Eldrich snapped his fingers, and they teleported to a dark room. Valencia looked around, fidgeting with her fingers against the carpet.

  “Where are we?” she asked, panting.

  A book flew and floated in front of Eldrich. The pages flipped without him touching.

  “We are at the Magic Tower…” he answered.

  Valencia clenched her fists before she stood.

  “How did you know about my powers?!” she asked, stomping one foot. Her brows knitted slightly.

  Eldrich whisked the book away as he stared at her. He smiled gently, yet his eyes remained distant.

  “Miss Elyane… wait, it’s actually Miss Luvoise.”

  Valencia’s muscles tensed as her eye twitched.

  “You…”

  “No need to be defensive against me… I’m only curious about you.”

  “And why are you curious? Do you want to die?!” Valencia questioned.

  “Ow…” Eldrich smirked, chuckling as if her words tickled him. “Miss Luvoise, I am not an enemy—”

  “Then what are you?!” she yelled as the room shook.

  Eldrich looked around, noticing his stuff floating in the air, but that wasn’t him… it was her.

  “You’re angry. I get it—”

  “You don’t understand anything about me, so shut up!” Valencia declared, her voice ascending into a monstrous voice. Her right eye turned black, and the left eye had a greyish pigment.

  Eldrich raised his hand and flashed a necklace.

  Valencia flinched as she looked at the necklace. Everything around them fell to the ground. Her eyes returned to normal.

  “Your father’s necklace.”

  She reached for the necklace and grabbed it. Her trembling hands opened the locket.

  “This… is my mother and father…” she whimpered. Tears dropped to the floor as she clutched the necklace and pressed it against her chest. Her gaze rose to Eldrich’s. “Wait… How did you get this when my father took this with him and died?!”

  “Calm down, Miss Luvoise—”

  Valencia took a step back, raising one hand as her aura created a void sword. The tip pointed at Eldrich’s neck.

  “Where is my father’s body?!” the voided voice in Valencia asked.

  Eldrich raised both hands up and stared at her eyes. The entire sclera blackened.

  “Miss Luvoise, I would suggest that you calm down first before we can talk…”

  “Why?!”

  He snapped his fingers, and they floated in… darkness. Nothing.

  Valencia looked around with her black sclera eyes. She breathed heavily as her aura soon faded. What’s happening?! Where’s my power? She clenched her teeth.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  “Calm down first, Miss Luvoise…” Eldrich repeated.

  She closed her hands and lunged forward to his neck, but he froze her motion with a flick of his magic.

  “I don’t trust any of you!”

  Eldrich frowned at the sight of Valencia as he quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her in after twirling her around, making her face away from him.

  “Miss Luvoise… please, I’m not here to hurt you—”

  “Let me go!” the shadow’s distorted voice yelled within Valencia as her wrist turned cold instantly.

  Eldrich’s eyes widened as they flashed back to the top of the Magic Tower. He pushed her away as she turned around.

  “W-What was that inside of you?” Eldrich asked.

  The shadow possessing Valencia chuckled as it pointed at Eldrich.

  “Magic Tower Master… what an annoying piece of shit that tries to control me!”

  It charged at Eldrich swiftly within less than a second, grabbing his neck as he bent his knee.

  Eldrich froze as his muscles wouldn’t listen to him. Fuck, I can’t move… is this the Void?

  “If my vessel doesn’t want your help, then let her be! The last vessel’s body has already been cremated,” it explained.

  Eldrich’s eyes widened as he stared into its eyes.

  “How did you know?”

  The shadow laughed as it leaned closer to him.

  “He told you to help her grow without being seen… why are you trying to hurt her?” it grinned.

  Eldrich choked on the words, recalling the day before Eureon left to fight the Demon King.

  “Protect them… Eldrich, I might not be able to protect them from the Royal Family, but you… definitely can for me,” Eureon’s voice echoed in his head.

  “Eureon…” Eldrich called softly.

  The shadow trembled, releasing its grip around Eldrich’s neck from hearing Valencia’s father’s name. It glared at Eldrich one last time before fleeing from her body. Valencia’s eyes rolled back as she fainted.

  Eldrich jolted, running to her side. He shook her.

  “Miss Luvoise!”

  Dark. Everywhere was pitch black.

  Valencia could feel her eyes open, but she saw nothing. She clenched her fists as she turned around repeatedly to see anything.

  “Where am I?” she asked, but her hands touched nothing. She panted—

  GRAB.

  A warmth. A light.

  Valencia froze as she could see a faint light shining on her hand. Then the light grew.

  Kael.

  “Young Duke—?”

  “Trust no one!” a distorted voice shouted in her ear.

  Valencia suddenly opened her eyes—

  She’s on the bed where Eldrich sat on his desk, flipping through pages.

  “Where am I?” Valencia asked.

  Eldrich looked at her and walked to her. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

  “A fever… I thought you were past that phase already,” Eldrich claimed, checking the time on his wrist.

  She glared at him, tossing his hand away. This lying wizard again?

  “You still haven’t answered my questions—”

  “Miss Luvoise, the more you use your power, the weaker you are… You haven’t properly trained yourself yet,” Eldrich explained, clicking his tongue.

  Valencia’s brows furrowed as she pouted.

  “Why do you care?”

  “I care because… your father was a good friend of mine,” Eldrich finally admitted.

  She clutched the blanket tightly, withholding her tears.

  “Lies… you would have admitted that a long time ago!”

  “How else would I have your late mother’s journal and your late father’s necklace, Miss Luvoise?”

  “Because…” she paused, thinking of what to reply. “You stole it from them!”

  Eldrich sighed in frustration. He raised his right hand up with three fingers out.

  “I swore if I lie to Valencia Elyane Luvoise about everything I say today, the Goddess of Athesia strips me of my immortality and sends me as a sacrifice to close the Demon King’s gate.”

  A tear pushed out of Valencia’s eye and fell as she stared at him.

  “W-Why would you swear?”

  “Right now, that entity that is attached to you is trying to make you trust people less… I have to swear in order to make you understand that I’m no enemy to you…” Eldrich declared. He leaned toward her and held her shoulders. “Miss Luvoise, you need to escape the kingdom… the Royal Palace is seeking you at every corner of the slums…”

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