At Elara's request, the elderly servant hesitates, her eyes wide with fright. "My Lady," she murmurs, shaking her voice, "the Dark Lord... The man you know is no longer the same. He's changed into a different, terrible person."
Elara clenches her heart at the notion. She recalled a sweet Caden, a guy troubled by his circumstances but never harsh. After a decade of her absence, he had turned into the very villain she dreaded, despite her valiant efforts to save him from the terrible road the game had set for him.
Elara, nevertheless, isn't going to let it stop her. Her voice is strong. "I have to see him," she urges. "I must be informed of what transpired. Take me to him, please."
The attendant gives a nod reluctantly, with a mix of resignation and worry on her face. "As you like, Lady. But be aware that the man you left behind is no longer the same.
Elara follows the butler around the deserted castle, thoughts of Caden constantly rushing through her head. It is strange and chilly to be in the castle that used to be her home and haven. The formerly flourishing gardens have become overgrown and untamed, symbolizing the turmoil that has befallen the globe, and the opulence of its halls has been ruined by neglect.
When they eventually arrive to the throne room, its enormous double doors stand menacingly in front of them. The servant hesitates again, reaching for the handle with a nervous hand. With a barely audible whisper, she whispers, "Be careful, My Lady." The man you encounter within... he might not recognize you the way he used to."
Elara takes a long breath, steeling herself. She adds, "Thank you," gently putting her hand on the servant's shoulder for comfort. Then, using all her bravery, she opens the doors and enters the space.
The sole source of light in the throne room is the flickering flames that line the walls. She feels a chill go down her spine; there's a heavy, oppressive vibe in the air. A shadowy figure sits on the throne that once belonged to a kind monarch at the far end of the chamber.
Elara looks at him, and her breath freezes in her throat. The king radiates might and terror; his formerly known darkness now casts a shadow on his presence. With an air of dominance, he sits with his back straight and his eyes as icy as ice.
She steps forward hesitantly and says in a tremulous voice. "Caden…?"
The throne figure moves a little, his eyes narrowing as they come to rest on her. It's instantly recognizable, yet the kind, loving look is not what she recalls. Rather, there's an unwavering, frigid rage in his gaze.
"Elara," he whispers in a low, menacing voice that makes her shudder. "So, you've finally returned."
The harshness in his tone makes her heart hurt, but she had to pull herself together. "Yes," she says, trembling in her voice. "I was unaware that 10 years had gone. I didn't intend to be away from you for so long.
Rising off the throne, Caden moves slowly and methodically. Elara can see the changes in him as he gets closer; his once-gentle features have hardened, and his eyes have grown darker and filled with an agony beyond her comprehension.
His voice brimming with resentment, "You left me," he adds. "You vanished silently, leaving me to confront this world on my own. Elara, ten years. Ten years of looking for you, wondering where you had disappeared, and fighting the darkness that was growing inside of me."
His comments hurt Elara's heart, causing tears to rise up in her eyes. "I apologize deeply," she murmurs as she approaches him. "I didn't intend to part from you in that way. I considered... I believed I had preserved you."
With a sharp, sour chuckle, Caden's angry eyes flare up. "Kept me alive? Elara, look about you. See what I've become into. I am now a part of the evil you tried to stop. I've committed horrible acts all in the name of locating you."
She extends her hand, hesitantly, toward him. "Please, Caden, I am able to assist you. Together, we can resolve this. Things can yet be changed."
However, Caden flinches away from her contact, his face becoming stern. "Elara, it's too late. Gone is the man you knew. The Dark Lord is all that is left, and his only goal is to get back what was taken from him—his wife."
Elara's heart breaks when she sees how deeply hurt and angry he is. Reaching the guy she loved today seems nearly impossible, yet he is still there, hidden behind layers of misery and darkness.
Elara, nevertheless, is not giving up. She has come back for a purpose, and she will stop at nothing to save Caden, even if it means confronting the evil that has taken over him.
She speaks firmly and calmly despite the terror that is consuming her. "I'm not leaving you again," she declares. "Caden, I'll figure out a way to get you back. I swear."
Caden's eyes briefly flash with an emotion she can't quite identify, but it vanishes as soon as it does, leaving the Dark Lord's icy, unforgiving stare in its stead.
"We'll see," he murmurs, averting his gaze from her slipping back under cover of darkness.
Elara watches him depart, the weight of what's ahead pressing on her heart. Her biggest issue today is the guy she loves since she has returned to a much more perilous world than the one she left.
But Elara lacks nothing in terms of tenacity. She will overcome the insurmountable obstacles she faces once more. She is not going to fail this time.
Elara promises to do all it takes to save Caden as she stands by herself in the dimly lit throne room.