"HAHAHA!"
Cassian Valenor burst out laughing, his voice echoing through the room. It was the first time Lucian had ever seen him laugh, and the sight grated on his nerves. Over the years, all they had done was argue, their exchanges sharp and venomous. There had never been room for laughter between them, and now, Cassian's amusement only deepened Lucian's disdain.
Cassian clutched his stomach, still chuckling as he gasped out, "Y-You... And I thought you couldn't get more idiotic and reckless, Faelith. You used a spell, then killed yourself, thinking the Duke of Averin was going to come running to you? You?"
Lucian's jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists. He hadn't known what to expect when he told Cassian what he had done, but this—this mockery—was not it. Yet, he had no choice but to endure it. If he wanted to reverse the spell, he needed Cassian's help to return to his body.
And lying wasn't an option.
The spell's binding was clear: he and Cassian were now connected, their fates entwined. One could not stray too far from the other. While Lucian didn't yet know the consequences of separation, he had no intention of finding out.
Cassian's laughter subsided, but his smirk remained as he crouched slightly, leveling his piercing gaze at Lucian. "Gods almighty, Faelith. I didn't think I could ever laugh this hard at your stupidity." He shook his head in mock disbelief. "That's what you get for being a Wasteling. If you were any normal man, you wouldn't have to resort to such desperate measures just to get one man to love you back."
Lucian's lips curled into a sneer, his sharp tongue quick to retaliate. "Really? And how many marriage candidates have you had, Valenor?"
Cassian froze, the smirk faltering for just a fraction of a second.
Lucian seized the moment, his own smirk widening. "Seems like the normal person is having a hard time finding a marriage candidate. And at your age, no less. My brother already has a marriage prospect, and as much as I hate to admit it, so does Adrian. But you? I don't see women flocking to you at every function."
Cassian's jaw tightened, his dark eyes narrowing. "I'm not looking for a bride."
Lucian raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly forward. "Then how do you expect to become the duke without an heir, hm? Sounds like you're more of a waste than me, because at least I'm not in line for anything."
Cassian's expression hardened, his voice low and biting as he leaned closer, the air between them charged with tension. "At least I don't have to use a fucking spell and kill myself just for attention."
Lucian's lips curled into a sneer, his sharp tongue ready. "Oh, my apologies, Valenor. Not all of us have fathers who marry into the royal family. I almost forgot you get tons of benefits just by being related to them."
The knight's expression darkened, and his voice dropped to a dangerously low growl. "You don't fucking know what you're fucking saying, you ignorant fool."
'Oh? Did I hit a nerve?'
Lucian blinked, startled by the sudden shift in Cassian's demeanor. For a moment, he considered pressing further, but the intensity in Cassian's eyes gave him pause.
Cassian's jaw tightened, but instead of snapping, he took a deep breath and straightened, his expression hardening into something unreadable. Lucian frowned, caught off guard by the unexpected composure.
Cassian crossed his arms, his tone cold and clipped. "I'm not wasting any more time on your nonsense, Faelith. What do we need to do to reverse this spell? I want you out of my room and out of my life as quickly as possible."
Lucian rolled his eyes, arms crossing over his chest. "Oh, relax, Valenor. It's not like I want to be stuck here with you either. To reverse the spell, we need to go to my body. I'll chant the reversal, and voila, I'll revive. Simple enough for even you to understand."
Cassian's brow arched, a sardonic smile tugging at his lips. "And when you 'revive,' what exactly is your grand plan for explaining how you miraculously came back to life?"
Lucian opened his mouth, then froze. He hadn't thought that far ahead.
Cassian snorted, his smirk widening. "Of course. You didn't think that far ahead. Typical. You throw yourself into reckless, half-baked plans and expect the rest of us to clean up the mess."
Lucian's face flushed with embarrassment, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Shut up!" he snapped, lunging forward to shove Cassian.
His hands passed straight through Cassian's chest, a chill rippling through the air. Off balance, Lucian stumbled—but instead of falling, he found himself hovering midair.
"What the—" Lucian blinked, looking down at his floating body. Slowly, a grin spread across his face as he tentatively moved, realizing he could control his movement. "I can fly!"
For a brief moment, he spun in the air, testing his newfound ability with an almost childlike excitement.
Cassian watched him with a flat, unimpressed stare. "You're aware that when you get back to your body, I'm going to arrest you, right?"
Lucian froze midair, his excitement evaporating as he stared at Cassian in disbelief. "What?"
"You heard me." Cassian's smirk returned, sharp and cruel. "You think I'm an idiot? I know you used dark magic."
"H-How did—"
"Again, do you think I'm an idiot?" Cassian interrupted, his tone laced with condescension. Placing a hand on his hip, he tilted his head slightly as he looked up at the floating ghost before him.
"Just because you didn't mention it doesn't mean I wouldn't figure it out. I felt the aura in your room—a powerful, suffocating presence that lingered. It was strong enough to knock me out for an entire day. I knew something was off. I just didn't think you, of all people, would know how to wield dark magic."
Lucian froze, his mind racing.
'How the hell does he always know everything?'
For once, Lucian was the one rendered speechless. He suddenly felt like the idiot in the room. Cassian was right—he hadn't thought things through, and now everything was spiraling out of control. Worse, the infuriatingly smug Cassian Valenor had the upper hand.
And the consequences of his actions began to settle like a weight in his chest. Dark magic was punishable by death.
"Come to think of it," Cassian continued, his tone almost casual, though his piercing gaze never wavered, "if you can use dark magic, it means you wield a significant amount of mana. That's what we were taught at the academy, isn't it? But as far as I know, you were registered as being born without any mana."
"What are you implying?" Lucian's voice was low, wary.
Cassian's lips curled into a cruel smile. "That your family lied. Which, need I remind you, is also a crime. Dark magic isn't just something one picks up, Faelith. It's inherited. Your father, Duke Lance, is a water mage. That leaves your mother—the former duchess. She must've gone through a lot to keep this secret, to protect you. Your father, too. And what do you do? You ruin it all by obsessing over another man."
Lucian glared down at Cassian, his hatred bubbling to the surface. He didn't think it was possible to hate him more than he already did, but here they were. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to make Cassian shut up, but he knew better.
'He's taunting me because I taunted him. Damn him.'
"Hah. So you're saying you're going to have me and my family arrested?" Lucian finally said, his tone sharp, masking the nervous edge in his voice.
"Yes," Cassian replied simply.
Lucian's smirk returned, sharp and cutting. "The family that holds all of the kingdom's wealth? And me, the one who holds the spell to reverse this situation we're in?" He reveled in the brief flicker of realization that crossed Cassian's face. "You really thought I was just reckless?"
"Weren't you?"
Lucian leaned closer, his smirk widening. "Cassian Valenor, come on. The royal family can't touch me. That's the deal. We're so rich we could've built our own kingdom. My father just so happens to be loyal to this one."
"Dark magic is a serious crime, Faelith. Need I remind you," Cassian said coldly.
"Oh, yes, it's hard to get out of that one," Lucian drawled, feigning nonchalance, "unless..."
"Unless what?"
"You don't say anything."
Cassian snorted, crossing his arms. "Ha! Why on earth would I do that for you?"
Lucian floated closer, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Like I said, I hold the spell to reverse this. I'm the only one who knows when it'll become permanent. And even if you don't budge and this does become permanent, I don't mind tormenting the man I hate most for the rest of his life." He poked Cassian's chest, though his fingers passed through slightly.
"Would you be okay with that, though?"
Cassian's glare intensified, and Lucian could see the gears turning in his head.
'He wouldn't risk it.'
"Fine," Cassian said at last, his voice clipped.
Lucian's eyes lit up, but before he could speak, Cassian held up a hand to stop him.
"Only if you swear to surrender your book to me," Cassian said firmly. "To ensure you never pull something like this again. Adrian Averin is the future crown prince, and as the head of the royal knights, I'll do whatever it takes to protect him from potential threats."
Lucian snorted, amused. "Pfft. Isn't he stronger than you?"
Cassian ignored the jab and continued. "I will keep the book, and you will never use dark magic again. Do we have a deal?"
Lucian's expression didn't falter, though his thoughts churned.
'We both know you don't mean any of this, but I'll take it for now.'
"Deal," Lucian said smoothly, extending a ghostly hand.
Cassian's gaze lingered on him, distrust evident, but he didn't refuse.
'Because I don't plan on stopping anyway,'