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Rhys
Darkness.
Pain…
It’s hopeless.
CHAPTER24
Rhys
Consciousness returned reluctantly,dragging me up from fathomless depths into aching awareness. Cold stone pressed against my cheek, leaching warmth and strength from my limbs. Some instinct screamed at me I had been here too long already, that urgent matters required my attention. But weariness clung to my being relentlessly, wrapping my mind in a fog.
Gradually, other sensations filtered through—the biting chill pervading my entire body, the shooting pain behind my temples, and most alarmingly, the occult fetters wrapped around my wings, neck, and ankles, holding me immobile against the damp floor. I strained weakly, but the enchanted chains would not yield.
Panic threaded through me, clawing back at the last cobwebs of forced slumber. Where in damnation was I? What had happened? I carefully gathered my scattered thoughts, striving to gain clarity and calm my fears.
The last clear memory was of donning my wedding finery in preparation to meet my radiant bride. And now... how much time had passed since that happy moment? Gods, had I missed my own wedding?
The thought pierced my heart like an icy blade. Seraphina’s gentle heart would shatter if I failed to appear with no explanation on our most ardently desired day. She had suffered too much pain already; this blow might push her beyond all endurance. I had to escape these infernal bindings and reach her.
Desperately, I racked my brain, trying to resurrect memories of being imprisoned in this underground cell. If I could figure out who was responsible, perhaps I could find a way out. I concentrated through the pounding ache, fighting to recall more. Slowly, some images rolled in:
As I dressed for the ceremony, bittersweet memories surfaced unbidden—the day of my eighteenth birthday, when the sorceress cursed me for spurning her affections. I vividly recalled her fury as she summoned crackling dark energy between her palms, eyes burning with spite. Most of all, the image of her serpent amulet remained seared into my mind, the silver ring glowing malevolently as she wove her wicked spell.
Then suddenly, there had been a furtive knock... someone came bearing a gift to wish me well, though we’d agreed on no presents... I had welcomed them inside, grateful for the sentiment... Their face swam tauntingly before me, still wreathed in shadow, mocking my faulty recollections.
The visit was a ruse, the proffered box a hex that snatched away my will, rendering me an obedient puppet... Rage briefly overrode anxiety and discomfort. When I was free, there would be a reckoning for this outrage!
But those searing emotions soon drained away, leaving only bone-deep weariness and heartache. However, I had ended up shackled in this subterranean cell, the result was unchanged—I had failed my love when she needed me most. No punishment could rival that crushing knowledge. Fate was a cruel trickster to dangle joy before wretched creatures like me, only to then yank it away more brutally.
Despair threatened to drown me again in fathomless darkness, but I struggled against its inexorable pull. Succumbing to misery accomplished nothing. Until I drew my last breath, hope remained I could still reach Seraphina, salvage some shreds of our tattered dream to sustain us through unknowable trials yet to come. She was my light; only the thought of gazing upon her sweet face again could rally my fractured spirit to keep fighting.
Shoring up my wavering resolve, I took stock of the confining chamber, seeking any detail that might yield an escape. But the room was sparse and windowless, with only flickering torchlight revealing the heavy iron door that sealed my prison. The pale stone walls showed no cracks or handholds to pry free the fetters pinning me helplessly.
Frustration tore a ragged cry from my throat, the guttural sound echoing mockingly back. I was well and truly caged, perhaps even buried too deep for my anguished shouts to reach any potential saviors. Hellish silence reigned, broken only by the maddening drip of water somewhere out of sight.
Futilely, I strained against my bonds until my bruised skin wept crimson, but the magical shackles only tightened punishingly. Whoever wished me out of the way had left no errors in their twisted handiwork.
At last, hoarse and bleeding, I collapsed limply. Plotting elaborate vengeance comforted no one—I had to focus on the immediate crisis. Somehow, I must reach Seraphina before the light in her eyes dimmed forever, eclipsed by doubt and pain.
Closing my eyes, I sought that cherished mental link between us, picturing her beloved face illuminated by joy.“My sweet angel, do not surrender hope,”I beseeched the silence.“I know not what deviltry keeps us apart, but I will find a way back to you. This I solemnly vow, though every power in creation stands between us.”
I looked down at the wedding band circling my finger, forged of ancient gargoyle silver. As I spoke my vow, the ring glinted with a brief spark of magic before dimming again.
“Wait for me...Trust in us,” I whispered fervently. Our bond and love were stronger than any curse. With Seraphina’s light guiding me, I would find a way back to her side, no matter the cost. This ring symbolized the eternal promise between us that not even the darkest magic could break.
Seraphina yet lived, walked beneath the same stars—that must be enough to sustain me through this nightmare. And as soon as humanly possible, we would stand together again beneath their gentle light…
I had to believe it, or else welcome madness.
CHAPTER25
Sera
Shadows clung to me,tearing with ruthless talons as I stumbled blindly through an icy void. My pulse thundered in my ears, nearly drowning out the screams echoing endlessly through this bleak abyss. But I would recognize that beloved voice anywhere, even twisted in unimaginable agony.
“Rhys!” His name tore from my ravaged throat as I redoubled my efforts towards the sound, ignoring the jagged shards shredding my knees and palms.
