Diana didn't know what to expect as they made their way to Hela's office in Tower 1, having followed her through the many bleak candlelit corridors of the infamous Institute to get there. While doing so, she had considered Hela and what she had said so far. It was becoming obvious to Diana that the Hateful were nothing like what she had been told about them. The stories and rumours about them appeared to be untrue. She could sense that as suffering pervaded the Institute like a looming shadow, permeating from candles that never burnt out. Moans and low wails sounded all around her.

  'You seem tense, Diana,' Hela said ahead of her, reading Diana's discomfort as she hugged herself, looking at the walls. 'Is everything alright?'

  'Yes,' Diana lied, knowing that the question had been rhetorical. Still, the sounds of pain were disconcerting. They filled the air like ghouls threatening to rise from the surface.

  'You're thinking about the sounds from the others,' Hela said over her shoulder.

  Diana frowned, her face twisting into a grimace as she listened. 'The others?'

  Hela stopped, turning to face her with a saddened smile. Diana said nothing, allowing the sounds of moaning to continue. It was then Diana remembered Lieutenant Newman's words about the Hateful, the ones he had referred to, but she had yet to see.

  The More Cursed…

  'Hela, the Lieutenant mentioned something about there being two different kinds of Hateful.'

  'Did he now?' Hela said, her tone restrained while her expression darkened. She forced it back into a smile. 'Well, it's a very simplistic way to view our kind. I assume he described us as either Less Cursed or More Cursed.'

  Diana nodded.

  'The Lieutenant's not wrong, but he didn't tell you the entire truth. The fact is that our kind reside on a scale of severity. I despise the slur of being "Cursed", because being Hateful is not a curse. It is a condition, a mental disability. Each of us exists somewhere on the scale. Those you can hear exist on one side, while the likes of Lucifer and I exist on the other. Still, we all have our struggles. The difference is that we can choose how we live. The others do not get such a choice.'

  'So who looks after them?' Diana asked, finding all of this fascinating.

  'We do,' Hela said, turning to resume the direction they had been heading in. 'But you must understand that pain is universal, Diana. We all struggle with it, humans and Hateful alike. Yet, none of our suffering comes close to them. The more unfortunate of our kind have everything enhanced. Every emotion. Every feeling. They cannot even speak or communicate what they need or want. Lucifer may claim that he seeks to end the suffering, yet him becoming a god will not change their fate. I fear he'll fuel a cycle of vengeance between our races.'

  'A cycle of vengeance?'

  Hela paused, this time not turning to face her, considering.

  'There is always someone who suffers more, Diana. There is always someone who feels vindicated to pursue what they consider justice. However, such justice is nothing more than delusion. It is retribution veiled behind lies; hatred disguised as love. One group tries to gain justice from another, and that group attempts to enact justice towards the previous group in return. It is a cycle that never ends. My fear is that Lucifer will ignite such a cycle upon us, and that he will become…' Hela stopped herself, allowing the thought to slip away as she turned and smiled at Diana. 'I'm sorry. I have had much on my mind lately. You're the first person I've been able to talk to about this.'

  When they reached Hela's office, it almost appeared she had chosen a door at random, pulling out some keys and twisting them in the lock before opening it. She gestured for Diana to enter, revealing a tiny room with a large wooden desk with chairs on either side, flanked by two massive bookshelves. Diana stepped inside while taking in the vast collection of books on the shelves, her curiosity rising as she pulled a chair and sat on it.

  'Are some of those—'

  'Written by our kind?' Hela completed, closing the door before moving towards the bookshelf on the right. She appeared to search for a particular title, using an index finger to trace along the many book spines that faced her. Hela spent the next few minutes doing this, before pausing at one tome that caught her attention.

  'There you are,' she breathed, her tone affectionate in a way that startled Diana. She watched as Hela reached forward and drew out a large crimson book, drawing it towards her chest and hugging it as though it were a long-lost lover.

  'You know, I haven't touched this in years,' she said, her voice a whisper. 'It hurts me so much, but I still feel the warmth.'

  Hela took in a deep breath, turning towards a confused Diana before holding out the book towards her.

  'This will help,' she said. Diana took it while keeping her gaze on the Hateful woman, expecting an explanation. Hela smiled instead.

  'Open it, Diana,' she said. Diana, accepting this to be the closest thing to an explanation she would get, nodded before stroking the leather-bound cover and opening it. From first glance, the pages were mostly white but showing signs of yellowing, while Diana read the handwritten title on the front page.

  The Hateful: A Comprehensive Study by Philippe Zimbardo.

  Oh, shit, she thought, her eyes widening in realisation.

  'This is him, isn't it?' she asked, drawing out a smile from Hela.

  'He was like you. Curious. He was a trainee psychologist, but he wanted to learn about our kind. Philippe didn't like how humanity viewed us, and he believed that the old theories were lies. So he came here, trying to communicate with us. I was on guard duty back then too, and I watched as he yelled and jumped, waving to get our attention.'

  Hela chuckled, showing more of the warmth that made her look beautiful, prompting Diana to smile as she sat in silence, allowing the Hateful woman to reminisce.

  'Though he couldn't have done what you did,' Hela continued, radiant as she appeared lost in memory. 'Philippe was an Illusionary, and a poor one at that. For a long time I sat there, watching him. Back then I despised your kind, corrupted by the hatred that both our races share. However, as I would soon learn, Philippe was, above all else, persistent. He kept shouting and waving for me to come down, so I got annoyed and jumped down to meet him. I listened without a word, hearing his motivations and what he wanted to do. Once he was done, I turned and flew back to the top of the wall, figuring he'd get dejected or at least tired.'

  'But he never left,' Diana said.

  'He never left,' Hela confirmed. 'He wouldn't go home until we talked. Those were his terms. However, stubborn as we Hateful are, I figured that he'd give up, that he'd get rained on and decide to leave. But he stayed. Even as the rain fell, he never moved an inch, allowing himself to get soaked, while I continued to watch him from the wall. By this point, I expected him to get angry, to complain and curse our kind. Yet, he didn't. He stood and looked at me, resolute. Time passed, and guilt filled me. I hated him for that. I didn't want to trust a human, but another part of me didn't want him to suffer either. So, I caved in. I dropped back towards him, asking him what his problem was and why he wouldn't leave. Even as my hatred spilled from my lips, he was calm, asking if I would let him inside so that we could talk. I agreed, so long as he promised to leave afterwards. He agreed to that, and so I brought him over the wall, taking him to my room so that he could shower. It felt wrong having a human in my room, yet…'

  'A part you liked it?'

  'Yes. I liked having him there. It felt wonderful to have someone in my room. All these strange feelings and emotions stirred in my mind, and it scared me, because I quickly realised I was attracted to him, a human. I became angry at myself more than him. I tried to be more distant when we talked, but he knew what I was doing. Anyway, I listened to him as we finally talked. I remember finding it so refreshing, finding a human who didn't think we were Cursed, who was kind and genuine, that believed being Hateful was—'

  'A condition,' Diana completed, connecting the dots as they formed in her mind. 'It was his theory, the scale.'

  'It was,' Hela agreed, smiling as she sat on her chair. 'But he didn't come up with that theory until a few months later, while he wrote that book. After we talked, I brought him to our leader. While they distrusted him along with the rest of our kind, they agreed to him staying. I volunteered for him to stay with me. Again, our leader and the rest of my kind didn't like this either. As you're well aware, the idea of our kinds mixing in any way is taboo. The thought of us falling in love…'

  'Which is what happened between you…'

  'Yes. But I denied my feelings for him for a long time. I kept myself distant, and he spent much of the time sleeping on the floor. Philippe would share his theories with me, concluding that our races were more alike than different. As I lay there, listening, I knew he would eventually ask the question most never ask. The same question I know is on your mind now, Diana.'

  'Where do you come from?' Diana answered.

  Hela smiled as she sat back. 'You're so much like him,' she said, folding her arms. 'What would you say if I told you we come from you; from humans.'

  Diana's face dropped in shock, her lips parting in stunned silence. She wished for words that would not come, feeling useless as Hela regarded her, waiting a few seconds before continuing.

  'We come from your kind, Diana. There's not enough of us who could reproduce. No, most of us come from humans. It's just that most humans who give birth to us cast us away in shame, unwilling to speak of the experience. Lucifer's mother and father were both human. It's the part of himself he despises more than anything.'

  Diana held herself, trying to comprehend the gravity of this revelation. She felt unable to say anything, paralysed by the thought that the race she was brought up to despise was actually part of her own. Hela, as though sensing this, leaned forward on her desk, her look becoming sympathetic.

  'That's why I know he was right, Diana,' she said. 'We're not Cursed; we're disabled. Being Hateful is a human condition. Once I revealed this to Philippe, he looked at me much like you are right now. He took a moment to process it, before revealing his conclusion, his belief that the only way our races could ever change was through love. Philippe believed that our races should mix and form relationships. I remember looking back at him just as horrified, because a part of me wanted that so much. I didn't know what to do. But then, he hit me with his final blow.'

  'By admitting that he loved you,' Diana said, knowing it to be true.

  'Yes,' Hela admitted, 'and I had no way of answering him, except by throwing myself at him. I lost my mind. Yet it felt so right. I wanted him. By the time it was over, I lay in his arms, both of us knowing that we'd committed the greatest of taboos. But, I didn't care. I wanted to be with him, and he wanted to be with me…' Hela paused, anguish emerging in her expression. 'But sometimes, things don't always work that way. Love doesn't always win. Love can lead to the greatest of pain…'

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  'What happened?' Diana asked, knowing that she didn't want to hear what happened next. She sensed Hela needed to tell the rest of the tale, despite appearing on the verge of bursting into tears.

  'I miss him so much,' the Hateful woman said. Diana's heart ached for her, wishing for nothing more than to step around the desk and hug her. She didn't, though. Hela needed to end this. Diana watched as the leader of the Hateful took in a deep breath, resolving herself.

  'Lucifer wasn't the first to think that our kind needed to do something. He wasn't the first to believe that there had to be another way of ending our suffering. That distinction belonged to the leader before me, my brother…'

  Hela paused again, unsure whether she could continue as she saw Diana's surprise. She nodded to herself, taking in a breath.

  'He…despises your kind. The problem is that he doesn't realise it. He's always wanted to connect with humans, even as a child, but every single time he tried he was shunned, disregarded, hated. Over the years, he developed a warped sense of what it would take to end the hatred between our races, and it became his obsession. Philippe's presence ignited something within him, a sense of disgust he couldn't fathom. As our relationship formed, his hatred only grew.'

  'Even if it was benefitting your kind?' Diana asked, prompting Hela to shake her head.

  'That's not my point, Diana. Like Lucifer, he became engrossed with his fantasies, imagining himself as some kind of saviour of our race. He cannot distinguish between his anger and hatred. In the deepest part of his heart, I know he despises your kind. He's just so determined to make his vision come true that he'll do anything to make it happen.

  'Anyway, Philippe didn't come back to my room one day. Now, while he sometimes did this, I just felt something was wrong. I searched for him, before one of my kind revealed that he was on the grounds with my brother, and that things were getting heated. I rushed there as fast as I could, emerging to find my brother confronting Philippe, armed with a blade and moving as if he had every intention of killing him. My brother screamed that Philippe had corrupted me, that humanity would hate us for coming together in such a way. Meanwhile, Philippe was calm, probably knowing what was about to happen next. Still, he explained to my brother that his love for me was genuine, that he…'

  Hela stopped herself again, revealing how much she was struggling with the tale. Still, Diana remained silent, noting the watery glaze in the Hateful woman's eyes. Sometimes, there were moments when it was better to be silent, to allow those to speak at their own pace. Diana sensed that with Hela, along with what she was about to say.

  'Wanted to spend the rest of his life with me,' she said, her voice a faint whisper as tears rolled down her cheeks. 'He explained he wanted to stay and help our kind, help my brother achieve his goal. I remember everyone falling into silence, too stunned to speak. A few seconds passed, then…'

  Hela closed her eyes, squeezing her fists in a combination of anger and anguish. Diana's heart wrenched, wishing that she could take the pain away.

  This is the Hateful. These are the beings we call "Cursed". Oh, Divinity, if only we all saw this. If only we understood their pain…

  Diana rose to her feet, stepping around the desk as Hela continued to struggle and strain. Diana could tell that she was fighting hard to hold her emotions, not allowing them to release. She shook her head before moving to embrace Hela, wrapping the Hateful woman in her arms as she felt Hela's straining cease. There was a moment of stunned silence, comprehension, before she felt Hela look up towards her, raising gentle hands and pushing her away.

  'It's alright, Diana,' she said, as though remembering who she needed to be. Diana looked down and frowned at her, confused.

  'You've not been able to grieve, Hela,' she said. 'You need to let that out.'

  'Not now,' Hela said, before she forced a smile on her face, gesturing towards the seat. Diana nodded before moving back towards her chair.

  'I don't think I need to say what happened next,' Hela said, before glancing at the book that sat between them, the last remnant of her love. Diana ignored her urges, which told her to argue that she did, that she needed to unleash her withheld emotions. Instead, she bit her bottom lip while folding her arms and sitting back in her seat.

  'What happened to your brother?' she asked.

  Hela's smile wavered.

  'I banished him. Once he killed Philippe, the rest of us called a hearing, declaring him unfit to lead us, while I took his place. He swore before us he would succeed in his dream, that he would convince humanity to work with us. Meanwhile, the rest of us watched him leave. I wanted him to pay for what he had done, but I remembered what Philippe had told me about the cycle of vengeance, and I swore that I'd honour his memory by carrying on his work. As for my brother, he walked out of here and joined the DFA shortly after.'

  At that moment, a sinking realisation washed across Diana, causing her face to twist in horror.

  'The Lieutenant,' she said.

  Hela nodded in agreement, confirming why the Lieutenant had seemed to strange to her. He was the former leader of the Hateful, and he was Hela's brother.

  'And ironically, he sent you to me,' the Hateful woman said, unable to hide the vehemence in her tone. 'I don't know if he's trying to apologise to me, but either way, I'm glad you came, Diana. However, my brother is an issue I'll deal with another time. He won't dare step foot in this place while I'm here. My main problem now is the other Hateful who you've encountered recently.'

  'Lucifer.'

  'Yes,' Hela replied, speaking the word as though it exhausted her. She even sat back in her own chair to emphasise this, glancing up at the ceiling. 'He's…a unique case, but he shares many similarities with my brother. But, unlike him, Lucifer has no intention of uniting our races.'

  'He wishes to subjugate us,' Diana said, drawing a shake of the head from Hela.

  'No. He wishes to save our race by showing yours our power. Whether you care to admit it, humanity has always held a certain sense of fear and anxiety towards us. After all, we can tap into all four Blessings. The only thing that stops us from utilising this power is our mental struggles. Our minds carry many difficulties, with most of us unable to even live independently. From those who can, we're the ones left who can take care of the others. That doesn't stop the guilt, though. It doesn't stop the thoughts that tell us we don't deserve the mental capacity we have, especially as we see the others suffer. Lucifer's mental health is deteriorating, hence his desire to pursue this goal. He's always felt guilty about our kind, and…' Hela paused then, appearing more tired with every second that passed. 'He doesn't believe that I've done enough, that I wish for things to remain the same, to keep us locked away in these towers for the rest of our lives. Perhaps he's right about the first part. I'm not sure what to do.'

  'Perhaps I could talk to him,' Diana offered, drawing the Hateful woman's gaze. 'Back in Rai, I argued some points with him and he seemed to listen.'

  'Then perhaps you could help me more than you realise,' Hela said, allowing a smile to return. 'However, the only thing you have against you is that you're not Vennifer. Although she doesn't mean to be, she's also part of the problem with Lucifer.'

  'What do you mean?'

  'Because he loves her. The issue is that our kind can become so overwhelmed with emotions that we try everything in our power not to allow them to take over us. We cannot regulate as well as humans, and I know Lucifer's past also makes it more difficult for him…' She stopped herself, her expression becoming thoughtful as she scratched her chin, looking up at the ceiling. 'I'm imparting so much information to you,' she said, shaking her head. 'We've only just met.'

  'I appreciate it,' Diana said. 'I've learnt so much about your kind in the past few days. I want to help you.'

  'Why?' Hela asked, regarding her again. It was a simple question, but Diana couldn't help but wonder how to answer it.

  I'm still trying to figure that out myself, she thought, knowing that Hela needed an answer.

  'I…I've always wanted to help people,' she said, while something stirred within, thoughts and feelings she didn't want to acknowledge. Diana held herself for a moment as they swirled, knowing that Hela would see this. She forced resolve and allowed determination to show in her face, defiance against the feelings that threatened to crush her as they always did.

  No, I will not allow them to win. I will speak…

  'I want to help your kind,' she said, steadying herself. 'Lucifer pointed out to me that I was being a hypocrite. I want to change that. I want to…be better.'

  'Better than what?' Hela asked, causing more uncomfortable feelings to stir within Diana.

  My mother, her head answered, but she would not dare let the words leave her lips. Diana fumbled inside to speak, to answer the question without telling the truth. Disgust rose at that, knowing it to be a betrayal of the person she aspired to be. She became flushed with procrastination, glancing at her hands, unsure of what to say. It wasn't until Hela rose from her chair that she looked up, praying that the Hateful woman wouldn't pry any further. Thankfully, the smile on Hela's face seemed to show as much.

  'You can tell me another time,' she said, allowing relief to wash through Diana's mind. 'I can see that you're being genuine. In the meantime, I'm guessing you're staying for a little while?'

  Diana regarded Hela in confusion. 'Stay?'

  'Yes, unless you wish to return to the other side?'

  'No, no, I want to stay,' Diana said. 'I want to learn more about your kind.'

  'Very well,' Hela said, before reaching for Philippe's book and handing it to her. 'Read this. Philippe's work will save you a lot of work. In the meantime, how would you feel about joining a Tower Patrol tonight? I reckon you and Pauli would work well together.'

  'I assume Pauli's like you?' Diana asked, taking the book while finding herself nervous at the prospect of meeting other Hateful. As though reading this in her question, Hela's smile became more genuine.

  'In a way…He shares my philosophy, hence why I placed him in charge of educating our youth.'

  'I'd love to meet them,' Diana said, considering what Hateful children might be like.

  'Then make a good impression with Pauli tonight. You'll find the Tower Patrols very insightful. Make sure you get some sleep.'

  Diana watched as the Hateful woman made her way towards the office door, opening it as Diana moved to follow her. For a moment, she contemplated whether to ask what a Tower Patrol was, but decided against it since she figured Pauli would be the best person to ask. She emerged into the candlelit corridor and glanced at either side, seeing no one and hearing nothing, before she turned back to Hela, who was locking her door.

  'I'm glad you're here, Diana,' Hela said. 'In time, perhaps we can make a difference for both our races.'