Hades and Ezra were enraged to say the least, their soulmate wasn't where she should've been when they woke up, in their arms.

After a throughout consideration, they decided she had some business to attend, they'd rather think that than go on a rampage.

One could only imagine their shock when they saw a star shine brighter than any other, even in the underworld so they decided to go and find out exactly what happened only to be mesmerized by Eris's actions.

Hades was extremely unhappy by how close she was and how far he looked for her, when Ezra brought him to her pack grounds he was unsettled because of his stupidity, he never once thought about looking into her pack, he thought the Alpha was a male and at the time, the only thing he knew about her, was the power rolling off of her in waves which obviously could only belong to someone of a higher stature.

Eris moved slowly out of the water, watching them with interest.

She wondered how they felt after the night they spent together but she couldn't voice her thoughts, after all she shouldn't indulge herself too much in their relationship.

Her eyes blazed, turning a crimson color, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and everyone could feel a shiver run down their spine at her gaze.

They didn't understand the change in her attitude at first but when they saw her attention move from them to someone behind, they turned rigid.

Eris smirked, her fangs glinting in the moonlight. Her posture relaxed while her movements turned cautious.

Hades and Ezra tried moving but it seemed to be in vain, they were frozen.

Shocked, they looked at Eris, trying to make sense of the situation only to see her right hand in the air, almost commanding their bodies in ways she should never be able to.

Astraeus was gone.

Only Eris, her soulmates and their messenger, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, remained.

"Eris." The messenger spoke.

"You shouldn't have tampered with them. You knew the consequences back then and yet you decided to go ahead with your plan."

She moved closer, consciously walking on eggshells.

"They sent me to..warn you, or rather to give you an ultimatum. After all, they were always the more lenient ones in this game of theirs."

Hades and Ezra started shaking with rage, the fact that they were constricted was truly unbearable. They wanted to stop that woman from hurting their loved one in any way possible yet they were powerless, they couldn't even mutter a word.

Eris moved as well, she walked towards Xyna, knowing damn well there was nothing she could do to her.

She listened closely to whatever Xyna was trying to explain but she couldn't be bothered.

After all it wasn't anything she didn't know already, her only interest was the supposed ultimatum.

Reaching Xyna, Eris moved her hands slowly, tangling them in her hair, the action seemingly innocent.

"Hand yourself over, Ciar. And this could be all over and done with just like that, with a snap of his fingers." She hummed while sardonically enjoying the way Eris moved her hands in her hair.

"Or face the final consequences of your reckless actions for nothing will end up in your favor in this upcoming war."

A sense of foreboding washed over Hades and Ezra, while physically unable to do anything, they could hear everything spoken and they knew the messenger, was never wrong, they hated the feeling of helplessness that washed over them whenever it came to Eris, but this took it to the next level even for them.

They knew of the prophecy yet they refused to acknowledge it, believing it would cause more harm than good to both of them for the prophecy spoke about Eris's misfortune which could ultimately result in her death.

Eris merely grinned, her fangs on display for everyone to see.

Never.

The word wasn't spoken, but Xyna could hear it loud and clear, Eris's body language speaking more words than her, rather useless voice ever could.

It was all Xyna needed as a confirmation.

"You chose your path in this lifetime, Ciar and you will also bear the outcome of it just as strongly as this decision, I shall hope." She smirked.

Eris's eyes closed for a second, thinking she was done, Xyna tried moving away from her, already planning her route back to her master but she was pulled back by her hair and slammed to the ground, a gasp of air escaping her.

Eris turned Xyna on her front, ripping her shirt from behind, her fingers now turned to claws started moving rapidly on her back, she screamed, the pain of Eris's claws ripping into her back unbearable, Xyna knew of her ability and she knew the tips of her claws were not normal.

She wasn't carving something in her back with her claws only, she was carving it with fire, the only thing that would forever remain imprinted on a messengers back.

Xyna couldn't hold back her pleas for mercy, her back felt like it was being ripped open and someone was pouring molten lava on the opened wounds.

Eris roared in satisfaction, the screams were music to her ears, while her pleas fell on deaf ears as she continued writing her message.

The nerve of the vile woman who dared to cross into her territory expecting to leave unscathed, resulted in her punishment and Eris was sure to leave a memory for her to think twice the next time she tries to do something like that.

After what seemed like years, Eris stopped and Xyna could finally breathe again, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned her head trying to glimpse at Eris yet when she looked around, no one seemed to be in sight, she tried getting up only to be pushed down by a hand on her back.

She screamed in pain and started looking around frantically, hoping catch a glimpse of whoever was torturing her further but she stopped when she heard his voice.

"I thought I warned you, Xyna. You shouldn't have come here, I already warned her yet here you are, yet again blinded by your pride." Chuckled Zeus while pressing on her wound with his hand.

"Please, stop, the pain is unbearable." She cried out.

He shook his head slightly, his hair falling softly on his forehead.

"You do not seem to understand, Xyna. You deliberately decided to disobey my order." With each spoken word, the pressure on her back seemed to worsen.

She continued crying and begging yet it all seemed in vain.

Jealousy once again reared its ugly head at Zeus's actions, Xyna couldn't understand why all the gods were protective of Ciar, she was nothing but a weak, stupid female yet everyone seemed to care for her useless wellbeing.

"Why, why are you doing this?!" She tried exclaiming through her sobs.

He didn't answer yet, he pulled her up by her auburn hair and dragged her to the edge of the territory.

At the border he bent down and whispered in her ear.

"You chose the wrong side, Xyna." His voice was so low she could barely hear it even if he was so close to her.

"You should go to your masters like the good little slave you are and show them what is on your back." He said before throwing her across the border.

Her body dropped harshly to the ground and she grunted before getting up, trying to ignore the pain in her back.

She returned to her master and kneeled in front of him.

"I delivered the message but unfortunately, she had a message to send as well." She spoke with her head down, her voice still shaky, ashamed of her failure.

"Interesting, so she finally decided to speak to us." Spoke a deep, old voice.

"Tell us." Another voice demanded.

"She didn't speak." She cried silently.

"What do you mean, whore?" Someone asked enraged.

Xyna turned around and she heard her master roar.

"You filthy messenger, how dare you let her touch you and mock us directly, how dare you deliver this message to us?" His voice rose and his legs followed.

He got off his throne and walked towards her.

"Master, please, I beg for your forgiveness for I have failed, please, I do not know what is written on my back, I haven't seen it, had I known it was something degrading or even remotely against you, I wouldn't have shown it'" The desperation could be heard in her voice.

"I implore you, I can't take another punishment, please, do not punish me." She wept.

A light chuckle followed.

He stopped right in front of her.

"You think I would allow this to go unpunished?" He asked sarcastically.

"Now what kind of example would that be to everyone else?" He smiled, showing her his fangs.

"We can't allow his masters's people to think that such careless actions could go unpunished, now can we?" Spoke another voice.

Her master bent down to her level.

"Do you know what I do to failures like you?" Not expecting an answer, he continued.

"I get rid of them." He gripped her thin throat, and with his bare hands, pulled her head clean off her body and threw it to the floor besides her, now dead body, disgusted.

His eyes read once more the beautifully written message on her back, his eyes turning an obsidian black.

I will never bow down to you or anyone else, nor would I hand myself over for you are beneath me and played right into my game.

We shall meet soon and end this war for it is meaningless.

After all,

I've always liked to play with fire.