Lyria's POV
Pain.
That was the first thing I felt. A dull ache spread through my entire body, as if I had slept in an unnatural position for far too long.
I slowly opened my eyes. For a moment, I couldn't see anything. Only darkness. I blinked several times. Nothing changed. My heart skipped a beat.
Where…?
After several seconds, my eyes finally began adjusting to the darkness surrounding me. Shapes slowly emerged from the shadows.
Cold stone walls. A stone floor. A small room. No windows. Only a single metal door. I stared blankly. Confused. Disoriented. Then I let out a nervous laugh.
"Am I dreaming?"
Surely that was it. It had to be. My voice sounded weak. The last thing I remembered was going to sleep. There was no way I had somehow ended up in a place like this.
I tried to move. And immediately froze. My body refused to follow. My brows furrowed.
"What?"
I tried again. Nothing. A metallic sound echoed through the room.
Clink.
My eyes widened. Slowly, I lifted my head. Chains!. My wrists were bound above me by heavy iron shackles.
For a moment my mind went completely blank. Then panic hit me. I immediately pulled against them hard. The chains rattled violently. Pain shot through my wrists.
I gasped. But the chains didn't move even a fraction. Panic surged through me.
"No…"
I pulled harder. Again. And again. The chains remained unbroken. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I twisted my wrists desperately, trying to slip free. Trying to loosen them. Trying anything. Nothing worked.
The cold metal bit into my skin. Soon I felt warmth running down my arms. My wrists were bleeding. The pain became unbearable. My breaths turned uneven. Rapid. Shallow. I felt as though the walls were closing around me.
"No…"I pulled again. "No!" The chains answered with another cruel rattle. "What is happening?!" My voice echoed across the room. "Where am I?!"
No answer came. Only silence. A terrible silence. My chest tightened.
I forced mana through my body instinctively. Trying to activate healing magic. Trying to repair my injured wrists. Nothing happened. My eyes widened. I tried again. Still nothing. I gritted my teeth and focused harder.
Nothing. Not even the faintest response. Fear crawled down my spine. Slowly, I lowered my gaze toward the shackles. Even in the darkness, I could see faint lines carved into the metal.
Runes. Hundreds of tiny runes. My blood ran cold. Mana suppression. The realization hit me immediately. Whoever had brought me here knew exactly what they were doing.
These weren't ordinary restraints. They had been made specifically to imprison .
I struggled several more times. Desperately. Furiously. Refusing to accept reality. But eventually my strength faded.
My arms trembled. My shoulders ached. My wrists burned. Finally, I stopped fighting. My head hung low. I could hear my own breathing. Fast and Panicked.
"No…"
I whispered. I closed my eyes. I had to calm down. I had to. Panic always led to mistakes. That was something I had learned since childhood. A ruler who allowed fear to control them would only make poor decisions.
I slowly inhaled. Then exhaled. Again. And again. Gradually, my heartbeat began slowing. The panic remained. But it no longer controlled me.
I opened my eyes. And forced myself to think. One step at a time.
First This was real. I wasn't dreaming.
Second I had been kidnapped. There was no other explanation.
Third Someone had gone through significant effort to prepare this place. The runes. The chains. The isolated room. Everything had been planned.
I lowered my head and began retracing my memories. What happened last night? After the banquet…We had gathered in the Duke's office. We discussed Cassian. Discussed how to capture him. How to avoid civilian casualties. How to move against him before he could react.
I remembered feeling exhausted. The banquet itself had drained me. Afterward, I returned to my room. Raven had escorted me there. A small smile almost appeared on my lips at the memory.
She always did. No matter how late it was. No matter how unnecessary it seemed. She always made sure I reached my room safely. I remembered standing at my door. I remembered wishing her good night.
Then I went to My bed. And then—Nothing.
I frowned. No sounds. No struggle. No memories. No interruption. It was as though my consciousness had simply ended and resumed here.
That didn't make sense. Someone had taken me while I slept. But how? The palace was heavily guarded. The Duke's residence wasn't a place anyone could simply walk into.
And even if someone had entered…Wouldn't Raven have noticed? The thought made my stomach tighten.
No.
She would have noticed. Unless…My eyes widened. Unless whoever did this never entered through ordinary means.
A face appeared in my mind. Red hair. Confident smile. Cold eyes. Cassian Orion.
My hands slowly clenched. "I'm sure of it."The words escaped my lips quietly. "It was you."
Everything pointed toward him. His identity had been exposed. We were planning to move against him today.
And now I was gone. Kidnapped before dawn. It couldn't be a coincidence. But one question remained.
How?
How had he entered my room? How had he taken me without waking me? How had he bypassed Raven? And how did he know that we were going to attack and arrest him?
I remembered something Henry had said. The ancient book. The forbidden magic. The power that transformed humans into monsters.
And suddenly a terrible realization settled over me. We still didn't understand the full extent of Cassian's abilities.
A shiver ran through my body. If he could transform people into monsters…What else could he do?
The room felt colder. The darkness deeper. I looked toward the only door. Silent. Unmoving. Just like a predator.
I swallowed hard. Somewhere beyond that door was the answer. And perhaps the person responsible for all of this.
I only hoped…That Raven had already discovered I was missing. Because if there was one person in this world capable of finding me no matter where I was—It was her.
The thought brought a small spark of comfort to my frightened heart. I closed my eyes briefly. Holding onto that hope.
Then suddenly—A metallic click echoed from beyond the door. My eyes snapped open. Every muscle in my body tensed. Someone was coming.
I immediately lifted my head.
A thin line of light appeared before the heavy iron door slowly swung inward. For a moment, all I could see was a silhouette standing in the doorway. Tall. Motionless. Watching me.
My heartbeat quickened.
Then the figure stepped forward. The dim light from the corridor finally illuminated his face.
Cassian Orion.
My stomach dropped. Of course، I knew it. The man responsible for everything. The nightmare that had consumed Velmora.
He approached calmly as though he were visiting an old friend. As though I wasn't chained inside a prison. As though he hadn't kidnapped me. In one hand he carried a tray. Food. Water.
My fingers curled into fists.
He stopped a few steps away and smiled. That same smile. The one that never reached his eyes.
"Good morning, Princess Lyria."
I stared at him in silence. My gaze cold. Furious.
His smile widened and glanced toward the wall as though checking the time. "You slept much longer than I expected."
He placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "I must apologize." His voice was smooth. Almost pleasant. Which somehow made it even worse.
"I used a sleeping spell when I took you from the palace." A laugh escaped him. "I didn't realize it would affect you quite so strongly."
He bowed slightly. The gesture felt like mockery. "So I sincerely apologize."
My jaw tightened. Every word coming from his mouth made me want to scream. Or hit him.
Cassian placed the tray on the floor in front of me. There was bread. Meat. Water. Even fruit. As though he were a considerate host. As though this were some sort of visit.
"As angry as you are, you must be hungry."He stepped back and gestured toward the tray. "Eat." Then he smiled again." Afterward you may ask me anything you wish." His grin sharpened. "And I promise I'll answer honestly."
I didn't believe a single word.
Cassian slipped both hands into his pockets. "Now if you'll excuse me…" He turned toward the door. "I have work to do."
Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.
He paused.Then added casually: "There are a few insects I need to crush."
My heart skipped a beat.
"What?"
Cassian stopped. Slowly turning his head toward me.The smile on his face looked almost delighted. Like he had been waiting for me to ask.
"What do you mean?" Concern slipped into my voice despite my efforts. "What insects?"
Cassian chuckled. "Oh." His eyes gleamed. "I mean your friends, The Duke and his family. And that knight of yours and of course." his smile widened. "Your rude little guard."
My blood ran cold. No. No. No.
Cassian laughed softly. "I have a very large army of monsters waiting for my command. I've already ordered them to attack the city."
My breathing stopped.
"And the Ducal Palace."
"No…"
"I instructed them to kill everyone they find." His eyes locked onto mine. Every word deliberate. Every word cruel. "And as for your guard …"
My entire body froze.
Cassian's smile became monstrous. "I specifically ordered them to tear her apart. And if possible…" His voice dropped. "I would very much like her head brought to me."
The room spun. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. For a moment all I could see was Raven. Standing beside me. Protecting me. Smiling faintly. Telling me everything would be fine. and now she will die because of me.
A violent tremor ran through my body.
Cassian looked pleased. Like he was enjoying every second. "There won't be anyone left searching for you."
My hands shook.
"You monster."
Cassian laughed. The sound made my skin crawl.
Then he turned and walked toward the door. Before leaving, he stopped beside my chains. A brief pulse of mana flashed through his fingers. One of the restraints loosened slightly. The chain attached to my right wrist extended. Just enough for me to reach the tray.
"There." He smiled. "Now you can eat."
The door began closing. I stared at him. Hatred burning inside my chest.
Then I grabbed the tray. And hurled it with every ounce of strength I had. The metal crashed against the door. Food scattered across the floor. Water splashed across the stone.
"No!"
I pulled violently against the chains. The shackles dug into my wrists. Fresh blood appeared. Pain shot through my arms. I ignored it.
"No!"
I pulled again. Harder. The chains rattled. But remained intact. My breathing became ragged.
"I have to get out." Another pull. Another burst of pain. "I have to warn them."
Again.
Again.
Again.
Blood dripped down my arms. I didn't stop. "He'll kill them." My voice cracked. "He'll kill everyone."
The thought alone made my chest hurt. I collapsed onto my knees. Breathing heavily. My arms trembling.
Then suddenly—My fingers brushed against something beneath my collar. The necklace. My eyes widened. The necklace Raven had given me. Hope surged through me. Quickly, desperately, I grabbed it.
"Please…"
I pushed mana toward it. Nothing happened. The suppression runes blocked everything. I gritted my teeth. Trying harder. More mana. More force.
Nothing. Not even a spark. The necklace remained silent. My hope shattered.
"No…"
The chains were suppressing every drop of mana I possessed. The necklace might as well have been an ordinary piece of jewelry.
My hands trembled. I lowered my head. For the first time since waking up, tears began sliding down my cheeks.
Hot.
Helpless.
Painful.
I hated this feeling. I hated being powerless. I hated sitting here while everyone I cared about was in danger.
I clenched the necklace against my chest. As though it were the only thing keeping me together. A sob escaped my throat. And in the darkness, with no one there to hear me, I whispered the only prayer I could.
"Raven…" More tears fell. "Please…" My voice shook. "Please protect them. Please protect everyone."
I prayed. Not for myself. But for the people waiting beyond these walls. For the people I loved. And most of all…For the woman I trusted more than anyone else in this world. Please stay alive. Please.
I had lost track of time. Hours. Maybe longer. In this place, there was no sunlight. No windows. No way to know whether it was day or night. Only darkness.
I sat curled against the wall, my knees pulled tightly to my chest. One hand was wrapped around my legs while the other remained chained above me.
The stone floor stole the warmth from my body. My wrists throbbed. My eyes burned. At some point, I had stopped crying. Not because I had become stronger. But because I simply had no tears left.
I hated this. I hated being trapped. I hated being powerless. Most of all, I hated not knowing what was happening outside these walls.
Every terrible possibility kept replaying inside my head. Were the monsters attacking Velmora? Was the Duke alive? Were Kalina and Kara safe? And Raven…
My chest tightened painfully. Was she safe? Or had Malvias been telling the truth?
I squeezed my eyes shut. No. I refused to believe it. Raven wasn't someone who would die so easily. She couldn't. She wouldn't.
Suddenly—
Click.
The door opened.
My eyes snapped toward the sound. Light spilled into the room. A figure entered.
Malvias. He carried a chair this time. He walked calmly to the center of the room and placed it down. Then sat. One leg crossing over the other. Completely relaxed.
A smirk appeared on his face. "Look at you."
His eyes slowly traveled over my appearance. The dried tears. The blood on my wrists. The exhaustion.
"Your eyes are red from crying."
I said nothing. I only stared at him. If looks could kill, he would already be dead.
Malvias seemed amused by my silence. He leaned back in his chair. Then glanced around the room. "Do you know what this place is?" His smile widened. "I'll take that as a no."
He tapped the armrest casually. "This room is quite special." His voice carried a strange pride. "It was designed to erase mana signatures."
"Mana enters this room and disappears." His eyes gleamed. "No tracking. No detection. No magical searches. Nothing."
"The most powerful mages in the world could stand directly above us and never know we were here." His gaze drifted to the necklace around my neck. "That little necklace won't help you here."
He smiled. "So it would be best not to raise your hopes." His voice softened. Almost pitying. "No one is coming for you."
I looked directly into his eyes. Then answered without hesitation. "Raven will find me."
For the first time, he laughed. Loud. Cruel. The sound echoed through the room. "I admire your confidence." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "You place an incredible amount of faith in your guard."
"Because she's worth trusting." The answer left my mouth instantly. Without hesitation.
Malvias's amusement grew. "Trust." He repeated the word slowly. As though it were something foreign.
"What if she fails? What if she's already dead?"
My stomach twisted.
"What if your beloved guard never finds you?"
Beloved.For a split second, my expression betrayed me.
And Malvias saw it. His smile widened. Slowly. Predatorily. "Oh." His eyes sparkled with amusement. " that's interesting."
Malvias leaned forward. "You love her."
Heat rushed to my face. Not embarrassment. Fury. Pure fury.
Malvias burst into laughter. Louder than before. "The Crown Princess of Aurelia." He placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "In love with her guard." He shook his head. "How wonderfully inconvenient."
"Shut up." My voice came out sharper than I intended.
His grin only widened. "Oh, this is priceless."
I wanted to hit him. I wanted to wipe that smile from his face. But all I could do was glare.
Eventually, his laughter faded. He adjusted his posture. Straightened slightly. "Well." His tone became calmer. "Enough about your romantic troubles."
I hated him. Gods, I hated him.
Malvias crossed his arms. "Let's speak seriously." The amusement vanished from his face. "I made you a promise." His eyes locked onto mine. "I said I would answer your questions honestly."
The room fell silent for a while Then he spread his arms. "So ask. Anything."
I stared at him. Thinking. There were hundreds of questions.
Why the disappearances?
Why the monsters?
Why the murders?
Why Velmora?
Why innocent people?
Why any of this?
But one question mattered more than all the others.
I lifted my head. "I know you aren't planning to kill me."
His eyebrow. "Oh?" Malvias's smile returned.
I clenched my fist. "Then tell me." I forced myself to meet his gaze. "Why did you kidnap me?"
For a moment—The room became completely silent.
Malvias's smile disappeared. His eyes narrowed slightly. As though considering how much to reveal. Then he sighed. Almost disappointed. " And what makes you so sure that I didn't bring you here to kill you?"
"If you really wanted me dead, you wouldn't have kidnapped me in the first place; you would have let me die with everyone else."
He looked at me silently for several seconds and then said with a smile, "I knew you were intelligent, but it seems you're even more perceptive than I expected. yes, you're right, I won't kill you, yet , because I have other plans for you." His eyes gleamed, " you are a very valuable piece for my plans."
Every instinct in my body screamed danger , but I have to stay calm and keep my mind focused . " Plans, and what are these plans?"
Malvias said with a smirk , "Don't worry, we'll get to that part, but first I'll tell you why I've been doing all this from the beginning."
Malvias spoke calmly. "I was born with nothing." His voice echoed through the cold room.
"No title. No land. No influence." He spread his arms slightly. "Everything I own, I built with my own hands."
For a brief moment, there was something genuine in his expression. Not regret. But pride. The pride of a man who had clawed his way upward through sheer determination.
Then his expression darkened. "Yet no matter how successful I became, there were always doors closed to me."
His eyes hardened. "Because I wasn't born noble." A bitter laugh escaped him. "Do you know how many times I was looked down upon by people who inherited everything?"
His fingers tightened against the armrest. "People with half my intelligence. Half my ambition. Half my discipline." His voice grew colder with every word. "But because they possessed the correct surname, they stood above me."
I remained silent. Watching him. Listening. Trying to understand how a man could justify so much suffering.
Malvias leaned back.Crossing one leg over the other. "So I decided to change that." A small ,dangerous smile returned. "I decided that nobody would ever look down on me again."
His eyes gleamed. "I needed to become stronger than all of them. Stronger than the nobles. Stronger than the council. Strongest in Velmora." He paused. Then smiled. "I needed to become the Duke."
A chill ran through me.
"But for that to happen…" His smile widened. "The current Duke needed to die first."
The way he said it made my stomach twist. As though planning a murder was nothing more than moving a piece across a game board.
"So I needed a plan. A perfect plan. A plan nobody could stop."
Slowly, Malvias reached into his coat. When his hand emerged, he was holding something. A book. An old black book.
The moment I saw it, my breath caught.
The air in the room changed. No. It felt wrong. Heavy. Oppressive. As though the darkness itself was leaking from its pages.
The hairs on my arms stood up. My stomach churned. A wave of nausea hit me, Even from several meters away, I could feel it.
Something inside that book was deeply unnatural.
Malvias noticed my reaction. His smile widened. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
I stared at it.
His laugh echoed through the room. He ran a hand across the ancient cover. "Fortunately for me, I found it during a business trip to Eldoria."
"Found it?"
"Well…" He shrugged. "Perhaps given is the better word."
"Given by whom?"
Malvias's expression turned thoughtful. "As strange as it sounds…I don't know."
I blinked.
"What?"
He leaned back. "There was an old woman. She owned a small stall in one of Eldoria's lower districts. She sold junk. Broken trinkets. Old coins. Worthless scraps."
His eyes drifted toward the ceiling. "As I walked past her stall, she called out to me." A strange smile crossed his face. "She said she could see the future."
I immediately felt uneasy.
"She told me that I desired power. She told me I would need it. And then she handed me this book."
My gaze shifted toward the dark tome.
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." He laughed. "Naturally, I thought she was trying to trick me. But she never asked for money."
His fingers tapped against the cover. "She only smiled. And told me she hoped I succeeded my task."
Silence settled between us.
I didn't know why. But something about that story frightened me more than the book itself.
"Who was she?"
Malvias shrugged. "I never saw her again."
The answer only made me more uneasy.
He looked down at the book. "Perhaps I was lucky." His smile returned. "Or perhaps the gods themselves decided to reward my ambition."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Reward?" I whispered.
Malvias nodded. "Of course." He gestured around himself. "Look how far I've come. Everything happened exactly as I needed it to."
My disgust deepened. This wasn't ambition anymore. This was madness.
Malvias continued. "I deserve the title of Duke." His voice became firm. "I am more qualified than the current Duke. I have more vision. More intelligence. More determination."
His eyes gleamed. "Once Velmora belongs to me, I will expand it. I will strengthen it."
"I will make it independent from Aurelia." A dangerous excitement entered his voice. "And then…I will become its king."
I stared at him. Unable to believe what I was hearing. "Do you truly believe nobody will stop you?"
Malvias smiled. A cruel smile. "With the power I possess now?" He raised the black book slightly. "No. No one can stop me."
His confidence was terrifying.
I clenched my fists. "You are wrong."
His eyebrow rose.
"Oh?"
"People will stop you." My voice shook slightly. "The Duke will stop you. Kalina will stop you. Kara will stop you." I looked directly into his eyes. "And Raven will stop you."
For the first time, something flickered across his face. Annoyance. Only for a second. But I saw it. Then it vanished.
His smile returned. "Perhaps." He waved a hand dismissively. "But enough interruptions if you want to hear the whole story. and Let me finish."
I wanted to scream at him. To tell him how many lives he had destroyed. But I forced myself to remain silent. The more he spoke, the more he revealed.
Malvias nodded approvingly. "Good." Then he continued.
"After obtaining this book, everything became easy." His fingers traced the dark cover lovingly.
"My plan was simple. I would build my own army. An army stronger than any soldiers. Stronger than knights. Stronger than monsters."
His smile widened. "I would take the strongest people I could find. Then transform them. Remove their free will. Erase their resistance. And make them loyal only to me."
His voice was calm. As though discussing a business investment. Not human lives.
I remembered Henry. Remembered the fear in his eyes. The horror in his voice. I remembered him describing being trapped inside a monster's body. Able to see. Able to hear. Unable to control himself. A chill ran down my spine.
Malvias continued. "Then I would unleash chaos."
"Disappearances."
"Murders."
"Monster attacks."
"Panic."
"Fear."
His smile widened further. "The city would descend into disorder. And eventually…" His voice became almost cheerful. "The Duke and his family would die During a monster attack."
My blood boiled. "As would many civilians."
He shrugged. "A regrettable necessity."
The word nearly made me choke.
"And then…" He stood. Raising his arms dramatically. "I would save them."
The room echoed with his laughter.
"I would appear as the hero. The man who defeated the monsters. The man who saved Velmora. The man who restored peace."
His eyes gleamed with triumph. "And after that…There would be only one logical choice. I would become Duke."
My hands trembled. From rage. I stared at him.
At the man who had murdered innocent people. Destroyed families. Turned human beings into monsters. All for power. All for a title. All for his own pride.
"And what about the people you killed?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
Malvias looked at me. "What about them?"
I felt sick.
"What about the innocent people who died? What about those who suffered?, What about everyone whose lives you destroyed?, And what about those who are still trapped inside monsters?"
For a moment, Malvias simply stared at me. Then a cold smile appeared on his lips.
"Do you think history is written by good people, Princess?" His eyes became ice. "Every kingdom. Every empire. Every throne." He tapped the black book once. "Was built upon sacrifices."
A shiver ran through my entire body, I felt sick. "You call them sacrifices, I call them victims."
For the first time, genuine irritation appeared on his face. "You still don't understand."
"NO." I met his gaze. "You are the one who doesn't understand. You think strength gives you the right to decide who suffers. You think ambition excuses cruelty. You think people are tools." I could feel my heart pounding. Fear still lived inside me. But anger was stronger now.
Malvias's eyes narrowed. For a few seconds neither of us spoke. Then he laughed. "You sound exactly like a princess."
"And you sound exactly like a monster."
The smile disappeared from his face.
The room became Dangerously silent. Then he shrugged. " I am a monster who will achieve his goal no matter what, without caring about anyone."
I stared at him, trying to force my expression to remain steady even as my thoughts began to spiral.
Malvias looked at me and said, "But all my plans failed when the Duke decided to ask the King for aid. Honestly, I didn't expect him to ask the King for help so quickly. I thought I would finish everything in just a few days."
His gaze drifted toward the dim wall. "But he moved faster than I calculated."
"So you sent the beasts. And the assassins," I said, my voice sharpening. "To kill us before we even reached Velmora."
He shrugged again. "That was the plan. A princess and her guards die at the hands of monsters on their way to Velmora, Clean, efficient. No complications inside the city walls."
His eyes finally returned to mine. "But you survived. I didn't expect your guards to be that competent,They killed everyone . Even the best hunters in the city . Ten of them. Gone."
I swallowed, forcing myself not to look away. Then I asked the question that had been burning since I woke up.
" Our arrival in Velmora was a secret. Tell me how you found out about it?. Did Councilmember lady Cecilia tell you?"
At that, he laughed. "Lady Cecilia?" he repeated, almost fondly. "That poor woman. She likes me a lot , She thinks of me like a son since She has no children of her own. So she fills that emptiness with affection."
"In the evenings, I sit with her. She talks. About her day, her meetings, the palace affairs… everything." His fingers tapped lightly against the chair arm. "And eventually… she tells me things she shouldn't."
No, that couldn't be that easy.
I forced my voice to remain steady. "And you expect me to believe she's not involved in this?"
He tilted his head. "I told you," he said softly. "I only speak truth. Whether you believe it or not, I don't care."
Malvias rose from his chair and stepped behind it, casually resting his hands on its back as though we were discussing trade agreements instead of mass murder.
"Oh, now that I remember…" he said thoughtfully. "The old woman who gave me this book mentioned her name. Her name was Malith, She said she belonged to something called the Black Thorn Circle."
He shrugged.
"Not that it matters."
The name lodged itself firmly inside my mind. Malith . Black Thorn Circle. I repeated both names over and over in silence, desperately memorizing them. If I escaped…
No.
When I escaped. I would tell them everything.
Malvias slowly ran his fingers across the dark cover of the book. "As I was saying, Since your arrival in the city, my plan has gradually begun to fail.
He said without looking. "The men I placed to watch over you have died, and my monsters have started to disappear. I've learned that someone has turned them back into humans, and this has truly surprised me. I didn't know that someone could turn them back to humans."
The smile returned. " Therefore, I needed another plan, and at that time an idea and a better plan came to my mind: why become a duke and rule a small city , when I had a better option?."
" why become a duke." He spread his arms dramatically. His eyes gleamed with madness. "When I could become a king of Aurelia."
I stared at him unbelievably!, What does he mean by becoming king? Will he rise up against the kingdom of Aurelia with his army of monsters and seize the throne? Has he lost his mind or what?.
I said angrily, "Do you really believe you can easily obtain a throne just because you have an army of monsters?." My voice dripped with contempt. "The royal army will be waiting for you and will destroy you."
Malvias laughed. As though I had told a joke and He shook his head..
" OH Lyria, lyria."
The way he said my name made my skin crawl.
"Do you honestly think I would attack Aurelia to seize the throne when there is a much easier and more reliable way?"
A bad feeling settled in my stomach slowly like poison.
Malvias's smile widened. "And that is where you come in." His eyes locked onto mine. "Now you'll finally understand why I kidnapped you."
Malvias began pacing slowly across the room. "After my monsters has finished slaughter everyone in the Duke's palace, than I will arrive."
He placed a hand dramatically over his chest . " The heroic savior, and rescue you at the last possible moment from certain death and save the city from the monsters attack and kill all the monsters."
"I'll become Velmora's hero." His voice was growing increasingly excited. He stopped directly in front of me. "And then…You fall in love with me."
I was speechless and stared at him, stunned by his words.
Malvias continued. " After a few days we will return to Aurelia and you will introduce me to the king and queen, as your savior and lover." His eyes shone with ambition. "Of course, they will accept me because I saved their daughter and future queen."
I Still unable to believe what I was hearing.
"And eventually we announce our engagement. and with this I will have secured my position as king." Malvias spread his arms. His voice trembled with excitement. "After you give birth to an heir for me, I will not need you anymore and I will get rid of you."
A chill ran down my spine. Not because I was surprised. But because of how little emotion he showed while saying it.
Malvias lifted his head and laughed. A loud, triumphant laugh. " I'll stand above everyone." His eyes burned with greed. "No one will ever look down on me again." The laughter echoed through the room.
I started laughing too.
Malvias froze.
I couldn't stop. The absurdity of it all. The arrogance. The insanity. Tears gathered in my eyes as I laughed.
"You're serious." I shook my head. "Oh gods." I laughed harder. "You're actually serious."
Malvias's expression darkened.
I looked directly into his eyes. "You think I'd marry you?, You've completely lost your mind."
His jaw tightened.
The room became silent.
I leaned forward. Every ounce of disgust I felt poured into my voice. "Every time I look at you, I feel sick. To the point I want to kill you."
His eyes narrowed.
"And you think I'd marry you?"
I laughed again. Harshly and cruelly. "When I get out of here, I'll throw you into the darkest dungeon beneath the kingdom." My smile matched his own. "You'll never see sunlight again."
The last traces of amusement vanished from his face. For several seconds he simply stared at me. Expressionless.
Then he slowly approached. Until he was directly in front of me. He lowered himself. Our eyes met. His face was completely calm. "Don't worry princess. I already thought about that."
A knot formed in my stomach.
Malvias slowly raised the black book. The air around it seemed to distort. Darkness crawled along its edges. "This book contains many spells. But one in particular caught my attention."
He lovingly brushed his fingers across the cover. His eyes locked onto mine. "A spell , A beautiful spell . It allows complete control over another person."
Cold sweat ran down my neck. I genuinely forgot how to breathe. The room spun. My entire body froze.
Malvias's smile returned. Slowly and cruelly. "I'll wrap your heart in darkness. You'll obey every command. You'll love me."
I shook my head violently.
"No."
"You'll trust me."
"No."
"You'll belong to me."
"NO!"
My voice cracked. Panic exploded inside me. I pulled against the chains. The runes flashed. Pain shot through my wrists. Blood trickled down my skin.
Malvias laughed. The book opened by itself. Its pages began turning. One after another. As though an invisible wind was flipping through them. Dark energy spilled from between the pages.
The temperature dropped instantly. My entire body trembled. Because for the first time since waking up here…I truly understood. If nobody came for me…I would lose more than my freedom. I would lose myself.
Malvias stopped on a page. Black symbols glowed across the parchment. His smile widened. And then he looked directly into my eyes.
"Shall we begin, my future wife?"