Love At First Death

The tension from the confrontation with the villagers clung to the air, heavy and suffocating. Elysia paced the place, her mind tangled with questions she couldn't untangle. Witch. Curse. A missing girl. None of it made sense, and the more she tried to piece it together, the more frustrated she became.

Lucian sat lazily on the edge of the banister, flipping a coin with one hand and watching her with mild amusement. "You know, if pacing burned calories, you'd be a world-class athlete by now."

Elysia shot him a glare. "Is snark your only personality trait?"

He smiled lazily. "That, and my devastating good looks. It's a full-time job."

Before Elysia could retort, Markus emerged from the shadows of the corridor, wiping his hands on a rag, his expression calm but thoughtful. He looked like a man who carried a million small worries but chose not to voice any of them.

"Markus!" Elysia called, relief flooding her tone. "Maybe you'll be more reasonable than this guy." She gestured toward Lucian, who feigned offense.

Markus arched an eyebrow and glanced at Lucian. "You've been teasing her again, haven't you?"

Lucian grinned. "It's called rapport-building, Markus. Try it sometime."

Markus ignored him and turned to Elysia, his voice gentle but firm. "What's on your mind?"

She crossed her arms. "What's on my mind? Oh, just the fact that a mob of villagers thinks I'm a witch and cursed someone. And let's not forget the part where none of this– " she waved her hand around the castle "– feels remotely normal."

Markus frowned, his brow furrowing. "The villagers have always been superstitious. They don't trust what they don't understand."

Elysia's patience frayed. "That's not an answer. I'm tired of riddles. I want the truth."

Markus hesitated, his expression softening. "You're asking for a lot, Elysia. And I'm not sure you'll like the truth if you hear it."

Lucian interjected with a sly grin. "Oh, let her have it, Markus. She's already halfway down the rabbit hole."

Markus sighed, shaking his head. "Lucian, you're not helping."

"I wasn't trying to."

Elysia threw up her hands. "This is ridiculous. I feel like I'm stuck in a bad mystery novel with two characters who think being vague is an Olympic sport!"

Markus chuckled softly, the sound surprisingly warm. "You're right. You deserve more than this runaround. But some truths need to wait for the right moment."

Elysia opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, a deep rumble reverberated through the castle, like the earth itself was groaning.

Markus straightened immediately, his hand tightening around the rag. "That's not good."

"What was that?" Elysia asked, her frustration turning into unease.

Markus didn't answer, already striding toward the sound.

Elysia followed without hesitation. "If you think I'm staying behind, you clearly don't know me at all."

Lucian trailed after them, his grin replaced by a sharp glint in his eyes. "This should be fun."

The noise led them to a hidden staircase spiraling downward. Markus hesitated at the top, his face tight with worry. "Elysia, I'm serious. This is dangerous."

She brushed past him, her curiosity outweighing her fear.

Lucian snorted. "Dangerous against stubborn."

Markus shook his head and followed, muttering under his breath about headstrong people.

As they descended, the air grew colder, and an unsettling hum filled the space. At the bottom of the stairs was an iron door, slightly ajar. Markus pushed it open cautiously, revealing a cavernous room filled with strange machinery and glowing runes etched into the walls.

In the center was a massive tank filled with a swirling black substance. The sight of it made Elysia's skin crawl.

"What is that?" she asked, her voice hushed.

Markus sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Something that shouldn't exist anymore."

Lucian walked past them, peering into the tank with mild interest. "Looks like it woke up."

Elysia glared at him. "Woke up? What does that mean?"

"It means," Markus said quietly, "we might have a problem."

The liquid in the tank began to churn violently, and a clawed hand emerged from the surface.

Elysia stumbled back, her breath catching. "That's not JUST a problem."

The creature pulled itself halfway out, its glowing red eyes locking onto Elysia.

Markus stepped in front of her protectively. "We need to leave. Now."

Lucian, however, looked amused. "Oh, come on, Markus. Let's see what it can do."

Markus shot him a withering glare. "This isn't a game."

Lucian shrugged, still grinning. "It could be."

Elysia tugged on Markus's sleeve. "Can we argue somewhere that's not here? Preferably far away from that thing?"

Markus nodded, guiding her back toward the stairs. "Stay close."

They fled back to the upper levels, the creature's guttural roars echoing behind them. Once they were safe, Markus bolted the door and turned to Elysia, his expression weary.

"You're not ready for the truth, Elysia," he said quietly. "But it's coming, whether we want it to or not."

Lucian leaned casually against the wall, his grin returning. "Welcome to the fun part, darling."

Elysia stared at both of them, her heart racing. Whatever was happening, she had a feeling, she didn't see it all.