Hellbound Heart

"Thank you," Elle whispered, voice full of gratitude. 

Gav merely shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Don't mention it. But I really do have to admit, you're quite an impressive little thing."

But before she could even open her mouth to retort Gav's statement, Elle felt a shiver run down her spine as the air around Seb blazed dangerously once again the moment he looked at Gav. 

Sebastian's body tensed up, his muscles coiling tightly like a spring at their full potential energy capacity. It was as if he had sensed the presence of someone he had never expected to see again, like a ghost from his unwelcome past had suddenly materialized right behind him.

But with so much forced willpower, he still turned around to look at the man standing behind him. 

For a moment, Sebastian stood frozen, staring at Zeke with a mixture of disbelief and suspicion. 

Elle could sense the tension that hung between the two brothers, the unspoken history that lay between them like a thick, heavy fog.

As Elle watched the scene unfold, her heart beat faster with every passing moment. She had seen the way Sebastian had attacked Zeke earlier, and it was clear that he had yet to recognize his own brother at the time. 

He spoke in a low, almost inaudible tone, saying only the word "Brother...?" to express his disbelief. 

Zeke stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Sebastian in a tight embrace. His eyes closed, perfectly shaped brows knitted with emotion. Sebastian, however, remained stiff upon contact, as though he had turned into a block of ice, his body rigid as he took in the sudden embrace. But then his body slowly relaxed into Zeke's embrace. It was clear to anyone watching that the two brothers had a deep bond that had endured through the many years of separation and turmoil. And that was already putting it lightly.

When Zeke finally pulled away, he spoke softly. "I'm sorry for the surprise," he said. He reached out and patted his younger brother's back gently. Each pat was slow and tender, filled with the care and concern that an elder had for his younger sibling.

Sebastian's emotions were still running high, however, and his hand shot out without warning and  grabbed at Zeke's collar with a fierce grip. Anger filled his eyes as he hissed, "What the f**k took you so long?!" 

As Elle watched the scene between the two brothers, her heart beat faster with every passing moment. She could feel the tension in the air intensifying, as if the slightest wrong move could set off a chain reaction of violence and destruction. She needed to practice caution and tread lightly right now.

"Now, now, younger brother." Gav's voice echoed. "Don't go asking that of your brother as though his life in the Underworld is easy and hunky-dory." 

All eyes turned towards Gav, who had made an unsolicited yet loaded comment. But Gav remained nonchalantly half-sitting there, oozing an air of calm and ease that seemed to infuriate Sebastian even more. His dangerous gaze fell on Gav, but the man did not even flinch, let alone react to his death glare. With a smirk, Gav continued speaking, as if the situation was nothing more than a mere inconvenience. It was as if he was unfazed by the tension in the air, and Elle could not help but wonder if he was truly as cold-hearted as he appeared to be. But if he was, he would not have voluntarily gotten involved in her matters and even lent her a helping hand.

"The both of us are occupied from the fighting in there –"

"Gav," Zeke's voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a hot knife slicing through butter, calling out to Gav with a sharpness that demanded attention. Gav let out an exasperated sigh, as if he were being interrupted from his favorite pastime. However, it was clear that the man only listened to Zeke.

Silence fell once more, and Sebastian slowly turned his attention back to his long-lost brother. His grip on Zeke's collar loosened, and he took a step back, no longer meeting Zeke's eyes. There was a sense of heaviness in the air, a weight that seemed to rest on both of their shoulders.

"Tell me," Sebastian broke the silence first, "is this you finally returning? … to us…?" His hesitance was telling of the fear within him of getting more news that would be undesirable.

"Not yet." Zeke's quiet reply made Sebastian's jaw clench so hard that his veins seemed to be able to pop any time soon. 

"So, you're saying you'll be gone again?" Sebastian's brows rose, and his eyes circled round. He had not expected that Zeke would be answering him this way. In fact, he was thinking that this brother would be able to settle down and return to his family who had been waiting for him for so, so long.

"Yes." Came the trademark short answer from Zeke.

Sebastian's laughter had died down, replaced by a quiet rage that simmered just beneath the surface. He could feel his grip on Zeke's collar tightening once again, his fingers digging into the fabric as he struggled to control his emotions.

"I hate you," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I really hate you, Zeke."

Zeke didn't flinch, didn't even seem surprised by Sebastian's outburst. Instead, he simply looked at his younger brother as if he understood the depth of Sebastian's anger.

eαglesnᴏνel "I hated how you've always been deciding for my life," Sebastian continued, his voice rising in volume. "Doing things for me and against my will. And then you just upped and left... leaving your wife and son behind to..."

Sebastian trailed off, unable to continue speaking. He gritted his teeth, his grip on Zeke's collar tightening even further as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

"I know you hated for it. But I didn't want to lose you, Sebastian." Zeke replied. "And you've also already sacrificed seven hundred years of your life for me –"

"That was my choice, Zeke!"