The Love Unbound

03. The Chronicles

Erebus' Pov

I paced across the balcony of my chamber, the view from here was so magnificent. The valley sprawled below, and at its distant edges, the forts stood tall. A surge of satisfaction filled my chest as I gazed upon the scene - this powerful, sprawling kingdom, this dark universe, will soon be mine. I will be its Lord. This sight has always fueled my ambitions, my dreams, and the drive that has sustained me through the years. And now, the time is near.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the air of my land, feeling the breeze brush against me. I could already see it - my kingdom, more prosperous than ever before, thriving under my rule. I would control my subjects, mold them to my will, and tame their defiance. The thought alone sent a wave of satisfaction through me. And this is just the beginning. Soon, I'll conquer the other kingdoms as well.

Unlike my father, Lord Moros, who cared more for the administration than expanding his domain, my ambitions far surpass his. He was content with his steady rule, but I am not bound by such small aspirations. My vision is vast - I will subdue every puny kingdom until only one all-powerful Lord remains in this world of darkness. That Lord will be me - Erebus, The Dark Knight. This is why my chamber faces the valley, only to to keep watch over the forts that will soon be mine.

(You can imagine the scene like this.)

With all these grand visions swirling in my mind, a sudden thought struck me. I've explored all these kingdoms, uncovered their secrets, but there's still one place that remains out of my reach - The Dark Passage. Just the thought of it is both refreshing and intriguing. Liora, too, seems captivated by it lately. And why wouldn't she be? As the path itself conceals many mystery that is now challenging my inner spirit to unravel it. And I must do it, as no mystery shall remain unsolved by me.

With this motive to finally uncover its mystery, I sneaked into the Lord's library. Yes, I admit that access to the library is only allowed to the Lord himself, but I couldn't resist the growing curiosity within me. After searching through the endless shelves relentlessly, something caught my eye. It was sparkling faintly from afar, its allure like a gold amidst the dust, and I unknowingly marched towards it. I took out that thick book with great care and blew the fine cover of dust beneath its allure was lying. The book seemed like a magic, it shined more with every passing minutes, and though it looked so thick, it was light like a feather.

I hold the book in both of my hand, and read the two words - The Chronicles.

My face lit up with excitement. I knew this was the book I had been searching for and I could feel the magic within its very pages. Suddenly, the book opened on its own, and my eyes fixed on the glowing page before me. The brightness was almost blinding, making my vision flicker. I squinted, adjusting to the light, and finally read the words written there:

Welcome, Lord, to a tale untold,
A magic within that's centuries old.
Change it brings, both light and dark,
Only a Lord can bear its mark.
Turn the page if you dare to proceed,
But must you know, it shapes all deeds.

The words, I must say, were beautifully crafted, like a riddle. Yet, I didn't dwell on their meaning and eagerly turned to the next pages. The book unfolded the history of the universe-how it came into being, why the two worlds were separated, and how distinct they were from one another. The contrast between these two worlds is stark, like poles apart. The World of Darkness is dominated by spirits, vampires, werewolves, and serpents, all ruled by human-like creatures called the Lunars-regarded as the most powerful and superior among them. In this realm, flowers do not bloom; instead, rubies and trapeziums flourish which are considered rare and precious in the other world. In the World of Hopes, commonly known as Earth, a diverse variety of animals, birds, and even humans reside.

With each turn of the page, my fascination deepened. There were endless intriguing facts about Earth, and my curiosity to visit it grew with every passing moment. Then came a section where the pages turned the color of ashes, and the book's glow began to fade. I leaned into the book, squinting to make out the now-fading text. The words weren't as clear as before, but there, in bold letters, stood a title that caught my breath-"The Dark Passage."

I flipped through the pages quickly, but the words were too faded to understand. Despite trying hard to decipher them, the only fragmented phrase I could make out was: "Connects the dark world to the one of hopes... but comes with trials... only the Lord..."

This was all I needed to grasp the true purpose of the Dark Passage and why it remained unknown to the common subjects. Regardless of the risks, I resolved to embark on this adventure, one that awaited only me. With my sword in hand, I set off towards the Dark Passage, ready to uncover its mysteries.

The Passage was very dark; I should have carried a fire torch so that the way could have been easier. There were some eerie sounds echoing in the passage, and it seemed that I had lost my way, but I continued on my path.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello, my lovely readers! 💖

Here's the third chapter of the book, and the moment is soon when Erebus will meet Asteria for the first time. That will be a short encounter, but is going to set the actual twist in the plot.

Don't forget to drop your thoughts and vote for this chapter if you enjoyed reading. Your feedback and support will really encourage me. 🌸

See you soon with the next update! 😉✨

Images are from Pinterest. Credit goes to their respective owners. ~~~