A/N:

This work must be the first original piece I've written on my own time since completing my full Creative Writing Programs, but the idea has been something I dreamt of doing for a long time. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you see how I have improved.

Warnings: This work will hold scenes of abuse of a minor and elements of a sexual relationship later. It might turn mature. Readers are advised.

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Prologue—

-.-.-.-

Someone once said that twin flames are two souls who intertwined long ago. Of course, sometimes it takes time, sometimes it takes a parallel universe or something, but the thing about twin flames? The thing about them is that nothing can keep them apart. They are a form of magic unto themselves. And they light the way for all of us.

And this tale details two of those souls.

Time and space mean nothing when it comes to these unique souls, thousands of lives, and meetings—and there is still evidence of their love all around us if we look:

Sometimes, the wind whispers rumors of a long-faded love. Nature holds secrets of the bloody past surrounding this legend. The sky mirrors the hopes of one bold warrior king, so bright and colorful that you could forget the true tragedy of the original story.

At night, the stars have their roles. As the humans wish upon them, a forgotten queen would listen to their pleas—a kind soul trapped into a role she loathed. As punishment for betraying her father's wishes, she cares for selfish souls without getting her most desired wish.

And the faded, long-forgotten, heartless King? He sits on a cold, bejeweled throne, brooding and domineering—without his heart. Cruel and uncaring, the King forgot a meaningful bond, but he holds the vow deep in his frozen heart. He holds out hope his goddess will come home.

Both trapped in an endless cycle, forever meeting and saying farewell in the most terrible ways. But, their love burns bright throughout all timelines.

Do you think you know the tragic story of the King of the Underworld? Do you believe the rumors are all true?

Think again.

-.-.-

1

-.-.-

A little girl's cries echoed throughout her room; her hands were trying to protect her head as her father growled deeply, kicking her harder as time grew. The pain increased with every blow:

"You're disgusting!" The father shouted at her when she tried to plea for mercy, only to face another blow, and then he moved on to more sadistic actions.

"Just say something, you freak!"

The little girl whimpered, cried, and pleaded in noise, unable to form words. She wanted to give the man anything, but her voice only came out as pathetic sounds; her ears only rang in pain. This response only angered the man more, causing the beating to worsen—spanning over two hours.

Finally, the agony stopped when the clock sounded at eight 'o'clock, but not for long. The girl had to prepare for the other hell in her life, school. Her father growled the order at her before exiting the small room, leaving his daughter to cry as she cleaned herself before she walked out of the house.

The petite beauty sniffled with each step.

-.-.-.-

"Sunflower! You have table three, hun!"

Sunflower shook her head, turning as Gloria pointed to a table by the big window. She sighed, slapping her cheeks, before putting on a smile—no more time to indulge the ghosts of the past, time to focus on work. But, as she looked over the busy restaurant, she frowned.

The past never faded for long.

She strode to the table, not bothering to look up at the waiting customer while fidgeting with her hearing aid.

She had to ensure they were on before greeting the guest. There were many embarrassing moments in the first half of her job at Gloria's; she was surprised the older woman kept her around. But, Gloria just scuffed with a wave of her hand:

"Oh, please, honey, if I fired you for being human and making mistakes—we would all be out of work!"

Sunflower had to chuckle, but soon—tears appeared. The young beauty giggled at the memory, Sunflower tearing up at a mere kind word.

But, she smiled as she prepared to greet the surprising patient customer; finally, Gloria gave Sunflower more than just a job. She gave the twenty-year-old a home and gentle guidance when she needed a hand.

She gave her acceptance.

"Miss?"

She quickly snapped her eyes, blushing when she saw the man smiling gently. Sunflower almost fell over as she bowed to him, cursing her spaciness in her head.

You can't do anything right!

Not now!

"Miss, are you alright?" Again, that smooth voice met her ears, almost making her thankful for the aids—no matter how uncomfortable they were.

Closing her eyes as she rose, Sunflower cleared her throat, gathering herself for a moment before smiling brightly.

"I apologize, sir. I space out a lot. I'm Sunflower, and I'll be taking care of you today. Do you mind if I read your lips? I'm hard of hearing." She required, finally opening her eyes. The sight stole her breath as her eyes widened.

Hades, this man, was gorgeous.

His icy eyes sparkled with amusement as he smiled at Sunflower like she was his most precious treasure, softening his face into a gentle mask—an expression she suspected the man didn't wear very often.

He had sharp features, a face that rarely smiled, or even never. His cheekbones looked like they could cut through anything; they were so strong and high. And his eyes, so warm at that moment, held such darkness anyone would fear him with a single cold glare. His body didn't help either; muscles hugged by the tailored suit as he sat like a ruthless king.

He would tower over anyone as tall as 6'1, making them feel like they were just bugs under his feet. Sunflower could feel the power rolling off him.

But it would be the most beautiful smile anyone could ever see when he would smile. And he was smiling at a stranger.

At her. Why?

"That'd be fine, Miss. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

She blinked before blushing and quickly pulling out the pad. Not again. She spaced out again! What was her problem?

"R-r-r-right, um, what can I get you, sir?" In answer, the man laughed heartily, covering his face for a moment before he peeked through his fingers.

The man smiled before leaning forward with a slight wink. Sunflower blinked with a frown, straightening as she snapped her gaze to the man's lips—trying not to stare at how full they were:

Since when did she care about a mere man?

"Call me Hades, Miss. There's no need for formalities. And I'll trust you to wow me. I'm sure you know what's good here, yes?"

Sunflower barely caught the pen before it fell to the ground, a gasp escaping her mouth.

She had heard rumors about the CEO of Magicology and how unforgiving he could be. No one knew his actual name, but soon, he bore the name of the Undead King for his ruthless business dealings. And if one said one bad thing about the company or its employees, your days in the business world wouldn't last long. He would see personally that you never work in that world again.

"Unkindness is unacceptable in a leader, and I will take down anyone that harbors cruelty in their hearts." He said in an interview once.

And, though he housed cruelty in his soul, Hades always had kind words for whoever worked under him. And even Magicology was built around helping people with disabilities live their lives to the best they could.

Hades might have a cold appearance, but the whisperings held many words of admiring of the CEO King. All his products use the magic of the world of Sawa and bond it with technology most would never have thought of, making it easier for anyone to use them to further the quality of their lives—no matter what condition they had.

It was true that many products were costly at times, but Hades always ensured access to any device a client would need, poor or rich. He would even meet with their insurance providers if the company failed to get the client whatever product they required.

Sunflower always admired him for his kindness, even though he did intimidate her whenever she listened to interviews. She never thought she would be here, serving the most famous technology creator in Sawa. But she was.

She gulped but kept smiling as she bowed to the beautiful businessman—trying to bury her nerves deep in her heart.

"Then I'll get you Luve's famous pancakes. I'll be right back to get your drink order, sir."

Hades chuckled, tucking a semi-cool finger under Sunflower's chin to lift her gaze back to his. She couldn't tear her gaze away as he tucked a runaway strand of rosy gold behind her ear, leaning back in his seat.

"Don't bow, love. You are more worthy of being bowed to than I am." At that, Sunflower's blush grew, the heat burning down her neck.

"Me? But I…"

Hades smiled before turning to the window; his body rigged again. Thinking back, Sunflower remembered he only relaxed when she approached the table. She even overheard the other staff whispering about this mysterious man not looking up from the window—not talking to anyone, just staring out the window as if he were waiting for someone special. He seemed so cold, distant that even in a busy restaurant:

Hades tuned out all the world, unable to connect. Until Sunflower, that is.

But why would a man like this want to talk to her? What made her so special?

She stared at the man long before sighing, smoothing her uniform. She looked at him again, walking away with her mind in a scramble. This encounter was the only time in her life that a male wanted to talk solely to her.

She blushed when she noticed the other wait staff hanging over the kitchen window, some staring in awe and others in envy.

Did they find out who the man was before she could? If they did, Sunflower became the enemy. Like the other times in her life, she was considered a monster—a thief who willingly stole everything they deserved in their minds.

Sunflower shook her head, sighing as she placed the order. She tried to ignore the hateful stares from the other servers, but their heated glares made her skin crawl. Almost repeating the hatred she faced in her childhood, she closed her eyes as she fought a scowl.

She felt a touch on her slender shoulder, snapping her eyes and turning her head to see Gloria's kindly face smiling softly:

"Pay them no mind, darling. They're just jealous that I gave you the big fish, and he's such a handsome man."

She giggled at Gloria's statement, walked to the counter, and leaned over to look at the cold man with his hand on his chin.

But the question remained—why did Hades find Sunflower so interesting?

She played with the strand he had touched; her blush grew as she remembered how his fingers brushed her cheek—soft, caring, distracted, and distant. As if he wanted to say more to her, but he just smiled.

Sunflower sighed again as she pushed off the counter, her eyes trained on Hades.

"Yeah, but why did he choose me?" Sunflower whispered in wonder, moving to return to the table.

-.-.-

Sunflower walked into her modest apartment, flipping onto the cheap couch with a deep sigh. She had no luck today.

After Hades left with a soft smile and a promise of return, the fellow waiting staff hounded her for any information she found from the two brief conversations they had, but he only talked about her—asked about her life, her likes, and dislikes. Something Sunflower was unprepared to face.

After all, all she deserved in this life was cruelty.

She didn't know how things work in other countries of Sawa, but here in Zara—if one child was born with a disability, it could've been a sign of the god Hades claiming their soul.

To others outside of the Zarain culture, this was considered an honor, a sign that they could become one of his legendary warriors one day—that they were the strongest beings in the world.

But, as it goes, Sunflower's luck was horrible from the very beginning. In Zarain culture, which was the most cursed thing to happen to a family. If the child had a disability, the whole family had brought dishonor upon the entire town—no matter how minor the disability would be later in life.

And when Sunflower came into the world half deaf—her parents' excitement slowly turned into a burning hatred. Thankfully, even though she couldn't speak when she was three, they needed to allow her to attend school—her only escape. There, she became the top student and fell into dancing.

But, friends or bonds? She could never make any connections until she left her past far behind her. Everyone in Zara Sunflower hated her with such a passion that every other female in the school tortured her daily. Even teachers, although kind to her, ignored her when not helping or teaching her.

She had no one to turn to from the darkness. She only had school and her books.

So, even though Sunflower knew better now, she was surprised this famous technology CEO wanted to talk to her and step into her world. A world that barely started, her having moved into a new state to leave the triggering memories, making Sunflower a blank form.

So, when Hades warmed to her in an instant—it turned her peaceful beginning into a confusing mess with one single encounter.

Sunflower sighed deeply, pushing into a sitting position as she looked at her bookshelf.

Maybe reading would help her unwind before focusing on preparing for the next day—let her fall into a new world and forget about the drama for a moment.

Yeah, maybe, she should.

Soon, a stuffed animal cuddled into the nook of her elbow; she fell asleep reading a story between a god and a ghost—falling into a peaceful slumber. However, that peace didn't last long as a nightmarish memory faded into her mind.

-.-.-

You are a freak!

I am ashamed of you; why can't you be normal?

You can't do anything right!

No one wants to be your friend!

-.-.-

Harsh words. Hurtful. Playing in Sunflower's head like a bad song, always linking her to the painful past. Sunflower Xare didn't get love from her parents, only hatred—pure, hot hatred. And soon, it was impossible to believe anything else.

After all, nothing she did was good enough for them.

She got straight A's throughout her school career, but they wanted straight A-pluses. The punishment for that transgression, Sunflower would receive a ruthless beating. She painfully remembered how she missed nearly a month of school because of that specific beating and could barely move for two. Her injuries would worsen if she complained or asked for a little more time to heal.

"Stop whining! You've brought this onto yourself; you should've done better."

"You knew our expectations of you. No better than perfect is what you need to work for."

Sunflower lost count of how many times she heard such a cold statement. So harsh, she could feel the chill in each word that—eventually—she soon learned to keep her mouth shut and suffered in silence—knowing that she wouldn't get any pity from anyone, home or school. And Sunflower hoped if she stayed silent, her parents would warm up to her.

But that didn't happen. So instead, despite that false—naïve—hope, Sunflower would push through the pain and focus on her parents' demands, hoping that it would assist her in avoiding any further abuse.

Too bad that didn't work very well. Sunflower wouldn't avoid harm for long because Sunflower's grades weren't the only thing for which her parents punished her sins. One wrong move on her part and she would face the wrath of her parents:

For example, Sunflower danced beautifully for her mother; everyone thought she was great, but her mother wanted terrific. If Sunflower didn't get the lead role in a ballet or win first place in a contest—her mother would redraw any food from her for days as she made Sunflower practice until she became well-known for her dancing ability across Sawa. But they didn't stop there.

If Sunflower uttered a single whine or a plea for a small break, her 'loving' mother would call her father to encourage the tiny dancer to continue her practice. And unfortunately, this crime led to her receiving many scars from his ferocious belt against her back whenever she stopped.

But Sunflower was thankful for their endless cruelty for the first time in her life. Because due to her mother's thirst for perfection, one of the best performing arts colleges in Sawa sought her out, where any specie could attend. The school was famous for teaching its students to blend magic into their chosen media.

For once, Sunflower had an opportunity to further her education without being under her parents' thumb anymore. Sunflower wouldn't live in fear like in her childhood. For once, Sunflower regained her power and ran far away from her past.

When she turned eighteen, she removed any contact with harmful connections and moved to Luve. Her parents tried to intimidate her into staying, seeing she had no money, but she didn't care. Sunflower thought ahead of them and met with a local business owner for a job interview.

And she turned shocked when this kind elder opened her arms wide to her damaged soul, giving her warmth even when Sunflower was a perfect stranger. This encounter gave her even more courage to tell her parents that she wouldn't be coming home ever again.

She couldn't take the pitiless abuse any further. She had been the doting, good daughter for years, hoping they would love her. But soon, Sunflower realized her parents would always believe she was a demon. All because she was deaf, a freak, she couldn't be perfect in her parents' eyes no matter what she did.

Yes, Sunflower wasn't perfect, and she knew it. But she would no longer stay and be their punching bag. She wouldn't live as an enslaved person anymore.

-.-.-

Light poured into the living room's window as her eyes slowly opened, her body awakening to the world again. Groggily, Sunflower sat up, her bear falling off the couch as she looked around the room—her eyes landing on the clock hanging in the kitchen.

As she took in the time, Sunflower released a loud squeal before jumping up and scrambling around to prepare for the crucial events of the day. She vowed she wouldn't sleep too much before readying her necessities. But, of course, she didn't fulfill that vow, and now—she was late for class!

Why must she be so childish?

But, while she rushed to get ready, a shadow stood in the shade of a tree with a smile, smoke from a cigarette snaking around the body as they looked up into Sunflower's window:

"I found you, my heart."

The mysterious shadow raised their hand to the sky. The male tried to reach through the walls and feel Sunflowe's skin against theirs.

They knew that this situation needed care and time to end like they wanted to, but the shadow didn't care. The mysterious male had waited a thousand years, searched a million miles for her—a little more time wouldn't hurt.

Patience was key.