Page 394 of Evil Hearts

Enchanted chains, black as a moonless night, coiled around Aldric’s form. Elena’s hiss tore through the air.

She lunged forward, desperate to reach him, but an unseen force held her back. The groups’ chanting grew louder, their voices weaving a sinister tapestry of dark magic.

Aldric thrashed against his bonds, his eyes blazing with defiance. “Elena, you must go! Leave me!” His words were strained, laced with urgency.

Tears streamed down her face. “I won’t leave you!” She clawed at the invisible barrier, her nails scraping against the unyielding force.

Aldric’s gaze locked with hers, a wordless exchange passing between them. In the depths of his eyes, she saw a flicker of regret, a silent apology for the fate that had befallen them. But there was something else, too—a fierce resolve, a plea for her to save herself.

He wants me to live. To fight another day.

The realization hit her like a physical blow.

Lucien’s laughter rang out, cruel and triumphant. “Witness the fall of your champion, girl. His power shall be ours! Then youwill wake the rest of these stone beasts and we will simply do it all over again.”

Elena’s heart shattered, the shards embedding themselves in her soul. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Aldric, of facing this darkness alone.

With a final, anguished look at Aldric, she tore herself away from the invisible barrier. “I will come back for you. I swear it!” Lucien took Aldric down, but it seemed she was his target and without her, he would have a much harder time.

Her words hung in the air, a vow that transcended the chaos surrounding them. Aldric’s eyes shone with a flicker of hope, a silent acknowledgment of her promise.

Elena turned, her footsteps pounding against the stone as she fled. The echoes of the cultists’ chanting pursued her, a haunting melody of despair.

She raced down the cathedral’s winding staircase, her heart a tempest of fear and resolve. The shadows seemed to close in around her, but she forced her gaze forward, refusing to acknowledge any darkness.

Elena burst through the cathedral doors, her lungs burning as the cool night air enveloped her. The city’s labyrinthine streets stretched out before her, a dizzying maze of shadows and ancient secrets.

Think, Elena, think!Her mind raced, desperately seeking a path forward. She couldn’t let the cult’s dark magic claim Aldric, couldn’t let their love be consumed by the very curse they had fought so hard to break.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught her eye. A hooded figure darted into a narrow alley, their cloak billowing like a ghostly specter. Elena’s instincts screamed a warning, but she had no choice. She had to follow, had to uncover any lead that could help her save Aldric.

Her footsteps echoed against the cobblestones as she plunged into the alley, the shadows swallowing her whole. The figure moved with uncanny speed, always just out of reach, always beckoning her deeper into the city’s underbelly.

Is this a trap? A twisted game of cat and mouse?Doubts whispered in her ear, but she pushed them aside. She had to trust her gut, had to believe that this path would lead her to the answers she so desperately needed.

The alley opened up into a small, forgotten square, the figure nowhere to be seen. Elena paused, her eyes scanning the shadows, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Who’s there?” she called out, her voice trembling slightly. “Show yourself!”

A low chuckle emanated from the darkness, sending shivers down her spine. “So, the warrior maiden seeks the truth,” a voice rasped, ancient and full of malice. “But is she prepared to pay the price?”

Elena steeled herself, her fists clenching at her sides. “If what everyone says is true, I’ll pay any price to learn the past.”

The figure stepped forward, their face obscured by a tattered hood. “Be careful what you wish for, child.The path ahead is fraught with peril, and the truth may shatter your very soul.”

Elena met their gaze, her eyes blazing with determination. “Then let it shatter. I won’t rest until Aldric is free, until the curse that binds him is nothing but a distant memory.”

The figure studied her for a long moment, their eyes glinting with a strange mix of amusement and respect. “Very well, Elena Castor. Let us see if you have the strength to walk this treacherous road.”

With a flourish of their cloak, the figure vanished, leaving Elena alone in the street, her heart hammering. She wasn’t a warrior, and she’d just left Aldric behind and no one had even dared chase her.

Elena emerged from the alcove, her senses heightened, alert for any sign of pursuit. The narrow streets twisted and turned, a labyrinth of shadows that seemed to mirror the tangled web of secrets and magic enveloping the city.

She pressed onward, her footsteps echoing against the cobblestones, a staccato rhythm that matched the pounding of her heart. The cultists could be anywhere, their dark presence lurking just out of sight, waiting to strike.

Another movement caught her eye, and she whirled around, ready to fight. But it was just a stray cat, its green eyes glinting in the moonlight before it darted away into the darkness.

Elena let out a shaky breath, her mind racing. She needed a plan, a way to counter the cult’s dark magic and free Aldric from their clutches. But where to begin?

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