DUSK'S POV
Seline had assured me that I was going to be fine and that she was going to take care of it. However, after hours of talking, I heard the voice once more in my head. Before I could warn Seline, I inadvertently struck her on the neck. She fell to the floor, struggling to breathe, and I noticed a long chain hanging on her wall. I approached her, struck her again, and proceeded to tie her up. I tried to regain control, but it proved more difficult than I anticipated.
"Dusk! Try to fight it!" Seline implored, yet I felt too weak to resist. Taking a nearby lock, I secured the chains and exited the room. On my way, I encountered Marcus. I attempted to halt and explain the situation, managing to do so, though all that escaped my lips was...
"Seline."
He turned his gaze towards me. "Did you say something, my lady?" he inquired. I continued past him, and he made an effort to follow.
"Convince him you're alright," the voice urged, prompting me to turn with a forced smile.
"I'm fine," I assured him. He bowed and withdrew. I hastened my pace, leaving the palace, tears streaming down my face. No one impeded my departure; no one comprehended the turmoil within me. Fear consumed me, and I struggled to regain command of myself, attempting to scream. It was as though I were a captive within my own body.
As I disappeared from view, I clutched my dress and sprinted into the forest without relenting. People crossed my path, and though my actions upset them, I felt powerless. I was no longer in control.
My body quivered and continued its frenzied pace until I halted in front of a glistening, pristine pond. I observed the clear water and felt a gentle breeze tousle my hair.
"Come, child. Come," the voice beckoned, as if the trees themselves conversed. "This is your place. A life for a life—that's the way."
She whispered persistently, inundating my mind. Stepping into the pond, I submerged myself. The pond, though outwardly modest, was expansive and profound within. As I descended, I closed my eyes.
~
LUCIUS' POV
I turned around but found no one there. "There's nothing you can do; she's sealed. She can't escape from here, regardless of your efforts," she reiterated. I gazed at Dusk; her eyes were shut, yet she seemed to breathe. I made another attempt, only to encounter an impervious barrier between us.
Swimming upward, I emerged from the water, catching my breath before standing. "I warned you not to meddle with me," I declared to her, hearing her scoff.
"Return, Alpha. She belongs to me," she stated flatly.
"I command you to release her," I demanded. She laughed dismissively.
"This is all futile. Do you truly believe I would let her go just because you said so? Do your worst, but she won't escape. A life for a life. That's my principle. I gave you a choice—a chance to choose. Yet you remained passive and even dared to eliminate my subordinate. I will never set her free," she proclaimed, igniting a surge of anger within me.
"Release her," I coldly insisted, met with silence.
"Naomi," I called, met only by the sound of stillness.
"Naomi!" I called again, receiving no response.
"Alpha Lucius," Seline's voice reached me, and I saw her standing some distance away. She appeared breathless, suggesting she had rushed here.
"Let us depart," she suggested softly, prompting a frown from me. How could she propose leaving when her friend remained trapped?
"I won't leave without Dusk," I declared, but she shook her head.
"Let's converse. I discovered something useful in the library," she revealed. I sighed, casting a final look at the water before turning away. Seline and I distanced ourselves from Naomi's pond, and I inquired about her discovery.
"I believe I found a potion that could end her existence. She isn't truly solid; she's composed of water. If we can find a means to eliminate the water, she'll be vanquished as well," she explained. I pondered her words; it seemed plausible.
"So, have you found a method to rid her of her water form?" I inquired, and she nodded.
"I've located a potion, but first, we need to retrieve Dusk," she stated.
"She's in the water, encased in a barrier. I can't reach her," I informed her. She glanced back.
"Then we must extract her first, even if it requires confronting Naomi," she asserted.
"You intend to battle her? Isn't she more powerful?" I questioned, noting her troubled expression.
"I possess something capable of breaking barriers, but she must be distracted, which implies I must engage her in combat. This will allow you to retrieve Dusk," she clarified. I nodded in understanding.
We hurried to the castle and formulated a plan to confront Naomi. Evening descended as we returned to the water. We submerged ourselves and located Dusk.
"Back here once more? And with a witch?" Naomi's irritated voice echoed.
"Yes. I'm prepared to face you," Seline declared. I marveled at how she could communicate underwater but didn't ponder long. Water currents enveloped Seline, tossing her about.
"You? Challenge me? Such insolence!" Naomi exclaimed. Seline attempted to employ her magic, but it made no impact.
I wielded the stone Seline had given me and struck the barrier as instructed. On the third attempt, it shattered, allowing me to swim to the surface with Dusk. I laid her on the ground and plunged back into the water to rescue Seline. Summoning all my strength to avoid the same fate, I extracted Seline from the water, and together we hurried toward Dusk.
"Now!" Seline exclaimed, and I cast a glowing stone into the water. It was the stone we had prepared, primed to explode and unleash an inferno that would obliterate everything in its path upon contact—Naomi and her water included.
Yet a challenge emerged: the explosion would transpire swiftly, and we had yet to move a considerable distance from it. Bending down to lift Dusk, I saw the explosion engulf everything in its wake.