The grand office building of Blackwood Enterprises towered against the morning sky, its sleek glass exterior reflecting the city below. The very name once symbolized power and legacy, a dynasty built over decades—first by Adrian and Damion’s father, then by Damion himself.Now, it belonged to Adrian Blackwood.He had taken control, claimed the title of CEO, and sat at the head of the table where his brother once ruled.And today, Carmela was about to shake that throne.Inside the CompanyThe tension in the boardroom was thick, an unspoken pressure filling the air as the senior members of the company gathered for their morning briefing. Adrian had yet to arrive, but the discussion had already begun.At the center of it all—Carmela.She had walked into the room unannounced, her presence alone demanding attention. She hadn’t stepped foot in the company since her marriage to Damion. Back then, she had only come in support of her husband, never for business. But today was different.Today,
The call came in just as Adrian was leaving the company building. He had been controlling his temper for quite a while now and as Damion was out of site, Carmela was his next target. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and without breaking stride, he pulled it out and answered.“Speak.”“Sir.” A gruff voice filled the line. “We found her.”Adrian stopped mid-step, his fingers tightening around the phone. A relaxed smile swept over his face. “Where?”“The old facility just outside the city. The one Blackwood Enterprises used for research a few years back before shutting it down. She’s been hidden there under heavy security.”Adrian’s lips curved into a slow smirk.So this was where Damion had tucked her away all this time. That cunning bastard. So smart of him. Who could have thought?“Wait for me there,” Adrian ordered. “Don’t make a move until I arrive.”“Yes, sir.”The call ended.Adrian exhaled, sliding his phone back into his pocket. His blood thrummed with anticipation.For years,
The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor filled the silent hospital room, its steady pulse marking the fragile line between life and death.Lucas sat in the chair beside the bed, his elbow propped on the armrest, fingers pressed against his temple. His eyes were bloodshot, a mixture of exhaustion and frustration clouding his face.It had been days.Days of sitting in this hospital room, waiting.Waiting for something—a sign, a movement, anything to prove that Damion Blackwood was still in there, still fighting.And then—A sharp gasp shattered the silence.Lucas’s head snapped up.The body that had been lying still for so long suddenly tensed, Damion’s chest rising in a shaky breath. His fingers twitched, the muscles in his arms flexing weakly as if testing their strength.Then, with a slow, agonizing effort, his eyelids fluttered open.Lucas shot up from his chair.“Damion?”Damion’s eyes were unfocused, disoriented, as if the world around him wasn’t quite real. His breathing was un
The night was thick with tension, the air cold and damp as Adrian Blackwood walked through the darkened woods, his steps firm and unyielding. The rustling of leaves under his shoes was the only sound, apart from the faint, ragged breathing of the old woman beside him.Catherine Blackwood—his grandmother.The woman who had tried to kill him.The woman who had spent her entire life ensuring he would never inherit the Blackwood legacy.And yet, here she was.Leading him to the very thing she had once hidden from him.The key.Adrian smirked to himself, watching as she struggled to keep up with his pace. She was old, frail, her once-powerful aura diminished by years of manipulation and failed plans.Now, she had no choice but to obey.A fallen queen.“Keep up, Grandmother,” Adrian drawled, watching as she stumbled over an exposed root.Catherine shot him a glare, her silver hair gleaming under the dim moonlight. “If you’re so eager to get there, why don’t you carry me?” she sneered.Adria
Centuries Ago—The Beginning of the Curse and the story of the keyThe wind howled through the dense forest, rustling the thick canopy of leaves that shrouded the night sky. The towering trees stood like silent sentinels, their gnarled roots twisting along the forest floor, weaving a labyrinth that few dared to tread. The air smelled of damp earth and ancient secrets—secrets that had been buried long before men had the courage to seek them out.And yet, on this night, two men dared to walk the forbidden path.Their cloaks billowed as they trudged deeper into the wilderness, the flickering light of their torches casting eerie shadows on the bark of ancient oaks.Alaric and Tobias Blackwood.Brothers. Rivals. And soon—victims.Alaric, the elder of the two, was a man of strength and intellect, his sharp mind always a step ahead of the world. Tobias, the younger, was the wilder spirit—reckless, passionate, and endlessly curious.It was Tobias who had first heard the rumors.A key—one said
Adrian Blackwood stood in the dimly lit chamber, his sharp eyes scanning the fragile parchment in his hands. The edges of the ancient paper were brittle, yellowed by time, but the ink remained bold, etched with secrets that had been buried for centuries.His fingers tightened around it as he read, his pulse quickening with each word.A curse.A soul exchange.His ancestors had fought for this key, believing it would grant them power and wealth—only to suffer a fate worse than death.Adrian exhaled slowly, lowering the parchment.He turned to the old woman sitting before him—his grandmother.Catherine Blackwood watched him warily, her frail hands clasped in her lap. The flickering candlelight cast deep shadows over her lined face, but her eyes held the same sharpness they always had.Adrian smirked, folding the parchment between his fingers.“You expect me to believe this?” he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.Catherine’s jaw tightened. “You should.”Adrian let out a chuckle. “
The key felt cold in Adrian Blackwood’s grasp.The dim glow of torches flickered along the stone walls of the hidden chamber, their flames dancing against the damp air. The weight of centuries rested upon this place, whispering in the silence, warning of dangers unseen.Yet—nothing happened.No tremor in the ground. No eerie voices from the abyss. No curse latching onto his soul.Nothing.Adrian lifted the key, turning it over between his fingers. It was elegant, ancient, a work of masterful craftsmanship—yet at its core, it was just a key.A scoff built in his throat before escaping as a laugh.A deep, mocking chuckle that echoed off the stone walls.His grandmother, Catherine Blackwood, stood frozen a few feet away, her lined face twisted in disbelief.Adrian turned to her, smirking.“All that talk about curses, about power coming at a price,” he drawled, waving the key before her. “And yet, here I stand. Perfectly fine.”Catherine’s lips pressed into a thin line.“This isn’t right,
Pain throbbed in Damion Blackwood’s skull as he gasped awake. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, his chest rising and falling unevenly. His fingers dug into the dirt beneath him, cold and damp. The scent of earth and blood clung to the air.What the hell had happened?His body felt off—too heavy in some places, too unfamiliar in others. A deep, unsettling nausea swirled in his gut. He pressed a hand to his temple, groaning as he forced himself to sit up.The moment his eyes opened fully, he froze.Something wasn’t right.The torches in the underground chamber flickered dimly, casting long shadows along the damp stone walls. Several men stood nearby, their faces strangely unfamiliar, their eyes watching him with concern.Then—A gasp.He turned sharply, finding himself staring at an old woman rushing toward him—his grandmother.But why… why was she looking at him like that?“Damion?” Catherine Blackwood whispered, her voice trembling.Damion frowned.His lips parted, the rasp of h
The hospital halls were suffocating with tension. The air smelled of antiseptic and blood, the remnants of the battle they had just fought within these very walls. Nurses and doctors rushed past, their hurried whispers filling the corridor. The sterile white lights flickered slightly, casting a dim glow over the linoleum floor. Carmela stood frozen just outside the emergency room doors, her heart hammering in her chest. She hadn’t moved since they wheeled Lucas away, her fingers clenched so tightly together that her nails dug into her palms. The moment had come. The doors swung open with force, and a team of doctors and nurses emerged, their uniforms stained with traces of blood. Lucas was being wheeled out on a stretcher, his skin pale, his breathing shallow. A thick bandage covered his torso, evidence of the emergency surgery he had just undergone. “Get him to recovery now!” one of the doctors barked as they rushed him down the hallway. Carmela’s feet moved before she could th
The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, the cold breeze whispering through the trees as Adrian—Damion’s soul trapped within his brother’s body—moved through the dense forest with calculated steps. His men flanked him on either side, their expressions grim, their senses on high alert. The moon, hanging full and heavy above them, cast eerie silver streaks through the towering branches.They had been searching for hours.Every step forward felt like he was walking deeper into the unknown, further into the tangled fate that bound him and Adrian together. The weight of the curse pressed down on him, a reminder that time was slipping away. If they failed, if they couldn’t return the key to its rightful place before it was too late—both he and Adrian would cease to exist.A final death. A complete erasure.He clenched his jaw, forcing the thought from his mind. He refused to accept that as his fate.“This place feels cursed,” one of his men, Rowan, muttered as he swept
The flashing red and blue lights of the police cars flooded the hospital corridor as Elena screamed, her voice raw with rage and desperation. Two officers held her arms tightly as she thrashed against them, her face twisted in fury.“You traitor!” she spat at Lucas, her eyes burning with betrayal as they dragged her away. “You promised to protect me! You said we were in this together!”Lucas stood still, his breathing heavy, his body leaning slightly to the side as blood soaked his shirt. He coughed, his lips parting as if to respond, but no words came.“Take her away,” Carmela ordered, her voice cold, emotionless. The officers nodded, shoving Elena forward as she continued to struggle.“I won’t forget this, Lucas!” Elena’s shriek echoed down the hallway as they forced her out of sight.Lucas exhaled heavily, the pain in his side intensifying as his knees buckled.Then, everything erupted into chaos.“He’s losing too much blood!” one of the nurses cried out as she rushed forward.“Get
The air in the hospital was thick with tension. The rhythmic beeping of the machines in Damion’s room was the only sound before the sudden, heavy footsteps of approaching officers shattered the silence.Elena stood over the unconscious Damion, her fingers tightening around the syringe she was about to inject into his IV. Her expression was cold, eyes locked onto his unmoving face.“You’re not waking up again, Damion,” she whispered.Just as she was about to press the needle into his arm—Bang!The door burst open. A flood of officers stormed inside, their weapons drawn.“FREEZE!” one of them commanded, their voices a chorus of authority.Elena’s head snapped up, her face flashing from shock to rage.Then, stepping into the room, standing tall and unwavering, was Carmela. Behind her, more officers poured in, blocking any chance of escape.Elena’s hand trembled. How? How had Carmela gotten here so quickly?Then, Carmela’s sharp voice rang out.“Arrest her.”Elena’s eyes widened.“What?!
Elena’s eyes met his in the mirror, and for a long, charged moment, the two remained silent, each lost in their own inner turmoil. “So what do we do now?” she finally asked, her voice trembling with desperation and uncertainty. “Where do I find him?”Lucas’s response was measured, almost weary. “The hospital. Damion’s body is still in the ICU—if not fully alive, at least it’s there, and we might be able to coax some stability back into him. I have a contact who says there’s a weak but steady signal coming from the west wing.”Elena’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And if I go there… if I end him?”Lucas’s eyes darkened. “If you do that, Elena, you’ll not only lose him forever—you’ll be condemning our entire future. The curse is not something you can simply end with a bullet. It’s a twisted force that binds us all. If you take that step, there will be no coming back.”Her voice broke as she whispered, “I have to try, Lucas. I have to finish what I started.”Lucas shook his head, anger
Previously The conversation had ended in a heavy, charged silence as the storm had raged overhead, and Lucas had promised her that they would do everything possible to find Damion. But deep down, he had also cursed the day she decided that ending his life was the solution. He had known the risks, the unthinkable consequences—but he had also known that her ambition might drive her to acts of unimaginable cruelty.“Remember, Elena,” Lucas had whispered as they parted ways that night, “if you succeed in taking him out, you’re not just ending a life—you’re condemning their family to a fate worse than death. And if you fail… then the curse will claim you both.”“They’re all myths and legends and…”Elena had looked at him, her eyes dark with determination, and then had nodded, saying, “I know, Lucas. But sometimes, the only way to end a curse is to break it, even if it means sacrificing everything.”⸻Back to the PresentInside the car, the memory of that night still burned in Lucas’s eyes
The rain was coming down in a steady, relentless drizzle, blurring the neon lights of the city into streaks of color as dusk settled over the urban sprawl. In the darkness near a hospital parking lot, Elena Carter sprinted along the slick pavement, her breath ragged and heart pounding in her ears. Her eyes, wide with desperation and cold resolve, scanned the dimly lit street as she heard the distant wail of sirens drawing near. She didn’t dare slow down—not now. Every second mattered.Just as she rounded a corner, a black car screeched to a halt in front of her. The headlights illuminated her path, and without hesitation, Elena dove for the open door. The car’s door slammed shut behind her, and as the vehicle pulled away from the curb, she slumped into the back seat, trying to catch her breath.Inside the car, the familiar low rumble of the engine provided a brief, shaky comfort. Lucas, the driver and a man whose loyalty was as troubled as his secrets, glanced in the rearview mirror
Carmela’s lip trembled as she shook her head, tears falling freely. “Then why have you chose to hide away and leave me, Damion? Why do you let me see you as that man? I need you to be Damion—the man I loved, the man who was supposed to be my future. If you don’t come back to me, I’ll be left with nothing but the memory of a lie.”A deep pain flashed in his eyes, and for a moment, the two stood locked in a desperate, wordless embrace. The promise of reunion, of healing, hung between them like a fragile thread. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. “I wish I could stay, but if I go and never return… then you must take care of Carmela for me. Promise me that you’ll protect yourself, that you’ll keep YOU safe, even if I’m not there.”Catherine, who had listened silently, stepped forward, her voice barely audible yet firm. “He speaks the truth, though his fate remains uncertain. The key is the only hope for our salvation—and for Damion to reclaim what was lost.”At that mo
Catherine’s eyes softened, and she pressed her hands together. “Then know this, my child: your actions will have consequences far beyond what you can imagine. If you do not succeed, if you fail to break this curse, then both you and Damion will be erased from existence. Our family’s legacy, all that we have built, will vanish like mist in the morning sun. I beg you—think of Carmela. Think of the love she has for you, and the hope she carries that one day you will come back whole.”For a long moment, silence reigned between them as the weight of her words sank deep into his heart. Adrian’s eyes shone with a mixture of determination and sorrow as he finally spoke, his voice low and resolute. “I promise you, Grandmother. I will retrieve the key, no matter the cost. And if, by some cruel twist of fate, I do not return… then please, take care of Carmela. Let her know that I fought until the end, that I loved her with all I had, and that my sacrifice was not in vain.”Catherine’s gaze soft