iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— running," he said as he moved over to the bath, placing the plug in. and turning on the taps, letting the water begin to flow.

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— that's all he was paid for yet, here he was, still protecting her. she didn't have to ask him twice about helping her as he eased her onto her feet, leading her into the en suite of his room, another elaborate place, with a large tub centred in the middle. "you undress, i'll get the water —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

"i'm still here with you, aren't i? protecting you. you'd be dead if i wasn't," he pointed out, though he knew she didn't just see him as a bodyguard, not anymore but he would let her come to that revelation on her own— if he was still her bodyguard, he had finished his job, got her to her home, —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— cheekbone. "i'll draw you a bath, that should help you feel better."

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— her. "i was there when she was born," he said, wondering if she would catch on to what he was actually referring to. "as she is my little sister," he then revealed the truth, a chuckle leaving his lips. "so there's no need to be jealous of her," he teased, brushing his thumb over her —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— of messing with her, have a little fun. "she's my best friend, i've known her since i was younger," he added, watching for her reaction as a smirk pulled at his lips, he did enjoy thus jealous side of chloé, proved to him that she did in fact have some affection towards him as he did to —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

cerberus picked up the clothes and brought them over to chloé, setting down on the bed beside her. his brow raised at her words, a chuckle leaving his lips— was that jealously he could sense? it amused him and he liked it all the same. "that is persephone," he told her, toying with the idea —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— had said, using her nickname for him. "let me know if there is anything else," she then said, setting the clothes down, cerberus giving her a smile before she disappeared out of the room again.

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— "i'm not the little pr— boy they helped raise," he mumbled, cutting himself off and shaking his head, his attention moving as he heard a knock at the door, the woman from earlier entering his room. "i brought some clothes for your friend, grumpy, thought she would be the same size as me," she —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— very different to what they are used to," even though he had been forced into 'proper' clothing, the servants still didn't fully recognise him, he was not the man who had left, he was darker, rough around the edges and a werewolf, something that had happened to him after he had left. —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

he felt her stumble a few times so he he moved his arm around her waist, holding her up against him until they were safely in his chambers and he had gently sat her down on the edge of his, very large bed— perks of being rich and royal. "i haven't been back for a quite a few years, and look —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— minutes until he reached his chambers. eyes following them from servants as they walked through the halls.

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— get off scott free, they had almost killed her. helping her up off the cot, he took her hand and led her out of the hospital wing, the castle, his home was large and he had a wing to himself, he needed the solitude from his family and his father granted him that much so it took a good few —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— fine, she looked like death, but he knew better than to push it, he didn't want to make her worse. "come on, let's get you cleaned up and find you something else to wear, i won't burn the estate down, but we can burn that dress." a compromise, though he wasn't going to let her family —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— the ones that come from st mungos, they actually know what they are doing and have a little more knowledge." he was referring to the ancient texts that had been passed down through his family, musing that other healers would dream of knowing. watching her as she spoke, he knew she was not —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

cerberus chuckled slightly as she was inclined to the idea of him burning down her estate but that wasn't the issue, it was the people within, her father, stepmother and the man they had tried to bind her too, if it wasn't for them, she wouldn't have almost died. "the healers here and not like —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— space left between his tailored misery and her ruined dress. “now. tell me where it hurts, and don't lie to me."

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— answered her earlier question, his voice dropping an octave, raspy and raw. “they said there was a curse attached to you, a contact.” he gave her wrist a slight, grounding tug, wanting—needing—to pull her closer, to bridge the pathetic inch of —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— lingering pretense of the noble lord his father begged him to be. his hand came up, hesitating only a heartbeat before catching her wrist, his thumb pressing gently against her pulse point to anchor her right there where he could breathe. “i sent the healers away,” he —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— hated so much. “god, chloé,” he muttered, his eyes slipping shut for a fraction of a second as he caught the scent of her. “you have no idea how close i was to burning your damn home to the ground.” he opened his eyes then, the dark gold of his gaze locking onto hers, abandoning any —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— arthurian ghosts, evaporated under the friction of her palms. a low, breathless sound escaped him—half laugh, half exhale. he leaned unconsciously into the rough weight of her hand, turning his jaw slightly into her palm as if trying to scrape away the phantom clean-shaven skin he —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

— when her fingers sank into his hair, rough and familiar and entirely unapologetic, tugging the tamed curls back into the chaotic mess he wore like armor, something in his chest finally settled. the tight, suffocating panic of the ballroom downstairs, of whispering lords and the heavy weight of —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

his breath hitched, the sudden, deliberate invasion of his space a comfort in his whirling mind. her knuckles brushed his collarbone as she pried open the stiff cotton, undoing the pristine buttons he had spent twenty agonizing minutes wrestling into place just to appease a ghost of an estate. —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— suffocating reach. cerberus dragged a hand down his face, the smooth skin feeling foreign under his palm. “my family,” he started, the words tasting like ash. he hated the title. he hated the bloodline that demanded he dress like a puppet for high society. “it’s… complicated."

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— oaths. he had shown her a completely different person, one that he had forced himself to be to escape his legacy, that was the real him. the grime, the isolation. not this, this suffocating legacy he had spent years running from, only to be dragged right back into it by his father's —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— how was he supposed to tell her? how did a man explain that the feral exile she had grown to know was nothing more than a carefully constructed ghost? he didn't quite know how to explain it to her that he was of noble blood, a descendant of arthur, born to a lineage of crowns and ancient —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— lingering on the tamed curls and the clean-shaven jawline. the distaste scrunching up her delicate nose was entirely predictable. she liked her men raw, weathered, and breathing smoke—not pressed, perfumed, and packaged. he swallowed hard at her words, the muscles in his throat tightening. —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— pristine blue cotton feeling like a straightjacket. “hours,” he murmured, his voice rougher than he intended, a stark contrast to the polished gentleman he was currently forced to impersonate. “you’ve been out for almost twenty four hours, chloé.” he tracked her gaze as it raked over him, —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

cerberus watched the abrupt withdrawal of her hand as if he had burned her, a hollow ache blooming instantly in his chest where her warmth had just been. he let his arm drop back, fingers twitching against the stiff fabric of the dress pants he had been forced into, the —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— forced to wear something more presentable and was now clad in a pristine blue button up shirt and dress pants, his hair less unruly and his beard trimmed. he looked like a completely different man but it was not of his making, part of the reason he had not been home for so many years, it was —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

— parents hadn't won this round and vito would not lay his hands on her. cerberus had returned to the hospital wing after reconnecting with his father, he now sat at her bedside, his hand firmly wrapped around hers in a tight grip, afraid to let it go. he had been made to change his clothes, —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

hours had passed and the healers had worked, finally lifting whatever curse it was that had been placed on chloé — with a cloud of black smoke rising from her body, it disappeared in a instant, freeing the french witch from the contract that had been placed upon her without her knowledge, her —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— done things but yet, they still welcomed him with open arms. "mother, is she not here?" he asked, noting her absence. "she's away on business, in new york but i'm sure she will be home soon, i have sent word of your return, she will be delighted." his father replied, a warm smile plastered —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— getting distracted. "father," cerberus, obliged by his nobility bowed his head to his father, a sigh leaving his lips — it had been far too long since he had stepped into the older males office and he did not expect such a warm welcome, he was not the boy they once knew, he was darker, had —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

"just rest miss, don't you concern yourself with the lord, he will return soon," another healer said to her as she helped the blonde lay back, placing a warm compress on her forward before giving her another potion that would make her sleep while they continued, it would be easier, stop her from —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— his family had only ever given him everything he could have needed or wanted. He was the disappointment.

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— into the west wing of the castle, where he was greeted by his father, a man he had not seen for many years, he wasn't a vicious man, he never hurt him, in all honesty, cerberus never really knew why he had fled, the wolf inside him had filtered into his mind, convinced him he was worthless, —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— a potion to drink and working hard to remove the curse. cerberus, glancing back at the door as it closed behind him was becoming a nervous wreck, he had never felt such vulnerability before and it scared him, but he fought it, he knew he had to and he continued to follow the brunette woman —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

"shush now miss, just lay back," the head healer said to chloé, swiftly dealing with her vomit and noticing the dark blood colour, they had to work faster or they were going to lose her and they knew cerberus would not be happy if that happened. they continued with their incantations, giving her —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— couldn't do anything else did as he was told and followed behind the woman, leaving the healers to help chloé.

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— everything else they needed, they began their work on removing the enchantment, breaking the contract. "cerberus, come with me, you are of no help here, we have much to discuss," the woman spoke again, gesturing for the male to follow her as she exited the hospital wing, cerberus, knowing he —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— her life source but we can fix it, don't worry," a healer said, it was a rare thing but they had come across it before, her life was bond to a contract and the estate it was created, it would take time but they had faith they would be able to break it. gathering tonics and potions, herbs and —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— killing her. "what is wrong with her?" he questioned the healers, his eyes flashing a shade of yellow, the wolf wanted blood but he pushed it away, that was not what she needed, she needed him to stay by her side. "there seems to be some kind of enchantment, sir, tethering her, it's pulling at —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

"she needed help, we have the best healers," cerberus muttered to the woman, he had not addressed her but did return her embrace before letting go after a moment and returning to chloé. he heard her murmur vito's name and a fire burned inside him, they had done something to her and it was —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— footsteps echoing through the room. "cerberus, what are you doing back here?" a woman's voice, soft and sweet as she approached him, her hand raising to cup the males cheek. "It has been so long," she continued, embracing him in a tight hug.

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

— forcing her light into it. he wanted to sit with her but he was moved out of the way, "my lord, let us work," the healers said again, casting their spells over her to try and figure out what was going on. she was healthy but fading. as they worked, the door to the hospital wing swung open, —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

"ssshh, chloé, everything is going to be all right," cerberus tried to reassure her, he felt weak, weaker than he had ever felt unable to help her, what had this woman done to him? he was supposed to just be her body guard but she had some kind of pull on her, tugging at his blackened heart and —

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𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃. @infernallykos.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

— cots. "my lord, what has happened?" a healer spoke as she rushed to their side, quickly beginning to examine chloé.

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