The star crossed lovers

XXXIII

Davina stepped deeper into the blue mist, the air growing colder with every step she took. The chill seeped through her skin and into her bones, a biting reminder of her exhaustion. Her body was still caked in the dark, congealed blood of the creatures she had fought, their foul stench clinging to her. Despite the cold and fatigue, Davina's resolve remained unshaken. She had come too far to turn back now.

As she moved forward, she began to notice faint outlines of walls on either side of her. The mist still swirled around her, but it was thinning slightly, revealing smooth, white marble walls stretching infinitely in both directions. Her footsteps echoed eerily in the emptiness.

Then, a voice cut through the silence—hoarse, female, and dripping with disdain.

"I didn't expect you to defeat them." The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, yet there was no figure in sight.

Davina clenched her fists, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who's there?" she demanded, her voice strong despite the cold biting into her bones.

Another voice joined in, this one male, and more familiar—it was the same voice she had heard from Alexander's father. "If it wasn't for that student of yours—that ungrateful girl—you wouldn't have made it this far," he sneered. His words echoed ominously in the marble chamber, but still, no source of the voice appeared.

"My student," a third voice chimed in, young and smooth, almost playful. "She is quite powerful, indeed. But you, Davina, are not a disappointment either. However, you've cost us dearly today. Ten of our most powerful guards, destroyed—because of you."

Davina's eyes narrowed, her temper flaring. "I dare you to do it . " she spat, her voice rising. " but you think you are right , manipulation people of your race just according to your please , killing people under the mask of them being evil - who are you to decide whether they are evil or not ?"

The female voice spoke again, dripping with false pity. "You still don't understand, do you? You're not just a nuisance—you're a mistake that should have never existed. We cannot allow hybrids like you to thrive in our world. You're a threat to everything we've built, a stain on the order we've maintained for centuries."

Another figure cut in, his tone more menacing than the others. "We maintain balance, Davina. There's a structure, a hierarchy, and every supernatural being has their place within it. Your kind—half-demons, half-something else—threatens that balance. You cannot be allowed to live."

Davina's anger boiled over. "Balance?" she shouted, her voice echoing in the vast chamber. "You call this balance? Torturing innocents? Playing with people's lives like toys? Alexander, Victoria—what have they ever done to deserve this? Are they mistakes too?"

Her words cut through the air, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, all four voices spoke as one, cold and commanding.

"You dare question us? You—a mere hybrid—question the gods who have ruled since before you were even a thought in this world?" The fog finally began to clear, revealing the figures before her.

Four figures sat upon towering thrones, each one impossibly regal, their features sharp and cruel. The woman who had first spoken looked ancient and young all at once, her silver hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep, stormy gray, filled with malice. Beside her sat the male figure, his skin as pale as the marble walls surrounding them, his sharp jawline and hollow cheeks giving him a skeletal appearance. His eyes glowed a sinister gold, watching Davina with a predatory gaze.

The third figure, the young voice, was a man with a youthful face but an ageless presence. His hair was dark and his features almost too perfect, like a statue carved by a master sculptor. His lips curved into a mocking smile as he gazed down at Davina.

The fourth and final figure was the most imposing—a tall, broad man with a long beard of jet black and eyes as dark as coal. His throne, larger than the others, gleamed with dark energy, pulsing faintly with every breath he took.

The chamber was pure white—marble walls, floor, and ceiling, no windows, no doors. It was as if the room itself existed outside of reality, in some twisted dimension ruled by these beings.

The silver-haired woman leaned forward slightly, her eyes piercing into Davina's. "Hybrids cannot exist in our world. Your very existence is an abomination. Power should be equally divided among the races—demons, wolves, vampires, humans. There is a proper structure, a natural order, and you... You are a threat to that order."

Davina stood her ground, glaring at them defiantly. "And what about you?" she shot back, her voice laced with venom. "Where's the order in the way you abuse your power? Who keeps you in check? You speak of balance, but all you do is manipulate and control everything around you for your own gain."

The gods' eyes flashed with anger. The coal-eyed man, who had remained silent until now, stood up from his throne, his deep voice booming through the chamber. "Enough!" he roared. "You dare question us? You, who are nothing more than a mistake?"

Davina smirked, her fear giving way to fury. "Maybe you're afraid," she taunted, her eyes locking with his. "Afraid of what someone like me could become. Afraid that your power isn't as absolute as you pretend it to be."

The gods' fury erupted. All four of them stood in unison, their expressions dark with rage. Their voices echoed through the chamber, blending together in a chilling harmony. "Kneel," they commanded as one.

Davina's body shook violently as the weight of their combined power pressed down on her. Her knees buckled, and she gritted her teeth, fighting against the overwhelming force. But despite her resistance, she was forced down, her legs giving way beneath her until she was kneeling before them.

The coal-eyed god sneered down at her, summoning 20 ethereal blades that floated ominously around her. "We no longer have time for your insolence," he said coldly. "Your punishment is decided."

The blades hovered closer, and the silver-haired woman's voice rang out with eerie calm. "You will be cut 360 times, once for each of the sins your kind has committed against us. You will bleed until your body can no longer stand."

Davina's heart raced, but she lifted her head defiantly. "Do your worst," she spat. "But know this—you will fall. Maybe not today, maybe not by my hand, but someone will bring you down."

The coal-eyed god smiled cruelly. "We'll see, little Demon," he whispered, as the blades circled closer and closer to her, ready to make the first cut.