With a command from Lucius, Neven's soul began to tremble violently in the air. Moments later, an invisible force seemed to surge from the depths of his soul, resonating throughout the room. The voice that emerged was low and raspy, filled with pain and struggle.

“I... yearn for transformation... to become Mara...” Neven's voice echoed in broken fragments, as if struggling to survive in the air, “I must do this... to save Aria... I need to regain my Essence Power... This is why I came here...”

Aria's eyes widened, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her chest. She could hardly believe her ears. Neven... was choosing to embrace darkness for her sake. He was willing to sacrifice himself, just to ensure her safety? An indescribable wave of pain and guilt surged in her heart, blurring her vision with tears.

Lucius's laughter filled the room, as cold as a winter wind. His gaze, sharp as a blade, locked onto Aria. “Now do you understand?” His voice dripped with a cruel satisfaction. “Neven Everhart belonged to Mara from the start. His soul craves the power of darkness. His choice is not surprising because it is his destiny.”

Aria's blood seemed to freeze in her veins. Images flashed through her mind—Neven's smile, his care, his gentle presence—all now overshadowed by darkness. She tried to move, but an invisible force held her in place, leaving her to watch helplessly.

“Aria...” Neven's voice sounded again, this time with a chilling calmness. “I won't let anyone harm you. Even if the price is... becoming part of the darkness.”

Aria struggled to contain the storm of emotions raging inside her. She looked steadily at Lucius, her voice trembling slightly. “Lucius, why did you save me after the trial at Celestial Sanctum and bring me here to find Neven? Was it to turn him into Mara?”

Lucius's demonic eye emitted an evil red glow, his gaze gleaming with sly amusement. “It’s simple, Aria. Because I knew Neven had the Arcance Crystal.” His voice was as cold as ice, without a trace of emotion. “He is destined to become Mara, and only Neven’s existence can unleash the power of the Arcance Crystal.” Lucius's gaze swept over Neven, who floated mid-air, wrapped in darkness, his tone filled with a hint of fanaticism. “I led you to Neven to fulfill the mission of the demonic eye. I will release the power of darkness. The dark seal must be broken.”

A wave of helplessness washed over Aria. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm and firm. “No, that’s the mission of the demonic eye. I know deep down, you’re not entirely evil. Your actions at Celestial Sanctum showed that you have a kind heart... It's the demonic eye that’s controlling you, Lucius. Your heart can hear my words.”

Lucius's smile faltered, a strange expression flashing in his eyes, as if Aria's words had struck a long-forgotten chord deep within him. His face paled, and one hand instinctively covered his demonic eye. His breathing became labored, and the light of struggle shone in his eyes.

“Silence!” Lucius's voice was hoarse, filled with obvious pain. His body trembled slightly, as if battling an unseen force. His face twisted, as though two souls were fighting for control within him.

“You... you don’t understand!” Lucius's voice echoed through the room, blending two conflicting emotions. One was his original cold ruthlessness, and the other was weak and full of struggle. “I... saved you... only... because...”

His voice abruptly stopped, replaced by a low, sinister laugh from deep within his throat, carrying a perverse pleasure. “No, Lucius Argent, you cannot escape me!” the demonic eye declared coldly. “You are an extension of my power, the vessel of my will. Every decision, every action you take is to fulfill my mission!”

Lucius's face contorted in agony, as though struggling between darkness and light. His fingers gripped his eye tightly, the tips turning white. His voice trembled again, filled with obvious pain and regret. “Aria...” his voice was weak and helpless, as if seeking solace in the mere utterance of her name. “I... I don’t want this... but I... can't escape... its control...”

The demonic eye's laughter grew sharper, full of mockery. “Are you dreaming, Lucius? You have lost the right to choose. You are mine, a tool to achieve my goals!”

Lucius's painful groans echoed in the room, his fingers clutching his eye as if trying to tear the evil force from his body. Yet his struggle seemed so powerless. Under the control of the demonic eye, his body was forced back into cold composure.

Aria's heart pounded as she watched Lucius's suffering. She realized that Lucius had not been completely consumed by evil. Deep within his soul, there was still a shred of kindness and humanity. She wanted to reach out to him, to help him, but an invisible barrier kept her at bay.

“Lucius...” Aria's voice was pleading. “You can resist it! You can choose to be yourself!”

Lucius raised his head, his eyes flashing with a complex light. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The demonic eye's voice echoed again, coldly proclaiming its victory. “Resist me? Hahaha! Lucius, your fate is sealed. You can never escape my control!”

Exhaustion appeared on Lucius's face, as if this struggle had drained all his strength. He lowered his head slightly, his fingers still gripping the demonic eye.

“Maybe... she’s right...” he murmured, his voice almost drowned out by the demonic eye’s cold laughter.

At that moment, a gentle light flickered in Lucius's eyes, like a long-lost dawn breaking through the dark clouds. However, the light was quickly swallowed by darkness, and the demonic eye’s laughter resonated again, echoing in Aria's heart filled with despair.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Neven's body slowly fell to the cold ground, the dark energy still tightly entwined around him, exuding an indescribable, chilling aura. The moment he touched the floor, the atmosphere in the room froze, as if even the air itself had turned to ice, thick with a sense of impending danger.

Aria noticed the sky outside the window rapidly darkening, as though night had swallowed the day. The tall glass windows let in faint, dim light, which twisted in the air thick with smoke, casting an eerie glow. Faint noises could be heard from outside, as if some unknown creatures were stirring in the darkness.

“What is that...” Aria whispered, her voice trembling with fear. She turned to look at Lucius, searching for answers in his expression. But Lucius's face remained unchanged, as calm as if everything was unfolding according to his plan.

“They’re here,” Lucius said in a low, steady voice, as if stating an inevitable fact, tinged with both resignation and anticipation.

Outside the window, dark clouds quickly gathered, forming a massive vortex. At its center, a blurry image began to appear, like a group of shadowy beings swimming through the darkness. They were of various shapes and sizes, but they all shared one common feature—deep red eyes, glowing like embers in the dark.

“Mara,” Lucius murmured the name, his eyes cold and detached. “They have come to welcome their new member—or rather, the Mara who possesses the greatest power.”

His gaze remained fixed on the swirling black vortex outside, a look of fascination flickering in his eyes. Heavy black smoke started seeping through the window, quickly filling the entire room. As the smoke spread, the room’s temperature dropped sharply, each breath seeming to crystallize in the freezing air.

Then, a low and icy voice echoed from within the smoke, reverberating through the entire room: “Lucius Argent, the most faithful servant of death.” The smoke coiled around Lucius like a dark ocean, countless blood-red lights floating behind him, forming a colossal wall of phantoms.

“I know you’re here, but the transformation is not yet complete.” Lucius's voice was deep and commanding, his enchanted eyes glowing with a fervent red light. “Only when he fully becomes Mara will you have the right to claim him.”

A low chuckle resonated from the smoke, responding to Lucius's declaration. The red eyes flickered within the smoke, coldly observing Lucius's every move.

The black smoke gradually retreated from around Lucius, yet the oppressive feeling in the room only grew stronger. Neven’s body remained lying on the ground, deeply enshrouded in the dark power.

“Neven has not fully transformed into Mara,” Lucius’s voice echoed, like a chill from the abyss. “When the day comes and he wholly submits to the darkness, I will return for him. The power of the Arcance Crystal will be mine, and I will use his strength to fulfill the mission of the enchanted eyes—to break the seal and let darkness fully rule this world.”

“Lucius, you can't do this,” Aria pleaded, her voice laden with desperation. She searched Lucius’s eyes for a trace of humanity, but found only endless coldness. “You once had a kind heart. I believe you don’t want to see innocent people suffer.”

Lucius's expression flickered for a moment, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his icy composure. He took a deep breath, as if forcing down any hint of weakness. “Perhaps, Aria,” he said softly, his eyes shadowed by painful memories. “But that time has passed. Now, I have only one purpose—to carry out the will of darkness.”

With those words, Lucius stepped back, waving his hand to release all restraints. The dark smoke swirled around him once more. As the smoke coiled, his figure gradually blurred, eventually fading away, leaving the room empty.

A brief silence fell over the room before Aria and Alexander rushed to Neven's side. Aria gripped Neven’s hand tightly; it was as cold as ice. She knew that Lucius's threat was not to be taken lightly. If Neven's transformation wasn't stopped, Lucius would return and turn Neven into Mara, wielding him as a weapon.

Alexander gently pulled Aria up, pointing to the window. “Aria, we don’t have much time. We need to leave.”

“But we can't leave Neven here alone, he will—”

“He’ll be fine, Aria. What happens next is up to the ‘me’ of this time. I need to go downstairs and talk to him. I’m sure I can convince him to keep this a secret.”

“If he doesn’t keep the secret?”Aria’s eyes were filled with anxiety.

“Trust me, Aria, I know myself.”

Aria and Alexander quickly descended to the first floor, their footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. Alexander looked at his other self lying unconscious on the ground, his face pale and eyes closed, trapped in a deep slumber.

Alexander knelt down and gently placed his palm on the forehead of the unconscious version of himself. A soft glow emanated from his hand, Essence spreading from his palm and enveloping the Alexander on the ground. The faint light filled the air, seeming to dispel the surrounding darkness. The Alexander on the floor furrowed his brows slightly, gradually regaining a hint of consciousness.

“Wake up,” Alexander whispered, his voice as gentle and firm as a morning breeze. The power of Essence flowed like a gentle stream, infusing the body of the unconscious Alexander.

After a while, the Alexander on the ground slowly opened his eyes. His vision gradually sharpened, and he saw someone who looked exactly like him standing before him. He couldn’t help but be shocked.

“Who are you?” he asked, struggling to sit up, a trace of fear flickering in his eyes.

“I am you,” Alexander replied calmly, “from another timeline. Things are urgent now, and I need your help to keep a secret.”

The Alexander from this time was still confused, but seeing the green glow emitted by the person standing before him, he vaguely realized that the man did possess the same essence power. This realization made it hard for him to outright deny the stranger’s words.

Alexander extinguished the Essence glow and leaned closer to his counterpart, saying, “I know this is hard to believe, but I can prove my words by telling you things only we know. Like what our mother said to us on her deathbed…”

The Alexander on the ground stiffened, his expression changing instantly. He stopped struggling and instead gazed quietly at the other "himself" standing before him. He finally realized this wasn’t some simple dream or illusion.

The Alexander on the ground finally spoke, his voice a bit hoarse, “What do you want me to do?”

Alexander looked at him deeply, a hint of earnestness in his eyes. “I just need you to keep our appearance in this timeline a secret. We are conducting a dangerous mission involving time. If anyone finds out we are from the future and realizes our presence could alter history, the consequences would be disastrous. Aria and I might cease to exist.”

“Aria.” The Alexander on the ground looked at Aria in surprise, as if noticing her presence for the first time. “You disappeared... How are you here again? Did he kidnap you?”

“No, he didn’t. I came here with him,” Aria quickly explained.

“Then you must know why you disappeared?”

“Aria, please wait outside the building,” Alexander interrupted, pressing down on the Alexander from this time. “I need to discuss a few things with him alone.”

Aria glanced at the Alexander on the ground and then at the one standing. A trace of unease flashed in her eyes, but she eventually nodded, turning away silently and leaving.

Alexander took a deep breath. He knew the secret he was about to share would be crucial in gaining the trust he needed. He bent closer to the Alexander from this timeline and said quietly, “Now, listen. These are things only we would know…”

As Aria left, she could faintly hear Alexander's voice continuing the conversation.