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Despite his resolve to avoid Evaline, Anthony found himself drawn to her with an irresistible force, becoming a daily presence at her father’s house. Mr. Thorneycroft, observing their growing attachment, was pleased. He wanted his daughter to marry the man she loved and hinted to Anthony about a substantial marriage portion to ensure her happiness.
Recently, Anthony’s demeanor had shifted dramatically. The melancholy that had once clouded his spirits seemed to dissipate, replaced by a newfound cheerfulness that enchanted Evaline. She began to dream blissfully of their future together.
One evening, they strolled together, their steps naturally leading them towards the river. As they lingered on the banks, they admired the full tide, the glorious sunset, and whispered sweet nothings, each word imbued with the tender eloquence of lovers.
“Oh, how different you are from a week ago,” Evaline teased. “Promise me you won’t fall into those gloomy moods again.”
“I will try my best, sweet Evaline,” Anthony replied. “But my spirits are not always within my control. Even I am surprised by my cheerfulness tonight.”
“I have never felt so happy,” Evaline said, her eyes shining. “The calm river, the warm sky still flushed with red from the sunset—it’s all so soothing. And look, there’s the crescent moon in her first quarter.”
“The moon in her first quarter!” Anthony gasped, his voice suddenly filled with anguish. “Then all is lost.”
“What’s wrong?” Evaline asked, alarmed by his sudden change.
“Oh, Evaline,” he said, his voice breaking. “I must leave you. I’ve let myself dream of happiness for too long. I’m cursed, destined to bring misery to those who love me. I warned you from the start, but you wouldn’t believe me. Let me go, and maybe it’s not too late to save you.”
“No, don’t leave me!” Evaline cried, clinging to him. “I’m not afraid as long as you’re with me.”
“You don’t understand the terrible fate I’m bound to,” Anthony said. “Tonight is the night it will be fulfilled.”
“Your dark thoughts don’t scare me anymore, dear Anthony,” she said gently. “I know they’re just figments of your imagination. Come, let’s continue our walk.” She took his arm, trying to soothe him.
“Evaline,” he implored, “please, let me go. I can’t leave unless you help me.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said, determined. “Then I’ll hold you fast.”
“You have no idea what you’re doing!” Anthony cried. “Release me! Please, release me!”
“In a few moments, this will pass,” she said confidently. “Let’s walk towards the abbey.”
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“It’s useless to fight fate,” Anthony muttered despairingly.
He let her lead him, his resistance ebbing. Evaline spoke to him, but her words fell on deaf ears, and soon, she too fell silent. They walked along Millbank Street and Abingdon Street, turning off towards an old, partially-demolished building. By now, the darkness was complete, the moon hidden behind a shroud of clouds. A light glowed from an upper story window, casting eerie shadows on the broken walls, creating a haunting, picturesque scene.
Evaline paused, her eyes fixed on the ruin, her curiosity piqued. “Let’s go inside,” she whispered, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and unease. Anthony, lost in his own thoughts, offered no resistance. They stepped through an arched doorway and ascended a narrow, spiral stone staircase. At the top, they emerged into a roofless chamber, littered with tools and debris, a testament to its impending demolition.
A large archway, partially bricked up, yawned ominously on one side. A narrow doorway, elevated from the ground, was accessible only by a precarious plank. Beneath it lay a pile of stones, some carved into grotesque faces that seemed to mock them in the flickering light. In the center of the chamber, a gaping square hole revealed the top of a ladder, next to a flaming brazier that cast eerie shadows on the crumbling walls. The crescent moon hung low in the sky, its ghostly light casting a pallid glow over the scene.
“What a strange place,” Evaline murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “It feels like something out of a dark romance. I wonder where that trap leads.”
“To the vault below, most likely,” Anthony replied, his voice tight with tension. “But why did we come here?”
As he spoke, a chilling sound echoed through the chamber—a mocking laughter that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
“Did you hear that?” Anthony asked, his eyes wide with fear.
“It’s just laughter from the street,” Evaline tried to reassure him, though her own heart raced. “You’re scaring yourself over nothing, Anthony.”
“No, Evaline, it’s not without reason,” he insisted. “I am ensnared by a malevolent force, one that seeks to harm you. Listen to me—whatever I say, however unbelievable, know it is the truth.”
“Beware!” A deep voice boomed from the depths below, sending a shiver down Evaline’s spine.
“Someone’s here,” she gasped, her earlier bravado crumbling. “Let’s leave, Anthony. Now.”
“Come on, then,” Anthony urged, but their path was blocked.
“Not so fast,” the deep voice echoed again, and from the shadows emerged a figure draped in a black cloak, his presence suffocating and sinister.
“Evaline, you are mine,” the stranger declared. “Anthony has delivered you to me.”
“It’s a lie!” Anthony shouted, stepping protectively in front of Evaline. “I will never surrender her to you.”
“Remember your pact,” the stranger sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
Evaline turned to Anthony, horror in her eyes. “Anthony, what have you done? Have you made a deal with this demon?”
“He has,” the stranger confirmed, his laughter echoing off the stone walls. “And by that pact, you belong to me.”
The stranger advanced, his cloak swirling around Evaline, muffling her cries. Anthony lunged at him, desperate to free her. “Release her, or I renounce our pact entirely!”
“Fool!” the stranger hissed. “You dare defy me? Face your doom.”
He stomped the ground, and from the trap-door, a skeletal arm shot up, its grip like iron around Anthony’s wrist.
As Evaline was dragged toward the narrow doorway, the stranger looked back, his face a mask of triumph. “Behold the moon in her first quarter,” he mocked. “My words are fulfilled.”
With a final, taunting laugh, he disappeared into the darkness, taking Evaline with him.
Anthony struggled against the unyielding grip, his shouts of rage and despair echoing through the chamber. The arm pulled him down, dragging him into the black abyss of the vault, leaving only his desperate cries to haunt the ruins.