Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps broke the silence in the distance. Aria’s ears perked up, and her body tensed like a drawn bowstring, her gaze quickly locking onto the entrance of the building. Her heartbeat quickened, pounding like a drum, her blood roaring in her ears. A shadowy figure gradually emerged in the dim light, the person's steps light yet urgent, as if driven by a secret urgency.
As the figure drew closer, Aria’s wariness turned to shock. She could hardly believe her eyes—it was Neven. His face, half-lit in the dimness, looked unusually somber, his eyes seeming to burn with a dark fire.
“It’s him,” Aria whispered, swallowing hard, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and unease. Her hand unconsciously gripped the branch beside her, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
Alexander nodded, gesturing for her to stay quiet. Their breathing was almost synchronized, the air thick with a tense silence. Neven stopped in front of the darkened building, his fingers moving slowly in the air. A faint glow emerged from his fingertips, silently touching the runes on the door.
“How is that possible...” Aria heard herself whisper internally. The runes melted away like ice meeting fire, vanishing without a sound, as if they had never existed.
Her heart sank, disbelief flooding her senses as she watched the scene unfold. “How did he do that?” she murmured almost to herself.
Alexander’s gaze was fixed on Neven’s back, his eyes glittering with a complicated light, as if searching for answers. “It seems he knows more than we thought,” he said in a low voice, a hint of distrust in his tone.
Neven pushed open the heavy iron door and stepped into the darkness within. Just as he disappeared into the shadows, Alexander motioned for Aria to move closer, hiding nearer to the entrance.
As they prepared to advance, a subtle wave of energy brushed past them. Alexander halted, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Aria sensed his tension and became more cautious.
At that moment, a familiar, deep voice spoke from behind them, “What are you doing?”
Time seemed to freeze. Aria and Alexander stiffened, slowly turning around. Standing before them was the Alexander of this timeline, clad in armor. His handsome face was partially concealed in the dim light, but his piercing green eyes shone like two cold blades, aimed straight at them.
“How is this possible...” The Alexander of this timeline stared in shock at himself and Aria, his eyes filled with confusion and alarm.
The Alexander beside Aria wasted no words. A light flared in his hand, transforming instantly into a blinding beam that shot forward. The light sliced through the air like an arrow, striking its target with a faint sound.
Aria saw a bright flash. The armored Alexander’s eyes widened for a brief moment before his body went limp and collapsed, unconscious.
“Alexander, you attacked your past self,” Aria said in shock.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect him to come here. He shouldn’t be here. Our presence seems to have altered something,” Alexander muttered, his face pale. “Hurry, Neven is about to transform.”
Aria, still stunned, quickly moved to help Alexander drag the unconscious version of himself into the shadows. Her heart pounded like a drum, and although the immediate danger was averted, the turn of events was far beyond her expectations.
“Will he be okay?” Aria asked softly, glancing at the Alexander lying on the ground with concern.
“He’s only temporarily unconscious. He’ll wake up soon,” Alexander explained, a hint of worry in his voice.
“How did this happen? How did he suddenly appear?” Aria pointed to the man on the ground.
“Something seems to have gone wrong,” Alexander replied, his eyes flashing with caution and unease. “I don’t remember this... it’s vague... like some detail has gone awry.”
Aria and Alexander hurried into the abandoned building, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors. The air was thick with the scent of decay and the growing intensity of magical energy, a mix that was almost suffocating. They followed the sounds to a staircase, moving quietly as they ascended to the second floor. As they got closer, the waves of magic became clearer, as if some powerful force was calling out to them.
Aria and Alexander crouched carefully behind a massive stone pillar, trying to make no sound. In the spacious room, a damaged crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, its swaying light casting mottled shadows on the walls. The floor was littered with debris and dust, and weak gray light filtered through a tall glass window, casting slow-moving shadows on the ground. Neven stood by the window, his figure appearing blurry and solitary in the light.
He held a black crystal in his hand, its faint glow flickering at his fingertips like a heartbeat in the darkness. Neven’s eyes were filled with a mix of fanaticism and anguish, his face contorted by internal struggle. Dark energy seeped from the crystal, crawling up his arm like a living entity, gradually covering his entire body.
Aria felt a chilling cold, as if countless needles were piercing her skin, making her tremble all over. "Is that an Arcane Crystal?" Aria’s voice was barely more than a whisper, crushed by fear.
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"Yes," Alexander replied, his voice low and tight with anxiety and dread. "Neven is undergoing the transformation; he is becoming a Mara."
Aria bit her lip, her eyes flashing with profound terror. She knew that if Neven truly became a Mara, he would no longer be the Neven she knew but a creature entirely consumed by darkness, like Daphne Blackwood. She couldn’t let that happen. As she began to rise, Alexander tightly grabbed her wrist.
"Don’t," Alexander whispered urgently, his eyes serious. "We can’t interfere with what’s happening now; it would violate the rules of time."
Aria’s gaze met Alexander’s, and she saw the struggle in his eyes. Her rational mind told her Alexander was right, but her heart found it hard to accept. Her fingers trembled slightly, her inner turmoil burning with an uncontrollable urge.
Just then, a low, chilling laugh filled the room, like a cold wind sweeping through, making the hairs on one’s neck stand up. Aria and Alexander turned to see a swirling black mist gradually forming into a vague silhouette, like a whirlwind. As the mist dissipated, they saw a silver-haired demigod standing before them, his skin as white as ivory, eyes reflecting coldness and wisdom. Disturbingly, one of his eyes glowed with a crimson light, like a demonic eye from the abyss. He wore a black robe, his face adorned with a cold smile, and an intense oppressive aura surrounded him, as if he controlled every breath of air in the room.
"Lucius Argent..." Aria murmured in shock and unease. She recognized the demigod as Lucius Argent, who had rescued her after the Celestial Sanctum trial and sent her back to find Neven.
Lucius Argent’s gaze was fixed firmly on Neven, a contemptuous smile playing at his lips. His voice slid out like a serpent, tinged with a hidden excitement. "You’ve summoned me, Neven Everhart," he said, his voice deep and smooth, like silk laced with poison. "You long to become a servant of darkness, a follower of the Dark God."
Neven could not resist the powerful dark force; his legs gave way, and he knelt before Lucius. Black mist clouded his eyes, as if his soul were being swallowed by an endless abyss. His lips trembled slightly, his voice hoarse and cold. "I am willing," he whispered, his voice like broken glass. "I am willing to offer my soul for endless Essence Power."
Lucius’s smile deepened, as if admiring a nearly finished masterpiece. He slowly raised his hand, his fingers tracing patterns in the air. The Arcane Crystal emitted a dim, shadowy light, like a black sun in the night sky, gradually expanding and enveloping the room in heavy darkness.
The darkness surged like a liquid, filling every inch of space. It coiled around Neven like a ravenous serpent, greedily constricting him. Neven’s skin became translucent in the darkness, veins and bones faintly visible. His eyes were completely swallowed by the darkness, becoming a bottomless abyss.
"Excellent," Lucius whispered, his voice echoing in the darkness as if coming from all directions. "You will become the embodiment of darkness, the true heir of Mara. I will guide you, leading you to the pinnacle of power." He lifted his hand, the Arcane Crystal spinning in his palm, emitting a low hum. Then, he abruptly thrust the Arcane Crystal into Neven’s chest.
An invisible explosion resonated through the room, dark energy radiating from Neven as its epicenter. A foul stench pervaded the air, as if releasing malevolent spirits that had languished for centuries.
Neven’s body trembled slightly, a flicker of struggle flashing in his eyes. Yet, the dark power was too overwhelming, quickly consuming his will. His expression gradually grew calm, as if he had fully accepted his fate.
Lucius’s voice was like a nocturnal whisper. "Good, Neven Everhart. Now, swear your loyalty to the Dark God."
Neven raised his head, his eyes completely consumed by darkness. His voice was deep and hoarse, yet filled with fervent obsession. "I am willing to be a servant of the Dark God, to dedicate my soul to the eternal darkness."
As Lucius spoke, the darkness began to coalesce, as if invisible hands were shaping it. Neven’s body began to float in the air, black mist coiling around him like snakes, sometimes penetrating his body, sometimes wrapping around his limbs. Each penetration caused Neven to emit a painful groan, as if his soul were being torn apart.
Aria’s heart sank, feeling an unprecedented despair. She watched helplessly as Neven’s transformation unfolded, darkness devouring his soul. She turned to Alexander, her eyes full of pleading. "We can’t let this continue..."
Alexander’s expression was equally pained as he took a deep breath, his fists clenched. "I know…" His voice was low and raspy. "But we can’t change what has already happened; it would affect Neven’s fate, even on the battlefield."
The room was thick with the aura of magic, Neven’s form nearly entirely consumed by darkness, becoming the center of a vortex. Lucius’s laughter echoed through the room, as if celebrating the victory to come.
At this moment, Aria felt an unprecedented sense of despair. She understood that she was witnessing Neven's transformation, as darkness was set to consume all of him. Alexander stood beside her, his face grave, his eyes never leaving Neven. His gaze was filled with pain and helplessness. They knew, no matter how much they resisted, this moment was inevitable.
Neven floated in the air, surrounded by dark forces that coiled around him like serpents. The black tendrils pierced through his body like blades, seemingly intent on tearing his soul apart. As the dark power surged, Neven's body trembled slightly in the air, his face contorted in agony. His soul emitted a faint light, as if making a final struggle to break free from the constraints of his body. However, the dark forces relentlessly seized him, as if determined to devour the last flicker of light.
Suddenly, Neven let out a heart-wrenching scream that reverberated through the empty room, causing the glass windows to shiver slightly. Aria's heart tightened abruptly, and she could no longer bear it. Driven by intense emotion, she rushed forward, determined to save him, even though she knew that such an action might alter fate and even cause her own disappearance.
"Neven!" Her voice was filled with urgency and despair, and she almost instinctively moved toward the center of the darkness.
However, just as she lunged forward, an invisible barrier appeared in her path. Aria felt herself being pushed back by a powerful force and fell to the ground. Alexander quickly supported her, but he, too, felt a force restraining them, preventing them from getting any closer to Neven.
"How dare you interfere with the timeline of this world?" Lucius's voice echoed through the room, tinged with unmistakable pleasure. With a slight wave of his hand, the atmosphere in the room turned icy. Aria and Alexander were immediately bound in place, unable to move. Lucius's gaze swept over them, his eyes gleaming with disdain and mockery.
"You come from another timeline and should not meddle in these affairs," Lucius sneered, his tone filled with sarcasm. "You know nothing of this."
He moved his fingers slightly, and a dark beam shot from his fingertips, aimed directly at Neven's floating form. As Lucius moved, Neven's soul seemed to be extracted, drifting around his body with a faint light, like a candle flickering in the wind. Lucius wielded a terrifying power, controlling this soul.
"Since you are so eager to understand," Lucius said softly, with a hint of mocking amusement in his voice, "then let me show you his true thoughts."