Mated To The Hybrid Prince - Chapter 125: Chapter 125

(Lily’s POV)
The roads blurred past me as I pressed harder on the gas, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
I had left the twins at home with nanny Sophia and my appointed guards. I gave them strict instructions before I walked out: No one opens the gates, or lets a stranger near them. No one disobeys me, again.
As of the moment, I was alone and didn’t take any escorts… because although I could protect myself, I just needed answers.
Aunt Lydia’s bookstore came into view and I gripped the wheels tighter. When I pulled up beside the curb and stepped inside, the bell above the door chimed faintly. The familiar scent of old paper and herbs greeted me
A girl I had never seen before was sweeping the floor near the entrance.
She looked young—maybe eighteen; with her braids tied up in a red scarf, and a silver crescent-shaped pendant hanging at her neck. She paused mid-sweep when she saw me and gave a polite nod.
“You must be Lily,” she said softly, but respectful
I blinked, caught off guard. “Yes… I am. And you are?”
“Karia,” she replied, offering a small smile. “Lydia’s apprentice.”
I raised a brow, confused. “Apprentice?”
She nodded and pointed toward the back. “She’s in the archive aisle. She asked me to tidy up today.”
I murmured a quick “thank you” and walked deeper into the bookstore, my thoughts now swirling with even more questions than before.
I passed aisles of books, old scrolls, and stacked trinkets until I found her. Aunt Lydia, with her silver hair tied in a loose bun and glasses hanging at the tip of her nose, was levitating books one by one onto the correct shelves. She turned just as one slipped from the air.
“Lily?”
My heart ached at the warmth in her voice. I hadn’t realized how much I needed a hug until she pulled me into her arms.
“I didn’t know you’d be coming,” she said softly, still holding on to me.
“I didn’t know either,” I muttered into her shoulder.
She stepped back slightly and examined my face. “You look tired, child. What happened?”
“So you have an apprentice?” I asked instead, motioning to the girl at the front of the store.
Lydia nodded and smiled. “Yes, I do. She comes in three times a week to help me and study our ways. She wasn’t around the last time you came… I suppose it wasn’t time for you to meet.”
I gave a faint nod, then sighed. “Aunt… I have a lot to say to you. I need your counsel but I don’t even know where to start.”
“Then start from your heart,” she said gently.
I sat on the nearby stool and began. The words came slowly at first. Zion… Celeste’s pregnancy, the twins, Aunt Lamia’s death. The spell, the silence. And now… his reappearance.
“We were fine, until he came to the human realm.”. I said, blinking back tears, “He saw the kids once and now he's been seeing them behind my back. I'm scared, what if he wants to take them from me?”
Lydia’s lips thinned. Her expression darkened when I mentioned Zion’s visits and how he’d become focused on things he shouldn’t.
“And you said Lamia cast the forgetting spell?” she asked.
I nodded. “She chanted some strange language when she died… Everyone forgot us. Even him, and his family.”
Lydia exhaled slowly. “That spell… it must’ve been the Memoravi-Elthéa.”
“The what?”
“It’s old magic,” she explained. “Rare and complex. The Memoravi-Elthéa is a protective memory seal. It doesn’t simply erase memories; it buries them in the folds of time and space, making them invisible within a specific environment.”
My breath caught. “So… it works only here?”
Lydia nodded. “Yes. It’s what we call an environmental spell. The human realm is shielded. But if you, or those bound by the spell, return to the supernatural realm… the memories will resurface like smoke clearing from a mirror.”
I felt cold all over. “So he could remember everything if we returned?”
“Not could. He will.”
My voice broke. “Why would Aunt Lamia do that? Why cast a spell that could fall apart if we ever went back?”
“Because it was never meant to last forever,” Lydia said gently. “It was meant to give you time. Safety, and a chance to raise your children far from the chaos.”
My hands trembled. “Then why does he seem to be interested in the kids? We haven't crossed realms.”
Lydia’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You said he saw your children… and looked at their arms?”
“Yes. He saw their birthmarks, and got angry. He asked what the marks were.”
Lydia’s gaze sharpened. “The spell was cast to hide memories… not blood.”
“What do you mean?”
“Blood calls to blood, Lily. Magic can hide the past, but it cannot erase a father’s instinct; not when he smells himself in them or sees his mark mirrored on his child.”
I looked away, guilt pressing hard against my ribs.
“I just don’t want him to take them from me,” I whispered. “I raised them. I fought for them.”
“And you will keep fighting,” Lydia said firmly. “But you must understand: if you return to the realm, the spell breaks, and you must prepare for what will come next.”
“But how do I know this is true?” I asked. “How do I know this spell isn’t stronger… more lasting than that?”
She leaned closer. “Because it’s basic witch knowledge. And no real witch will ever tell you otherwise, unless they have something to hide. Unless they want you bound by false hope.”
I blinked. “So… what do I do?”
“Stay in this realm as long as you need to. Build your strength, guide your children and when the time comes that you must return…”
Her eyes held mine.
“…make sure you are no longer the girl who ran. Be an extraordinary woman; a force to reckon with.”
Tears spilled freely down my cheeks.
She stood and pulled me into another hug, her hands warm against my back. “You’ll be fine, Lily. Don't worry too much…” she said.