2. Lucian

2

LUCIAN

I ’m in the depths of my keep, savoring the silence, the calm before the relentless duties of tomorrow. This world may be dark, but it’s mine. Here, shadows coil like companions, filling the grand halls with stillness. In this solitude, there’s power. Control.

Then, suddenly, a sharp tug—a sensation like iron chains wrapping around my chest. It pulls, tearing me from my sanctuary, and I stumble forward, claws scraping stone as I resist. “What…?” My words die on my tongue as understanding crashes over me. The curse. After all this time, it’s been triggered again.

A snarl forms in my throat. Whoever they are, they will pay for this trespass.

In an instant, I’m torn from my realm and thrust into a dim, unfamiliar room. A human space, and not one of luxury—a museum. The smell of dust and old artifacts surrounds me, but one scent stands out, fresh and warm. Her scent.

There she is, staring at me, her green eyes wide with fear. It’s almost laughable how terrified she looks, clutching her wrist where the cursed bracelet clings. Symara’s mark pulses from it, and anger boils within me. That bracelet should’ve been buried. Destroyed. But no, it’s somehow found its way here, binding me to this mortal’s side. Again.

I advance, watching her tremble. “You have no idea what you’ve done, do you?” My voice is a low growl, filled with fury and something darker. She flinches, but doesn’t look away. I give her credit for that.

“W-What are you?” she stammers, voice barely a whisper. Her fear is palpable, almost delicious, though it’s tainted by her obvious confusion. She has no idea what kind of power she’s meddling with, and for a moment, the absurdity almost makes me laugh.

“What I am?” I lean in, letting my red eyes bore into hers. “I am the one bound to you, thanks to your carelessness. That bracelet you’re wearing—it’s a curse. My curse.”

She takes a shaky step back, clutching her wrist tighter as if she could rip it off. “I didn’t… I didn’t know!” she protests. Her voice shakes, but her eyes are sharp. Defiant. “I was just… I found it. I thought it was just some artifact!”

“Foolish human,” I sneer. “You thought you could simply claim it? That you could meddle in powers beyond your comprehension and escape unscathed?”

Her face pales, but she swallows, gathering her courage. “If this is a curse, then… can’t you just go back to wherever you came from? Leave me alone?”

I almost laugh, the sound hollow. “It’s not that simple. This is magic from a sorceress who knew no boundaries. Once it’s triggered, there’s no breaking it. Not without severe consequences.”

She blinks, taking another cautious step backward. “So… what happens now?”

I cross my arms, feeling the weight of the curse tighten around me, binding me to this human—this mortal who has somehow undone years of carefully guarded solitude. “What happens is that you’re coming with me.”

Her mouth falls open. “What? No—I’m not going anywhere with you!” She turns, darting toward the door. Brave, I’ll give her that, but naive.

I raise a hand, flicking my fingers, and the door slams shut, locking with a snap that echoes through the room. “You don’t get a choice in this, human,” I say, voice low and dangerous. “The bond is forged. Your fate is now tied to mine.”

She stares at me, defiance sparking in her gaze, though I see the fear beneath it. “You… can’t do this. You don’t own me.”

The corner of my mouth lifts, just a fraction. “Perhaps not. But you’ve left me no choice.” In one swift motion, I step forward, catching her by the wrist. She struggles, but her strength is nothing compared to mine. Her skin is warm beneath my touch, her pulse fluttering like a trapped bird, and for the briefest moment, something stirs—a feeling I thought long dead.

But I crush it, my gaze hardening. “Enough. We’re leaving.”

With a final, terrified glance at her surroundings, she realizes the futility of escape. She looks up at me, a mixture of anger and dread in her eyes. “Fine,” she spits, though her voice trembles. “Take me wherever you want. But I won’t make it easy for you.”

I chuckle, a dark sound that reverberates through the room. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

With one last look at the dim museum around us, I pull her close, feeling the curse pulse between us, binding her life to mine. The human world fades, swallowed by the shadows of the Underworld, and the last thing I see in her eyes is fear… and a spark of something else, something reckless and unyielding.