The door closed behind Cassian with a soft, almost mocking click, leaving a suffocating silence in his wake.
Lucius let out a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing as the vines that had sprung to life receded, curling back into their natural forms. The faint hum of magic in the air dissipated, but the tension in the room lingered. He turned to Lucian, his expression caught between worry and frustration.
"Are you all right, Lucian?" Lucius asked, his voice gentle but firm.
Lucian didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the door, his thoughts swirling like a storm. Cassian's words echoed in his mind, stoking the fire of his anger.
"Luci," Lucius repeated, stepping closer, his tone more insistent. "Are you all right?"
Lucian inhaled sharply, forcing himself to snap out of his trance. He looked up at his brother, his expression conflicted. "I'm fine," he muttered, though the words sounded hollow even to him.
"You're not," Lucius countered softly.
"If you already know that, why ask?" Lucian snapped before he could stop himself. The sharpness in his voice hung in the air like a slap.
The hurt that flickered across Lucius's face was immediate and unmistakable. Realizing his mistake, Lucian took a step back, bowing his head. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to…" His voice faltered, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of thoughts—most of them about Adrian, and how to win him back.
Even though Adrian had never outright confessed any affection, Lucian had been content with their unspoken connection. Now, everything was crumbling. Adrian, his Adrian, was engaged to the crown princess. The one person Lucian couldn't bear to lose him to.
It was a nightmare. A cruel, inescapable nightmare.
Lucius sighed, his expression softening as he adjusted his glasses. Then, with a gentleness that mirrored their mother's touch, he placed a hand on Lucian's cheek. The gesture had always calmed him before. It was something their mother had done when Lucian was upset, and after her passing, Lucius had taken it upon himself to provide that same comfort.
"I'm sorry," Lucius began, his voice low and steady. "I'm sorry for what happened at your birthday celebration. I know how much you care about the Duke of Averin."
'However?'
Lucian said nothing, though his heart ached at the mention of Adrian. There was more coming; he could feel it. His brother wasn't finished.
"However…" Lucius hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "How you acted then, and how you're acting now—it's not right, Lucian. This obsession… it's consuming you."
"What?" Lucian's head snapped up, disbelief flashing in his eyes. "Obsession? I'm not acting right? What does that even mean?"
"Luci, listen to me," Lucius said, his tone firm but kind. "Father and I—both of us—we love you, and we're willing to support you in whatever makes you happy. But there's a limit, Lucian. We won't stand by and let you hurt yourself or destroy everything you've worked for. What happened yesterday broke Father's heart. And mine."
Lucian's breath hitched. His brother's words stung, but they also ignited a defensive fire within him. "If you care about me so much, then help me!" he burst out, pushing Lucius's hand away. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. "Do you think I wanted to act like that? The crown princess humiliated me on purpose—she planned this! And Adrian, he… he…"
"He allowed it," Lucius interrupted, his voice sharp enough to cut through Lucian's excuses. "He stood by and let it happen. He humiliated you, Lucian. Not just the crown princess."
"No! Adrian wouldn't—he couldn't…" Lucian's voice wavered, his conviction crumbling under the weight of Lucius's words.
Lucius stepped closer, his frustration finally breaking through. "Adrian made his feelings clear, Lucian. Do you really want to stay in love with a man who used your birthday to announce his engagement and publicly reject you? He was your best friend, Lucian. If nothing else, he owed you the decency to spare you that humiliation."
"You don't understand," Lucian whispered, shaking his head as tears spilled down his cheeks. "The royal family must have forced him… He's protecting me, I'm sure of it."
"Protecting you?" Lucius's voice rose, a rare display of anger. "From what, Lucian? Stop being so naïve. You're twenty-one years old—you're not a child anymore."
"Why are you doing this?" Lucian's voice cracked as he backed away, his heart breaking under his brother's uncharacteristic harshness. "This isn't like you..."
'Don't tell me...'
"The crown princess must have threatened you too, didn't she? What did she say? What are they making you do?"
Lucius froze, momentarily stunned by the absurdity of Lucian's accusation. "Tell me. They're threatening you too, right?!"
Before he could respond, Lucian's aura darkened, his emotions spiraling out of control. Lucius's eyes widened in alarm as he realized what was happening.
Without hesitation, Lucius raised his hand, summoning a surge of magical energy. A wave of flowers burst forth, wrapping around Lucian and gently but firmly pushing him back onto the couch.
"B-Brother?!" Lucian gasped, shocked by the sudden attack.
Lucius stood firm, his expression unreadable. "Lucian," he said quietly, his voice heavy with disappointment. "Earlier, you were about to use dark magic on Cassian Valenor."
Lucian's eyes widened in disbelief. "I-I wasn't—"
"Don't deny it," Lucius cut him off. "Mother entrusted you with that magic, and she trusted you to keep it a secret. Do you know what would happen if anyone found out? Dark magic is forbidden, Lucian. You could have killed him. You could have destroyed everything."
"I didn't mean to—"
"And just now," Lucius continued, his voice trembling with emotion, "you were about to use it on me."
"N-No—"
"Do you love Adrian Averin so much that you'd risk everything, our family? That you'd hurt me?"
Lucian stared at his brother, his heart pounding as the weight of his actions sank in. He wanted to deny it, to protest, but he couldn't. The truth was undeniable.
He had almost used dark magic—on Cassian, on Lucius.
And perhaps, if his brother hadn't cast that spell to force him into slumber during his birthday celebration, Lucian might have lost control entirely.
Lucius took a steadying breath, his expression softening as he stepped closer to Lucian. His voice was low, almost pleading, as he said, "I love you, Lucian. More than you realize. But for your sake, and for the sake of our family, you need to accept the truth. Adrian Averin and Princess Elara are going to get married. That's the reality. You can't change it, no matter how much it hurts."
Lucian's breath hitched, his chest tightening with the weight of his brother's words.
"And until you can come to terms with this," Lucius continued, his tone firm now, "you won't be leaving the manor. It's not just for your protection, but for everyone's."
"What?!" Lucian's voice cracked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You can't just lock me away like some prisoner! I'm not a child, Lucius!"
"No, you're not a child," Lucius replied, his calm exterior hiding the strain beneath. "But right now, you're not acting like the man I know you can be. You're angry, hurt, and spiraling out of control. I won't stand by and let you destroy yourself—or everything Mother worked so hard to protect."
Lucian surged to his feet, desperation twisting his features. "You're supposed to help me, Lucius! You're supposed to be on my side! Adrian—he's my—"
"Enough." The single word, spoken with quiet finality, silenced Lucian. Lucius looked at him, his expression heavy with sadness. "I am on your side, Lucian. That's why I'm doing this. One day, you'll understand. For now, I need you to trust me, even if you hate me for it."
Lucian's hands balled into fists, his body trembling with unspent rage and anguish. He opened his mouth to argue, to plead, but Lucius didn't give him the chance.
"Rest, Lucian," Lucius said softly, stepping toward the door. "You need time to think."
And with that, he turned and left, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing through the room like a judgment.
For a long moment, Lucian stood frozen, staring at the door as if willing it to open again. But it didn't. The silence in the room was deafening, pressing in on him from all sides. His knees buckled, and he sank back onto the couch, his face buried in his hands.
Lucius was supposed to understand. He was supposed to help. Instead, he had turned his back on him.
Adrian was gone. His brother wouldn't help him.
And for the first time in his life, Lucian felt powerless.
The weight of it was unbearable.
But then, something stirred within him—a spark of defiance, a flicker of the unyielding determination that had always burned in his chest.
Slowly, Lucian raised his head, his tear-streaked face hardening as his gaze darkened. His mother's words echoed in his mind, clear as the day she'd spoken them.
"Take whatever you want. That is the life you were meant to live. To claim what you deserve and what belongs to you."
Lucian's lips curled into a grim smile, his resolve hardening.
He pushed himself off the couch, his steps deliberate as he crossed the room. His gaze fell on the portrait of him and his mother that hung above the fireplace. Her serene smile seemed almost knowing, as though she had always understood what he would one day have to do.
With a wave of his hand, dark magic surged from his fingertips, weaving through the air like a living thing. The portrait trembled, then shifted, revealing a hidden compartment behind it.
Lucian's heart pounded as he reached inside, his fingers brushing against the worn leather of an old book. He pulled it out, its cover etched with symbols that pulsed faintly under his touch.
"Don't worry, Mother," Lucian whispered, his voice steady, resolute. "I won't give up."