The cold air of the forgotten archives wrapped around Seraphine, Arin, and Lucien like a second skin as they stood before the ancient tablet. The room seemed to pulse with a strange energy, as if the very walls had absorbed the lingering presence of the knowledge they sought. Seraphine's fingers trembled as she traced the archaic symbols, trying to make sense of their hidden meaning.
Lucien, his face unreadable, leaned closer. "What does it say?"
Seraphine took a deep breath, her voice unsteady. "The Void… it was once bound. Sealed away by ancient magic, long before any of us existed. It's been searching for a way back ever since." She paused, her eyes narrowing as she deciphered more of the text. "It feeds on darkness in people's hearts—on their greed, their hatred, their fear. And once it finds a host, it grows stronger."
Arin's voice was barely a whisper. "So, Cedric wasn't the only one."
"No," Seraphine said, a deep sense of foreboding settling over her. "There are more vessels, and they're already here."
Lucien's grip tightened on his sword. "Then we root them out. We destroy them, one by one."
But Seraphine shook her head. "It's not that simple. The Void doesn't just possess people. It binds to them, and if you kill the host without severing that bond… the darkness only spreads."
Lucien's eyes darkened, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "So what do you suggest? We just sit back and wait for this thing to devour us all?"
Seraphine's mind raced as she scanned the rest of the tablet. There had to be something, some way to fight back. And then, at the bottom of the tablet, she found it: a single symbol—a glyph that glowed faintly as if it were alive.
"This," Seraphine said, pointing to the glyph. "This is the key. It's a binding spell. The same magic that was used to seal the Void away centuries ago."
Arin stepped closer, her brows furrowed. "Can we use it? Can we seal the Void again?"
Seraphine's eyes met Arin's, the weight of her answer heavy on her tongue. "Maybe. But it's not a spell that can be cast lightly. The cost of binding the Void is… steep."
Lucien's gaze sharpened. "How steep?"
Seraphine hesitated, then looked back at the tablet. "The one who casts the spell must offer their soul as a conduit. The Void will be drawn into them, and they will be its prison forever."
Silence fell over the room, the gravity of her words sinking in. Arin's face paled, and Lucien's expression became grim.
"There must be another way," Arin said, her voice small. "We can't ask someone to—"
"I'll do it."
The words came from Lucien's mouth, cold and unwavering. Seraphine's heart stopped, her eyes widening in shock.
"No, Lucien," she said quickly, stepping toward him. "You can't. You're the king—your kingdom needs you."
But Lucien shook his head, his eyes blazing with determination. "If the Void isn't stopped, there won't be a kingdom left. This is the only way."
Seraphine felt a surge of panic. "We'll find another way! There's always another way."
Lucien's gaze softened as he looked at her, a rare moment of vulnerability crossing his face. "Seraphine… I've already lost too much. I can't let this darkness consume everything. If my life is the price for stopping it, then I'll pay it."
Tears welled in Seraphine's eyes, a mix of anger and grief swirling inside her. She couldn't lose him—not now. Not when she had only just begun to realize the depth of their connection.
Arin, her face twisted with emotion, placed a hand on Lucien's arm. "We can't let you do this alone. There has to be another way."
But before Lucien could respond, the ground beneath them trembled violently. The walls shook, and the air grew thick with a dark energy that clawed at their skin. Seraphine's breath caught in her throat.
The Void was awakening.
Dark tendrils of shadow began to seep through the cracks in the walls, swirling around them like living smoke. The glyph on the tablet pulsed with light, reacting to the presence of the ancient darkness.
"We don't have time," Lucien said, his voice resolute. "If we don't act now, the Void will consume everything."
Seraphine's heart pounded in her chest as she looked between Lucien and the growing shadows. Every instinct in her screamed to stop him, to find another solution, but the truth was staring her in the face: Lucien was right. They were out of time.
Arin drew her sword, her face set with grim determination. "Then we fight until the end."
But Seraphine knew it wasn't that simple. They couldn't defeat the Void through sheer force of will—it was too powerful. And yet, the thought of letting Lucien sacrifice himself was unbearable.
A plan began to form in her mind—dangerous, reckless, but the only option she had left. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.
"Lucien," she said, her voice steady. "You won't be alone."
He frowned, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I'll cast the spell," Seraphine said, stepping closer to the tablet. "But I won't do it alone. I'll share the burden. We'll bind the Void together."
Lucien's eyes widened in shock. "No. You can't—"
"I can," Seraphine cut him off, her voice firm. "We both have the strength to do this. Together, we can contain the Void. I won't let you bear this alone."
Arin looked between them, horror and admiration warring in her expression. "Seraphine… you can't…"
But Seraphine ignored the protests. She knew what had to be done. The connection between her and Lucien—the bond of their souls, the love that had transcended time—was the only thing powerful enough to hold the Void at bay.
Lucien's jaw clenched, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and something deeper, something raw and unspoken. "You don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do," Seraphine said softly, her heart aching. "I lost you once. I won't lose you again."
The dark tendrils of the Void drew closer, their twisted whispers filling the air. The time for choices had run out.
Lucien's expression softened, and for a moment, all the weight of his kingship, his battles, and his pain seemed to melt away. He reached for Seraphine's hand, gripping it tightly.
"Together, then," he whispered.
Seraphine nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "Together."
And with that, they turned to the tablet, their hands entwined, ready to face the living darkness that awaited them.