Ethereal (adj.)- Extremely delicate, light, not of this world.

Throughout the past year, you've shown this book immense support. I thank you for that. Never in my wildest dreams I would have imagined to have almost 3M reads on this book.

Indomitus' first birthday is on September 24th, in that celebration here's the most requested chapter.

Ares' POV when he sees Adrianna in the Epilogue.

This is also a crossover with 'Acquisition' by Sharyn_Jael . Tyrone and Celestina are her creations.

Without further Ado please enjoy. 🥂

_____________

"Sometimes we meet people and are so symbiotic with them, it's as if we are one person, with one mind, one destiny."

― Gayle Forman

Ares's POV:

(Before their Meeting)

I have always admired colours.

It assures me that I am alive and breathing. That I am not lost in a hell, infested with brutal darkness.

I have lived in the night so long, I have forgotten what a warm day felt like.

It felt like life, breath, heartbeat and everything that was beautiful.

Yet the life I was living, might be as well a death.

It was flaccid, dull- pungent. It lacked two of the most important people of my life.

My brother and my girlfriend.

I was lonely.

The thing that hurt the most was that I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to him. I couldn't bid him adieu. I couldn't hold him in my arms on his last day, like I did as a baby.

The only time I saw him was in his casket.

He had grown up into a beautiful man. Pale, so ghastly pale. He resembled me. He was my half-brother, yet we were more connected than anyone else.

That was the first time I cried in 13 years.

Through the eyes he had given me.

He didn't deserve to die.

He had taken a part of me with him, a hollow in my soul.

Adrianna was still out of connection. She came into my life like a mirage. Short, beautiful, warm and everything that's ethereal.

And then she disappeared, taking another half of my soul with her.

I tried finding her after recovering from the initial shock of my brother's death a year ago.

By then, my life had become a dull tune of monotony. I had no desire for worldly things. Two people that made me feel like home, were gone, perhaps for forever.

So even though I surrounded myself with colours, I couldn't fathom them anymore.

"Are you planning to take over the world or steal my woman?" A deep voice resonated, making me snap out of my thoughts. It had then dawned on me that I had spaced out in front of an art piece. Once again.

The glass of champagne weighed heavy on my fingers, the loud colours of the painting reaching out to me. Feeling the heavy scrutiny from the man, I glanced at the painting for the first time. A painting of a woman. His woman.

So the fucker was jealous.

I wanted to scoff at his audacity. Sure, the woman in the painting was okay but nowhere as stunning as my Adri.

"Shouldn't have painted it if you're going to be a jealous asshole." I sliced him a look.

The man's lips twitched. "Touche, Estevan." Taking a sip of champagne from my flute, I inspected Tyrone Grant, an artist with ingenious talent and an old acquaintance of mine. He looked healthy and happy, not like an emotionally constipated man I once knew him as.

"What made you think it was a good idea to get off the plane and head straight to the museum?" Tyrone mused, "You're exerting yourself."

"Perhaps I am," I took a sip, the cold liquid lapping at my tongue, "It is good to see that you are planning on expanding your works here.'

"They sold out on the first opening," He smirked, joy bouncing in his eyes. "Licorice had a field day."

A small smile tingled on my lips. Tyrone Grant may look like a grumpy bear, but he was unapologetic at showing casing he is pussywhipped for his wife, Celestina.

"Cheers to your new opening," I raised my glass, "And to many more."

He raised his glass as well.

Silence descended in the space between us, pulsing with an eternity. At least it felt like one for me with pain biting me deep once again, eating away at me until I was nothing but mere shreds.

"You should go back," Tyrone suggested, breaking the silence. His eyes lingered on his woman as he added, "And stop avoiding your home."

Home. He didn't mean the monstrous estate with lonely walls, cold tiles and empty rooms.

He meant the warmth of my family and the tender nape of my lover.

"My home is dead."

My brother had left me in a state of destitution. Merely thinking about him was painful.

And Adrianna? She only remained a memory. Despite me trying to find her over and over again, it proved to be futile.

"I am sorry about Archer," He fixed me with an indecipherable look. "But you shouldn't punish yourself like this. It's not your fault."

Keeping the glass down, I faced him.

"If I deny, the truth will still be there," I smiled, catching Celestina waving and walking over to us, "You will not understand how lonely it feels to lose both of your supports."

"Been there and done that. Too many times." His eyes cut to me, his stance a little tense. "Coping with grief and loss is a continuous process. Go to your woman."

"Hey, Ares! When did you get here?" Celestina's voice wafted around us as she stalled beside Tyrone, leaning into him. His hand snaked around her waist a little too possessively.

The gesture made laughter bubble in my throat. Squelching down on it, I shrugged. "Just a few minutes."

"Join us for dinner," she offered, and Tyrone shot her a pointed look, which she returned sweetly. He probably had different plans for them tonight,

"Some other time." I patted his shoulder, leaving them to their love maze.

The sharpness in my chest stung. I was happy for him but the bitterness still lingered. I missed my Adri. I missed my brother.

I missed them so much.

I walked through the museum. The walls were covered in bright red. It was as angry as I imagined it to be, just like how blue was melancholic, green was serene and white was empty.

Cold late autumn air brushed against my skin as I took in the serene night. Decorated in thousands of stars, glittering against the dark.

The red hue of the night shadowed over the streets.

"Sir?" I glanced at my chaperone who eyed me curiously, "Do you still want to attend the firework show?"

I nodded silently, my heart drumming loudly in my ribcage.

"When you get your eyesight back, let's watch the fireworks together!"

I could never miss it.

She had once promised to watch fireworks with me as she laid on my chest, listening to my heartbeat.

She had once promised me of forever.

How is she doing? Where is she? Will she ever come back?

I stopped asking these questions a while ago. It pained me to think about her.

The only proof that she existed once somewhere in my darkness were the blue ribbon I found tied on my wrist after I had woken up and the small ID card photo of hers that came along with her CV.

She was more beautiful than I could possibly imagine.

Sitting in the back of my car as it rushed past the rows of trees, I took out the photo of her, running my thumb over it.

Blonde hair done into two braids, gleaming blue eyes, a smile so bright it shattered my heart into two.

My Adrianna.

It had been a year and a half, yet I remembered her touches like it was yesterday. I remembered her smell, her sweet voice, her hair I loved playing with.

I was helpless in the play of fate.

Could it be that she found someone else?

Could it be that she had been married to that man already?

She lived in my memories, I still heard her laughter. Her and Archer's silly banters.

"Sir, we're here."

Right, the bridge.

I tucked the photo back into my pocket carefully, getting out of the car.

Hundreds of people gathered, all for the firework show.

I walk through the bridge taking in the bright stars and the calm river. The water glowing under the sky, the streetlights barely lighting the path.

The smell of the river calmed my senses and suddenly I had this overwhelming urge to cry.

Cry for my brothers. Cry for Adrianna. Cry for my lost self.

A kid ran through, hitting my legs in the process.

"Careful there," I muttered, "Are you lost?"

He looked up at me with his bright grey eyes, his lower lip trembling.

I took a step back, something twisting in my heart.

His face....

Why did he resemble Archer?

Oftentimes when people are grieving, they start seeing things. Losing a loved one can make you see them everywhere, within everyone.

He shook his head, rummaging in his pocket and offering me candy.

I took it, amused.

"I don't eat sugar, kid," I muttered, "Keep it."

He seemed insistent. He took my hand and shoved the candy in it, running about his way.

I tilted my head, watching him until his small figure disappeared somewhere in the dark.

I stopped consuming sugar after Archer's death.

It is a taste I associated with him. Funny, because I have always liked sweets. It was too much for me.

I opened the small wrapper and placed the candy on my tongue.

The feeling of numbness intensified as I slowly walked to the rim of the bridge, taking in the river.

"Excuse me miss," some female's voice chortled from behind, "Can you take our photos?"

"Sure."

I straightened, liquid shock coursing through my veins.

That voice.....

I snapped my head to the opposite side. Surely enough, at the other side of the bridge, a female with long blonde hair was taking the photo of a couple.

It can't be.....

As if on an automobile, my feet started carrying me to her.

The first firework went off, lighting up the entire sky.

Her long, curly hair swayed gently with the wind as she too, became stiff before slowly turning to me, meeting my eyes.

Adrianna. My Adrianna.

Her eyes were red, from crying. Her skin was crimson. She had snots running down her nose. She had gained some weight.

I recognized her. Her photo didn't do her any justice.

My eyes fell on the sapphire butterfly chain she wore.

I slowly walked over to her. She could be a fragment of my imagination. She could disappear.

I stopped in front of her, a drop of tear escaped her. Her cocoa and rum smell ruled my senses.

I grabbed the small pendant, lifting it up.

"A-Ares?" Her soft, lithe voice carried.

She was ethereal.

So many things to say. So many things to tell.

Why did you leave me? Why didn't you come back? How are you?

Are you still in love with that blind, disfigured man?

Her eyes shone aequoreal blue, like two bright stars. Her luscious lips parted as she stared me, taken aback.

Why did you never tell me the pendant doesn't match your eye colour?

"It doesn't match the colour of your eyes."

So many emotions, so many thoughts clogging my mind and all I could comprehend was this?

She let out something between a laugh and a sob, engulfing me in a hug. My own tears escaped as I savoured her presence, devouring her like she was my light.

It hurts.

Maybe Archer was here, maybe he had been watching over us all along. Maybe he made this happen.

"Ar-Archer..." She sobbed, "He lied to me."

A small smile took on my lips despite my tears as I saw the kid from earlier watching us from afar.

"Something tells me that he is finally at peace," I gathered her in my arms, placing a small kiss on her forehead, finding it difficult to speak, "Something tells me we should let him go."

Another firework went off, engulfing us in colours. I caressed her skin, holding her face in my palms. I was not going to let her go, ever again.
Bright yellow fiery shadow lit up throughout the night sky, just like the color of happiness and mirth.

______

Did you like this chapter?

This is officially the very last update for this book. Again thank you so much for reading it ❤️

Want to read more books like Indomitus? Check these out!

(On-going)

In which, an innocent assistant is seduced by his boss, a notorious ice queen..... and a dominatrix.

Tropes: grumpy girl ×sunshine boy, female ceo×male assistant, arranged marriage, badboy×goodgirl, dominatrix × submissive, bdsm, 5 years age gap.

(On-going)

In which, a criminologist becomes the plaything of a crime lord.

Tropes: criminologist × mafia boss, angst‌, thriller, lovers to enemies to lovers, hardcore plottwists, violence, revenge, kinky, 7 years age gap.

(Completed)

In which, paranoid schizophrenic vows to avenge his fiancee, by taking revenge on the woman who killed her

Tropes: Mental health, revenge, mystery, pregnancy, found family, dark romance, angst.

Take care loves! 💖