Court Of Shadows and Lies

51. Eyes of the Abyss

Tiberius’s shield wavered, the glow dimming each time darkness pulsed from Serene, who stood ensnared in a vicious spirit’s grasp. His expression twisted into a sinister smirk, one that felt alien on his face—a face I had known to be gentle, now menacing under this dark influence.

A hollow weight settled in my stomach, but I didn’t let it weaken me. Helpless didn’t mean hopeless, and I wouldn’t retreat. Not when I knew that the life I carried shielded me from the spirit’s wrath. I took a measured step forward, then another, narrowing the distance between us.

Serene’s face contorted, his eyes flashing as if his true self was clawing its way to the surface, struggling against the spirit’s relentless hold. “Stay… back,” he managed, his voice strained, raw with pain. “I don’t… I don’t want to hurt you…”

I held my ground, deliberate in keeping a slight distance, watching the tremors that racked his body. “Serene,” I called, my voice calm yet firm, pitched to cut through the chaos in his mind. “Listen to me. You are not the puppet of this spirit, this curse. Look at me.”

His gaze caught mine, and for a brief instant, I saw him. The flicker of who he was, fighting against the darkness tearing at him from within. I stepped forward, slow and deliberate, refusing to break eye contact. “This thing inside you—it doesn’t care. Not about anyone, not about you. But I know you, Serene… and I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” Another step. “You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

For a heartbeat, he stilled. His eyes widened, a flash of recognition as he looked around, as if truly seeing the room and the people within it for the first time. But then the spirit surged forward, wrenching him back, slamming his body against the wall. His head cracked against it with brutal force, leaving him gasping, blood trickling down his temple.

I stood firm, refusing to react to the violence. “You’re letting it win, Serene,” I said, my tone unwavering, piercing through the madness. “And if you give in, we both know how this ends. All of us—me and the people in here—we’re gone. You’ll lose everything.” I took another step, the gap between us narrowing with each calm, deliberate word. “Is that what you want?”

The words cut deep; I could see the anguish in his face. His hand moved, fingers twitching toward me as if reaching, his body aching to close the space between us. But the spirit fought back, forcing him to turn away, clutching his head, wracked with agony as he struggled to hold on.

I was close now, close enough that he could feel my presence without touch. My voice softened, each word intended to anchor him. “Look at me, Serene,” I urged, my tone gentle but unyielding. “You are stronger than this. You always have been. You’ve held on through so much… you don’t have to surrender now.”

He looked at me, his gaze full of raw vulnerability, barely clinging to himself, his expression a silent plea. And I saw it—the true Serene reaching out to me, his need for my voice, his desperation to break free from the darkness.

My heart clenched as I realised what I had to do. I had hoped that by drawing him out, the spirit would weaken, but I knew it wasn’t enough. I needed Kairan’s help—the Crown Prince, the only one with the power to end this.

Entrusting this to a mere child was unthinkable. But the Crown Prince of Valkathra, crowned at ten for a reason—he was worthy of such trust.

I shifted my stance, determination hardening within me as I turned back, my voice breaking through the tension. “Kairan, now!”

Without hesitation, Kairan launched the dagger with practiced precision. I caught it mid-air, my grip tightening as I took the final step forward. Looking into Serene’s eyes one last time, I saw a flicker of gratitude, a fleeting acceptance of what had to be done. And with unwavering resolve, I thrust the dagger into his chest, the blade sinking deep, striking at the heart of the spirit within.