Descendants 3/4: The downfall of Persephone

★ Honeymoon

Evie's POV:

Mal and Ben were just boarding their carriage, ready to head off to their long-awaited honeymoon. The royal procession gleamed in the sunlight, and Evie stood near the crowd, waving excitedly for her best friend.

"Bye! And don’t you dare forget to take photos! I need *all* the details! Oh, and don't do anything I wouldn't do! And—"

Before she could finish, Jay nudged her with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, Evie, chill. Don’t start getting all emotional on me now," he teased, his tone light but fond.

Evie gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, her blue curls bouncing with the movement. "How are you not even a *little* sad to see Mal go? She’s your best friend too!" She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him with a mischievous smile.

Jay rolled his eyes in return, but his smirk stayed in place. "Of course I’m sad, but it’s not like she’s gone forever. They’ll be back in three weeks, tops."

Evie let out a playful scoff, hands on her hips. "I *know* that, genius, but it’s still a big deal! My best friend just got married—she’s heading off into her new life!"

Jay shrugged nonchalantly and started walking away with a casual wave, his usual laid-back attitude intact. "Eh, it’s not like she won’t be texting you every day anyway."

Evie shook her head, biting her lip to hold back a laugh. She knew Jay was right, but still, it felt like the end of an era in a way. Mal had been by her side through everything, and now she was off, beginning a new chapter with Ben. She couldn’t help the slight pang in her chest as she watched the carriage fade into the distance, the wheels turning as if marking the passage of time.

Taking a deep breath, Evie smiled softly to herself, imagining all the adventures Mal and Ben were going to have. She turned on her heel and began heading home, the cobblestone streets of Auradon feeling both familiar and oddly quiet now. She hugged her arms close to herself, lost in thought. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow across the kingdom, but Evie couldn’t shake the subtle feeling that something, or someone, was watching her.

As she passed by a narrow alleyway, she failed to notice a figure leaning against the stone wall in the shadows—Hades. He stood quietly, arms crossed, his electric blue hair glowing faintly in the dim light. His sharp eyes followed the carriage as it disappeared from view, his expression unreadable.

There was something almost vulnerable in the way he watched his daughter leave, though he'd never admit it. Wholesome, if you could call it that. The god of the underworld didn’t do sappy goodbyes, after all. But even so, he was there, lurking just out of sight. Watching.

Evie, unaware of Hades' presence, continued on her way, her mind wandering between thoughts of the future and her own plans for the evening. It wasn’t until she reached her doorstep that she finally exhaled, shaking off the remnants of her earlier emotions. She was happy for Mal, more than anyone, but it still felt strange. Life was changing, and quickly. But that’s what life was about, wasn’t it? Change. New beginnings.

And maybe... a few surprises.