Kamrynn’s POV
I took a hesitant step forward, my voice trembling but firm. “Why can’t you just lift the curse?” I asked, my tone pleading but edged with frustration. “Cursing an entire bloodline… it’s not fair. Innocent people have suffered for centuries because of one man’s mistake. Two people who genuinely love each other are being torn apart because of this. How can you justify that?”
The sorceress’s glowing eyes snapped to mine, her chained figure emanating a cold fury that made my blood run cold. She tilted her head, her gaze cutting through me like a blade. “Fair?” she hissed, her voice low and sharp, filled with centuries of bitterness. “Do not speak to me of fairness, child. You know nothing of what you speak. Nothing of the pain I endured. You have no right to lecture me.”
Her words struck me like a slap, but I couldn’t back down. I swallowed hard and straightened my spine, even as her intense glare made my knees feel weak. “I know enough,” I replied, my voice trembling but resolute. “I know what Corvis did to you. I know he wronged you in ways no one should ever experience. But holding his descendants accountable for his crimes? That’s not justice. That’s vengeance.”
The sorceress let out a harsh, bitter laugh that echoed through the cavern, each note dripping with disdain. “You think you know the truth?” she said, her tone venomous. “You think you can stand there, ignorant as you are, and pass judgment on me?”
Her laughter died abruptly, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake. Her eyes, blazing with a fierce light, bore into mine. “Very well,” she said coldly. “If you believe you know the truth, let me show you what really happened. Let me show you the burden I have carried for centuries. And when you see it, you will regret ever coming here.”
Before I could respond, a surge of energy rippled through the cave. The air around us grew thick, the temperature dropping sharply. I instinctively took a step back as the wall opposite her chains began to shimmer and ripple like water disturbed by a stone. A giant mirror emerged from the undulating surface, its frame intricately carved with symbols I didn’t recognize, glowing faintly in the dim light.
My breath hitched as the mirror’s surface swirled with silvery spirals, spinning faster and faster until they coalesced into an image. I stared, wide-eyed, as a scene began to unfold before me, vivid and lifelike as though I were standing in the middle of it.
The mirror’s swirling spiral settled into a vivid image of a modest home, warm and inviting. Xoria stood near the hearth, her raven-black hair tumbling over her shoulders as she stirred a pot on the stove. The soft glow of firelight illuminated her striking green eyes, eyes that held both wisdom and kindness. Her little boy, no older than five, giggled as he played with wooden blocks near her feet. In the corner, her frail, gray-haired mother hummed a gentle tune while she worked on mending clothes.
The peaceful scene shattered when the door burst open with a deafening crack. I flinched, my heart racing as armored warriors stormed in, led by a man whose presence was as cold and commanding as death itself. Corvis. His silver hair gleamed under the dim light, and his piercing gaze swept the room like a predator sizing up its prey.
Xoria gasped, instinctively pulling her son close. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, her voice trembling but firm.
Corvis strode forward, his boots echoing ominously on the wooden floor. His warriors subdued Xoria’s husband, pinning him to the ground as he struggled against them. Another warrior grabbed her mother, wrenching her up from her chair, while a third seized her son, who cried out in fear.
“No! Let them go!” Xoria screamed, clutching at her child.
Corvis stopped in front of her, his expression devoid of mercy. “Teach me the ways of dark magic, and they will live,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Refuse, and I will slaughter them all before your very eyes.”
Her husband, beaten and bleeding, shouted from the floor. “Don’t go with him, Xoria! Don’t listen to that monster!”
Tears welled in Xoria’s eyes, her arms trembling as she looked at her family. She dropped to her knees, pleading. “Please, just let them go. I’ll do whatever you ask. Just don’t hurt them.”
Corvis smirked triumphantly. “Wise choice,” he said, gesturing for his men to drag Xoria away.
Her husband’s voice broke as he called after her. “Xoria! Don’t leave with him!”
She turned her tear-streaked face to her husband, her voice cracking. “Take care of our son and my mother. Please… be strong for them.”
Corvis yanked her up by the arm, dragging her out into the night as his warriors followed, their laughter and jeers haunting the air.
The scene shifted to a dimly lit stone chamber. Xoria sat hunched over a massive tome, the pages filled with ominous runes glowing faintly in the candlelight. Her hands trembled as she traced the symbols, her movements stiff with reluctance.
Corvis stood behind her, watching her every move. His intense gaze bore into her back, his presence suffocating.
“Hurry up,” he barked. “I don’t have all day.”
Xoria closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “You’re meddling with forces you don’t understand,” she said softly. “Dark magic is dangerous, even for the one wielding it.”
Corvis leaned in, his lips curling into a dangerous smile. “That’s why I have you. You’ll make sure I succeed.”
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the tome, but she said nothing. She couldn’t risk defiance.
The mirror shifted, showing the transformation of the Amethyst Pack. Their once struggling lands flourished under Xoria’s reluctant guidance. Crops grew in abundance, their borders expanded, and enemies who once mocked them now groveled for mercy. The Pack’s newfound power was undeniable.
But the cost weighed heavily on Xoria. The mirror showed her sitting alone in the same chamber, staring at the flickering flames of a nearby brazier. Her face was pale, her eyes hollow.
Corvis entered the room, a rare smile on his face as he placed a tray of food before her. “You’ve done well, Xoria,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She flinched at his touch.
“How is my family?” she asked quietly, not meeting his gaze.
His smile vanished, replaced by an icy stare. “They’re safe,” he said flatly. “Why do you keep asking? Shouldn’t you be more concerned with pleasing me?”
Her heart sank, but she dared to press further. “Please, let me see them. Just once. I’ve done everything you’ve asked.”
Corvis’s jaw tightened, but then his expression softened. He knelt beside her, taking her hand in his. “Why do you focus on them when you have me?” he said, his voice dripping with faux tenderness. “I’ve given you everything. Power, safety, comfort. You’re the most important person in this Pack.”
She pulled her hand away, disgusted. “I never asked for this,” she whispered.
His face darkened, but he forced a smile. “You’ll come around,” he said, standing. “And when you do, you’ll thank me.”
The image in the mirror shifted to a devastating scene. Corvis stood before Xoria, dragging three lifeless bodies into the room-her husband, her son, and her mother. Their eyes were wide and unseeing, their faces pale and lifeless. Blood stained their clothes, evidence of their violent deaths.
Xoria froze, her breath hitching. “No…” she whispered, her voice cracking. She rushed forward, falling to her knees beside them. “No! This can’t be real!”
Her hands shook as she touched her son’s cold cheek, her tears falling onto his lifeless face. She screamed, the sound raw and heart-wrenching, a mother’s anguish unleashed.
“You promised me!” she cried, turning her tear-streaked face to Corvis. “You said they would be safe!”
Corvis’s expression was cold, unmoved by her grief. “They were a distraction,” he said simply. “Now you have no reason to leave. You belong to me.”
Xoria’s hands curled into fists, her body trembling with rage. “You’re a monster!” she spat. “I swore never to use my magic for evil, or I would have cursed you long ago!”
Corvis’s lips curved into a chilling smile. “You keep surprising me, Xoria. It’s part of why I love you more each day.”
He knelt before her, grabbing her chin to force her to look at him. “You belong to me now. And we will live happily together, just as fate intended.”