With no tears left to cry, I went back to our shared bedroom.

Five days left.

I started systematically erasing every trace of myself from his space.

My teacups, the laurel flowers I grew by hand, the stacks of poetry I wrote declaring my love for him—I smashed them to pieces or threw them straight into the fireplace.

As the flames devoured the paper, whatever love I had left for him turned to ash, too.

The next morning, a temple servant delivered the "new dress" Apollo had picked out.

I opened the box and looked at the plain, poorly stitched white gown. The sizing wasn't even right. I let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh.

It was lightyears away from the gorgeous gown I had designed. It looked like a basic servant's shift. The gold threading at the hem was even unraveling.

This was his "better dress."

Without a word, I picked it up by the shoulders, walked over to the brazier, and dropped it straight into the roaring fire.

The flames swallowed the fabric in seconds.

The servant blinked in shock but didn't dare say a word.

A little while later, Apollo walked in. He totally missed the charred remains of the dress in the fire. Wrapping his arms around me from behind, he kissed my hair. "Lyra, did you see the dress? Do you like it?"

"I saw it. I love it," I said, my voice entirely flat.

Apollo exhaled in relief, spinning me around to hold my hands. He looked at me with those earnest, golden eyes. "About yesterday... don't hold it against her. Cassie is young and naive. I already scolded her. You're not mad, right?"

"I don't mind," I replied smoothly.

Seeing how calm I was, a flicker of guilt actually crossed his face. He stroked my hair, murmuring, "You're so understanding, Lyra. Listen, I have some urgent godly duties to attend to for the next few days, so I won't be around much. But after the ceremony, I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll take you anywhere you want to go, okay?"

Urgent duties?

I knew damn well his "duties" involved sneaking into Cassandra’s bed, plotting how to strip my powers on our wedding day.

But I kept my mask on. "Okay. Go do what you need to do."

After he left, I took a trip to my mortal home.

It was the house I grew up in for twenty years. Yet my bedroom was smaller than Cassandra’s closet. It was damp, dark, and in the winters, I’d shiver myself to sleep.

My parents had always turned a blind eye.

I walked into that tiny room and started clearing it out. Old clothes, cheap toys they’d bought out of obligation—I packed it all in trash bags.

By the time I finished, the only thing left on the desk was a thick journal. It documented years of my desperate longing for their love, and the crushing heartbreak of being constantly cast aside.

I left it right in the middle of the desk. My parting gift.

As I hauled the bags out to the courtyard to throw them away, my mother walked out.

I didn't smile or greet her like I normally would. I just brushed past her.

Seeing the bags, she didn't offer a shred of motherly concern. Instead, her face twisted in disgust. "Lyra, what is wrong with you? Don't think just because you're marrying a god you can throw your weight around in this house! And don't even think about bullying Cassandra once you're his consort! She's our real daughter, you're just a charity case. Learn some gratitude!"

"Besides, with your personality, Lord Apollo is going to get sick of you eventually. If you ask me, you should just step aside and let Cassandra marry him!"

Hearing that, the last puzzle piece clicked into place.

She and my father already knew about Cassandra's plan. They were helping her keep me in the dark.

Gratitude? For what? Stealing my identity, or using me as a stepping stone for their golden child?

I took one last look at this bitter woman who had never shown me an ounce of warmth.

I didn't argue. I just said, "Goodbye."

Leaving the bags by the courtyard gates, I walked away from the estate.

With the sun on my face, I felt lighter than I had in years. The toxic shackles of my "family" were finally left in the dirt.

When I returned to the Temple of Light, a servant handed me a letter.

From Cassandra, of course.

Even through the ink, I could practically hear her gloating.

“Sister, did you know Lord Apollo blessed me with the Gift of Eternal Youth? He risked being punished by the Pantheon just for me. He said he’d never let me have less than you. Are you jealous?”

Maybe because I'd already seen the depths of his favoritism, my heart didn't even ache this time.

I walked over to the vanity and looked at the laurel crown I was supposed to wear for the ceremony.

It used to be my greatest pride. Now, it was just a gilded cage.

I dropped it into a box and pinned a note to it: [Since you love everything of mine so much, you can have the crown, too. May your love never wither.]

For the next few days, Apollo remained a ghost, busy playing house with Cassandra. He just had servants drop off gifts and letters at my door.

I stared at the mountain of presents, feeling absolutely nothing. I knew they were just leftovers Cassandra didn't want, tossed my way out of convenience.

"Throw it all out," I ordered the servants.

As for the letters filled with his pretty lies? I tossed them straight into the fire without breaking the seals.

Two days before the wedding, Apollo finally showed up.

He took my hand, his voice dripping with affection. "Lyra, I'm so sorry. I've been drowning in work. But today, I'm taking you to the Soul Cleansing. It's the final step before you become my consort."

The Soul Cleansing required submerging my mortal body into three sacred pools representing Greed, Wrath, and Ignorance.

It was agonizing. Like having your soul ripped apart and stitched back together. Without a god channeling their magic to protect you, a mortal would likely go mad from the pain.

"Don't be scared, Lyra," Apollo cupped my cheek. "I'll be right beside you. I'll wrap you in my magic so you won't feel the worst of it. Trust me, okay?"

I stayed quiet, then nodded.

I knew I was never going to be his wife, but the cleansing would make me stronger, closer to the divine. There was no reason to say no.

We arrived at the sanctuary pools. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the first water—Greed.

Instantly, a bone-crushing cold spiked through my skull. Apollo immediately reached out, and a warm, golden barrier wrapped around me, siphoning away most of the agony.

But just as I stepped into the second pool—Wrath—where the pain doubled, Apollo’s face suddenly drained of color.

"Cassandra? What's wrong?" he blurted out to thin air.

Panic seized his features. He hurriedly turned to me. "Lyra, Cassandra is calling for help! She's hurt, I have to go to her!"

"Just wait for me here, okay?!"

Before I could even agree, he ripped his protective magic away from me and vanished.

Leaving me to drown in the excruciating pain.

Watching the space where he just stood, I felt nothing but a hollow chill.

"Go. I don't need you anymore," I whispered. My voice was so fragile a breeze could have shattered it.

But Apollo was already gone.

I didn't wait for him to come back. Clenching my jaw, I stepped directly into the final pool: Ignorance.

Without his divine shield, the water turned into invisible razor blades, violently flaying my soul.

It was absolute torture. I bit down on my lip until I tasted copper, refusing to let out a single scream.

Just endure it, Lyra. After today, it's all over.

When the final trace of mortal impurity was burned away, my body finally gave out. The world went black.

When I woke up, I was back in my bedroom at the temple.

A servant helped me sit up and handed me a letter.

Cassandra again. “So sorry, Sister. I just got a tiny scrape, and Lord Apollo was so frantic he dropped you completely. Guess you're not that important after all. Anyway, happy wedding day tomorrow.”

Maybe the near-death pain of the pools had burned away my capacity to care, because I felt absolutely nothing.

The servant nervously watched my deadpan face and hesitated. "Lord Apollo also left a message... He said Lady Cassandra is gravely injured and needs him. He might not make it back tonight. But he swore he will give you the grandest wedding tomorrow. He wants you to rest."

The night before our wedding, my fiancé was sleeping by another woman’s bed.

It was almost comical. But I couldn't even be bothered to call him on his bullshit. I just wanted to get the hell out of here.

Dawn broke.

I changed into a simple traveling cloak. I handed the memory stone and the boxed laurel crown to the servant.

"When the ceremony starts today, hand these directly to Apollo and Cassandra."

"Yes, My Lady," the servant bowed and scurried off.

I walked out to the grand ceremonial venue I had designed myself. Staring at the sea of golden laurel flowers, I gave my final order to the head attendant.

"Tear all the laurels down. Replace them with white roses."

"But My Lady, laurels are your favorite—"

"Tear them down." I didn't offer an explanation.

By now, some of the early-arriving gods were mingling. Spotting me, they walked over with warm smiles.

"Lyra, congratulations. You're finally binding your soul to Apollo."

"You look beautiful today. Wishing you an eternity of happiness."

Looking at their genuine smiles, I gave a small, polite smile back. "Thank you. But I'm not the one who needs your blessings today."

Leaving the gods thoroughly confused, I didn't waste another second and walked away.

One hour before the ceremony. I stood in the most secluded corner of the temple grounds.

Suddenly, a massive rift tore through the fabric of the air, leaking shadows and the heavy, intoxicating scent of the Underworld.

Hades stepped out, clad in robes of midnight, his sharp features unreadable.

Those abyssal eyes locked onto mine. His voice was a low rumble. "Are you ready, Lyra? Have you severed your ties?"

I looked up at him, zero hesitation in my veins, and placed my hand firmly in his cold palm.

"I'm ready. Take me away, Lord Hades."

His fingers curled tightly around mine. The freezing touch of his skin brought me a sense of peace I hadn't felt in years.

He pulled me into the shadows.

Before the rift closed, I threw one last glance over my shoulder at the Temple of Light.

I knew I was never coming back. Not in this lifetime, not in the next.