The damp cold of the Abandoned Palace seemed to seep into Lucian's bones. He was tied to an iron chair, his wrists bruised by the shackles. The pain was constant, but nothing compared to the weight in his mind.
Time seemed to drag on endlessly. There were no windows in that room, only the flickering light of a torch on the wall. The darkness enveloped him like a suffocating veil, and the only company was the distant echo of the wind that whistled through the cracks in the walls.
Lucian tried to keep his mind clear, but the memories of the visions haunted him. He no longer knew exactly what was coming. The information of the original life was no longer of any help to him. Especially by an unknown figure being inside that room.
It was a man of cold and hard expressions, with a scar on his left cheek. Since the subject arrived in the room, he only wanted one thing from Lucian. The mercenaries who were "taking care" of Lucian did not show any sign of softness in their torture. Unlike Raven who was careful to keep the chance of manipulating him, this man didn't care whether Lucian would be breathing or not, as long as he got what he wanted.
Raising his head, Lucian forced himself to ignore the pain in his shoulders and neck. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone would show up. And as the door creaked when opened, his eyes found the unknown subject.
An emissary of Geledel, an imposing figure with dark eyes that seemed to dig deep in the soul of anyone who dared face him. His face was partially covered by a hood now, but the cruel smile that appeared when he saw Lucian, left no doubt about his intentions.
"The forgotten prince" said the emissary, closing the door behind him "It seems you have finally found some use after all."
Lucian remained silent, but his gaze was sharp. He would not allow the man to perceive his fear.
The emissary walked up to him, inspecting him as if he were a commodity.
"That princess knows how to pick her pieces. You're valuable, you know? Not just as Holy, but as a symbol" He bowed, his eyes burning with a perverse light "And symbols can be used... or destroyed."
Lucian swallowed dry, but kept the posture.
"If I am so valuable, why are you here, threatening to destroy this symbol?"
The emissary laughed, a low and gloomy sound that seemed to resonate through the walls.
"Because not all symbols need to survive to fulfill their purpose. Sometimes a martyr is more useful."
Lucian felt a chill in his spine. He knew what it meant. Knew that Raven planned to use his death to consolidate her position, show that Geledel was not a threat as they helped rid the true traitors from within the Empire.
"Raven has no control over you" Lucian said firmly, despite his pain "She is just using you, as she uses everyone around her."
The emissary narrowed his eyes, but the smile did not waver.
"Watch your words, boy. You're not in a good position to insult anyone."
The man took a step back and pulled a blade from his waist, holding it before Lucian. The blade was cold, but deadly, and its cruel brightness seemed to reflect the coldness of its bearer.
"Let's test your endurance, Saint. Let's see how long you can hold out before breaking."
The first cut was superficial, but enough to make Lucian grind his teeth in pain. The emissary worked methodically, not in haste, but with a precision that showed experience. Each blow seemed strategic to cause the maximum of pain without taking him to death. The mercenaries around him also seemed to have fun with the horror show he was being tormented.
"Come on, Saint. Just give us possession of your diamond mine and then we'll let you go."
Trembling, Lucian gasped and spat blood. With much effort he raised his opaque eyes to the emissary, letting his trembling voice sound like a whisper.
"Only over my corpse."
"Well... anxious, hm? It will be interesting to cut off your head and display it throughout the Empire along with the others."
The threat worked in Lucian. Dread ran through his body, causing him to release pheromones that denounced the mental shock. The emissary began to laugh delighted with the result, continuing the torture trying as much as possible to make the prince give up his riches.
As the blade cut through his skin and flesh, Lucian was taken by a terrifying vision.
He saw himself in a dark hall, the tip of a sword piercing his chest as Raven watched him coldly. Skyler's words echoed in his mind:
"The future of your death remains unchanged".
The prince felt the same acute pain that ran through him in that other life, the despair of his death, the cold laugh of Raven resounding like thunder.
"Is this how it ends?" thought Lucian, struggling to keep his sanity. "Even after all I did... nothing has changed?"
Lucian tried to focus on something else, anything, to escape the pain. He thought of Magnus, his crimson eyes and the warmth of his touch. He thought of the people of the Imperial Palace, from whom he tried to escape his affections in vain. He thought of the future baby that would be born of the favorite villain.
Had not struggled to survive?
Had he not read his past life as a mere romance, just to understand how he should pass through each obstacle?!
That's what he did all this time, so why the hell was he about to die in enemy hands for the second time?!
And then, something within Lucian awakened.
A faint light began to shine around Lucian, a golden glow that made the emissary hesitate.
"What is that?" he growled, retreating.
Lucian could not tell where that light came from, but he felt something deep in his chest, like a long-dormant force.
"Perhaps I am more than just a symbol" he muttered, pain giving way to fierce determination.
The emissary took a step forward, his blade raised. But before he could act, the door slammed with a bang.
Cassander appeared in the room, his dominating presence filling the space. His sword shone with a cold light, and his eyes were fixed on the emissary.
"Release him now, or this will be your last night" said Cassander, his voice low and full of threat.
The emissary hesitated for a moment, but then smiled.
"So, the Imperial Consort has come to rescue the neglected son? How exciting."
Cassander did not respond. Instead, he advanced his blade colliding with the emissary's in a metallic sound that echoed through the room.
The fight was fierce, the two men moving with a speed and precision that made it clear they were both experienced warriors. Cassander seemed to fight with the foot
"Do you think you can take it from me?" cried the emissary, blocking a blow with difficulty "We already won thanks to your princess. You are only delaying the inevitable!"
"If you think you've won, then you're more foolish than I thought" replied Cassander, forcing the emissary to retreat with a powerful blow.
Lucian watched, but his heart beat hard. It was increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open, especially when his vision became blurred. Cassander seemed to be gaining advantage, but the emissary was cunning. With a quick move, he pulled an artifact from his waist and activated it. An explosion of light and heat filled the room, and Cassander was thrown at Lucian, both screaming in pain.
The emissary raised his blade again, pointing it at Cassander, who was trying to get up but was clearly wounded.
"Come on... we just need to be rewarded as the princess promised. Your people are having fun with our toys, wouldn't it be natural to get paid?"
Cassander rolled to the ground, trying to get up.
"The payment is already being made. The Emperor is personally going to annihilate the camp you formed on the way out of the capital."
The emissary was silent and his expression hardened again. That information should be confidential. It should end there as soon as possible, to return to the camp and ensure that nothing has gone out of control. If he could ruin the life of the Consort and the Eighth Prince, he would be giving extra help to the princess, wouldn't he?
Before the blow could be delivered, a new presence entered the room.
"Don't you dare."
Magnus appeared at the door, with the bloody sword and his crimson eyes shining with an intensity that made the emissary hesitate. The emissary turned around, but before he could react, Magnus advanced.
Lucian, exhausted and stunned, watched as Magnus faced the emissary with a ferocity that seemed almost supernatural. He knew at that moment that he was safe.