Valentine.

Lights Go Dim.

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One second his hands are in his pockets, the next they are clasped tightly around my throat. "Wait, please! What are you doing?" I cry, panicked. I try to put my hands in front of me. To push him away. To stop him, but it's no use- the signals I send to my limbs never even leave my brain.

Hades' eyes begin flashing between a dozen hues of ash and stone as black sparks travel their way along his arms, spreading onto me. His energy causes the objects in the room to flutter about in a turbulent mess. The ground trembles violently and whole bookcases crash violently to the ground. Even the chandeliers flicker as the candles blow out entirely.

"You wanted me to show you?" he grits coldly. "This is the monster your husband has made. Enjoy it, Lillith. Enjoy it" he spits bitterly as his voice echoes in a dozen broken streams.

Finally, his wild gaze all-out blanches and his hair begins to fizz with his own deathly, incessant bolts. Slowly his hand rises, his iron grip around my throat bringing me up to the mere tips of my toes as he continues to pull my trembling figure up.

A tornado of black sparks laced with sparse red bolts completely encompasses us in a whirlwind of powerful energy. Once the electricity traveling across his sleeves reaches my throat, the pain shoots straight to my brain- completely frying every nerve and synapse in my system. I can feel him reaching into them. I can feel him...altering them.

I cry out in agony as the pain intensifies and one by one, my memories flash before my eyes. My first steps. My coronation. My wedding. All now but a jumble of short clips flittering uncontrollably across my vision as my brain continues to cook.

I can feel his fingers now mercilessly digging into the skin on my neck and my feet have long left the floor. Still, my visions continue to parade before me. Every single core memory being zapped and electrified by his deadly bolts.

My eyes too now burn. Unable to shut them, yet unable to see in front of me, I feel as though I have gone blind. I am overcome by the pain, but I can do nothing but endure every second of it. I cannot even cry. Loud, uncontrollable screams escape from my lips, but they serve no purpose. When was it going to end?

"It ends...when you bring me my crown" he whispers coldly, the sound of his voice still reverberating in a demonic assembly between my ears.

After several torturous moments of this excruciating agony, my body gives up and goes completely limp. Not even Hades can command it awake. My eyes skew shut as an aching darkness consumes me. I can feel him trying to send more signals to my brain however, my corpse is still paralyzed; no energy left in any of my muscles to receive any more of his commands.

Almost as if I am...dead.