that even in the Underworld, Zeke's words are absolute? And yet he keeps insisting I'll be king instead of him –" Gav teased.
"That's enough, Gav. Don't bring Underworld's matters here. They have no business knowing it."
"As you wish, Your Liege." Gav sounded like that annoying teaser but Zeke was not bothered. At all. He did not even bat an eye or gave any reaction. Gav's words seemed to simply bounce off of Zeke's stoic expression like water off a rock.
Elle could not help but wonder if Zeke was simply like this even from before. He seemed to be an enigma, an unreadable book that held secrets that even the most skilled reader could not decipher. Was he truly like this all the time? Even as she sifted through her memories of him, she could not quite recall a single instance where his expression had betrayed any hint of what he might be feeling on the inside. Despite all the chaos that had ensued since a while ago, he remained as calm and collected as a relaxing day out at the beach. Almost as if he were a part of the very walls - non-living, silent and non-reacting - that surrounded them. It was as if he was a machine, programmed to carry out some specific tasks without any hint of feeling. Elle could not help but come to the conclusion that perhaps, Zeke was not capable of showing emotions through his face –
"Dad?"
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in the Underground cemetery, causing Elle's eyes to widen in shock. First, from the realization of who had just arrived, and second, for the expression that finally showed on Zeke's face - that face that was known to never show any emotion.
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HELLBOUND HEART
Chapter 318 Dad?
Alex had lost Azy right after they both materialized at the front of a cave. The boy's demonic magic had suddenly pulsed so strongly that Alex could only let go of his hand. He had considered wrapping his arms around the boy and keeping him there forcefully. No matter how strong Azy was, there was never a time Alex even thought that he would find trouble holding the boy down. Because the problem with Azy was that though his magic was extremely powerful, his body was still as frail and only just as good as a half vampire boy's body. Well, it was understandable since he did not have any training on how to control his magic to protect himself. He had never learnt how to use and balance his power at all due to his situation.
That was why in the end, Alex could not bring himself to even use as much physical force to restrain him! The boy's wrist could literally break if he was not careful! What more to wrap him in a tight hold within his arms. Though he knew Azy would eventually heal, there was really no guarantee on how it could affect him physically or emotionally. He could not risk aggravating a boy whose extent of power was still very much unknown and uncontrollable. Azy was as volatile as a nuclear reactor that might have its core melt at the drop of a hat.
So that was why he was now racing after the boy inside a cave, going in further as fast as he could. This was the only thing he could do other than forcefully restraining the young boy. Thankfully for Alex, the remnants of Azy's power were strong enough for him to even see miasma-like darkness trailing after him. Even though the boy himself was no longer visible, at least his trail would lead the way for Alex to track him down.
Alex did not have the inhuman sense of smell all vampires had, but he knew that he must be getting close to reaching Azy, judging from the thickness of the smoke-like magic in the boy's trails. Letting out a heavy sigh, Alex hoped that Azy would stay still for a while so he could catch up. But following that thought…
An earthquake's movement shook the cave, causing Alex's eyes to widen a little.
He had a sudden bad feeling. In fact, he could not believe the amount of power emanating from within this cave. Where would such immense power be pouring out from? It was something…
As if a realization had dawned on him, Alex's already damned fast pace sped up even faster. His heartbeat was racing hard within him as his mind processed a certain idea or possibility that had appeared in his mind. Could it be…?
This power… he could never mistake it! Even as his mind whirled with so many thoughts, his movement was not slowed from the distraction. In fact, his pace quickened even more.
Thrill and excitement surged deep within Alex as the corner of his lips tugged up. "You better not disappoint me…" he smirked as his dark eyes gleamed brightly in the dim lighting of the cave. "Because if you do, I swear I'm going to beat your ass up, Zeke!" And a bright laughter burst out from Alex as his eyes twinkled in anticipation of what would greet him in a few moments.
With his heart pounding in his chest, Alex finally caught up to Azy. The boy stood motionless, his small frame barely visible in the dim light of the ancient door made of steel. And then, as Alex drew closer, he saw the dark wisps of smoke that swirled around the child like malevolent tentacles.
Careful not to startle Azy, Alex forced himself to slow down, taking each step with deliberate care. He paused right behind the boy, his eyes fixed on the ancient door of steel that stood before them, its surface marked with strange, otherworldly runes.
Alex froze in place too as he looked ahead and saw the very man he was expecting to see at this moment.
His smirk widened and he was about to call out the damned guy out of excitement when something unexpected happened.
Azy spoke.
He said the word "Dad?"!
The boy used to speak when he was much younger until he was five. But after that one day five years ago, he suddenly lost his speech and never spoke even a single word since.
Stunned, Alex glanced down at the boy and then he looked back at Zeke. How come Azy's speech was back? Was it because his father was now back?
Zeke actually had his back facing them, so Alex or Azy were yet to see his face. Nevertheless, the both of them did not need to see Zeke's face to know it was indeed him.
Everything in the entire cavern in that moment seemed to halt to a standstill. Alex could see the unusual tense set of Zeke's back the instant he heard Azy's voice. Yes, it was unusual for anyone to be able to see even the slightest tenseness in Zeke's shoulders. Simply because the man was known to never get tensed in any situation at all.
But here he was. Looking like he could not even make himself turn around.
When Zeke left, Alicia was only just pregnant with Azy. So the two had never met. Alex's smirk turned into a smile as he realized that this was going to be the very first time the father and son would meet.
The questions that had been swirling in his mind - How had Zeke returned? Would he stay with them now? - all faded away in the face of the moment unfolding before him, forgotten. His excitement to jump on the man and pester and interrogate and nag him was also shoved back because right now, at this moment, all Alex wanted to do was give the father and son the space they so needed and deserve.
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HELLBOUND HEART
Chapter 319 Honored
Alex could not help but feel bad for Zeke as he looked at him. Being a father himself, he had enjoyed all the moments he had spent with his children since the moment his wife was pregnant, until they were born and also while they grew up. Alex cherished all those precious moments of fathering his children not only because he loved his kids but also because those moments were truly a bliss. The happiness of just holding his kids, playing with them and talking to them were indescribable… Those were moments that were just simply irreplaceable and precious.
Zeke had missed all those moments. He was gone even before Alicia's baby bump became visible. Now Azy was already ten. So many years had already gone by and Zeke would never experience those incredible things anymore. He could never hold Azy as a baby anymore. Some things once lost, were gone forever and never to be regained.
That thought alone made Alex feel really bad for Zeke and for Azy as well. If only there was a way to make Zeke stay even for a short time back then.
"You are… my dad… right?" Azy's voice echoed again. He spoke slowly, as it had been a long time since he had last spoken. Though his mind remembered the words and how to pronounce them, the muscles in his throat and his vocal cords lacked usage and needed time to adjust.
And very slowly, Zeke finally turned to look at him. At his son.
Alex could see the flood of what could only be emotions in Zeke's slightly widened eyes despite the lack of expression on his face.
He just stood there, looking at the boy. Never before had he seen Zeke looking like this. Looking like he did not know what to do, what to say, what to think, or what to feel.
Someone had finally broken through Zeke's ever so calm and collected image and Alex could not help but wish he had brought his phone with him so he could snap this scene for future teasing purposes. Too bad though, because he did not have any gadget on him right this moment!
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"Don't just stand there, Zeke." Alex finally shattered the silence when Zeke still did not make any moves nor did he say a word.
Zeke's eyes flew towards Alex and when their eyes met, Alex smirked at him, his eyes glinting with both gladness and mischief as he spoke with Zeke through telepathy for the first time in a long time. "I know you're dumbstruck for meeting your son for the first time. But don't go behaving like an uncool and dumbfounded fool now right in front of your boy on your very first meeting, dumbo." Alex said.
He had felt the need to intervene a little so he spoke but of course, he could not help but take the opportunity to tease the man at the same time. This was a very rare situation, a once in a lifetime event even! So Alex would never miss the chance of teasing him even in this situation.
Zeke blinked and then all too quickly, he snapped out of his trance and a ghost of a smile crossed his face. A face, Alex noticed, that had somehow changed into something that was far more bad news than before.
Zeke's reply came with a hint of sarcasm, "I'm glad you're here to remind me of my lack of coolness, Alex. I was afraid I might accidentally impress my son with my intelligence and wit instead."
"Oh, don't mention it, Zeke. I'm just here to help the helpless, like always. I'm always happy to help out a friend in need, especially when it comes to avoiding potential embarrassments in front of their offspring," Alex replied with a grin. "But hey, if you do end up making a fool of yourself, just remember that I'll be there to document the moment for posterity."
"How thoughtful of you, Alex. Well, I guess I should be honored to have my embarrassing moments immortalized by such a talented documentarian." He paused for a moment before adding, "Though I highly doubt that'll happen, I'll try to make it a memorable one for you, my dear friend." The corner of his lips tugged a little bit higher before Zeke finally returned his gaze to Azy, cutting off his friendly banter with Alexander.
Trying to keep his chuckle quiet, Alex watched Zeke finally move from his spot and approached Azy. His movements, Alex noticed, seemed to have changed as well. Zeke's every move was always as graceful as a panther but something changed. The air around him rippled so smoothly like he was levitating along with the calm powerful dark magic clinging so silently around him.
As Zeke and Azy stood facing each other, the contrast between their powers was palpable. Azy's energy crackled like lightning - fierce and wild, like a young dragon out for his first kill - while Zeke's aura was serene and calm, just like being in the eye of a hurricane. It was as if they were two opposing forces, each fighting for dominance within the same space. Their forms created a certain wistful feeling to those who were spectating from the side. One tall and powerful figure standing opposite another shorter, slender but no less powerful figure in terms of the aura surrounding him.
And as Zeke stepped forward, the dark magic surrounding them collided, creating an explosion of power. For a moment, it seemed as though Azy's storm would overpower Zeke's calm, pushing him back and shattering his resolve. But then something incredible happened. With one graceful movement, Zeke fell to one knee and reached out to touch Azy's shoulder. In that instant, the storm subsided, as if the raging winds and driving rain had been swallowed up by the calm at the center of the storm. It was a moment of perfect balance, a rare instance of two opposing forces finding harmony within each other's presence.
"Yes, I'm your dad." Zeke finally replied.
Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time.
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HELLBOUND HEART
Chapter 320 Outburst
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Zeke and his son. No one moved or made a sound, hoping not to be the one who would distract either party from their long overdue reunion of father and son.
Sebastian, who had somehow immediately calmed down the instant he heard Azy's voice, just stared unblinkingly at his brother as he approached his son.
His complete attention was now focused on nothing else but them. Everything else had now been momentarily forgotten. As if his outburst with Zeke just now had never happened.
Hearing Azy's voice was like a thunderstruck to him, like a bucket of ice suddenly being poured over his head. That was the one thing he had not expected to happen. Though a very welcomed and happy occasion, Sebastian was nonetheless still taken aback at it happening without warning.
The boy, this nephew of his, was finally speaking again! He had blamed himself for what happened to Azy five years ago. Because no matter what anyone said, he knew the reason why Azy had stopped talking was completely his fault. There was no one else to blame but himself. He should have taken the extra precaution to have checked and ensured that Azy was no longer in the castle before he decided to start the ritual.
The reason he had avoided the boy all these while since then was because he could not help but want to hit and beat himself up every time he saw Azy all quiet, and unable to utter a single word. Seeing such a cheerful young boy suddenly stop talking and becoming solemn, serious and more mature than his age just broke his heart each time he saw Azy.
So, hearing him say something now, gave him a wave of strong relief and gladness. Could this be because the gate of the Underworld was opened again? Azy lost his voice when they managed to open the gate back then after all. Or perhaps, he got his voice back simply because of his desperation to call out for his father whom he had never met before?
As Zeke crouched down before Azy, Sebastian noticed how Zeke's fingers were slightly trembling as he reached out to touch his son for the first time.
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Though Sebastian could not see his brother's expression, which he knew was most likely to be unchanged except for the look in his eyes, that little shaking of his hand was enough for Sebastian to tell how emotional Zeke was at the moment.
Zeke never trembles nor shakes in front of anyone else since that fateful day when they were all thrown into that hell of a prison. It was like Zeke had lost the ability to be shaken by anything else. So, seeing him like this now caused Sebastian to not even be able to imagine just how hard it must have been for Zeke all these years.
As Zeke spoke and told Azy that he was his father as he touched him, the boy's lips began to purse. His large grey eyes quickly watered up. But even as his lips began to tremble, Azy was trying so hard to hold back from crying.
Azy was so much like his father. There was almost no difference at all between the two. Azy was that child who never cried even when he got hurt. Though Alicia had always been encouraging him, telling him that it was okay even if he cried if things just got too much to handle, Azy kept telling everyone that he was alright. It all got worse when Alicia started to grow weaker.
He had found out from Alex that the boy had never shed any tears ever since. Even when he was suffering the pain from one of those episodes he was going through, Azy only screamed. Again, not a single tear came out from him.
Yet here he was now, looking absolutely at the edge of bursting into tears as he looked on at his father with a mixture of longing and embarrassment.
"If you want to cry, don't hold back… son." Zeke uttered. His voice, at that very moment, was the gentlest whisper he had ever heard from him. "Real men do cry, after all."
The boy threw his body towards his father and hugged him as he burst into tears. All his bravado and front of being a solemn and mature child crumbled in the presence and warmth of his very own father. Zeke immediately wrapped his arms around his son and held him tight. His head dropping so low his face could not be seen.
Azy's cries were muffled as he buried his face against his father's clothes, his narrow shoulders shaking with the shudders of his sobs that he was trying to hold back but unfortunately, not so effective. The sound of his cries were so heart-breaking that it made Elle's tears just track silently down her face even as she smiled with so much happiness and gladness that the father and son were finally reunited. 𝚒nn𝚛ea𝚍.c𝚘m
The sight of them in a tight embrace was simply… heartwarming and heart-aching at the same time.
…
Meanwhile, Gav was simply watching. Looking as though he was nothing but a handsome and imposing character who did not belong to the scene at all. Well, that was how he appeared to be at one glance. But if one would look deep into his grey eyes, something was swirling in those depths as well. Something even he himself could not seem to understand as he stared at the father and son having their reunion right before him.
He was undoubtedly impressed. Very much surprised even, seeing Zeke behaving so uncharacteristically like this. That this man the Underworld sees as the lord of slaughter was actually hiding something soft and mushy like this.
Then a thought came to him. That he had finally got a hold of Zeke's weakness. A weakness he never expected of this powerful man. A weakness he never thought actually existed.
If anyone in the Underworld were to ever find out about this… Zeke, the feared prince of hell who does not have any weakness, will certainly be put into serious trouble.
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