First Pov

I was holding the newborn prince. He was healthy,whole and at the moment,asleep. I was currently feeding him with a baby bottle until Haures wakes up. Thanos was whining and,at first,he didn't want to drink the milk. Normally when a Shadow is reborn it must be fed pure negative energy from their carrier's body.So,Thanos was waiting to be held by Haures so he could absorb energy. Unfortunately,Haures was in critical condition and we weren't sure he would survive.

Thankfully,Paimon had helped her calm his brother down but after Johanna arrived,a couple minutes after the extraction,they had to take Haures to the hospital immediately. The panic I saw in Johanna's eyes was something that,for a moment,gave birth to feelings of despair. But I didn't have the time to ask for her reassurance because she had to risk an immediate teleportation to the hospital. It was very dangerous for Haures in his current condition but given the time and place we couldn't carry him out of my royal chambers.

In the end,it was decided that I would stay behind to take care of Thanos. I was secretly hoping for Paimon to be in my place but I understood why that couldn't happen. He was far too concerned for Haures to remain calm and collected in front of a baby.

I looked at the young prince. He was gorgeous with his black hair and blue eyes. In truth,he was the most beautiful Shadow and maybe the most beautiful man in the multiverse.She remembered the time Thanos turned 16.000 years old and he wanted to go out of the palace for the first time but Haures wouldn't permit it.So when he was away on a business trip he snuck out of the palace and went for a stroll in the city.

The girls went wild.They didn't even care about their dignity. They would fall at his feet,faint and yell. And Thanos was enjoying every minute of it. He went around flirting with every woman he laid his eyes on. Then he stumbled upon a bar and drank his first drink. Drinks,to be more precise. The dancers were all over him but he never touched any of them. He returned home drunk,however.

The next day,when Haures returned from his mission he found the city in a state of chaos. The female Shadows were irritated,angry and depressed. When he asked about it no one would tell him because no woman would admit to losing her mind over the sight of a single man.

However,when he returned to the palace and found his baby brother in bed with a headache and kisses all over his face,all hell broke loose. At first,Haures started screaming at Paimon for being so irresponsible and not keeping a closer eye on their brother. Paimon was trying to defend himself saying that Thanos was a young man who should have more freedom and gain more experience with women. That didn't help,on the contrary,it aggravated Haures further. At the end Thanks was grounded,Paimon wasn't listening very well for a couple of days and the palace security was increased.

A faint smile reached my face while I was remembering the story. Thanos noticed my momentary happiness and started laughing as well.

"It seems that you and your brothers have more life inside of you than any Light Spirit I know,even from the Spirit of Life.",I told him tenderly

At that time,a knock was heard in my door and I held Thanos even closer,who probably had sensed the imminent danger and remained still,before telling the visitor to come in.

"Such a beautiful baby. I almost feel sorry I have to tear its soul into pieces.Now,hand him over.",the Dark Queen commanded.

I held Thanos closer to my chest. I had no right to give him away like merchandise,because he didn't belong to me. I didn't put my body and soul in danger to bring him back.How could I use someone else's struggle to avoid an unpleasant predicament? How could I forget the sheer power and determination in Haures's look?The ever-present light in his eyes,even when his body had collapsed from exhaustion and he was holding his energy in place purely by instinct? Never in my entire life have I seen such strength,physical and mental,and commitment to a purpose.There was no alternative plan. It was all or nothing. And now I was holding in my arms the victorious result and I was supposed to hand him over? But what could I do at a time like this?

The Dark Queen seemed to notice the doubt in my eyes but instead of feeling anxious or afraid,she started laughing.

"Eve,you are such a little girl. You always act the same way. You want to show pride and courage when things are going your way but you get cornered so easily and when you realise you don't have control anymore,you are so easy to be manipulated.But I guess I can understand a final act of foolishness so I will come and take him myself instead of demand you release him. All you have to do is just stay still and honour the deal we made.Although,it was more of a blackmail than a deal,really."

She started walking towards me and I just couldn't move. What should I do? She was right. I let myself get cornered and now I couldn't find a way to escape. However,when she was just one step away from me she stopped. My eyes were locked on hers since she entered the room but now I let them drift away and I was horrified to see that she had been stabbed. With my own knife.

As she collapsed on the floor in pain,Paimon appeared behind her,with his hands full of blood. He didn't say anything,he just grabbed me by the arm and we teleported away. When I opened my eyes again,we were in the hospital where Haures was currently hospitalised.

He didn't let go of my arm and asked coldly:"What happened in there,Eve?"

At that time,I simply broke. I put my hands on my face and I started crying. He made no effort to comfort me,he simply waited for me to calm down so I could explain.

And once I did,I told him everything.