[Third Person Pov]
Earlier that night, Lucian had been the first to fall asleep. He lay peacefully with one arm draped lazily over his eyes, his breathing slow and steady in the quiet warmth of the enchanted tent.
Artemis sat quietly across from him, her knees drawn tightly to her chest as she rested her cheek upon them. She watched the stillness of his sleeping figure for a long time, unable to look away. Her eyes were glazed with a swirl of unknown emotions—confusion, longing, fear, and something deeper she dared not name.
“Lucian?” she called out softly, her voice a gentle timbre that barely disturbed the peaceful silence. When he didn’t respond, she tried again. “Are you still awake?”
She remained quiet for a moment longer, engaged in a fierce internal battle with herself. Her fingers repeatedly curled into tight fists and then slowly unfurled, betraying her inner turmoil. Finally, she steeled her resolve.
Moving with hesitant care, she began crawling slowly toward him across the soft floor of the tent. She stopped once she was directly in front of his sleeping form. “If you’re only pretending to be asleep, I’m going to be really mad,” she muttered softly, the words meant only for the space between them as she reached a trembling hand toward him.
She didn’t fully understand what she was doing, or what had possessed her to act this way. All she knew was that Lucian was stirring emotions inside her that she shouldn’t feel—emotions she couldn’t seem to get enough of, no matter how hard she tried to push them away. Her fingers slowly uncurled as they reached his cheek, gently cradling the side of his face for a lingering moment. The warmth of his skin beneath her palm sent a quiet shiver through her.
Her hand then moved downward in a slow, almost sensual trail until it came to rest over his chest, right above his heart. She felt the slow, tame rhythm of his heartbeat—strong and steady—proof that he was still very much alive.
Artemis let out a deep sigh of relief. Her expression remained conflicted, her gaze heavy with thoughts she couldn’t easily reconcile.
…
[Flashback]
Lucian, corrupted by the dark miasma, had slipped from Sebastian’s grasp, letting go of the reins and falling from his mount under the cold, watchful gaze of the Moon.
At the exact same moment, far away, Artemis had been bringing a cup of water to her lips when it suddenly slipped from her trembling fingers and shattered on the ground in front of her.
“Lady Artemis?” Zoe asked, looking at her goddess with immediate concern, especially upon seeing how unnaturally pale her face had become.
“I’ll get you a refill,” Naomi, one of her devoted hunters, offered quickly, bending down to pick up the broken cup.
“No, no thank you. I’m fine…” Artemis replied, addressing both of them with a strained voice.
“Are you sure? You look really pale,” Zoe pressed, her worry deepening as she took in Artemis’s haunted expression.
“It’s fine. I’m fine… I just need some fresh air,” Artemis said, forcing a weak smile as she struggled to hold herself together.
“I’ll accompany you,” Zoe offered, already standing and reaching for her bow.
“Alone,” Artemis stated firmly, not meeting either of their eyes as she grabbed her quiver and bow.
She exited the tent, leaving the rest of her hunters exchanging bewildered glances behind her.
Zoe and Naomi stood at the entrance, watching as their goddess slowly disappeared into the shadowy wilderness.
“Was it just me, or did Lady Artemis look like she was about to cry?” Naomi asked in a low, uncertain voice.
“Nonsense,” Zoe scoffed, waving off the concern. “If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s best you don’t speak at all. What in this world could possibly bring Lady Artemis to tears? She was probably just feeling a cramp and needed a breath of fresh air.”
“Mmh… Maybe,” Naomi muttered, her gaze still lingering worriedly on the dark forest.
Artemis walked unsteadily through the trees, using their sturdy trunks for support as she carefully guided herself from one to the next. Her throat felt painfully tight, and the corners of her eyes prickled with hot tears that threatened to spill over at any moment.
She tripped over an exposed root and collapsed forward unceremoniously onto the forest floor. Slowly, she pushed herself back up, remaining on all fours as she trembled. Droplets fell onto the earth beneath her—hot tears streaming down her face. A choked sob escaped her despite her efforts to suppress it.
“No, no, no, no…” she repeated somberly, shaking her head in frantic denial. “It can’t be…”
She managed to drag herself toward the nearest tree, bracing her back against its rough bark before slowly sliding down until she sat among its thick roots. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, burying her face between them.
“W-What is happening to me… why are you making me feel this way?” she whispered brokenly.
She clutched at her chest with one hand, her voice small and fragile as she pleaded into the empty night. “Please don’t be dead… it can’t be real.”
[End Flashback]
…
Artemis’ eyes prickled with unshed tears just at the memory of how utterly helpless she had felt that day. It wasn’t enough to simply feel his heart beating beneath her palm—she needed to hear it too, to let the steady rhythm chase away the lingering ghosts of her fear.
She hesitated for a long moment, torn by indecision. Her gaze remained locked on Lucian’s face, watching carefully for any sign that he might be waking. After what felt like an eternity, she slowly lowered her head and pressed her ear gently against his chest.
The sound of his heartbeat filled her senses—strong, slow, and reassuring. The steady rhythm washed over her like a soothing lullaby, gradually loosening the deep-seated tension that had been coiled tightly within her body. For the first time in what felt like ages, she allowed herself to relax.
“Don’t scare me like that again,” she whispered softly, her voice barely audible. She surrendered herself completely to the comforting lullaby of his heartbeat and the familiar wild scent that clung to him—the scent of nature, danger, and life all intertwined. “I don’t think I would be able to handle another scare like that.”
She closed her eyes, drowning out the rest of the world and focusing solely on the warmth radiating from his body. Her breathing slowly evened out, instinctively matching the calm pace of his own until the gentle pull of sleep became irresistible. She drifted off with her arms wrapped tightly around him, unable—or unwilling—to let go.
…
The next morning, Artemis was on the verge of pulling her hair out in frustration as they packed up their things and prepared to head out once more.
‘I feel like I’m losing my mind!’ she thought in exasperation, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge just how much comfort she had found in their sleeping arrangement the night before.
“You didn’t do anything strange to me while I slept last night, did you?” Lucian asked, holding his arms protectively around his body while looking at her with mock apprehension.
“Huh?” Artemis asked, a sudden wave of dread washing over her. ‘Did he find out?’
“Nothing,” Lucian continued with a smirk. “It’s just that it was pretty reckless of me to fall asleep like that after you threatened to peg me.”
Artemis immediately bent down, snatched up a small rock from the ground, and flung it at him as hard as she could. “Go to hell, Lucian!”
“Woah!” He exclaimed, dodging the projectile with ease before bursting into loud, cackling laughter at her thoroughly enraged expression. Artemis huffed indignantly and turned her face away, cheeks burning.
Once they returned to the snow-covered trail, Lucian transformed back into his massive wolf form and walked beside her as she led the way.
“You know I said I didn’t actually mind you being in your male form, right?” Artemis asked, glancing at him up and down.
“I know,” Lucian replied, his deep wolf voice rumbling with amusement. “But this just feels appropriate somehow.” He lightly nudged her side with his snout. “The ride on my back still stands, you know. If you’re interested, it would make this journey go a whole lot quicker.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure that’s such a good—Lucian!!” she exclaimed as he suddenly scooped her up with his powerful snout and let her slide smoothly onto his broad back.
“Let loose once in a while, will you?” Lucian scoffed playfully. Without waiting for further protest, he took off running at incredible speed, his powerful paws kicking up a swirling cloud of fine snow behind them.
Artemis nearly lost her balance from the sudden burst of velocity, but she quickly grabbed onto his thick, midnight-black coat of fur and leaned forward against him for stability. She knew she should put an end to this immediately. Growing any closer would only be dangerous for both of them. Yet against her better judgment, she didn’t.
“Hehehehe~” A bright, unrestrained laugh escaped her as she leaned even closer against his warm body. Her hair danced wildly in the rushing wind while the snowy forest around them blurred into a beautiful streak of white and green. For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to simply enjoy the exhilarating freedom of the ride.
A/N: Alternative titles - Flashback Inception - Flashback within a Flashback within a Flashback