Damned by Him

The way Lillian hummed an unfamiliar tune made her look even creepier as she continued doing whatever she was doing, completely ignoring the person tied to the stone.

She picked up a bowl and began drawing different symbols with a black substance inside it. Some were triangles, others were pentagons, while several symbols were unlike anything Saline had ever seen before.

What terrified Saline even more was when Lillian picked up a knife and sliced open her own palm, letting her blood drip into another bowl. She didn’t even flinch or show the slightest sign of pain, as though cutting herself was the most normal thing in the world.

Saline had never seen Lillian like this before, nor had she ever imagined herself becoming a captive in the hands of her own best friend.

What the hell is going on...?

Saline drowned in her thoughts until the sound of approaching footsteps jerked her back to reality.

Her eyes widened.

Lillian was walking towards her.

Panic instantly consumed her as she began struggling against the restraints, wiggling her hands in a desperate attempt to move away.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Saline asked, terror evident in her voice as she watched Lillian raise the knife.

This wasn’t the way she had planned to die...

No.

There was no way this was happening to her.

"Lillian! Lillian!" she called out frantically, hoping to snap her back to her senses.

But Lillian remained silent.

The knife continued descending.

Saline squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the blade to plunge into her flesh.

Instead...

She heard a soft scraping sound.

Confused, she slowly opened her eyes.

Lillian had only cut off a handful of her hair.

Saline immediately let out the breath she had been holding, her chest rising and falling heavily.

Cutting her hair...

That was much better than taking her life.

She watched as Lillian carefully gathered the strands of her white hair, tied them together, and gently placed them on top of the strange markings she had drawn earlier.

Unable to stop herself, Saline decided to try speaking to her once again.

"Lillian... what are you doing?" she asked.

Silence.

No response.

But who was she to give up?

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked again.

This time, Lillian suddenly stopped what she was doing and slowly turned towards her.

"No."

Her voice was calm.

"I won’t kill you."

Relief instantly washed over Saline, and her tense body relaxed against the cold stone.

At least she wasn’t going to die.

But before that relief could fully settle—

"...But I need your heart’s blood to make this work."

"What?!"

Saline drew out sharply.

Wasn’t that the same thing as dying?

"You can’t do that!" she hurriedly protested.

"That’s the same thing as killing me!"

She stared at the fake Lillian, who merely lifted her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, as though taking someone’s heart’s blood was no different from asking them for a cup of water.

Lillian merely smiled at Saline’s horrified expression before turning away from her once again.

The eerie tune returned to her lips as though nothing had happened.

She hummed softly, swaying from side to side while carefully arranging everything around the altar.

The bowl containing her blood was placed at the northern point of the strange symbol, while the strands of Saline’s white hair rested at the southern point.

She adjusted the candles one after another, ensuring every flame pointed inward toward the stone altar.

The strange black symbols seemed almost alive beneath the candlelight, glistening as if the substance she had used to draw them had never truly dried.

Lillian crouched before the markings, muttering words in an ancient language Saline couldn’t understand.

The air immediately became heavier.

The candles flickered violently despite the complete absence of wind.

A low vibration spread across the chamber, causing tiny pebbles to dance across the ground.

Saline swallowed hard.

Whatever Lillian was preparing...It was almost complete.

Lillian stood up once more.

She picked up the ceremonial knife and walked back toward the altar, her golden eyes glowing brighter with every step.

Saline instinctively pulled against the chains binding her wrists.

The iron restraints rattled loudly.

"Lillian..."

she whispered desperately.

"You don’t have to do this."

No answer.

"Lillian, please..."

Still nothing.

The woman standing before her looked exactly like the friend she had grown up with.

The same face.

The same voice.

Yet...

She felt like a complete stranger.

Lillian slowly lifted the knife.Her lips curved into a faint smile.

"The stars are finally aligning."

She raised her head toward the ceiling.

"I’ve waited centuries for this moment."

Before Saline could process those words...

BOOM!

The massive stone doors exploded inward with a deafening crash.

Dust and shattered rocks filled the chamber.

A powerful gust of wind extinguished nearly half of the candles.

Lillian’s smile disappeared.

Her glowing eyes snapped toward the entrance.

Several figures emerged through the settling dust.

At the very front stood Queen Calista, her royal robes flowing behind her, magical energy dancing around her fingertips.

Beside her stood Florence, breathing heavily as though she had run the entire way.

Well the vines were no joke....

Commander Kaelion stepped forward next, his sword already drawn, his sharp eyes fixed solely on the altar.

His expression darkened the instant he saw Saline chained to the stone.

"Saline!" Florence cried, panic filling her voice immediately she saw her on the stone alter.

Relief flooded Saline’s heart.

They found me...

They actually found me.

Lillian stared at the three intruders for several long seconds.

A look of genuine surprise crossed her face.

"...Interesting."

She chuckled softly.

"I honestly didn’t expect all of you to get out of the vine trap that easily..I must say that I’m truly impressed."She tilted her head.

"I suppose I underestimated you."

And before anyone could move, Lillian raised one hand.

Dark energy burst from beneath her feet.

The strange markings surrounding the altar ignited with an eerie crimson glow.

A loud humming echoed throughout the chamber.

Then...

A transparent black barrier erupted upward from the symbols.

It curved over the altar like an enormous dome, trapping both Lillian and Saline inside.

Commander Kaelion immediately charged.

His sword struck the barrier with tremendous force.

Clang!

The impact echoed loudly.

The dome didn’t even crack.

Instead...

Kaelion himself was thrown backward several feet.

He landed on one knee, gripping his sword tighter.

"What...?"

Queen Calista narrowed her eyes.

"This isn’t ordinary magic."

She stepped forward, extending both hands toward the barrier.

Golden light erupted from her palms.

Ancient runes circled around her wrists as she began chanting.

The chamber trembled beneath the overwhelming magical pressure.

A brilliant beam of light shot toward the dome.

The instant it collided...

Nothing happened.

The barrier absorbed the spell as though it had never existed.

Queen Calista’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

"...Impossible."

Lillian smiled. "A protection dome woven with blood, sacrifice, and fate."

She slowly shook her head. "You cannot break it."

"No spell from the outside can."

Florence stepped closer to the barrier, tears already filling her eyes.

"Saline!"

She slammed both palms against the invisible wall.

"Hold on!"

"We’re getting you out of there!"

Saline desperately nodded despite the fear coursing through her body. "Aunt!"

she cried.

"I’m here!"

Commander Kaelion immediately began searching for another opening around the barrier, refusing to give up.

"There has to be a weakness..."

he muttered. "There always is."

Lillian simply watched them with amusement dancing in her golden eyes. "You can search all you like."

"It won’t matter."

"The ritual has already begun."

She turned away from them.

Her full attention returned to Saline.

The smile on her face widened.

"So..."

She gently reached down and took hold of Saline’s trembling hand.

Saline immediately tried to pull away.

"No..."

Her voice broke.

"Lillian..."

"Please..."

For the first time since all of this had begun...

Lillian looked directly into her eyes.

"I’m sorry."

she whispered softly.

"I truly am."

Then...

She slowly turned Saline’s palm upward.

Holding her wrist firmly in place, she lifted the ceremonial knife.

Outside the barrier, Queen Calista’s face changed.

"Stop!"

Commander Kaelion struck the dome again with all his strength.

"Leave her alone!"

Florence screamed, pounding helplessly against the barrier.

"Saline!"

But none of them could reach her.

Inside the dome...

Time itself seemed to slow.

The knife glinted beneath the candlelight.

Saline squeezed her eyes shut.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Then...

Lillian drove the blade into the center of Saline’s palm.

"Ahhh!"

Saline’s agonized scream echoed through the chamber as crimson blood spilled from the wound, dripping onto the ancient symbols beneath the altar.

The moment the first drop touched the markings...

The entire ritual circle blazed with an ominous crimson light.

The instant the ritual circle erupted into a crimson blaze, an overwhelming pressure swept through the underground chamber.

The flames of every candle stretched unnaturally high.

The ancient symbols carved into the stone floor pulsed like a living heartbeat.

Saline’s blood continued dripping from her wounded palm, each drop sinking into the markings as though the stone itself hungered for it.

Lillian smiled.

"It has begun."

Queen Calista’s face paled.

"No..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"We’re too late."

Commander Kaelion tightened his grip around his sword until his knuckles turned white.

"There has to be something!"

He dashed forward once more, preparing to strike the barrier again.

Before his sword could touch it...

A powerful gust of wind exploded through the chamber.

No.

It wasn’t wind.

It was...

Something moving.

Fast.

Extremely fast.

A dark blur shot through the broken entrance of the cavern, crossing the enormous chamber in less than the blink of an eye.

No one could make out its form.

Not even Queen Calista.

The blur slammed into the black dome.

BOOM!

The entire cavern shook violently.

Cracks instantly spread across the blood barrier.

Lillian’s confident smile vanished.

"What—?"

Before she could react—

CRASH!

The dome shattered into thousands of fragments of black light that scattered through the air like broken glass before dissolving into nothingness.

The violent shockwave threw everyone backward.

Candles toppled over.

Stone pillars trembled.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

Commander Kaelion planted his sword into the ground to steady himself.

Queen Calista shielded Florence behind her as the magical backlash rushed toward them.

Lillian staggered several steps, golden eyes widened with disbelief.

"...Impossible."

She whispered.

"My barrier..."

"It can’t be broken."

Silence suddenly swallowed the chamber.

The strange crimson glow faded.

The humming of the ritual disappeared.

Only the sound of falling debris echoed through the cave.

Everyone immediately looked toward the altar.

Lillian’s breath caught.

The ceremonial knife had fallen onto the stone.

The blood bowl had overturned.

The restraints still hung from the altar...

Empty.

Saline was gone.

Lillian’s pupils contracted.

"No..."

She spun around frantically.

"No!"

Commander Kaelion was equally stunned.

"Where is she?"

Florence’s eyes darted around the chamber.

"Saline!"

She called desperately.

"Saline!"

No answer came.

Queen Calista slowly lowered her hands, her sharp gaze sweeping across every shadow in the cavern.

Someone had entered.

Someone powerful enough to shatter a blood-bound protection dome with a single strike.

But whoever it was...

Had vanished just as quickly.

Lillian clenched both fists.

"I know you’re here."

Her cheerful tone had completely disappeared.

Only fury remained.

"Show yourself!"

Her voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Nothing.

Not even a whisper answered her.

Commander Kaelion immediately moved in front of Queen Calista and Florence, his sword raised.

"Stay alert."

His voice was low and cautious.

"We’re not alone."

A chilling silence settled over the cavern.

Every flicker of candlelight suddenly seemed suspicious.

Every shadow looked alive.

Even the air itself felt as though it were holding its breath.

Lillian slowly turned in a circle, her glowing golden eyes scanning every corner of the underground chamber.

Whoever had intervened...

Was still nearby.

Watching them.

Waiting.

And somewhere within the darkness...

A pair of dark eyes silently opened.