Cursed By Fate

escape

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Chapter [X+6]: The Shadow's Escape

Aria staggered through the empty halls, her mind spinning with the weight of what she had seen. The encounter with Ryker’s mother haunted her, but more than that, the shadow’s taunting words echoed in her head, thick and venomous.

"If you tell Ryker," the shadow whispered, its voice seeping into her thoughts like a poison, "how do you think he will feel? His mother, the one person he trusts, betraying him... It will break him. Do you really want to ruin him like that?" Its laugh was cruel, echoing through her mind, growing louder with each step she took.

Aria clenched her fists, wanting to scream, to fight the shadow's hold over her. But it was there, ever-present, waiting for the moment she would crumble. She stumbled into her room, closing the door behind her. For a moment, she was alone, the shadow's voice fading into the darkness.

But that peace would not last.

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Far below the castle, in the dungeons, a different kind of darkness stirred. The shadow that had once taunted Aria now slithered through the air, finding a new target: the man imprisoned deep within the stone walls, bound by chains that could barely contain his rage.

His body was broken, but his mind was sharp. The months of isolation had done little to dull the fire in his eyes. He sat in silence, chained to the wall, the weight of the iron digging into his wrists. But he was not alone. The shadow circled him, unseen but felt, its presence like ice in the air.

"They left you here to die," it whispered, its voice soft and insidious. "Forgotten. Abandoned. But I can give you the power to break free... the power to reclaim what is yours."

The prisoner’s head lifted slightly, his eyes narrowing. He had heard whispers before, but never like this—never something that felt so real, so alive. The shadow's voice became stronger, feeding off his anger, twisting his thoughts.

"Embrace me," it urged, "and no one will be able to stop you. Not the guards... not even the prince."

At first, the man resisted, shaking his head as if to banish the voice. But the shadow was patient, relentless. It could feel his mind weakening, could feel the anger and hatred festering inside him.

"You want this," the shadow pressed, swirling around him like a storm. "You want to be free. You want revenge."

The prisoner’s heart raced, his breathing shallow. The shadow’s words sank into his soul, and with a final, desperate gasp, he let go. He surrendered to the darkness.

Instantly, power surged through his veins, an overwhelming force that shattered the chains binding him. The iron links snapped, clattering to the floor like broken bones. He stood, his limbs aching, but his eyes glowing with newfound strength.

The guards outside heard the commotion and rushed toward the cell. The door swung open, and the first guard stepped in, sword drawn. But he was too late. The prisoner moved with lightning speed, his fist connecting with the guard’s chest before the man could react. There was a sickening crunch as ribs shattered under the force of the blow, and the guard collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.

The other guards surged forward, but they were no match for the shadow-fueled prisoner. He fought with a fury that bordered on madness, his fists breaking bones, the shadow twisting around him like a cloak, guiding his every move. One guard swung his sword, but the shadow deflected it, wrapping around the blade and snapping it in two.

The guards' shouts filled the air, but it was hopeless. They fell one by one, their bodies crumpling to the floor in a bloody heap. The last guard, trembling in fear, dropped his weapon and backed away. “Please... I have a family,” he whispered, his voice shaking.

The prisoner stood over him, his face expressionless, his eyes burning with cold, merciless fire. The shadow’s voice whispered in his ear, urging him on. "No mercy. No weakness."

With a single strike, the guard’s life was snuffed out, his body joining the others in the blood-soaked cell.

The prisoner stood still for a moment, breathing heavily, the taste of blood and death thick in the air. His chest heaved, the shadow's power thrumming through him like a heartbeat. He was free now, free to unleash the chaos that had been building inside him for so long.

"Go," the shadow commanded, its voice a dark hiss in his ear. "There is more to do. The castle waits... and so does the prince."

Without a word, the prisoner stepped over the bodies of the fallen guards and walked toward the exit. The heavy iron doors that had once kept him imprisoned now swung open with ease, the shadows curling at his feet, eager to spread their terror.

The night outside was dark and cold, but to the prisoner, it was a welcoming void. The shadow had given him power, and he would use it. There was no turning back now.

He was a weapon of the darkness, and the world would soon know his wrath.

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