Chapter 5: A Year of Shadows
In the "Shrine of Sin," the temperature plummeted, causing the frost to turn Victoria's tattered bridal gown a stark, ghostly white. Lucas had no desire to flee; he wanted her to witness the true extent of his power, yet he masked his presence slightly, sensing her paralyzing terror. As his energy surged, the air grew so cold it felt as though the atmosphere might shatter under the weight of the glowing seal. Once the immediate danger passed and Victoria regained her breath, she questioned him, "What was that? Why did the world freeze when you saw my fear?"
In response, Lucas allowed his true nature to manifest. His eyes burned with golden fire, and his hands trailed smoke like a living flame—a display that was as beautiful as it was lethal. He was no savior; he was a vengeful spirit, a shadow of the sweet and honest demon he had once been before the betrayal of his parents twisted his soul.
When Victoria's blood had reached the stone carving, her golden bracelet flared, seared a matching mark onto Lucas's chest. He kept one crucial fact secret: that mark made him her obedient servant, bound by an unbreakable vow to protect her. Victoria, however, watched him with deep suspicion. She realized she couldn't trust a creature who shrouded his past in mystery, and she wondered why he seemed to physically feel her sadness and terror.
"I have to run before he becomes my end," Victoria thought to herself.
"For five hundred years, I have been your shadow," Lucas answered, hearing her unspoken plea. "I have followed you to the riverbank, the palace, and the cell. You cannot run now." He explained that the contract was absolute: he was bound to her for a year or more as her shield and protector—essentially acting as her husband in the eyes of the old magic.
He stepped toward her, tilting her chin up to study her face, indifferent to her trembling. "Do not mistake me for a hero, Victoria," he warned, his eyes sparking with chaotic golden light. "I am the Prince of the Dark. I will keep you alive, but I cannot promise to keep you safe from the chaos that follows me. You summoned a demon, not a saint."
As the clatter of swords against the sanctuary walls echoed into their hiding spot, the guards closed in. While Victoria panicked, Lucas remained unshaken, staring at the door with a lethal, dark expression.
"Our year starts now," he whispered. "Shall I give them a reason to truly fear the dark?"
"Are you going to kill them?" Victoria asked, her voice tight with worry.
"Not really," Lucas replied smoothly. "I only want them to fear the dark."
When she asked what that meant, he decided to show her. He stretched out his hand, summoning a thick, suffocating smoke that carried no heat. He flung open the door, allowing the guards to glimpse his true demon form through the haze. Terrified, they broke into a frantic run, their screams of "Ah! Ah! Ah!" echoing down the halls. Lucas looked back at her and shrugged. "Just like that."
"It's not funny," Victoria whispered.
"Next time, I won't play with them," he warned, snapping his fingers to make the smoke vanish instantly.
The panicked guards reached their captain and told him what they had seen, but he refused to believe them, leading the entire unit back into the sanctuary. Lucas, using his supernatural vision, tracked their approach through the walls. He warned Victoria they were coming, but this time, she stood her ground. "Let me handle it," she said.
Lucas stepped back into the gloom. "Go for it. But remember—I am your shadow."
Victoria opened the door to the inner room and confronted the captain. When he claimed the Prince demanded her return, she remained defiant. "Go back and tell your king I cannot return," she declared. "I will only return once I have cleared my name."
The captain moved to take her by force, and Victoria retreated into the darkness where Lucas was waiting. He stepped forward to meet the men, the shadows of the room flowing behind him like a living cloak.
"A prisoner?" Lucas's voice was a low, powerful rumble that echoed from every wall. "You call a Queen a prisoner? Is that what you came for?"
The terrified captain tried to find his courage. "Who are you? Why are you hiding in the dark?"
"You want to see me, but you are not worthy to see me," Lucas replied.
"Step out now, you peasant!" the captain shouted.
"Peasant? You call *me* a peasant?" Lucas's laugh was cold. "You are standing in my house and you call me a peasant. Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Lucas stepped into the light, walking in predatory circles around the guards. His fingers danced with smoke that flickered like fire. With a single breath, he sent their weapons flying across the room as the air turned ice-cold and the light of the sun seemed to die. The guards froze in horror. One guard, Leo, begged the captain to leave, realizing Lucas wasn't human. But the captain refused, knowing that returning empty-handed to Prince Eric meant certain death.
"Who are you?" the captain asked again.
"I am the Prince of the Dark," Lucas answered. "And Victoria is my bride, bound by a contract signed in blood. And you want her? Calling her a prisoner?"
The captain realized who he was facing—the Prince of Darkness himself. Despite his terror, he drew a dagger and pointed it at Lucas. Leo screamed for him to stop, but it was too late. Lucas laughed, and the shadows obeyed his mirth, wrapping around the captain and suspending him in mid-air. As Lucas continued to laugh, the shadows shattered the floor and slammed the captain back and forth against the walls.
The other guards tried to flee, but the darkness ensnared them. Leo fell to his knees, pleading for mercy, explaining they were only servants following orders. Lucas looked at Victoria, noting that she remained safe in the center of the chaos.
"Let them go," Victoria pleaded.
"You said you didn't want to shed innocent blood," Lucas reminded her, looking at the terrified men. "These men serve a master who wants your head. They are not innocent, yet you want them saved?"
"Yes," she insisted. "I want them saved."
Lucas turned to the guards and commanded, "Run! Tell your Prince there is a new master in town. The heir has returned to the Shrine of Sin, and she is not alone!" With a wave of his hand, he sent the guards flying out of the house and into the open fields.
He turned back to Victoria and offered his hand. "Shall we find a place to stay?"
"What of the Shrine of Sin?" she asked, looking at the ancient room.
"The Shrine is a spirit," Lucas replied. "It goes wherever we go."