Prologue Part II

There ain’t no such thing as free lunch.

Elena knew it more than anyone. There ain’t no such thing as free lunch. She had paid a hefty price for her victory over the demon, Andro. The exertion had drained her magic reserves to near depletion, how many days has it been when she had her rest? 

She actually could not remember. All she could think was to move forward and reach that place.

There was no time for rest, the time was running out. And Elena is afraid that after that battle they will attract more attention. And she cannot afford to deal with them now, she won’t be lucky next time. It wouldn’t be a lower demon who would hunt them, if she is unlucky then it would be a Marquess or worse a Duke.

With a deep breath, Elena smiled as she dropped her wand. She made up her mind and she knows she cannot afford to waste their time walking. The magicules used here would disperse and those demons would get a sniff of it like dogs.

Elena walked towards Lucien and held his face. It was cold but it didn’t bother her. She smiled and looked at his deep black eyes, holding no emotion to it. She could not see or feel a thing, as if she was staring down the abyss.

Lucien stared at Elena’s purple eyes in confusion. “What’s the… matter? Is there.. Something wrong?” he asked in a low tone, struggling to breath and form coherent sentences.

Elena chuckled as she hardly pinched his cheek. “Nothing, who are you worrying about?” she asked, amused.

Puting Lucian onto her back, she smiled as she almost felt no weight coming from him. That’s the only reason she could carry him around on her back without any problem. All of it was thanks to her spell. "Hold on, my dear," she muttered, her voice raspy with an unknown emotion. "We're almost there."

This situation almost reminded her years ago, in the same situation but she was being carried. The moment she knew that it was all over, and this hatred would not end until she killed him.

What a twist of fate this is.

Elena stood, heart racing as the remnants of her power shimmered around her. The temple loomed ahead, an imposing structure wrapped in shadows, beckoning her forward. A flicker of doubt twinged at the edges of her mind, but she pushed it aside, clenching her fists. Lucien’s fragile form was draped across her back, his lifeblood seeping away—but she wouldn’t allow that to be the end. She couldn’t.

“Help me find the way,” she murmured to the worn stones that surrounded her, hoping for some guidance, some hint that would lead her to a path worth treading. But there was only silence. 

Suddenly, a shiver traveled down her spine, warning her of the approach of a lingering darkness. She turned, feeling a surge of energy rise to meet the impending threat. Kael stood at the entrance of the temple, the very embodiment of the darkness that sought to claim their souls. He radiated an aura so transparent yet potent that it felt like a murky fog enveloping the sanctity of the space.

“So, the Demon Witch has graced us with her presence,” Kael said, a sardonic tone coating his words. His smile was devoid of warmth, reminiscent of the tyrant he had become. The youthful, innocent boy Elena remembered was long gone, replaced by an echo of madness and resentment. “I didn’t expect to find you here, especially not with my master.”

Elena’s heart clenched at his grim visage, the semblance of her boy clashing violently with the pitiless glare he wore. “What have you become, Kael?” 

“A king,” he declared, his voice a chilling whisper. “One who will not be disobeyed.”

“And what does the king of nothing seek, if not the ashes of his empire?” Elena countered, her own voice steady. Yet there was a flicker of uncertainty lurking beneath her brave facade.

Kael stepped forward, eyes narrowing. “I seek the power that has been denied to me for too long. You, of all people, should know this.”

A low growl rumbled from behind Elena, where Lucien lingered, barely clinging to life. She could feel the fleeting warmth radiating from his body, infused with the last traces of his spirit. “Don’t… do this… Kael,” Lucien rasped, serenity mingling with a haunting resolve. “You’re better… than this.”

Kael’s laughter resonated through the air, tainted with anguish and madness. “Better? Was I better when you discarded me? When you turned your back on me? You think I don’t remember? You failed me, Lucien! You abandoned me!” His words exploded with rage.

“Kael…” Lucien whispered, his voice trembling, the remnants of his soul yearning for connection, “I’m sorry… I promise… for you… to be alive—”

Seeing Lucien’s dying yet calm demeanor only fueled Kael’s wrath, igniting anger deeper than the scars of abandonment. “Alive?” Kael spat, features twisted with fury. “What do you know about pain? What do you know of hunger for power, craving recognition?”

Elena watched as the conflict reached a precipice. The shadows deepened around her, and urgency surged within her veins. She could sense the beast clawing its way to freedom within Kael. “Stop this madness now,” she said urgently, raising her wand in warning. “You will end this world!”

“So what?” Kael shot back, his voice laced with venom. “I will clap and dance once I see this world on fire! You cannot stop me! Spare me your hollow words, Witch!”

With a flick of her wrist, sparks of magic crackled to life, illuminating the gathering shadows and pushing against the darkness threatening to swallow them whole. “You can still choose,” she shouted, desperation oozing from her every word. “Stop this madness before it’s too late!”

But her plea fell on deaf ears. Kael lunged forward with a speed that defied explanation, the black sword—a wicked symbol of ruin—glinting ominously in the dim light. Elena steeled herself, her instincts roused as she prepared to defend against the strike that was all but certain.

Kael swung the sword with precision, dark energy emanating from its edge like a serpent poised to strike. Elena shifted, narrowly dodging the lethal arc, but as she countered with a spell, a surge of power rattled her resolve. “Foudre!” she cried, sending bolts of energy at him, the potent spell whistling through the air.

Kael retaliated swiftly. “You think your magic can stop me?” he taunted, veering beneath the scorching lightning. An aura of darkness enveloped him as he charged again, eyes gleaming with madness. 

Elena met his advance head-on, weaving complicated patterns as she unleashed her countermeasures. Yet, for every spell she cast, Kael had countered with a relentless ferocity that shattered her defenses. “You have become a monster, Kael,” she shouted, barely managing to evade a thrust aimed at her heart. “You look absolutely different 10 years ago!”

He snorted, a hollow sound. “Perhaps this is the real me, one forged in betrayal.” With a flick of his wrist, he conjured shadows that pooled at his feet, slithering toward her like tendrils of darkness. 

In a frantic bid for survival, Elena began to weave forbidden magic around her. Dark whispers licked at her thoughts, urging her to complete the incantation binding the nature of life and death—a spell that could change their entire reality. 

But Kael's movements were relentless, the black sword coming again and again, pushing her to her limits. “You’re growing weak, Witch!” he mocked, laughter dancing on the edges of his words. “You’re a mere shadow of what you once were!”

“I will not let the darkness consume you!” she shouted defiantly. She could feel her magic failing, yet still her will surged to cast the spell in a desperate attempt to protect them both.

Just as she prepared to unleash the full fury of her spell, Kael lashed out, the black blade slicing through the air toward her, a fatal strike that would easily end her life. But at the last moment, as if fate itself interceded, a figure leapt in front of her, shielding her from certain death.

Lucien’s ethereal form appeared, silhouetted against the encroaching darkness. 

Stabbed.

Elena and Kael stopped in their assault and stared in shock.

A horrified gasp escaped Elena’s lips, disbelief rippling through her body. “Lucien!” she shouted, her heart lurching in her chest.

Kael stumbled back, astonished. “What? How dare you? You’re dead!” The amused arrogance gave way to rage anew, a tempest brewing within.

Lucien’s lips curled into a smile, a warmth lighting his cold, fading features. “At least I can die knowing I still have a chance to save you, Kael.” The tenderness of his voice was a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding them. He was using his remaining spirit essence, burning it like an energy to talk with Kael.

Kael faltered for an agonizing second. “You talk of protecting me? You?! The man who abandoned me?” His face contorted with pain, he let out a scream filled with anguish and fury that echoed against the stone walls of the temple.

“I was wrong,” Lucien confessed, his voice almost a whisper, yet resonating with profound sincerity. “I was wrong to think leaving you would help.” 

For a fleeting moment, Elena felt the tide of darkness hesitating, the rage within Kael dimming. She seized that moment, gathering every ounce of her fading strength. The air around them pulsed with ancient energy, rippling as she cast the forbidden spell with renewed determination. 

“Time has come to a standstill!” she shouted, summoning the words that would alter their fates. “Fate shall bend, and the past be rewritten!”

Time splintered around them, a stark black-and-white world materializing amidst flashes of brightness. The engagements of battle faded, and with it, the turmoil that enveloped their hearts. The fabric of reality warped and rippled like water under a soft breeze.

Kael looked around, confusion pouring over him, the weight of their turmoil caught in the air.

Lucien, too, felt the shift. “Elena, no!” he cried in warning, as the world around them distorted, but it was too late. 

A blinding light erupted, engulfing the surroundings completely. The stream of time splintered as waves of energy collided, tossing Elena like a leaf caught in a storm. Then darkness consumed her—an impenetrable void that snuffed out every last breath of her power.

When Elena opened her eyes, she found herself enveloped in an endless expanse of void. The darkness loomed, a heavy blanket suppressing any lingering hopes. In the distance, a small light flickered, drawing her attention like a moth to a flame.

As she approached, the flickering grew brighter, taking shape before her. It was the Timekeeper, his figure glistening amidst the shadows that separated them from reality. “You who have sinned shall be punished for breaking the laws that govern the universe,” he intoned, his voice calm yet commanding.

Elena’s heart raced, yet inside, a fire ignited. “I don’t care about your laws!” she spat defiantly, the embers of her determination igniting. “I want to turn back time! I want to save everyone!”

“Such desires come at a price,” the Timekeeper replied, each word laden with finality. “What are you willing to pay?”

“Anything! I’ll pay any price!” Her words burst forth, fueled by an intensity that resonated within her very core. “I won’t regret my choices; there is no regret in death!”

“Then you shall pay for it,” the Timekeeper warned, a grim realization flickering across his features. “But know this—all deals come with consequences. Remember, you are breaking not just the cycle of life but the essence of time itself.”

“I don’t care!” Elena thought fiercely, resolved surging inside her like a wildfire. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I refuse to let those I love perish!”

In one final measure, the Timekeeper raised a hand. “So be it. Accept the consequences, and be prepared for what follows.”

Darkness rushed in, swallowing her world, evaporating everything she had known. She clenched her fists, her mind resolute as the final remnants of reality spiraled into oblivion. 

And then, everything went black.