Chapter One: The Ruby Oath
Leah's heart is as deep as the abyss, and with darkness and jealousy intertwined, Leah orchestrates a sinister trap. On a stormy night, she uses dark magic to start a plague in the village, blaming Evelyn for it. The plague spreads like a devil's curse, and the people's fear spreads quickly. Eveline is imprisoned in the castle dungeon, dressed in a simple gown; her gaze is relentless. Despite being accused of being a witch, she never had fear. She knew it was all because of Leah's plot; however, she believed Edmund would rescue her. Her hand gently stroked the tiny ruby around her neck, the only belief her mother had given her.
"Edmund, my love," Evelyn whispered in the dungeon, her voice echoing between the cold stone walls. You are my Guardian Knight, and I know you will find the truth and save me."
Eventually, at Leah's instigation, all the anger and fear are directed at Evelyn, Framing her as a witch and pushing her into the flames of the stake.
On the night of the execution by fire, the square was full of people, and a tense atmosphere prevailed in the cold wind. The corrections officers tied Evelyn to the stake, the villagers around her chanting curses like vicious wolves, and the flames leaping at her feet as if to foretell her impending fate. Edmund rode his horse, clad in armor, and
"Leah, you dark witch," Edmund murmured in his mind, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword, "I will do whatever it takes to protect those I love."
Knowing that he cannot defeat Leah in power, he can only seek another path to redemption in the shadows. Leah slyly offers a quid pro quo - she will spare Evelyn if Edmund is willing to shed his mortal identity, accept eternal damnation, and turn into a vampire. However, she didn't anticipate that, with a determined gleam in his eyes, Edmund would strike a dark bargain with her.
"For the sake of Evelyn, I'm willing to bear the curse,"
Edmund's voice echoed in the wind as his body changed. Edmund felt the darkness pouring into him like a tidal wave, the warmth of life fading away, replaced by a cold and eternal curse.
Princess Leah stood in the tower's shadow, her gaze like ice, coldly watching everything in the square. Her victory seemed within her grasp. But even though Edmund had succumbed to her deal and transformed into an immortal nightwalker, Edmund still filled her heart with uncontrollable jealousy and hatred.
"Edmund, you chose the darkness," Leah's voice held the arrogance of a victor, but underneath that arrogance was deep anger and resentment,
"Did you think you could escape me? Your sacrifices, your love, will all be in vain."
The flame that burned in her chest was no longer just a possessive desire for Edmund but the destruction of Evelyn. Her soul gradually corrupted in the curse of darkness, and she eventually became the Black Witch that the world feared.
"Evelyn, do you think your love can protect you?" The corner of Leah's mouth curled into a cruel smile,
"Love is a fragile phantom in the face of power."
At her command, archers lurked silently in the shadows of the walls, longbows strung in their hands, arrows slicked with kerosene and glinting with a deadly light. Leah's eyes reflected the faint glow of the fire, and she knew that this arrow would end Evelyn's life, banishing her soul from this world forever.
"This arrow will be the end of your love, " Leah's voice was low and full of power, her fingers gently rubbing the arrow as if feeling the impending death,
"Evelyn, I will banish your soul from this world forever, and I, Leah, will be the sole victor. "
Evelyn stood in the center of the square, her figure like a lonely tree, swaying in the cold wind. She had known for a long time that Leah would not let her go quickly, but there was no remorse in her heart. She stroked the ruby around her neck, feeling the faint, warm power. The rocket came flying, cutting through the night sky with a deathly whine aimed straight at Evelyn's heart. In that instant, time seemed to freeze, and Evelyn closed her eyes, reciting an ancient blessing incantation in her mind. Her hands gripped the ruby tightly, and the last of her magical power poured out of her body.
She whispered to herself with determination and strength, "However long the night may be, the day will always come." - Shakespeare.
Edmund stood at a distance, his gaze locked on Evelyn as the arrow pierced as if into his own heart. An unspeakable feeling of powerlessness gripped his body; he wanted to rush forward but could only watch the cruelty of fate unfold.
"Evelyn," he whimpered, desperation and pain in his voice, "don't leave me; I can't live without you."
The rocket pierced into her chest, and severe pain swept through her body like a tidal wave as Evelyn's body trembled in the flames. However, just as she was about to be consumed by the fire, the ruby suddenly erupted with eye-catching light. That light was like the morning sun breaking through, dispersing the darkness.
"'We born to meet such a time,' " Evelyn murmured in her mind, her voice echoing through the flames.
Evelyn instantly transformed her heart into a pure ruby and poured the power of eternal immortality into it. That light gradually dimmed, but the power did not dissipate. At this moment, Evelyn's life force was utterly exhausted, and her body collapsed onto the cold stone of the plaza.
Edmund felt a deep sense of loss and loneliness. He fell to his knees, and the ruby in his hand seemed to be the only link between him and Evelyn.
"You're gone, Evelyn," Edmund's voice choked, tears glistening in his eyes.
"You're gone, but you've left behind this eternal guardianship. Your love and warmth are all here, but I can never touch you again."
The ruby slipped from her chest and fell into Edmund's hand, the warmth instantly spreading through his palm as if it were the last of her body heat. Edmund held the ruby tightly as if trying to hold onto Evelyn's soul through it.
The power of the blessing still surged in his hand; it did not dissipate with Evelyn's passing but was infused into this ruby as an eternal guardian.
"This ruby," Edmund whispered, a deep sadness in his voice,
"will be my companion for the rest of my life; it will bear witness to all my loneliness and pain. But it will also remind me that a woman once loved me with her life. "
Edmund stared down at the ruby in his hand, tears glistening in his eyes like broken crystals trembling lightly in the shimmering light. The ruby glowed slightly like her heartbeat had not entirely stopped.
"No matter how the years pass," Edmund's voice held a steely resolve,
"this ruby will always watch over me as if your love had never left me. I will cherish it as I have cherished every moment we have ever had."
He knew this ruby would accompany him for long years, beyond life, death, and time. It was not only the last relic that Evelyn left him but also the eternal guardianship she had condensed at the cost of her life. No matter how the years passed, this ruby would always guard him as if her love had never left his side.