Shade's POV:

I watched helplessly as Aurora rose to the ceiling and fell down to the floor, landing with a sickening thud. Pure hatred welled up inside of me as I screamed out and struggled against the invisible force that held me pinned to the wall.

"Emrick!" I growled loudly as he begun to walk towards Aurora's limp body. "I swear if you lay one hand on her i'll-"I began angrily, only to be cut off.

"You'll what?" he asked, amusement seeping into his voice "you're clearly in no position to make threats, so since looks can't kill... kindly shut the hell up" he finished with a small sigh.

"You can't keep me here forever... and when I break free the first thing I'm going to do is rip off your smug little head," I screamed brutally.

He looked at me blankly for a second before he scoped Aurora carelessly into his arms, allowing her head to fall back into an uncomfortable position.

"Someone's in a mood" laughed Emrick as he rolled his eyes mockingly "didn't you ever teach your son how to control his tongue?" he questioned, starting at Sebastian who had remained silent the whole time.

A sudden anger flashed across Sebastion's eyes but it was quickly replaced by a look of regret, he hung his head in shame and then looked up at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Oh, that's right" grinned Emrick as he turned to face the blown up door. "and as for you boy," he added, placing heavy emphasis on his words "I would love to see you try" he finished, looking over his shoulder to stare at me in the eyes.

He left the room in a blur, causing me and Sebastian to fall to the ground. My knees stung painfully over the contact but I quickly pushed myself to my feet regardless.

"We need to get her back" I growled, immediately making my way to the door.

I felt Sebastian grab onto my arm in an effort to stop me, I jerked out of his light contact and stared at him bitterly.

"Did you not hear what she said before she was taken?" he asked before I could speak.

"Yes, but-" I protested.

"But nothing, we are no use to her on our own, Lucifer is too powerful" he established.

In my heart I knew he was right, if we went straight after her without backup we could both end up getting captured, leaving her completely defenceless against Lucifer and his demon army.

"You're right" I concluded as I exited the door "we have to find Chase first"

"I think that I may know where he is," said Sebastian as he limped after me. "I have often heard screams coming from the lower tower, I swear I heard the name Cobalt once... does that mean anything to you?" he questioned, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, Cobalt is his dragon" I explained, allowing a glimmer of hope to shine within me "but why should I trust you?" I asked, not allowing my judgement to be clouded.

"Look, I know that you don't really know me but I am your father... and I want to make things right with you" He responded genuinely.

"You don't understand" I begun, looking up into his sorrowful golden eyes. "I have spent a very long time directing all of my anger towards one name... your name, so it's hard for me to come to terms with the fact that you are not the enemy, let alone the fact that you are my father" I finished honestly, watching his weary face for his response.

"I know that it will take time, but please know that I am finally able to be here for you... when you're ready," he said delicately.

I thought over what he said for a moment before I nodded my head, I knew that I was going to have to give him a chance eventually but that thought alone was not enough to make me trust him, but I also knew that he was my best, and only chance of finding Chase and rescuing Aurora.

"lead the way" I finished, deciding that I didn't really have much of a choice as I gestured to the path ahead.

Sebastian gave me a small smile and then stretched his limps, causing a few of them to click unnaturally before he took off at a more comfortable jog. I figured that his insanely quick healing capabilities meant that he was a hybrid of more than just a werewolf, I actually found myself wondering what other gifts he possessed, was he like me?

"Just down here" he commentated, breaking me out of my thoughts as he ran swiftly down a flight of spiral staircases.

The stairs led to a dark narrow hallway with various gloomy, uninviting doors positioned along both sides, the stone walls were less crumbled in this section of the hallway, exposing that it must have been maintained to contain the prisoners within its small dingy cells effectively.

"Chase?" I called hopefully as we walked slowly past various doors.

I had just closed my fist around the second doors black, chipped handle when Sebastian stopped me.

"Lucifer has many prisoners here, we don't want to open the wrong door," he warned me seriously.

I removed my hand from the handle and walked a few paces towards the end of the hallway.

"Chase!" I called louder this time.

I stopped walking and used my enhanced senses in an effort to pay closer attention to my surroundings. I could hear the small pitter of water as it fell from somewhere above us and splattered onto the patchy floor, I could smell the cold night air as small gusts of wind travelled down the staircase and surrounded me chillingly, but when I really focused, I could hear faint breathing as somebody sucked in air painfully and wheezed it back out in a neverending cycle, and I could smell a repulsive metallic smell mixed with dirt and stone.

"Shade?" called a fading whisper.

As soon as the voice that I recognised as Chase's reached my ears a thousand more muddled whispers flooded out from under each door and filled the previously still air, I shook my head in sudden confusion and stared around hopelessly for a second before I closed my eyes and regained my focus, closing in on the first voice... Chase's voice, and after a while, I was finally able to zone out and focus on his voice alone.

"I-is t-that really you?" it spoke again in disbelief.

I followed the voice in complete silence and concentration until I could hear his struggled breathing and troubled heartbeat, but I also noticed that his heartbeat was not the only one in the room, there was another one which was beating much slower and calmer than his.

I opened my eyes to see a chipped, black painted door before me with a small silver handle on its left side, I looked up at Sebastian who smiled down at me approvingly as I closed my left hand around the handle and pushed the door open, It groaned slightly but opened easily enough to reveal a darkened room with a small window in the far corner.

"I'll keep watch" whispered Sebastian as I advanced further into the room.

I didn't bother replying and looked across the room to see a dark figure in the barely recognisable form of Chase slumped down against the wall, with thick metal chains holding him up. Upon seeing me he pulled on the chains to get to his feet and stared at me with dull watery eyes.

"Y-you came for me?" he asked sceptically.

"Of course we did" I replied soothingly. "but Emrick has taken Aurora," I told him honestly as I approached the wall that he was chained to.

"Of course he has, this was his plan after all" coughed Chase in disgust.

I broke him free of the chains and he immediately fell to the floor with an agonising groan.

"What did they do to you?" I whispered as I supported him to his feet and looked into his lifeless eyes.

"I don't know, they kept injecting us with something to keep us weak" he replied angrily.

"Us?" I questioned, suddenly remembering the other heartbeat.

"Mind releasing me too?" asked a feminine voice.

I turned around to see a girl sat at the other side of the room with her back leant up against the wall, under a rather thick layer of mud, she looked strangely familiar with her pale skin, bleached blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"Who is that?" I asked, turning back to Chase.

"Oh her, that's Asher's sister" he replied as if he still had trouble believing it himself.

"Asher has a sister?" I questioned to no one in particular.

"It gets better..." added Chase regaining my attention.

I looked between him and the girl as I waited for him to spit out whatever he wanted to say.

"She is a Mythica" he finished in a revelation that made me question everything that I had learned about Asher and his loyalties.

:

Aurora:

Orpheus version 1:

Orpheus version 2:

Sylvia:

💜💜

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