Obsidian's Reign ¹

∷ Chapter 32 ∷

CLARA TILTED HER head questioningly at the demon seated before her. When they first met, she vividly remembered his hesitance in revealing his real name. Perhaps, he was afraid she might discover his true identity and the secret the Cain family kept buried.

After knowing who he was—the twin brother of Prince Adric—she had expected some form of anger to overtake her upon being so blatantly lied to. But she found herself feeling nothing of the sort. If anything, she was grateful for his unprecedented involvement in her life. If it wasn't for him, she would have long since been in the clutches of General Luther; a name she shuddered to think of.

When Celdric's cerulean eyes met hers, she smiled, one which he willingly returned. Their moment was abruptly interrupted by the prince who harboured a fierce scowl on his face as he regarded his brother with little to no patience.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, reiterating his unanswered question from earlier.

"I–" he started to say, turning towards the gathered group as a whole.

Just as his gaze shifted, however, it darkened almost immediately, altering the entire setting to bleakness. It came as a shock to him—the vision appearing out of nowhere—and he stumbled, aware that he must have fallen off the chair. He could hear Adric calling out for him, though the voice sounded soft and distant.

The darkness gave way a moment later and the scene shifted to one he knew only too well. Again, he saw Clara laughing and smiling as she glanced at the man by her side. As per the many times before, his face was hidden and unfocused, his features kept a secret. Just as Celdric expected the scene to shift after their happy union, however, the vision remained affixed on the two.

The seconds ticked by in unnerving anticipation until he noticed something odd—the longer the scene remained stationary and seemingly frozen, the clearer the man's features became.

At long last, the scene emerged in its clearest form, and Celdric found himself staring at the last person he'd thought the man's identity to be—Zephyr.

In their brief time together, Celdric had noticed the way the young demon lord would occasionally glance at Clara now and then, but he never assumed its root cause to be one of affection. If anything, wasn't it animosity he should feel towards her? Zephyr's abhorrence towards humans was a known fact amongst demonkind and his attitude towards Clara was odd, to say the least.

The vision reverted to dense oblivion as it panned back to the scene in which Clara was overcome with grief. The general's laughter filled Celdric's mind, followed soon after by a dull thud as Clara fell unconscious; the unmistakable sound of blood dripping off the general's fingers echoing on a repeated loop.

Alas, discerning the man's identity changed nothing.

Celdric felt himself go numb as the vision disappeared. He blinked repeatedly to rid of the darkness clouding his sight and soon found himself back in the real world.

"Did you have a vision?" Adric whispered, a slight urgency in his hushed tones.

Celdric nodded, a distinct frown on his face as he turned to face the other occupants of the room, his gaze straying to meet Zephyr's. He noted the way the young demon was standing off to the side, far from the princess and yet . . . He was situated in the best possible position to block her from any oncoming attacks should one occur.

The realisation unsettled him, especially since he'd heard the news of Clara's engagement to Jae. But perhaps the difference between his vision and the truth might bode well for those involved. If Clara does not end up with Zephyr as prophesied, she might yet live.