The moment Lucien unleashed his full power on the heart of the veil, the world around him erupted into chaos.
A surge of brilliant crimson light exploded from his hands, lancing through the blackened orb like a blade of vengeance. The dark heart let out an inhuman screech—a sound that echoed through every crevice of the veil. The chains binding Aria glowed red-hot, then shattered into dust, and she collapsed into his arms.
"Aria—Aria!" Lucien cradled her trembling body, brushing strands of hair away from her face. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed and filled with pain.
"You… came for me…" she whispered, her voice fragile as glass.
"I told you I would. No matter what."
But there was no time to savor the reunion.
The shattered remnants of the dark heart had not disappeared. They hovered in the air—thousands of black fragments—vibrating with unstable energy. The demon's form surged forth from them, larger, darker, and more enraged than ever before.
"You FOOLS!" it roared. "You have desecrated the sacred heart of my realm! Now you will BOTH DIE!"
The veil trembled violently, and the ground beneath them began to crumble into a bottomless abyss.
Lucien stood, shielding Aria behind him. "Then take me," he growled. "Leave her out of this."
"You offer yourself?" the demon hissed, amused. "Your blood for her soul? How noble. How tragically predictable."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "Name your price."
The demon's red eyes gleamed. "Your power. Your immortality. Your bloodline. In return, I let her leave… alone."
"No!" Aria choked, grabbing his sleeve. "Don't you dare! Lucien, no!"
But he gently pried her hand from his arm, eyes never leaving the demon. "You'll honor the deal?"
"If I take your power and soul, she walks free. No chains. No curse."
Lucien inhaled sharply.
"I accept."
---
The Bargain Sealed
The moment the words left his lips, the air thickened like tar. Runes of ancient demonic language burned themselves into the ground in a fiery circle, encasing Lucien.
The demon stepped closer, its grin spreading with cruel pleasure. "Say farewell to your flame, Blackwood."
It placed its hand over Lucien's heart.
Aria screamed.
A violent surge of energy erupted, forcing her back. She tried to reach him—fought against the current of dark power—but it was like trying to swim through molten stone. She could only watch in horror as the crimson light of Lucien's essence was drawn out of his chest, siphoned into the demon's clawed hand.
Lucien dropped to his knees, panting, sweat pouring from his brow. His once-glowing eyes dimmed, the immortal fire inside him flickering out.
The demon exhaled, drunk on the power it had stolen. "Delicious. Such rage. Such potential. It's MINE now."
It turned to Aria. "He is broken. You are free. Go. Before I change my mind."
---
Shadows of Farewell
Aria ran to Lucien and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around him.
"No," she sobbed. "No, no, no… why did you do this?"
His voice was a whisper, hollow and fading. "Because I love you. Because… I couldn't lose you again."
She kissed his brow, her tears streaking his cheeks. "There must be another way. I'll fight—"
He shook his head slowly. "No more fighting. You were always the light… I just wanted you to live."
The veil around them began to ripple, light bleeding in as the passage to the real world began to open.
The demon snarled but honored the pact, stepping away into the shadows, its form merging with the remnants of the veil's heart.
As Aria held Lucien, a soft blue glow lit up her hands. She looked down, shocked. The pendant around her neck—the ancient relic her mother once gave her—was glowing.
It pulsed… and then cracked.
---
A Choice of Power
Aria felt something surge through her.
The pendant—long believed to be a protective charm—was much more. It was a vessel. A container of ancestral power passed through her bloodline for generations. Her mother had hidden it from her, fearing what it could awaken.
And now, at the brink of loss, it called to her.
Use me.
The voice echoed inside her mind. Feminine, strong, divine.
Use me to restore what was taken. But beware, child. Magic always takes its due.
"I don't care," Aria whispered. "If it takes everything I have… I will save him."
She held Lucien close, placed the broken pendant over his chest, and whispered an incantation she didn't know she knew.
The magic exploded in a flash of silver and gold.