Asclepius was good looking to a fault. Wendy couldn't help but stare at him.

He was dressed in a white formal shirt and distressed blue denim jeans. He had the shade of whitish blonde hair and silver eyes which no one found weird. He was buffed up making him look more like a sportsperson than a healing god. He was almost six-three and stood there glowing amongst the common humans.

"She is fine, will you stop staring at me," Asclepius said a little agitated at how Wendy kept giving him glances.

It didn't take much time for him to heal the severely burned Delia with Devian glaring at him the whole time.

"It has been two hours and she is still unconscious," Devian said a little harshly.

"You do remember I am a god, right?" Asclepius said a little amused that person carrying that much darkness can be this civil.

"Does it look like I care?" He said and Asclepius saw Devian's eyes blackened for a second.

Somehow he was containing the darkness in him, it was unbelievable.

"Let's just say the attack took the toll on her and she mentally struggling due to some reason."

"Then heal her." Devian snapped.

"I can't, that is something she needs to do herself. She is deeply hurt."

"She is awake," Crocell said walking out of the hospital room.

Asclepius has handled all the doctors and everything and reluctantly but Devian was grateful of him.

"Let's go to your girl. We both are attracting a lot of female attention." Asclepius said and Wendy slowly nodded.

Two handsome guys standing in gloomy place were a sight to sore eyes.

As they entered the private room Devian had for Delia, he noticed Delia looking at herself in the mirror with misery and surprise.

"What is wrong?" He asked immediately worried as to what made her this unhappy.

And saw Delia flinch at her voice.

As soon as he saw the look in her eye he realized, she knew the whole truth. Guilt wrenched his whole heart and for a moment he forgot about keeping control on the darkness surging through him.

He saw her pale a little and then raise her lips in a small smile that was aimed at Asclepius instead. At the moment Devian felt like someone was ripping the heart right out of his chest. But he didn't have the right to feel jealous. He just stared at a tired looking Delia who walked back to her bed and sat down.

"I want to hug you right now but I think I need a bath first." She said looking at Devian and just her words made him weak with relief. Darkness and everything forgotten his eyes watered at the goodness of the girl.

She knew and yet here she was talking about hugging her.

"I almost thought that I was fine and didn't burn enough to call the god of healing but I see that you are here." She addressed him with a grateful smile.

Devian felt emotions hit him so hard that he had to grit his teeth together. He felt the surge of anger, confusion, pain, and guilt but everything was overpowered by the love he felt for the girl.

"That was drastic dear." He said in a soft gentle tone and sat down next to her.

Since every bad emotion in Devian's body was heightened he felt like killing the guy just because he felt jealous.

"I needed to get this done. My life was not getting any better." She said in a small tone.

He carefully touched her wrist and Delia took a step forward but clutched his fingers into a fist realizing that he was just checking her pulse.

"Medically you are fine but I assumed you have another problem for me." He said gently.

"And you will ask for a price?" She said knowing too well that as nice and friendly Asclepius seemed he was a Greek god with tricks up his sleeve. He would not just do anything out of goodness of his heart.

He just shrugged and gave a smirk with surprised Delia a but since she realized among all the things he was very good looking.

"What is the price then?" She asked looking away from his silver eyes that felt like prodding her brain for some reason.

"To be the Light Queen forever." He said and Delia was hit with the weight of his words.

That would mean never dying, no replacement and forever wandering the earth with a burden. He was making her Atlas.

"It's a hassle every time there is a new Light Queen and after years of Light Guardian carrying your burden it would be better if you relieve us of this worry and guard it forever."

"If I agree to this will Devian live? Even after I take the darkness from him?" She asked carefully.

"No way." Devian yelled on her behalf, "There is no way in hell I am letting you suffer for me."

"Devian my life is mine, you can't decide what I want even though you did try to control it for a while." She said in a tired tone and heavy guilt Devian shut up.

"Yes, he will live like a normal human being till he grows old without any after effects of him carrying all the darkness inside."

Delia noticed Devian's jaw was ticking in anger and she felt the need to hug him and console him but this needed to be done. She can't let the man who protected her in this life and previous life to suffer in any way. He did all he could and his betrayal hurt her the moment she found out but now it was just like an old wound with a dull ache.

"I agree." She said softly letting the tears held in her flow as she realized that she previously she had the hope of dying even if it was in centuries but now she was trapped in her own hell.

"No, no, Delia please just listen to me this once." Devian pleaded with her," Don't do this. I am begging you, don't do this."

But she just smiled at him.

"You do know I love you," Devian said desperately holding on to her hands.

Her head hung low as a tear fell from her eyes on his hands. She nodded slowly.

"You should understand Devian that even after everything I also love you." She said in a small tone her voice trembling with emotion.

"You shouldn't have." He said like everything was falling apart.

"Please let me do this. If you were in my place you would have done the same and even though I put you an eternity of pain you still love me." She said and Devian broke felt the tear slip from his eyes, a thing seldom happened.

"I have to leave soon you know, I am a god of healing, one of the busiest if you must know," Asclepius said breaking the moment between the two.

Devian felt helpless and he wanted to do something to stop Delia.

"Devian, if you even love me a tiny bit you will not disrupt this." She warned probably knowing what he was thinking.

The goodness in Delia's heart backfired on Devian this time, unlike Queen Delia had only his welfare in mind and he was regretting even starting this whole thing. Not only did he started all this for revenge, he actually dragged her into falling in love with him and now she was ready to sacrifice her life. The Light Queen needed no training to take responsibility, she never needed a strong body or a lesson. She was born as the light Queen, she needed the heart to accept her duties and had a strong mind to accept the darkness in her. And Delia was born brave.

Asclepius raised his hand and his hand appeared the famous staff with intertwined serpents on it. And before Devian could reach he placed it on his right shoulder and Devian's eyes closed. As soon as darkness started transferring from Devian's body the whole surrounding felt the aftermath. The clouds outside darkened and everything felt depressed and gloomy.

The lights in the room dimmed and it grew colder.

Just as the staff was getting darker, Delia was feeling worse in his gut. Devian's eyes were closed and he had no idea of what was happening.

When it was done, Asclepius almost stumbled back his forehead beaded with sweat, "This is all I could do.  And the staff will not hold this for long. Your turn Queen."

She surprised herself by saying it without showing the fear in her, "I am ready. Will he be fine?"

"He will be conscious within minutes, I have healed him enough. Please be quick. This is too much for staff to contain, I don't know how he was handling it this well."

Delia nodded and closed her eyes as the staff was kept on her left shoulder.

And then hit her, so hard that it made her gasp as if someone dropped a brick on her heart. Her fingers curled into fists so hard that she could feel the pain on her palm as her merely present nails dug into her skin.

But as the darkness kept penetrating her, her mind started going and she was sobbing without even realizing. Memories became sharper, emotional range enhanced. Her knees went weak at a point and she fell down scraping her knees in the process.

She was yelling something but even her mind couldn't process what words were coming out of her mouth. She just cried and her whole body was surging with an unpleasant feeling. Suddenly it ended.

She could hear voices, loud trashing sound, screams but it felt like this was happening in distance. Her eyes felt heavy like lead and it burned when she opened them causing her to rub them to see clearly.

But next moment, blinding light flooded the room and she shielded her eyes with her hand.

"Are you okay?"  Devian's voice was softer and without that edge, he had when he was containing the darkness.

She opened her eyes and saw the bleeding in Devian's head.

"What happened?" Panic hit her as she reached out to see the injury.

"I am fine. It's just during the process the darkness and your mind and everything around were vulnerable so Pandora attacked and injured Wendy and Crocell in the process."

"What? Are they okay?" She asked trying to get up but her legs still trembling.

"I can't believe it but you have more than half the darkness now and all those times people assumed you need some kind of training."

Surprising her he pulled her for a tight hug making Delia sigh in relief.

"What will we do now?" She asked as Asclepius vanished through all the havoc and Pandora had obtained some darkness which might have made her stronger.

"Whatever you decide I am here to help you, Delia, I will always be here to protect you." He said fiercely.

Delia with weak emotions at that moment teared up slightly, "I know that's why I couldn't be angry with you for long."

"But it's my turn to protect you since you are human now." She said with a sheepish expression.

"Not really, because I just saved you again from Pandora and light erupted out of me," Devian said with a smug smile.

Which made Delia wonder, did Asclepius not fulfill his end of the deal? If not then how is Devian alive?

~*~*~*

Action time people!

Now let your guesses and theories flow in.  Like Pandora was not a menace enough she got some of her powers. Urgh!

But this was needed, you guys know well  :D

Also, as per the pace of the story, it might have started hitting you guys we are closer to the end. Not one-two chapter close but yeah a few more to go.

For those who didn't notice, my new story Epiphany will be up next. I am super excited about it.

When Stigma has two chapters left I will post the prologue for that book.

And finally NEXT UPDATE: SATURDAY