Thorn and Ember

·. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒲𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒲𝑜𝓇𝒹𝓈 ·.

MALEFICENT WALKED THROUGH the corridors of Merlin Academy, her mind buzzing with thoughts of Hades. It had been a few days since their last encounter—since he had stormed out of her room after she'd dismissed their relationship as "just a fling." She'd seen him around campus, but every time she tried to approach him, he either turned away or vanished before she could reach him.

It was driving her mad. The knot in her stomach had only tightened with each passing day, guilt gnawing at her every time she replayed the moment in her mind. She hadn't meant it—not really. She was just scared, terrified of admitting how much he meant to her, even to herself. But now, she feared she might have pushed him away for good. 

As she rounded the corner near the courtyard, she spotted him at the far end, leaning against a stone wall with Zeus and Poseidon. They were talking and laughing, Hades's usual smirk plastered across his face as if nothing in the world could touch him. 

But Maleficent knew better. She could see the tension in his posture, the way his eyes flicked around as if searching for something—or someone. She took a deep breath and started toward him, her heart pounding in her chest. 

"Hades!" she called out, quickening her pace when she saw him look up. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and Maleficent's heart skipped a beat, but then he turned away, resuming his conversation with his friends as if he hadn't seen her. 

"Hades, wait!" she called again, louder this time, but he didn't acknowledge her. Frustration and desperation bubbled up inside her, and before she knew it, she was standing right in front of him, blocking his path. "We need to talk." 

Zeus raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Poseidon before both of them took a step back, clearly sensing the tension. "We'll catch up with you later, Hades," Zeus said, his voice careful. 

Poseidon nodded in agreement, throwing a curious glance at Maleficent before they both retreated, leaving the two alone in the courtyard.

Hades crossed his arms, his expression hard as he finally looked at her. "What do you want, Maleficent?" 

Maleficent felt a chill run down her spine at the coldness in his voice, but she refused to back down. "I want to talk. About what happened." 

"There's nothing to talk about," Hades replied flatly, his eyes narrowing. "You made it pretty clear what this was to you." 

Maleficent's heart sank, but she pressed on. "Hades, I didn't mean it like that. I was just—" 

"Just what?" he cut her off, his tone harsh. "Just scared? Just confused? Or just trying to protect yourself?" 

His words hit her like a punch to the gut, and she struggled to find a response. "I—I didn't know what to say," she admitted, her voice shaking slightly. "It all happened so fast, and I panicked. But that doesn't mean I didn't care." 

Hades let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Didn't care? You told your friends it was just a fling, Maleficent. Like it meant nothing." 

Maleficent winced at the accusation, guilt twisting her insides. "I was trying to protect myself," she said softly, dropping her gaze to the ground. "I didn't want to get hurt." 

"Yeah, well, congratulations," Hades said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You managed to protect yourself at my expense." 

Maleficent looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Hades, please. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just scared of how much I was starting to feel for you. And when I saw my friends. . .I panicked." 

Hades's expression softened for a brief moment, but then the anger returned, his eyes narrowing. "You think that's an excuse? You think that just because you were scared, it's okay to say what we had was nothing?"