Prince's shadow

The atmosphere was suffocating. The spectral figure of the last guardian loomed above, its presence an overwhelming tide of malice and authority. Yet, even in its unrelenting form, it faltered for a brief moment. Shadows quivered, the unnatural glow dimmed, and the cavern grew deathly silent as a new force entered the fold.

From the cracks of reality itself, like the ripping of fragile parchment, a cold, oppressive darkness emerged. A voice reverberated, both silky and jagged, a dissonant harmony that sent shivers through the air.

"Such theatrics," the voice mused, laced with mockery. From the void stepped him.

Lucari.

His form was neither solid nor entirely ethereal, a twisted amalgamation of man and something far more ancient. His eyes burned with crimson light, twin pits of bottomless hunger. His presence turned the air cold and sharp, as though every breath drew a blade across one's lungs.

Kaelin stumbled back instinctively, clutching at the hilt of his blade. Next to him, Eliara's defiant expression faltered, her bright magic flickering like a candle in a storm.

Lucari surveyed them with a predator's gaze. "So this is the progeny of the Sun and the Shadow," he said with a bemused smirk. "How… fragile."

The guardian turned its full attention to Lucari. Its voice, which had previously been filled with unyielding dominance, now carried a tinge of caution. "You should not be here, Lucari. This place is not meant for your kind."

Lucari laughed, the sound echoing like a chorus of screams. "Your kind? Amusing. You, a puppet bound to the will of a long-dead spell, dare to claim dominion?"

The two forces clashed silently in the space between them, an invisible war of wills that sent ripples of energy coursing through the cavern. Stones cracked under the pressure, the air itself vibrating with the tension.

Kaelin found his voice. "If you're so powerful," he growled, trying to mask the tremor in his tone, "why don't you just destroy it?"

Lucari turned to him, his gaze piercing through Kaelin's very soul. For a moment, Kaelin felt like a child, insignificant and powerless in the face of something so vast.

"It's not about power, boy," Lucari said, almost pitying. "This guardian was forged by the will of your bloodline. To strike it down is to strike at the roots of your existence. And as much as I enjoy chaos, I have no desire to unravel the tapestry entirely. Not yet."

Kaelin's grip tightened around his sword, anger boiling beneath his fear. "Then what good are you? Why show up at all if you're going to do nothing?"

Lucari's smile widened, his teeth sharp and unnatural. "Oh, I can do many things, little prince. But there are rules, even for beings like me. This is a game of balance, and I play my role. Unlike you, who stumble around blind, deaf to the truth of your own destiny."

Eliara, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute. "If you're so wise, so mighty, then help us. Tell us how to end this."

Lucari tilted his head, studying her like one might examine a particularly intriguing insect. "Help you?" He let the words hang in the air, dripping with disdain. "And why should I? What can you possibly offer me that I do not already have?"

Kaelin, his patience worn thin by the cryptic games, shouted, "Then take me! Bind me, use me, I don't care! Just end this madness!"

Lucari's eyes flared brighter, and for the first time, his expression shifted—something akin to genuine curiosity. "Oh, how desperate you've become already. Willing to offer yourself so easily, so willingly."

The guardian, sensing its moment, lunged forward, its massive form twisting into a storm of shadow and light. Lucari raised a single hand, and the storm halted mid-air, frozen in place as though time itself had been shattered.

"Patience," Lucari whispered, his tone almost amused. "We were having a conversation."

The guardian writhed against the invisible force holding it, but it could not break free. Lucari turned back to Kaelin, his expression unreadable.

"Very well," Lucari said finally. "I will grant you a sliver of my power. But know this, prince of shadows: every pact has a cost. When the time comes, you will repay me in full."

Kaelin hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. The air seemed to grow heavier with every passing second.

"What's the alternative?" Kaelin asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucari leaned in close, his breath cold against Kaelin's face. "The alternative is death. For you, for her, and eventually, for everyone you've ever known."

Kaelin closed his eyes, his resolve hardening. "Fine. Do it."

Lucari's smile was a terrible thing, full of triumph and malice. He reached out, his hand passing through Kaelin's chest like smoke. For a brief moment, Kaelin felt nothing. Then came the pain—searing, endless, as though his very essence was being torn apart and reassembled.

When it was over, Kaelin collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The guardian, now released from Lucari's hold, roared in rage, but before it could attack, Lucari snapped his fingers. The entire cavern was consumed by darkness, and when the light returned, the guardian was gone.

Kaelin looked up weakly, his vision blurry. Lucari loomed above him, his crimson eyes glowing with satisfaction.

"Do not squander this gift, prince," Lucari said, his voice a whisper that seemed to echo endlessly. "The time will come when you will wish you had never made this bargain."

And with that, Lucari vanished, leaving Kaelin and Eliara alone in the ruined cavern.

Kaelin tried to stand, but his legs gave out beneath him. Eliara knelt beside him, her face pale and filled with fear.

"What have you done?" she whispered.

Kaelin couldn't answer. The pain in his chest was too great, but even through the agony, he could feel it—the mark Lucari had left on his soul.

It was the beginning of something far darker than he could have ever imagined.