The last person Hades ever expected to turn against him… was her.
Not just his fiancée. Not just the girl he had trusted with his heart and future.
She was his best friend. His constant. The one person who knew him better than anyone.
But there she stood, in front of everyone.
Clear-eyed. Steady. And saying something that shattered him from the inside.
"While Hades was still recovering, I visited his room. I saw a parchment tossed in the corner. When I opened it... it was a warning letter."
She didn't look at him once.
Ross smiled that same smug, cold smile. "A wise move, student. Well done." He nodded, sending her back into the crowd like she hadn't just stabbed a blade into someone's soul.
And still, Hades didn't take his eyes off her—not for a second.
She walked away with her back turned, never glancing back. Not once.
Was she lying?
Was this a trap?
Why didn't she give him the parchment?
Did she think he was some fool who would've ignored it?
Did she not trust him at all?
Was one failed mission really enough for Kayla to give up on him?
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"What's so funny, student?" Ross asked, voice soaked in mockery. "Have you accepted your guilt and chosen punishment?"
Hades turned his eyes to the man—and this time, there was no hint of warmth left in them.
"I'm just amazed," he said, voice low, calm, dangerous. "How quickly people change. One mistake... and suddenly I'm the villain."
He let his gaze sweep across the crowd.
The very same people who had once lifted him up—called him a hero—were now whispering behind their hands like he'd led them all to ruin.
And then his eyes found her again.
"The one person I thought would stand with me… turned out to be just another blade in the back."
His voice broke near the end. Not from weakness—but rage.
The floor beneath him trembled faintly. His control over his magic was slipping.
The cathedral went silent.
Even the Pope looked away.
But Ross didn't stop. "People saw the truth. There's evidence. That parchment warned you. You ignored it. Just for the chance at a license. Just for glory—"
"I am prepared to undergo the Blood Trials."
His voice hit like thunder—sharp, unshakable, final.
No one dared breathe.
Only his words echoed in the silence, like a vow carved in stone.
The Blood Trials — the ultimate judgment. A ritual older than kingdoms.
Where truth isn't decided by words, but by will.
Two people enter—each bearing their truth. Only one walks out alive.
No appeals. No mercy.
Hades stood tall, eyes locked on the man who had thrown him into the fire.
"If you're so certain I'm guilty," he said, voice low and cutting, "I trust you'll stand on the other side of the ritual and prove it."
The words hit Ross like a slap.
He clenched his jaw, breath held tight behind his teeth.
For a brief second, the proud minister looked like he might explode—then the Headmaster stepped forward.
"Do you see now, Your Holiness?" he asked, voice calm but firm. "Someone clearly wants Hades gone. He wouldn't offer the Blood Trials if he had even a shred of doubt. Yet Minister Ross… seems to lack faith in his so-called evidence."
Ross shot him a sharp glare, but the Headmaster didn't flinch. Unbothered. Unmoved.
The Pope's voice rose next, calm and slow like ancient stone moving, "Unless someone is willing to face Hades in the Trials, this will not be treated as an act of negligence—but an attempt to frame a student."
The cathedral stirred.
Whispers rose. Eyes darted between Hades and Ross.
Ross's hands curled into fists, knuckles white as bone. His tongue nearly clicked, but he caught himself. Just in time.
With effort, he smoothed his face and forced out the words:
"So be it… Your Holiness. If there's doubt about the parchment or his intent, then I will not press anyone to die for unclear evidence."
He turned slightly, but not before sending a final glare toward Hades.
"Now, returning to the matter at hand—" Ross's voice rang sharply through the cathedral. "We conclude that despite being warned by Cedric, Hades still chose to enter the cave. That choice ended in tragedy. A mother lost her child… and the world lost one of its finest warriors."
A heavy silence followed.
Hades said nothing.
His lips parted, but no words came.
His thoughts drifted to Graham's family—the mother who had held her son's hand for the last time, never knowing it would be.
The weight of it crashed down on him.
Not the judgment.
Not the whispers.
But that guilt.
It was heavier than any blade he had ever lifted.
Turning to the Pope, Ross continued, "For his reckless actions. For disobeying protocol. For sacrificing a teammate and endangering others—I ask Your Holiness to sentence Hades to prison. That is all I demand."
The Headmaster's frown deepened. "Prison? For one death?"
He stepped forward. His tone was calm, yet commanding.
"I remind you if not for Hades, the rest of that squad would've died. And even if their regular healer had been present, she wouldn't have saved them. Only Hades could've done what he did."
Ross snorted under his breath but said nothing more.
Now, all eyes turned to the Pope.
His word would be final.
The incident had happened within the walls of the academy, under its authority. So, by law, judgment rested between two pillars—the Headmaster and the Pope.
The Pope couldn't ignore the Headmaster's stance. But he couldn't ignore the violation of the rules either.
His voice, when it came, was firm and ancient.
"For disobeying protocol and ignoring a teammate's warning…"
He paused the words weighing heavy in the air.
"…Hades will face Salt Baptism."
Gasps broke out across the cathedral.
Even Kayla—who had stood frozen this entire time—visibly flinched. Her eyes widened, lips parting in shock.
Salt Baptism was no ordinary punishment.
It was a military-grade judgment reserved for the severe offenses—one not even applied to most students.
It meant full immersion in saline, with open wounds. No sedation. No mercy. The pain was unrelenting.
So severe… that many chose to die rather than endure it to the end.
However, Hades remained completely unmoving.
After what happened...he might actually deserve this punishment.
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- This will get better, don't worry. Add the book to your collection. Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.