Eternal Undying Chronicles

Malefica leaned back slightly into his embrace. Her hesitation was palpable.

"Y...you do realize the reason I took such a drastic measure?"

Alicarde nodded, his lips forming a confident smirk.

"I know. You only did what you did yesterday because you love me, not some creepy Knight of Order."

She was silent, her gaze fixed on the horizon. He pressed further.

"If you didn't care, you wouldn't have risked it."

Her fists clenched slightly as she grappled with her feelings.

"Do you feel guilty, Malefica? Like you're dragging me into your troubles?"

"I do," she admitted quietly, her voice trembling. "I feel like I'm dragging you into a storm you don't deserve."

"Why then?" Alicarde asked, leaning closer, his tone unrelenting yet gentle.

She hesitated, biting her lip as if the words would shatter something fragile within her.

"Because I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be solitary. I don't want to be Solitaria…"

Alicarde's smile softened as her vulnerability seeped through. He brushed a loose strand of her hair aside.

"Is that all? You know, our True Names kind of match in a twisted way. I might not be some prophesied knight, but we share more in common than you think. My True Name, Aeternus, came from the fear of losing everyone I love and becoming a solitary immortal. And your name? Solitaria. It's almost like fate, isn't it?"

Malefica turned her face away, her hair whipping with the wind.

"I'm not trying to embrace fate. I'm trying to fight it."

Alicarde shook his head slightly, a wry grin spreading across his lips.

"No, you're not avoiding fate. You're trying to avoid a future you don't like." He pressed a kiss against her cheek.

"If you're worried about dragging me into your conflict, don't. I've already made up my mind. I'm going to stand by your side, no matter what. And trust me, I've got plenty of my own enemies to make, so you're just returning the favor."

She nodded weakly. "Even if I'm cursed?"

"I already knew that," Alicarde said with a chuckle.

Malefica shook her head vehemently.

"No. This is different. I awakened the second part of my True Name after fighting Cassandra. My True Name is now Hex. It means Curse. After centuries of waiting, the second part of my True Name finally surfaced, and it's even more ominous than the first. I truly am cursed."

She clenched her fists, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Solitaria Hex. What a sad name. It's like a reminder that I'll always lose, no matter how hard I try."

Alicarde sighed, turning her gently to face him.

"What's up with you today? The first part of your True Name doesn't matter anymore because I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Malefica opened her mouth to respond, but he raised a hand, cutting her off.

"Let me stop you right there. I've been with you all this time. We've faced so much together, gotten closer than ever, and yet, I'm still here. Nothing's happened to me."

By this point, Evergreen City' towers were fully visible against the horizon. The sun blazed overhead, marking the approach of noon. Alicarde dismounted the bicorn with a practiced ease, turning to face her.

"Look here," he began firmly. "I've been with you since day one, and I haven't died."

Malefica's expression tightened.

"You haven't been unscathed. What about the night you faced Zagarath and his Strigoi horde?"

"Coincidence," Alicarde countered, waving dismissively. "And I didn't die either."

"But it changed you forever," she insisted.

"Change is inevitable," he retorted, his tone unwavering. "So what?"

He stepped closer, locking eyes with her.

"Bad things happen all the time. They had nothing to do with you, so stop blaming yourself. And listen up, Malefica—you are not allowed to badmouth my woman."

Her eyes widened at his audacity, but before she could protest, he turned away.

"Something terrible will happen," she muttered under her breath. "Nothing good comes from me finding happiness… or even company."

"Yeah, right," Alicarde scoffed, mounting the bicorn again.

"Just trust me. It's not like the sky is going to fall or anything."

As if the universe sought to prove him wrong, a pulse of blinding light erupted from the center of Evergreen City, splitting the skies. A massive beam surged upward, piercing the heavens and dimming the sun itself with its brilliance. Alicarde froze, his mouth agape as he felt the overwhelming surge of magical energy ripple through the air.

The light reached its zenith, leaving a shimmering scar in the sky. Its intensity cast long shadows even in the noon sun, and the oppressive magical signature sent a chill down his spine. It was a power he recognized—one that carried a weight Alicarde could not ignore.

The magic was coming from the nexus, he had felt the magic signature before in the nightshade village. The day Carrisa got the nexus.

Malefica stared at him with a deadpan expression, her lips twitching slightly as if to say, I told you so.

Alicarde chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

"Okay, so the sky didn't fall... it just got, uh, rearranged a little."

She crossed her arms, her expression unamused.

"This is why I say I'm cursed."

Alicarde sighed, pulling his hood down. "Fine, maybe you've got a point. But cursed or not, we're in this together."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know what horrible creature the nexus is going to summon from the demiplanes with that gate in the sky, whatever it is… it can't be good"

Alicarde sighed.

"I really can't catch a break can I"

Malefica sighed.

The tension lingered as the bicorn galloped toward the city , the blinding light from the explosion fading into a haunting glow that hung over Evergreen. Alicarde could feel the weight of the unknown pressing down on them, but he refused to let it break his resolve.

After all, he had made a promise. And Alicarde never broke his promises.