Chapter 196: Brotherly Sacrifice.
*~Hazel’s POV~*
I walked toward the fire, my heart hammering in my chest.
The moment Cyrius saw me, he shot to his feet and ran. He pulled me into a deep, trembling hug, holding me like I was air and he hadn’t breathed in centuries.
He kissed my forehead, his breath warm against my skin.
"What?" he whispered, stepping back, eyes wide. "How? What are you doing here? How are you here?"
Before I could respond, Caspian and Cayden rushed over, surrounding me. All three of them stared at me like I was a ghost.
"How did you get here?" Caspian asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It was a spell," I said. "Lilith cast it. She found the spell and performed it on me."
"Lilith?" Cayden echoed, stunned.
"Yes. She said this was where you were. I don’t know how she knew, but she said your bodies were dead—your souls stuck in the afterlife. I... I don’t understand the details, but she said you can be revived."
I turned in a slow circle, gesturing around the dreamlike wasteland. "This place—this isn’t the end. You don’t belong here. She sent me to bring you back."
I looked at them, my voice cracking. "Your mother and father are waiting. The pack is waiting. I am waiting. This time, they don’t want just one of their children. Or two. They want all three of you back. I want all three of you back."
The triplets turned to each other in silence. Caspian gave his brothers a nod before slowly stepping forward. He walked to me and gently wrapped his arms around me, resting his forehead against mine.
Then he kissed my cheek.
"We’re not going back."
My heart stopped.
"What?" I pulled away, blinking hard. "What do you mean you’re not going back?"
Caspian opened his mouth, but Cayden stepped in, placing a hand on my arm, gently signaling me to listen.
"What he means," Cayden said solemnly, "is... we’ve made a decision."
Caspian looked me dead in the eye. "Nature has demanded a sacrifice. Either it takes you and your babies... or it takes all supernatural creatures. That’s the price."
"No..." I whispered, shaking my head.
"But since we are Alpha Triplets," Caspian continued, "our bond is powerful enough to satisfy nature. It won’t take anyone else..if it takes us."
"No. No, you can’t be serious." My voice cracked, barely able to hold itself up. "You’re sacrificing yourselves... for me?"
"For you," Cayden said, stepping forward now. "For the babies. For the packs. For everyone."
Cyrius swallowed hard. "You don’t know how many times we’ve hurt you, Hazel. You don’t know how often you’ve cried for us. How many times we weren’t there to protect you?"
"You were there," I choked. "You are here. We can fix it. We can still fix all of this—together."
But Cayden shook his head. "We’re fixing it the only way we can now."
"You said I came here to bring you back!" I cried, trembling. "I cast the spell. I lay down with your bodies. I came here to bring you home!"
"You did bring us home," Caspian whispered, his hand brushing over my cheek. "You brought us back to each other."
Tears slid down my face. I reached for him, but his hand was already falling away.
"Don’t do this," I begged. "Please, don’t do this."
All three of them took my hands in theirs.
"We’re doing this for you," Cyrius said, voice steady now. "So Hazel... live for us."
No. No. Heck no."
I stepped back from them, trembling.
"I’m not leaving. Not for anyone. If you guys want to leave, then you’d better come back and leave on Earth—with me."
I pointed at them, my voice shaking with fury. "You have children. Twins. We promised we would raise them together. I promised to give them a life—a real life. With a father. With their uncles. A big, loud, happy family!"
I looked from one face to another, heart pounding. "And now you’re telling me that I have to go back to Earth... and raise our twins alone?"
My voice cracked. "No. I’d rather die than do that. If you’re going to end it here, then I’ll end it here with you."
They didn’t move. Not one of them. Just stood there, like statues. Not a flicker of hesitation, not even a blink.
The rage inside me boiled. "So that’s it?" I snapped. "You’re just going to stand there? You’re really going to let me go back and watch our children grow up without you?"
Cayden finally spoke, his voice low and calm. "If we come back... then you and your babies will be in danger."
"You’re not just fighting against Dahlia anymore, Hazel," Caspian added. "You’re fighting against nature. Nature doesn’t play fair. Nature can do—and undo. She doesn’t make threats. She makes examples."
"So let’s not waste this moment," Cyrius said gently. "Let’s make peace with it."
"No," I snapped. "No! I won’t ’make peace’ with losing you!"
My chest heaved as the reality crashed down on me.
"If what you’re saying is true... then if nature doesn’t take you now, she’ll take you later. She’ll take them later. My mother. Aurora. My pack. Everyone I love."
I turned slowly, as if seeing the whole world collapse behind me. "Even if I survive this... even if we win against Dahlia... nature will still wipe everything out. Every witch. Every Crescent. Every vampire. Every werewolf."
My voice cracked. "So it’s either I sacrifice you now... or lose all of them later."
The silence thickened. None of them said a word.
Then Caspian stepped forward, eyes shimmering.
"I’m sorry," he whispered.
I lifted my gaze to his. "This is how it’s meant to be."
I was still refusing to accept, What will I tell Aurora when I get back? I have already made a promise, I can’t break it now... if they are willing to give up now.
I’m not and I will never.