Chapter 2 Secret

The court was empty. Huo had asked the ministers to not come to the court for the next two days, asking them to research about the demon guards in the border who were lacking at work and letting the rebels invade often. The hall was too large and empty that situated in the middle of the Castle, stone wall with flags of the demon realm hung and treasures won in the various wars. The tables were arranged neatly for the visitors. Everything in the castle was in order. The entrance to the hell were sealed for strangers to not look into. Things were peaceful while living the oblivious life.

Huo sat on his throne and asked his maids to bring him drinks. He was thirsty and exhausted, yet to recover from internal injuries even after years. He was being healed by some best doctors of the Demon Clan, but nobody had any idea about what happened to his meridians. And Volca constantly helped him adjust to the new lifestyle staying beside him every hour of the day.

"Who was that girl?" he asked thinking about the girl who tripped on top of him, on his way back to the castle. He didn't know why, but it kept coming into his mind ever since he bumped into her.

"I don't know, she must be a new comer, standing in our entrance, unaware," Volca said to her king. "Who with a sound mind would do that, coming towards our border?" Volca smirked as she talked to him. And then wondered about that strange girl.

"Forget it," He said and disappeared.

Volca looked confused and went back to the castle. She rested in her room while her mother came looking for. She grew conscious the moment her mother was around her.

"She has returned," Fiona informed her daughter.

"Who?" Volca asked casually.

"Aqua, the water goddess is back," Volca got up from her bed.

"But we," But Volca was stopped by her mother.

"Hush, all the walls has ears, don't say anything, we can't afford to be heard, Huo'er shouldn't know," Fiona said, being cautious about the topic.

"The King is least bothered about any pleasures, forget a girl who has been dead for long," Volca said casually though her heart skipped a beat inside, growing tensed for no reason. "He came back from heaven after visiting the Emporer Tai regarding the border issues, he sorted it out quickly," Volca said proudly. "It really amazes me though, Tai isn't like how he used to be before,"

"I will take care of Aqua you don't worry," Fiona promised her daughter.

"I have got nothing to worry mother, Huo'er has forgotten everything, and am sure Aqua won't remember him either," Volca assured her mother confidently. "Things ended longer before, I don't think anybody here recall a single matter from the past," she said trying to convince herself.

Volca removed her clothes and walked towards her hot tub. The scars on her shoulder, she recalled that moment, that stab that flashed in her mind every day. Those scars slowly had begun to fade, everythomg from the previous war that killed her important people and costed half her cultivation just to remove the hindrance towards her only love, Demon King Huo.

Aqua died in his arms stabbed by his demonic sword that sent her fragments of soul to earth while Huo'er, badly wounded himself and all his cultivation by Aqua's unique water crystals hurting the veins and internal organs.

Volca had yet to know why they had done that to each other. She still had a lot of information to catch up with. But there were none who knew the secrets of Aqua's Crystals except the two, her shifu and King Aenon who by the way are still in rage, enough to kill her.

It is still a wonder how the most powerful gods died too quickly admist of their tremendous care, protection charms and weapon that supported them.

Volca immersed herself in the water as the contours of her body touched the hottub, and closed her eyes. Things took her back to the old days and she couldn't help it. She forgot her old self and how kind she used to be. She understood why demons were always considered a danger and kept away, unable to handle emotions well but take action based on greed and anger.

Volca recalled her old self. The days she used to be one of the best students in the school along with her best friends, walking around wearing the red robes. The days she wanted to suck up to the heavenly gods and goddesses from heaven to rebel against discrimination. But when she found out about Huo'er's real identity and him.taking the throne from her mother , she changed her mind and she hated everyone who had connection with the then Prince Huo. And that included her best friend Aqua.

She couldn't value her friendship at that moment. She only cared about her own true feelings, and not the mutual. Her real demonic emotions flew out uncontrollably and she realised she should be herself, embrace it and live accordingly. But she had to pay a huge prize for it. Friends, family and buried herself she aspired to become. And she did the deeds nobody would dare to along side her mother serving the King.

Volca got up from the hot tub, water dripping from every corners of the body. She tried to stop thinking about the old days. She reached for the towel and wrapped herself, settling down in front of the mirror.

She opened the jewellery box she has been keeping beside her bedside table, the ring that belonged to Aqua. As expected, it really was shining bright, probably the owner has returned. She closed them and lay back in her bed. She still couldn't keep the thoughts away. She felt anxious. She placed her hands on her shoulders and shut her eyes tight, breathing in and out, heavily.

"I did not intend to do that," she kept whispering. "I did not," she curled up in the coat and stayed in her chamber for a long time.