The Boy Next DOOR.

As Valerian stumbled through the shimmering portal with Aric, the world around them warped, twisting into a vortex of light and shadows. His body felt weightless, as if he were being pulled through space itself. Then, with a sudden jolt, they arrived on the other side.

They were no longer in Sebastian's house.

Valerian blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The place was dark and cold, with towering stone walls that stretched up into the shadows. There were no windows, only dim, flickering lights from torches mounted on the walls. The air felt heavy, thick with magic and something darker—something oppressive.

Before Valerian could take in more, he yanked his hand free from Aric's grip. "Wait," he gasped, his chest heaving from both fear and exhaustion. "This isn't my realm. Who are you? Where are we?"

Aric turned to him slowly, his face obscured by the dim lighting. For a moment, Valerian thought the man would finally answer his question. But then, Aric smiled—a slow, deliberate smile that sent a shiver down Valerian's spine.

It wasn't a reassuring smile.

It wasn't a smile of someone who had just saved him.

It was something darker, something twisted. The corners of Aric's lips pulled back just enough to reveal a flash of sharp teeth, and his eyes gleamed with an unsettling glint.

Valerian's heart sank.

"I'm in grave danger."

He took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to run, but his body was frozen with fear. His hand twitched, desperate to grab something, anything, for protection, but before he could act, Aric's grip tightened around his wrist, pulling him closer.

Valerian winced, his pulse quickening as he tried to yank his hand away. "Let go of me!" His voice shook, but his fear was palpable.

Aric's hold was unyielding, like iron. His eyes, now glowing faintly, bore into Valerian's with a mix of amusement and something far more sinister. "You wanted to know who I am?" Aric whispered, his voice dripping with malice. "You'll find out soon enough. But let me assure you, Valerian… I didn't bring you here to save you. I brought you because you… are useful. I actually have been following you for quite a while now, and plotting a plan to capture you when Sebastian help you captive"

Valerian's breath hitched. His muscles tensed, and every instinct screamed for him to run, but his body refused to respond. He tried again to yank his wrist away, but Aric's grip tightened even more, his nails digging into Valerian's skin. A flicker of pain shot through him, and his eyes widened with terror.

"What do you want from me?" Valerian's voice cracked, fear seeping into every word.

Aric's smile widened, his eyes glowing brighter now. "You'll find out in time. But first, you should know one thing…"

Aric leaned in closer, his voice a low, venomous whisper in Valerian's ear. "There are far worse things in this world than Sebastian. And you've just stepped into the hands of one of them."

Valerian's heart pounded in his chest as fear turned to panic. He struggled again, harder this time, but Aric's grip didn't budge. His eyes flickered with fear as he looked up at the man holding him captive.

"I've traded one monster for another."

Aric's grip tightened on Valerian as he dragged him down a dimly lit hallway, the air thick with the stench of death and decay. Valerian struggled, but his body was too weak, his legs barely able to hold him up after the draining day. Fear surged through him, a gnawing pit in his stomach as he realized just how dire his situation had become.

When he resisted, Aric's patience snapped. With a sudden, brutal motion, he yanked Valerian by his hair, dragging him through the hall. Valerian screamed, his scalp burning from the force. His body scraped against the cold stone floor as he was pulled toward a large, rusted iron door at the end of the corridor.

"Stop! Let me go!" Valerian begged, his voice hoarse with terror, but Aric remained silent, his eyes filled with malevolent purpose.

The door creaked open, revealing a room that made Valerian's blood run cold. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened in horror. Scattered across the floor were dozens of bodies, their forms twisted and broken, their eyes empty of life. Each corpse glowed faintly with the remnants of what had once been powerful spiritual energy. These were people like him—people with high spiritual power who had been drained and discarded like hollow shells.

Aric shoved him into the room, and Valerian fell to the ground with a painful thud. He struggled to his knees, his body trembling as he realized his fate.

"This... this is what you do?" Valerian whispered, his voice cracking. "You take their spiritual cores? You kill people like me?"

Aric crouched down beside him, his twisted smile returning. "You catch on quickly. Your core will be mine, just like theirs. But before that…" He reached out, his fingers cold as they brushed against Valerian's cheek. "We'll have a bit of fun."

Valerian recoiled, but Aric grabbed him by the throat, squeezing just enough to make him gasp for air. "Your power... it's strong, Valerian. I can feel it. But before I can claim it, I have to… liberate it from your soul. And that process is going to hurt."

Valerian's mind raced, his thoughts frantic as he tried to think of a way out. *I can't die like this… not like this.* His heart pounded in his chest as he recalled the teleportation spell. He began to chant under his breath, his words a desperate plea to escape.

"Earth below and sky above, fire and wind I call with love, Open the path, reveal the door, take me to where I was…"

But before he could finish, Aric's hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him. "None of that," Aric hissed, his tone icy. With a swift motion, he tied Valerian's hands and feet with glowing restraints, preventing him from using his magic. Tears welled up in Valerian's eyes as his body grew weak, drained of energy.

Helpless, Valerian watched in horror as Aric turned to another person chained in the corner of the room. The man looked barely alive, his eyes hollow, his body limp.

Aric approached him without hesitation, muttering a few dark words under his breath. He placed a hand over the man's chest, and with a sickening crack, plunged his other hand into the man's body. The man let out a final, agonized scream before his body went still. Aric pulled out a glowing orb from the man's chest—the spiritual core.

Valerian's heart pounded, his breath shallow as Aric held the core up, admiring it. The light from the core cast eerie shadows on Aric's face, making his smile all the more sinister. "This is what awaits you, Valerian. You'll be just like him soon."

"No… no, please," Valerian whimpered, his voice barely audible as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Aric turned back to him, stepping closer with the spiritual core still glowing in his hand. "Now it's your turn."

Valerian's body shuddered as Aric approached, his fingers reaching for Valerian's chest. Pain shot through his body as Aric's dark magic began to probe for his soul. Valerian screamed, his voice raw with terror and agony. His vision blurred as he struggled to remain conscious.

Just as the darkness seemed to consume him, the door to the room burst open.

A figure stood in the doorway, cloaked in shadow, but Valerian recognized him immediately—Sebastian.

Sebastian's eyes burned with fury as he took in the scene. Without a word, he moved with deadly precision, his body a blur as he attacked Aric. The force of the blow sent Aric crashing into the wall, his grip on Valerian breaking instantly.

"Stay away from him," Sebastian growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Aric spat blood, staggering to his feet. "You… you're too late, Sebastian. I'll take his power, and I'll take yours next."

Sebastian didn't respond with words. His gaze hardened as he unleashed his full power, a dark aura surrounding him. The room trembled as his presence filled the air, suffocating and intense.

"Get up, Valerian," Sebastian commanded, his voice steady but urgent.

Valerian, trembling and weak, managed to crawl toward Sebastian, every movement painful. Tears still streaked down his face, his mind barely processing what was happening.

Sebastian grabbed Valerian, lifting him effortlessly, his eyes never leaving Aric. "You should have known better than to mess with what's mine," he said coldly.

Aric snarled, charging toward them, but Sebastian moved faster, sending a blast of energy that knocked Aric back, slamming him into the stone wall with a bone-cracking impact.

"Let's go," Sebastian said, his voice softer now as he pulled Valerian close, preparing to leave.