The Secrets Of Krilux

Chapter 33

As they entered the tower, they were greeted with hundreds of armed guards. Somehow, the guards recognised them as Darkheartians and they knew Dredge was here to reclaim his throne. The group removed their cloaks and drew their weapons, preparing to fight the guards, except for Albas. Albas stood out of the way keeping Raziel safe. The group fought off the guards easily, they were much more determined to get past them than they were with the skeletal guards of the first faction. Once they had dealt with the guards, they made their way to the throne room and burst through the door.

Standing there was Lucinda Calvaire, but something about her was different. Her outfit had been replaced with a long black and purple dress that was very heavily detailed, and around her neck hung a strange amulet. She also had a crazed look in her eyes, like something inside her had snapped and whatever sanity she had was lost long ago. Gone was her usual sweet expression and kind demeanour, and in its place was a look of pure evil. The Lucinda they knew was long gone, transformed into somebody so different from who she once was. But make no mistake, this was her.

"Lucinda?" Edward asked, "Lucinda, is that really you? I thought you were-"

"Dead?" Lucinda interrupted, before letting out an evil laugh, "No, I'm not dead, unlike how you left me. You left me for dead, and the worst part? You didn't even give me a proper burial. But unlike you, Doctor Nightshade cared for me, she revived me and gave me this necklace. A Kriluxean, the supposed enemy, saved my life, while the Darkheartians, the people of my kingdom, my closest friends, left me for dead. I knew then that I was on the wrong side, I'd been brainwashed into thinking the Kriluxean empire was bad and the kingdom of Darkheart was good, but I was so wrong."

"I tried to save you, Lucinda." Lucien pointed out.

"Yeah but you failed. How is it being king, by the way? How is it knowing that that entire shitty kingdom relies on you?"

She turned to Albas.

"And you, you were supposed to marry me. I've waited eleven years and you haven't come to find me. Did you even care that I was gone?"

"I did, I was distraught over your death, but you must understand that the reason that I did not search for you is because I was under the impression that you were dead. I never stopped missing you, Lucinda."

"Oh yeah? Then explain that!"

Lucinda pointed to Raziel.

"You had a child with another woman! And with my so called best friend by the looks of it!"

"Raziel is not my child, Lucinda." Albas protested.

"Yeah right, as if I'd believe you. You never loved me."

"I did, and I am telling the truth. I would never lie, Lucinda, especially not to you."

"Yes you would! I can't believe anything you Darkheartians say! You're just trying to manipulate me!" Lucinda yelled, before attempting to slice Raziel's head off of his shoulders with her sword.

Albas backed up as quickly as he could, pulling Raziel backwards, while Lucien appeared behind Lucinda and pulled her backwards, throwing off her accuracy. Just then, Noelle jumped in front of Raziel to protect him, resulting in her getting sliced clean in half by Lucinda's sword. The tip of the blade also slashed Raziel across the face, leaving a large gash from cheekbone to cheekbone that cut through the bridge of his nose right where the cartilage ends and the bone begins.

"Mommy!!!" Raziel cried out.

"Take Raziel out of here now, I don't want him to see this side of me." Lucien said darkly, growling as he spoke.

Albas nodded and walked out of the room holding Raziel, all while Raziel was reaching for Noelle's corpse while crying and screaming.

Lucien's eyes began to glow and he shifted into his true form.

"You killed my wife, you injured my son, you will pay for this." Lucien growled, a terrifying expression forming on his face.

"Need help taking the bitch down, Lucien?" Evelyn asked.

"No, I need to kill this one myself. I killed her once, I can kill her again."

Lucien then grabbed Lucinda by the throat, squeezing so hard that he crushed her jugular, before slamming her against the wall so hard that part of the wall crumbled away. Then he set his hand on fire using his Darkheartian flames, melting her throat as he did so.

"You're going to die an extremely painful death this time, I hope you're ready for that." He threatened in a menacing voice, sending shivers down everybody's spine.

A look of terror washed over Lucinda's face as she struggled to get out of his grasp, but her struggles were in vain. Lucien continued to burn her, a sinister single-fanged smirk forming on his lips, as he watched the light leave Lucinda's eyes. He hadn't smirked like that in years.

He dropped Lucinda's corpse to the floor and walked over to his wife's corpse, wrapping each half of it in a black cloak. Sapphire seemed to be eyeing up Lucinda's necklace, seemingly considering whether or not she wanted to steal it, before ultimately deciding to take the necklace. She ripped it from Lucinda's charred neck, before putting it in her pocket and picking up half of her sister's wrapped up corpse. Lucien picked the other half, the enraged expression on his face fading into one of emptiness.

"Hey, you ok Luce? I know this must be hard, it's hard for me too. She was my older sister, I loved her, but she was your wife. I know how much you loved her, I could tell she was the light of your life. And Raz... Damn, it's gotta be even harder for him, he just watched his mother get murdered, shit like that can really mess up a kid." Sapphire said, a mournful expression present on her face.

"I... No, I'm not ok, but I need to be strong. I must be strong for Raziel, for you, for everyone. And as the king of Darkheart, I must be strong for my subjects."