---
Erica's P.O.V.
I walked down the mysterious hidden staircase, cautious of every step I took. It felt like forever before I finally reached the bottom.
The room was dark, with only the torch in my hand lighting the way.
I heard the sound of liquid flowing. I followed the sound and discovered oil dripping from an old tap head.
"Why is this here?"
I wondered in my mind.
Suddenly, I heard something fall behind me. I spun around quickly, but in my rush, I stumbled. I lost my balance, and the torch slipped from my hand, falling into the oil.
The oil instantly caught fire, lighting up the entire place in roaring flames.
To my amazement, I found myself standing in a vast hall filled with huge shelves stacked with old books and enchanted items.
In the center of it all stood a massive statue of a woman clad in armor, holding a steel sword.
The sword looked strangely familiar.
I wandered for a moment before ending up right in front of the statue.
An overwhelming urge made me reach out.
My fingers traced the steel blade down to the carved handle.
Suddenly, I heard cries.
I turned sharply—no one.
"I need to leave," I thought, running toward the staircase.
As soon as my hand touched the iron bars, the world around me went black.
---
When I opened my eyes, I was in a strange, nightmarish place.
The sky was blood red.
The ground bled rivers of blood, littered with bodies—young and old alike.
The sun itself was crimson and burning hot. The trees were sickly, reduced to thorny, barren branches.
A suffocating darkness, pure evil, choked the air.
Suddenly, a hand made of shadows reached out for me.
I barely dodged it.
Ahead of me, a massive wall of darkness loomed.
From within it came sounds of screams—horrible, tortured cries.
I wanted to help, to run in—but a firm grip pulled me back.
I turned to find a woman.
She looked exactly like the statue.
"Don't go in," she cried.
"He is waiting for you."
"Who? Where am I? Who are you?" I asked, overwhelmed.
"Knowing who I am is of no importance. My journey ended long ago. All this..." —she gestured to the horrors around— "will happen if he gets you."
"Who are we talking about?" I demanded.
"A powerful evil, banished and yet brought back to our world," she said solemnly.
Suddenly, the ground split open, and a crystal orb rose from within.
Inside, swirling mist danced.
She spread her fingers over it, parting the mist.
Scenes appeared.
I saw myself tied to an altar surrounded by candles.
A knife hovered above me.
Then I saw Eve, desperately fighting her way toward me—only to be struck down, her blood spilling across a cursed mark on a door.
The vision went black.
When I looked up, the woman was gone.
In her place stood a massive dragon.
The beast shifted, transforming into a man wearing a king's robes, his expression cold and lifeless.
His piercing gaze locked with mine.
Fire burned within his eyes, but it was a dead, icy fire.
"Erica, you can't run forever," he said, his voice sending a chill through my soul.
"She couldn't protect you. Neither could your parents. Neither will your friends. I'm coming for you."
He laughed—a booming, thunderous laugh.
And I woke up, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.
Miss Grump was sitting by my side.
She placed her hand gently on my forehead.
"My lady, relax. It was only a dream," she whispered before standing and quietly leaving the room.
---
Meanwhile...
Azreal sat upon his throne, his gaze fixed and distant.
The temperature in the room was icy, the staff standing stiffly, too afraid to speak.
Miss Grump's entrance lightened the atmosphere slightly.
"Master, she is awake," she announced.
"Good. You may go."
"Master, please be gentle. She's been through a lot and I..."
Her words faltered under Azreal's chilling glare.
"Enough. She is fine."
"Master, she... she saw something."
That caught Azreal's attention.
He turned to her slowly.
"What do you mean?"
"While she slept, she was restless. I used my orb to glimpse her dreams, and yes—there were signs of a vision, but I could not see them clearly."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Azreal narrowed his eyes.
Normally, he wouldn't care about such matters...
But now?
Something was wrong.
He could feel the weakening boundaries, the shifting powers.
Everything started after Erica arrived.
Without a word, he stood and exited the room.
---
Erica's P.O.V.
I locked the door behind me, scanning the room nervously.
Then, trembling, I collapsed to the floor.
"What's going on?" I whispered to myself.
"I ask myself the same question, Erica," came Azreal's cold voice.
I jumped up, startled.
There he was, sitting casually on a chair, legs crossed, his emerald eyes glinting with their usual coldness.
How had he gotten in?
I turned to unlock the door—but found myself nose-to-nose with him instead.
I gasped, stepping back instinctively.
"What do you want, Azreal?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
He narrowed his eyes at me, then gestured toward the bed.
Reluctantly, I sat down, keeping my distance.
"Something is not right here," he said.
"And you know something about it."
His words were heavy.
I bit my lip.
If the dream was a warning, dark days were surely ahead.
"What did you see?" he demanded.
"Do you read minds too?" I shot back.
He smiled—a slow, mischievous grin that made me shiver.
Returning to his seat, he leaned back.
"Don't make your stay unpleasant. Just do as I say, and no one gets hurt," he warned.
Images flashed across my mind:
My aunt's cruel laughter.
Chains dragging across stone floors.
The gleam of a wicked blade.
I blinked—and Azreal was gone.
---
House of Ramah
Eve's P.O.V.
I stared out the window, heart heavy.
Last night, I had a nightmare too.
War.
Darkness.
Terror.
The sealed evil had returned—and it was worse than before.
Gripping fear pulled me back into the memory.
I had stood before Destiny once more, and she held an hourglass.
"Time is running out. Prepare yourself, Eve," she warned before vanishing.
I sighed heavily.
"What's on your mind?" Luka asked gently, approaching me.
His eyes were full of concern.
He wrapped his arms around me protectively.
"I don't like seeing you like this. I'm here for you. Please, tell me what's wrong," he said.
"Luka, I saw Lucifer...in my dream. Something terrible is about to happen."
He tightened his hold on me.
"We'll face it together. For now, you need to eat and rest," he said, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.
His hand gently brushed my chin.
"Everything will be alright," he whispered.
---
Hedron
Erica's P.O.V.
I wandered the castle halls, searching for Azreal—but found no sign of him.
Outside, I noticed a group of guards dragging a man in chains toward the rear of the castle.
Curious, I followed at a distance.
The man suddenly started laughing—a chilling, broken sound.
One soldier struck him with a thick wooden stick, causing him to cough up blood—but the man kept laughing, blood dripping from his mouth.
"The time is coming... The key is here. Soon, Master will be free," he sang.
"What's wrong with him?" one of the soldiers muttered.
"We don't know. The king ordered us to bring him in alive."
"Don't worry, fellers!" the prisoner cackled. "I won't die yet. Not until I see what I came for. Take me to your leader!"
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances but continued dragging him.
"So Azreal is here," I thought, quietly trailing behind.
They led the man to a dimly lit torture chamber.
Azreal was already inside, casually fondling a dagger in his hand.
The guards shackled the prisoner to a large wheel.
"Why are you here, Erica?" Azreal asked coolly, without even looking up.
I stepped forward.
"I wanted to talk..."
I was cut off by the prisoner's harsh laugh.
"Finally! After all these years... The key is here!" he cried out.
"Soon, our master shall return!" he said in a voice that was not fully human.
A soldier struck him across the mouth with a mallet.
Teeth flew, blood sprayed.
But the man only laughed harder.
"The master shall return!"
"The war is coming!"
"And nothing will stop his reign!"
His laughter echoed off the cold stone walls.
---
[TO BE CONTINUED...]
---