How I Married KING Of HELL

Embrace of Darkness

Chapter 42

The air around Emily grew colder as she stepped out of the healing tent, her heart heavy despite the warmth of her reunion with Aelios. The victory they had won felt hollow, as though something darker loomed just beyond the flickering fires of the camp. Cassius, ever-watchful, sensed it too. His sharp gaze followed her movements, a silent protector standing at the ready.

"Emily," Cassius called softly as she paused just outside the tent. "What is it? You seem... distant."

Emily took a deep breath, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn't yet voice. There was a pull—a dark, unrelenting force—that she had felt since the end of the battle. She had tried to ignore it, to focus on the here and now, on Aelios's safety, but it was impossible to push away. Something was coming. Something... someone.

"I don't know," she finally said, her voice shaky. "But something's not right. I feel like... like I'm being watched."

Cassius frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword. "Watched? By who? The enemies were driven back; they wouldn't dare return now."

"It's not them," Emily whispered, her voice almost lost to the wind. "It's something else. Something darker."

Before Cassius could respond, the ground beneath them seemed to shift, as though the very earth was trembling in anticipation of an approaching storm. A sudden gust of wind whipped through the camp, extinguishing several fires and sending a wave of unease through the gathered warriors.

Emily's heart pounded in her chest as she turned, her eyes scanning the horizon. She could feel it now—an undeniable presence, closing in on her. It was as if the shadows themselves were alive, stretching toward her with invisible hands.

And then, out of the darkness, a figure appeared.

Tall, cloaked in black, and radiating an aura of ancient power, the figure stepped into the dim light. His eyes glowed like embers, burning with a dangerous, otherworldly intensity. He was not of this world—Emily knew that the moment she laid eyes on him. This was no mortal man.

This was the King of Hell.

"Emily," he spoke, his voice deep and resonant, echoing through the air as though it came from the very depths of the underworld. "We finally meet."

Cassius immediately drew his sword, stepping protectively in front of Emily, but the dark king merely chuckled, his amusement almost condescending. "Do you really think that blade can stop me?" he asked, his voice laced with a cruel edge.

Emily's pulse quickened. She knew who this was. She had heard the whispers, the stories—tales of a powerful being who ruled over the damned, one whose influence had touched the mortal realm more times than anyone cared to admit. But why was he here? What could he possibly want with her?

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steadier than she felt.

The King of Hell took another step forward, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "You know who I am," he replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "And you know why I'm here. You've been feeling it, haven't you? The pull, the connection between us."

Emily's blood ran cold. The pull—of course. The darkness that had been creeping into her mind, the sense of being drawn toward something unknown. It wasn't just fear. It was something much deeper. Something that had been set in motion long ago, before the battles, before the war.

Before she had even met Cassius.

Her breath hitched. "Why me?"

"Because," the king said, his tone softening slightly, "you are meant to stand beside me. You are bound to me, Emily. Our fates are intertwined. You belong to the darkness as much as you belong to the light."

Cassius moved to strike, but with a flick of his wrist, the dark king sent him flying backwards, crashing into the ground with a force that knocked the wind from his lungs.

"Stop!" Emily cried, rushing to Cassius's side. But before she could even reach him, the king spoke again.

"Do not fear for him. He will live. But he cannot protect you from your destiny."

Emily's mind raced. Was this her destiny? To be tied to the ruler of Hell itself? It felt impossible—wrong—but the more she stood in his presence, the more she realized how much his words resonated with her, like a half-forgotten memory resurfacing.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The king extended his hand toward her, his expression one of certainty. "I want you to take your rightful place as my queen. Together, we will rule not just the underworld, but the realms of the living as well. You and I—bound by fire and shadow."

Emily froze, her heart hammering in her chest. The idea was terrifying, but there was something alluring about it too. A power she had never imagined was within reach. Could she really refuse?

But what about Aelios? What about her son, her family? Could she truly step into the darkness and leave them behind?

"No," she said, shaking her head, though her voice lacked conviction. "I won't."

The King of Hell's eyes darkened, the air around them seeming to grow colder still. "You cannot resist me forever, Emily. The bond between us is strong. You've already felt it. The longer you deny it, the more it will consume you."

Emily's knees trembled, her mind a whirlwind of fear, anger, and doubt. She didn't know how to fight this. But she also knew she couldn't give in—not yet. Not while Aelios still needed her.

"I'll never join you," she whispered, though the words felt like a lie, even to her own ears.

The King of Hell smiled—a slow, knowing smile. "We shall see."

With that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Emily standing alone in the cold, the weight of his words hanging heavily over her.

Cassius staggered to his feet, grimacing in pain. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.

Emily didn't answer. She stared into the distance, her heart pounding, knowing that her life had just been irrevocably changed.

The darkness had come for her—and it wasn't leaving anytime soon.