The tension in the city streets seemed to thicken with every passing hour. Despite the victory over the thugs who had ambushed him, Lucas couldn’t shake the feeling that something darker loomed over him and Aveline. Her cryptic words from the day before kept echoing in his mind: _“There’s something they want—something I have.”_
It was early morning again, but instead of heading to the Monster Wall for training as he normally would, Lucas decided to find Aveline. He needed answers. If he was going to fight for her, he at least had to know why these people were after her in the first place.
As he stepped out of his small apartment, he felt eyes on him again. His senses had become sharper since he started leveling up in the dungeon, and now the prickle on the back of his neck was unmistakable. Someone was watching him.
Lucas sighed, gripping the hilt of his sword beneath his cloak as he started down the street. He had no intention of letting these spies catch him off guard again. After a few minutes, he ducked into a narrow alleyway between two shops, quickening his pace. His skeleton minions followed silently behind him, hidden in the shadows, awaiting his command.
After weaving through several side streets, he finally reached the small tavern where Aveline had said she’d be staying. He knocked lightly on the door and waited. A minute later, the door creaked open, and Aveline stood before him, her face pale and tired.
“Lucas,” she said, her voice soft but relieved. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come.”
“Of course I came,” Lucas replied, stepping inside. “We need to talk.”
Aveline closed the door behind him, glancing around nervously as if she expected someone to burst in at any moment. The room was small and dimly lit, with only a single window overlooking the busy street below. Aveline motioned for him to sit, and Lucas did, though he remained tense, ready for anything.
“What’s going on, Aveline?” Lucas asked, his tone direct. “You said there’s something they want from you. Something dangerous enough to send a group of assassins after you. I need to know what it is.”
Aveline’s hands trembled as she sat down across from him. She stared at the floor for a long moment before speaking.
“It’s not something I ever wanted to involve anyone else in,” she began, her voice low. “But I suppose it’s too late for that now.”
Lucas waited patiently, watching her closely. He could see the conflict in her eyes, the fear and guilt weighing her down.
“They’re after a relic,” she finally said. “An ancient artifact my family has guarded for generations. It’s called the Shadow Amulet. It’s said to have the power to control the shadows themselves—to bend darkness to the will of whoever possesses it.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “Control the shadows? That sounds… powerful.”
Aveline nodded. “It is. But it’s also cursed. The amulet can grant incredible power, but at a terrible cost. Those who try to wield it often lose themselves to the darkness. They become something… twisted.”
“And these people want the amulet for themselves?” Lucas asked.
“Yes,” Aveline said. “They’re part of a secret organization known as the Veil—a group that believes they can harness the amulet’s power without succumbing to its curse. But they’re wrong. I’ve seen what the amulet can do. It destroyed my family.”
Lucas clenched his fists. “And now they’re coming after you because you’re the only one who knows where it is.”
Aveline nodded again, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’ve been running for years, trying to stay ahead of them. But they’re relentless. And now, because you helped me… they’ll come for you too.”
Lucas leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. A cursed amulet, a secret organization, and now he was caught in the middle of it all. But there was one thing he knew for sure—he wasn’t going to back down. He’d come too far to turn away now.
“So, what do we do?” Lucas asked. “I’m not going to let them come after you again.”
Aveline looked at him, surprised by his resolve. “You’re really willing to fight them? Even knowing how dangerous they are?”
Lucas smirked. “I’ve fought monsters in the dungeon that would make most people run in terror. I think I can handle a few assassins.”
Aveline smiled weakly, though her eyes remained worried. “I appreciate that, Lucas. But we can’t just keep fighting them off forever. Sooner or later, they’ll overwhelm us.”
Lucas thought for a moment, then an idea came to him. “What if we use the amulet against them?”
Aveline’s eyes widened in horror. “No! You don’t understand—the amulet is too dangerous. You can’t control it. If you try, it will consume you.”
Lucas held up his hands in a calming gesture. “I’m not saying I’ll use it. But maybe there’s a way we can turn it against the Veil without risking the curse. If we can lure them into a trap, we could take out a good portion of their forces.”
Aveline hesitated, clearly torn between fear and hope. “I don’t know, Lucas… it’s a huge risk.”
Lucas leaned forward, his voice firm. “You said it yourself—they’re not going to stop. We have to do something.”
Aveline was silent for a long time, her brow furrowed in thought. Finally, she sighed. “Alright. There may be a way. But it’s going to be dangerous.”
Lucas nodded. “Dangerous is my middle name.”
Aveline gave him a look, half-exasperated, half-amused. “I’m serious, Lucas. If we do this, we’ll be walking into a trap ourselves.”
Lucas stood up, determination written all over his face. “Then let’s make sure the trap is for them, not us.”
---
Later that afternoon, Lucas and Aveline found themselves back in the crowded streets of the city. They had a plan—or at least the beginnings of one. Aveline had told him of a place outside the city, a hidden temple where the Shadow Amulet had been kept for centuries. If they could lure the Veil there, it might give them the advantage they needed to strike back.
“Do you think they’ll take the bait?” Lucas asked as they walked.
Aveline shrugged, keeping her voice low. “The Veil’s spies are everywhere. They’ll know if we start heading toward the temple. And once they catch wind of it, they won’t be able to resist.”
Lucas smirked. “Good. Let’s make sure they regret it.”
The plan was simple enough. Lucas and Aveline would make it look like they were heading to the temple to retrieve the amulet. Once the Veil’s forces showed up, Lucas would use his skeletons to ambush them, cutting down as many as possible before they realized what was happening.
But as they walked, Lucas couldn’t help but feel the weight of what they were about to do. This wasn’t just another battle. They were going up against a powerful organization—one that wouldn’t hesitate to kill them both if given the chance.
They continued through the city until they reached the outskirts, where the buildings gave way to rolling hills and dense forests. Lucas glanced over at Aveline, who seemed unusually quiet.
“You okay?” he asked.
Aveline nodded, though her expression was tense. “I’m just… thinking about what comes next. If this doesn’t work…”
“It’ll work,” Lucas said firmly. “We’ll make it work.”
Aveline gave him a small smile, though the worry never left her eyes. “I hope you’re right.”
---
As night fell, the two of them finally reached the edge of the forest. The temple lay somewhere within, hidden deep in the shadows of the ancient trees. Lucas could feel the tension in the air, like a storm waiting to break.
“They’ll be coming soon,” Aveline said quietly, her eyes scanning the darkened horizon.
Lucas nodded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Good. Let’s get ready.”
They set up their trap in a small clearing just outside the entrance to the temple. Lucas summoned his skeletons, ordering them to hide in the surrounding trees, ready to strike on his command.
As the minutes ticked by, the silence grew heavier. Lucas could feel his pulse quickening, the anticipation building inside him. This was it—the moment of truth.
Suddenly, a faint rustling sound reached his ears. He tensed, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the forest.
“They’re here,” he whispered.
Aveline nodded, her hand gripping the dagger at her side. “Get ready.”
From the shadows of the forest, dark-cloaked figures began to emerge. There were at least a dozen of them, maybe more, their faces hidden beneath hoods. At their head was a tall, imposing figure—the leader of the Veil.
The man stepped forward, his voice cold and mocking. “Did you really think you could hide from us, girl? The amulet will be ours.”
Lucas stepped in front of Aveline, his eyes blazing with defiance. “You’ll have to get through me first.”
The leader chuckled darkly. “Oh, we will. And when we’re done with you, we’ll take her too.”
Lucas’s hand shot up, and with a single word, his skeletons surged out of the trees
, launching themselves at the Veil’s forces. The battle erupted in an instant, the clearing filled with the clash of steel and the cries of the dying.
Lucas moved like lightning, cutting down one assassin after another, his sword flashing in the moonlight. But despite their best efforts, the Veil’s numbers were overwhelming. For every one they killed, two more seemed to take their place.
“Lucas!” Aveline called out, her voice filled with desperation.
He turned just in time to see the leader of the Veil bearing down on her, his sword raised high. Without thinking, Lucas threw himself in front of her, his sword clashing against the man’s blade with a deafening ring.
The force of the blow nearly knocked Lucas off his feet, but he held his ground, gritting his teeth as he pushed back against the leader’s strength.
“You’re out of your league, boy,” the man sneered. “Surrender now, and I might let you live.”
Lucas glared at him, his muscles straining as he fought to keep the man’s blade from cutting him down. “Not a chance.”
With a sudden surge of strength, Lucas shoved the man back, swinging his sword in a powerful arc. The leader barely managed to dodge, his eyes narrowing in surprise.
“You’re stronger than I expected,” he admitted. “But it won’t be enough.”
Lucas didn’t respond. Instead, he focused all his energy on the fight, his mind racing as he tried to find a weakness in the man’s defense.
But the leader was skilled, his movements precise and deadly. It was all Lucas could do to keep up, his arms growing heavier with each passing second.
Just when it seemed like the fight might drag on forever, Aveline’s voice rang out behind him.
“Lucas! The amulet—use it!”
Lucas hesitated for a split second, his heart pounding in his chest. He had sworn not to touch the amulet, not after everything Aveline had told him about its curse. But now, with their lives on the line, he didn’t see any other choice.
With a grimace, Lucas reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, black amulet. The moment his fingers closed around it, he felt a surge of power course through him, dark and intoxicating.
The leader’s eyes widened in shock. “No… you fool! You don’t know what you’ve done!”
But it was too late. The shadows around them began to shift and twist, moving of their own accord. Lucas could feel the darkness responding to his will, bending to his command.
For a brief moment, he hesitated, the weight of the curse pressing down on him. But then, with a fierce determination, he focused on the task at hand.
“Go,” he whispered, his voice filled with power.
The shadows surged forward, engulfing the leader and his men in a wave of darkness. Their screams echoed through the clearing as the shadows consumed them, dragging them into the void.
When it was over, Lucas stood alone in the clearing, the amulet still clutched tightly in his hand. Aveline stared at him, her eyes wide with fear and awe.
“You… you did it,” she whispered.
Lucas looked down at the amulet, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what he had just done.
But at what cost?