Scarlet chains

Chapter 19----Betrayal

Dominion Mansion – Main Hall*

Dominic and Cayden stormed into the mansion, tension thick in the air. The front guards rushed forward, panicked.

"Sir! We—we tried to stop her, but—"

"*Who?*" Dominic snapped.

The guard's face was pale. "Lady Lucinda. She said she was here to check on Nicole. We didn't think—"

Cayden pushed past them, already sensing something was wrong. The metallic scent of blood hung in the air.

They reached the grand staircase and froze.

Nicole lay at the base, unmoving, blood soaking into the carpet beneath her. Her breathing was faint, eyes half-lidded. A dagger glinted from her side.

Next to her hand—*a shattered Cult talisman*, still flickering faintly with dying black light.

"MEDIC!" Dominic roared, dropping to his knees.

Cayden scanned the surroundings, eyes sharp. "Where were the guards on this floor?"

"Knocked out cold," one stammered. "She moved like a ghost."

Dominic applied pressure to the wound with his coat, voice hoarse. "Stay with me, Nicole. Stay."

Nicole barely whispered, "Lu… cinda…"

Then she passed out.

Dominic's face went dark.

"She knew everything. Every corner of this place." He stood slowly, fists shaking.

Cayden looked down at the broken talisman.

"She played us. From the start.That's why she stabbed Nova and I was clueless all this time, I even made her my head maid."

Dominic turned to the guards. "Seal every exit. I want eyes on every road, every sky path, every sewer line. Find. Her."

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*Spirit Realm – Hidden Sanctuary*

Nova sat cross-legged in the ethereal clearing, the strange stillness around her humming with magic. The Spirit King stood a few steps away, tall and regal, his cloak shimmering like constellations.

"You've awakened so much," he said gently. "The spirits favor you, child of dual blood… but they are afraid too."

Nova frowned. "Afraid of *me*?"

The Spirit King's eyes darkened slightly. "No… afraid of what you *could* become. Or worse—who might claim you."

She stood slowly, wariness in her gaze. "Why do I feel like you're not telling me something?"

He sighed. "Because if I told you… you'd fight."

A pulse of dread struck her chest. She stepped back. "What are you—?"

Before she could finish, the Spirit King raised one hand. A blinding wave of violet energy surged toward her.

Her scream was silent as her body convulsed, then crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

—

*Unknown Location – Cult's Realm*

Darkness swirled. A portal opened deep within the Hollow Fortress—the unstable space between all realms.

The Spirit King stepped through, Nova limp in his arms.

He was met by hooded figures—Cult leaders.

"She is yours now," he said coolly. "The bindings held. The artifact responded. Her potential is ready to be shaped."

One figure nodded. "You've done well."

"But be warned," the Spirit King added. "If she awakens before the final ritual… not even I can stop her."

As he vanished back into the shadows, Nova's body was placed into a binding circle of ancient magic.

A whisper rippled through the dark:

*"Let the erasure begin."*

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