Endless Enchantment: Secret Of Shadowvale

CHAPTER-14-LUCIUS {PART-1}

"lucius!!" Viana's scream cuts through the air as Tristan holds her down. 

48 HOURS AGO~

VIANA'S POV~

I take a slow breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on me as my hand hovers over the polished brass handle. The light from the hallway reflects off it, casting a faint gleam against the uncertainty in my chest. Lucius protected me when I needed it most, and I haven't properly thanked him yet. Apologies have never come easy to me, but I owe him this one.

I knock.

The door opens a crack, the warmth of the room spilling out to meet me. The moment I step in, my words die in my throat.

Adriana stands in front of me.

She's like nothing I've ever seen—too perfect, glowing almost unnaturally in the golden light of the suite. But it's not just her beauty that arrests me. Her eyes—those eyes—hold a depth that feels as though they can see through me, past all my layers. She doesn't just look at me; she knows me.

"Viana?" Her voice carries disbelief, laced with something more.

I blink, confusion overtaking me. "You... know me?"

She steps closer, the movement slow, hesitant. "Of course, I do. It's been a long time."

Her words throw me off balance, stirring something deep inside me. I've never met her before. Or at least, I'm sure I haven't. But there's something too familiar about her presence. Like an old memory, one I can't place.

Adriana watches me carefully, then gestures towards the room. "Come. There's someone you need to see."

I follow her through the suite, my heart racing for reasons I don't fully understand. When we reach the bed, the sight of Zaphyra knocks the breath from me.

Zaphyra is lying motionless, her skin unnaturally pale. Her chest rises and falls in shallow, uneven breaths. Her scars tell their own painful story, but the fragile woman before me is not the same warrior I know. She looks broken—too broken.

"Zaphyra," Adriana whispers, sitting next to her, her voice soft, tender in a way that makes my chest tighten.

I rush forward, my hand finding Zaphyra's. Her skin is cold, lifeless almost. "Zaphyra," I whisper, heart in my throat. "It's me. I'm here."

Zaphyra's eyes flicker open, glazed and unfocused. She tries to speak, but no sound comes, only a tear slipping down her cheek.

I take her hand, brushing her hair from her face. "You don't have to talk, Zaphyra. Just rest."

Adriana touches my shoulder lightly. "She's remembering things—fragments of the past. It's too much for her to hold onto."

Before I can ask more, Zaphyra's body jerks violently. Her back arches off the bed, and a low, guttural cry escapes her lips. Her hands claw at the sheets, pulling at the fabric as if she's fighting something unseen.

"Adriana!" I shout, panic rising as I try to steady Zaphyra's trembling body.

Adriana rushes to the door, opening it just as Lucius and Tristan enter. Lucius's calm presence fills the room, and Tristan moves in quickly to help, but I can barely focus on anything except Zaphyra's writhing form.

"Help me!" I beg, my voice breaking as I try to hold Zaphyra still.

Lucius is already kneeling by the bed. "Tristan, hold her gently. Viana, step back."

"No!" I refuse to let go of Zaphyra's hand. "She needs me!"

Lucius doesn't argue. He places both his hands on Zaphyra's forehead, and a faint golden light begins to pulse from his palms, spreading over her skin. The spasms slowly begin to subside, and Zaphyra's body relaxes, the violent shaking coming to an abrupt halt.

When the room falls silent, Lucius stands, adjusting his coat. Zaphyra lies motionless, her breath steady but shallow.

"Is she going to be okay?" I ask, my voice thick with worry.

Adriana brushes Zaphyra's hair from her face, her eyes dark with sorrow. "She remembers... darkness. A mist. That's all she can recall."

I'm about to ask more when my eyes catch the faint shimmer of something—something red—on Lucius's hand. The Red Ring.

It's the same ring I've seen him wear before, but now, there's a strange energy surrounding it. A deep, undeniable pull. It's like the room shifts slightly, like the air grows heavier.

Before I can speak, Lucius turns to Adriana. "I'll be back shortly. Stay with her."

As they leave, the door closing softly behind them, Adriana's gaze lingers on the Red Ring. Her face is pale, as though she's seen something she wishes she hadn't.

"Viana," she says quietly, her voice strained. "That ring—it's dangerous. And it's not supposed to be with him."

A cold shiver runs down my spine. "What do you mean?"

Adriana doesn't answer right away. Instead, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small, old pouch. Inside is a ring. A ring that gleams with a faint, unsettling light. It's not the Golden Ring, but the weight of it feels just as powerful.

"This ring..." Adriana's voice falters. "This is the key to what's happening. Zaphyra is connected to it—she always has been."

I stare at the ring in her hand, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to form a picture I don't want to see. But before I can speak, Adriana continues, her voice barely a whisper.

"The Red Ring isn't just a ring of power. It's the ring of control  and Lucius has lost total hold of it recently. This ring is playing with his mind. Showing him nightmares from his past. And when Lucius uses the ring... he's controlling Zaphyra's pain. It's feeding off of her. And worse..."

I swallow hard. "What?"

Adriana meets my gaze, her eyes dark with fear. "The ring corrupts the wearer. Lucius isn't the same anymore. He's been using the Red Ring to suppress his own darkness. But now it's too late. He's losing himself. And with him... Zaphyra. He doesn't even realize that he's slowly destroying her."

My world tilts on its axis. Lucius isn't just wearing a powerful ring—he's being consumed by it. And it's taking Zaphyra with it.

I can't breathe. "What do we do?"

Adriana's voice is low, resigned. "I don't know. But we have to stop him. Before it's too late."

And suddenly, I realize that the true fight isn't just against the rings, or the forces pulling us all under. It's against the man I thought I knew. And if we're not careful, the darkness will consume us all.