Chapter 372 - Ch 159 - The Truth Unveiled

🌟 HEAR YE, HEAR YE, BRAVE SOULS! 🌟✨

🔥 Let's welcome our newest adventurer… ⚔️ RedStark! ⚔️🎉⚡️ Our journey just leveled UP with their arrival!

***********************************

Solevia sat rigidly on a stone bench under the shade of a towering oak tree, the golden sunlight filtering through its leaves in shimmering patterns that danced across the garden. Around her, the world seemed unnervingly peaceful—the air filled with the scent of blooming flowers, the faint hum of bees, and the soft bubbling of a nearby fountain.

But none of it calmed her. If anything, the serenity grated against her raw nerves, mocking her turbulent emotions.

Across from her, Jason sat, his posture relaxed, yet his presence was anything but. He watched her with a calm intensity, his eyes steady and unyielding. That composure—the same unshakable stillness that had unsettled her since the moment she first saw him—felt unbearable now.

Her hands clenched into fists on her lap as she glared at him, her voice slicing through the quiet.

"How can you sit there like nothing is wrong?" She demanded, the anger in her tone barely masking the hurt beneath. "Do you not care at all? Everything that's happening now—my family, my people, all of it—is because of you! And you just…"

Her voice cracked, but she forced herself to continue. "You just sit there, acting as though none of it matters!"

Jason didn't flinch, didn't rise to her accusations. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, his forearms resting on his knees, his expression as calm as ever.

"Solevia," He began, his tone measured, "I know you're angry. And I don't blame you. But you're wrong."

"Wrong?" She repeated, her voice rising with incredulity. "You think I'm wrong? My mother—my people—they're suffering because of you! Because of your greed, your actions—"

"Enough!"

Jason's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that silenced her instantly. His gaze met hers, unwavering, and for a moment, she felt as though he could see straight through her anger to the vulnerable core beneath.

"I didn't cause this," He said firmly. "What's happening now—this chaos, this conflict—it was bound to happen, with or without me. Your father's greed, the ambitions of the other gods, the fragile balance they shattered long ago… I had no hand in setting any of it in motion."

Solevia wanted to argue, to lash out, but something in his voice gave her pause. There was no defensiveness, no deflection—only quiet conviction.

"Then explain," She demanded, her tone still sharp but quieter now. "Explain why my mother gave you that sacred item. Explain why my family is being torn apart."

Jason nodded, as though he'd expected the question. "Your mother entrusted that item to me because that belonged to me in the first place... it wasn't a tool for domination or control. It was far more precious and important and it must be protected from the unchecked greed of beings like your father."

Solevia flinched at the mention of her father, the familiar knot of anger and betrayal tightening in her chest.

"I didn't take it," Jason continued, his voice steady. "She gave it to me willingly, knowing the cost, because she knew everything... And yes, Solevia, your father and the others covet that item now—not to save anyone, but to satisfy their own greed, their own hunger for power."

His words struck a nerve, silencing the retort that had been forming on her lips. Deep down, she knew there was truth in what he said. She'd seen the lengths her father was willing to go, the destruction he was capable of in his pursuit of power.

"What about her?" She asked finally, her voice quieter now. "What's going to happen to my mother?"

Jason's gaze softened, though his intensity never wavered.

"Your mother will be protected," He said, his tone reassuring. "By someone... someone far stronger than your father and the other gods combined."

"Stronger than my father?" Solevia echoed, disbelief evident in her tone. "Who could possibly be strong enough to stand against him and the others?"

Jason didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting toward the fountain as though lost in thought.

"You'll see," He said after a moment. "When the time comes, you'll understand."

His cryptic response only fueled her frustration, but before she could press him further, he turned back to her, his expression solemn. "For now, Solevia, I need you to trust me. I'll help you rescue your mother. I'll help you restore the authority that was taken from her. But I can't do it alone."

"Trust you?" She repeated, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Why should I trust you? You've upended my entire world, and now you expect me to just… follow you blindly?"

Jason didn't react to her outburst.

"I don't expect blind trust," He said calmly. "But I promise you this—I won't fail you. Or your mother."

The sincerity in his voice unsettled her. She wanted to dismiss it as manipulation, but there was something in his tone, something in his unwavering gaze, that made it impossible to doubt him entirely.

Still, the weight of her mother's final command pressed heavily on her heart, a constant reminder of the path she had been set on.

"Serve him for the rest of your life," Her mother had said. "Align yourself with him. Intimately, if possible."

The memory made her stomach churn. The idea of binding herself to Jason—to this man who had brought so much chaos into her life—filled her with resentment. And yet, despite her anger, she couldn't deny the faint flicker of admiration that crept into her thoughts.

He was infuriatingly composed, impossibly strong, and utterly unshaken by the challenges before him. Even now, as she sat across from him, her emotions boiling over, he remained a steady presence, a rock in the storm.

Why, Mother? She thought bitterly. Why would you ask this of me? What did you see in him that I can't?

She turned away from him, her jaw tight as she tried to suppress the conflicting emotions swirling inside her. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many questions she wanted to ask, but she wasn't ready—not yet.

Instead, she rose from the bench, her movements stiff and deliberate.

"You may think you have all the answers, Jason," She said, her voice tight with barely concealed frustration. "But I don't trust you. Not yet."

Jason inclined his head slightly, as though acknowledging her words without argument.

"I don't expect you to trust me," He replied simply. "But I'll earn it. And when the time comes, you'll see that your mother's faith in me wasn't misplaced."

His words lingered in the air as Solevia turned and began walking away, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

But even as she left the garden, her mother's command echoed in her mind once more, a haunting reminder of the path she had been set on.

And despite herself, Solevia couldn't shake the feeling that her mother's trust in Jason might not have been misplaced after all.

--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---

🚨 Want to read chapters before anyone else? Head over to Patreon for early access and exclusive perks!

📖 If you're enjoying the stories and want to help keep them coming, your support means everything. Join us and stay ahead!

👉 Patreon: patreon.com/Myth_Valley

☕ Or support directly: buymeacoffee.com/myth_valley

Let's keep the adventure alive! 🔥📚✨