The Nameless Heir-Chapter 36: The Boy Who Bothered Death

The shadows crawled up Kael’s arms—slow and steady—like a snake testing its grip.

"I’ll ask you one more time. Who are you?"

They slithered over the man’s body, inch by inch, tightening as they climbed, slowly covering him in darkness.

His eyes widened.

Then panic kicked in.

He was scared. His eyes darted around the room, like he was waiting for something. His hands gripped Kael’s, trying to loosen the hold.

But it was no use.

He opened his mouth—

But Kael’s grip tightened.

All that came out was a dry, wheezing cough.

"Let him go! Let him go!"

Out of nowhere, a student stumbled through the door—eyes shut, feet dragging like a corpse across the floor.

They were mumbling under their breath, repeating the same phrase—like they were trapped in a dream they couldn’t wake from.

More students followed.

Kael glanced at them.

Then back to the man.

His eyes flared red.

"What did you do?" he muttered. His voice was low. Flat. Dangerous.

The man flinched.

"It’s too noisy here," Kael said quietly. "Let’s go somewhere quiet."

Before the man could react, the shadows burst out of Kael like thick liquid, wrapping around both of them.

In seconds, they vanished—swallowed by a black orb that tore through the sky.

They reappeared miles away, floating in the night sky.

Kael held him by the throat, suspended above the ground.

The man thrashed—kicking, twisting—desperate to break free, but it was useless.

Kael hovered like a god.

His shadowy coat swayed in the wind like a flame, and the moon lit him from behind, casting his shadow over the field below—displaying his godly form.

Kael pulled him closer.

"Who. Are. You?"

The man gasped, clawing at Kael’s wrist, trying to speak.

But Kael didn’t wait.

He hurled him downward.

The man dropped like a stone.

Boom.

The ground cracked open. Dust exploded outward. The earth shook with a heavy thud.

Kael didn’t move.

He hovered above the crater, floating in the air. Shadows slithered down his arm, forming a sword.

He dropped like a missile, red eyes locked on the target—cutting through the air.

Just as the blade was an inch from his throat—

The man reached out his hands.

"Please... stop," he coughed. "I’m not here to fight."

He stared down at the sword. His breath came uneven.

Kael looked him over.

Tall. Lean. White hair. High cheekbones.

Good-looking, in a cold, empty kind of way.

"Then talk. Why were you in my room?"

"I wasn’t trying to hurt you," he said, catching his breath. "I came to ask for your help."

Kael frowned.

"You shoved me into a dream."

"I thought... it might help. I saw you fighting nightmares. I figured a dream would be better."

Kael’s jaw tightened.

"It was. Until I got shot in the head."

"That wasn’t supposed to happen!" he said quickly. "I messed up, okay?"

"And the student who stormed into my room?"

"I panicked," he said, voice small. "I didn’t know what else to do."

Kael didn’t answer.

He summoned a chain with a flick of his hand.

It whipped out and wrapped around the man, snapping tight and pinning him to a nearby tree.

"Name."

The man blinked.

"Hypnos," he said. "God of Sleep. Son of Nyx. Also—I hate trees."

Kael blinked back at him.

"...You’re her kid?"

"Yup," Hypnos nodded. "Technically. I mean, she doesn’t talk to me much, but still. Pretty sure."

Kael sighed through his nose.

He looked him over again, like he wasn’t sure if this was a joke.

"Then why are you here?"

"I need your help," Hypnos said, raising both eyebrows like it was obvious. "It’s my brother. Thanatos. He’s missing. Poof. Gone."

"One second he was with me in my dream," Hypnos continued, "talking, walking, like everything was normal. I thought it was real. You know, classic Thanatos—brooding but chill."

He swallowed.

"But then he looked right at me... and said nothing. Just stared. That’s when I knew."

His voice dropped.

"I reached out, but there was no shadow. No weight. Just... empty light. That’s when I realized it wasn’t a dream. It was a message."

He looked up, more serious now.

"He was showing me where he is. Not with words—but with everything else. The air, the light, the silence... It felt like the Abyss."

A pause.

"That’s how I knew."

He looked down, voice smaller.

"I can feel it. This hole in my chest. Like someone scooped out half of me and just... left it empty. You ever feel that?"

Kael didn’t answer.

"Right," Hypnos muttered. "Dumb question. You feel worse every day."

Kael squinted.

"Death guy?"

"Uh-huh." Hypnos leaned his head back against the tree dramatically. "He came to me in a dream. Which is kinda ironic, because I am dreams. Anyway—I know where he is."

Kael turned away.

"Cool. Go save him."

"I can’t," Hypnos groaned. "We’re twins. Like, actual twins. We’re weirdly connected. Ever since he got taken, I’ve been... all floaty. Dizzy. Kinda like when you wake up too fast? Except forever."

Kael kept walking.

"Man, that sucks," he said flatly.

Then—

His body slowed.

Something tugged at his chest. Like pressure building in the air.

Behind him, Hypnos’s voice suddenly changed.

Still childish—but clearer. More serious. Like a kid repeating what he was told.

"If you don’t help," he said, "the gate Hades built will fall apart. Souls won’t pass on. People might stop dying. Stuff’s gonna break. You’re Death now, right? Your dad’s gone."

Kael froze.

The silence hung there.

Then he turned. Walked back.

And sat down beside him—arms on his knees, expression unreadable.

His voice was quiet.

"You better not be lying."

"I’m not!" Hypnos puffed up. "Mostly. I mean—I think I’m not."

Kael didn’t smile.

But he didn’t walk away either.

"I’m not," Hypnos said. "They took Thanatos because without Hades, he was the last gatekeeper."

"Who’s ’they’?"

"Iapetus. Titan of Mortality."

Kael gave him a flat look.

"You guys let a Titan snatch your brother?"

"When Hades left the Underworld to help you," Hypnos said, "they used that window. We weren’t strong enough. Thanatos bought me time to escape."

Kael was quiet for a second.

"Where is he?"

"The Abyssal Triangle."

"Where’s that?"

"Middle of the ocean."

"...How do I get there?"

"With a boat."

Kael blinked. Again.

"How do I get a boat?"

"I don’t know."

Kael rubbed his temple.

Every answer made him more irritated.

"What do you know?"

"That he’s trapped," Hypnos muttered.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"Did he say anything in the dream?"

"He told me to tell you... not to come."

Kael slapped his own face.

"Then why are you here?"

"To ask for your help," Hypnos mumbled.

Kael stood there, hand on his sword. His eye twitched.

"You’re this close to getting cut in half."

Hypnos looked down.

"I know."

Kael stared at him a while longer.

"...Fine. I’ll talk to Nyx. Since you clearly have no idea what you’re doing."

He unchained him.

The moment the chains dropped, Hypnos lunged forward and hugged him.

Then disappeared.

Kael sighed.

"...Great. Now I feel bad."

He rubbed the side of his face, already regretting it.

"First it’s kings, then it’s nightmares, now it’s dream gods with abandonment issues."

He stood up slowly.

"Can’t even die in peace anymore."

The wind brushed past his coat as he vanished again, the air folding inward like the world was tired of chasing him too.

He shadow-traveled back to his room.

The moment he relaxed, the backlash hit.

His vision doubled.

His knees buckled.

Something cracked behind his ribs—maybe a vessel, maybe his patience.

Divine pressure swelled in his spine, sharp and twisting, like he was being crushed from the inside out.

He collapsed.

Face first.

Didn’t move.

Didn’t even try to crawl to the bed.

He just lay there, cheek pressed against the floor, arms sprawled like he’d lost a fight with gravity.

A small puddle of drool pooled under his mouth.

Then—nothing.

No pain. No thoughts.

Just peace.

He mumbled something into the floorboards.

"...One more kiss, sunshine..."

The front door was still wide open.

Which made it really easy for Liz to walk in, stop mid-step—and stare.

Kael looked like a dead man. Shirt half-off, hair a mess, legs twisted like he fell out of a moving wagon.

She blinked.

Then raised her foot.

And poked him in the ribs.

"Get up. We’re gonna be late."

"...Five more minutes," he groaned, curling up like a lazy cat.

She sighed. Loudly.

Then crouched, grabbed his nose, and pinched it shut.

Kael jolted upright, gasping like he’d just drowned.

His eyes blinked in different directions.

"Oh hey, yallow—I mean, sunshine."

Smack.

She slapped him.

Right in the forehead.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kael grinned, still dazed.

"You know."

Her expression didn’t change.

"No. I don’t."

"You sure?"

She aimed a lazy kick at his head.

He rolled sideways with a dramatic gasp.

"Don’t kill me, sunshine! I’m fragile!"

"Get. Ready."

"Right away," he said, dragging himself up like a zombie.

He sat there, then slowly looked up at her with a mischievous smirk.

"...You gonna stay and watch me change?"

Liz didn’t blink.

"Gross. No."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Then wait outside."

She turned around.

Paused.

And muttered loud enough for him to hear—

"Try not to trip over your own pants, idiot."

Kael grinned, proud.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by (f)reew𝒆b(n)ov𝒆l.com