VALORANT: Stories

Hellish Lover, Heavenly Beloved 003 (Fadeshock / Various)

Hellish Lover, Heavenly Beloved 003

Faint and muddled prayers echoed and bounced across the walls of the grand throne hall, Radiants seated on their places exchanging looks every now and then. A wordless gesture that they've started doing for the sake of silently boasting about whose worshippers were more devoted. A trait they passively adapted upon being bound to their Gods.

Most of their attention was directed to the mortals that humbly came forth before them, bringing gifts and many other offerings that were usually followed with a plea for what they wished for. With everyone, except one from the rest, being at the receiving end of all the items, nobody was bothered by the way Fade shook her head to herself and stood up.

Brimstone didn't bother stopping her this time. They've all familiarized themselves with Fade's habits in leaving the hours of worship. The Radiants couldn't blame her. If all they were to do for the rest of the day was sit on their thrones and stare at nothing and no one, they, too, would make their departure early on.

Fade always detested this vast difference from the very beginning, yet she found that it might actually be a blessing from disguise. Such only meant that she had more time for herself.

More time to deviate from the daily schedule and just head off to her own personal haven.

It only took that one fateful moment for Fade to realize that Empyrean Haven was not her home, nor was it Mount Ida itself.

Her home had a life of its own. It moved around the mountain, gathered the harvests, assisted people under Demeter's name, sometimes went bird watching, even.

Fade's home was the beautiful woman whose hair would fly in the air whenever the winds picked up. Whose eyes twinkled with excitement and absolute merriment whenever they met Fade's.

It was Neon.

Leaving the Empyrean Haven and heading out to the forest, Fade traversed through the trees with patience and no fear. By this time, the acolytes of Artemis' scion, Skye, were likely already heading back to their homes with the prizes of their hunts already on their backs.

No one would dare to look through these parts for Fade, nor for the woman that she rendezvoused with for the past week.

The seemingly jovial gleam in Fade's heterochromatic eyes seemed to dim as she thought about the small weight of the cursed crop still nesting in her pouch. For the past seven days, Fade and Neon managed to steal away from their duties for at least three times. Within those three days, Neon showed her to a hidden stream that she apparently discovered when she was young.

Neon told Fade about how she'd always stay there whenever she used to shirk her duties when she was younger. Reyna never found her there, she said. It was her little space of serenity. A place she happily shared with Fade in hopes of seeing it as their personal paradise of peace.

These last couple of days were the closest thing to Heaven that Fade knew she'd ever experience, yet the damned fruit she acquired from the Underworld was still in her pouch. Fresh, solid, untouched by even the smallest lick of hellfire.

The cowardice from before was still there. The fear of handing her heart to Neon, only for the latter to shatter it eventually. Fade knew Neon was not a cruel woman, but she was afraid of how much power she had given her already. How strong and significant of a hold Neon had on her and her heart.

Neon only knew her as Hazal. Fade never told Neon how she should've been dead for a long while now. Hadn't told her of her true nature, or how she was Hades' chosen ascendant.

What would Neon say if she knew?

Why hold on to the accursed fruit? Would she honestly trick Neon into staying with her if it came down to it?