Under The Bridge

Chapter 6: Unraveling the Past and Present

   The man's smile was cold, calculating, and the air around them felt heavier than before. The shadows beneath the bridge seemed to pulse, alive with secrets they weren't ready to reveal.

"Answers come at a price," the man said, his voice smooth and dangerous. "Are you sure you're ready to pay it?"

Darius swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the weight of what was coming, the tension tightening like a knot in his stomach. "I don't care about the price," he said, his voice steady. "I need to know what my mother did—and why."

The man tilted his head, studying Darius like a puzzle he was trying to solve. For a long, agonizing moment, he said nothing, letting the silence drag on until the only sound was the wind whistling through the trees above. Finally, he spoke.

"Very well," the man said, his voice a low murmur, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "Your mother... she made a deal. But it wasn't just for her own life. She bargained for you."

Darius felt a cold chill run down his spine. "What do you mean, for me?"

The man took a step closer, the shadows clinging to him like a second skin. "She wanted to protect you from what was coming. She knew the dangers your family faced—dangers that stretched far beyond this world. So, she made a deal with the old magic, with the ones who could help. The price was steep."

Darius's throat tightened. "What was the price?"

The man's red eyes gleamed. "Her life. And yours."

Darius stumbled back, his mind spinning. "What? My life? But... I'm still here."

"For now," the man said, his smile never faltering. "But the deal was made to save you—for a time. The magic she called upon doesn't forget, and its debt is never erased. Your mother bought you time, but that time is running out."

The ground beneath Darius felt like it was slipping away. He had always known his mother's death was tied to something bigger, something darker, but this... this was beyond anything he had imagined.

"What do you mean, running out?" Darius's voice was shaking now, the weight of the truth crashing down on him. "What's going to happen?"

The man's smile faded, replaced by something colder, more serious. "You are part of the bargain, Darius. The magic will come for you eventually, and when it does, you will have to face the consequences of the deal your mother made."

Darius's hands clenched into fists. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't make any deal."

The man's gaze sharpened. "No. You didn't. But magic doesn't care about consent. It cares about blood, about lineage, about the promises that were made. And you, boy, are the key to unlocking it all."

Darius took a step back, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. His mother had made a deal to protect him, to keep him safe from whatever threat loomed over their family, but in doing so, she had tied him to something ancient and dangerous. Something that was coming for him, whether he was ready or not.

"What am I supposed to do?" Darius asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The man's eyes softened, just for a moment. "That depends on you," he said. "You can run from it, hide from it, and hope the magic doesn't find you. Or you can face it head-on, like your mother did. But make no mistake—there is no escaping what's coming."

Darius stared at him, his mind racing. He could feel the fear gnawing at the edges of his thoughts, but alongside it was a growing resolve. He wasn't going to run. Not now. Not after everything he had learned.