Endless Enchantment: Secret Of Shadowvale

Chapter-3 - Fiesty...I Like It

Viana's pov~

Last night has made me question myself. Every moment around him feels different....It makes me rethink about my existence. I don't trust him. I don't trust his story about that night but...but... his eyes speak truth. A truth I don't want to believe but again what I saw that night was not natural. It was something beyond the realms on earth. Something dark. Evil..

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"Mom!!!" A dulcet tone shrieks. Viana shifts her focus towards her daughter.

"Lillian" she turns towards her, stretching her arms out for a hug. Lillian runs up to her mom and hugs her tight. "Oh dear" Viana sniffles as she embraces her daughter after days.

"I missed you mom" her voice catches in her throat as tears spill down her eyes.

"So did I baby" With a serene tone, she replied, finding solace in the simple joy of being with her daughter, their bond weaving a protective shield against the troubles of the world, enveloping them in a cocoon of love and warmth.

"How have you been all these days? Where were you?" Viana asks while wiping Lillian's tears. She was 8 with her tiny and soft hands, a blissful smile, innocent eyes and basket full of questions.

"Well, I am living with dad"

"Dad?" Viana is bewildered. "What do you mean?"

"She is talking about me" Lucius enters the room tousling his hair with his fingers and a smirk of a douche.

"What!!!" exclaims Viana. "What are you saying???" her voice pitching higher than ever.

"Do you have a hearing problem?" he callously settles down on the couch resting his hand on the side.

"I don't get it. You are not her father" Her finger jabbed accusatorily at him as she demanded, "What's your plan? Who are you?"

He chuckled in response, slicing through an apple with practiced ease. "Plan?" he retorted. "Right now, it's all about saving your skin."

"Mom... Calm down... He saved me" Lillian interupts. "After you were hospitalized and dad went missing, he took care of me and protected me from..."

"From?" Viana repeats crouching forward.

Lillian pulls her mom close and whispers gently "from the...devil"

Viana's eyes widens as fear trickles down her face. Her head slowly tilts towards Lucius who is no more munching on to the apple instead she sees him locking eyes with an intensity that seared into the depths of her soul.

She gulps and with a determined resolve, she rises, the faint tremble in her legs a testament to the weight of the moment. "You... You... You know."

"I know what you saw.... I know" he rises up and walks closer to Viana. His steps are maing her heart pound. Sweat dripping down her forehead as Lucius grabs her waist tight and draws her near. She fails to utter a single word other than turning all red. His hair wavers from the cold winds entering the room from the window. The rays directly hitting one side of his face exposing  his enchanting blue gaze. His hand slowly moves towards her head as he envelops her, relishing the warmth between them.

She is stiff enough to move even a bit when she hears a gentle whisper "stay still if you wish to live with your daughter" his warm breath against her neck gives her a tingling sensation. She gradually moves her hand and slowly wraps her arms around him as well, going on with whatever he said. For some reason she is ready to believe a complete stranger. 

"OH~ I am so sorry" a man with curly white hair enters to room. He looks away immediately seeing the two hug. 

"It's fine. She is my wife afterall" 

"What??!!" Viana brings herself back to reality and tries to move away but Lucius's grip is tight enough to not let her move. 

"My dear wifey" he murmurs again. "Just go with the flow" 

"Well, can I talk to you in private Mr Thornhart?" the doctor asked. 

"Yeah just give us a minute Mr Hofstader. I need some time with my wife" he smiles blissfully though utterly fake. Viana who had no say in this kept on mumbling. 

"Okay...Let's go Lillian" he calls her up as she picks her sparkly little water bottle up and holds on to Mr Hofstader's finger and leaves the room. 

"Get off me!!!!" Viana finally pushes him back. "I don't get it. I get nothing. Explain to me right now!!!"  she was angry and clueless. Her rage was all over the place. 

"Feisty" Lucius commented. "I like it... Sit down before you feel dizzy again"

Viana settled on one corner of the bed with her hands turned into a fist. 

"Well," Lucius moves near the window "after the accident, I got you both here. Your daughter was almost....gone. The doctors somehow saved her but without any immediate guardian she would have been sent away to that smug of a foster care. I claimed to be her father just to save her from the torture." the room falls silent. No words until Viana asks "why do you care?"

Lucius grins "that's what I do. Save people. kind off". He is hurting. His words reflect something dark hidden inside of him. He turns around to face a troubled Viana. 

She doesn't make any eye contact with him but proceeds to ask with hesitation "you said....You knew what I saw" she gulps "right!!!"

"Yeah" he gracefully extends his hand towards Viana, unveiling a ring of extraordinary and supernatural beauty. The captivating red gem at its center seems to pulse with a radiant energy, its deep hue reminiscent of a twilight sky in a realm of enchantment. The intricate details surrounding the gem shimmer with an ethereal glow, as if woven by ancient magic, adding a mystical allure to the ring's already enchanting presence.

Her eyes are widened by the beauty of it. "That's beautiful" her tongue has no control on her anymore. 

"I know" he pulls his hand back. 

"But" she probes "what's the connection though?"

"Everything... It's the only thing that can bring your husband back to this world."