Fourth Wing AU's, Headcannons, Oneshots, Etc.

[Corrupted] Part Three (Xaden x Fem Reader)

The sound of the water dripping down the cave made an eerie echo, and the chains that held me down were cold and beginning to cut-off my blood circulation. I was not the hero of Navarre I'd dreamed to be, nor the villain the Venin were, but a monster.

In the dim light of the cave, I could barely make out the silhouette of Y/n pacing back and forth, her footsteps echoing ominously. She seemed lost in thought, her expression unreadable. I struggled against the chains, feeling the weight of my actions pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket. Memories of Violet's tear-streaked face and Tairn's bellowing roar flooded my mind, each one a painful reminder of the path I had chosen. If I had become a monster, then it was up to me to find redemption, to reclaim the shattered fragments of my humanity.

"Where are we?" I groaned, sitting up straight. "Y/n? Answer me, Y/n?"

She sighed wearily, "You lost control Xaden. I never thought that would be an issue for someone with the likes of you, yet here you are proving me wrong. Killing Violet was a mistake, and I'm not sure if you can return from it."

I furrowed my brow and tugged against the iron chains, "What do you mean, it was a mistake? I thought we wanted to win this war!"

"Of course we do," She snapped. "And you're a great asset, Xaden. But when a Venin goes out-of-control they only spiral into the pit of despair from there. I'm not sure how we can get you to regain control."

"I feel fine now," I lied. I wanted to get out of this musty cave.

Y/n's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing through the darkness. "Fine?" she repeated, her voice laced with skepticism. "You call this fine? Look around you, Xaden. Look at what you've done."

I followed her gaze, my heart sinking as I took in the devastation around us. The cave was littered with remnants of the battle—broken stone, scorched earth, and the lingering stench of blood. My chest tightened with guilt, the weight of my actions crushing me with every passing moment.

Y/n approached me, her expression softening slightly. "Listen, Xaden," she said, her tone gentler now. "I know you're struggling, but we need to find a way to bring you back from the edge. We can't afford to lose you to the darkness."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I want to control it," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be consumed by this...this darkness."

Y/n reached out, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. "Then we'll find a way," she said firmly. "Together."

My breathing steadied, "You can release me now. I promise that I'm alright."

"Yeah no," She gave a meek laugh. "The second you're released from here you'll start with me, and then end up killing not only every Venin, but every person in Navarre. We may have lost the battle there once they got the wards back up, but now that Violet, their precious scribe, is gone we'll be the winners in no time." She flipped her hair off her shoulder.

"So what? I'm just supposed to live here for the rest of my life?"

"If it wasn't for me, the rest of the Venin would've killed you already. The general has a bounty on your head. Corrupted Venin have no limits."

My heart sank at her words, the gravity of my situation settling over me like a suffocating shroud. Trapped in this desolate cave, chained and powerless, I was at the mercy of Y/n and the darkness that threatened to consume me. The thought of spending the rest of my days imprisoned in this hellish existence filled me with a sense of despair unlike anything I had ever known.

But as Y/n spoke of the bounty on my head, a spark of defiance ignited within me. I couldn't let fear dictate my fate—I needed to fight back, to reclaim control over my destiny. Steeling myself, I met Y/n's gaze with a newfound determination.

"I won't let them win," I declared, my voice trembling with resolve. "I won't let this darkness consume me. There has to be a way to break free from its grip, to find redemption."

Y/n regarded me with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity, her expression unreadable. "And just how do you propose we do that?"

I clenched my fists, determination coursing through my veins. "We find a way to harness the darkness," I said, my voice steady. "We use it to our advantage, to defeat our enemies and reclaim our freedom. Together, we can rise above this darkness and emerge stronger than ever."

Y/n studied me for a moment, her gaze searching mine for any sign of doubt. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Alright, Xaden," she said, her voice tinged with reluctant admiration. "Let's find a way to turn this darkness into our greatest weapon."

"Let's get an imbuing stone," My mind raced with ideas. "Or a rune, to help me control this power."

"It could work..." She smiled. I like that idea. We're going to get you out of this Xaden, and like I said before, we're in this together."

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857 Words! I really hope that you enjoyed this three-part mini series. I left it on a bit of a cliffhanger to leave it up to the readers imagination since I don't want to do a fourth part. This is supposed to be a one-shot AU, after all. I'll be posting again soon with some of the ideas from the vote section, I think maybe the Garrick and Imogen one but we'll see. Aurora out for now. :)