Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-106. The blessed

[Raven]

Asher peered at me, his gaze lingering longer than usual, before turning toward the distant walls with a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe you are saying this," Asher said.

I lowered my eyes.

"Me too," I admitted, my voice quiet. "I can't believe I want those people near Ezra again, but... my knowledge, my experience, my powers... they're not enough to heal Ezra. The curse is interfering with the treatment. Nothing's working. I... don't know what to do. There's no way I can neutralize the curse's resistance. I've tried everything."

"Everything?" Asher's voice sharpened, and he turned to face me. "Really? Have you really tried everything? Or are you just too afraid to try everything you've got? Afraid that you'll make it all worse?"

"What do you mean? Do you think I'm holding back because I'm afraid of making things worse?" I shot back, my frustration rising.

"Yes," he said, his tone unwavering. "Because there's a way to slow down the curse and neutralize its resistance, even though it's temporary. But that method... it's only effective if you're willing to do what it takes, even if it's difficult." I shook my head, disbelief creeping in.

"The only way to even slow it down is if we have a dragon's blessing. But forget about blessings - we don't even have dragons in hell."

"Not alive, no," Asher said, his voice low and steady, "but dead, yes. And they're here because they want to be here. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to bring their skeletons into Hell or display them in the lounge of Helxton." I stared at the carpet of leaves crushed beneath my shoes, the memory of Helxton flooding my mind. My heartbeat quickened as I recalled everything that had happened there.

Asher placed his hand on my shoulder, studying me intently as though waiting for me to realize something important.

"Dead or alive, a dragon's blessing can always help," he said.

"But no dragon has ever blessed a demon. Not just demons, it takes celestials centuries, sometimes lifetimes, to receive a dragon's blessing. The dragons have only ever blessed a select few, and they're all in paradise." Asher smiled, a soft laugh escaping him as he lowered his head.

"What's so funny?" I glared at him, my frustration building.

He didn't answer right away. Silence hung heavy in the air, each second stretching like hours. My chest tightened, my impatience growing with every passing moment.

Holding my gaze, Asher said.

"Raven... it's time you step out of my shadows and see your own light."

placed his palm over

of a

heart? Have you lost your mind? When

"Follow me."

I reluctantly followed him. My mind raced with thousands of thoughts. Every moment I had spent beneath the dragon skeleton in Helxton flickered in my mind. We walked in silence for minutes until we reached the concrete gate that Ezra

did you bring me here?" I clenched my fists, trying to keep my rage

to remember. Where did you go that

That night...

***

place that ever brought me peace was Helxton. I felt more alive with the dragon's dead skeleton than with alive

again, carrying all my emotions,

consumed me was: I never wanted to

question I asked was: what would I do if Ezra

else. Each time, all I received in return was a sense of lightness, a peaceful heart, as if

Numb. Lost. Defeated. And then a soft crack shattered the heavy silence both within and around me. Before I could lift my gaze, a small claw bone fell from the dragon's skeleton, landing right in

***

of my memories,

a coincidence," I said, my voice shaking. "The dragon's claw fell,

no greater healer than a dragon, and they chose you. They responded to the purity of your heart and blessed you. So that night, when you felt nothing but helpless, you unknowingly came up with the solution to

never happened before," I muttered, the words feeling foreign in

has blessed a demon for the first time and it happened to you. It saw something in you that even you failed to see. It's time, Raven. Time to respond

shook my head, averting my

But why me? I am... nothing." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm

curled into a

dragon chose you because you are Raven Xipher and you will meet yourself soon enough. The reason it could have never been me is that Asher doesn't have what it takes to heal others. Asher was - and will always be - inferior to Raven." I froze under the weight of his words, my eyes widening as goosebumps prickled along my skin. My fists clenched tightly

for mockery, for any trace of sarcasm - but there was none. Just raw,

sensation rose in

wasn't just saying it.

accept this blessing," Asher continued, his prophetic voice charged with urgency. "Through you,

fingers through my hair. My mind swirled with tangled thoughts, and I bit the inside of my cheek, trying

ways won't work on him. That's why you need to create

But there was an unfathomable restraint within me, as if there were invisible shackles holding me back from setting free and accepting what was logically the best option