Shadow Cursed

Chapter 43: Beyond the Secrets

A pain rippled through my back, as I sat up rubbing the back of my head. The visions were becoming more real, like I was leaving my body to return. If I had died in that vision, would I die here and now?

The eyes that stared into my soul belonged to Wulfric, no denying the truth. The image of his eyes shadowed in red and pain burned in the back of my mind. His once glowing blue fur had become a sinister black. But he had a promise to my mother, he would protect me, and wouldn't hurt me.

One thing had been bothering me all this time still. I had gifts and a curse, but what was this gift Damien wanted from me. The Gift of Time, I had found literally nothing besides the general information about it in the books. There had to be more to the gift, something I didn't discover. Something they were hiding from me.

Out of nowhere I was sucked from reality again, this time I was in the dungeon again. A part I had never seen before from my tour of the very "well kept" dungeon, it looked significantly older compared to where I was kept. The walls had mold growing from the cracks, the torches were burnt out and the place was very dark. The air was hot and suffocating, I had trouble breathing. I couldn't figure out how anything survived in this underworld.

A thin figure in a hooded robe in the corner was sitting there staring at the wall. He was bound in chains, never to leave, how long has he suffered? He turned around and looked me in my eyes, it sent a shoving feeling down my spine. His eyes were bottomless, dark pits that lead nowhere. His robe was torn and tattered from years, and his clothing underneath was dirty. The boots had once been brown, now were a solid black.

"A visitor?" His voice seemed hollow, "I've been forbidden from visitors. How did you get here?"

Forcing myself to speak, "I was sucked from my room into a vision."

"A vision," he seemed curious when I said that, "A vision you say?" He started to stand up and I could see he was almost a skeleton.

"Yes sir," I stuttered. What did I do now?

Now he stood eye level to me holding a stick for support, "It's been years since I saw a face down here. I was banished to the dungeon as his reign was coming to an end. I knew too much, so I tried to stop him, only I was too late."

"Tried to stop who?" I asked in a whisper curiously.

He leaned in closer to me, close enough I could feel his breath, "The demon king. He is the one keeping you captive here." He leaned back to where he was.

"Damien," I paused, "What did he do?"

"It's a long story," he yawned, "He longed to overthrow the king, and partially got what he wanted. That's why he needs you."

"Needs me..." I found myself repeating, "Why me?"

"You are Ethelyn's only daughter, to complete his ritual he started thousands of years upon years ago, he needs her blood." His bony finger pointed at my heart, "That's why he needs you alive."

"My mother...." He knew my mother, "What was she like? Please tell me."

"She was every mage's dream, but her heart was set on the son of a famous mage." He stared into space like a flashback.

"My father, she loved my father."

"Indeed she did, his father liked her too. Everyone was envious of him."

"How did she die," I asked even though I already knew.

"If you would want to know, that would require starting in the beginning." He looked at me, "If you have time, sit, stay, accompany me, it's not a bad story at all."

I sat on the ground and waited. "Now where do I begin. It's been a while." He thought about it for a long time, "Ah I know the perfect spot."

He had explained how my father met my mother, and how they fell in love when Alric had sworn to never let his heart be broken again. She met his family and wanted to learn magik herself. She worked hard at it, and improved slowly and steadily with his help. She soon left the human realm to live with him at the villa. Pretty soon after she had her first and only child.

I could hear footsteps getting closer to my room as he was telling the story. The dungeon disappeared leaving me in my lonely bedroom. I wanted to know more, and what had happened that unfaithful day. I would have to go find him myself.