The morning light filtered weakly through the old brick windows of the bookstore, casting long shadows across the dusty shelves. Prairie was sorting through a pile of ancient, leather-bound books, searching for any hint of something that could explain what she'd been seeing—the strange flashes, the eerie sense that something was always just out of reach. The atmosphere of the store was heavy, the air thick with a quiet unease she couldn't shake off.
Her fingers paused on the spine of a particularly old tome, and she felt it—a surge of magic in the air, as though the very fabric of the world was shifting. A chill ran down her spine, and before she could react, the temperature in the room dropped sharply. The faint clinking of something metallic echoed through the stillness.
Turning quickly, Prairie found herself face-to-face with a figure she hadn't expected—Xio, the cloaked stranger who had been watching Levi for days, now standing directly in front of her. His presence was unsettling, like the tension before a storm, and for a moment, Prairie couldn't breathe.
Xio's dark, almost inhumanly still form loomed over her. The shadows clung to him, wrapping around his figure as though they were part of him. His eyes—glowing with an ethereal, unnatural light—locked onto hers, and Prairie found herself unable to look away. There was something impossibly ancient about him, and for a heartbeat, she felt as though she were staring into the void itself.
"I was wondering when you'd come looking," Xio's voice was low and unsettling, a sound like the ticking of a thousand clocks, old and creaky. He didn't speak loudly, but the words vibrated through the space, echoing in Prairie's mind.
"Who are you?" Prairie demanded, though she could feel the uncertainty in her voice. Something told her that this was no ordinary person—no, this was something far older, more powerful, and much more dangerous.
Xio's lips twitched into a smile, though it was devoid of warmth. "I am Xio. And you are the one who's been asking too many questions. I've been watching you."
Prairie's hand instinctively moved toward the nearby bookshelf, her fingers brushing against the spine of a thick volume on witchcraft. She wasn't sure if it was the presence of the book or just the instinct to protect herself, but she reached for it, ready to defend herself. But Xio's next words froze her in place.
"I am bound to Levi Rose's soul," he said, his voice tinged with something dark—resentment, perhaps, or an ancient sorrow that stretched through centuries of forgotten time. "I am her shadow, her burden, her salvation. And you've just begun to see the ripple of what's to come."
Prairie's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice hoarse despite herself.
Xio stepped closer, the coldness of his presence intensifying. "Levi doesn't yet understand the depth of the curse she carries. Nor does she know how entwined her fate is with the world that is about to tear itself apart. But I do. I was there when it all began—when her bloodline was first cursed."
His gaze seemed to pierce through Prairie, as if he were seeing into her very soul. "She is bound to more than just the prophecy. Her essence is tied to forces beyond her comprehension. And I have been charged with ensuring that those forces don't consume her... or the world."
Prairie took a step back, her heart racing. "So, you're... what? A servant to her? A protector?" The idea felt impossible to grasp, but she couldn't deny the truth in his words. There was something about Xio that radiated power and knowledge, a sense of inevitability that made her feel insignificant in comparison.
Xio inclined his head slightly. "Protector, yes. But also something more. I am bound to her soul in ways even she cannot understand yet. I was there when she was born, and I will be there when she dies. And when the time comes, I will play my part in the unraveling of her fate."
The weight of his words settled in the room like an oppressive storm cloud, and Prairie struggled to keep her composure. "What do you want with me?" she asked, trying to steady her voice.
"I want you to understand the gravity of the situation," Xio replied, his voice grave. "You, too, are part of this. You're entwined with her, with this mess. And as much as you may resist it, you are a part of the coming war. The magic, the bloodline, the prophecy—it all leads to one point."
Prairie took a shaky breath, her mind whirling with the revelation. "I don't even understand why I'm involved in any of this. I'm just a—"
"Human?" Xio interrupted, his gaze sharp. "Yes, you are. But that doesn't make you powerless. You are the anchor Levi will need. The only one who can keep her tethered to this world when it all goes to hell."
Prairie's eyes widened. "What do you mean, anchor?"
Xio paused, and for the first time, his expression softened—just slightly. "I mean that Levi will need you more than she knows. She's standing at the precipice of something far darker than she can face alone. You have a choice to make, Prairie. Stand by her side... or let her fall into the abyss."
The room seemed to grow colder, and Prairie shivered as the full weight of Xio's words settled over her. She was involved now—there was no turning back. Whatever was coming for Levi, Prairie would have to face it too.
But as Xio stepped back into the shadows, his words echoed in her mind: "You are a part of this."
And for the first time, Prairie felt the heavy burden of that truth. Whatever this battle was, it was hers too now.
The air in the underground chamber was thick with the smell of sulfur, ancient incense, and the faint echo of otherworldly whispers. The walls, slick with moisture, were covered in runes that pulsed faintly in the darkness, casting an eerie glow across the faces of the gathered figures. Rue Pendragon stood at the center of the cavernous room, his eyes narrowed, his body tense. Around him, the tribunal of demons—the ancient rulers of his kind—observed in silence, their eyes glowing with the cold, judgmental fire that burned in the hearts of the damned.
Rue didn't flinch. He never flinched.
But tonight, even he felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him, threatening to suffocate him with its inevitable consequences. The leaders of his kind, those who had existed for millennia, regarded him with a mixture of disdain and calculating interest. He had once been a part of their inner circle—trusted, respected—but those days felt like a distant memory. Now, he was nothing more than a tool, a pawn in a much larger game.
"Rue Pendragon," a voice echoed through the chamber, deep and reverberating. It belonged to Daeron, the Tribunal's leader, his voice thick with power and the centuries of cruelty that shaped him. Daeron's form was a blur of shifting shadows, barely visible in the darkness, but Rue knew he was there—watching, always watching.
Rue's heart beat faster, but his face remained impassive. He had been summoned here for one reason: to answer for his actions, his growing affection for Levi Rose, the witch who had been prophesied to destroy the world, and the one who had unknowingly begun to unravel the carefully constructed web of the demons' plans.
"You have been chosen for a task," Daeron continued, his tone biting and cold. "And that task, Rue, is to eliminate Levi Rose. She is the key to the destruction of all we have worked for. You will either kill her, or you will be banished. Your fate is in your hands."
Rue's chest tightened, and for the first time in centuries, he felt a tremor of uncertainty, a crack in the façade he had carefully constructed. But it was only for a moment—just a fleeting flash. He had always known that he was expendable in the eyes of the tribunal, that his loyalty had always been conditional. But the command to kill Levi… that was something he hadn't expected.
He opened his mouth to respond, his voice rough as he spoke, "I won't kill her."
A chorus of gasps echoed through the chamber. The tribunal members whispered amongst themselves, their voices laced with disbelief and rising anger. A few of them shifted, their forms becoming more tangible, their monstrous features becoming visible—sharp claws, glistening fangs, and eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger.
"You defy us?" Daeron's voice turned colder, more menacing. "You, Rue Pendragon, who has served us for centuries, defy the will of the Tribunal? You would jeopardize everything we've worked for?"
Rue clenched his fists, feeling the familiar burn of power stirring within him. He was no longer a mere demon—he was a force in his own right. But even with all his power, there were moments when he still felt like the one bound, shackled by ancient pacts and deals.
"I won't do it," Rue repeated, his voice steady. "Levi is mine to protect, not to kill. I'm not your tool anymore. I won't kill her, no matter what you threaten me with."
Daeron's eyes flickered, the fiery embers in them flaring dangerously. "Then you are no longer one of us. You are nothing. You will be exiled to the Void. Stripped of your power. Cast away forever."
A shudder ran through Rue's body. He could feel the weight of their curses gathering around him, ready to tear him apart. Exile. A fate worse than death for someone like him—a demon without a realm, without a purpose, lost in an endless abyss where time and space would cease to exist.
But there was something else—a strange, quiet defiance that burned deeper within him. He had known this moment would come, and he had made his choice. He would not kill Levi. Even if it meant his death, even if it meant losing everything, he would protect her.
His eyes met Daeron's, unwavering.
"You have no power over me anymore," Rue declared. "I'll take my chances."
A heavy silence filled the chamber, thick with unspoken threats and the tension of centuries of history. Rue stood tall, his heart pounding, but his resolve unshakable.
For a long moment, Daeron said nothing. The tribunal members shifted restlessly, waiting for the final verdict, the decision that would either break Rue or break them. The air grew colder, the shadows stretching deeper.
Finally, Daeron spoke again, his voice low and venomous.
"Very well," he said, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of punishment. "If you refuse to do as you are commanded, you will be cursed. Not with exile, but with something worse—a death of the soul. Your existence will be erased. You will walk the earth, forgotten, no longer bound by your nature, but no longer alive. A shadow with no past. No future. No essence."
Rue's eyes flared, his demon blood rising in fury. But he knew the threat was real. They had the power to do it. He could feel their magic pressing against him, ready to sever him from the world itself.
"You will regret this, Rue Pendragon," Daeron hissed. "And you will remember us, as you fade into nothingness."
Rue did not respond. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked out of the chamber, each step a defiance against everything he had once believed in.
He knew what he had to do. He knew the stakes.
And he would face whatever consequences came next.
But he would not kill Levi.
Not now. Not ever.
Levi blinked rapidly, disoriented, as her senses slowly returned. The air around her was thick, unfamiliar. There was an earthy, musty smell, like damp stone and centuries-old dust. She tried to move, but her limbs felt like lead—heavy and unresponsive. Her pulse raced in her ears, and she could feel the weight of something pressing down on her chest, as if reality itself had become too dense to breathe through.
Her gaze darted around, trying to grasp her surroundings, but her vision swam in and out of focus. The walls were made of dark stone, tall and crumbling with age. Thick wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, and a faint, flickering light seemed to come from somewhere deeper within the shadows. A fire crackled in the corner, casting dancing shadows along the rough-hewn stone walls. The place felt ancient, haunted by a presence she couldn't quite name.
Where was she?
She tried to sit up, but her head spun with vertigo, and she sank back down onto the cold stone floor. Panic surged in her chest, but she swallowed it down. Her mind was foggy, her memories fragmented. What had happened? She had been... at her apartment, no—she had been in the middle of the night, somewhere far from here.
Her fingers tingled, and she instinctively reached for her wrist, where she had felt the burn of magic not long ago. But there was nothing there now, no trace of the sigil, no mark to remind her of the power coursing through her veins. A strange unease settled in her stomach.
The last thing she remembered was... something. A presence, a shadow, a flicker of fire in her mind. The grimoire. Her magic. The dark sigil.
And then, nothing. She had lost time—more time than she could account for.
"Levi," a familiar voice whispered, cutting through the fog in her mind.
Rue.
She jerked her head up, trying to focus, her heart skipping in her chest. The figure that emerged from the shadows was him—Rue Pendragon, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. But he looked different. More intense, more... dangerous. His demon aura pulsed with a dark energy she hadn't felt before.
"Where am I?" she rasped, her voice unsteady.
Rue's eyes softened just a fraction, his gaze sweeping over her with concern. He stepped closer, kneeling beside her. "You're in a safe place. For now."
"Safe?" Levi repeated, trying to push herself up, but her limbs betrayed her, shaking beneath her weight. "What happened? I—I don't remember."
Rue's jaw tightened, and he glanced over his shoulder, scanning the dark corners of the room as though checking for someone. "You lost time," he explained, his voice low and controlled. "You were pulled somewhere, by something. The magic—the curse—was too much. You passed out, and when you woke up, we were here."
"Pulled?" Levi repeated, her mind struggling to make sense of the disjointed fragments in her head. "By what?"
Rue's gaze flickered, a shadow crossing his expression. He took a deep breath before answering, but his voice remained steady. "You're not safe here, Levi. Not anymore. There are forces looking for you—looking for the power inside you. And now, they've marked you. You're being hunted."
Levi tried to stand again, this time with more determination, though the tremor in her hands was hard to ignore. The room swam around her, but she forced herself to stay upright. "But I don't remember—" she stopped herself, feeling the sharp pang of panic clawing at her insides. "What's happening to me? What do they want with me?"
Rue's eyes darkened. He reached out, steadying her with a firm hand on her arm, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone so dangerous. "You're the key to something much larger than you understand, Levi. And until you know the truth of who you are, you'll never be able to protect yourself."
Levi could feel the weight of his words settling over her like a shroud. There was no escaping this—whatever this was.
"Are they... are they going to find me?" Her voice broke slightly, the uncertainty creeping in.
Rue's gaze softened again, though the shadows still lingered in his eyes. "They already have."
Her pulse raced, and for a moment, Levi thought she might collapse right there. What had she gotten herself into? And who—or what—was coming for her?
In the distance, the fire crackled louder, but all Levi could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears, the deafening silence that followed Rue's words, and the unsettling realization that this was only the beginning.